are better than others.
Last week we schooled only three days. One of those days, Savannah only did math. It was helping her with math that did it for me. I was done afterwards. All patience and good feelings flew out the window. I told the kids to go play because I knew nothing would get accomplished if I tried to continue.
One of those days the girls woke up early and started playing intently (fairies and ponies and building houses out of legos..) and I let them continue because they're 3, 5, & 7. Sometimes playing is just more important. Meanwhile, I made up a cleaning schedule for them... and what a wonderful thing it is, too.
One of those days last week were wonderful. The moon and stars aligned so that Zach and Maddy were happy during school, everyone focused on their lessons, and we ended the 3Rs by 10 am. Holy Cow! That was a really good day.
The past two days (it's only Tuesday), 3R's have taken us past noon. I HOPE, hope, hope, this trend doesn't continue. I was just glad that we were able to finish it before meltdown point (for me).
Oh, how homeschooling tests, stretches, and grows my patience. I am getting better at it. Really.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Phonics Road genius!
Zach was listening in on the phonics lesson I was giving Charlotte when he started reciting the four sounds of the phonogram OU. Silly boy.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
d'Aulaire's Greek Myths
So for Day 3 of our school week (which is today), we read from d'Aulaire's Greek Myths. It is wonderfully illustrated and keeps the kid's attention well. I love ALL d'Aulaires books for this reason, and the fact that they are so well written.
So I was reading about Greek gods and was watching the kid's faces as well... it was so funny. There are crazy stories in the beginning: brothers marry their sisters, son kills father, father eats his own children... I started to wonder if I shouldn't be reading this to my kids, even though they know these are made-up stories.
Then we finally got to Zeus and his twelve gods that are under him that are so well-known. Poseidon, ruler of the sea with his trident, is Ariel's dad in The Little Mermaid. A you-tube video of Vivaldi's music had Zeus in it with his thunderbolts that Savannah recognized. Hades, ruler of the underworld, is another name for Hell. Many of them are used in Shakespeare's plays, which we're reading as well. Sprites are mentioned in the Greek Myths, which Savannah's favorite sprite is Puck from A Mid-Summer Night's Dream. So I'm seeing that there is wisdom in reading these crazy stories of the greek gods. They are everywhere in stories, old and new, that even the kids pick up on.
Isaac is jealous that I get to stay home and learn with the children. I love homeschooling. Have I mentioned that yet?
So I was reading about Greek gods and was watching the kid's faces as well... it was so funny. There are crazy stories in the beginning: brothers marry their sisters, son kills father, father eats his own children... I started to wonder if I shouldn't be reading this to my kids, even though they know these are made-up stories.
Then we finally got to Zeus and his twelve gods that are under him that are so well-known. Poseidon, ruler of the sea with his trident, is Ariel's dad in The Little Mermaid. A you-tube video of Vivaldi's music had Zeus in it with his thunderbolts that Savannah recognized. Hades, ruler of the underworld, is another name for Hell. Many of them are used in Shakespeare's plays, which we're reading as well. Sprites are mentioned in the Greek Myths, which Savannah's favorite sprite is Puck from A Mid-Summer Night's Dream. So I'm seeing that there is wisdom in reading these crazy stories of the greek gods. They are everywhere in stories, old and new, that even the kids pick up on.
Isaac is jealous that I get to stay home and learn with the children. I love homeschooling. Have I mentioned that yet?
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
TJed
So I've met THREE ladies so far that are thinking about or wanting to homeschool. All three have looked at TJed (and I think ONLY TJed) and really like it; they all know families that do TJed really well.
I've read about it on the internet, but have never actually read the book because I haven't been impressed with what I've read thus far. I borrowed the book from one lady and finally read it. Still not impressed. His main idea: to read the classics and teach our children from the classics, is a great idea. The Well-Trained Mind also does this. Charlotte Mason also does this. The difference between the three, from what I can tell, is that the latter two are realistic on how to get there (both in their own ways), whereas TJed is completely unrealistic. He provides no clear path to obtaining that goal.
My second gripe about TJed is the "inspire, not require." I get it. BUT I think a better, more realistic approach would be "inspire as you require," or... "inspire, and if that doesn't work, require."
You've got to learn the math facts (and actually TJed briefly mentions this..) and if I can't INSPIRE you to learn them, you will be required to learn them. Sure, I can't make a kid learn something, but we will drill it daily until they learn them involuntarily and are dreaming in math facts, because they're that important.
I want to be able to focus on literary discussions on the classics when they are in middle/high school age, and not be remediating with math facts or reading ability during that time. The foundation HAS to be solid so that we can do the more important things when they're older. I focus on the 3 R's in grammar, inspired or not, we will do them every day. I'm working TOWARDS the goal of learning from the classics.
