I had plans. I was going to be especially productive the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. I was going to organize. I was going to clean. I was going to be prepared to teach the next 6 weeks of material.
I got sick.
So...the day before we started back to schooling (Sunday afternoon), I scraped together a vague idea of what to do Monday morning. This turned out to be a great new method. We had a very productive Monday. Part of this can be credited to the fact that we introduced new materials into the mix. (more on new stuff in a minute) After the success of the 'no-plan is a good plan' idea, we continued the week in much the same style. Wednesday night I decided I didn't want to spend EVERY evening planning, so I did the rest of the week in one sitting. I did realize a few things.
1. I have been over planning since day one.
2. I am perfectly capable of teaching my children something meaningful every day as long as I keep my long term goals in mind.
That said, I will probably make a plan for all of next week on Sunday. But this time, I won't be quite so obsessive.
New stuff:
Before the holiday break, EM had wrapped up the remaining Calvert math. I presented him with his new Singapore Math books Monday. We worked our way through several lessons. I started him with 1B. He is a bit beyond the concepts, but I wanted to show him how the books work and more importantly, make sure he is seeing how these books present concepts he already knows. He really likes the layout. I like the way visual learners are approached.
JT has completed almost all of the Calvert spelling tests for this year. I decided to pull out one of my new favorite toys...English from the Roots Up Flashcards and make a plan. I took the first two cards (photos and graph) and made a spelling list using all the words on them. There were 15 words all together including things like, photosynthesis, photophilia, photophobia, telegraph, etc. JT only missed one on our spelling pretest. For the rest of the week we focused on the meanings of all the roots from the list. There were 10 different roots. Tomorrow he will take a test matching the root to it's meaning and defining the words on the list. That test was created at this fantastic site I found, Easy Test Maker.
The boys also spent some time working with a new book my dad bought them. It's a book on how to tie knots. JT, who can't tie his shoes at age 9, is tying the first 20 knots in this book without a problem. When I asked him why he could do this and not tie shoes, he said, "I have no problem with knots...it's the bows that are a problem." ?!
One other thing...I decided to give in and allow both boys to do the online testing the cyber school requires at this point in the year. EM skipped the last round in November. I thought I'd let him go ahead and see what gains he has made. Watching him do the testing today, I realized he has really made improvements since the start of the year. I wouldn't credit the Calvert curriculum with much of that change. I'm glad I was able to ignore most of their prescribed curriculum and do my own thing with him. The first grade daily work has little tie-in to the tests that are sent in to the school. It is much easier to pick and choose with his than with JT's.
Tomorrow we have to finish the testing. Sitting still was not in his cards today. I'm guessing they might not be tomorrow, either.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Time for Learning
EM completed the last of Calvert's first grade math tests today. When we come back from our Christmas break, we will start with Singapore math. I showed him the books today. He looked at them for a minute or two and said, "I think I'll work my way through those in a day. Is that okay?" I would say, "YES!"
About 2 weeks ago, I decided to try to complete all of the required Calvert spelling tests for JT before Christmas. We almost made it. We have one left for the new year. I just wanted to get them out of my hair so we could spend some time using our English from the Roots Up flashcards to create our own spelling lists.
Once again this week, JT struggled with distraction. I'm still not sure how I want to handle those days. After a fairly unproductive morning today, he did buckle down and write the first 3 paragraphs of a 5 paragraph composition on hurricanes. Later in the day, he spent some time on a piano piece he has been composing. His musical talent continues to impress me. I can only imagine how much more he could do if he had the desire to invest more time. Motivation is in short supply here.
I am really looking forward to the holiday break. We will be schooling two and a half days next week. After that we plan to start back on a full schedule January 4th. I will probably take a break from blogging until we come back in January.
Have a wonderful holiday and happy new year!
About 2 weeks ago, I decided to try to complete all of the required Calvert spelling tests for JT before Christmas. We almost made it. We have one left for the new year. I just wanted to get them out of my hair so we could spend some time using our English from the Roots Up flashcards to create our own spelling lists.
