Delighted to Learn? Oh yes!

This week a group of us are talking about Delight Directed Learning. 

I try, when possible to let my children's learning be delight directed, but what exactly does that mean?

Lego Challenge~ make different
 structures with the same bricks

First Rainbow. Painted while
I was in the other room.

Well, for my Littlest delight directed really does mean following his lead. Since he is only 5 years old, I'm a firm believer in letting him be . . . "Five." In my estimation that means allowing him to explore, read, draw, paint, build, play, and do all the things 5 year old children should be doing.

We do a little bit of reading and math, but those are things he enjoys ( he asks to play Ooka Island and do math almost every day, if I haven't brought it up myself).

We also use Five In A Row, which is pretty much delight directed. Sometimes he gets to choose which book we row, and he always enjoys our time reading and exploring (it's also fabulous when everything lines up, like when we rowed Katy and the Big Snow, and got... a BIG Snow! :)

We have a huge number of educational apps on my iPad, many of which are reading and math oriented, with others being more logic and puzzle oriented. Some favorites are Rocket Math, KinderBach Music, and a variety of storybooks, as well as the more typical games.

As they get older it becomes a little more difficult to keep things delight directed, but we do try~ sometimes Middlest gets to choose some science topics (He particularly enjoyed our time reviewing the Physics and Digital Science Task Cards from Creek Edge Press), and we're in the midst of reviewing SuperCharged Science, which is great for delight-directed learning.


For Eldest and Middlest both, sometimes they get some input into what books they will read for Literature or History, but it does get a little harder to incorporate that "Delight" into every day "Math, Science, and Writing."

Thankfully, Eldest enjoys math, and doesn't mind science, so while those aren't totally delightful, whenever she gets excited about something there we try to dig a little deeper. I also enjoy the fact that when she is interested in something nature or art oriented, she just goes for it, with little to no instigation on my part.

Middlest is a researcher extraordinaire . . . when the topic excites him.  MY task becomes turning what he's learning about his current interest into definable schoolwork. This year his interest is fishing, maybe he will write a report on the different kinds of fish found in our state. Make a poster showing what sorts of lures attract which fish... that sort of thing. Create a chart showing what temperatures and weather are optimal for catching each variety of fish.

A couple of years ago he was all about skateboards, so guess what we put together for our Educational Achievement Fair? A tri-fold on the physics of skateboarding, with a display of "Tricks" he could pull with his finger-boards.

By and large, my feeling about delight directed learning is that when a child shows an interest in something, you let them run with it. It doesn't necessarily take over everything school-ish (although that is a possibility at times).

When the kids pull our our kapla blocks and keva planks to build, they are working on engineering and physics skills~ sometimes what they come up with it pretty fun! :) Marble runs and tall towers that look terribly unstable . . . but surprise us by NOT falling down. . . That is delight directed learning!

When we discovered monarch eggs on our milkweed and watched as they hatched and grew into caterpillars, then chrysalis and finally emerged as butterflies... that was delight directed learning.

When the robins decided to build a nest in our window, next to the air conditioner by our back porch, we took pictures every day from building the nest to full fledged baby birds... that was delight directed learning!

Orchid flowers beaded
by eldest, for a friend

Close-up of beaded Orchid

Delight directed learning can be planned: Choose your next book~ Choose your next unit study (Amanda Bennett anyone???), or it can catch you blissfully by surprise the next time your child asks a question about something they've seen, or shows you a project they want to try (Or that they've done without your total knowledge).

What do YOU consider delight directed learning?

Blessings~

For more Teaching Creatively, with Delight Directed Learning.... 

VeggieTales~ The Little House that Stood (Review and Giveaway)

Ever since The Toy that Saved Christmas, and Josh and the Big Wall, I have been a big fan of VeggieTales~ for my kids as well as myself... (grin), so I was delighted to receive the latest DVD for review.

The Little House That Stood (which just released this last week) has two short stories, and of course, Silly Songs with Larry.

