MommyJo Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 I just want to cry at this point. I can't take anymore and I feel like I am losing it when it comes to homeschooling. Everything is a mess. I thought it was all going so well and now...I just don't know. I have two children that are homeschooling. The 5 yo is concentrating on math, reading, writing and english for the most part with a mix in of other things every once in awhle. The 3 yo is working on math and reading with a few fun things here and there plus Slow & Steady. They are both accelerated in a lot of areas and that's where I am lost. Believe it or not, I went to college for special education although I never taught in a school just for learning experiences, etc. Instead I chose to raise my kids. Anyways, I thought I had everything planned out. My oldest is reading rather well but he's frustrated at something. He doesn't want to read real books but I don't know why. He's on about a 1st grade level reading but he needs more reading instruction so I have Christ Centered Curriculum and am using the B level, although we have all levels. At first, I thought it was working out pretty well. Now I just don't know. We are using MUS but he wants more. I have Christ Centered math and he coincides VERY well with MUS but I am wondering about the Christ Centered program altogether. I don't want to start it until I know it's not the program he's hating. It's like he's bored out of his mind or something. I just don't know. Should I jump him to level C? I don't know if it's he's bored with the curriculum being too easy or if he just hates this program and he can't explain it either but he will not sit still and he ends up saying I don't want to do this workbook, I'm done. Also, the 3 yo hated Lifepac math. He is very advanced in math and LOVES math but I don't know of a program that he will enjoy. I thought maybe Singapore but I don't know which level to start him at. Honestly, we don't have the money to guess either as my husband was laid off awhile back. That's why I guess I am pushing Christ Centered curriculum, I can't imagine having to purchase something else. So should I just use Ordinary Parents Guide to Teaching Reading with them, and is that enough or do I need to follow up with a phonics program? Where do I start? Everything was fine the first few weeks! Oh and I thought of using Professor B with the 3 yo since it covers so many levels but again am so woried if I purchase it that we won't be able to use it or he won't like it. He is very advanced but at the same time, he's still not mature enough to do more than 15 minute increments of work. I never want to push him and I let him decide what he's ready for or not. Also, we are even having problems out of HWT. They seem to like it okay but I hate it. I hate the fact that the teacher's guide is so hard to understand and that we have ALL these materials like roll a dough, etc. and I have no clue what to do with all of them. I am just really frustrated and have been in tears so much in the last few days. Also, my 5 yo has sensory processing disorder so we tend to lean towards black and white materials so that it does not overwhelm him visually. Any suggestions on what to do? I know this post has jumped around so much but I am losing it. I am worried I will fail miserably at homeschooling them if I don't get things together. PLEASE HELP!:crying: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindee Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Maybe you all need a break for awhile? Maybe you can take a week to re-focus and see if your head can clear enough to see the problems? Are you taking summer off? If so, that might help all of you. They can do puzzles and word games, and fun math games, to keep up with where they're at over the summer. Then you all can come back to it with a fresh clear mind! I'm sorry it's been going this way for you! You're NOT a failure by any means! They're young, they'll bounce back easily! Take care of yourself so you get the break/rest you need now and then as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Ok, I'm more relaxed than a lot of people. I tend to like Bluedorn's Teaching The Trivium. So, my suggestion would be, get up tomorrow, take your kids to somewhere like McDonald's tomorrow....and just let them play. Join a Science Discovery Museum....put your baby in an Ergo or other carrier...and just let them run. Get some skip counting songs (we do Classical Conversations, which is a once a week Christian based homeschooling get together group...and so we use theirs...but any would work) Get some cuisenaire rods....maybe some Legos and just play for a couple of months. Listen to really good cds....Jim Weiss telling different stories....(check for him at your library) We listened to ones like Abraham Lincoln...& Thomas Jefferson... In other words, just have fun with them. Work on cooperation and listening skills....Take nature walks.... Anything that's cool for them to sing..that has significance....is really nice as a pat on the back...and letting you feel that they're learning...:-) Don't stress...enjoy this age...stressing is for when they're in Junior High:-) Carrie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Your kids will do well with home-schooling. I agree that you can relax and let them approach learning in different ways. Have fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LND1218 Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 I agree - you all need a break! Homeschooling with a baby is hard. I think you need a more play approach at these ages would give you tremendous relief. Read to them and make it fun. Like Carrie we do Classical Conversations and my ds (4) loves it (eventhough he hasn't actually started.) The memory work and songs are so much fun to him. My ds (4) begs to do school, but what he's really wanting is the attention that comes with it. He's a very verbal child who like dialog. And what he's wanting that time to discuss and