Homeschooling May First

As is typical with four year olds, DD chnaged her mind yesterday and rather than doing the workbook and CD, I read endless fairytales to her. It was a gray, dark, rainy, chilly day and she just wnated to snuggle under a blanket in my chair. Fine by me!

DS13's tree planting got rained out, but he ended up doing quite a bit of woodworking and took a long nap.

DS14 worked all morning with his father and learned how to drive a big boom truck. Just around the shopyard, but still. Gulp. Then he went to babysit for my sis (lifeskills:managing young children and cooking) and today he is at work at the restaurant washing dishes, which is always a good education in "real world."

Today it is DS13 doing the truck thing, and DD is going to learn some more lifeskills by helping me around the house.

Have a good week everyone!
-Jo

I found out that PA, which is where I live, of course, has one of the strictest homeschooling requirements and paperwork in the nation, but at least the county I'm currently in is at the most lenient of those guidelines. The part I found most discouraging is that you have to submit a list of goals and requirements that you will meet at the beginning of the school year. Which as the main homeschooling mother in this area said in the newspaper, is kind of annoying since the nice thing about homeschooling is that you can change directions to suit your children, schedule, etc.

But, I hope that I can still do it okay without rubbing up against the government bullies.

I don't get a lot of time online right now, but in the future I hope this topic will be popular so I can learn a lot from you all!

I asked hubby to consider homeschooling laws before he ever moved us to another state! LOL! He agreed. Actually, I hear MA is the absolute worst. Probably your best bet is talking to other homeschoolers in your district. I would also recommend joining the HSLDA.

Friday, we only got as far as copywork/reading lesson. Then, DH came home obviously not happy, and left right away without telling me what had happened at work, so that blew the rest of my day. I prayed for him while he was out and basically did housework while praying. I used the hose to clean off all the dish soap my boys had dumped on our front porch (trying to make bubbles--obviously, I was not tomato staking too well that day ). Well, that was the death knell to our well pump. Guess I burned it out! So, the guy came and fixed it yesterday; $900 later, we had water.

Got to church yesterday (biblical instruction) and Mom came over for lunch (family interaction) and left the Little House on the Prairie episodes she had taped for us (literature study).

Today, we did copywork/reading lesson, readers, language lesson (conjunctions, interjections, using commas in a series), math (a game of "Snatch"), and had lunch. Then we went to our friends' house (socialization) where the mom and I had a really nice chat and the kids played together. It was nice to get out and the day was BEAUTIFUL! My friend and I are planning a history co-op using Story of the World (just the two of us are interested, so far) for next year and are thinking of including science too.

Later!

Susannah

Until the shop office is built, and then I'll move most of it there. I really just pulled out everything DD4 will use and DD13 might use and put them on a small bookshelf. It looks very organized and nice. For now. I should take a picture.

DS13 is leaning hard toward homeschooling again. I am making him go visit the public school two days this month. I want him to make the decision carefully because he's a very stubborn one, and if he's feeling like he was forced into it, he will make things very miserable for both of us.

I filled his shelf with an Algebra book, a language text, 3 science texts (life, physical, and earth), a world civilization text (all of these were free publisher's samples), a Berlitz French kit, and several classic novels (Tom Saywer, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Treasure Island, Gulliver's Travels, The Wizard of Oz, The Sword in the Stone, Johnny Tremain...). Not that we'll necessarily use all of it, but it's there. He's already been picking through it.

For DD I have folders of phonics games, story tapes, Saxon math, a bin of manipulatives, lots of art supplies, some computer games, and some phonics readers. I also made her a "carschooling" folder with her favorite-worksheets (mostly logic and thinking skills stuff) and a few science readers with great pictures and put more story tapes in the van.

Got to go now and read more Fairytales to her-she's obsessed!!

-Jo

I'll bet that feels good.

Well, we made it through copywork/reading lesson, readers, and language lesson. The language lesson was to write a thank-you letter so we are writing one to my friend who is serving as a chaplain in Iraq. He has left his wife and four little ones stateside, missing him very much, so we'll try to cheer him up with letter, pictures, and package. We didn't get as far as math before things fell apart. LOL! But I'll probably read a bit of history and science over lunch.

I have work to do this afternoon, so I should get off line and stay off. Later!

Susannah

While I am laying here on bedrest, I have lots of extra time on my hands with little to do but read and peruse the internet. I have decided that this is a good time to reevaluate what I want to achieve with homeschooling and how I am going to go about it.

I have always really believed in the idea the kids who read a lot learn a lot without too much adult instruction, but I have a very hard time letting go so that my kids can put it into practice. I feel that they are not learning if I am not doing something with them. My own school years often leave me feeling conflicted about what to do with my kids. For instance, I hated grammar as a kid because the way we learned it was so very repetitive. We never seemed to really get to more advanced grammar concepts. It was only last fall that I finally learned what a dangling participle is. However, I found that because I read so much, I usually constructed sentences properly without lots of drilling. I think that kids who read a lot can wait to learn most grammar concepts and then pick them up easily when they are a bit older and ready to really use them, but I find it very hard to let go and trust that that will happen if I don't use a textbook to teach them grammar.

Right now I am trying to decide how much formal teaching I want to do and how much I want to just encourage my kids to learn on their own. They learn so much even when we are not doing formal schoolwork, but it's hard not to feel that there will be huge gaps in their education if they are left to follow their own interests. At the same time, with two babies on the way, I think that this is a good time to emphasize having them learn through their own reading with less help from me. Allowing them more opportunities to learn on their own is perhaps a more realistic approach for me as I adjust to the twins.

How do each of you find the balance between formal school and allowing your children to pursue their own interests? Do any of you do a more unschooled approach? How do you think your own school years affect the way you teach your kids?

Lauralyn

We more or less unschool. DS13 has a Maths lesson with a tutor once a week, mainly because my Maths skills are not up to teaching it myself. We also do English work and a lot of reading. Outside of that, DS does what he is interested in. Sometimes he works from textbooks in Science, History and Geography, but mostly he doesn't. It's his choice. We watch interesting things on TV sometimes which lead to research at the library and on the internet. We get together with other homeschoolers socially and sometimes for work, too. We visit interesting places......and we talk a lot

When DS came out of school, his English skills were already good and he was reading way above his age level, so we haven't had to do much in that area beyond stretching him with books and discussion. I believe that if the foundation of good English skills and love of books is there, the world is your oyster.

