Educating and Moving

[eloise24]

First, I have to say I've been reading here for 10 years and I wouldn't be able to teach my kids the way I can, without all the advice found here.  What a treasure!

 

My story- I'm teaching a 4th and 2nd grader.  In June we moved 4000 miles across the country.  It's taken several months to get our family settled and on track and figure out a new school routine.  Just as we are getting things back into routine, we find out we are moving 3000 miles BACK across the country (southeast to northwest and now the northeast), because the job we came for isn't actually legit (long story).  You can feel sorry for me later- 10, 8 and 4 year old and a dog and a husband.

 

We are moving in the beginning of January- so December is holiday and packing month, January will pretty much be travel for 3/4 weeks.  

 

Help me out with keeping kids on track.  They are using Horizons math, so we will continue that- it's easy and light to just pack their workbooks, I don't need the teacher's manuals.  We read lots, so I think we can just continue with reading out loud and having 2nd grader read me books on Kindle as necessary.  I need something we can use for Language arts- keeping 2nd grader practicing handwriting and both of them sort of moving forward in those areas.  I can stop worrying about history and science for the next two months right?  I know my kids will be ok, but I need another pat on the back please :)

 

Basically I'm asking- is there a workbook that anyone suggests I can use?  Open and go, something that maybe isn't the "world's best" but will help in the short-term?  Something we can sit down with for an hour each day and do math/language, just so we don't feel stupid?

 

Thanks everyone!

 

[Lori D.]

Ug! I'll feel sorry for you now! What a horrible way to spend a year!  :grouphug:

 

Some great get 'er done workbook ideas in this past thread: "Independent workbook curriculums that are good".

[Tanaqui]

Yes, you can absolutely not worry about science and history. They're in elementary school. It's fine if you miss a few weeks. Honestly, It'd be okay to even just drop down to "review math" and "reading aloud", since - again - it's only a month. It's okay if you don't do that - there's benefits to staying on schedule as much as possible! - but if you find yourself slipping then so long as you're only slipping during the moving and immediately thereafter, it's not worth worrying over. You can easily make it up in the summer, or even next year. It's not like you're taking the whole rest of the year off to play video games and twiddle your thumbs.

 

But I understand the desire to prove to yourself that you did something :)

 

 

Edited December 1, 2017 by Tanaqui

[Pegs]

In your shoes, I'd probably do daily math from a workbook, and a daily (science or history) readaloud. After the readaloud, 4th grader gives a short written narration, 2nd grader gives an oral narration and then uses it for copywork (unless your 2nd grader is already doing written narrations, of course).

 

You could spend 30 min on math, then 30 min on reading and narration. Everybody reads at bedtime.

 

That's just my 2c, though. I'm sure that whatever you do will be fine. 

 

All the best with the packing and organising! :)

[73349]

Evan-Moor has some workbooks you might like. Your plan sounds fine.

[OrganicJen]

I think your plan sounds fine. We aren't workbook people but in your shoes I think I'd be totally fine using mostly workbooks for a bit. At times we are long term RVers and we actually don't change much about our schooling when we are on the road but that's very different from moving.

[eloise24]

Thank you! Just what I needed to be reminded of! We are going to be ok ha!!

[OneStepAtATime]

What about doing a sort of geography thing where the kids learn a bit about each state between you and your final destination?  Just a couple of times a week or even once a week.  Pull out a map or a puzzle and talk about the states, find some fun state worksheets off the internet that you can print off for them to do/color, etc., see if there are any kid friendly quicky books to read with lots of pictures.  Or have one child get researching a bit about one state while the other researches a different one then they share what they learned with each other and you.

 

Maybe they could start a simple travel journal.

 

And yes, just keeping things down to daily math and a lot of reading, both in content and fiction, will be fine.  Let them go interest led on a science subject that they can read about.   

[CadenceSophia]

You will be totally fine. Personally, I'd cut down to daily math, audio books, and copy work or whatever short writing is appropriate for your children's level. I can get a lot of work done while my kids listen to audio books if I am not the reader. I work in the same room or listen while we are in the car and stop where necessary for narration or discussion.

 

Since you are going northwest to northeast, you are probably crossing Lewis and Clark country? And then passing by the great lakes? I don't know a good kids Lewis and Clark book (Undaunted Courage is great for adults), but there's Paddle to the Sea. Maybe you'll cross northern Idaho/Montana Nez Perce area. The American Girl book Kaya takes place there. My 4th grade boy adored that book a couple months ago and listened to it several times through. It's on audible.

I'm sure there are more ideas out there. We've schooled on three different drives across the country (round trip so 6 crossings) and it can be so educational in and of itself.