explore more so than doing school. So I am doing projects with him, reading books and such. This week we made rockets - air rockets very appropriate for his age. And he LOVED it. He wants to be an astronaut now. Do some fun things together and come back at the curriculum in a bit. I would think you don't need to change programs. I would do a hands on approach with him - play math games, do math projects or things like that. Go places and see things, count steps and add the flowers you collect on your nature walk. It may just be workbook overload not necessarily that workbook just any workbook. My oldest (dd 11) is like that - she gets too many workbooks and shuts down from them. So we have to balance it some. In fact, after 6 months of Abeka in K with her we went looking for whole new way to school because it was workbook overload. I think a nice break will really help. Then when it's time to come back to the books you will all be refreshed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Maybe you all need a break for awhile? Maybe you can take a week to re-focus and see if your head can clear enough to see the problems? Are you taking summer off? If so, that might help all of you. They can do puzzles and word games, and fun math games, to keep up with where they're at over the summer. Then you all can come back to it with a fresh clear mind! I'm sorry it's been going this way for you! You're NOT a failure by any means! They're young, they'll bounce back easily! Take care of yourself so you get the break/rest you need now and then as well! :iagree:I school year around just so when I start to feel overwhelmed I can take a day or two or week off. Many times it is just an afternoon but being able to walk away from the school table without guilt is very liberating.:001_smile: I am not familiar with most of the programs you mentioned but I do know that HWT did NOT work for us. You mentioned Singapore math. I don't know where your dc would be placed but the workbook is pretty colorful if I remember correctly in the lower grades. Or maybe it was the text, I am not sure. I mention it because you talked about your son having sensory processing disorder and that you use mainly black and white things. One of the most reliable things that I have found in choosing materials is to pray, listen to others and pray again. It seems like when there is something that is right you just know by listening to others experiences with those materials and following the leading of God. One other thing, I have purchased things that I didn't like or that didn't work with the dc and I sell it. Many time I can get enough out of it to get 1/2-3/4 of what I need for the material that I have found that will work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariaT Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 A break is a good idea!!!:iagree: So, go on some walks (free!) and go to a playground (free!) and make water paintings on the sidewalk (free!) and have a picnic in the backyard (free! except for the food) One of the good things/bad things about hsing is that you will know your children inside and out. And they will know all about you. And there will be bad days for both you and your children--that is what makes the good days sweeter, but we also learn from the bad days. It is totally OK to take some time just to have fun. your children will continue to learn even if you are not teaching them. I do not know much about the curriculum you are using--except for Ordinary Parents Guide to reading. We had a lot of success with this without additional phonics. We finished that book this winter, and then my daughter went through all the Magic Tree house books, then the resource guides, then all the Harry Potter books, and she has just finished her third reading of the Percy Jackson Last Olympians series, which she had to reread after reading all about Greek mythology. I liked OPG and it gave my kids a good foundation, and they are all reading very well and test above their reading level by many grades. You are doing a good job. Maria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnneC Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 (edited) It sounds to me too as though you need a break. When you are ready to get back into it have a look at MEP for maths for your 3yo. There are a few threads on the forum about it. My 3 you has been using it for a few weeks and she loves it, although my older kids are not that taken with it. It is free though so if you don't like it it will only cost you some ink and paper. Edited May 31, 2009 by AnneC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommyJo Posted May 31, 2009 Author Share Posted May 31, 2009 That's how we started things and my oldest son said I was making him "like the bad kids". This is so hard to explain but he was placed in a public preschool this past year. It was devastating and the teacher was fired for mental and emotional abuse to the children. She stuck my son in a closet for timeout because he was "being a cry baby" because the kids were laughing at him. The reason they were laughing was because my son wanted to read a book during lunch and for punishment for reading in her class (for some reason this was bad?!?) she made him eat his applesauce with his fingers. She called the kids bad, made my son sit in his peed pants bc she didn't want the kids to leave the playground for them to go pee so he had to hide behind a tree so the kids wouldn't laugh. He had a lot of friends (the other ones were getting it bad as well) but she tortured my son. He loved school until this lady ruined my sweet and innocent 4 yo! I yanked him out after I started to find all of this out and started trying to just get him back to being himself. I don't know if he will EVER be himself again. He has so much pent up anger and now he lashes out sometimes. Anyways, we were having a lot of fun at first. I told him we were going to homeschool and mommy would be his teacher...great he said "that means I will have