Chess

The boys played a game of chess against each other today. Originally DS1 and I were going to play, and DS2 was going to help me, but really they were playing and I just helped DS2 if he tried to move a piece illegally.

Some interesting observances:
DS1 wanted to put his white queen on the right, instead of on the left (on the white square). I don't know why.
DS2 called the knight a "jumping horse."
DS2 called the rook a "castle tower."
They correctly use the term "capture."
They know that a pawn captures diagonally but moves only straight forward 1 square and that it can move 2 squares only on its first move.

The game ended in a draw because a new Wonder Pets Christmas episode on TV became more interesting than the game. We moved it with the intent of continuing later, but a game of "rolly catch" knocked over too many of the pieces, so I put them away.

Mind The Gap

This article, Mind The Gap: Watching For 'Holes' in Your Child's Education points out that everyone's education has gaps in it compared to someone else's education. As homeschoolers, we have the opportunity to ignore "the gap" and just enjoy learning.

She suggests making a list of the things you want to make sure your child doesn't miss. She states that if your goal is to allow your child to become an autonomous, self-directed learner, then following a curriculum and agenda created by the state (or anyone else) is counter-intuitive.

She believes that the essentials are learning to read, learning to write, and learning (consumer) math and how to manage money.

I liked this article and will be reading more from Local Homeschool.com!

High Achiever, Gifted Learner, CreativeThinker

A discussion on the Sonlight forums led me to this article, High Achiever, Gifted Learner, Creative Thinker, which distinguishes characteristics of the three groupings of learners listed in the title. I can see how I fit into all 3 of them at different times in my schooling years. There are some good points to consider regarding the different perspectives. It will be good to keep this information as a reference as our homeschooling progresses.