I do have the odd crisis of confidence, though! If DS was in school, he would begin his examination courses this September. I have always been open to to him going back to school, if he wanted to at any point, and sometimes he has wavered. If he doesn't go back by this September, before the courses start, he will never go back. Although I am quite happy about that, I have a little panic about the fact that the other kids will be taking 10-12 examinations at age 16 and DS won't. Then I remind myself how much happier he is out of the school system. He is free to be himself.

As for my own school years, I hated them! I still shudder. To me, the whole experience was about having no control, no rights and no voice. I am glad that DS doesn't have that experience now and therefore is being valued and treated so much better than I was at that age.

Does that mean homeschooling your DS affects his going to university in the UK?

reading is the key to it all. Just having a weird and wonderful array of books available will teach them things you wouldn't believe. I know this when I look at my two... they both have really quite outstanding vocabularies, and DS6 will often quite seriously pose the most serious of science questions that you wouldn't have expected from someone twice his age! They're very funny to watch.

we played Boggle last night and DD managed to get a five letter word that neither DH nor I saw, which was crepe! What amused me even more in another round was that she got the word 'logo' - it was quite obvious, yet neither of the adults had seen it and she had.

I think Becky, that not following a prescribed path 20yrs ago would have been very hard, but nowadays there are lots of alternative ways into uni - some need proper exams and qualifications, but they don't have to be the ones you'd do in school, which are primarily academic.

somehow or another my kids LOVE nature and animals - I kind of know how, but I still find it a bit surprising that I've managed to achieve that in the middle of a city. DD can't quite figure out how come so many of her classmates don't like animals, but all their Chinese parents (mostly Chinese, not all of course) have told them (as they were told by their parents) that animals are dirty and smelly. I think it just goes to show that a mother's enthusiasms are probably the most important factor in what their children learn.

that could be part of why my kids can't ride two-wheelers yet... I have no enthusiasm for the heat outside and running after a children's bike! Actually, I don't have a huge enthusiasm for bikes!

Kerri.

Honey, you sound so SMART! Really, I remember when you first thought of HSing and were a little unsure, you sound like a old veteran now. Very confident.

Well we didn't get much done today in the way of school, but we did get quite a bit done yesterday.
Savannah's teething and has a little bit of a cough so this may end up being a slow week. I'm learning to feel ok with that though. He's a smart kid, and I need to give us both a bit more credit sometimes.

Congrats on the new classroom Jo. We home school at the kitchen table but I have several shelves in my pantry dedicated to our "stuff"

Opp, speaking of Savannah, gotta run.

I've been thinking more about this. I think if I am honest, what I would have liked for DS in an ideal world, would have been for school to be a great experience for him. Everything would have been so much easier! It was so NOT a great experience for him, that I decided to take him out. As Jamie said, I was very hesitant and worried about it at the time. Things were so wrong at school though and DS was so unsettled, that in the end I asked myself the question 'If he never learns another thing from now on, do I still believe he is better off out of school?' The answer was yes. I still feel that way, though of course he is learning all the time and I needn't have worried! If I could go back now I would remove him from school a few years before I did.

The exam question is the worrying one for me now. The traditional route to university is 10-12 GCSEs taken at age 16 and then staying on at school, or going to college to do A levels. DS won't be able to do that. It is very difficult here to find a college that will take an under-16. In fact the only one I know of would put him in a class with children who have been expelled from school. No thanks! GCSEs can be taken by correspondence course, at around £250 per subject. It will not be feasible to do 10 - 12, but we may go down that route for Maths, English and IT.

I don't know if DS will go to University, but if he wants to he only has to wait until he is 19, at which time he will be classed as a mature student, and will be able to do a one year Access to university course and go straight in to university with no GCSEs or A levels.

So, there are various avenues to go down, and nothing is insurmountable, but homeschooling isn't as common here as in the States, so there isn't any help or support from authority. Neither are there guidelines, or much monitoring in the way that you have it over there, so I'm grateful for that!

I think that's what we are. We're not unschoolers, really, although there are days we don't do "sit down" work and I'm fine with that. I think fresh air and sunshine at this age are the best tonic. They'd rather be outside getting filthy anyway. Or, they can learn "lifeskills" and help around the house.

I have a structured time during the day when we sit at the table and do mostly oral lessons, about 2-3 hours at the most. It's mainly because I am such an unstructured person that we'd never get around to doing anything if I didn't have a routine. My girls would rather play with their little dinosaurs than read books (although the eldest has been known to read on her own what interests her).

My homeschooling consists mostly of reading aloud to them, either from "school" books or "living" books. I am totally immersed in teaching them, which I enjoy right now, but will slowly wean them to self-directed stuff as they get older. The only assigned work they do this year is copywork, and that's to keep them at the table while I do their 5yo brother's reading lesson on the couch. (And to get a little handwriting practice and scripture memorization in, of course.)

Everything I bought for this year is scripted. They read their readers aloud to me and restate (narrate) what they've read at the end. I read to them from First Language Lessons and they "tell back" the repetition or memorization part. Once weekly, we do a fun activity, like blowing bubbles, and relate it to a spiritual truth. I drill math with Professor B's charts, or lead them through a practice worksheet, or orally through a new lesson, demonstrating on a small whiteboard. I read history aloud from Story of the World, or Story of the Romans and they narrate back. (I look more to my eldest for narration; 6yo is not always clued in.) If it's a science day, I just read from the teacher's book and show them how to do the activity sheet.

Today, we got a late start and did it all after lunch. They did copywork. Anna Kate is copying verses from Proverbs and Olivia is copying practice D'Nealian words ("m" words today). We did readers. Anna Kate's was about the earthworm's anatomy. (Ten hearts! And if you keep them out of the earth for a while, they become more transparent and you can see their circulatory system. Wild.) For language, we finished our letter to the military friend. Math was another "snatch" game with Prof. B's charts (9 snatches 1 from the smaller number to become "teen," 8 snatches two, 7, three, and so on). Then I tapped the 9+ higher addition facts on another chart and they gave the answers, for drill practice. In SOTR, we read about Brutus, who overthrew the wicked Tarquins. In SOTW, we read about Asoka, who gave up conquering by war and instead applied peaceful principles to his rule. And we read a Buddhist fable. I just looked up pictures on the 'net that we could put on our timeline to represent those. We'll probably do that tomorrow.

