HELP! My 4th grader is killing me!

[thowell]

How long does your day take with 4th grader? My dd9 is killing me. She begged to be HS so this is our first year. We have already changed curriculums because things were going rough and now here we are again. We start at 9 with a 30 minute bible study together. They have workboxes and a printed schedule on their desk. dd6 is finished in about an hour. dd9 is still working and it is almost 3. She has not even started science yet which we are supposed to do together with dd6 but we never seem to get there. What am I doing wrong?! Here is what she is doing

 

Math - Abeka 4. 2 pages(and not all the problems) will take her over an hour

 

Grammar - Steck-Vaughn - 1 lesson a day

 

History - Abeka

 

Writing - Novelist club

 

Science - we dont even do!

 

Reading - she does in the PM

 

So basically the 4 subjects are taking her from 9-3 or 4 with about 1 hour for breaks. She is hating HS. How can I fix this and stay sane????

[Lori D.]

Since it's your first year, and you've already switched curriculum once, I'd say stick with what you've got and adapt it to meet your family needs. You can decide at the end of the year if other curriculum would be a better fit; for now your focus is on YOU learning how to homeschool, and on your STUDENTS learning how to learn at home. Two thoughts come to mind:

 

 

First:

She sounds like she could be a young 4th grader. You mentioned she is 9yo -- and at this point, you are almost halfway through the school year; perhaps she is really at a 3rd grade level, and is having to "stretch" too much in too many subjects? Most 4th graders I know are around 10yo, or if they were 9yo at the start of the school year, they turned 10 within a month or so.

 

 

Second, and more importantly:

How involved are you in the home schooling? Do you sit with her, or is she in a room by herself working? Usually, elementary students still need quite a lot of mom involvement. Who wants to sit in a room by yourself and do something dull like a math worksheet? Perhaps try having her in a common room with you while you fold laundry, pay bills, correct homework, etc. so there can be a little interaction and discussion together.

 

Also, I'd suggest you try combining your 6yo and 9yo and do history and science together -- read the books all together curled up on the couch; do fun history hands-on projects/foods/crafts/games. Read the science books and do the experiments all together. Work at the older student's level, and I'll bet you'll be amazed at how much the younger one will fit right in!

 

To fit science in, try alternating science and history; for example, try doing history 2-3 times a week and then science 2 times a week.

 

Finally, some subjects just DON'T connect with some students and require more of your time sitting with your student and training your student to persevere and finish. For math, I had to sit with highly spontaneous / active / distractible younger DS up until he was about 11yo; he would get the concepts, but math would stretch on forever due to constant pencil drops, bathroom breaks, staring off in the distance, doodling on the math page, starting conversations about completely other topics, fidgeting with whatever was around, etc. -- unless I would sit there and just as he finished and would start to drift, I would say "Great job! Now, how do you do the next one?" for every...single...math...problem.

 

 

Also consider injecting some fun things into your school day that your students would enjoy; it would be supplemental reinforcement, and some of these ideas would also give you either one-on-one time with the other student, or a few minutes' break to yourself -- might also be an effective incentive to speed up her work a little, too: "Just as soon as you finish that math page, we can play this great game!"

 

- educational video/DVD

- educational software/game

- books on tape

- educational board games and electronics

- logic and puzzle pages

 

 

Also, find a local homeschool mom to help encourage YOU! Learning how to homeschool, and especially how to homeschool your own home is hard, and takes time for the whole family -- other homeschoolers farther along the path can be a tremendous support and resource for you! :)

 

And being a part of a homeschool group can also be great educational supplement:

- field trips

- meet once a month (or more regularly) with other homeschoolers to do big projects (art, history, science, etc.)

- book club with students of similar age

 

 

Welcome to homeschooling, and wishing you and your family a wonderful journey as you work out these "bumps" in the road. Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited November 23, 2009 by Lori D.
added info

[AudreyTN]

I agree with Lori.

 

My 4th grader is young - August birthday. We still do just about everything together. Everything that I can combine, gets done together. My 4th and 3rd grader have folders that contain some daily independent work, which takes them about an hour to complete.

 

The folders contain copywork, reading assignments, reminders to work on flashcards, a math review sheet (NOT learning something new).

