I love learning that just kind of happens. It feels much less forced. Trevor's lessons have pointed out a few things besides just sounds, and last night during our bedtime book time, he pointed out every punctuation mark and either told me what they were (he knows period, question marks, and quotation marks) or asked me what they were (exclamation marks, commas, and apostrophes). He got just as excited about that as he does about science topics! It's really nice when you have a pet subject that you want your kids to LOVE without you forcing them and they pick it up on their own. Sigh...I love this mom stuff.
We did lesson 44 today.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
New Plan
If there's one thing I'm learning about homeschooling, it's that there are so many available resources. I'm learning to see all the adjustment-making as an adventure instead of a frustrating chore. At first I thought I'd just choose some sort of curriculum and stick with it until I send my kids off to college. Ha ha! Maybe some parents are able to do it thiat way, but I have a very specific idea of how I want my children educated and I don't think I'll ever find a curriculum out there that fits my ideas completely.
So the new plan? Well, I was given an LDS curriculum along with many other used homeschool books when a homeschooling mom I know put her kids in public school (at their choice). It's written by Ken and Teri Ebert, and it's called The Four Year Plan (the first book called Going in Circles). I finally got around to reading it (I put the whole box of books on the shelf while I had morning sickness). It's a revolving curriculum of four years, based on history and the scriptures (with science and English also). What I like is that it's cheap (I got it for free, but the books are all under $30 I believe), it involves all ages (I want to be able to do school with all my kids at once as well as the individualized lessons--I think it would be so much more unifying to have all of us learning the same things, even if we're all at different levels), and it's simple (basically an outline with comments, a reading list, and suggested field trips, and recommended books), based on the scriptures. I looked into a couple other curricula that use scriptures as a base and involve all ages, but they aren't cheap and they're not LDS, so they don't include the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants or Pearl of Great Price. Call me lazy, but I don't want to be constantly saying to my kids, "That's what this religion believes, but we believe X." (Of course I DO want my kids to know what other religions believe, but I don't want to have to put a discaimer on everything I teach.) And I don't want to have to figure out a way to incorporate the Book of Mormon and D&C on my own (yet).
What I don't like (or what doesn't fit for our family) is that it doesn't include all the subjects I'd want to teach (like math) and it has a heavy emphasis on co-ops (which is great, but I've only tried preschool co-ops and I don't yet know if I could organize one for older kids, though of course I'd be interested in trying). Also, the whole time I was reading it, I just had a strong feeling that this is what is right for their family. It's great, and the Eberts did a wonderful job, but I wuld be lying to myself if I said it was already perfect for us.
So ultimately I realized I can't use The Four Year Plan exclusively, but there is so much I do like about it, that I'm still going to use it as a rough outline. I am gaining confidence in myself very quickly as I learn to ignore negative influences and listen only to the Spirit tell me what is right for us. I thought at first that I would want a "canned" curriculum for the first year at least, so I could get my feet under me, but that isn't how I really want to do things so why start that way? And we really can't afford to buy an expensive curriculum and have me skip half of it because I decide it isn't 100% perfect for us.
Summary and Final Plan:
After speaking to a homeschool mom with similar views and finding out what she is planning for her family, I was given some very good, wise suggestions for starting out. She recommended that I do a daily devotional (of course), use Five in a Row (and Before Five in a Row for Conrad), and buy a phonics curriculum and math curriculum separately. And for Conrad, I would make lots of inexpensive Montessori activities (I'm falling in love with Montessori, esp. for toddlers). Inexpensive, easy, and much more to my liking. And this other mom isn't so keen on The Four Year Plan, but there's so much I like about it that I'm planning on using it for our devotional to incorporate history (I just can't leave out history, it's one of my favorites!) and science (definitely Trevor's favorite). I'm really excited about this plan, moreso than any other I've come up with. It feels so right for us and will be so much cheaper! I haven't felt this good about a plan through all my researching. I know I might end up tweaking it a lot (and I still have to choose a math and phonics curriculum), but even if I didn't change it a bit I would be okay with that. It will be cheap enough that if I decide to change something I will still have wiggle room, instead of using all our allotted money on one curriculum, hating it, and being stuck with it.
I still have to post about our first week of the preschool co-op! I'll get to that another time. but that's exciting too!
