After a day of learning in school and fun on the playground, the kids settle down for an evening inside the houses.

Suppertime is a busy time, with lots of kids around the tables refueling for the next day.  After the kids join the “clean plate club” by finishing all the food on their plates—even the vegetables, it is time to help clean up.  Some kids are assigned to sweep the floor, wipe the tables, and wash the dirty dishes.

Homework comes next.  The kids spread out around the house.  The dinner table is transformed into a big desk.  A few aunties take over as tutors.  Some kids like to do their homework in their room.  Some kids grab a chair and sit around the coffee table downstairs.  The school Reading Challenge has taken over homework time.

August has become “Reading Challenge” month.  For several years, the kids have an added incentive to discover the great books on the shelves in the library.  The kids actually do not have a problem taking advantage of the library throughout the year, but it is fun to create excitement for reading.  Each level has a reading goal appropriate for their abilities.  At the end of the month, totals will be tallied and winners will be announced.

After homework is done for the evening, it is time to play.  The preschoolers actually get to play most of the evening since they have less homework.  Crosswords, building blocks, animals, and much more fill the rest of the evening.

Finally it is time to put everything away and go to sleep, to be ready for the next day.