From the website: 

When the Three Little Pigs roll into Cabbageville looking to build some new houses, they meet one builder with a plan and two without a clue! Larry builds with hay, Mr. Lunt with bricks, but only Bob builds his houses on a firm foundation - following the wise plans from the Master Builder's Handbook! Will the Little Piggies make the right choices when it comes to building their houses - and their lives - on solid ground? Find out in this parable that shows kids when they follow God's blueprints, then can stand strong when the storms come!

Plus! Ever wonder what happened before Humpty Cracked? Find out in this very Veggie retelling of  the classic Humpty Dumpty Story "The Good Egg of Gooseville" where we learn that a good neighbor always "lends a little hand" to those in need. 

So, you think you have a pretty good handle on the story of The Three Little Pigs? Well, that may be true, but The Little House that Stood puts a little twist into that tale ~ and does it very well.

What did my peeps think? 
My husband took note that the VeggieTales writers were once again able to intersperse references to entertain the adults and older siblings, who frequently must watch these videos ad infinitum (I have a suspicion that it may actually take a few viewings in order to catch all of those references). My Eldest particularly enjoyed the reference to "Bob the Builder."

Littlest thought "Happy Toothday" (The Silly Song with Larry) was very funny... actually, he thought the whole video was funny (however, Eldest has become more discriminating in her Silly Song Viewing, and feels that some of the newer silly songs are not up to the level of "O Where Is My Hairbrush" and "Song of the Cebu," among others).  Middlest weighed in as enjoying "The Little House that Stood" the most among the three selections.

All-in-all, we were happy to see a new VeggieTales video hit the shelf. 

You can connect with VeggieTales on their website, on FaceBook, and Twitter.

Now for the giveaway~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for reading!

Blessings~

"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Teaching Creatively Giveaway (March 9-17)

Hey Friends~ I hope you enjoy it when I share an interesting post, or great giveaway opportunity. 

If you do, then this post is a little heads up!  You’ll want to keep your eyes on my blog next week , for some creative posts on:

·      Delight Directed Learning, 

·      Schooling in the Kitchen,

·      Toys, Games and Puzzles,

·      Homeschooling in a Crisis and

·      Hands On Projects

However, that’s not all! Keep reading for your opportunity to win a bundle of prizes from some of my favorite homeschool vendors, including Five In A Row, The Old Schoolhouse, KnowledgeQuest, Amanda Bennett, and more!

I'm joining in with Marcy @Ben and Me and Sam @Sam's Noggin to bring you this awesome giveaway during the 5 Days of Teaching Creatively Blog Hop, hosted by the Schoolhouse Review Crew! The Blog Hop won't begin until Monday, but we are starting the fun early by giving you the opportunity to win incredible bundles of books and homeschool resources!

There will be a total of 3 winners chosen -- one GRAND prize, a 1st RUNNER-UP and a 2nd RUNNER-UP! The contest will begin at 12am on March 9 and end at 12am on March 17.  Please use the Rafflecopter below to enter, but read the contest rules, found at the bottom of the Rafflecopter widget, first. 

The GRAND PRIZE WINNER will receive ALL of the following -- a $525 value!

Geography Matters -- Profiles from History Package ($50 value) Looking for a way to help your students connect with history? The Profiles from History series is dedicated to telling the stories of people, whose lives are worth remembering. Whether they made a discovery, led heroically in a war, created a masterpiece through music, or art, used a pen to change the world, or impacted humanity with their bravery—they made a difference. We can learn so much by looking at those who came before us. Be ready to change your mind about history, with Profiles from History, Volumes 1, 2, and 3.

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine --  1-year membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com, a new Print Issue of The Old Schoolhouse^® Magazine, and a Homeschooling with Heart Tote Bag ($90 value)

SchoolhouseTeachers.com is an online classroom and has more than 2 dozen expert teachers who cover 25 different subjects presented via teaching videos, ongoing lesson plans, worksheets, lapbooks & unit studies, writing prompts and other assignments to choose from, students can additionally interact personally with the teachers by asking them questions and gaining feedback.

Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett -- Passport Geography set, consisting of the Combos (K - 12) for United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Germany ($50 value) 
Taking an in-depth look at world geography with the new Passport Geography™(PPG) series by Amanda Bennett. These one-week studies use a cross-curricular approach (covering geography, history, science, etc.) to take students on virtual journeys around the globe. Each study is interactive, including daily lessons for both elementary grades and Jr/Sr High grades, with no prep required.

Shining Dawn Books -- Early Spring Bundle ($21 value)

Early spring is known for its wonderfully rainy weather, leading to lots of beautiful fungi. It’s also the season when animals busily go about their regular activities after the relative quietness of winter. This bundle will help you to explore each of these exciting aspects of the spring season in-depth.

A+ Tutorsoft -- 1-yr subscription to the online A+ TutorSoft math program -- winner's choice from    grade levels 1st-4th ($150 value)
A+ TutorSoft, Inc. provides Multi-Sensory Interactive MATH Full Curriculum products to help students improve their grades at all levels. Our Multi-Sensory Interactive MATH helps homeschooling families as well as public and private school teachers and students. A+ TutorSoft offers everyone a FREE 30 day trial on all products. Visit the top right corner of our website: http://www.aplustutorsoft.com/. And through 3/31/13 they are offering 50% off all products with code spoffer50!

Five in a Row -- Complete Digital Holiday book ($34 value)

A complement to any lifestyle of learning, this book is different from the Five in a Row manuals. It doesn’t give a specific book to study for each holiday, rather it is a treasury of traditions, memories and ideas for making your own! Each unit also includes calendar pages, blank pages for recording your own memories, and combinations of traditions and recipes, book and movie suggestions, quotes, decorating ideas, and more! 

Knowledge Quest -- Wonders of Old Timeline Book ($25 value)

Wonders of Old is divided into four historical time periods: ancient, medieval, new world and modern. Significant dates are listed at the conclusion of each section as a helpful reference. This hardcover book measures 9x12 and is printed on extra thick 70# paper for durability.

In the Hands of a Child -- 1-Year Super Membership ($75 value)

Super Memberships Save You Time and Money! Each month Super Members receive two free downloadable Lapbooks. These Lapbooks are always brand new and have not been released for sale to the general public. Super Members also receive:

• 15% discount off all purchases of existing eBook Lapbooks.
• A free Birthday
•  Lapbook10.00 off the price of any custom ordered unit

Southern Hodgepodge -- A Simple Start in Chalk Pastels ebook ($20 value)
Looking for an easy way to add art to your days? With A Simple Start in Chalk Pastels ebook – just add chalk pastels and paper! Short lessons for a whole year, 100 pages of tutorials, art for all ages.

Tricia Goyer -- Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska ($13 value)
Singer Ginny Marshall is one signature away from the recording contract of her dreams—a deal that would guarantee success for the former foster child, who still struggles to bury the memories of her painful childhood. But When singer Ginny Marshall travels to the isolated town of Glacier Bay, Alaska, she is charmed by the town's colorful characters and stunning scenery. She discovers a box of old letters and is swept up in the love story between an early missionary to Alaska Territory and his accidental mail-order bride. Written by homeschool moms, Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss.

Frontier 2000 -- No Regrets: How Homeschooling Earned Me a Master's Degree by Age Sixteen by Alexandra Swann and Looking Backward: My Twenty-Five Years As a Homeschooling Mother by Joyce Swann ($20 value)
No Regrets: The engaging story of Swann's experiences growing up as a Southern Baptist homeschooled child from New Mexico earning her education at a highly accelerated pace. At the age of fifteen she became the youngest student ever to graduate from Brigham Young University in its 111 year history.

Looking Backward: From 1975-2000, Joyce Swann homeschooled each of her ten children from the first grade through master's degrees by the age of sixteen. In this book, she discusses the methods she used to teach as well as the obstacles that threatened her success.