the most beautiful and nicest teacher in the world" :) So we went to the library a lot, done a lot of reading, playing games, nature walks (we have woods right behind our house) and numerous other things. I started pulling hands on ideas from online and eventually started with Hewitt's Preschool Plus which is an ALL hands on and literature approach. Well not long after he asked when we would start school. I told him we were and he didn't like that. He said well maybe I can go back to real school now and learn. (He's VERY smart for his age and actually really mature....sometimes too mature LOL). I told him I wanted to teach him so everyday he told me he was ready to do school and everyday he got frustrated and wanted to go back to public school. That's when I got him into math and a more structured reading approach (although he can read some things very well). He loved it at first but now I'm just wondering if he's bored or what. Other things like his writing....WOW! he begs for WriteShop Primary and wants to do writing 6 days a week so some days I have to make up stuff. I just don't know what to do about reading. Why does he love writing and hates the reading? I can't figure out if it's the program or what. I do need a break badly! I think I am just going to take a week off completely, send them to grandma's a few days and try to work this thing out. I guess I was hoping that once you bought a program, it would automatically work...now I am realizing that is not the case. He has to start his umbrella school in June, I don't have a choice on this and I have to have the yearly curriculum list handed over by then. I guess that's why I am worrying so much. I think I just need to pray deeply on this. I know the Lord called us to homeschool so he needs to tell me where to go from here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommyJo Posted May 31, 2009 Author Share Posted May 31, 2009 Goodness, I think I took too long posting that. I think 3-4 posted before I hit enter. Let me go up and read and that wasn't in response to anyone that just posted. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommyJo Posted May 31, 2009 Author Share Posted May 31, 2009 :iagree:I school year around just so when I start to feel overwhelmed I can take a day or two or week off. Many times it is just an afternoon but being able to walk away from the school table without guilt is very liberating.:001_smile:I am not familiar with most of the programs you mentioned but I do know that HWT did NOT work for us. You mentioned Singapore math. I don't know where your dc would be placed but the workbook is pretty colorful if I remember correctly in the lower grades. Or maybe it was the text, I am not sure. I mention it because you talked about your son having sensory processing disorder and that you use mainly black and white things. One of the most reliable things that I have found in choosing materials is to pray, listen to others and pray again. It seems like when there is something that is right you just know by listening to others experiences with those materials and following the leading of God. One other thing, I have purchased things that I didn't like or that didn't work with the dc and I sell it. Many time I can get enough out of it to get 1/2-3/4 of what I need for the material that I have found that will work. Sorry for any confusion...the 5 yo has sensory processing disorder. As far as we know the 3 yo doesn't. The 3 yo is the one I had picked up a singapore workbook for. I actually got ready to sell it and then thought maybe I could just do a review of things he knows. It can't be bad to just review without teaching a bunch of crazy lessons. I mean he wants schooling and he wants math, this would be a good way to help him understand how schooling will be. So I think I may just do a small review with him for a month or two on math until I can get my oldest one's schedule figured out. As for the 5 yo. I think I am just going to follow God's direction. I know He has a plan. He wanted me to homeschool, I know because I prayed for 3 months when I pulled my son out. I kept saying "now Lord, your kidding me, I know you don't want ME to do this" LOL and He kept saying "your what's best for your kids and this is the what I want for them and you" so I took it on. Although I have experience in education, this is soooo much different. I need to get on a schedule for one and I know this. Don't really know what I am doing schedule wise. Things were so much easier before they wanted all the schooling, all the time. I put on science VHS's and have some science books now that they love....THANKS SANDY ;). That's as far as I get somedays and trust me we by no means homeschool everyday even at this point. I try, but I feel like things are going crazy everywhere. I have an 11 month old walking everywhere now too. Eventually, we will be year round homeschoolers as well for the same reason you pointed out but for now, I can't even become an every other day schooler. A lot of it has to do with not liking HWT and some of the others. I just don't know any good programs so I feel STUCK with what we have and although the programs are showing me, as well as the kids, that they aren't working and my kids dislike them, I just don't know what else to do. I am confused by some of the items. My oldest doesn't like Christ Centered Curriculum at this point but enjoys the Ordinary Parents Guide (we got it the other day). So is it safe for us to not use a big, complicated phonics program or would it be good follow up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brindee Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Have you checked out Christian Liberty Press? They have stuff that is not colorful, and it's cheap. I used their Spelling and Bible for 2 or 3 years when my boys were little. My oldest really liked it, even if it wasn't colorful! Maybe the lower price and less color would help it be what you need? http://ebiz.netopia.com/clpress/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MommyJo