It's an intense couple of hours, but we get a lot in and I feel like we "did something." I very much enjoy learning with them. I'd never learned much about the ancient world in school, so I'm as fascinated by history as Anna Kate is. Language and history are the most fun, to me. And teaching DS5 to read.

Honey, it sounds like you have a good balance between unschooling and formal schooling. I totally agree with you about what a nightmare school was. I think it's kind of funny when people worry about my kids' social lives because one reason why I (and many others) homeschool is to spare my kids that social scene. You may be interested to know that in the state of Texas, where I live, there are no requirements, guidelines or monitoring for homeschoolers. We are not allowed to use any of the school's programs, but the state does not interfere with us at all. When removing kids from school, parents are expected to notify the school just so that they don't think the kid is truant. Since my kids were never in school, I didn't have to tell the schools or government anything at all. Each state here has its own laws governing homeschoolers and some are much, much stricter. Believe it or not, it was something I considered before agreeing to move to Texas. I think I might have refused to move here if there were strict laws.

Kerri--don't you just love it when your own kids outsmart you? I am never sure whether to worry about the state of my own education or rejoice that my kids are so smart. My two older girls were involved in a homeschooling co-op this year and one of the moms was teaching music. They can actually recognize quite a few pieces of classical music, name the composer and also tell a bit about the history of the piece. All of this is way over my music skills, but it makes me feel like my kids are so well educated!

Lauralyn

DD shocked her piano teacher some years ago when asked about her favourite music. Her teacher was expecting a pop group or Britney type... DD was stuck between Mozart and Handel!! I just sat there laughing helplessly at the teacher's face. Priceless. Actually it's because I usually have some classical music in the car with all the rest, so we've got the habit of talking about it. I don't want the kids to see it as something weird or difficult, and I approach poetry in the same way. I've got a few poetry books for kids, and the we recently inherited a copy of Cats on video, so I duly dug out my TS Eliot and they've almost worn it out already!

so far my kids see me as the fountain of all knowledge, the same way I still see my own mother! Since my general knowledge is very good I hope that will last until they get more specialised in certain areas. After that I'll be bluffing!!

overall generall knowledge is very, very poor. We had an exam at age 18 for it in fact, and most people I knew failed but it was my easiest paper. There were bits of Greek and Roman mythology, bits of physics and biology, poetry, history, music and all sorts of odd things. In Singapore the general knowledge is even worse - a lot worse. Really embarrassing. I think the best thing one can teach a child, other than conveying enthusiasm for learning is general knowledge. Tackle everything. Nothing is scary... not even maths and physics if taken in the right context (my physics questions related to the workings of a piano, which helped!). People have this idea that cetain subjects are difficult or not for them... or too highbrow for their kids. Well believe it or not a reasonable background in Greek and Roman mythology can come in quite handy for all sorts of things - the roots of lots of words come from some of the gods and their characteristics. Besides, younger kids love those stories... DS got a load of superheroes stuff for one of his birthdays, but I balanced it nicely with a children's book about Hercules, which even said on the back - the world's first superhero. People should know where the phrase Trojan Horse originates, particularly since Trojan gets used in IT. So even the most unlikely subject is still relevant.

but this is just the time outside of school, of which there is really precious little. This summer they're going to be going back to nature... I agree Susannah - they need that, which is partly why we're moving! Did you know if you chop earthworms in half you get two fully operational earthworms?? Actually not just two - the number of hearts probably explains that phenomenon. Useful to know if you're ever digging and your kids ask you if you're going to hurt an earthworm by doing that. Worms are great fun!

oh yes, here's a useful site - I still find it useful to refer to the phytonutrients in our meals if the kids are being fussy. DH was in stitches watching us discuss the proteins and carbs in our dinner the other night. He hasn't eaten with us very often for a while.

www.dole5aday.com - really gets kids enthusiastic about their veggies if you start them young, though DS doesn't seem convinced about asparagus yet, but DD is sure she loves broccoli - personally I think it's because she knows it's one of the best!

enough babbling and enthusiasm... I have a house to clear!

Kerri.

Too funny about your daughter and her piano teacher, Kerri. My kids like classical music and religious music and music from their favorite Disney movies, but they don't listen to much else. I don't think they have any idea who Britney is, which is just fine with me.

I totally agree with the back to nature thing. One of the best things about our move to Texas is that we now have 1 1/2 acres for the kids to run and play. There is a creek lined with trees at the back of our property (this is off limits without an adult), so they go back with their Dad a lot and find all kinds of wildlife there. We have frogs, lizards, turtles, rabbits, squirrels and various birds to enjoy. And of course, the bull that occasionally escapes from the farm on the other side of the creek and manages to get over here somehow. When we first moved here the girls were scared of every animal they saw, but now they love going out and catching things to look at more closely. Ok, there's science, right?

Lauralyn

I am too. I am about 30 min south of Houston. Where are you if you don't mind me asking. Just area wise..

Well, today, I have been home with a sick kiddo. It has given me time to think about what I want the summer to be like. I thought it would be fun to "focus" on a subject and spend the summer on that hot topic. So the Human Body is my choice and I have been researching some things at our library and I also purchased a big floor puzzle of the body that is labeled and all. I am trying to incorporate things for both DS4 and DSalmost7. I am also going to do some tomato staking, thanks Susannah!, to help them with how they get along with each other. They just bicker and fight and get easily frustrated with each other. We are going to spend loads of time on that subject.....tolerance!

This along with all the other summer stuff and plenty of goofing off, I can't wait.

Jana

Did not get too much funschooling done, and way too many late nights make for a very cranky Momma. I have been thinking about the formal/unschooling thing a lot though.