So anyway, it just doesn't make a lick of sense to me, and I don't know why so many LDS women are attracted to TJed. I cannot even pick up a classic book and read it easily because of my measly education. I have a long way to go. Why would I expect my children to do so with a similar flimsy foundation?
Here's a great blog that argues the specific points of TJed and why it's bogus: http://whyidontdotjed.blogspot.com/
I think you can glean some good things from the TJed books, but... I'm encouraging these women to look at other options as well. I don't agree with everything from TWTM or CM either, but both provide a clear and reasonable path to the ultimate goal of reading and learning from the classics.
I've read about it on the internet, but have never actually read the book because I haven't been impressed with what I've read thus far. I borrowed the book from one lady and finally read it. Still not impressed. His main idea: to read the classics and teach our children from the classics, is a great idea. The Well-Trained Mind also does this. Charlotte Mason also does this. The difference between the three, from what I can tell, is that the latter two are realistic on how to get there (both in their own ways), whereas TJed is completely unrealistic. He provides no clear path to obtaining that goal.
My second gripe about TJed is the "inspire, not require." I get it. BUT I think a better, more realistic approach would be "inspire as you require," or... "inspire, and if that doesn't work, require."
You've got to learn the math facts (and actually TJed briefly mentions this..) and if I can't INSPIRE you to learn them, you will be required to learn them. Sure, I can't make a kid learn something, but we will drill it daily until they learn them involuntarily and are dreaming in math facts, because they're that important.
I want to be able to focus on literary discussions on the classics when they are in middle/high school age, and not be remediating with math facts or reading ability during that time. The foundation HAS to be solid so that we can do the more important things when they're older. I focus on the 3 R's in grammar, inspired or not, we will do them every day. I'm working TOWARDS the goal of learning from the classics.
So anyway, it just doesn't make a lick of sense to me, and I don't know why so many LDS women are attracted to TJed. I cannot even pick up a classic book and read it easily because of my measly education. I have a long way to go. Why would I expect my children to do so with a similar flimsy foundation?
Here's a great blog that argues the specific points of TJed and why it's bogus: http://whyidontdotjed.blogspot.com/
I think you can glean some good things from the TJed books, but... I'm encouraging these women to look at other options as well. I don't agree with everything from TWTM or CM either, but both provide a clear and reasonable path to the ultimate goal of reading and learning from the classics.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Success!
Today, our first day with our new schedule, was a success. Reading while the kids are still in bed worked out really well.
Additionally, we did The Story of the World today. I figured that if we listened to about 20-30 min. of it on CD, we would make fairly good time... sort of.. if we schooled year round. I ultimately decided to go with it over A Child's History of the World because of the map & coloring activities that come with it. I printed out the student pages for the two chapters we read today and they colored while they listened. I stopped the CD occasionally to check comprehension and explain things. Perfect for us. Exactly what I was looking for.
Tomorrow will not go as planned because I have a meeting in the morning. I'll try to at least cover the basics but I doubt we'll be able to get to Apologia this week. Maybe though.
Additionally, we did The Story of the World today. I figured that if we listened to about 20-30 min. of it on CD, we would make fairly good time... sort of.. if we schooled year round. I ultimately decided to go with it over A Child's History of the World because of the map & coloring activities that come with it. I printed out the student pages for the two chapters we read today and they colored while they listened. I stopped the CD occasionally to check comprehension and explain things. Perfect for us. Exactly what I was looking for.
Tomorrow will not go as planned because I have a meeting in the morning. I'll try to at least cover the basics but I doubt we'll be able to get to Apologia this week. Maybe though.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Brilliant ideas....
I have some truly *brilliant* ideas when it comes to homeschooling. Seriously. It's just putting those ideas into practice that is difficult.
I never did follow through on my last brilliant idea concerning history. We read one chapter of A Child's History of the World.. and were bored. And busy. My beautiful timeline is still empty. That was during the home renovation. (yuck) We did about a month's worth of good schooling while we lived in Kentucky, then finally I gave up and we were consistent only with math until we moved.
So now we're settled in our new house. We've been doing math, phonics/spelling, writing, and reading consistently for about a month, and I'm feeling ready to add in the fun stuff again.
(The secret to homeschooling is to add in subjects gradually, in order of most importance, to get used to the routine and not feel like your head is going to explode. That's how I work at least.)
So here's our schedule currently:
Breakfast at 7:30. We read the Book of Mormon at the table while we eat; kids take turns reading.
Math is next.
Charlotte is usually done with her math page before Savannah, so we'll work on her writing, which is either copywork or narration, depending on the day.
Savannah is usually still working on her math when Charlotte finishes writing (math is not Savannah's favorite subject), so then I'll go do a reading lesson with Charlotte, then drill her on her phonograms and practice writing the ones she is having trouble remembering. (Brag: Charlotte is doing ALL 1st grade curriculum now... and she's not even in Kindergarten yet! Savannah is well beyond her grade level as well, except in math she's right on.)
