Back to school
The kids are back in school.
Sigh...
I love to see my kids in school. It isn't that I don't like to have them around... more that I don't like to have them around each other all day! They are happier when they get a break from each other. They greet each other after school with hugs and smiles. It is nice to see.
Katie is back in the same classroom. They went from 16 kids in 1st grade to 24 in 2nd! They have a different teacher. Katie's 2 best friends from church are in her class this year. It will be interesting to see how their relationships develop. They have a male teacher this time, and that give the class a different dynamic. Since they had the world's best teacher last year, he has a hard act to follow!
Jake is in "barnskola"... 'barn" is Swedish for "child" so it is basically kindergarten. He has an experienced teacher, about 5 kids from his preschool, and 9 others. A smaller group in a cosy room. Sweden doesn't push academics in the first school years. Discovering that learning is fun; making friends and building team spirit; socialization and school lunches. Kids are grouped by year of birth. Much effort goes into letting them keep their own pace. In the end, Sweden does pretty well with education. I get worried with my background in a system where kids must be able to write their ABC's, spell their name, and learn to read when they are 5. Even without trying, kids here learn to read by the time they are ready for first grade. We'll see.
John is still home with me. We didn't register him for preschool because we thought we wouldn't be here. Now he's chompin' at the bit and there is isn't a place for him. If a place opens up, he will jump in with joy! In the mean time, we are keeping busy at home. We have a play group once a week. He is a good helper and we just need to enjoy our time together.
Of course, if I sit at the computer and he rolls around on the sofa growling like a small animal and looking for attention, we aren't actually handling things too well. So, that is all for today. We are going to find something fun to do together. His favorite!
Sigh...
I love to see my kids in school. It isn't that I don't like to have them around... more that I don't like to have them around each other all day! They are happier when they get a break from each other. They greet each other after school with hugs and smiles. It is nice to see.
Katie is back in the same classroom. They went from 16 kids in 1st grade to 24 in 2nd! They have a different teacher. Katie's 2 best friends from church are in her class this year. It will be interesting to see how their relationships develop. They have a male teacher this time, and that give the class a different dynamic. Since they had the world's best teacher last year, he has a hard act to follow!
Jake is in "barnskola"... 'barn" is Swedish for "child" so it is basically kindergarten. He has an experienced teacher, about 5 kids from his preschool, and 9 others. A smaller group in a cosy room. Sweden doesn't push academics in the first school years. Discovering that learning is fun; making friends and building team spirit; socialization and school lunches. Kids are grouped by year of birth. Much effort goes into letting them keep their own pace. In the end, Sweden does pretty well with education. I get worried with my background in a system where kids must be able to write their ABC's, spell their name, and learn to read when they are 5. Even without trying, kids here learn to read by the time they are ready for first grade. We'll see.
John is still home with me. We didn't register him for preschool because we thought we wouldn't be here. Now he's chompin' at the bit and there is isn't a place for him. If a place opens up, he will jump in with joy! In the mean time, we are keeping busy at home. We have a play group once a week. He is a good helper and we just need to enjoy our time together.
Of course, if I sit at the computer and he rolls around on the sofa growling like a small animal and looking for attention, we aren't actually handling things too well. So, that is all for today. We are going to find something fun to do together. His favorite!
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