Refreshed

What a week!

Last Friday, we drove to the city to hear the Harrisburg Symphony perform. They have two shows a year for school students that are free. It's a wonderful program. The conductor spends a great deal of time speaking to the students between pieces and explaining what is happening. I only took JT to the performance. EM does not have the same intense love of music. He also has some sensitivity issues with loud noises, so I wasn't sure he would enjoy it. Later that evening, we went to a Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain concert. Culture abounds!

Over the weekend I started the process of packing for a three day trip to Lake Arthur. We rented a cabin through the state park system. Even though it's a modern cabin, there seemed to be a ton of stuff we just MIGHT need on the trip. In between fits of packing, I was trying to look through both of the boys' lesson manuals and compact a full week of Calvert material into Monday at home, Tuesday through Thursday on the road and Friday at home. About the same time, I read a blog entry by the Pioneer Woman called October Homeschooling Blues. This post made me say, “HEY! That's us!”. Apparently I wasn't the only one having these feelings, since the comments were full of homeschoolers in the same boat. One of the commenters shared the fact that her family schools 6 weeks on, 1 week off. I looked at my lesson planner and realized we were heading into week 7 of this school year. I looked at that pile of workbooks and manuals I was trying to sort through. I looked at the heap of things I still needed to pack and I made a decision. We will now be schooling 6 weeks on and 1 week off! I put the manuals and school books away and declared a holiday.

When I pulled the calendar out and started counting weeks, I discovered that if we start in mid-August every year and follow the 6 to1 schedule, we will still finish a school year by June 1st. We will need to have one 5 week block and one 7 week block to fit Thanksgiving and Christmas in their proper locations. Otherwise all will be good.

Our vacation has been wonderful. In fact, I am in the cabin now with the lake right outside my door. We really only had one full day in the park. We hiked, we collected leaves, we explored and we were a bit chilly. It was overcast and windy most of the day. But, it has still been an excellent adventure. We had a campfire with 'smores last night. Tomorrow we will be examining some local geological features. Then we are spending the afternoon with fellow homeschoolers we rarely get to see before the long drive home.

All in all it has been a great trip. If I had tried to pack in worksheets and textbooks, we would have spent the evenings filling in the blanks. Instead we played Blokus and Pokemon together. If I had brought flashcards we could have sat on the picnic table drilling math facts instead of hiking around the lake and seeing a Blue Heron. Thanks to our flexible schedule my children learned how mine reclamation works while looking out over a pond with a muskrat lodge.

Who knew a week off could be so educational?

Motivation

First of all, the picture to the right is an ongoing project we have been playing with for the last two weeks. Naked eggs! We removed the shells from the eggs in vinegar (it took about 2 days). Then we took them out and felt them (lots of "eeewwws" with that). Now we are testing the permeability of their membranes. Salt water to the left, regular water in the center and corn syrup to the right. Of course, this is on the hutch in my dining room...

Motivation. How do you teach a child to be self-motivated? What if you yourself struggle with motivation issues? I used to be a bit more of a go-getter. I would have huge lists for each day of the week and would pat myself on the back after I crossed off each item. Now I have a vague idea each day that 'something should be done'. Schooling is always the priority. Because of that, I have lost some of my old structure. However, I still feel motivated to do things that need to be done and then...I do them. JT does not seem to feel that need for much of anything. Is this a trait that can be learned or is it mostly hereditary? I find myself saying things to him like, "This _____ (fill in the assignment) really needs to be done today. If you'd start now, we could do something fun in an hour." Nope. Does he not see the logic? No pain, no gain?

This year, one of my goals for JT is to help him do more independent work. I have been writing the workbook and reading assignments he has in a small notebook each evening for the next day. He is supposed to check the notebook and work his way through those assingments whenever I am not giving him one-on-one instruction. This has been successful some days. It just seems that he can see no positive benefit to working a little. That is something that worries me. Will he grow up to be a lazy bum?! It may seem a bit premature to be worrying if my 8 year old will be avoiding work 20 years from now, but it's the underlying attitude that seems troubling.

At the same time, EM is an orderly do-gooder. He enjoys working. All I need to do is say, "Finish that worksheet and I'll give you a sticker". Boom! He's done! He also leaps out of bed at the crack of dawn, makes his bed and gets dressed without being told. Where did those genes come from?

One more thing. This week I read an excellent article about homeschooling. Check it out. :-)

Tests, Tests, Tests...

As a student I adored tests. I looked forward to showing off what I had learned. I still like to play trivia games and take quizzes online. Yes, I am one of those people. So why do I detest tests aimed at my children?

Our cyber school sent us the results of the testing the boys took part in this month. Both tested above their current grade levels. One of the annoying things about the test for EM was in the results I found out one of the tests was timed. Hmmm, a TIMED test for a 5 year old involving clicking the appropriate answers on the computer screen. They didn't tell you it was timed when the test started. I probably wouldn't have let him wander around the room while taking the test if I knew that! I want to know; were they trying to test his motor skills or his recognition of high-frequency words?