Once again this week, JT struggled with distraction. I'm still not sure how I want to handle those days. After a fairly unproductive morning today, he did buckle down and write the first 3 paragraphs of a 5 paragraph composition on hurricanes. Later in the day, he spent some time on a piano piece he has been composing. His musical talent continues to impress me. I can only imagine how much more he could do if he had the desire to invest more time. Motivation is in short supply here.
I am really looking forward to the holiday break. We will be schooling two and a half days next week. After that we plan to start back on a full schedule January 4th. I will probably take a break from blogging until we come back in January.
Have a wonderful holiday and happy new year!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Sports
The closest thing I did to sports during my school career was band front. My husband played one season of T-ball when he was young. We are not a sports family. If it weren't for my daily dose of NPR that usually throws in 5 minutes of sports, I would never even know who is in the Superbowl, etc. My husband never knows. All of that said, because we are Americans, we feel some compelling urge to involve our kids in sports.
Tonight we took the boys to their first Upward basketball practice of the season. JT played last year. He loved it. They are a group that doesn't worry about the score or who is winning, the kids just play and have a good time. This year we signed up EM, as well. I spent the first 30 minutes of EM's practice trying to convince him to let go of my leg and play with the other kids. He would say things like, "Why did you sign me up for this?" (He asked me to.) "Mom, I'm just not used to being around other kids." (Quick look around to make sure no other parents are thinking about socialization.) "Why do I have to do this?" (Don't ask me, I'm not sure myself!)
I saw a basketball near us, so I gave it to him and asked him to do what the other kids were doing without leaving my side. Then I started walking towards the team. When he was close enough, I ran off to my seat again. He was perfectly happy and had fun. No harm done. He is not scarred for life.
JT had his practice next. They are in two different age groups, so we have 2 practices in a row. When you are not a sports person, it's hard to get excited about all this time you will spend sitting in the gym waiting. Good thing I love to read...
Tonight we took the boys to their first Upward basketball practice of the season. JT played last year. He loved it. They are a group that doesn't worry about the score or who is winning, the kids just play and have a good time. This year we signed up EM, as well. I spent the first 30 minutes of EM's practice trying to convince him to let go of my leg and play with the other kids. He would say things like, "Why did you sign me up for this?" (He asked me to.) "Mom, I'm just not used to being around other kids." (Quick look around to make sure no other parents are thinking about socialization.) "Why do I have to do this?" (Don't ask me, I'm not sure myself!)
I saw a basketball near us, so I gave it to him and asked him to do what the other kids were doing without leaving my side. Then I started walking towards the team. When he was close enough, I ran off to my seat again. He was perfectly happy and had fun. No harm done. He is not scarred for life.
JT had his practice next. They are in two different age groups, so we have 2 practices in a row. When you are not a sports person, it's hard to get excited about all this time you will spend sitting in the gym waiting. Good thing I love to read...
Thursday, December 3, 2009
How Much is Enough
There are days I feel horrible guilt. Am I spending enough hours in the day teaching my children? Our cyberschool requires us to have 'school' 5 hours a day, 180 days a year. I figure we probably come close to that 5 hour number about once a week. When we transition to homeschooling next year, PA requires us to log EITHER 180 days or 900 hours (for elementary). I will no longer feel I am not meeting the goal! There is no definition of "day" in those guidelines. I know my kids are learning even when they are not being instructed by me. In fact, I often feel like they are learning more when I get out of the way.
Today JT was very resistant to my need to teach him. He happily worked his way through his math and then stalled completely on the school work. I gave him several different options. Nothing. Then he started telling me how he was working on designing a new musical instrument. Every time I was out of the room, he was rummaging through cupboards finding supplies. I kept directing him back to the work at hand.
We had to leave the house at 2pm for violin lessons. He still hadn't completed three assignments I had given him. When we came home, he rushed through the work and was finally allowed to begin his construction. By bedtime he had a new instrument created from paper towel rolls, rubber bands and popsicle sticks. He had also come up with a method of writing music for the instrument, composed a new song and written it down. He played his new piece for us before he crawled into bed. Overall, he spent about 2 hours in what I could consider 'school' hours. He spent about 5 working to design something he had created in his mind. Is that a full school day?