[thowell]

Yes she just turned 9 in the end of May so I guess she is young, although she is extremely smart. And yes this sounds just like her Lori with the math. I have a school room set up in our front living room which is very open and I am in and out all day helping her and checking on her. I will try sitting with her during math to see if this helps. Right now I know it is not to hard because it all review from last year and she is scoring around 98% on her math. I have added in the History pockets and we will start them together next week and our science we do together (we just dont ever make it there) I will try to rotate the science and history. I am really looking at FIAR for next year and just adding Math and Grammar to make it lighter. I dont want her to hate learning and so far that is exactly what is happening.

[arcara]

I have a 9yo 4th grader. We also school from 9-3, with a 1.5-2 hr break, but I don't think we could do it any faster with our curriculum. You can see her curriculum by clicking on the link in my sig. She used to be incredibly slow. She still can be, but she's much better now.

 

Two things helped us...First, I have to stay in the room with her. We all school in same room. Second, we have a schedule and we stick to it! When time is up for a subject, we move on. If she hasn't finished, she just has to finish later during free time. On days we have outside activities, I always say that I'll just bring her work along for her to complete there if she doesn't finish - I've never actually had to do this! I make sure that what I've asked her to do it reasonable. If I see that she's been working and not wasting time, then we just move the work to the next day if she hasn't finished. We've been homeschooling from the beginning, so I have a good idea by now how much work she can handle in a given amount of time in a given subject. Also, if she's kind of sluggish, I sometimes make her stand up and do jumping jacks to get the blood flowing. The kids actually all think this is funny. On the same note, I also schedule a chore an hour into our school day to get her up and moving for a few minutes.

[thowell]

Ok, another bad day. I just finished losing my temper which I try sooooo hard not to do. Here is what she accomplished tell me if I am asking too much

 

9-10 we have our together bible

she did 10 problems in her Abeka math

she did one worksheet in her grammar

 

That's it until 12:30 for 2 1/2 hours

then lunch, after lunch we did our history together, which I had to cut short because dd9 still had work to do. She just finished. She had to write spelling words 2x and fill out bird worksheet on new bird! that took her 2 hours!

 

This is about 3 hours worth of work. Why is it taking her soooooo long. I tried to talk to her today and her reason was because her work was just not fun! I cant even get to the fun stuff because she wont get through.

I am trying to find Fiar vol1 used to start with in January. I am hoping that will take some stress off. I am just at a loss. This is our first year and I dont want to give up. dd6 is doing great! What am I doing wrong. And yes I spend most of the time in the room with her today.:banghead::banghead:

[Heather in WI]

Ok, another bad day. I just finished losing my temper which I try sooooo hard not to do. Here is what she accomplished tell me if I am asking too much

 

 

You're not asking too much.

 

My son, 9, is in 4th grade. He has an April birthday, so he won't be 10 until next year, FWIW.

 

In the A.M. he covers:

Silent Reading (history)

Bible

Spelling

Math

Latin

 

Then we break for an hour (or more when he finishes early).

 

In the P.M. he covers:

History

Science

Grammar

Writing

Silent Reading (literature)

 

He finishes each day between 3-4pm.

 

Two things helped us...First, I have to stay in the room ... Second, we have a schedule and we stick to it!

.....

Also, if she's kind of sluggish, I sometimes make her stand up and do jumping jacks to get the blood flowing. The kids actually all think this is funny.

 

:iagree: This is what we do in our house, too.

[riada]

For what it's worth, just know that you are not alone!!! I've been there and still have days where I am here. We sailed from K-3rd. Then we hit fourth and it became harder. My dd10 (9 in fourth) started complaining about the material we used even though we stayed steady with it for the first four years. It now wasn't fun. So we switched and she didn't like that. We switched again and she didn't like that either. I came to the conclusion that any school would be met with irritation on her part simply because it was school.

 

I then had to realize that if things are dragging out and everyone is getting frustrated then I needed to back off some. I guarantee if you are both near tears and irritated then there isn't a lot of learning happening even when you push through the day! We lightened the day and I lightened my expectations. The days are better now although we still have about one day a week that she drags it out long after I see school buses drive by dropping neighboring children off. I pray this continues to get better and eventually she will see that if she diligently does her work she could enjoy a lot more of her day! Best of luck to you!