So the new plan? Well, I was given an LDS curriculum along with many other used homeschool books when a homeschooling mom I know put her kids in public school (at their choice). It's written by Ken and Teri Ebert, and it's called The Four Year Plan (the first book called Going in Circles). I finally got around to reading it (I put the whole box of books on the shelf while I had morning sickness). It's a revolving curriculum of four years, based on history and the scriptures (with science and English also). What I like is that it's cheap (I got it for free, but the books are all under $30 I believe), it involves all ages (I want to be able to do school with all my kids at once as well as the individualized lessons--I think it would be so much more unifying to have all of us learning the same things, even if we're all at different levels), and it's simple (basically an outline with comments, a reading list, and suggested field trips, and recommended books), based on the scriptures. I looked into a couple other curricula that use scriptures as a base and involve all ages, but they aren't cheap and they're not LDS, so they don't include the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants or Pearl of Great Price. Call me lazy, but I don't want to be constantly saying to my kids, "That's what this religion believes, but we believe X." (Of course I DO want my kids to know what other religions believe, but I don't want to have to put a discaimer on everything I teach.) And I don't want to have to figure out a way to incorporate the Book of Mormon and D&C on my own (yet).
What I don't like (or what doesn't fit for our family) is that it doesn't include all the subjects I'd want to teach (like math) and it has a heavy emphasis on co-ops (which is great, but I've only tried preschool co-ops and I don't yet know if I could organize one for older kids, though of course I'd be interested in trying). Also, the whole time I was reading it, I just had a strong feeling that this is what is right for their family. It's great, and the Eberts did a wonderful job, but I wuld be lying to myself if I said it was already perfect for us.
So ultimately I realized I can't use The Four Year Plan exclusively, but there is so much I do like about it, that I'm still going to use it as a rough outline. I am gaining confidence in myself very quickly as I learn to ignore negative influences and listen only to the Spirit tell me what is right for us. I thought at first that I would want a "canned" curriculum for the first year at least, so I could get my feet under me, but that isn't how I really want to do things so why start that way? And we really can't afford to buy an expensive curriculum and have me skip half of it because I decide it isn't 100% perfect for us.
Summary and Final Plan:
After speaking to a homeschool mom with similar views and finding out what she is planning for her family, I was given some very good, wise suggestions for starting out. She recommended that I do a daily devotional (of course), use Five in a Row (and Before Five in a Row for Conrad), and buy a phonics curriculum and math curriculum separately. And for Conrad, I would make lots of inexpensive Montessori activities (I'm falling in love with Montessori, esp. for toddlers). Inexpensive, easy, and much more to my liking. And this other mom isn't so keen on The Four Year Plan, but there's so much I like about it that I'm planning on using it for our devotional to incorporate history (I just can't leave out history, it's one of my favorites!) and science (definitely Trevor's favorite). I'm really excited about this plan, moreso than any other I've come up with. It feels so right for us and will be so much cheaper! I haven't felt this good about a plan through all my researching. I know I might end up tweaking it a lot (and I still have to choose a math and phonics curriculum), but even if I didn't change it a bit I would be okay with that. It will be cheap enough that if I decide to change something I will still have wiggle room, instead of using all our allotted money on one curriculum, hating it, and being stuck with it.
I still have to post about our first week of the preschool co-op! I'll get to that another time. but that's exciting too!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Lesson 40, 3rd Bob Book
Trevor finished lesson 40 today and can read the 3rd Bob Book (Dot) now. I can't believe how much quicker he is at reading already and how little help he actually needs. It took so much longer for him to read the first Bob Book the first time he tried it. Today he read Dot to me, Sean, and to my mom over the phone. He was so excited and told my mom he was going to read her all his books when she comes to visit after the baby is born.
The lessons have been slowing down lately because there are so many sounds to remember now that we often have to take a day to review sounds instead of do a lesson. No big deal! I'm learning how to adapt.
About his reading sticker chart...it seems unnecessary now. Lately he tells me I can just pick a sticker and put it on for him after our lessons. I'm still glad I made the chart because it really helped motivate him in the beginning when it wasn't such a routine yet, and I'm sure it will help as he nears the end goal (and party), but I'm really glad that it hasn't turned out to be the reason for his excitement. He's just happy to be reading!
The lessons have been slowing down lately because there are so many sounds to remember now that we often have to take a day to review sounds instead of do a lesson. No big deal! I'm learning how to adapt.
