Michael officially started preschool two weeks ago. I've been doing some sit-down activities with him much of the summer, but when I started school in August I also started with him. It is still an informal, short (30-45 minutes max) time period, but I really want him to learn how to focus on learning activities, "the process of learning" if you will, as we prepare for kindergarten and first grade.
He is very curious about just about anything and everything right now, so it fits well with my goal. He asks how things are made - cheese, firetrucks (of course), pencils, toilet paper, etc. - so we have been watching a lot of YouTube videos and reading a lot of books about such things. He knows all his letters, numbers up to 30, colors, shapes, etc., so we are mostly focusing on things he is curious about.
I am tempted to push him into reading and writing since he has covered a lot of the foundational stuff already, but am trying to step back a little and let him lead as he is ready. He can write H, 1, 10, and a few other simple things, but mostly wants me to help him or otherwise do it. Matt and I listened to a great talk on home educating boys on one of our trips to Omaha. The speaker talked about how many parents are afraid to "do it too much" for their children. But this speaker clarified the point well - our children won't let us do it for them when they are ready and feel confident to do it themselves. He said if we push them too hard to do things they are unready for without sufficient assistance, they develop decreased motivation to learn new things as well as a feeling that they "just can't do" something ("I'm just not good at ____ - math, art, etc.). I'm paraphrasing (and probably badly), but that point really helped me realize I can help Michael as much as he needs - he'll let me know when he can do it himself - and we are not at risk for me still helping him write his letters when he is doing his ACTs!
Anyways - what I was really going to write about - we were saying a decade of the Rosary as we were preparing for our little bit of school. Michael was leading the Our Father, and this was how he said it:
"Our Father, Who art in Heaven; Hallowed be my name. My kingdom come, my will be done..."
I was laughing so hard! I think he came by this quite honestly - "my" and "thy" sound and can come out an awful lot alike. But how often have I prayed the Our Father saying "Thy" but really meaning "My" (more on that to come)?!? He did very well - led the entire decade by himself - and learning how to use the beads. It is such a blessing and a privilege to pray with my son, and I definitely have had plenty to mull over these past couple days. Am I praying Thy or My? What is really in my heart?
