Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Early Counting

The last couple of months have been taken up with some carefully planned lessons for HannahHomeSchool.  What I wasn't planning for was having to create eighth-time's-a-charm-style revisions to my carefully laid lesson plans.

Take counting, for instance.  I've just been working with her on sequence and it's been a struggle.

Flash cards = fail.  Counting physical objects = fail.  Counting along to music = fail.

It wasn't until we moved on to our plant segment that I found the magic trick.  Hydroponic Venus Fly Traps, to be precise.  They require 30 seconds of aerating twice per day.  This has her counting to 30 twice every day.  Finally something that works!

The plants died after sprouting about 1/8 of an inch, but I've told her that the more we aerate, the bigger her plants will get.

What?  We know I'm a ridiculous liar.  This is not new information.

So, every night, Hannah and her brother take care of the "plant."  He likes to work the aerating pump, she counts and he occasionally helps with that too.

HannahHomeSchool: 27, 28, 29....
HowieHelperson: THURSDAY!!