spontaneous explosion

Dr Maria Montessori wrote of the 'explosion' into literacy. I've witnessed this happen to children in the classroom before, always with a feeling of great happiness and pleasure for the child undergoing this mind opening and life altering experience.

But oh my, what a wonderful feeling it is to witness it arrive in your own child. I'm just delighted to see my sweet clever little boy writing and finging his little messages popping up around the house. These were found all in one day!

Copied from the movie case.

The main ideas behind the teaching of Language:  The lovely clear explanation below is from the Montessori School of Orlando.

 When Dr. Montessori founded the first House of Children, it was the seemingly spontaneous explosion into writing and reading that first caught the world’s attention. Dr. Montessori was heralded as a genius who had “invented” a new way of teaching children how to write and read at an age when children were thought incapable of receiving instruction. Dr. Montessori had facilitated the process, but the manner in which children learnt to write and read (in that order) was demonstrated to Dr. Montessori by the children themselves.

Letter to Flossy (FLOC), Sam, Banjo (BAGO), and Spice (SPIS).  Shame it was on one of Greg's business envelopes!

Dr. Montessori observed that children learn how to speak without being taught at an age when they are thought incapable of instruction. The Montessori Method imitates the same process on the level of writing and reading. The general pattern of the learning of language follows a definite plan: firstly, there is the slow gathering of material and the painstaking acquisition of skill; secondly, there is the consolidation of that material and skill characterized by greater and greater proficiency; thirdly, there is the explosion into writing and then reading usually triggered by some stimulus in the environment.

jelly on a plate  - food on the brain?

Did you notice that the xray is of a skeleton (SCALTN)?

Children are presented with a series of exercises that develop the physical skill required for writing and reading at the same time that they are presented with a series of exercises to develop the intellectual ability to handle, sounds, words and sentences. At some point in their development, the skills and knowledge coalesce to generate a sudden and explosive growth into writing and reading. After the explosion into writing and reading, they consolidate their development further by applying themselves to an extended study of the manner in which words and sentences are constructed in their language.

And this was written while Greg and Tigs were at the phone shop. Do you know what it says?

Scroll down for the translation!

Can I have a icypole?

bubbles

Our jacuzzi is working!

This is a wonder that I'm still delighted by. The wire connected to the pump was eaten through by some feral rodent in the wall cavity, oh, about 4 years ago!

We had looked at it, some time ago, and had no idea how to feed it back through to the pump. We could see what needed to happen but, well it just seemed too tricky . And then Andrew, dear Andrew, the lovely fiance to my ex-sister-in-law (who I still call my in-sister-in-law - complicated, mmm, but still works for us) popped over. He quietly wandered in, had a look, grabbed some tools, et voila ... BUBBLES!!

And wanna know the best thing, he (happily) took away my old worm-farm in return. Double happiness! And it may even be triple happiness when his vegies feel the benefits of the worm castings.

Happy day everyone, we're waiting for storms here. I'm excited and SO ready for proper autumn weather.

E x

bloom!

And they did. Beautifully.

Thanks Flossy.

are you thinking what i'm thinking B1?

I think I am B2!

Tigs has a fruit snack in the morning at school and in order to avoid using disposable packaging, or any packaging at all in fact, I wanted to make sure he found his banana.

I didn't notice any others like this one on the fruit bench. Wonder why?

what are you?

I took this test via this blog and this is what it said:

I'm a CREATOR. - Correct!

Nonconforming, Impulsive, Expressive, Romantic, Intuitive, Sensitive, and Emotional - Correct!

These original types place a high value on aesthetic qualities and have a great need for self-expression. They enjoy working independently, being creative, using their imagination, and constantly learning something new. Fields of interest are art, drama, music, and writing or places where they can express, assemble, or implement creative ideas.  - Correct!

What are you?  I'll be fascinated to hear if you think it's spot on  too!

how we ended up with 5 and some happy snaps

My mum and sister ended up being crazily generous and rather hyped up and girlie with the three of us out together! We ended up in a rather inadvertently lewd and hysterical pile as we were talking lenses and I said Greg already had "a long one" and Floss then asked if he had a "wide one too". The guy behind the counter looked totally aghast and then we realised the other less appropriate meaning and totally fell apart, with tears pouring down our faces and my mum (doing the same) but trying to calm us down - to no avail. I was so embarrassed that I was bright red whilst dying of laughter and Flossy just kept gasping for air saying, "I can't breath!". Very silly behaviour from grown women!!

So we were looking at the DSLR's which I knew I would need to get really great shots and I kept saying I wish they made a hybrid that I could keep in my handbag at which point my ridiculously generous Mummy said I needed a little one too. I think she's expecting a LOT of photos of the children.

In keeping with the mass hysteria, Ma decided she needed one too and Flossy naturally followed suit. So there we were with the hunka munka Canon 500D - aka the Rebel T1i -  and three little Panansonic Lumix (or Lumii - being the plural - or so we think (we of course almost died with laughter again at the clever (?) play on words). They're very cute, tiny and red (named Ruby, Scarlett and Garnet).

As we chose a bag, a card for the big one, cards and bags for the 'rouge' girls and other essential bits and pieces, Flossy started to wonder if she really wanted Scarlett because, in her experience, with her brand new (I mean a total of 50 photos taken) little Kodak at home she could never manage to catch her puppies properly and then lo and behold another Canon 500D ended up on the counter, only hers came with two lenses! Remember, I didn't need another as Greg already had a 'long and wide' one! So we now had 5 cameras on the counter and all the bits and pieces and had to get all the accessories for Sarah's Rebel too! As we walked to the counter with the huge pile the salesguy (who continued to argue that he would make no profit as we'd squished him so much on price), cheekily asked if we needed a tripod! I think I was the tough one - even though it wasn't my money - and insisted we really had enough.

The bill was scary! But my mum and Floss seemed completely unfazed. As we walked out giddy with delight at our purchases, Flossy and I suddenly realised we'd lost someone, Ma, and there she was reclining, happily on a huge plump sofa back in the furniture department. Naturally we couldn't leave her there unattended, so we joined her for a little rest and fell apart laughing again.

Now, I absolutely acknowledge that everyone reading this may be sitting without so much as a flicker of a smile on their faces.  It really could have been only funny to the three of us there, the staff of Hardly Normal and the security cameras that probably cracked under the pressure of what they were capturing but I do hope someone out there thinks it could have been even a teeny bit funny!

So here I am a very happy, lucky and loved girl. I had a super day with two dear friends, Lizzie and Av, coming over in the morning for yummy Polish cakes that Greg had picked up, a delish lunch with the crazy members of my family and a relaxing evening playing with my new toys. I also had a great chat with my friend Kylie who is living in Abu Dhabi. Thanks dear friend.  You topped the day off brilliantly. Such a great day.

Please let me know if you think there is an improvement in the photos.  I have abandoned my lovely pretty books by the bed and am reading the Rebel manual for FUN!!

And now I really must let my head hit the pillow.

E x

It's my party

and I'll smile if I want to!!!

These, of my shiny, clean, 'jamie clad babies, taken on my new little camera - Ruby!!
Just wait 'til I tell you all about our trip to Hardly Normal!


I'll be back as soon as the battery on my other new camera charges!! I know, the other new one. Can you believe it? I can't.

I must be the luckiest girl around.