Posted May 31, 2009 Author Share Posted May 31, 2009 Have you checked out Christian Liberty Press? They have stuff that is not colorful, and it's cheap. I used their Spelling and Bible for 2 or 3 years when my boys were little. My oldest really liked it, even if it wasn't colorful! Maybe the lower price and less color would help it be what you need? http://ebiz.netopia.com/clpress/ Thanks so much! I will definately look into it and see what they have! Usually if an item is quite cheap, it's even cheaer used. :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 That's how we started things and my oldest son said I was making him "like the bad kids". This is so hard to explain but he was placed in a public preschool this past year. It was devastating and the teacher was fired for mental and emotional abuse to the children. She stuck my son in a closet for timeout because he was "being a cry baby" because the kids were laughing at him. The reason they were laughing was because my son wanted to read a book during lunch and for punishment for reading in her class (for some reason this was bad?!?) she made him eat his applesauce with his fingers. She called the kids bad, made my son sit in his peed pants bc she didn't want the kids to leave the playground for them to go pee so he had to hide behind a tree so the kids wouldn't laugh. He had a lot of friends (the other ones were getting it bad as well) but she tortured my son. He loved school until this lady ruined my sweet and innocent 4 yo! I yanked him out after I started to find all of this out and started trying to just get him back to being himself. I don't know if he will EVER be himself again. He has so much pent up anger and now he lashes out sometimes. Anyways, we were having a lot of fun at first. I told him we were going to homeschool and mommy would be his teacher...great he said "that means I will have the most beautiful and nicest teacher in the world" :) So we went to the library a lot, done a lot of reading, playing games, nature walks (we have woods right behind our house) and numerous other things. I started pulling hands on ideas from online and eventually started with Hewitt's Preschool Plus which is an ALL hands on and literature approach. Well not long after he asked when we would start school. I told him we were and he didn't like that. He said well maybe I can go back to real school now and learn. (He's VERY smart for his age and actually really mature....sometimes too mature LOL). I told him I wanted to teach him so everyday he told me he was ready to do school and everyday he got frustrated and wanted to go back to public school. That's when I got him into math and a more structured reading approach (although he can read some things very well). He loved it at first but now I'm just wondering if he's bored or what. Other things like his writing....WOW! he begs for WriteShop Primary and wants to do writing 6 days a week so some days I have to make up stuff. I just don't know what to do about reading. Why does he love writing and hates the reading? I can't figure out if it's the program or what. I do need a break badly! I think I am just going to take a week off completely, send them to grandma's a few days and try to work this thing out. I guess I was hoping that once you bought a program, it would automatically work...now I am realizing that is not the case. He has to start his umbrella school in June, I don't have a choice on this and I have to have the yearly curriculum list handed over by then. I guess that's why I am worrying so much. I think I just need to pray deeply on this. I know the Lord called us to homeschool so he needs to tell me where to go from here. Joanna, I have just started using Rod and Staff reading/phonics and have really liked it. It is totally Scripture based and in black and white. We have been using it now for about 2+ months. It is a fairly inexpensive curr. I am going to be using All About Spelling when we start this fall. It is a phonics program that teaches reading,spelling and I believe writing. As I understand it you can move as fast as you want in it but lays a very good foundation for the child. It is a bit more expensive but isn't consumable so you could use it for your next child also. I am so sorry about your son's experience with ps. That teacher should have had more happen to her than just getting fired! I pray healing will come to your son's heart and to yours. What a horrible thing for a parent to go through also. I think your idea of taking a few days for just you, to seek God w/o interruption is good. What a great Grandma your children have. You are in my prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Sorry for any confusion...the 5 yo has sensory processing disorder. As far as we know the 3 yo doesn't. The 3 yo is the one I had picked up a singapore workbook for. I actually got ready to sell it and then thought maybe I could just do a review of things he knows. It can't be bad to just review without teaching a bunch of crazy lessons. I mean he wants schooling and he wants math, this would be a good way to help him understand how schooling will be. So I think I may just do a small review with him for a month or two on math until I can get my oldest one's schedule figured out. As for the 5 yo. I think I am just going to follow God's direction. I know He has a plan. He wanted me to homeschool, I know because I prayed for 3 months when I pulled my son out. I kept saying "now Lord, your kidding me, I know you don't want ME to do this" LOL and He kept saying "your what's best for your kids and this is the what I want for them and you" so I took it on. Although I have experience in education, this is soooo much different. I need to get on a schedule for one and I know this. Don't really know what I am doing schedule wise. Things were so much easier before they wanted all the schooling, all the time. I put on science VHS's and have some science books now that they love....THANKS