Homeschool Learnings: Brain Coherence and the Rock Cycle
/“No wait Momma, we need to get our names back before we start!”
“Oh right, what is your name again?”
“Umbrella, unicorn, lemonade.” Bean started laughing. “You Momma, you are Sailed Muppet Icicle.”
“Okay Umbrella, let’s see if we can get your name back.”
“Super fast.”
“Okay, super fast.”
In chorus, both of our hands clapping and slapping we started. “Avocado Avocado is the name of the game, if you mess up once you change your name! A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H…”
The hand clapping games joined our circle time routine before lessons a few months ago. “Miss Lucy had a Steamboat” and “Miss Lucy had a Baby.” Clap, cross clap with partner with your R hand, clap, cross clap with partner with the L hand, rinse repeat, rinse repeat. I gaze upon Bean’s growing teeth and bright blue eyes as our hands and voices dance. The cross lateral movement innervates both sides of the brain, develops proprioception, and is joyful connection time for the clapping partners.
It is wonderful.
Recently, Bean you asked Dragon if he wanted to learn the clapping routine. Watching the two of you I am reminded once again of why age differences when you are a child hold such weight.
Bean, at nine, you can remember a complex rhyme, practice your spelling words, move your hands in a complicated pattern, stay on rhythm, and recognize when someone has flubbed their line. Dragon, at six, you are not there yet. The beat is off, the words are halting, the clapping comes slowly, it is like I am watching your brain learn to walk. You will get it, we will practice.
We learned recently about the rock cycle - and your Momma came up with a way to explain it that doesn’t involve any practicing. Ours at grade 3 is a simplified version and the only vocabulary words were magma, erosion, weathering, and sediment. Big rocks become little rocks/sediment through erosion/weathering, sediment becomes magma through heat and pressure, and magma cools into big rocks via volcanos or underground cooling chambers.
“Momma, how does the sand get hot enough to become liquid.”
How in the world do I explain that pressure creates heat… think Corinna, think. YES!
“Bean, lie down on the sheepskin. On your belly.” Curious and intrigued, Bean did so. I got off the couch and lay on top of her.
“Momma! You are squashing me!”
“Yup, that is the point. Dragon get on top of me.”
“I can’t breathe!”
“Hold on,” I lifted Dragon and myself up with my elbows, “Better?”
“Better.”
“Are you feeling warm?”
“YES!”
“That is how the tiny wee sediments become magma by the pressure of the earth pushing down on them - the pressure makes the sediment at the bottom warm enough to liquify.”
Dragon yelped from behind my left ear. “Momma, I want to be on the bottom!”
“Okay, here we go, switcho chango.”
Thank you both for the time and being with you both - using our bodies and brains to learn together.