About his reading sticker chart...it seems unnecessary now. Lately he tells me I can just pick a sticker and put it on for him after our lessons. I'm still glad I made the chart because it really helped motivate him in the beginning when it wasn't such a routine yet, and I'm sure it will help as he nears the end goal (and party), but I'm really glad that it hasn't turned out to be the reason for his excitement. He's just happy to be reading!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
I just thought of something I wanted to add. Trevor has amazed me with some of the words he can read by sight. I thought "sight words" came a lot later in the reading process. Words he knows by sight (without having to sound them out): duck, cat, dog, a, can, little, is. I think that's all of them. I may have missed a few. I LOVE these words because it makes him so happy when he can just run right over them without spending time on sounding them out. He's amazing!
Preschool Co-op
I'm so excited! We've finally found another family to do a preschool co-op with again! We tried to get one started at the beginning of the year, but it turned into a playgroup, which Trevor and Conrad enjoyed, but it wasn't what I was looking for for the boys. I was planning on trying again after the summer was over, and we were so lucky to have just the right family move into our ward. The mom homeschools her four kids and was very interested when I mentioned joy school.
This other mom has some very good ideas. We had a meeting last night to plan. I didn't have any big plans myself, I just wanted Trevor and Conrad to get something a little more structured with other kids on a regular basis. I really want to keep it simple with being pregnant, something that will last through the pregnancy and a newborn without being overwhelming. I'm really blessed to be doing this with a mom who is a little more seasoned in the homeschool scene. She suggested that we have two segments to our preschool.
The first segment will be a lesson from Five in a Row. It seems to be a very simple curriculum. It comes in four volumes, $35 each. You read the same children's book five days a week (hence, five in a row), and each day there's a short lesson based on a different subject (social studies, language arts, math, science, art). And that's as complicated as it gets.
The second segment is Montessori time. This other mom is really getting into Montessori and has ordered lots of Montessori materials. So she will have several stations set up where the kids can work on a Montessori activity while she and I will go around helping and guiding if necessary.
I'm so excited!! The Lord really knows who to put in our lives, like angels to bless us. I was worried all summer about what to do because I really felt strongly that Trevor especially needed more than just the lessons we're doing at home. Playgroups are fun, but I felt the boys needed to know what a structured time felt like with other kids. As fall came nearer, I worried more and more because I hadn't figured it out yet. I was tempted to put Trevor in preschool for one or two mornings a week, but after discussing it with Sean, I knew we couldn't afford it right now. I kept getting this feeling that I shouldn't worry, that something was on its way. I know it sounds silly, but these are the things I worry about most, and I'm just so grateful the Lord has helped me provide our boys with what they need.
Our first day is next Tuesday! Oh, and Trevor finished lesson 36 today. He was having a hard time remembering several sounds, so we took a few days off of formal lessons to play go fish and other memorization games with the sounds. He was excited to learn even more when we got back to doing lessons. Yesterday we were snuggling and talking together and I told him I was proud of his work on his lesson today. He said, "Yeah. I'm so happy I learned two new sounds. Do I get to learn a new sound tomorrow?" I love that boy.
This other mom has some very good ideas. We had a meeting last night to plan. I didn't have any big plans myself, I just wanted Trevor and Conrad to get something a little more structured with other kids on a regular basis. I really want to keep it simple with being pregnant, something that will last through the pregnancy and a newborn without being overwhelming. I'm really blessed to be doing this with a mom who is a little more seasoned in the homeschool scene. She suggested that we have two segments to our preschool.
The first segment will be a lesson from Five in a Row. It seems to be a very simple curriculum. It comes in four volumes, $35 each. You read the same children's book five days a week (hence, five in a row), and each day there's a short lesson based on a different subject (social studies, language arts, math, science, art). And that's as complicated as it gets.
The second segment is Montessori time. This other mom is really getting into Montessori and has ordered lots of Montessori materials. So she will have several stations set up where the kids can work on a Montessori activity while she and I will go around helping and guiding if necessary.
I'm so excited!! The Lord really knows who to put in our lives, like angels to bless us. I was worried all summer about what to do because I really felt strongly that Trevor especially needed more than just the lessons we're doing at home. Playgroups are fun, but I felt the boys needed to know what a structured time felt like with other kids. As fall came nearer, I worried more and more because I hadn't figured it out yet. I was tempted to put Trevor in preschool for one or two mornings a week, but after discussing it with Sean, I knew we couldn't afford it right now. I kept getting this feeling that I shouldn't worry, that something was on its way. I know it sounds silly, but these are the things I worry about most, and I'm just so grateful the Lord has helped me provide our boys with what they need.