SANDY ;). That's as far as I get somedays and trust me we by no means homeschool everyday even at this point. I try, but I feel like things are going crazy everywhere. I have an 11 month old walking everywhere now too. Eventually, we will be year round homeschoolers as well for the same reason you pointed out but for now, I can't even become an every other day schooler. A lot of it has to do with not liking HWT and some of the others. I just don't know any good programs so I feel STUCK with what we have and although the programs are showing me, as well as the kids, that they aren't working and my kids dislike them, I just don't know what else to do. I am confused by some of the items. My oldest doesn't like Christ Centered Curriculum at this point but enjoys the Ordinary Parents Guide (we got it the other day). So is it safe for us to not use a big, complicated phonics program or would it be good follow up? I am SO Glad you are enjoying the material. Rod and Staff has a writing program also. I haven't used it much though. I am moving my two to Queens Pictures in Cursive but this is a cursive program. I don't know if she has a printing program or not but you might want to check that out. I really do like the looks of her things. I am also going to be using Writing With Ease come fall. I bought the workbook but you don't have to have the workbook to do the program. You can get these used sometimes. Just some more things to occupy your thinking.:lol: I don't know if it is any comfort but I have been 'schooling my two since they are around 3 and 4 and I feel like I am just starting to really get it figured out.:confused: Being on this board has helped me a lot to sort/weed out what will work and not work for my kids. Enjoy your time off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunshineMom Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Do you know of any seasoned homeschool mothers in your immediate area you could consult with? Face to face consulting and reviewing curriculum with another homeschool mother can be liberating. It is time to call in those experienced mothers for support! Additionally, considering your whole family's horrific experience with public school, a little vacation from "school" is needed. I would recommend taking the summer off....just make the library your second home, go on those walks/hikes, plant a garden, have playdates and get recharged. Your family needs room for healing and you also need time to be at peace. God never tests us beyond our limits so give yourself permission to reflect and breathe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aly9712 Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 I would also suggest finding a homeschool social/support group. I also think taking a break is a good idea. Sometimes you just have to take a moment to catch your breath, take a look and re-priotize. With your babies being so young, they won't really even notice....but you sure will :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Another vote for a break here. *gently* Remember your little ones are just that. Little ones. Sometimes we feel, as homeschooling moms, that we have to cram their heads with knowledge. I was like that and I turned to these boards. Some very wise women told me to take a breath and slow down. This journey isn't a sprint. If I were in your shoes, with the added stress in your life, I'd take a few weeks and spend extra time reading to them, going on walks and pointing out trees, baking cookies and teaching them measurements or heck, just snuggle up on the couch and watch a movie. All of these activities are packed with learning possibilities, even the snuggling part. I think maybe that's the most important lesson of all, really. It teaches them that you love them and value spending time with them. I'm grateful for these boards because I did learn the lesson. I've slowed down and started listening, really listening, to what my kids are telling me. Now if my 6yo really isn't into phonics today, I know it isn't the end of the world-let's go read a book together instead. And if my 9yo really isn't feeling the writing today, well, how about we take a break? It'll be there tomorrow. HTH and hang in there. You're doing a great job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 When my younger son was in K last year, I found that I had to learn what worked best with him. He is also quite advanced, so I need to modify higher level curriculum to fit his abilities. This is mostly in the area of writing; he is simply not able to write as much as an older child. Don't worry if it takes some mucking about to find things that work with your kids. And don't worry, with an advanced student, if he is needing some modification of the curriculum to make it work without tears. Teaching an asynchronously accelerated student is very similar to teaching a learning disabled student; you need to make sure the material is being input at their intellectual level, but you may need to modify the output requirements somewhat. Singapore math is a good program for a strong math student. It has a workbook through the grade 6 level, which is helpful for young students. It also has challenging supplements that catch and hold the advanced student's interest. It is easy to compact and it is easy to go deeper depending on what you need. As for your son's not wanting to read real books, has he had a developmental vision exam? Sometimes kids resist the leap to smaller, more compacted print because they have tracking and other visual issues. This was true for my son, who started reading at age 2. He stalled at a 2nd grade reading level for a *long* time until he got vision therapy. A few months into VT, he was able to read chapter books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildflower Posted May 31, 2009 Share Posted May 31, 2009 Oh sweetie. You love your kids, and want them to succeed. Take a breather & relax. Let them be kids and let yourself be the great mom you MUST be or