If you've been reading lately you'll have seen that we have been travelling across New South Wales and Victoria on a camping trip. So we've been having a holiday, not doing any school work or anything educational right?
Well yes.....
....and no!
All though the trip was primarily a holiday break there was plenty of learning going on too. Most home-educators consider that children are learning all the time not just when we are actively engaging them in a "lesson" or other activity. Many home-educators trust this "natural learning" completely and do no formal instruction at all (otherwise known as autonomous education).
We have covered so many subjects and learnt so much during the holiday and it has not felt like work at all. The children have learnt loads about nature, science, geology and physical geography just by exploring the landscape of the national parks. We've covered history by visiting historic sites, monuments, museums and buildings and travelling around Melbourne on the tram. We learnt about science and astronomy at the Scienceworks museum and natural history and Aboriginal culture at the Melbourne museum.
Just walking together through the bush has given us time for lots of amazing discussions including the role of government, palaeontology, the world wars, ecology, weathering, Aboriginal culture, and lots of other things that I have already forgotten.
During the long drives on the motorway the children read loads and loads of library books; some works of fiction, others historical novels or factual books.
So yes, we did have a holiday, but the children (and adults!) were still learning all the time.
Have a look at the essential reading tab above for more about how children learn autonomously.
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