Our first day is next Tuesday! Oh, and Trevor finished lesson 36 today. He was having a hard time remembering several sounds, so we took a few days off of formal lessons to play go fish and other memorization games with the sounds. He was excited to learn even more when we got back to doing lessons. Yesterday we were snuggling and talking together and I told him I was proud of his work on his lesson today. He said, "Yeah. I'm so happy I learned two new sounds. Do I get to learn a new sound tomorrow?" I love that boy.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
The Plan
I've been playing around with several avenues for homeschooling since Trevor was born. I feel I'm really just making things up as I go and gleaning advice from friends and books as well. It's nice to have the freedom to change things when I want, but I want to buckle down and get settled into a routine again (like we had before we moved to Minnesota).
We've set a bit of a routine since we started reading lessons, so it shouldn't be too hard to go deeper. We wake up, eat breakfast, clean up/do chores, get dressed/brush teeth, listen to Sean read scriptures (some days we go running before or after as a family), Conrad gets a lesson, Trevor gets a lesson, and then usually it's time for lunch. If not, we read books or do a messy project until lunch. After lunch and naps, I don't really have anything set in stone. Mostly the boys get free play until dinner and free play or family time after dinner.
So the plan is to slowly add subjects until next fall and hopefully by then it will be old news for us. For next year, we're looking into Sonlight curriculum. A few friends have been using it and I'm impressed with the layout and choice of literature. I'm interested in a classical education and I've really enjoyed reading A Well Trained Mind this summer.
So far that's the plan. I don't want to get too rigid yet because I still think early childhood is a time for play and exploration and learning about the world and relationships more than any academic subject.
We've set a bit of a routine since we started reading lessons, so it shouldn't be too hard to go deeper. We wake up, eat breakfast, clean up/do chores, get dressed/brush teeth, listen to Sean read scriptures (some days we go running before or after as a family), Conrad gets a lesson, Trevor gets a lesson, and then usually it's time for lunch. If not, we read books or do a messy project until lunch. After lunch and naps, I don't really have anything set in stone. Mostly the boys get free play until dinner and free play or family time after dinner.
So the plan is to slowly add subjects until next fall and hopefully by then it will be old news for us. For next year, we're looking into Sonlight curriculum. A few friends have been using it and I'm impressed with the layout and choice of literature. I'm interested in a classical education and I've really enjoyed reading A Well Trained Mind this summer.
So far that's the plan. I don't want to get too rigid yet because I still think early childhood is a time for play and exploration and learning about the world and relationships more than any academic subject.
Two Awful Lessons to Learn
Trevor finished Lesson 29 today. He can read two Bob books and sometimes will read words from regular books (as long as it doesn't interfere too much with his enjoyment of the story). Now that Sean is back in school for his second semester, Trevor is yet again begging for me to find him more "homework". He loves his daddy. So I found a little phonics workbook in the $1 section at Target and he did a few pages today. Reading lessons are going great! What's awful is my learning curve for being a homeschool parent. You have to understand that though I didn't get my degree in teaching, I took a few courses relating to how children learn (Educational Psychology, Child Development, Infant and Toddler, etc.). So I figured I was well aware of all the mistakes a well-meaning parent might make in teaching. Well, for some reason I have to experience it all myself, too.
Lesson #1: Never read books about Chinese parenting. Ever. I'm sure there are many good Chinese parents, but the book I read (Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother) made me feel a little soft (and I'm SO not shooting for child prodigies, either). So I think I pushed Trevor in his lessons too much. First, though he still needs lots of help reading certain words, I started refusing to help until he had practiced a word a few times first. He's a perfectionist, so when he doesn't get it the first time, he gets frustrated and upset, to which I would just respond, "Try again" in a firm voice. He was not enjoying it. I was not enjoying it. I started to worry that I couldn't homeschool (because first and foremost I will NOT compromise my relationships with my kids. Love comes first, or nothing).
I decided it didn't matter whether he did it perfectly on his own or not, because we can just start right from the beginning of the book (or try another book) when he's done with the whole 100 lessons if he hasn't gained a firm grasp of reading. He's only 4 1/2 for goodness sake! What a turnaround! Trevor loves the lessons again, the same as he did when we first started, and he's actually reading faster now that I'm not stressing him out. He doesn't do it perfectly, and we end up skipping parts here and there, but I don't care. He still loves me and is still learning.
Lesson #2: Balancing attention between two boys is really hard. Conrad just turned two last week. When Trevor was two, all my attention was focused on him. He was the only child. We did so many nursery school type activities, he never felt the need for more attention. But somehow I've never transferred enough of that educational/nurturing focus on to Conrad. I don't do nearly as many activities with Conrad as I did with Trevor, because I guess I figured a lot of what I do with Trevor will trickle down to Conrad. Bad thought. Very bad thought.
