Her Own "Worlds"

Laura often spends read aloud time tinkering with different things.  I know that she is listening to the stories we read.  She can easily narrate back to me, and usually will laugh at the appropriate times.  She just likes to move, keeping her hands occupied, during our read aloud times.  I read that some children actually process information better through movement. 

Laura also has a fascination with little toys.  She takes her money and buys miniatures and little dolls and objects.  As a mom, I often roll my eyes at more "clutter".  Then, it was brought to my attention that Laura creates her own little worlds.

I was reading The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright to Laura.  The story is about some very imaginative children.  Laura and I were caught up in the story, as well as my oldest daughter, Kim.  As I was reading, we were laughing at the antics of the children in the story.  I wasn't paying any attention to what Laura was tinkering with.  She was on the floor, playing with some of her little toys under the coffee table.  When I finished reading, Kim looked down and then looked at Laura in astonishment.

"Mom, Look!  She's created a whole little house!"  Kim exclaimed.

Sure enough, under the coffee table, Laura had created various rooms of her little dolls and toys.  She had each "room" separated by wash cloths.  I looked down at Laura's little designs.  Some were very creative!  I realized that Laura's little "toys" were allowing her to use so much of her imagination... even as she listened about the lives of others.

Laura is eleven.  I am amazed by her.  Most eleven year old girls that I see are already focused on boys and fitting in and even make-up.  Laura is what I consider a normal eleven year old girl.  She's fun and creative.  After a few years of struggling, I am learning to relax in her schooling and let her have more time to just explore and read.  We are doing lots of read alouds.  The result is that I see her growing and expanding and learning more and more, instead of getting that glazed look in her eyes of boredom or ending up in tears of frustration.

Laura, being silly

I am coming to believe that too often we push our kids unnecessarily.   Coming out of public school, Laura really just didn't like learning.  "School" was a battle.  Unfortunately, I did way too much "school at home" in the beginning, making things worse.  Yet, when I would read that I should relax and not copy the school's system, I would struggle.  I only knew one way to do "school", and that was with the traditional methods... because I had been educated with those methods.

The more I explore how children learn and different, non-traditional methods of learning, the more I am grateful to God for leading me to homeschooling.   I am starting to relax a little in teaching my children.  I am seeing them grow and, many times, all I have to do is be there to give them the books and learning tools, read to them some, and get out of the way.  I had always read that kids would learn and be creative and grow into amazing children if they were given the chance.  I guess I didn't fully believe it until I began to witness it myself.  Seeing my daughter build her own little "worlds" during read aloud time really just confirmed that I am on the right track.