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

Ok, another bad day. I just finished losing my temper which I try sooooo hard not to do. Here is what she accomplished tell me if I am asking too much

 

9-10 we have our together bible

she did 10 problems in her Abeka math

she did one worksheet in her grammar

 

That's it until 12:30 for 2 1/2 hours

then lunch, after lunch we did our history together, which I had to cut short because dd9 still had work to do. She just finished. She had to write spelling words 2x and fill out bird worksheet on new bird! that took her 2 hours!

 

This is about 3 hours worth of work. Why is it taking her soooooo long. I tried to talk to her today and her reason was because her work was just not fun! I cant even get to the fun stuff because she wont get through.

I am trying to find Fiar vol1 used to start with in January. I am hoping that will take some stress off. I am just at a loss. This is our first year and I dont want to give up. dd6 is doing great! What am I doing wrong. And yes I spend most of the time in the room with her today.:banghead::banghead:

 

You may want to consider doing math first and doing bible study in the evening together and perhaps doing the bible study only for a 1/2 hour since it sounds like it will be a subject that you will do for many years to come IMHO. Also starting at about 8am may help as well. I found for my ds that it helps to do math or least favorite subject first. I save the most pleasant or easier subjects for afternoon or evening:) I also have found that it makes a huge difference to start at 8am versus 9am. I also have found that I have to sit with my son for the most part. I am gradually trying to increase his independence but I expect that this may take several years or more;)

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

I also found that it is helpful in math to break up some of the practice sheets. For example, the cyber school that my son uses assigned about 4-5 very full worksheets a day in a particular math fact. I found that since he is a quick learner that it was better to make sure that he understands the concept and do about 1-2 sheets and spread the rest out over the next month or 2. Of course, if he did not understand then I could not do this. I also found it helpful to mix up the activities with the math facts. For example, there are many great websites such as the BBC that have math games to solidify the math facts.

[thowell]

Soooo anyone know of any other places for 4th grade math games?

[Garga]

When you say you spent most of the time in the room, do you mean that you were in the room, but doing other things?

 

When people say, "I have to be in the room with my child," I'm pretty sure they mean, "I have to be in the room with my child, sitting right next to them, and watching them work."

 

That's what I do. I sit right next to my ds7 and help him to stay focused for pretty much everything he does. When he starts to doodle or look around the room, I guide him back to his work.

 

Sure, it's a pain to sit there and do that, but we're done any seat work by noon and the rest of the day is lunch and then fun stuff, like science experiments, fun history projects, or nature walks, etc.

[Garga]

You can try Tux of Math Command for an arcade like math game. It's free. You download it.

[rafiki]

.

[melmichigan]

My oldest DD just turned 10 (she's a fifth grader) and I teach, I do all the readings, aside from independent readers which are then discussed for comprehension. My DD will then have a worksheet review and map work for history, math which is done by time rather than number of problems, and science might be it a workbook page or online interactive; these are usually what is left. Once I am done teaching then she does this remaining work independently with me available for help, it takes her a little over an hour including her 30 minutes of math, sometimes an hour and a half. Otherwise it would take her all day to complete this days work on her own. They still need teaching, for years yet before they are able to take over a large part independently. :)

 

I work with my youngers in a similar manner although they do even less on their own. They do read aloud to me instead of independent reading, with only one making progress in that direction for some of her reading.

 

I made the mistake last year of assuming my older DD could do more independently and it didn't go well so I have been there. We are having a much better year this year. :) I now have the view that this is my job so I don't get much else done during school time.

Edited December 1, 2009 by melmichigan

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

http://www.mathsisfun.com/numbers/math-trainer-addition.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks1bitesize/numeracy/

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/bitesize//

 

http://learninggamesforkids.com/

 

 

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math.htm

 

http://www.e-learningforkids.org/courses.html

 

http://www.khanacademy.org/

 

http://www.thegreatmartinicompany.com/

 

http://math-magic.com/

Edited December 3, 2009 by priscilla

[coffeefreak]

Hi! I'm here to be the voice of dissension :001_smile:

 

I don't sit with my 4th grader. I did this for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. Nothing changed and she was still pokey.:glare: I started giving her "independent work" at the beginning of this year. I teach a lesson, she has some time to complete part or all of the assignment while I work with her sister, and then she completes the rest on her own time. So, take Math. I teach the lesson, she gets started on her worksheet. I move on to her sister, I teach the lesson and work with my youngest on the worksheet. This takes about a half hour. If my oldest isn't done with her worksheet in that time, she sets it aside and completes it later. This is how I do all her subjects. I help her keep a list of work she has to complete by the end of the day, just like they do in school for homework. Even with her independent work, she averages about 3-4 hours of school a day. We check her work the next day and file it in her notebooks.