Then Savannah's turn for writing. It's either copywork, narration, or dictation.
Then I do phonics with Savannah: review the phonograms, then do a spelling test from yesterday's words, and then dictate her new list of words, which she marks using the Spalding method (underlines phonogram pairs, marks which sound each phonogram makes, marks the spelling rules used, etc.)
Then we practice piano. Savannah just started piano lessons last week and we have to practice every day. She loves it. She has a great teacher (and it's not me!!!! yay!!!)
THEN... I get all three girls together and we have devotional. It's usually about 10:30 by this time, and Zachy is taking a nap. For devotional we practice singing a primary song a few times, then have a prayer, then practice the scripture we're memorizing, then I either read them a story from the Friend or from the Scripture Readers. This has worked really well for us.
After that, the last two weeks we've been having "reverent time" because our children are monsters during sacrament meeting every Sunday. So they sit in their little chairs with their arms folded for 30 every day, and we either listen to a general conference talk or watch a church movie. Lately, we've been watching Finding Faith in Christ. I love watching their faces while they watch the movie. They have such a love for the Savior.
After that, we're done (and I'm exhausted). It's usually lunch time by then.
Later in the day, Savannah goes to my room to read for 30 min. She usually reads longer because she's into the book. I'm having her read the books that come in the Early American History package from Beautiful Feet. And I try to squeeze in another reading practice with Charlotte later in the day as well. Oh, and I practice phonograms with little Maddy too. During school I give her LOTS of coloring pages to color. She's calls it her "math".
Before bedtime I've been trying to get in about 30 min. of reading aloud books that are more on Maddy's level, but that they all three enjoy, if they get ready for bed in time.
Things that are changing, starting next week:
BEFORE breakfast, before the girls get out of bed, I'm going to read to them for 30 min. in their room. They will draw out of a jar which book will be read from. These are mostly books from Ambleside Online. They include: James Harriot Treasury for Children, Aesop, Book of Fairy Tales, Book of Virtues, Just So Stories, 50 Famous Stories, and Beatrix Potter.
Then, the rest of the day goes on as before, except instead of reverent time, we will have another reading time. Only during this reading time it is academic reading, but short 'n sweet. No more than 20 min. max.
Monday's reading will be from Story of the World (or I'll give A Child's History of the World another shot since SOTW will take years to finish at that rate. Not sure yet). They'll narrate back to me, then they'll color a picture having to do with the story (historical timeline figures on CD that I can print out any size, from homeschoolinthewoods.com), put it on a colored index card and place it on the timeline. The color of the index card has to do with the geographical location of the event. (This idea came from charlottemasonhelp.com, under history).
Tuesday's reading will be from Apologia's Exploring Creation with Astronomy. They'll narrate the reading, illustrate their science composition book and dictate/copy one thing they remember from the reading.
Wednesday's reading will be literature: alternating Daulaire's Greek Myths and Beautiful Tales from Shakespeare. We'll just read and talk about it.
Thursday's reading will be from This Country of Ours (a very un-PC American History narrative... includes words such as "savages" and "pale-face" *gasp*!) We're going to notebook our readings from it as well (illustrate, copywork). This idea also comes from charlottemasonhelp.com. It includes a few maps to mark as well.
And Friday will be our Artsy-Fartsy FUN DAY! No math, no reading, no writing, no phonics, no history, no science, no Shakespeare, and no Greek myths. We will keep piano and devotional though.
Friday Artsy-Fartsy Fun Day: my goal is to do a nature walk in the morning (there are lots of trails around here), bring something from nature home and draw it in our nature journals.
We'll listen to the composer we're studying, we'll look at a painting of the artist we're studying and add it to our art book, and we'll read from our poetry book while we eat a special yummy snack (poetry teatime: idea from bravewriter.com).
Then we'll do any science or history activities/experiments from the week's readings.
And then we'll relax and play.
I'm hoping my plan will work well and that it won't be too much for me. It shouldn't take much longer than my current schedule. I get tired being pregnant and having a Zachary to entertain. He is a go-and-do kid, and ALL BOY. I love him. And I love homeschooling my girls.
I never did follow through on my last brilliant idea concerning history. We read one chapter of A Child's History of the World.. and were bored. And busy. My beautiful timeline is still empty. That was during the home renovation. (yuck) We did about a month's worth of good schooling while we lived in Kentucky, then finally I gave up and we were consistent only with math until we moved.
So now we're settled in our new house. We've been doing math, phonics/spelling, writing, and reading consistently for about a month, and I'm feeling ready to add in the fun stuff again.
(The secret to homeschooling is to add in subjects gradually, in order of most importance, to get used to the routine and not feel like your head is going to explode. That's how I work at least.)
