Puzzle Day and the Usual Chatter

The finished product: Galloping Horses Puzzle

Working diligently....

Cooperating and Problem Solving

I just love puzzles. I have fond memories of childhood, walking past a card table in the living room, which had to be carefully avoided so as not to disrupt a puzzle-in-progress. Summers up at camp almost always included at least one large, complex puzzle to be worked on over the course of a few weeks.  I never realized that by doing those puzzles, I was learning about spacial-relationships, shape memory, and a whole slew of complex skills that allow one to glance over a collection of seemingly identical puzzle pieces to try to figure out what piece to use next.

I never thought about how these puzzles were working my brain, I simply loved the interaction with my family members, the challenge of figuring out how to get the puzzle together, and then the sense of accomplishment when it was all completed.

Doing puzzles together is such a wonderful bonding activity! The two lovelies above spent about forty minutes working out this puzzle together. They had moments of frustration, followed by squeals of delight when they found a piece that would fit into the puzzle.  I was so proud of how well they worked together, and of course we had to keep the completed puzzle on display for the whole rest of the day for all to see.

For us, this was math class.  It was a multi-age, cooperative mathematical problem-solving activity that stretched their brains in wonderful directions.  

This is why I don't just rely on a book, or workbook, or online game. We want our kids to exercise all areas of their brains, and to get their neurons firing and making connections between brain cells.

Having said that....I couldn't just have my kids doing puzzles all day long every day and think that would be "enough math". Child led activities are wonderful, and clearly this child-led activity was incredibly beneficial....but it will not help my kids pass a college  math entrance exam.  I have to ensure they *ALSO* get the worksheets, and the math manipulatives, and the online math games. I still have to peek at the scope-and-sequence for each grade (based on their ages) and try to ensure they are exposed (at least as an introduction) to the concepts therein that their same-age peers are learning. I need to keep in mind the basic skills they'll need if they want to go on to college one day.

But, at the end of the day, what will they have fonder memories of: the worksheets, or the puzzles?

Probably the puzzles.

Here's to another day of homeschooling in our home, where child-led and interest-led activities meet some structure...where puzzles are sprinkled in with worksheets....where "standards" cross with independent needs and desires.

Every home is different. It's totally OK.