A Demonstration is Worth a Thousand Explanations

Often an explanation is enough to teach a person how to do something new.  I can read a recipe and follow it successfully, and illustrations with the directions are usually enough to put together a new purchase.

My triplets do not learn by explanation, they learn by example.  Auditory processing plays a role in this, due in large part to having Down Syndrome, and they really have a hard time visualizing what I am saying.

A demonstration is worth a thousand explanations, though.

When they saw me sit down to play with play dough, it was not long before they were also exploring what they could make. Having difficulty understanding a verbal or written explanation does not mean the cannot learn things.  In fact, given the proper instruction and opportunity for hands on learning and repetition, they learn quite quickly.

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  Amelia told me she was making some train tracks.

ShanLin does not talk, but she was quite focused on her project.  Those little balls of dough certainly had her fine motor skills being improved.

 Micah was able to balance a triangle, and give me an adorable smile.

Kimberly was really working on her hand/eye coordination, helping Micah with his projects.

She even tried to take over Micah's projects.

Leif has taken the lead with their time outdoors, getting Amelia to climb trees with him, and Kimberly to climb up the play set.  She can be a bit playful herself, trapping Leif on the ladder.

While we do handwriting and reading, textbooks do not play much of a role in our home school days.

Instead of time spent explaining, we spend a lot of time doing, a lot of time learning....

And lots of time having fun.

God is good, always.

The World Keeps Turning.

We finished our first month of schooling...and we are looking forward to working our way through month 2.

Kimberly has turned 3 and therefore has stopped all of her therapies.

Dante is fully enrolled in a special needs classroom and loves it.

Sunny has turned 13.

Today is Amelia's 11th Adoption Anniversary.

Nikita bought a puppy that is just adorable and sure to keep her busy.

And the world keeps turning.

I am so thankful for our life, our home, our amazing children.  Alexander in college, Zachary in the Navy, Nikita contemplating her future, the triplets doing so well at home, Dante in school, Leif rocking our world daily, and Kimberly making sure our world revolves around her.

God is good.