He had a sense of accomplishment that wouldn't have come from working hard on the assignments I gave him early in the day. After today, I am so tempted to toss everything we routinely do out the window.
How do I find the balance between old-school education and true learning?!
Today JT was very resistant to my need to teach him. He happily worked his way through his math and then stalled completely on the school work. I gave him several different options. Nothing. Then he started telling me how he was working on designing a new musical instrument. Every time I was out of the room, he was rummaging through cupboards finding supplies. I kept directing him back to the work at hand.
We had to leave the house at 2pm for violin lessons. He still hadn't completed three assignments I had given him. When we came home, he rushed through the work and was finally allowed to begin his construction. By bedtime he had a new instrument created from paper towel rolls, rubber bands and popsicle sticks. He had also come up with a method of writing music for the instrument, composed a new song and written it down. He played his new piece for us before he crawled into bed. Overall, he spent about 2 hours in what I could consider 'school' hours. He spent about 5 working to design something he had created in his mind. Is that a full school day?
He had a sense of accomplishment that wouldn't have come from working hard on the assignments I gave him early in the day. After today, I am so tempted to toss everything we routinely do out the window.
How do I find the balance between old-school education and true learning?!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thankfulness
We are coming to the end of our vacation week. In our plan to school 6 weeks on/1 week off we managed to have Thanksgiving line up with the schedule. Christmas vacation will not quite line up, so we may take the end of that week and part of the following week off and start back a bit sooner. I guess it will depend on frustration levels and where we are in our material.
Like most other Americans, I spent some time today considering my blessings. One that came to mind was the opportunity we have as Americans to homeschool our children. Others are not as fortunate. Here is a link concerning a family in Germany that may be going to jail for making the decision we take for granted. Of all the things I had to consider when choosing this path, jail time was never an issue. Even though some days, I may feel I've been 'sentenced for life', I generally feel far more freedom with my boys out of the public school system. I don't want to downplay the sacrifice homeschooling can be for some families. For me, it meant once again postponing my college education. In the large scheme of things, does it really matter if I have a degree? Isn't that kind of the same as thinking kids need to go to a 'real' school in order to be educated?
I am thankful that I have a supportive husband and extended family. I am thankful that my husband has a job that allows me to be home with the kids and not need to worry about the bills. I am thankful that my kids are happy and free from tedious days in a classroom...except for composition (if you were to ask JT).
Like most other Americans, I spent some time today considering my blessings. One that came to mind was the opportunity we have as Americans to homeschool our children. Others are not as fortunate. Here is a link concerning a family in Germany that may be going to jail for making the decision we take for granted. Of all the things I had to consider when choosing this path, jail time was never an issue. Even though some days, I may feel I've been 'sentenced for life', I generally feel far more freedom with my boys out of the public school system. I don't want to downplay the sacrifice homeschooling can be for some families. For me, it meant once again postponing my college education. In the large scheme of things, does it really matter if I have a degree? Isn't that kind of the same as thinking kids need to go to a 'real' school in order to be educated?
I am thankful that I have a supportive husband and extended family. I am thankful that my husband has a job that allows me to be home with the kids and not need to worry about the bills. I am thankful that my kids are happy and free from tedious days in a classroom...except for composition (if you were to ask JT).
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Hands on Science
Today we took a field trip! We went to the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg. This was a cyber school sponsored trip. We were able to go to a 3D IMAX movie, Under the Sea. It's been a long time since I went to a 3D movie. WOW! I was blown away by what they can do with that technology. The boys couldn't stop reaching out to try and touch the animals.
We spent the rest of the day in the science center. They have loads of hands-on science exhibits. I realized that these museums may be wasted on the young. I wanted to stop and read and try everything. The boys ran this way and that, starting something, spotting something new...never finishing what they started. The only thing that kept them in one place was the hurricane wind tunnel. 90 mph winds have a way of doing that!