____________________________________________

The 1st RUNNER UP will receive ALL of the following -- a $225 value!

Geography Matters -- Cultural Geography Package ($50 value) Have you ever thought that geography was a boring subject? Then you've never used these books! Eat Your Way Through the U.S.A. and Eat Your Way Around the World are a taste buds-on approach to geography. Each state or country has its unique geographical features and agricultural products. These influence both the ingredients that go into a recipe and the way food is prepared. Why stop with only your taste-buds? Let's involve all the senses by adding Geography Through Art! This hand-son approach will supplement any study of geography, history, or social studies. Geography Through Art is sure to make a lasting addition to your home or school library. You'll find yourself reaching for this indispensable guide again and again to delight and engage students in learning about geography through the culture and art of peoples around the world.

Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett -- Discover the Senses Download N Go ($9 value) In this study, your child will investigate a new sense each day, learning what it is and how it works, as well as what it does for him. He will learn what impacts that particular sense. And he will meet some of history’s heroes, such as Louis Braille, who helped along the way. Each day, your student will explore and investigate, creating and adding more learning components to his Discover the Senses lapbook—building a wonderful reminder of all that he is learning to be enjoyed for years to come.

Shining Dawn Books -- Remarkable Rain ($9 value)

Quiet and peaceful, or wild and raging – rain comes in many forms. This NaturExplorers unit sets out to examine rain in all its beauty, observe its effects and make you look forward to the next rainy day!

A+ Tutorsoft -- 3-month subscription to the online A+ TutorSoft math program -- winner's choice from    grade levels 1st-4th ($50 value)
A+ TutorSoft, Inc. provides Multi-Sensory Interactive MATH Full Curriculum products to help students improve their grades at all levels. Our Multi-Sensory Interactive MATH helps homeschooling families as well as public and private school teachers and students. A+ TutorSoft offers everyone a FREE 30 day trial on all products. Visit the top right corner of our website: http://www.aplustutorsoft.com/. And through 3/31/13 they are offering 50% off all products with code spoffer50!

Five in a Row -- Set of Five Audio Files from Steve Lambert ($20 value)

We all need some inspiration from time to time! Steve and Jane Lambert have been encouraging homeschoolers on their journey since 1994. These Five in a Row audio files have been recorded at major state homeschooling conventions around the United States and Canada and have been chosen because we believe you’ll enjoy it for its wisdom, humor and encouragement shared by Steve. Including: Where do I Begin?, I Can't Teach All the Grades at Once, Making Your Children into World Changers, On Becoming Great Teachers, and High School and Beyond.

In the Hands of a Child -- 6-Month Super Membership ($55 value)

Super Memberships Save You Time and Money! Each month Super Members receive two free downloadable Lapbooks. These Lapbooks are always brand new and have not been released for sale to the general public. Super Members also receive:

• 15% discount off all purchases of existing eBook Lapbooks.
• A free Birthday
•  Lapbook10.00 off the price of any custom ordered unit

Southern Hodgepodge -- A Simple Start in Chalk Pastels ebook ($20 value)
Looking for an easy way to add art to your days? With A Simple Start in Chalk Pastels ebook – just add chalk pastels and paper! Short lessons for a whole year, 100 pages of tutorials, art for all ages.

Tricia Goyer -- Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska ($13 value)
Singer Ginny Marshall is one signature away from the recording contract of her dreams—a deal that would guarantee success for the former foster child, who still struggles to bury the memories of her painful childhood. But When singer Ginny Marshall travels to the isolated town of Glacier Bay, Alaska, she is charmed by the town's colorful characters and stunning scenery. She discovers a box of old letters and is swept up in the love story between an early missionary to Alaska Territory and his accidental mail-order bride. Written by homeschool moms, Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss.

____________________________________________

The 2nd RUNNER UP will receive ALL of the following -- a $190 value!

