Hi

I do Angel Card Readings and as part of that role, I have done several interviews with a very different radio station called “Interview With Spirit”.

This is between Neil Long, (a UK radio presenter), Ken MacLean (a USA spiritual healer) and”The Guys” ( a very playful, enlightened group of beings that come through Ken) and me, Amanda Goldston (doing Angel Card Readings).

On this particular show, we asked the guys, “What is a liberating and enlightened approach to education?”

We were proud to have on the show, a former “Consciousness Based Education” practitioner, Tony Butcher, we had a fun and informal chat about the results he achieved, and why it’s a great model of education. (It is non-religious and harmonises with all faiths).

Educare- draw out, not put in!

We talked about a very enlightened approach to education. Tony had introduced meditation into his classes with astounding results.

We talked about the root meaning of the word “Education”- from the latin “Educare” , meaning “to draw out”- not to put in. Isn’t that interesting!!!

Here is the conversation for you to listen to.

Interview.

There is also a terrific bit about 10 minutes into it where I am talking about home schooling and we have used “The POWER of CHOCOLATE” to teach across all subjects.

I hope you enjoy it.
With abundant blessings
Amanda Goldston

Tags: children by Amanda
1 Comment »

I hated singing at school! Loathed it with a passion which has only been equaled by housework and ironing!

It was never fun.

I dreaded singing because I had been laughed at whilst singing my best version of “Donkey Riding. ” Well, I thought I was singing in tune, even if no-one else did!

The girls have been doing a lot of singing through their involvement with Stagecoach (highly recommended) and preparing for a performance.

It’s a small world

The other day, we were singing along to some of our favourite videos and having huge amounts of FUN (What! singing and fun in the same sentence!).

One of my absolute favourites is “It’s a Small World” from the Disney World Ride of the same name. It has some incredibly high notes in it.

(Video posted below from Youtube. My thanks to the person who created it. I hope you are OK with me using it. This was taken at DisneyResort Paris)

The song is in French, with English parts towards the end. English starts at 2 min 34

The words of the chorus are:
“It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small world after all,
It’s a small, small world”

Every time we sang this, we collapsed into fits of laughter.
We took a huge, deep breath and braced ourselves.
Then One of us would look at the other and that set off the giggles.

It has to be one the best feel good songs.
Try and sing it without laughing and smiling!
Try and get the tune out of your head.

I love singing now, especially when it is to some of my favourite songs and it is FUN!

Disney is a great choice for great sing-a-long songs.

Have a fun, cheerful day!
With abundant blessings
Amanda Goldston

Tags: children by Amanda
Comments Off

Hi,

One of the things that has been important for us as part of our home schooling curriculum is learning foreign languages.

Whilst at school Stephanie and Jacqueline had done several years of French and Stephanie had done a couple of terms of German.

I did both languages as well as Spanish at University, although all 3 are somewhat rusty.

Both girls that they had no great desire to continue with French, so we abandoned that language and opted for Spanish instead.

For German we bought a terrific language learning programme called Muzzy by http://www.early-advantage.co.uk/ . This has been really excellent because it gives dvds to watch as well as exercises to do. Highly recommended.

Another terrific resource is the Language centre on the www.bbc.co.uk/languages website. There are all different languages and most of the resources are free.

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.

This is a terrific song for learning body parts in any language and most languages can be made to fit. These pictures were from the Spanish lesson last week. I wish I had the video camera set up. It was so funny!

Ready, here we go!

Cabeza (Head)
Hombros (shoulders)
Piernas (legs- not quite knees)
Pies (feet- not quite toes)

Ojos (Eyes)
Orejas (Ears)
Boca (Mouth)
Nariz (Nose)

With most lessons they seem to have found something really funny about what we are learning. It is terrific to hear them laughing.

More on language learning as part of a home schooling curriculum very shortly.
With abundant blessings
Amanda Goldston

Tags: children by Amanda
2 Comments »

Hi,

Have you ever noticed how the weeks seem to fly when you are home-schooling? I have been amazed at how quickly the weeks have passed. It is hard to believe we are already in November!

“What nasty remarks could be stopping you from trying something new?”

As a child were you ever told you couldn’t sing, or dance or do something? Or worse, were you laughed at and teased when you tried to do something?

Did that unpleasant experience put you off doing that activity again, even though it might have been something you loved?

It happened to me. I loved singing- until the day the whole class laughed at me when I was singing my own, very tuneful version of “Donkey Riding” and I never sang in public again.

My eldest daughter, Stephanie, had a similar experience with Art at school. She was told she could not draw, her pictures were out of proportion and she was doing it all wrong. She was made to feel thoroughly useless at Art and Drawing.

The teacher in the junior school had reduced her to tears over her “inability to draw” and she had lost confidence and interest in the subject.

So, when I suggested attending a cartoon-drawing workshop, that was being held at the local library, Stephanie’s enthusiasm level was not very high.

She came with us, fully expecting NOT to enjoy it. Judging by her face when it finished, I thought it had been a really bad idea. However, she asked me to buy her a sketch pad on the way home.

She has taken a real shine to cartooning and found she has a natural talent for it.

In my view, Art is about expressing Creativity. It is not about being right or wrong.

Cartooning is probably a perfect medium for someone who feels they “can’t draw” because it is quite acceptable to have all sorts of shapes of people and animals. Sometimes the more exaggerated the better!

Art a couple of weeks later

We did Art again today. Stephanie decided to draw George, the family Rottweiler. First she traced his outline from a photograph. She used the glass of the door and the natural sunlight. Talk about initiative!

Then she coloured it with pencils – and here is the result. I think it is a pretty good likeness.

She then did another picture, which did not quite work out. As she said herself, it looked more like a pig than a dog. However, rather than getting upset (as she would have done at school) she collapsed into fits of laughter and put the 2nd picture on the wall as well.

That’s a real change in attitude.

More on Art very shortly.
Speak soon
With abundant blessings
Amanda Goldston

 

 

 

Tags: children by Amanda
Comments Off

Hi
This blog has now moved to its new home-
The Goldston Academy for the Insane- most appropriate methinks!

http://www.GoldstonAcademyForTheInsane.com

Hope you enjoy it.
With abundant blessings.
Amanda Goldston

Tags: home education by Amanda
Comments Off