you wouldn't be so taken back by this. I am sending a private message to you also. Blessings to you. Robyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in AUS Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I really just wanted to say 'Hi'. You are not alone. HSing accelerated/bright/gifted kids is VERY challenging. What they LOVE one day they HATE the next. At the end of the day whilst they are more than capable of doing things well in excess of their age they are just little kids, and they act like it. We are constantly changing things up here to keep everyone engaged and interested and to avoid tears, sadness, distress related to any subject. As soon as i start to see any resistance i look for a different way or we take a break. I want my kids to have a love of learning. Sometimes we do seated work, sometimes we do activity bags, sometimes we have a down day and visit the zoo. Mixing it up keeps them asking for more. Perhaps with your older one you need to explain to him that what he did as PS isn't the same as HS and he doesn't have to do it the same way. HS can be more fun and yet still he can learn so much. Does he have many friends now? Perhaps he is missing the friendship and the playtime more than the actual lesson time??? I agree with the past posters that you should look for some support in your local area. If you want to check out what we get up to please have a look at my blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I found this late. I'm on the bandwagon with taking some kind of break and/or switching gears. We love Singapore Math, but there was too much colour in the textbooks for my now 11 yo at the early levels. She's very vs and needed b&W as much as possible. The workbook was better. We combined it with MUS. I am also a firm believer in teaching my dc to be able to entertain themselves as well as to be social. I started that from the time they were babies. Not just to give me a break, but I think that everyone needs to know how to spend time with no other people around as well as time with people. fwiw, I'm a split introvert/extrovert, and I don't mean midway--sometimes I'm all extrovert and sometimes I'm all introvert. I've had to learn how to handle middle ground, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 (edited) My oldest doesn't like Christ Centered Curriculum at this point but enjoys the Ordinary Parents Guide (we got it the other day). So is it safe for us to not use a big, complicated phonics program or would it be good follow up? Some of the simpler programs are actually better! OPG and PP are my favorites next to Webster's Speller. OPG teaches enough phonics that just a spelling program and a little more work with multi-syllable words is needed when you finish. At age 5, most of my students (including my daughter, who likes books and could sit still for a book) did a lot better with the words on a white board for phonics, instead of from a book. I use a small white board like they used to use personal chalk boards. I teach from it, then my students also do some spelling on it. (Or, if they can't write well, they do oral spelling and some "written" spelling with magnetic letters on a magnetic white board or a cookie sheet.) Edit: I haven't actually seen the Christ Centered Curriculum, so I don't know how good of a program it is, but I do know that OPG teaches enough on its own. Edited June 1, 2009 by ElizabethB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nan in Mass Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 First, hugs. What a horrible first experience with school! Thank goodness you recognized what was going on and pulled him out! You might want to do a little reading on how abused children recover from abuse once the abuse stops? Maybe there are recognizable stages that would help you to see what is going on, and how much of what is going on is you and what you are doing at home, and how much is just reaction and healing? I should think you would be getting very mixed signals from him for quite awhile, since he is probably feeling pretty mixed up and confused inside. Children tend to blame everything on their mothers, even teenagers SIGH (I have teenagers). Maybe you know this already from your special ed training, but just in case... Some wise person here pointed out that with gifted children, it is important to separate input from output. Your children probably need a very high level of input to feel satisfied that they are learning. To them, learning doesn't necessarily mean demonstrating what they have learned (output). They may not even want to use what they have learned (another sort of output). They may just want to think about it. Can you ask your son what he learned in school? It sounds like maybe he was learning something there that he isn't at home. It might be something simple like how to make a snowflake, or it might have been something like reading. School tends to have ways of marking progress that we skip in a home environment. Maybe he doesn't feel like he is learning now because there is nothing marking his progress, like moving to the next level reader or checking a box on his progress chart? Maybe some way of marking his progress would help. (Something simple might work. I had my husband ask the children each night what they had learned. I prompted and reminded.) Or maybe he is confused about school in general. Maybe he admired some of the things older children could do and thinks that only school knows how to teach those things? What if you explained that school has to teach in a certain regimented way because they have to teach many children at the same time, but that at home learning can be done in a more fun way, and assure him that you are a real, bonified, trained teacher? You don't know what his pre-school teacher told him about school and learning. Perhaps he has some misconceptions? Anyway, if you separate the input and output, you can put the input at a high enough level to satisfy the children without the (usually) boring