Overall it was a good day. We picked up new knowledge. We had fun as a family. The cyber school paid for part of it. I've decided I need a new plan for the rest of the year, take advantage of EVERY field trip offered. If this is our last year with them, I might as well milk it for all it's worth. Up until now, we had gone on only a couple of their sponsored events. I was afraid of taking too much time away from the necessary busy work. Now that I have lost most of my concern over those things, we are free to learn at our leisure.
Learning...it's such a funny thing. Sometimes we try to fit it into such a small container. Learning is done in a classroom. Learning requires repetition and proof of mastery. Learning must have structure. Right now, at this moment, my 8 year old is in his room reading "Blood, Bones and Body Bits" from the Horrible Science series. He keeps yelling facts to me from his bedroom, "Mom! Did you know you actually only need 10% of your liver to survive?" "Mom! Did you know that as the cells in your mouth die, they end up in your spit, so you actually end up eating yourself when you swallow?" I'm guessing he's learning...
We spent the rest of the day in the science center. They have loads of hands-on science exhibits. I realized that these museums may be wasted on the young. I wanted to stop and read and try everything. The boys ran this way and that, starting something, spotting something new...never finishing what they started. The only thing that kept them in one place was the hurricane wind tunnel. 90 mph winds have a way of doing that!
Overall it was a good day. We picked up new knowledge. We had fun as a family. The cyber school paid for part of it. I've decided I need a new plan for the rest of the year, take advantage of EVERY field trip offered. If this is our last year with them, I might as well milk it for all it's worth. Up until now, we had gone on only a couple of their sponsored events. I was afraid of taking too much time away from the necessary busy work. Now that I have lost most of my concern over those things, we are free to learn at our leisure.
Learning...it's such a funny thing. Sometimes we try to fit it into such a small container. Learning is done in a classroom. Learning requires repetition and proof of mastery. Learning must have structure. Right now, at this moment, my 8 year old is in his room reading "Blood, Bones and Body Bits" from the Horrible Science series. He keeps yelling facts to me from his bedroom, "Mom! Did you know you actually only need 10% of your liver to survive?" "Mom! Did you know that as the cells in your mouth die, they end up in your spit, so you actually end up eating yourself when you swallow?" I'm guessing he's learning...
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Testing my Limits
Today started out poorly and continued at a regular rate toward failure.
I have been struggling to get a good routine established for our schooling. Every morning, I have the best intentions of starting by 9am. This almost NEVER happens. The reasons vary, but the results are the same...we trickle into our classroom in the 9:30 range. I have considered the possibility of changing our tentative start time to 9:30, but have a funny feeling then we'd start at 10.
EM usually comes ready for show and tell. He is a bit of a ham and enjoys showing off whatever toy he is enamored with that day. I allow him to give us a 2 minute presentation thinking this might be developing some future talent as a lecturer.
JT has been having an awful time with focus lately. He will stare at whatever is in front of him...the paper, a book, me...and he is somewhere else. He seems to want to connect with the world, but is struggling to do so. I have seen him smack his forehead and shake his head back and forth in an effort to concentrate on the here and now. My husband (always full of useful suggestions) sent him to play the drums for a few minutes to clear his head. (my husband has a drum set in his office...we are a family of musicians!) This does seem to help for a limited amount of time. Apart from 10 minute drum breaks every 3o minutes, I'm at a loss for a solution. I am starting to consider the need for an evaluation by a professional.
So, today I couldn't seem to get anyone interested in a word I was saying. Aside from the frustration of repeating everything I say about 50 times, I was worn out trying to find the way to be interesting enough to draw both of them to learning.
Then the mail came.
JT's packet of tests had come back from the cyberschool. I often dread opening these packets. I know there will be something in there that makes me want to tear all of my hair out of my head. I was not disappointed today.
His science test had 3 questions marked wrong. Two of them were obviously NOT wrong, since I double checked the definitions of the words in question in the text book. One was debatable. I think his answer could be correct. There was a point taken off in the math test, but I couldn't find any marks as to what problem was incorrect. The geography test had 3 questions marked wrong. These were worded in a way that I felt was ambiguous. I could go on and on and on about the problems with these tests. Am I just being too critical at this point? In some situations, perhaps. When I spend half an hour researching this question on the internet...