Geography Matters -- Adventures of Munford Package ($35 value) Although he's just two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen, Munford is all adventure. He can be rain, snow, sleet, or steam. He has traveled the world in search of excitement. Throughout history, he has been present at some of the most important and world-changing events. Fun and educational, Munford will inspire your children to learn more about many of history's greatest moments. These readers make a great addition to your learning experience in areas such as history, geography, and science. This book series is written on an elementary reading level, but provides plenty of read-aloud entertainment for the entire family!

Unit Studies by Amanda Bennett -- Discover the Senses Download N Go ($9 value) In this study, your child will investigate a new sense each day, learning what it is and how it works, as well as what it does for him. He will learn what impacts that particular sense. And he will meet some of history’s heroes, such as Louis Braille, who helped along the way. Each day, your student will explore and investigate, creating and adding more learning components to his Discover the Senses lapbook—building a wonderful reminder of all that he is learning to be enjoyed for years to come.

Shining Dawn Books -- Remarkable Rain ($9 value) Quiet and peaceful, or wild and raging – rain comes in many forms. This NaturExplorers unit sets out to examine rain in all its beauty, observe its effects and make you look forward to the next rainy day!

A+ Tutorsoft -- 3-month subscription to the online A+ TutorSoft math program -- winner's choice from    grade levels 1st-4th ($50 value)
A+ TutorSoft, Inc. provides Multi-Sensory Interactive MATH Full Curriculum products to help students improve their grades at all levels. Our Multi-Sensory Interactive MATH helps homeschooling families as well as public and private school teachers and students. A+ TutorSoft offers everyone a FREE 30 day trial on all products. Visit the top right corner of our website: http://www.aplustutorsoft.com/. And through 3/31/13 they are offering 50% off all products with code spoffer50!

Five in a Row -- Volume 4 Digital Unit of Winner's Choice ($9 value)

Five in a Row was created by Jane Claire Lambert, a successful homeschool teacher with more than 17 years of experience. To use Five in a Row, just pick one of the 70 books used in Five in a Row, locate the corresponding lesson plan in your teacher’s guide, read the story aloud each day during the week and use Jane’s suggestions and lesson plans to lead your children on a wonderful learning adventure. It’s that simple! Each unit covers Social Studies, Geography, Language Arts, Applied Math, Science and Art in a way that causes children to fall in love with learning.

In the Hands of a Child -- 2-Month Super Membership ($45 value)
Super Memberships Save You Time and Money! Each month Super Members receive two free downloadable Lapbooks. These Lapbooks are always brand new and have not been released for sale to the general public. Super Members also receive:

• 15% discount off all purchases of existing eBook Lapbooks.
• A free Birthday
• Lapbook10.00 off the price of any custom ordered unit

Southern Hodgepodge -- A Simple Start in Chalk Pastels ebook ($20 value)
Looking for an easy way to add art to your days? With A Simple Start in Chalk Pastels ebook – just add chalk pastels and paper! Short lessons for a whole year, 100 pages of tutorials, art for all ages.

Tricia Goyer -- Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska ($13 value)
Singer Ginny Marshall is one signature away from the recording contract of her dreams—a deal that would guarantee success for the former foster child, who still struggles to bury the memories of her painful childhood. But When singer Ginny Marshall travels to the isolated town of Glacier Bay, Alaska, she is charmed by the town's colorful characters and stunning scenery. She discovers a box of old letters and is swept up in the love story between an early missionary to Alaska Territory and his accidental mail-order bride. Written by homeschool moms, Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pretty incredible, don't you think? Be sure to enter, and share the giveaway opportunity with your friends (And stay tuned for the 5 Days of Teaching Creatively Blog Hop starting on Monday).

Blessings~

~ Wordless Wednesday ~ Nifty Artsy App ~

 Joining in on Wordless Wednesday~ posting some fun things we created with iPhone app  AutoPainter - Mediachance (compatible with my iPad, and free at the time of posting) (very neat app! It "paints" your photo in front of your eyes!) and then "Collaged" using iPad app Nostalgio - Apalon  (homeschool moms take note... I can see using these for a number of applicaitons!).

Enjoy! 

Blessings~