CardinalAlt Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Maybe there's another name people use to describe this kind of time - please let me know! Basically we're shifting into a little more assigned, independent work this year - where before it was mostly skills stuff like typing and handwriting that she did independently, plus math which we'd need to review together later, this year I'm assigning more reading, too, like history and science. It's 50% because she can now, 50% because twins are arriving sometime in the next 6 weeks! So my thought is that while of course I can give her quick direction, re-direction, support, during the day, I'd like to spend a good 30m-ish at the end of each day (when twins are sleeping or her dad is home) talking through her reading, writing, and math. I'd like it to feel like good, encouraging connection time, while also being effective academically, and was wondering if anyone has ideas on how to accomplish this! My starter thoughts were that we could focus on discussion of reading first, then move to things where there might be more "correction" involved like math... And that I need to let her explain a tricky problem that she figured out to me first, so we don't just focus on the negative! I think we need to be at the kitchen table v. just cuddling on the couch... I wish she liked tea, something like that, a little tradition making it cozier, might be nice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 We do it a couple, three times a week. We'll go over lit, spot check writing and notebooks, etc. I grade every math problem every day as soon as possible to completion so they can fix any errors. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Some of our days are like this. My advice is "bookend" schoolwork with momma time. Start AND end with it. At the beginning it could be sitting down and making the list of what needs to be done that day, briefly looking over the material to see if any big questions jump out, set out a glass of water, make sure pencils are sharp. And then after school work, sit down and go over everything, even where it's correct. I'll ask DS to phrase things he learned or worked on in his own words...we will try out a few phrases in Spanish, go over any flashcards or anything like that at this time. And if you want to start a tradition like tea time, just do it and give a few weeks. Drink lemonade or milk or something if she doesn't like tea. It could even be your morning bookend to MAKE lemonade together! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardinalAlt Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share Posted August 29, 2015 We do it a couple, three times a week. We'll go over lit, spot check writing and notebooks, etc. I grade every math problem every day as soon as possible to completion so they can fix any errors. I probably need to remind myself that not getting to it every, every day is ok - 3x a week for everything but math would be a good goal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardinalAlt Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share Posted August 29, 2015 Some of our days are like this. My advice is "bookend" schoolwork with momma time. Start AND end with it. At the beginning it could be sitting down and making the list of what needs to be done that day, briefly looking over the material to see if any big questions jump out, set out a glass of water, make sure pencils are sharp. And then after school work, sit down and go over everything, even where it's correct. I'll ask DS to phrase things he learned or worked on in his own words...we will try out a few phrases in Spanish, go over any flashcards or anything like that at this time. And if you want to start a tradition like tea time, just do it and give a few weeks. Drink lemonade or milk or something if she doesn't like tea. It could even be your morning bookend to MAKE lemonade together! Thank you, bookending is a great reminder! Her first things are always the pretty simple, get 'er done work, but it would still make sense to start with some connection and encouragement, going over the plan for the day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 Sorry, I didn't see your DD's age before. IMHO 8 is too young to manage any skills subjects. Reading, discussing history, etc. I can see lightening up on for a season, but math and LA I would sit and teach daily. The bad habits (that you'd have to reteach) and loss time aren't worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardinalAlt Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share Posted August 29, 2015 Sorry, I didn't see your DD's age before. IMHO 8 is too young to manage any skills subjects. Reading, discussing history, etc. I can see lightening up on for a season, but math and LA I would sit and teach daily. The bad habits (that you'd have to reteach) and loss time aren't worth it. Yes, math is always taught before she attempts problems, with further teaching as we review work together. LA is so broad, there are pieces she can just "do," other pieces we'll continue to do together - BW read alouds and discussion, weekly writing assignments, reading through MCT Grammar Island before she starts Practice Island... My hope is to include many of these pieces in the conference time, so not just the day's work, but sometimes prepping her for the next day's work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardinalAlt Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share Posted August 29, 2015 This is helping me think through basic, realistic flow/goals for this time in particular, because of course she will still need me for some stuff throughout the day... (1) Discuss science or history reading, writing she's done (2) Review math work (3) Teach in one area (math, grammar, writing...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coco_Clark Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 My 7yo is extremely independent and works best alone. We have 30-45 minutes together each morning in which I go over any mistakes in the work done the day before, teach any new concepts (we rotate in a way that I only have one or two subjects per day with new stuff, so Monday is new spelling words, Tuesday new Latin material, ect), and explain the days checklist. Then he's released with the list of expectations for the day. Some of those things, like read this and then come to me for a narration/discussion, require me, but most are just finished then turned into me by 5pm. It works really well. If only DS6 was so easy. He won't be ready for that level of responsibility until he's a teen :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MerryAtHope Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 We've always called that "Mom Time" or "Time with Mom." We didn't move to a single time per day until they were a bit older--instead we usually did 2-3 shorter times. (Going over corrections in every subject in one chunk would have been too much for my kids to learn effectively, but maybe your daughter will be fine with that). When both of my kids needed 2-3 times, I alternated. I started our day together with some kind of reading aloud (history, Bible etc...), and sent one to do an independent subject while I went over 1-3 subjects with the other. When we did move to one daily time, I still did them in the morning. I tend to lose steam by late afternoon & they would want to play, so that time didn't work out for us. I would do corrections sometime in the evening and then go over it with them the next day. They could correct anything that needed correcting and then go on to their next lesson. I mention this just to say that you may find 2-3 shorter times around the twins' schedule may work at certain times (especially if your daughter is one who may need occasional TLC from mom--8 is still young though I know she'll seem so old next to the babies!). Just be flexible and see what works--try the one but if she needs more, do a couple of other "touch bases" as needed. I always found things to encourage--like you said, seeing that tricky math problem that they solved, or noticing a clever or cute way of saying something for writing etc... My kids always liked telling me about books they were reading, so that was usually an encouraging time too. Hot cocoa, snacks etc... could be nice for her "tea time" with mom :-). Even if it's something healthier like fruit or carrot sticks and dip, snacks are usually appreciated! Congratulations on your twins coming! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CardinalAlt Posted August 29, 2015 Author Share Posted August 29, 2015 Thanks, Coco and Merry, great thoughts and encouragement! I'll definitely adjust as needed - I'm hoping to have a few weeks before the twins arrive to get some momentum, tweak some and then of course will adjust as needed even more when they arrive! I know my tendency is to over-plan ahead of time, but then I'm usually ok with controlled chaos in the actual moment :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abba12 Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 My siblings were working fairly independently at 7 and 9, definitely not too young as long as you are vigilant about checking their work and answering questions which it sounds like you are. Mum would sit with them in the morning, go over the work for the day and pull out anything she recognized as new content that she needed to work with them on. She wouldn't always do the new content, sometimes it would be 'ok, leave your math until breaktime and we'll have a look at it'. Otherwise they'd be left to work all morning, and could come to mum with questions. After lunch she would sit down and look at what they'd done, correct and talk it through if need be (and obviously encourage the good parts). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.