How Was Your Year: The Kids' Point of View

Today is our last day of this school year.  We had fun doing our traditions.  The kids took their report cards to Chuck E. Cheese, wrote their summer bucket list on a poster and hung it up in a central place, and had their end of year interviews.  I love to do these interviews with the children.  It always fascinating to see how they think the year went.  The following is their assessment of the school year.  They were each interviewed separately, out of earshot of each other.  Still, to my surprise, many of their answers were similar.

Little Red Ridinghood 8.5 years

What worked for you?

• I love my report card and getting A's.
• I love our new math program (Teaching Textbooks).
• I like Five in a Row (FIAR) and Prairie Primer.
• I like coloring during literature time.
• I like books on tape better than you reading.
• My favorite part of art is picture studies.
• I like field trips.
• History is fun.
• I LOVE my dance class and being on stage.

If you were going to learn a musical instrument, which would it be?
I always wanted to learn the violin, but I think the piano is easier.  I guess the piano.  I do NOT want to go to choir.

If Christine and I start a Co-Op next year, what do you want to learn in it?
I want an American Girl Doll Club and to do biology with an expert (Christine is a nurse practitioner).  I want to dissect things in science next year.

What is your favorite thing about school?
Math, hard puzzles and beating Daddy at strategy games.

What is your least favorite thing about school?
I don't like spelling and how you always make me write my paragraphs over to make them right.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be a dancer.

What is one thing that Mom isn't or can't teach you that you want to learn next year?
Aerial arts.

Tom Sawyer 10 years

What worked for you?

• I like math the best.
• I like getting report cards and going to Chuck E. Cheese.
• I like to listen to books on tape in the car.
• I like to do picture studies for art.
• I like snack time.
• I like playing board games and chess.
• History is fun with videos and wrap-up parties.

If you were going to learn a musical instrument, which would it be?
Drums!!

If Christine and I start a co-op next year, what do you want to learn in it?
I want to learn chemistry and biology.

What is your favorite thing about school?
When we do science projects.  We need to do MORE science.  I also like it when you let me build Lego things that go along with our studies.

What is your least favorite thing about school?
Writing, because I have so much trouble thinking about what I want to say.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be a Lego engineer/designer.

What is one thing that Mom isn't or can't teach you that you would like to learn next year?
Lego designing or robotics.

Goldilocks 11.5 years old

What worked for you?

• I like going to Chuck E. Cheese when we get our report cards.
• I love field trips.
• I like my Disney workbooks.
• I like to write narratives.
• I like our history timeline.
• I like arts and crafts.
• I like writing stories.
• I like stories and going to the library.

If you were going to learn a musical instrument, which would it be?
Piano.

If  Christine and I start a co-op next year, what do you want to learn in it?
Geography and field trips.

What is your favorite thing about school?
Doing arts and crafts.

What is your least favorite thing about school?
Spelling and grammar.

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Work with animals ~ horses or cats.

What is one thing that you would like to learn next year that you are not learning now?
All about the world and about the food people eat in other countries (we have done some of this, but she wants to do more).

Lots to think about.  I will be sharing our plans for next year in a few weeks.

Blessings, Dawn