Conrad and I were able to connect easily when he was first born. Maybe it's because he's so happy-go-lucky and joyful all the time. But lately I felt that connection slipping a little, and it worried me. When Trevor and I do any kind of lesson, I usually go to our closet where we keep educational toys and get one out for Conrad to keep him busy. It worked great for a while, but it wasn't enough. Conrad would come interrupt the lessons and forget about the toy because he just wasn't getting the attention he needed. He also started acting out and randomly misbehaving. It was a pretty awful realization once I finally figured out why we were having all the interruptions and tantrums. Conrad's my baby boy! How could I let that happen?
So I've started having "lessons" with Conrad, too. He loves nursery rhymes, fingerplays, and any songs with actions. So before I try to do a lesson with Trevor, I sit with Conrad and we sing and recite rhymes and smile at each other. I also do an activity with him from Slow and Steady Get Me Ready, by June R. Oberlander (it has a simple weekly activity for young kids from birth to age 5). Another good one I'll probably use is The Toddler's Busy Book, by Trisha Kuffner. I also need to try to include him in more activities like chores or science "experiements". So far, this has worked much better. I just need to try and be more aware so I can catch it earlier next time.
Some lessons are so hard to learn! I'm so grateful I'm learning them now though, before we really jump into homeschooling next fall, otherwise I'd feel doomed. Being a mom is so hard!
Lesson #1: Never read books about Chinese parenting. Ever. I'm sure there are many good Chinese parents, but the book I read (Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother) made me feel a little soft (and I'm SO not shooting for child prodigies, either). So I think I pushed Trevor in his lessons too much. First, though he still needs lots of help reading certain words, I started refusing to help until he had practiced a word a few times first. He's a perfectionist, so when he doesn't get it the first time, he gets frustrated and upset, to which I would just respond, "Try again" in a firm voice. He was not enjoying it. I was not enjoying it. I started to worry that I couldn't homeschool (because first and foremost I will NOT compromise my relationships with my kids. Love comes first, or nothing).
I decided it didn't matter whether he did it perfectly on his own or not, because we can just start right from the beginning of the book (or try another book) when he's done with the whole 100 lessons if he hasn't gained a firm grasp of reading. He's only 4 1/2 for goodness sake! What a turnaround! Trevor loves the lessons again, the same as he did when we first started, and he's actually reading faster now that I'm not stressing him out. He doesn't do it perfectly, and we end up skipping parts here and there, but I don't care. He still loves me and is still learning.
Lesson #2: Balancing attention between two boys is really hard. Conrad just turned two last week. When Trevor was two, all my attention was focused on him. He was the only child. We did so many nursery school type activities, he never felt the need for more attention. But somehow I've never transferred enough of that educational/nurturing focus on to Conrad. I don't do nearly as many activities with Conrad as I did with Trevor, because I guess I figured a lot of what I do with Trevor will trickle down to Conrad. Bad thought. Very bad thought.
Conrad and I were able to connect easily when he was first born. Maybe it's because he's so happy-go-lucky and joyful all the time. But lately I felt that connection slipping a little, and it worried me. When Trevor and I do any kind of lesson, I usually go to our closet where we keep educational toys and get one out for Conrad to keep him busy. It worked great for a while, but it wasn't enough. Conrad would come interrupt the lessons and forget about the toy because he just wasn't getting the attention he needed. He also started acting out and randomly misbehaving. It was a pretty awful realization once I finally figured out why we were having all the interruptions and tantrums. Conrad's my baby boy! How could I let that happen?
So I've started having "lessons" with Conrad, too. He loves nursery rhymes, fingerplays, and any songs with actions. So before I try to do a lesson with Trevor, I sit with Conrad and we sing and recite rhymes and smile at each other. I also do an activity with him from Slow and Steady Get Me Ready, by June R. Oberlander (it has a simple weekly activity for young kids from birth to age 5). Another good one I'll probably use is The Toddler's Busy Book, by Trisha Kuffner. I also need to try to include him in more activities like chores or science "experiements". So far, this has worked much better. I just need to try and be more aware so I can catch it earlier next time.
Some lessons are so hard to learn! I'm so grateful I'm learning them now though, before we really jump into homeschooling next fall, otherwise I'd feel doomed. Being a mom is so hard!
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