So here's our schedule currently:
Breakfast at 7:30. We read the Book of Mormon at the table while we eat; kids take turns reading.
Math is next.
Charlotte is usually done with her math page before Savannah, so we'll work on her writing, which is either copywork or narration, depending on the day.
Savannah is usually still working on her math when Charlotte finishes writing (math is not Savannah's favorite subject), so then I'll go do a reading lesson with Charlotte, then drill her on her phonograms and practice writing the ones she is having trouble remembering. (Brag: Charlotte is doing ALL 1st grade curriculum now... and she's not even in Kindergarten yet! Savannah is well beyond her grade level as well, except in math she's right on.)
Then Savannah's turn for writing. It's either copywork, narration, or dictation.
Then I do phonics with Savannah: review the phonograms, then do a spelling test from yesterday's words, and then dictate her new list of words, which she marks using the Spalding method (underlines phonogram pairs, marks which sound each phonogram makes, marks the spelling rules used, etc.)
Then we practice piano. Savannah just started piano lessons last week and we have to practice every day. She loves it. She has a great teacher (and it's not me!!!! yay!!!)
THEN... I get all three girls together and we have devotional. It's usually about 10:30 by this time, and Zachy is taking a nap. For devotional we practice singing a primary song a few times, then have a prayer, then practice the scripture we're memorizing, then I either read them a story from the Friend or from the Scripture Readers. This has worked really well for us.
After that, the last two weeks we've been having "reverent time" because our children are monsters during sacrament meeting every Sunday. So they sit in their little chairs with their arms folded for 30 every day, and we either listen to a general conference talk or watch a church movie. Lately, we've been watching Finding Faith in Christ. I love watching their faces while they watch the movie. They have such a love for the Savior.
After that, we're done (and I'm exhausted). It's usually lunch time by then.
Later in the day, Savannah goes to my room to read for 30 min. She usually reads longer because she's into the book. I'm having her read the books that come in the Early American History package from Beautiful Feet. And I try to squeeze in another reading practice with Charlotte later in the day as well. Oh, and I practice phonograms with little Maddy too. During school I give her LOTS of coloring pages to color. She's calls it her "math".
Before bedtime I've been trying to get in about 30 min. of reading aloud books that are more on Maddy's level, but that they all three enjoy, if they get ready for bed in time.
Things that are changing, starting next week:
BEFORE breakfast, before the girls get out of bed, I'm going to read to them for 30 min. in their room. They will draw out of a jar which book will be read from. These are mostly books from Ambleside Online. They include: James Harriot Treasury for Children, Aesop, Book of Fairy Tales, Book of Virtues, Just So Stories, 50 Famous Stories, and Beatrix Potter.
Then, the rest of the day goes on as before, except instead of reverent time, we will have another reading time. Only during this reading time it is academic reading, but short 'n sweet. No more than 20 min. max.
Monday's reading will be from Story of the World (or I'll give A Child's History of the World another shot since SOTW will take years to finish at that rate. Not sure yet). They'll narrate back to me, then they'll color a picture having to do with the story (historical timeline figures on CD that I can print out any size, from homeschoolinthewoods.com), put it on a colored index card and place it on the timeline. The color of the index card has to do with the geographical location of the event. (This idea came from charlottemasonhelp.com, under history).
Tuesday's reading will be from Apologia's Exploring Creation with Astronomy. They'll narrate the reading, illustrate their science composition book and dictate/copy one thing they remember from the reading.
Wednesday's reading will be literature: alternating Daulaire's Greek Myths and Beautiful Tales from Shakespeare. We'll just read and talk about it.
Thursday's reading will be from This Country of Ours (a very un-PC American History narrative... includes words such as "savages" and "pale-face" *gasp*!) We're going to notebook our readings from it as well (illustrate, copywork). This idea also comes from charlottemasonhelp.com. It includes a few maps to mark as well.
And Friday will be our Artsy-Fartsy FUN DAY! No math, no reading, no writing, no phonics, no history, no science, no Shakespeare, and no Greek myths. We will keep piano and devotional though.
Friday Artsy-Fartsy Fun Day: my goal is to do a nature walk in the morning (there are lots of trails around here), bring something from nature home and draw it in our nature journals.
We'll listen to the composer we're studying, we'll look at a painting of the artist we're studying and add it to our art book, and we'll read from our poetry book while we eat a special yummy snack (poetry teatime: idea from bravewriter.com).
Then we'll do any science or history activities/experiments from the week's readings.
And then we'll relax and play.
I'm hoping my plan will work well and that it won't be too much for me. It shouldn't take much longer than my current schedule. I get tired being pregnant and having a Zachary to entertain. He is a go-and-do kid, and ALL BOY. I love him. And I love homeschooling my girls.
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