I think I would be much more toward unschooling with DS13 because he already has very solid basic skills and a natural thirst for learning. He also has very eclectic interests, and like me, tends to get obsessive about things for awhile and then kind of "laze out." I could see him diving very deeply into topics that caught his fancy and giving himself a very well rounded education if I could just keep myself out of his way.

With DD I think I will be fairly structured, but absolutely take my clues from her. She is, after all, only 4. She is so curious about everything and full of endless questions. She loves to be read to, which I agree is an amazing way to learn anything, and sends you in directions you never would have gone yourself. I will do phonics stuff with her but balance games, which I love, with workbook stuff, which she loves. I also have a really good supply of math manipulatives, and she enjoys playing with them.

So anyway, I guess I would try to balance too, and knowing myself, I would err on the side of structure too often. That is why I have started now, and am playing with the idea before I have to submit any paperwork in the fall. I hope to have a better grasp on what we all would do best with by then.

I have accumulated so much stuff over 14 years teaching that I have the materials on hand to go either way. Part of my reasoning for setting up the classroom area now is to put stuff out there, make it available, and see what transpires.

See Ya,
-Jo

Jana, have you ever spent any time at the Museum of Health and Medical Science? It is just around the corner from the Children's Museum.

www.mhms.org

All about the human body! It is very cool and never crowded, even on free Thursdays.

Kelly

We went there for the first time this year with DS7's school. It was great!!! I was thinking of having that be the end of our lesson trip. I know DS7 would like to go back and DS4 would eat it up! I didn't know that Thursdays were free! Yeah!

Jana

I think what I'm doing right now is just following a routine. I like the word "routine" better than "schedule." But I lean toward some mixture of classical/Charlotte Mason.

I had a great time at conference. It was fun rooming with ladies from church. We went out for dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. I shared a room with three other ladies, and we visited with the other three in their room, scarfing chocolate and popcorn. We sat in the hot tub together too.

The first day I had arrived later than I meant to, but still had a good two hours to browse the used book sale. I got:

Usborne Book of the Ancient World
Ergemeier's Bible Stories
States and Capitals Songs by Audio Memory (CD)
Several Audio Memory cassettes (grammar, multiplication, division, etc.)
A book about fly fishing (stories and articles, not how-to) for DH
A seminar tape on teaching the Bible to young children
A very nice DK dinosaur book for the kids
The Family Under the Bridge (for read aloud)
The Railway Children, E. Nesbit (read aloud)
Information Please! questions for teaching research skills
A book by a homeschool mom about using 3-ring binders and notebooks in homeschooling

I think that's it for the used book sale. I never even made it to any seminars on the first day, because I went straight to the vendor hall from there. I got:

Story of the World, volumes II and III
Christian Liberty Nature Reader #3
Bob Books (first set)
Two Peterson Guides: Reptiles and Amphibians and Caterpillars
Good-quality colored chalk
Two Draw-Write-Now books (all of us went in together and bought the 8-volume set, and split them up and will rotate them)
A seminar recording about discovering your gifts and your children's gifts
The MasterPak CD with Calculadders and Ready Writer on it

I think that's all. Not listing to bore anyone, but I copy this entry to my homeschool journal when I'm too lazy to write both.

The next day I went to two seminars and did more wandering around the vendor hall. Both seminars were given by the same speaker. Excellent! (Jeff Myers) He also did the seminar that I bought on CD.

Last night, I finally gave in and made the decision to buy:
Spelling Power, with the video and student notebooks. Pricey! But it's supposed to last through high school. Sure hope it works for us. The only two things remaining that I really need are Hey Andrew! Teach Me Some Greek! and Emma Serl's Primary Language Lessons. I have to get DH's okay on the Greek course first since he'll probably teach it. I toyed with the idea of getting a Kindergarten math program for DS5, but whew! Ninety bucks (with their 10% discount)! I've already spent more than I'd like. It's very nice, however:

http://www.alabacus.com/

I feel guilty spending that much on curriculum, though. We've got Professor B already, but he doesn't include geometry, time, currency, etc. and it's not appropriate to the K level. This is a complete curriculum and is very hands-on. And with DS5 showing such an interest in learning, it's the perfect time to introduce the concepts. Drooling...

Okay, enough boring everyone! I'm going to go copy/paste into the journal.

Love,

Susannah

Been trying to set some goals for this summer -- I'm sure I'm overly ambitious.

Goals for DD6
Religion: memorize Our Father and Hail Mary, if that goes fast memorize some short Bible verses (memory is not her strong point or mine, so I am not anticipating this going really fast)
Math: double digit addition, possibly multiplication
Language: work on penmanship, otherwise this will take care of itself, may get some Spanish editions of familiar kids books (she does Spanish in school)
Science: Usborne Adventures in the Human Body
Music: continue with 20-minute practice most mornings on piano, emphasize hand position and solfege
Art: will take some community ed classes
PE: bike riding, swimming lessons, possibly gymnastics, and horseback lessons

What do you think? Am I nuts? Am I missing something?

We are still planning to return DD6 to 1st grade at her current school, but I am hoping to get a sense of whether full-time homeschool is an option for the future.

Shaun
"Home is not the one tame place in a world of adventure; it is the one wild place in a world of rules and set tasks."
   -- G. K. Chesterton

Depends whether that's a guide of things you'd like to cover in each area if the opportunity arises, or is it a bare minimum that you *must* cover, come hell or high water. By all means get Spanish editions and have them around for her, but don't necessarily expect her to read a certain amount each and every day! If it's a must do, I'd say you've gone overboard for a 6yr old. I keep trying to remember where I was and what I was doing at that age - the kids of our generation were very different I admit, and you can't stop a smart kid from learning if she wants to, but don't forget to leave plenty of *dream time* - completely unscheduled time in which her body and brain get to absorb all the information she's received. Singaporean kids are scheduled to the last second and it's terrible for them - they have no imagination whatsoever, because they aren't allowed the time to just BE. You've already said she's tring to live in her head too much, so maybe this is the summer to force yourself to back off a bit, and let her veg more, before she gets older and it gets hard to allow her a whole summer to veg. I agree that kids need stimulation, especially smarter ones, but not ALL the time. Be careful you don't let your own enthusiasm for the subjects and for having her absorb things get in the way of time to just be. That's something I keep having to remind myself of - not to let my enthusiasm carry me away, because my kids want to do things that seem to please me, and will allow themselves to be pushed if I don't back off a bit.

