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Little Ones

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Melissa Droegemueller | Rolling Prairie Readers

About Melissa

I am an elementary school teacher–turned–homeschooling mom with over 13 years experience working with babies through 4th graders. I believe in making learning FUN for ALL kids.

Around here, we are passionate about learning through play, chasing adventures, and good books!

Our mission is to create a community of lifelong learners where parents inspire and empower their children to follow their passions and use their unique gifts to make the world a better place.

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Melissa Droegemueller
Happy October, friends! Let's make it a wonderful Happy October, friends! Let's make it a wonderful month, full of hands-on learning, good books, and family adventures. 🎃
I'm dreaming of Lake Superior. 😍 I'm dreaming of Lake Superior. 😍
Happy autumn, friends! 🍁 What a week it’s be Happy autumn, friends! 🍁 What a week it’s been! We went from record-high temperatures earlier this week to real fall weather today: mid-50s and rainy. The girls and I spent the day bundled up in cozy sweats with all the windows open -- and we couldn’t have been happier. With the arrival of a new season, I tend to get a bit reflective. Instead of choosing a “word of the year,” I pick a new word every three months. During our summer break, I focused on the idea of rest and separating my idea of self-worth from the number of tasks I get through each day. Instead, I focused on growing our deck garden, reading books, watching movies, and doing puzzles every week. Now that I have taken time to rest, it’s time to think about a new focus. I decided on the word build for fall. My younger daughter has gotten really into LEGOs lately, and she is constantly working on a new build while I read aloud every morning. Her new passion is a great metaphor for me during this season of life: start small, work consistently, and don’t be afraid to take risks. The great thing about LEGOs is that they can be rearranged and made into something new at any point. The three things I want to build this fall: https://rollingprairiereaders.com/build-new-fall-habits/ #intentionalmotherhood #thisismotherhood #motherhoodjourney #parenting #momlife #joyfulmamas #happyfamily #raisinghappykids #parentingwin #momentsinmotherhood #parentinggoals #raisingkids #sahmlife #growthmindset #emotionalintelligence
Happy #talklikeapirateday from us. ♥️ Happy #talklikeapirateday from us. ♥️
It's the middle of September, and my social media It's the middle of September, and my social media feeds are already full of parents scared that their children are "behind." Some are in homeschooling spaces -- parents who are realizing that their younger children might not learn the same way as their first did. (That's okay! Kids are ALL different.) And other worried comments from parents are popping up all over Instagram and TikTok as teachers are venting about their students on their PUBLIC profiles. Listen, I know that the last three school years have been different. But anyone expecting that things will return to "normal" without making any changes to curriculum or teaching practices is just spitting into the wind. What frustrates me the most is that it's vulnerable families who are bearing the brunt of this pressure to "catch up" and meet (developmentally-inappropriate) standards without ANY support. They think they are FAILING their babies, and that is not okay! Teachers, we HAVE to be better. Our students and their parents are counting on us to meet them right where they are and help them move forward at whatever pace is right for them. STOP VENTING on social media. Walk on down the hall and vent to a friend. You are helping NO ONE by talking about your students on social media, no matter how funny you think you are. Find some compassion, or get a new job. And parents, you need to know that our kiddos ARE going to be okay. This is not the first generation to have to learn during difficult times, and we need to remember that our kids ARE learning at the pace that is right for them. ❤ Try not to stress! All we can do is take it one step at a time and remind our children that they are safe, loved, and surrounded by adults who will help them reach their milestones. #learningathome #followthechild #letthembelittle #intentionalmotherhood #thisismotherhood #raisingkids #growthmindset #emotionalintelligence
Big kids like read alouds, too! My freshman and I Big kids like read alouds, too! My freshman and I are listening to A Tale of Two Cities together during her British Lit class, and my 6th grader's history curriculum is literature-based this year, so I read aloud to her every class period. (Peacemaker was SO good!) I'm even hosting an online book to movie club for some of our virtual friends, and 21 kids (ranging from 8-15) showed up last Friday to listen to me read to them for 30 minutes over Zoom. I remember in my Children's Lit class in college, our professor would end every class reading a chapter of Because of Winn Dixie to us. Oh my goodness, it made such an impact on me. ❤ My kids devour books on their own every day, but I love that we still get to experience the joy of reading a book together, too. What is your favorite "big kid" book to read aloud? #raisingreaders #littlebookworms #readeveryday #readingisfun #picturebookoftheday #readingwithkids #readaloud #readaloudfamily #readtome #readersofinstagram #whatwearereading #kidsbooks #kidlit #learningathome #learnathome #homeschoollife #homeschoolersofinstagram #365homeschool #homeschoolblog #homeschoolfamily #thisishomeschool #homeschoollookslikethis #homeschoolingmom #homeschoolmoms #homeschooling #intentionalmotherhood #thisismotherhood #happyfamily #raisinghappykids #parentingwin
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