Writing our educational philosophy

Every year, at the end of what would be our "academic year", I write out what we have done in each year. I've never showed it to anyone in the LA, nor would I want to be forced to, but I quite enjoy writing up the summaries of what we've done. I don't do a detailed thing (because I don't see it is the LA's business - since I have legal responsibility) but if asked, at least I have something and have given myself lots of practice. I often laugh when I've seen school brochures at some of the way they write things that makes out that the schools are doing such a great job, especially when I have had insider knowledge on the school and that all is not as it seems. It's such a shame that schools are businesses.

We had a lovely day today. We did a country fair and there were lots of animals on display - goats, pigs, sheep, cows, rabbits, chickens, ducks and dogs. Springy enjoyed it although there was a lot of walking about to do (she was very tired by the end and I ended up picking her up and carrying her for a rest). We got some nice craft bits and bobs from there as well and I can't wait to do some felting and so on. We also got some little knitting needles for her. She's done really well with her knitting and has made a little dolly blanket/rug out of wool. It will be nice to keep her going. There was a bantam chicken that was there who was adorable and Springy held her. We also held a number of rabbits.

Yesterday we went to a school fair and there were some dancers there. Springy managed to copy their moves by watching them - not all - but it was still rather impressive for a 6-year old. Her visual/kinaesthetic learning is good. She spent the afternoon hopping from haybale to haybale, playing with some friends she knows and doing cartwheels and handstands. She's been reading The Magic Treehouse books herself. We read them some weeks back and, although the grammar and research are not great for any of them it's still nice to have her read something that she has chosen and enjoys to read. She also loves the Mr Men books.

We've nearly finished The Little Wooden Horse - we let it slip a bit but we're almost at the end of his journey.

The sky tonight is beautiful. The rainbow of the sky colours has left the black outlines of the trees and buildings across the way to be set off by the reds and oranges - which are a rust colour. There are some cloud layers that earlier were skimming their way across the sky but have now slowed down so their mutability is barely visible.

C and Springy went swimming together last week. Her swimming lessons have ended and won't start up again until the autumn so they went swimming with some friends of ours. Springy swam front crawl and backstroke and managed a lot on her own so she is swimming properly now. I didn't go but she was so pleased when she got back and C gave her free reign in the pool to play rather than be instructed. I must admit I get the feeling that our swimming instructor needed a holiday because she has been a bit short the past few weeks which I will monitor in the autumn. Springy doesn't respond well and she was not using play or verbal instructions that build a visual picture - in basic terms our swim instructor seems to be tired out, short on fuse and is being developmentally inappropriate for children who are 4-6 years old (which she didn't used to be so I'm hoping it is just an end-of-term thing).

Our other group thing also broke up for summer. It's funny but when Springy was 4 and 5 and all her friends were too tired to see her after school then she did get a bit lonely but she now can go most places and find friends who are either home educated children or ones she knows from swimming or other club events she has attended. We're having to sort out a new French tutor - our old one got herself a good job which means she can no longer offer French club. We have a new one who is a parent of one of Springy's friends but I don't know how it will work out because she doesn't have teaching experience (saying that she does teach her own son and she's a native French speaker).

Last night, Springy and I watched the bats outside her window. The moths and other insects were being attracted to the light of her bedroom window and so the bats were coming in really close to the glass - sometimes just a foot away from our heads. They were doing the most daring aerial manouevres (probably normal for a bat though!). Springy loved it.

One of our other friends has de- televisioned her home and I must admit it's so tempting to follow this. However, tonight we had a DVD called Night at the Museum which so far I have said no to Springy watching because I thought it would be much too scary. We watched it all together and it was such a sweet and funny film. I'm glad I waited until Springy was nearer to 7 though.