I'd say you're doing that with the PE. I know exactly the feeling... DD is currently doing Taekwondo, but she needs to learn to swim better, and she does quite enjoy gymnastics (which helps her taekwondo too she's discovered) but she also loves horses and there's a riding stables near my parents' house. She also wants to join Brownies (equivalent of girl scouts for younger girls - not sure what you have for that age). I'm keen for her to try so many different things, but I have a personal limit of one 'fun' extra and one 'academic' extra (for them it will have to be Chinese). I know they'd both love to have more art classes too. I want them to get to try things, but if they can't choose I get stuck. Swimming is essential for a while because it's a matter of life or death (as I proved to them recently). Bike riding and roller blading are non-essential, but unstructured, so I can let those slide. That leaves me with Taekwondo, horse-riding and Brownies, all of which DD really wants to do. It's too much. WAY too much. Too much money apart from anything else, but also too much structured time and running around - it won't be long before you're running around to things for Iris too, and that really will leave you screaming crazy.

but if you want to know what you're missing... history and geography. They form form an essential part of general knowledge and kids are sadly lacking in that. I wouldn't suggest you try teaching all these things as separate subjects though. Try upping her general knowledge in all areas and you'll have covered each of the 'subjects' in smaller doses.

Keep in mind... she's only 6. I have exactly this problem with both my kids - I have to remember they're still very young, especially DS6. Somehow it seems that once they pass 4 and really start learning the years are going to vanish so I have to stuff them with all the information I can find really quick. They have their whole life ahead of them to learn. What we all need to teach, above all else, is passion for learning. The rest will take care of itself.

Susannah, you can probably tell I would tend towards unschooling in an ideal world, so I couldn't even begin to comment on curriculum. I do understand the drooling over books, stationery and all kinds of teaching materials though - I've got 10 boxes of packing so far to prove it!! I'd be a total wreck at a curriculum convention thingy, for all I'm not really a curriculum following type of person. I'd still buy tons of stuff. At least I know I can still justify ordinary books, 'real' books. We have some E Nesbit too... Railway Children, Five Children and It, and The Phoenix and The Carpet. I have a particular weakness for classis children's literature - partly because I'm currently going through a phase of reading it all myself! I don't push it though - it's on the shelves and the kids will get to it whe they're ready.

Jo, I so wish I had a whole room to just throw all the learning stuff in. Mind you, I've noticed the kids tend to gravitate to wherever I am, which at the moment is my room where the computer is. I doubt we'll ever have a whole room to spare, but I'll have to keep their habits in mind... probably we'd use a spare bedroom as office cum learning centre at some point in the future. It's going to be hell dividing up the kids' stuff when they're ready to leave home, or even when they get separate rooms, because all their stuff belongs to them both so far! I've always dreamed of having a library too... most kids put swimming pools in their dream houses (seriously not common in the UK, unlike parts of the US), but I had a library. I tacked a pool on afterwards to be conventional!

Time to stop waffling - I've wasted a whole morning I could ill afford to waste on one thread!!

no time to go back now, but Shaun, no criticism intended. I know how enthusiasm can get in the way and make us go overboard - it's something I struggle with a lot. Hopefully what I said was useful and constructive!!

Kerri.

I seem to need a plan kinda laid out for me

So plan for summer is: very limited for more selfish reasons.......my first summer off!!!!!

ART: DS7 has a 2 week art workshop, couple hours each day; DS4 popsicle/toothpick project
Science: Usborne Adventures in the Human Body
PE: swim lessons

I am excited about the art workshop for DS7. It is given by the art teacher at the high school and this woman has passion!!! Oh she is fun! She will also be offering art lessons after school next year so this will be a good time to see if it is a fit!

Of course we will take many trips to the beach and that can turn into all kinds of learning and our "Human Body" topic will be an everyday thing whether we have any kind of structure or not! I am so looking forward to this summer!!! Learning, freedom, a step off the fast track!!! Yippeee!

Thanks guys for all the motivation! This thread has been wonderful!

Jana

Learning art over the summer! You are inspiring me!

We got the Draw Write Now Pond and Forest and Ocean animals book. Anna Kate has already drawn a very nice picture of a five-lined skink on a rock. I was quite proud of it! Olivia did a good one, too. Maybe we can do a lot of that over the summer. I'd like to try it too.

I wish my sister lived closer. She's an artist and I would love to have her teach them a couple of things about the color wheel, etc. There are some very nice art books titled "Come Look With Me," or something to that effect, that show fine art prints and ask questions of the child on the facing page. I want them! Drooling....

Today, we did:
*Elias's reading lesson. He begs for it!
*Writing. Anna Kate practiced cursive and Olivia did more "m" words.
*Readers. More about the earthworm in the nature reader.
*Language. Addressed the envelope to our military friend. Olivia did the return address, Anna Kate did the mailing address. I showed them how to fold a letter into thirds.
*Math. One set of problems from a worksheet (we're talking three math problems) to reinforce "find the missing number." They couldn't remember anything about that lesson. Kinda discouraging, that.
*Science. Read some Bible verses about weather and reviewed cloud types, and set up our weather charts, which we will start next Sunday. I've got to buy an outdoor thermometer tonight!
*Typing. Anna Kate did three practice sets on Mavis Beacon.
*P.E. They are playing oustide until it rains.

I'd say it took about 2.5 hours.

Now I'm downloading a recent version of Adobe Acrobat so I can print their new Calculadder math drill sheets for tomorrow and maybe a fun Ready Writer sheet for Elias to practice with. I have lots of organizing to do with all our papers and catalogs and books now. Need more 3-ring binders!! Adding to Walmart list...

Love,

Susannah

Well...

