How do you learn?

I took this little quiz today about Tristan's learning style. A lot of it I already knew.

The higher your child scores in one area, the more she prefers that
learning style. If she rates similarly across all three styles, that means she
uses all of them equally to grasp new information. A low score in any area means
your child hardly ever relies on that learning style. Here is what we can tell
about your child's learning style. (If you want to know about another child or a
child in another grade, you should complete
this assessment from the beginning again.)

Visual: 35%
Auditory:
28%
Tactile: 35%

Your child is a strong visual learner. Visual learners have an easier time
grasping concepts and understanding ideas when they're able to see information.
They work well with visual materials such as flash cards, videos, pictures, and
charts. Visual learners are usually great at reading and games of concentration.
For more on visual learners, click here.

Your child is also a strong tactile learner. Physical learners (also called
tactile-kinesthetic learners: "tactile" for touch, "kinesthetic" for movement)
are better able to understand ideas and retain information if they can "feel"
what you're trying to explain. This means that holding something in their hands
or participating physically in an activity helps them grasp a concept. Children
with strong tactile-kinesthetic skills are usually active and full of energy.
They do well with hands-on activities, such as shaping clay into a volcano, and
with games that require the use of their bodies, such as moving large block
letters around to form words. For more on physical learners, click here.

Compared to other learning styles, your child is not much of an auditory
learner. Auditory learners are best able to make sense of information when they
hear it. They are better able to comprehend concepts and ideas when you explain
them. They often like listening to music and stories and can easily repeat back
information they've heard. For more on auditory learners, click here.

Amazing how your views change

when you start homeschooling. Before I really thought about it every single thing we do in life our little ones are learning something. Even if it's just doing daily chores or helping mom with something.. or being quiet while she's on the phone! They are learning responsibility, how to be charitable and helpful to others, and respectful as well. They are learning new sounds and how to count and read and all the wonderful things we need to know in life by just being in this world.

Now some people might disagree with me that you can only learn certain things in a school setting. But I don't think so. There are so many things in this world that once they find an interest you just go with it. Find anything and everything you can about that thing. Tie in math and science, the history of it, and reading and they will remember. If they love it.. they will learn it.

It's no wonder I don't remember certain things from school. I had no real interest in it and it was never presented in a way that I wanted to care about it. So I just learned it and passed the class and forgot all about it. I love when something sparks Tristan's memory and he can remember whole days about things and tell you what happened and who did what. I know he can do this because they are things he loves and really cares about and has a desire to know more about.

I spy with my little eye...

Tristan's latest new found love.... I spy type books. Anything that shows you what to look for and you find it in a large picture. He LOVES them and is really good at them! I thought they'd be too advanced for him.. not at all. So he'll definitely be getting a few for Christmas! He's also found a love for board games.. even if he doesn't play them right LOL He'll learn though. We just got Candyland so it will be easy for him to learn how to take turns and such playing it.. I hope!

He also just got a new alphabet toy from Vtech. He's in love already. This should definitely help him start with letter recogniction. Although he seems to be picking up some a little just based on shapes and such.. not actual letters yet. I just can't get over how fast he's growing and the things he learns each day.

Griffin is a learning fool too! He's learning how to get into mischeif just as fast as his brother LOL Keeps mom on her toes that's for sure! His latest fascination is putting small things into a bucket, bag, anything that will hold things and then dumping them out and picking them up again. Lots of fun! No walking yet but he is getting braver and braver about standing holding on to nothing. Steps shouldn't be too far off and running right behind it LOL I'm ok with him just crawling for now... They get into enough things with him not walking... I can only imagine the fun they will have when he is!

Need to remind myself of this often!

The Art of Unconditionality
by Scott Noelle, posted on 2006-06-12

If it's raining, you're supposed to call it "bad weather" and complain.
Complaining makes you feel bad, but you've been led to believe that the source of your angst is the rain — the weather conditions. That's conditionality.

UNconditionality, means wanting so much to feel good that you stop using conditions to justify feeling bad.

One way to practice the Art of Unconditionality in the face of "bad" conditions is to ask yourself, "What's GOOD about that?"

What's GOOD about the rain? It vitalizes the soil and plants... It makes the air smell clean... It's fun to get drenched and then go take a hot bath!

What's GOOD about children "misbehaving"? It means they're trying to engage, explore, connect, create, etc... It means you get to practice loving and feeling good unconditionally, which is the key to your Authentic Power.

Eventually you'll realize it's neither good nor bad — it just IS. Welcome to Reality. :)

More ramblings from me

Wow 2 posts in a day LOL

Lately I've been feeling like a bit of a slacker about homeschooling. I know he's just 3 and doesn't need too much going on right now. But I'm feeling like a slacker. I really wanted to do that letter of the week stuff and we've just been SO busy we're hardly touching it and just reading the books on the topic of the week and sometimes coloring. I know he's learning things ALL the time from all the other stuff we do but I'm just feeling slackerish because I'm not being able to do the things I wanted to do with the program.

I feel a little bit better this morning. We read for about 20 mins this morning until Griffin went flying out of his high chair. (He's fine!) We read Chuckie goes to the Eye Dr. Tristan really enjoyed it and after Griffin was taken care of he got out his new doctor kit and played eye dr with Griffin. Griffin had no clue what he was doing but Tristan checked out his ears and eyes and can't wait to read the book again! If we hadn't already been to the eye dr this year I'd take him again.. maybe now he'd be more willing to cooperate LOL

I'm thrilled my little men are learning so many things so quickly! Griffin has mastered going DOWN stairs this week as well as falling :S He has given up a nap however and spends lots more time playing with his brother and being up to no good with him as well LOL I've sure got my hands full!!! But every day is a new day to learn things... even me!

Tristan's Birthday Party and Halloween

Tristan's party was Saturday. We had a nice time other than some party pooper cousins who didn't want to play the games. But overall we had a blast. We had coloring pages, a bean bag toss into Muck (Bob the Builder), and a marshamallow hunt in baby cereal (gotta put it to use somehow hehe). Then we opened presents. Toys galore and a new college savings account from my parents. Then it was time for cake and ice cream. The kids got cups full of "dirt" and worms and the grown ups had dirt cake from the pan. It was all really yummy. Griffin passed out after he ate his frosting though LOL Here's some pics: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaM3DZs1YtmLh&notag=1

Halloween and Tristan's official birthday were a blast too. I can't believe my baby is 3 :( We were going to go around the neighborhood trick or treating but Griffin was tired before we even left and they made a haul in just going to the downtown stores. So we decided to eat dinner at Jim's instead where Griffin was told how adorable he was no less than every 15 mins LOL He could barely sit up enough to eat. It was a fun night even if it was super cold! Here's some pics of the boys in their costumes and our simple pumpkin carvings lol http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AaM3DZs1YtmLw