 

I started doing this for several reasons. First, I could not hold her hand and my 1st grader's hand at the same time. My first grader needs my time, and rightfully so! Second, I think in 4th grade they need to start working independently and taking responsibility for their assignments. She is getting her work done MUCH faster and is getting better at learning priorities. If she has work to do, she cannot watch TV, play computer, or play outside. Trust me, it was PAINFUL at first. But it's going a lot better now. She let work pile up, and realized I would not let her off the hook. If she didn't get an assignment done, she still had to do it the next day. After that happened a couple of times, she learned her lesson :001_smile:

 

Only you can know what will work best for your dd. This was what worked for us, so I thought I'd pass it along!

 

HTH!

Dorinda

[Ellie]

Give her half an hour to do each assignment (after you've done any teaching). The end. Tomorrow she picks up where she left off, and works for half an hour. The end.

 

Ok, if half an hour doesn't seem long enough, then 45 minutes, but no more than that.

 

So she might not finish any of her Official School Stuff in a year. No big deal. She's just 9. It's your first year of hsing. It will be fine. With such young dc, the first year of hsing, IMHO there should be lots of warm fuzzy mother-child time, not worry about completing a certain amount of school work each day.

[StephanieZ]

I wonder if maybe you could back up and restart some things?

 

I have never had to "start in the middle" since we are lifer hs'ers, lol. But, I seem to recall reading in WTM and other sources that some serious detox time is needed after bringing home a child from regular school to home school.

 

I think you need to focus on quality effort, quality attitude, quality learning . . . and not worry about quantity for a while.

 

Also, I believe in behavior training through positive reinforcement, which means you have to create situations (think baby steps!!) where your dd can be successful and you can reinforce her good work with "Great job getting those 4 problems done so fast! We have time to make cookies! Let's get out the chocolate chips!", etc etc etc. Use any kind of positive reinforcements you can come up with -- from simple "Great Jobs!" to "natural rewards" such as the cookie making one or other simpler ones (we have time to go for a walk before starting dinner!" etc etc etc) to outright bribes such as "Nice work writing those sentences so neatly and without getting a wandering eye! Here's a lolipop!" It may sound silly, but if you can find 20 opportunities to praise/reward during the school day, I bet major $$ you'll be happy with the changes in your child within a week.

 

Sooo, to create those situations. .. How about an experiment?? Cut out 75% of your dd's current work load (THIS IS TEMPORARY!! NO PANICKING!), so that for spelling, you assign, say, write these two words 5 times each and write one sentence for each one. You might realize you can "throw out" some busy work (why copy the spelling words she gets right on the pretest?? etc) and so you don't really have to progress at 25% speed, but maybe 50% speed. . . In the subjects you can't edit, then just do half a lesson instead of a whole lesson, or 1/4 of a lesson!! If you have some subjects you can drop out of your daily routine for a while, that would make it easier to keep progressing with your cores.

 

You want to get it down to a level where SUCCESS IS GUARANTEED. If that means, please write this one spelling word 5 times in less than 5 minutes. . . Then, that's what you do. Then, praise and reward!!! Rinse, repeat. Rinse, repeat. You can do reading three times during the day. . . 10 min each time. Same with math. . .

 

Crank up the challenge level SLOWLY, making sure not to go too far too fast. Keep it at a level where success is easy. Praise, reward, etc. Be sure to praise EFFORT, ATTENTION, MINDFULNESS. . . i.e., things that the child can control and repeat. (not focusing on performance per se, but more on effort.)

 

You want to build a HABIT of good effort, attention, joyfulness, etc. The quantity of work your child accomplishes (or not) in the next few months won't matter at all in comparison to the learning habits established.

 

Well, that's what I'd do if I were in your shoes.

 

FWIW, I'd pull my hair out and set it afire if I had to sit by my kids all day watching them work! YOIKES! I only sit with them when they need my help! That even goes for my 7yo! They all are used to doing (quite a bit of!!) work independently -- they may need reminders, nudges, occasional threats or bribes. . . but they each have their age-appropriate systems to get their stuff done w/o me babysitting. I'd go out of my mind.