It's 80 degrees and sunny with a light breeze. The kids are outside. The boys are playing baseball (PE) and DD4 is gardening. (science)

I leave at the crack of dawn tomorrow to take my 3rd and 4th graders to Boston. We are visiting the Museum of Science tomorrow, and then check into our hotel in Plymouth (with an indoor waterslide!) and then Thursday will be the Mayflower II (an authentic reproduction) and Plimouth Plantation, a living history museum. On Friday we will visit the New England Aquarium and the Museum of Fine Arts, which has an amazing Egyptian collection. I'll get home Friday evening.

This will be my fourth time on this field trip, and my first time without any children in my charge. All of my students have at least one parent coming. It should be so fun and quite relaxing for me, with a hotel room of my own. I won't know what to do with myself!

The problem, of course, will be the gift shops at the museums now that I am going to be homeschooling. Yikes! DD will take this same trip in a couple of years. The boys loved it when they went, they still talk about it.

Have a good rest of the week, I'll tell you all about it this weekend.

What a wonderful couple of days you have ahead of you, Jo! We expect a full report when you get back. Vicarious enjoyment.

Shaun, I wish I had some advice for you, but it's hard to prescribe funschooling for another family. I hardly know what *I'm* doing. LOL! I would guess it is a good idea to keep up some amount of practice on piano, etc. Maybe not too intensive but enough to keep progressing throughout the summer. I probably won't mark a "Summer Break" for my kids, although we will do the Callaway Gardens trip with my mom most likely and I'd like to go to the beach at some point, FL maybe.

My plan: We're going to read through Story of the World Book II in the evenings before bed, and probably keep up with math or at least do the Calculadders every day (2-5 minutes, max). I'd like to institute a scripture memorization plan and read some Bible stories over the summer.

By the way, I really like the Calculadders worksheets, and ReadyWriter looks really cute. I bought the MasterPak CD with Calculadders 1, 2, and 3 and ReadyWriter all together. The girls didn't even get halfway through the first one before the timer went off, so they have lots of room for improvement. The first worksheet is just writing numerals neatly inside a series of boxes. They both need the practice.

I read The Family Under the Bridge myself today and it was very sweet.

Today, we did:
*100 EZ Lessons (Elias)
*Calculadder drill
*Copywork: Bible verses
*Language: direct quotations
*History: Usborne Book of the Ancient World (Founding of Rome); Story of the Romans (triumphal processions described; Horatio at the bridge); Story of the World (Chinese calligraphy, printing)
*Geography: Finding China on the globe; looking at map of Italian peninsula in Usborne book
*Timeline: Added founding of Roman Republic and Asoka's rule/Mauryan Empire

Time to copy & paste to journal!

Love,

Susannah

I just sent this site on to Jana - I'd been going through the kids' card games and tossing anything that was not age-appropriate, amongst which were two very good games for younger children: Silly Sentences and Math War. This site was listed on the packet so I made a note of it:

www.schoolzone.com

I also discovered that they have a lot of bilingual materials in English and Spanish, so it occurred to me that Shaun might want to have a look, and it'd be interesting to anyone with younger kids (up to 6th grade roughly). The prices on the card games are very reasonable (only a couple of dollars) and they have quite a few other materials.

You people are getting me all enthusiastic about this stuff again... This should definitely be a new regular thread - I love it! And I'm not even homeschooling!!!

Kerri.

LOL! Thanks a lot, Kerri! Ha ha!

Regarding ReadyWriter, Elias tried it out today and LOVED it! He wanted to do the same worksheet twice! I had to keep reminding him how to hold his pencil. Looks like he's going to be another lefty, like his mom. I'm so glad; so far no one else is a lefty in our family. He is so excited about his "reading lesson" that it makes me smile. He starts teaching his daddy how to sound out. I sure hope I can find ways of keeping his enthusiasm going.

Speaking of a learning lifestyle, I had picked up at conference a resource about notebooking by a homeschooling mom. Intriguing! I picked up 3-ring binders yesterday for the girls and J.D. (need to get one more for Elias) and put a few sheet protectors in each. I put some of the girls' artwork in theirs, just to give them an idea of where to start. The lady suggests backing off and letting them fill it with things that interest them. I thought we could put their copywork in there too. She recommends choosing copywork that fits their interests.

We haven't really homeschooled-proper-like yet. Waiting until after our (late) lunch. Can you tell we got started late today?

Anyway, I just wanted to report in that the ReadyWriter is a good thing.

Later!

Susannah

That's the philosophy behind the notebooking thing.

Okay, I'd say the reaction to the notebooks was positive. Anna Kate: "Homeschooling gets better with every day!" Instead of full-blown academics, we did the Calculadder drill (they improved!) and then I asked them to design the front and back cover to my recipes notebook. Anna Kate wrote: "Resapeas." Where's my Spelling Power? Still en route. I didn't correct it; it's too cute.

Now they're supposed to be going fishing with Dad (first time at the river this season). Not Emma; she's asleep. But they got sidetracked by an escaped skink that had taken refuge under my washer & dryer. Those little boogers are fast. Finally recaptured it, so they've taken off. Ah, a quiet house.

Later!

Susannah

Here is her website:

http://www.cindyrushton.com/

I signed up for her free e-magazines.

But I hope someone can give me some direction. DD5 will be starting kindergarten in the fall. She didn't go to K-4 and that program at her school does some pre-reading and reading. I don't want her to start the school year behind, so I am trying to get some things organized and work with her through the summer.

So, I've purchased a couple of level 1 reading books and have been reading them to her. After reading each page, we go back over the words again.

Also, I've been working with the LeapPad system. We have the book that came with it and one other K-1st grade book.

Any other suggestions? A co-worker said she made notecards and put them all over things around the house with the word of what it is on it. "Door", "stove", etc.

thanks!

Vonnie

That is, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I first chose it because it was inexpensive. (Ha!) As opposed to Sing, Spell, Read and Write. But I've used it with three children now and I've found it to be pretty effective at getting kids off and reading. Another inexpensive method would be Alpha-Phonics. You can find both at christianbook.com.

(Edited Link) Here's the link to their homeschool stuff--look under Phonics & Reading:

http://www.christianbook.com/html/specialty/1016.html

I also have Noah Webster's Reading Handbook. If you would like me to send it to you, PM me your address. I haven't really used it.