hard work of producing workbook pages, which they might still be too young to manage. You don't need lots of money to do this if you have access to a library. Our tiny libray has three version of most children's non-fiction: middle school level, upper elementary level, and lower elementary level. I found that if I used the middle school level books with my 6yo, we were both happier. That, unfortunately, means that you can't just hand the book to the child and have them read it to themselves, even if they can read quite well. We worked our way through the non-fiction section, taking out a bag of books each week. Does your son like puzzles? You can give him those and tell him they are teaching him to think. I taught my youngest to read and write without any curriculum at all (thinking money here). Unfortunately, most curricula have to be heavily adapted for bright children. This takes energy and sometimes more money. Have you seen Ruth Beechick's pamphlets about teaching your children math and English? She tells you how to do it without a curriculum. You might like her approach. They are short and easy to read, also, which would be a good thing with your 11mo. : ) I taught my youngest basic math and reading and writing without a curriculum. You know how to do these things already. (It is when you get to high school chemistry and can't remember any of it that things get complicated sigh.) I bought pads of that paper with the dotted line down the middle at Walmart or the drug store, wrote out letters and words for him to trace and then copy, and just watched the first few to make sure that he was forming the letters efficiently. We did math orally. I read aloud a lot and we had lots of books on tape from the library. I just tried to keep the input high and not expect much output until middle school. It helped a lot with the boredom factor. HTH -Nan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Reading seems like it should be the easier skill but for some kids it is NOT. My dd is one of them. She is very much not a visual learner and does not pick up easily on the visual shapes of words. When I was a kid, I asked about a word once or twice and I knew it. DD used to sound out the same word over and over again and still have to slowly and laboriously sound it out again the next time. Until quite recently she spelled much more easily than she could read. She loved to draw pictures and write stories about them but she couldn't read a sentence let alone a book. She could sound out each word separately if given to her one at a time but she could not read them all lined up next to each other. So spell we did. We used games to practice reading, but she only had to read one word at a time. One day reading just clicked for her. She sounds out words beyond anything I've taught her. She's just armed with the spelling rules and phonograms that I've taught her and her knowledge of the world. The transition was simply amazing. Anyway, if this sounds like your ds, I would suggest you focus on spelling instead of reading or phonics. We use and love AAS. OPGTR would not work as well, IMO, but could be used instead if you can't purchase anything else. (Or check out ElizabethB's posts about Webster's Speller. It is free online and sounds like it might work well for this too.) Start out teaching him to separate a word into it's separate sounds. Tell him the word cat and he needs to break it apart and tell you "c a t." If this is too hard, which it might be, start with finding the first sound of the word, then the first and last, and then try to listen for all of the letter sounds. The great thing about this is that it can all be a game. Then, once he can do this well orally with any word he can spell the words. If he writes well he can just write the letters down when you are spelling words. If not, use a movable alphabet of some sort. We use a wooden alphabet and the letter tile magnets that come with AAS, but letter magnets that you would put on the refrigerator or foam letters for the bathtub would work well too. Then go through the words in OPGTR and focus on spelling. You can read the words too but make sure that he can spell them. If he is able, you can dictate the sentences for him to write as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyFourSons Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Hang in there, I am homeschooling my children after three years of being a preschool teacher myself. There were days I had to chuck my lesson plans out the window with my 3 year olds, they just are not always ready to sit and do work. I did learning centers with my preschool, with some pen and paper work but it was very limited, no more than 15 minutes at a time. During center time, I set up educational and fun centers around the classroom that the kids got to choose from, while I sat at the "teacher center" where I would teach the kids a math lesson or reading lesson. I would call the kids back four at a time to my table. It worked really well, because they got to choose what they did in the meantime (which gives them a sense of independence) but I chose the centers according to different skills they needed to work on, so I knew they were also learning. I always had a fine motor center (with cutting, playdough, something to work on fine motor) a block center (legos, wooden blocks, etc.) a dramatic play center (dress up, kitchen sets, etc) a reading center with books for kids who just wanted to read, and a listening center from time to time with books on tape, a writing center with markers and pencils and stencils and lots of different paper, an art center with some kind of project for them to do, and a math center with a math game or manipulatives. That sounds like a lot, but I had 20 kids in my class with just myself and an aide, and it worked very well with 3-4 kids at a center. Each day I would do either phonics, guided reading, math, or a craft at the teacher table, either way it would incorporate some pencil and paper work and fine