The school wants EM to take these same tests 3 more times this school year. JT is going to have to take Scantron at least one more time. We are in the process of having EM evaluated for giftedness through the school. If he ends up with a GIEP, I'm planning on asking that he be excused from the testing except one time a year. I think I have a pretty good argument since their reason for testing is to assure that the kids are keeping up for the PSSAs. If he's already testing above level, I think we are good to go.

Because of this, I was already at high irritation level when I received another package from the school. It contained the "Fourth Grade Calvert Math and Reading Test Additions". Inside: "To ensure that we continue to meet the state requirements, we have made a few adjustments to the Math and Reading Calvert curriculum. Beginning with Test #40 and continuing through Test #160, you will receive the mandatory Math and Reading tests that must completed (their typo, not mine) in addition to the ones you have already received from Calvert."

Argh!

I have been stewing for two days. Am I nuts to be annoyed by these extra test sheets? JT does fine on his tests. He doesn't like to write, so the extra reading tests are not going to make him happy. They are full of essay questions. I almost sent out an email while I was still clutching the offending test booklet in my hands. My wise husband saw me at the keyboard and suggested I wait to send it, or at least let him preview what I wanted to send. So I waited...and stewed some more. I know my IS is about due to call me. At least, I think she is. I haven't heard from her in 3 weeks.

So...can I be nice?

Some Improvement

After the insanity of last week, this week was relatively peaceful. We put in several productive days for both boys. EM had a bit of a cold/cough most of the week, so he was not always a pleasant participant. JT enthusiastically completed a rough draft for a composition! However, the promise to do the final copy the next day should have been greeted with skepticism. He only wasted half a day resisting that one. I guess that could be counted as progress.

EM spent several hours in front of the laptop completing some testing for the cyber school. They employ the DORA/DOMA online assessments. This was NOT an enjoyable experience for either of us. Sitting still is really not in EM's skill set. As far as I can tell, the purpose of this testing is to determine if any early intervention is needed for the almighty PSSA tests. I am really wishing I had waited until the compulsory education age of 8 in PA to enroll EM in a formal school program. I could have happily educated him in my own way for the next 2 years. Instead, we will be jumping through the hoops. Lesson learned.

I have a few things I found/read this week that I want to share. First.... I found a wonderful book that is providing loads of fun activities. Exploratopia. In my opinion, this is a must buy book. We are currently working to mummify a hot dog thanks to this book!

I have added a blog to my following list: Art Projects for Kids , thanks to Annie from Learn at Every Turn for that one!

I also highly recommend the blog The Pioneer Woman. This post about socialization is a must read for any homeschoolers or even more for those who have doubts about homeschooling.

Tomorrow EM will spend the day with my dad as his teacher. Last year, JT went with him one day a week. This year the boys will alternate weeks to spend some time away from me and with their grandparents. It will not give me the free time I had last year, since I will still have one boy with me. It will offer me a chance to get that one on one time with the boys that is so hard to come by during our busy school days. I have promised that if the homebound boy helps me with the errands and grocery shopping in the morning, I will completely devote the rest of the day to an activity of their choice. Since JT's idea of a good time is laying on the couch reading together or watching a nature video, I think I should have fun tomorrow!

Mowing in the Dark

Things got a bit crazy around here this week. My husband and I are going out of town this weekend for a parent's getaway. Of course that means nothing would run as planned.

It all started over the weekend. Our cat had not been eating well for about a week. I took him to the vet and he needed emergency surgery for a stomach blockage. I had little time for getting ahead on housework, but did manage to plan a week of school. Monday, even though it was a holiday, we had a bit of school work, knowing things would be busy later.

Tuesday morning, JT had an allergy shot appointment. He had a major reaction, which culminated in him being given the Epipen and staying in the office for 2 hours. Not much schooling THAT day.

Wednesday we did manage to put in a full school day! We also were able to check out our protozoa we have been growing from a kit we purchased. The boys fought a bit over who should be looking in the microscope. I have now added one of these to my wish list for the classroom.

Today was a day where nothing seemed to go smoothly. We started late. JT did spend a good deal of time working on his Life of Fred book, completing 3 chapters. EM spent some time with me reviewing time telling on analog clocks using one of the center activities we put together.

Then the trouble began. Composition. I dread even mentioning it to JT. As soon as I say something about the need to write...he sets his face with his most defiant look and glares at me. I gave him a choice between finishing the final draft of last week's composition or beginning one for this week. He sat there for a good 45 minutes before he realized he wouldn't win this one. My husband discovered last week during a similar stale-mate, that the best way to make him act seems to be to remove the actual paper from the room and make him come to us and ask to start it when he is ready. In the meantime, he sits at his desk and stares into space. No amount of logic can budge this child. Explaining that if he really wants to be a biologist when he grows up, he will need some writing skills, seems futile when he's 8. (Not that I haven't tried it!) Threatening, pleading and yelling are all worthless. You just have to walk away and wait.

That was when I had to run the cat to the vet because he decided to remove his own stitches.

All of this ended with me riding the mower in a nearly pitch dark back yard.

Next week will be smoother. Right?

