We've been busy bees lately. My calender hasn't had enough space on it to fit every thing on, which is dangerous because events can be missed, and then children can get rather upset.

So, we've been to Chedworth, where we pestered the archaeologists who were trying to find precious new Roman artifacts with lots of questions about the Roman latrine they were standing next to. We've met up with several local HE kids to play in the park, climb trees and generally run amok, we've met our local MP and decided that he is a rather pointless person to meet. We've been to the woods, the farm and had Beaver sleepovers, friends sleepovers, Grandparents sleepovers.

Today for the first time in a long time we are home all day. It's quite nice. We are pottering, catching up on things we need to do, some times together, some times with our own agendas.

MB wants to learn to read, his motivation is not being able to read information signs at places we visit.

Turning my back on all the reading schemes available, I decided to do a very brave (or foolish) thing, and set up "MB's exciting box of things" to get him started. Here it is:

This may not look like much to the untrained eye (who am I kidding? My eyes are not trained on any thing except the wine bottle and the clock - roll on respectable drinking hour!)

It is a whole box of fun things related to learning to read - animal dominoes, words in a jar, phonics card, a yellow beany for squishing while you learn (he likes to squish), a globe with name places on, a glue stick, an egg timer and these flash cards:
Now, I am not one to advocate the enforced use of flash cards, but MB LOVES them, to him is fun, because he chooses to do them. He sees them as a puzzle, and MB loves puzzles.

Another lovely element of the box is three GoSpy kits. These are great for getting kids to pay attention to detail. Yes, he is dressed as Superman. Again.
So, this is our unorthodox reading scheme. If current enthusiasm is any thing to go by, it will work.