when you're homeschooling (our particular type of homeschooling is called unschooling), it is important to create rituals, ceremonies, and special times to honor and recognize your child's accomplishments. while perusing several homeschooling and unschooling blogs lately, i was inspired by one that had a ceremony for their daughter to walk into a new grade. it was so sweet, and quite lovely.
while we don’t “do” grades, we were all taken with this idea, and started creating a ceremony to recognize and honor lillie’s great love of learning.
first, we called it “lillie’s dive into the ocean of knowledge” ceremony, since we all know that princess sea is a dolphin as well as a mermaid. we placed a gorgeous ocean of sparkly shimmery magic on the floor, and lillie went around the house and gathered things that are important to her right now. since we practice a learning approach called “strewing,” our house is (somewhat organized) chaos. strewing means that we have a variety of things for her to learn from/with, all around the house. she can choose to do anything, at any time – it is all there for her to play with. it is lovely, strewing, although messy.
lillie chose many things to surround her ocean - here is a partial list:
*a Japanese fan from my granny – often used in diva moments or in theatrical productions
*a ceramic panda – she loves china, and bamboo
*some gorgeous kanzashi, made by our kimono-loving gather friend sandy k and received just today!
*a swimsuit (you can’t be surprised)
*a hand-woven bag from India, from my aunt
*an octopus (more ocean)
*books
*Beethoven statue
*pokemon chips
*her dance shoes
*a huge star wars collage she made in art class last spring, complete with a face mask
*alas, poor yorick
*a fake money box – she loves to play store
*2 globes
*an art kit, paintbrushes, markers, scissors, tape
*her favorite computer games
*bongos from uncle ben, especially in use here after the latin jazz concert last week
*venus de milo
*buddha
*la tour d’eiffel
*a hand-painted greek plate
*her tennis racket
*her cherished frog, from our great friend carolion
*more books (incl. archaeology and greece, our latest faves)
*games
*a thai fish
*markers
*her lego star wars games (ps2)
*a magnifying glass
*puzzles
…and her camera. i am sure i’ve missed many things, as they were taken away to be perused, used, or played with right away – even though she did not want to disturb the essence of the ocean. we talked about how oceans are continually changing, as some things die or swim away, and are quickly replaced by others. we talked about building a bridge to knowledge, and that such a bridge is an open mind and a quick-witted curiousity, both of which she has in spades.
we called ed to the room, and together…
we told a story of a girl, a princess, a dolphin, who so loved learning that she gathered her favorite things around her, in her ocean grotto. she had so many friends, so many interests, so many ways to fill her heart and mind, that she was one of the happiest people in the world. we invited her to walk the path of learning, and dive into the ocean of knowledge. and she DID…with a joyous smile on her face.
the dive was followed by a celebratory tea party, complete with her homemade butterscotch pudding pie, and some green tea chai to go along with it. life is good.
what’s next? lillie tells me that the fairies need a place to dance. And so it goes…
rate
email
print
link to this page
Comments: 52
Blessings~
apryl - no big deal. i never look at the ratings - people always do DB1s. thank you for trying so hard!
lisa - we LOVE chaz addams. he's so awesome. when we aren't wishing we have gills, we wish to be part of the addams family. they're so wonderfully macabre.
debbie, gerry, lynn, karen, denise, tonia, faith - we do have so much fun. thanks so much for your great comments! come on over! there's always room for more - and ALL of us are always learning!
btw, Apryl, I never rate things but I'll give this a 10 to make up for yours.
Such a fun way to teach and learn! I especially love the story of "a girl, a princess, a dolphin..."
Love that this was featured and your photos are GREAT!! Bigg-O 10 from me!
Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~
His whole personality changed.
The approach does seem like Montessori in some ways, although they're not big on "strewing." :-) But very big on providing a rich environment for a child to learn what they feel moved to learn at that moment.
Lillie has grown so much so fast in the last few months!!! She is so beautiful...inside and out...just like her mamma
I've been homeschooling for a while now and need some new direction.
One for your inspirational article and the other for Lillie's inspiring heart
There's a tradition from the Waldorf schools you might find interesting some time. Some of them make a double spiral just after Thanksgiving, putting crystals and moss and whatever to outline the form. In the center is a stump with a candle which is lighted, when it's gotten dark, then each person (adults can do it too) walks into the spiral with an unlit candle (perhaps placed in an apple) and lights it at the center, then places it into the spiral somewhere on the way out. Ideally there's someone playing gentle music along with this.
I've only done it with adults, and it has that kind of feeling that you get from moving ahead a grade in school, noticing that time is carrying you forward and that you are placing your light somewhere in the world.
I've been waiting for an update on Lillie. She is such a dear little princess. Can you imagine how safe and happy she is in her own little cave in the ocean? What wonderful memories you both will have. How is it going with the bagpipes?
bagpipes - going ok! it is more difficult than i thought - but i just keep plugging away!
thank you, all!
BUGPEEP, The Hoppin' Cloggin' Frog .
"See what I see in the magic sea?"
Things strewed about delightfully:
A Japanese fan from dearest granny
A ceramic panda smiling merrily
Gorgeous Kanzashi to wear with glee
A swimsuit to use swimmingly
A hand-woven bag with money for me
An octopus with eight legs spinning free
Books and chips, shoes and a cd
Star wars collage, face mask and money make three
Two globes, an art kit and a picture of a tree
Computer games, bongos and baby buddha wee
Eiffel tower, Greek plate and a tennis rackety
Cherished frog from Carolion croaking croakingly
Markers and crayons to draw all she can see
With her underwater magnifying glassy
Dolphin Lillie dives into the deep dark sea
"See what I see in the magic sea?"
ed, this is your best lillie poem yet. when will you publish these? :) WE LOVE THEM!! thank you!