Keeping it Simple

We seem to have established a good rhythm for this week. I am far more relaxed this year than I was last year at this time. My evenings are being sacrificed to planning more often than I would like, but as the school year progresses, I'm hoping to find a better method for prep work. It does feel nice to have a routine again. Over the summer, we would slip from one day to the next. I think we were all a little tired of the lack of structure.

Our current game plan is: everyone up by 8am and finished with breakfast by 8:30. We have school time from 8 until about 11:30. When I need to work individually with one of the boys, the other one moves into the library and uses the table there for independent work. After lunch and recess time, we come back to the classroom to complete any unfinished seat work. Then we move on to the shared lessons in history, science or art. We usually wrap up by 2pm. If we have somewhere to be (piano, violin or library) we quit by 1pm.

I have been able to incorporate the 'fun' stuff more often this year. It has almost been a necessity with both boys schooling at the same time. This week we were reading about the origins of writing in "Story of the World". A few years back, I had picked up a set of stamps and book called "Fun with Hieroglyphs". This was a big hit! The boys spent a whole afternoon working on notes to one another. JT wrote a short story about a crocodile using the stamps.

At another point this week, JT suddenly said, "Can you find me a diagram of the inside of a tornado?" I helped him find one online. He then proceeded (completely unprovoked) to make his own diagram, look up information in two books and write a short report on Tornadoes. Yet another of my goals being met! "Provide opportunities and direction for the boys to explore their own interests."

We are keeping up with our Calvert material as well. JT is working his way through a bit of review before he takes the Lesson 40 math test. I promised him when he takes that test, he can spend a week working on the Life of Fred fractions book. I think we will follow a 2 week of Calvert/ 1 week Life of Fred routine until the Calvert material has been completed. Then we will continue with Life of Fred and a Pre-Algebra workbook that I ordered. JT also finished reading the abridged version of "Robinson Crusoe" in a couple days. The Calvert material expected him to spread it out over about 50 lessons, so I will have him complete the reading section of the first 3 tests now.

EM has surprised me with what he knows. He is not as outgoing as JT when it comes to showing his ability. He pulled off a 100% on his spelling pretest. He also zips through the reading material set for the first 20 lessons. I need to look ahead and find a good place to start for him. For now, I am reading books I borrowed from the library with him during our reading time. I also learned something interesting about his math skills. He does much better with addition of larger numbers. Ask him what 4 + 5 is and he has to think for a bit. 40 + 50...he answers quickly. Interesting. I also found that he has a hard time with flashcard math, but does terrific with dice. Good thing I bought that tub of 90 dice from Lakeshore Learning. :-)

One more thing I found this week. If you are at all interested in incorporating Bible study into your child's homeschooling, I found a great site! ABC, I Believe has free Bible lessons for younger children with fun activities that you can work into many different subjects. I especially like the worksheets that you can print. The first four lessons are completely free, if you want to purchase all 26, it is $12.95. We used the first lesson and the boys had fun following the "ant trail" to the clues.

In the end, this has been a good start to our year. I am feeling positive and enjoying finding things that benefit both of the boys' learning.

Here We Go Again

We are well into our first week of school and I am t-i-r-e-d. I spent many hours since the Thursday arrival of our material trying to get a good handle on my direction for this year. My first attempt at planning was to go through both of the boys' lesson manuals provided by the publishers of the curriculum and decide which individual activities we should do. That idea turned out to be very overwhelming. I threw plan one out the window and tried a different approach. I went through the first week of lessons and looked for the key concepts that were being introduced or reviewed. Then I went through the text and work books and found material that I judged worthwhile that taught those concepts. After that, I added my own things from my immense pile. This plan suited me much better and also fits the new flexibility theme.

Now...do you remember the schedule plan? EM was to start the day at 8:30 with JT coming in around 9:30. Monday morning both boys were up at 7:30 ready to go. JT NEVER gets out of bed that early. I decided to stick with the plan and sent EM downstairs to wait for me. JT was told he could finish breakfast and read until it was time for him to begin. When I walked in the classroom, EM was sitting at his desk with his hands folded. How cute is that?! That will probably be the only time it ever happens. My plan worked fairly well the first day. I felt like we accomplished some learning and some schedule adjusting. In the afternoon, we had an archaeological dig in our sandbox (strainght from the activity book for "Story of the World: Volume 1"). Hands on learning. Check another item off my new goals list!

The second day was a bit more of a struggle. JT had an allergy shot in the morning, so we had less time for schooling. EM was home with my husband and did some worksheets while I was away. I couldn't get the rhythm back that day. We did manage to do a couple experiments involving buoyancy from Janice VanCleave's Physics for Every Kid.

As the week has progressed I have realized this juggling act will require me to have less balls in the air. I am trying to pack so many things into a day, that I keep dropping the balls. Today we went with the 'less is more' method. We had to be somewhere a little after noon, so I planned very few things for the morning. We finished all of our work and I resisted the urge to add more to that free time. I felt a bit less stressed.

This weekend I will have limited planning time due to a Saturday family reunion 4 hours away. I think keeping it simple may turn out to be more complicated than it sounds...but I'll give it a try.