[jclinton]

Ishe's scoreing 98% in math - why not move on. Perhaps the reason she's taking so long is because it's terribly boring. Busy work is no fun for anyone. Maybe she needs more of a challenge. Perhaps you could mix things up a bit by adding in some games etc. I drill math facts as a "fishing game" or a board game - memory type games. This seems to break up the monotany of mathfor dd also 9 and in 4th grade. I try to alternate the "fun" stuff with the boring stuff to keep her interested/moving. For instance we do math and then do a more interesting subject -dd loves Latin so we do Latin after math. Then English - then history and it's projects. Then we do science and I make sure we do lots of hads on info. Art is saved for days when we've gotten done early and all has gone well. DS 7 is usually done within an hour or so as well - but his work is very straight forward - workbook type of stuff. dd has a little bit more complex work. I make sure I sit with her for the subjects that can be tediou -ie math and Engish.

HTH,

JoAnne

[thowell]

I wonder if maybe you could back up and restart some things?

 

I have never had to "start in the middle" since we are lifer hs'ers, lol. But, I seem to recall reading in WTM and other sources that some serious detox time is needed after bringing home a child from regular school to home school.

 

I think you need to focus on quality effort, quality attitude, quality learning . . . and not worry about quantity for a while.

 

Also, I believe in behavior training through positive reinforcement, which means you have to create situations (think baby steps!!) where your dd can be successful and you can reinforce her good work with "Great job getting those 4 problems done so fast! We have time to make cookies! Let's get out the chocolate chips!", etc etc etc. Use any kind of positive reinforcements you can come up with -- from simple "Great Jobs!" to "natural rewards" such as the cookie making one or other simpler ones (we have time to go for a walk before starting dinner!" etc etc etc) to outright bribes such as "Nice work writing those sentences so neatly and without getting a wandering eye! Here's a lolipop!" It may sound silly, but if you can find 20 opportunities to praise/reward during the school day, I bet major $$ you'll be happy with the changes in your child within a week.

 

Sooo, to create those situations. .. How about an experiment?? Cut out 75% of your dd's current work load (THIS IS TEMPORARY!! NO PANICKING!), so that for spelling, you assign, say, write these two words 5 times each and write one sentence for each one. You might realize you can "throw out" some busy work (why copy the spelling words she gets right on the pretest?? etc) and so you don't really have to progress at 25% speed, but maybe 50% speed. . . In the subjects you can't edit, then just do half a lesson instead of a whole lesson, or 1/4 of a lesson!! If you have some subjects you can drop out of your daily routine for a while, that would make it easier to keep progressing with your cores.

 

You want to get it down to a level where SUCCESS IS GUARANTEED. If that means, please write this one spelling word 5 times in less than 5 minutes. . . Then, that's what you do. Then, praise and reward!!! Rinse, repeat. Rinse, repeat. You can do reading three times during the day. . . 10 min each time. Same with math. . .

 

Crank up the challenge level SLOWLY, making sure not to go too far too fast. Keep it at a level where success is easy. Praise, reward, etc. Be sure to praise EFFORT, ATTENTION, MINDFULNESS. . . i.e., things that the child can control and repeat. (not focusing on performance per se, but more on effort.)

 

You want to build a HABIT of good effort, attention, joyfulness, etc. The quantity of work your child accomplishes (or not) in the next few months won't matter at all in comparison to the learning habits established.

 

Well, that's what I'd do if I were in your shoes.

 

FWIW, I'd pull my hair out and set it afire if I had to sit by my kids all day watching them work! YOIKES! I only sit with them when they need my help! That even goes for my 7yo! They all are used to doing (quite a bit of!!) work independently -- they may need reminders, nudges, occasional threats or bribes. . . but they each have their age-appropriate systems to get their stuff done w/o me babysitting. I'd go out of my mind.

 

While this sounds like great advice, how do I know she is getting enough? If she is only doing say 50% of her work how will she stay on track? Also, since I am sure that this is not a lack of knowledge but a lack of wanting to do her work because she says it is not fun, would this be conforming to what she is wanting? Basically giving her an easier day because she is refusing to do it? KWIM? I want to do right by her but I also know that everything we learn cant always be fun. I am trying to offer her plenty of fun things to do and learn but she will not get through the things that she has to do ex. math, grammar, writing. I think next year I am looking into TT5 since it has soooo many good reviews.

