Marcia Miller's Reflections & Resources

‘Pattern Blocks’ Archives

Making Comparisons

Making Comparisons

Earlier this week, I found some old notes I had written about playing with pattern blocks and Cuisenaire rods when Ben was about seven years old.  We had been stacking the pattern blocks into towers and measuring them with the Cuisenaire rods.  While doing this, we made [Read More]

Fun Frames for Block Designs

Fun Frames for Block Designs

Designing and playing with wooden blocks of all kinds can be lots of fun.  Sometimes it’s nice to use a frame to give yourself a specific space in which to work.  A wooden serving tray with raised edges works well as a frame for playing with square color tiles, [Read More]

Playing with Pattern Blocks

Playing with Pattern Blocks

Wooden pattern blocks are wonderful in so many ways. You can create designs with them, build with them, and play games with them.  You can talk about their colors, shapes, angles, and how they relate to each other. You can lay them out in repetitive patterns or beautiful [Read More]

Beautiful Pattern Blocks

Beautiful Pattern Blocks

I love wooden pattern blocks. They feel good to the touch, come in bright colors, and are wonderful for creating beautiful designs. We have a large collection of them in a basket in our living room, and whenever I put them out on the coffee table, people of all ages [Read More]

Recent Posts

Fire Station Field Trip!

Fire Station Field Trip!

After many years of sharing a variety of outings and field trips with our son, Ben, when he was younger, it was great [Read More]

Hoorah!

Hoorah!

This summer, Ben participated in a two-month intensive fire service training academy through the Getchell Fire [Read More]

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

It’s a lovely new year, with many new days and months to create new adventures for yourself, your family, and [Read More]

Smart, curious, alert, observant…

Smart, curious, alert, observant…

I once again came across this wonderful quote from John Holt, and thought it deserved sharing: “What makes people [Read More]

Create Your Own Graduation Party

Create Your Own Graduation Party

Reilly, Sarah, Ben, Taylor, Tanner After years and years of homeschooling together, five families from our local [Read More]

Hard Work & Recognition

Hard Work & Recognition

Sometimes people question the ideas of unschooling because they wonder how kids will learn to work hard if [Read More]

A Day at North Bend Fire Training Academy

A Day at North Bend Fire Training Academy

Ben has been participating in a fire service technology class for the past couple years at the Fire District 1 [Read More]

Traveling Adventures

Traveling Adventures

“And when the kids are old enough, we’re gonna teach them to fly…” Thank you, Dave Matthews. [Read More]

18 Years

18 Years

My sweet son, Ben, turned 18 a little over a month ago. I’ve been thinking about what a pleasure it has been to [Read More]

Not Back To School Camp!

Not Back To School Camp!

At the end of August, when most teens are getting ready for school, Ben and a few of his lucky friends are happily [Read More]