ETA: 100 EZ Lessons does include teaching writing, but I usually feel my children aren't ready for that yet, and I'd rather introduce it separately. If that would be the case for your DD, you can have her trace letters in the style you prefer with her finger to get used to letter formation, to avoid frustrating her with learning fine motor skills. You can use anything for this, chalkboard, magnadoodle, handwriting paper, even cut the letters out of sandpaper for more tactile input.

We use D'Nealian handwriting, so I simply substitute the D'Nealian lower-case workbook and have my child trace the letter with his finger, according to the formation instructions listed in the back. Personally, I don't like the handwriting style introduced in 100 EZ Lessons and I want my kids to learn stylus skills before tackling handwriting.

Vonnie, one thing I did with DS when he was really young was to write words on large pieces of card, place them on the floor and get him to jump from one to another, according to which word I said. I used them to teach him to recognise the names of family members, prior to learning to write them - so I made cards for Mummy, Nanna, etc. You could do that for any words you wanted to teach DD.

We also had flashcards and had some success with them, but they bored both of us silly so we didn't bother much.

I think that if children are read to a lot, and if you talk with them all the time, then when they are taught to read, they learn quickly. I remember one little girl in DS' class at age 5 had trouble with the whole concept of stories, and turning pages etc. It was obvious she was completely unfamiliar with books

While I am here on this thread, just wanted to ask if anyone is interested in having the children write to each other, like penfriends? I started a thread last week about it, and there are about four of us so far. Anyone else?

You can find them at Barnes and Noble; my homeschooling SIL gave us a set and we got the next few sets.

It depends on the kid. My DD6 loved books from the get-go, and she is extremely visual, so that worked. Phonics would not be for her -- and I have heard that you should wait on phonics until they are older and give them a chance to learn a bit more "organically" -- but I think my DD2 would do well because she is very oriented to sounds. Honey, your DS sounds like a kinesthetic learner!

I honestly would not spend too much time worrying about your DD being behind because she did not go to a pre-K program. Are you worried because English was not her first language? Because then I would think you might take a different approach anyway. Just wondering.

Shaun
"Home is not the one tame place in a world of adventure; it is the one wild place in a world of rules and set tasks."
   -- G. K. Chesterton

Don't worry Vonnie... there's quite a few of us on here who aren't exactly homeschooling. I think on the previous thread I referred to it as 'involved parenting'. It's more like we send them to school because that's the 'normal' way and then we do the educating at home the rest of the time!!

I'd agree with Shaun about not worrying too much. Over here it's an issue because the amount of real written work they have by the first year of primary school is staggering, and any non-readers are left behind right from the beginning. I don't think that's the case where you are though. Some may be reading, bu there will be others who aren't. That's natural in kids anyway, whether they've done programmes or not. I'd guarantee my DD would have been reading by the same age without going anywhere near kindergarten - her teacher wasn't even aware how strong her reading was for a long time!

That's not to say don't try, and I was also tempted by the 100 easy lessons book some years ago (DD learned to read almost overnight though somehow!). Give it a bit of a go, but don't let her get upset about it. Don't make a big deal out of it. If she's ready then fine, if she's not, back off and do other things she enjoys. Read to her more, put the books where she can pick them up and flip through them on her own (when you aren't looking - I swear that's what mine did!). Another thing is television tie-ins or something similar. If she has a favourite character find an age-appropriate book about the character and put it where she can get at it herself. Very likely she'll teach herself with just a little help. If she has a favourite story, but it seems too old for her is there another younger version in Ladybird or something like that. Does she have a passion for animals or crafts or flowers... get her a simple book about her interests and let her get on with it. Sure she'll start by looking at the pictures, but she'll use them to figure out the words, and when she wants to know more she'll start on deciphering the words.

don't you just hate the way that even relatively sane and sensible parents get caught up in the trap of pushing their children to do everything earlier and earlier!?! Not a criticism Vonnie because we all do - we compare and contrast with other kids completely unintentionally, we think we're running out of time to do certain things or teach certain things. And our poor bewildered little ones run out of time just to veg in a tree! Any time you feel like you're running out of time, try to think back to yourself at that age. I find myself comparing DD with myself at completely the wrong age - comparing her primary school experience with my secondary school experience (which should tell you something about the Singapore school system!). Deliberately comparing with myself at the correct age helps me to get perspective, because I'm sure she is far more academic and knows more than I did at that age, but you can bet I won't be telling her that!

Kerri.

I have a feeling, just by the way you are, that she will have no problem. I would not stress at all, in fact. Kindergartens come in all shapes and sizes. If this is a public school, she will be with kids who have been to preschool and some that have not. She will be with kids who have been read to and some that have not. She will do just fine. I would work on sight words, and, the, I and such and just introduce some words that are in your house, if you have a pet or hobby. Other than that just read to her! And enjoy her! Once she starts reading she will read everything and you will not get a moments rest! I say this in the nicest mommy voice but one that is tired of have every billboard from here to there read to me!!!! Now we can tell time and we have a watch!!!!!!!!! He times us on EVERYTHING! insert eyes rolling guys!!!

Jana

I can't get either of my kids to get their noses out of books long enough to do anything I ask (and my mother had the same problem with me!) so I can endorse Jana's lack of enthusiasm!!

Kerri.

My older kids were ready to read at your DD's age. Elias has only just turned five in March. I figured he was ready because he was continually asking me to spell words for him. He was interested in letters and tries to memorize his story books so he can "read" them himself. He was one I had feared would be resistant to sitting down with mom, but sure enough, he has really taken to it and been empowered by learning to read.

She'll probably be giving similar cues if she's ready to read. All of mine sat and "read" books to themselves at an early age.

If a child is resistant or it seems too tedious, I put the lessons aside for a few weeks or months and try again later.

If you have a tape recorder, record yourself reading her story books to her and that way she can listen to the tape later and follow along with your voice. Run your finger under each word as you say it. This will give her lots of cues, recognizing common sight words, realizing we read from left to right, etc.

I highly recommend the 100 EZ Lessons. It takes me 15 min. per day, max. It's fully scripted; you know exactly what to say. Kids are reading short words after the first few lessons. It's so exciting to hear them sound out a word for the first time!