[thowell]

Hi! I'm here to be the voice of dissension :001_smile:

 

I don't sit with my 4th grader. I did this for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. Nothing changed and she was still pokey.:glare: I started giving her "independent work" at the beginning of this year. I teach a lesson, she has some time to complete part or all of the assignment while I work with her sister, and then she completes the rest on her own time. So, take Math. I teach the lesson, she gets started on her worksheet. I move on to her sister, I teach the lesson and work with my youngest on the worksheet. This takes about a half hour. If my oldest isn't done with her worksheet in that time, she sets it aside and completes it later. This is how I do all her subjects. I help her keep a list of work she has to complete by the end of the day, just like they do in school for homework. Even with her independent work, she averages about 3-4 hours of school a day. We check her work the next day and file it in her notebooks.

 

I started doing this for several reasons. First, I could not hold her hand and my 1st grader's hand at the same time. My first grader needs my time, and rightfully so! Second, I think in 4th grade they need to start working independently and taking responsibility for their assignments. She is getting her work done MUCH faster and is getting better at learning priorities. If she has work to do, she cannot watch TV, play computer, or play outside. Trust me, it was PAINFUL at first. But it's going a lot better now. She let work pile up, and realized I would not let her off the hook. If she didn't get an assignment done, she still had to do it the next day. After that happened a couple of times, she learned her lesson :001_smile:

 

Only you can know what will work best for your dd. This was what worked for us, so I thought I'd pass it along!

 

HTH!

Dorinda

 

Thank you for saying this. Honestly I was starting to feel like a failure for this. I also have a dd6 and I try to alternate between the two of them much like how you described. But as sson as I start to work with dd6, dd9 stops all progress. How can I hold her hand all day and give dd6 a fair day? Shouldn't she be able to have some independent work? I always teach and explain the lesson and then leave her with the seat work to do.

[LinRTX]

I too feel a 9yo can do independent work. I don't have a 6yo, but I have so many other responsibilities I must take care of -- including my older children and my sick father.

 

For my child, I set a timer for her math. She does Saxon and is doing 25 problems a day. If I don't set the time, this can take 2 hours. I set the timer for 1 hour and tell her we will do something else when the timer goes off. She has never taken the full hour when the timer is set and she always does better, making fewer mistakes. I think knowing she has a set time helps her focus!

 

Linda

[The Governess]

You said that your 1st grader gets through her work in about an hour. What if you start with her in the morning and then turn her loose to play or work on a fun project, and then sit for the next 2 hours with your dd9? Your dd9 can get through one of her subjects while you work with dd6 and then you can help her get through the rest.

 

:grouphug: Dawdling is no fun, especially when you know how well they could do if they just *did* it.

[PeterPan]

Thowell, I don't know how to say this, but the stuff you are doing is NOT fun. That's why your dd is saying that. This is your first year? And you're doing a lot of abeka and doing it straight? Could I humbly suggest you ditch some stuff? There are SO many good math options for 4th grade, there's absolutely NO reason to have her working in one she hates. Horizons is cheap and colorful. CLE will even send you a free unit so you can try it. Both have placement tests. I'd try CLE with her definitely. You have 2-3 weeks till Christmas, so why don't you try a few things and loosen up for a while, experiment, and be ready to go more fully and happily in January? This is a good time to shuffle things, reorganize, and experiment.

 

FIAR? You don't need FIAR for her age. But you could do FIAR right now with them, and it might relieve the guilt you're feeling about your 6 yo. What are you doing with your 6 yo? My 1 yo sits in a seat and works on "school stuff" (educational toys just for then, etc.) while I work with dd. It gives me a good hour to sit with her and get her through math and important stuff. YES, you need to sit with her. Toss that paper and get out a whiteboard! We do our math on the whiteboard, and it's SO much more fun that way. You can get packs of whiteboard pens that have lots of colors and little felt erasers at the top. Those are our favs. Try them and see if your world doesn't improve.

 

Math games are fine, but I think the Flashmaster is the bees' knees. Get one, plunk out the money, and have her use it if she's slow on her facts. If that's why the math is taking too long, it will help. It's not nearly so dry as the dry box makes you think.