motor skills. The materials at the centers were also theme related, as we did units that corresponded with the calendar and holiday (for fire prevention week I had fire trucks and firefighter costumes in dramatic play, and we would paint flames by mixing red and yellow to make orange in the art center, things like that) and I would use cute theme related basic skills math and letter and writing sheets from free online sites. This is how I am going to TRY to do preschool with my youngest, we are going to focus on a certain skill each day during his 15 minute table time, and then he will have an hour of center time where he gets to choose what he plays with while I instruct my older children in math.Then hopefully we can do social studies and science together. at least that is the plan! As a former teacher, I realize that plans rarely work out, but if you are flexible and find a way to teach the kids what they need to know in a way that they enjoy, they should respond. Just try to remember, they are still very little! Their attention spans are still quite short, and they will act out if they get stressed out or frustrated. Just remind yourself that you can do it, even if you have a bad day, or even a week! If you need any preschool resources for worksheets or theme related things online if you need a change of pace, let me know. My students and my kids really loved them, and they were free!!! Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 He may just not want to read books yet. My DD was like this. I put her off on school for a year and this fall she insisted on doing it with us. I thought she'd take off with reading, as it was obviously her strong suit. (she knew her letter sounds at barely 3 and was already sounding things out) She picked up on rules quickly and blended words together ALL the time. But would pronounce everything like she was sounding it out. "C-A-T" Even for words she'd read tons of times and had just read less than a minute ago. I couldn't figure it out. Eventually it hit me that she just really liked sounding words out. So I just let her keep doing that. Around March she started consistantly reading without the choppiness, but she'll still sound out stuff just for the fun of it. If he's like DD, he's just a young, smart kid and wants to do what he wants to do and right now that's not reading real books. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matrips Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 sounds like your son loves to learn but doesn't like the 'school' approach. I would talk it over with him what learning should be like, what you envision, what he likes etc. it seems like you are trying really hard to teach him, but maybe he just wants to learn? without the structure? I've been following my 4yos lead. They love to read and learn, and seem to enjoy teaching themselves and then telling me about it! I've learned to keep lots of material around the house for them to find, especially non-fiction which they seem to like best. They will sit and read children's dictionaries, children's encyclopedias, math workbooks, biographies, and science as well as just regular stories (they still love Richard Scarry!). when they express an interest in something (this past week was the presidents, before that the Boston Tea Party), we just go with it. I just try to make sure I find the books to supplement that interest. when we do sit down to read together, I usually either let them pick the stories to read, or I pick a few books that have many stories in them and they get to pick out of that. I'm finding this approach is working well. Whatever 'curriculum' materials I've bought, I try to set it out where they'll find it and shuffle books around. They found a Science activity book recently and wanted to try some experiments, so I let them pick some and we did that one day. in between we are out and about alot. gymnastics/soccer/pool/field trips/nature centers/playdates/errands etc. so I'm not sure how much homeschooling I'm doing! but they're learning alot and more importantly, having fun learning. I figure we can get more structured as they get older, but for now, they're still just little kids. good luck! I hope it gets more fun for you two! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JennifersLost Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 Totally jumping in here, but.... Ack! You have a three and five year old! And your five year old is a boy! (which means that desk work is going to appeal to him even less) My advice is.....stop everything. EVERYTHING. Let the poor kids play. Please! If you want to do "educational" stuff at this age, DO things. Visit museums, build with legos, etc., go on nature hikes and muck around. Visit ponds and get dirty. Look at things with binoculars and microscopes. Read aloud to your kids...constantly. Teach your son to read when he's ready and it comes easily. Many boys who are labeled at five with different disorders are actually just being five year old boys. Don't fall into the trap. Many, many, many, many boys are not ready to read until 7 and shouldn't be doing desk work before then. Think about it. Think about the way your kids have been since day one.....you couldn't stop them from learning, right? In fact, the only way to make them stop learning at this point, is by trying to teach them in the traditional "sit down at a desk" way. If you feel you need to do phonics, etc., now with your son, do it while you're moving. Create games he can do...things that involve hockey, basketball, running, tag, throwing balls, etc. That's what I'm doing for my preschool for next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RanchGirl Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Joanna, you've received some great advice here. I can't add anything new but was wondering how you are doing now that it's been a few days since your original post? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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