You don't necessarily have to go all the way through the book but I would recommend going 3/4 of the way through, until you transition her from their orthography (funny letters representing sounds) to the regular alphabet (around lesson 72? I think). The stories are silly, but my kids loved them. This method helps reading comprehension by covering up the picture while they read the story and checking comprehension with questions (i.e., they are not "guessing" the story from the picture as in a whole language approach; they are reading and understanding each and every word). Then when you uncover the picture it's a fun surprise and rewarding to the child. I also reward my son by giving him a sticker to put on his reading calendar every day. Also, each child gets a party after the 100th lesson. By the final lesson, the child should be reading at a second grade level. I've had at least one who finished up reading on that level; my second daughter is probably just getting to that level now after practicing with readers. Elias is taking off at an incredible pace.

I know it doesn't work for everyone, but it's been a great solution for us.

I'm going to have to spend the morning cleaning up before the bug guy comes. Bad flybaby! But I'll at least have the girls do their Calculadder and Elias do his lesson.

Later!

Susannah

You gals have got me pumped up with all of the great ideas! I am going to print out this thread at work on Monday so I can highlight the different ideas.

OK, I am not as panicked now about K-5 for DD. I feel she is right where she should be for her age. And I feel like that is a great testament to her since she came here so far behind developmentally. She is a sponge that absorbs everything she hears, sees and experiences. My job is to make sure she keeps her enthusiasm and desire to learn more every day.

Since she spent the night with a friend last night, I've spent this morning getting some things organized. First of all, I have TOO MANY workbooks, etc. for PK-K. So, I've filtered through them and chosen ONE workbook to start with for the summer. Then we'll move on when/if we finish that. I bought a little "weekly planner" pad that you tear off sheets at the Dollar General yesterday & am going to dedicate my Friday afternoons/Saturday mornings to doing our "lesson plan" for the next week.

Here's what I've come up with to work on (keeping in mind we're only talking a few minutes every day, not huge chunks of time):

1. Behavior - impulse control, managing anger & frustration properly, obedience
2. Pre-reading/reading - firm up letter recognition, work on making sure she has all of the sounds each letter makes, then into reading
3. Other basic items - the basic concept of the calendar and time (not necessarily that she can do either of these, but just working on the concept of it)
4. Science/Nature - reading about these areas and then doing something "hands on" - e.g., field trip to find insects, watching weather or weather channel programs

Now, before y'all think I am jumping into too much, let me say that we won't do all of these in one day, or even all of them in one WEEK. This is over the course of the whole summer. My FIRST focus is on behavior and pre-reading. She is still having trouble with controlling her emotions properly and impulse control. I feel that she has to do better at these if she is even going to learn either at home or in a classroom setting.

So, my tools for this week:

1. Leap Pad with the basic book it comes with - between 10-20 minutes per day for 2 or 3 days of week
2. Sight word flash cards - I've pulled the 3 letters & less words to work on. one set is in the car (for times we're sitting in drop-off line, etc.) and one set is with our stuff
3. Books that focus on behaviors
4. General books that can transition from read-to-me books to level one readers later

I'm also going to keep her going on her fine motor skills, but mostly as reminders.

She'll be going to a summer program dayschool that will be mostly fun & games, but they will also review what she's already learned to keep her on track for K-5.

Anyway, I feel soooo much better (thanks, gals!) about this. I am excited about what we call "learning time" and so is DD. She asks every day when we're having our learning time.

I'll keep you posted on our progress & may need to come back for some more advice!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Vonnie

The trip was fabulous, the weather was perfect, the kids loved it, the adults *mostly* behaved.

I was a very good girl. Everytime I was panting after something neat in the giftshops, I made myself stop and think about if I already had something similar. I already have so much great stuff, having collected for 14 years. So, I came home with a small aquisition:

a book of songs from the Middle Ages/Renaissance that are in C so we can play them on the recorder.

A set of herb seeds from Plimouth Plantation. They are native plants, so I know they will grow well here.

A Janice Van Cleave book about making science models. It's very cool ,and I know DD (and the boys for that matter) will get a lot of use out of it. We will be able to make models showing the relative sizes and distances of objects in the solar system, a working model of how muscles work in concert with the bones, one of the layers of the earth, and so on.

A set of postcards of 10 of the works at the Museum of Fine Art. I plan to work with these with DD so that when we go in two years, she will recognize some of the collection. I already have a set from the National Gallery of Art in Washington, and used them with the kids I took there last year, and it worked really well. It makes the size of the collection less overwhelming, and they get so excited when they find one of *their* works.

I also got the kids each a present. I brought DD4 some rock specimens. She loves rocks, so she was thrilled.

DS13 got a live Venus Flytrap. He's at a scout campout till tomorrow, so he hasn't seen it yet.

I got DS14 a chemistry study folder with all kinds of essential formulas and atomic weights and stuff on it. It's laminated and punched to go into his binder. He has to take honors biology and chemistry both next year, so I thought it might help to have that info at his fingertips. He was really excited.

If any of you ever have the chance to take your kids to Plimouth Plantation, I highly recommend it. One of the interpreters (actors portaying colonial people) scolded me for not having my children close to me. (She saw my chaperone sticker and thought I had let them run off). She warned me about what can happen if parents don't keep their children close by, and I had to grin thinking of tomato staking! She did all of this scolding in character of course, so it was pretty funny.

The next four weeks both DS13 and DD4 will be doing an in-depth, interdisciplinary study of Europe at school. I'm sure we will find some fun things to do here inspired by that.

Have a great weekend folks!
-Jo

I enjoyed reading about your "finds," Jo! You got some great stuff. Janice Van Cleave is great. We have her book of earth science experiments. You gave me some ideas with the fine art postcards.

I would LOVE Plimouth Plantation. That is right up my alley. We finished "Stories of the Pilgrims" not long ago and Anna Kate did her biography fair display about Mary Chilton. How funny, getting a scolding from a "pilgrim."

Today was fun. Nothing terribly academic, just playing. Yard sales, followed by a visit to Ms. Mary to drop off clothes and play, followed by a trip to the pet store where we saw a cobra (!!). It was behind glass, but it struck at us. I got my Old Schoolhouse magazine in the mail today. Goodyyyy!