 

On that Abeka history, I suggest you pause it till January and just do Christmas themed stuff. But when you come back to it in January, ditch the stupid birds and busywork. The Abeka4 history text is actually really good (have it, like it), but you could pop it and make it a LOT more fun with a little effort. For instance, read the text, then get real books on the library! Get a craft book on the topic for that chapter (indians, colonial, whatever) and do projects! Ditch the workbook for it entirely. Get historical fiction on the topics. Has she read the COFA's? (Childhood of Famous Americans series) Have you looked at Time Travelers? They're much better than History Pockets, bleh. You can see both online and decide for yourself.

 

Ditch some of the abeka and modify heavily the rest. Don't let it drag you down. And no, school should NOT be taking that long. Yes, you need to sit with some kids. But there should be forward momentum, not these battles.

[MrsMe]

My dd is 9 and her b-day is in June. She is in 3rd. She'd either be old or young and I chose old for her grade. There's less frustration that way. But my dd lacks focus. We're working on that. I can totally relate. I tried to give my dd workboxes while I showered for independant things, but that is proving to be futile. She likes me there and she has no discipline to get things done on her own. I also can say that I would never have her do a lot of this stuff without me there. First she likes me there, second, she just doesn't have the focus. I too spent a year or two not getting to subjects because she takes forever. And yes, we still have these issues. An hour and a half to do her cursive letter, get dressed, feed the dogs. No kidding. So I can't let her work so independently.

 

Are you switching seatwork with fun work? Do you have an incentive build in? "If you do this, then we'll be able to do this" sort of thing. Set a timer. If she doesn't finish it in a certain amount of time, it's homework later. Ask her what she'd like to do, projects, crafts, breaks, etc.

 

All kids are different. One lacks focus and another has focus. One works well independently, the other wants you there constantly. Start an incentive, do baby steps for independent work.

Edited December 1, 2009 by alilac

[thowell]

Thowell, I don't know how to say this, but the stuff you are doing is NOT fun. That's why your dd is saying that. This is your first year? And you're doing a lot of abeka and doing it straight? Could I humbly suggest you ditch some stuff? There are SO many good math options for 4th grade, there's absolutely NO reason to have her working in one she hates. Horizons is cheap and colorful. CLE will even send you a free unit so you can try it. Both have placement tests. I'd try CLE with her definitely. You have 2-3 weeks till Christmas, so why don't you try a few things and loosen up for a while, experiment, and be ready to go more fully and happily in January? This is a good time to shuffle things, reorganize, and experiment.

 

FIAR? You don't need FIAR for her age. But you could do FIAR right now with them, and it might relieve the guilt you're feeling about your 6 yo. What are you doing with your 6 yo? My 1 yo sits in a seat and works on "school stuff" (educational toys just for then, etc.) while I work with dd. It gives me a good hour to sit with her and get her through math and important stuff. YES, you need to sit with her. Toss that paper and get out a whiteboard! We do our math on the whiteboard, and it's SO much more fun that way. You can get packs of whiteboard pens that have lots of colors and little felt erasers at the top. Those are our favs. Try them and see if your world doesn't improve.

 

Math games are fine, but I think the Flashmaster is the bees' knees. Get one, plunk out the money, and have her use it if she's slow on her facts. If that's why the math is taking too long, it will help. It's not nearly so dry as the dry box makes you think.

 

On that Abeka history, I suggest you pause it till January and just do Christmas themed stuff. But when you come back to it in January, ditch the stupid birds and busywork. The Abeka4 history text is actually really good (have it, like it), but you could pop it and make it a LOT more fun with a little effort. For instance, read the text, then get real books on the library! Get a craft book on the topic for that chapter (indians, colonial, whatever) and do projects! Ditch the workbook for it entirely. Get historical fiction on the topics. Has she read the COFA's? (Childhood of Famous Americans series) Have you looked at Time Travelers? They're much better than History Pockets, bleh. You can see both online and decide for yourself.

 

Ditch some of the abeka and modify heavily the rest. Don't let it drag you down. And no, school should NOT be taking that long. Yes, you need to sit with some kids. But there should be forward momentum, not these battles.

 

Wow, ok let me see if I can answer all your questions. First my dd6 does the following

Ray's for math

Mcguffey's for Dictation and Spelling

Abeka for reading

Abeka 1st grade history

Handwriting

She just started Scott Foresman Grammar because she begged to and is flying through it

We do bible together

Science together if we get there.

We also do out loud reading together with dd9 every evening

 

As for dd9, I started her with MEP math and she ended up hating that, so I switched her to Abeka. She doesnt do all the problems and once she test out on something we move on. We are doing the Abeka history and adding to it with ideas from Guest Hollow. (when we get to it) She wants to do the bird study that is what she is interested in right now.