"The United States government is a ______.
a. democracy
b. republic
c. a and b
because I think the answer CAN be c, but they say it's most definitely b...maybe I'm a bit too picky. The text book seems unsure about the answer as well. "The United States is a republic." 2 sentences later, "Our type of republic is also called a representative democracy. In a democracy, every citizen has a right to take part in government." Hmm...sounds like BOTH to me. Everything I read and discussed with JT seemed to point to the fact that it's a debatable issue and some people are still on the fence. The struggle to teach my children that sometimes there is no black and white, clear cut answer is probably not best taught with a packaged curriculum. :-)
After an hour of feverish irritation, I felt thwarted by the system. I started questioning my ability to teach my children anything. My husband came to my rescue and pointed out that no one could teach using this material and succeed. Once again I will have to rethink my remaining days with the cyber school. I am certain I don't want to pull the kids out in the middle of a school year. It would just be too complicated for the reporting. The question becomes...how little of this sub-standard material do I need to teach to get through the rest of the year? We need to start working on something that will improve our mood and challenge us to learn....before all of our brains turn to tapioca.
I have been struggling to get a good routine established for our schooling. Every morning, I have the best intentions of starting by 9am. This almost NEVER happens. The reasons vary, but the results are the same...we trickle into our classroom in the 9:30 range. I have considered the possibility of changing our tentative start time to 9:30, but have a funny feeling then we'd start at 10.
EM usually comes ready for show and tell. He is a bit of a ham and enjoys showing off whatever toy he is enamored with that day. I allow him to give us a 2 minute presentation thinking this might be developing some future talent as a lecturer.
JT has been having an awful time with focus lately. He will stare at whatever is in front of him...the paper, a book, me...and he is somewhere else. He seems to want to connect with the world, but is struggling to do so. I have seen him smack his forehead and shake his head back and forth in an effort to concentrate on the here and now. My husband (always full of useful suggestions) sent him to play the drums for a few minutes to clear his head. (my husband has a drum set in his office...we are a family of musicians!) This does seem to help for a limited amount of time. Apart from 10 minute drum breaks every 3o minutes, I'm at a loss for a solution. I am starting to consider the need for an evaluation by a professional.
So, today I couldn't seem to get anyone interested in a word I was saying. Aside from the frustration of repeating everything I say about 50 times, I was worn out trying to find the way to be interesting enough to draw both of them to learning.
Then the mail came.
JT's packet of tests had come back from the cyberschool. I often dread opening these packets. I know there will be something in there that makes me want to tear all of my hair out of my head. I was not disappointed today.
His science test had 3 questions marked wrong. Two of them were obviously NOT wrong, since I double checked the definitions of the words in question in the text book. One was debatable. I think his answer could be correct. There was a point taken off in the math test, but I couldn't find any marks as to what problem was incorrect. The geography test had 3 questions marked wrong. These were worded in a way that I felt was ambiguous. I could go on and on and on about the problems with these tests. Am I just being too critical at this point? In some situations, perhaps. When I spend half an hour researching this question on the internet...
"The United States government is a ______.
a. democracy
b. republic
c. a and b
because I think the answer CAN be c, but they say it's most definitely b...maybe I'm a bit too picky. The text book seems unsure about the answer as well. "The United States is a republic." 2 sentences later, "Our type of republic is also called a representative democracy. In a democracy, every citizen has a right to take part in government." Hmm...sounds like BOTH to me. Everything I read and discussed with JT seemed to point to the fact that it's a debatable issue and some people are still on the fence. The struggle to teach my children that sometimes there is no black and white, clear cut answer is probably not best taught with a packaged curriculum. :-)
After an hour of feverish irritation, I felt thwarted by the system. I started questioning my ability to teach my children anything. My husband came to my rescue and pointed out that no one could teach using this material and succeed. Once again I will have to rethink my remaining days with the cyber school. I am certain I don't want to pull the kids out in the middle of a school year. It would just be too complicated for the reporting. The question becomes...how little of this sub-standard material do I need to teach to get through the rest of the year? We need to start working on something that will improve our mood and challenge us to learn....before all of our brains turn to tapioca.
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