YOU Interview

 Me:"Milo what do you like to do?"

Milo: "Play."

Me: "What do you not like doing?"

Milo: "Not playing."

September for us means nothing more than reflection and reminders.
More for myself than for the kids.
When your curriculum is 'Life' the start date is birth and continues on hopefully for many years to come.
However, we use September to take a closer look at who these young people in our lives are growing to be, their individual needs, the topics they crave to cram in their brains and how we can juggle all of the above; the latter being the trickiest bit!
Starting September with our YOU Interview, some self-reflection and esteem exercises, helps us reset and review why we have chosen this off-the-beaten path of education.

Lover of Stories-Prefers to be read to

Though we aim to sink lots of reading and writing, math and sciences into our yearly picture, our priority is placing a large focus on interests. Those vary from week-to-week and year-to-year, but ultimately are the only topics that will be fully absorbed and utilized, by any individual.
Humans can memorize facts (though some are better than others at this skill), but our brains are hard-wired to excel at those topics that naturally grab our attention.

 Miss C's Finger knitting Spool

Me: "Charlotte, what is your favourite activity these days?"

Miss C: "Finger knitting. 

Playing outside." 

When I come to the table each morning with my agenda (Hello Math Monday, Word Wednesday and Sci Fri), if interest is piqued, it comes accompanied by fully absorbed little eyes and minds.
If there are zero signs of interest, my agenda is sideswiped by theirs (Hello Baby Bonnet sewing, Rubber Tire Shoe Designing, Broomstick Flying out of the Tree Physics).
When I am clever enough not to push my agenda on those mornings, I sit back and watch unadulterated (meaning: adult-free) education at work.

Me: "Charlotte, what makes you cry?"

Miss C: "Onions."

 Broomstick Physics 

(Note: Handmade 'Nimbus 2000' resting on tree trunk!)

Me: "Olivia, describe a perfect day."

Miss O: "Stay in bed an hour after I wake up to tell myself a story.

Sew a costume before breakfast.

Learn to read quickly so I can finish Harry Potter #4.

Draw pictures and create a gallery.

Friends visit and stay for lunch.

Role play Little House.

Knit.

Play puppies.

Head to friends for the night.

 Now if you're done this Mom, I've got a new design for a dress."

So we're taking our first week of September to talk to the kids about how they're doing and what excites them, so we can implement more of their agenda into their education.

"The Potential of the Child is stunted when 

the endpoint of their learning is formulated in advance." 

~Carla Rinaldi