Why do you not think Fiar would work? I was looking for something more lit focused that we could tie in together for all subjects (except math and grammar). We have already switched things around as we were doing AWOA which was working but then we hit a dead end as Dh did not like some of the things taught there (due to religious beliefs and dd6 having nightmares) so I really hate to switch again. I feel like we are not accomplishing anything!!!

[PeterPan]

I'm confused about something. Are you doing MOH *and* Abeka4 (american)??? That's overkill. No wonder you aren't getting to history and science, lol. Yes you can do a unit study approach with FIAR and cover science and stuff, but it's so sporadic, it's certainly not adequate for a 10 yo.

 

Now here's something else. You need to stop doing an hour of Bible study first and do that MATH first, while she's fresh. You can sing together some Christmas carols, then hit the math right away. Set a timer for 35 minutes, work together, and put it away, done. THEN do your Bible time. And if you're doing MOH, then you're doing history too. If that's the case and you still want some american, I'd just have an american history read aloud or give her the COFA's and leave it at that. You can't pull in two directions at once and do a good job, kwim? Pick one or the other to focus on and let the other slide and be quick, just a lick and a promise, 15 minutes. So either the MOH goes short or the american is short.

 

Now on that science, have you thought about the Apologia elementary books? Their astronomy book would be SO much fun with those ages.

 

What you're accomplishing this year is called finding your groove. Many people try 3 or 4 math programs before they find a good match for their dc. That's why I suggested you give yourself permission to do that. But a dab of 3 or 4. Or change how you're using what you're using.

 

As far as being in the room or not, I think you're getting out of it what you put into it. You have to sit there with her. It doesn't matter if some kids would be fine without mom there. Your dd needs you there, so you need to be there. So for that 35 minutes, you set the timer and plunk yourself there. Take some crochet, take a task. Put your 6 yo beside you and have her do little maze books and dot to dots or something. That way you're giving your 6 yo glances of attention but fully there for your older. 35 minutes is not too much to ask, and it is what it takes. I know it's no fun, btdt. But it's what keeps peace in our house. I do certain things with her, and certain things (LA workbooks, etc.), she can then do either with me around or on her own, depending on how I need to attend to the baby. But that math, I stay right there, right there. And if she still dawdles, you stop at the 35 minute timer and save the rest for homework after dinner, when Daddy can supervise. That way you have limits and she's not pushing your buttons.

 

Do you have a timer? I got a really nice Oxo one at the hardware store that you can push the exact time into and set it, very nice. A good timer and some limits (anything left is homework) would help you immensely. As I tell my dd, when she dawdles, she's wasting MY time. That's why you cut it off and make sure she's then wasting her OWN time.

[Ellie]

While this sounds like great advice, how do I know she is getting enough? If she is only doing say 50% of her work how will she stay on track? Also, since I am sure that this is not a lack of knowledge but a lack of wanting to do her work because she says it is not fun, would this be conforming to what she is wanting? Basically giving her an easier day because she is refusing to do it? KWIM? I want to do right by her but I also know that everything we learn cant always be fun. I am trying to offer her plenty of fun things to do and learn but she will not get through the things that she has to do ex. math, grammar, writing. I think next year I am looking into TT5 since it has soooo many good reviews.

This is your first year of homeschooling. There's more to homeschooling than just academics; restoring the years lost while your dd was in school is every bit as important as covering a certain body of knowledge.

 

Your dd is just 9. Everything she's learning this year will be covered again multiple times over the next 8 years. She's young enough that you can take the time to re-establish relationships and help her rediscover the joy of learning. So, yes, giving her an easier day is not a bad thing.

 

Besides, many hsers have found that when they give their dc a finite amount of time to do their assignments, with no penalties for not completing a certain amount of work, their dc are able to complete their work after all.

[coffeefreak]

Thank you for saying this. Honestly I was starting to feel like a failure for this. I also have a dd6 and I try to alternate between the two of them much like how you described. But as sson as I start to work with dd6, dd9 stops all progress. How can I hold her hand all day and give dd6 a fair day? Shouldn't she be able to have some independent work? I always teach and explain the lesson and then leave her with the seat work to do.

 

You're not a failure, you're just finding your groove:grouphug:

 

Everyone's homeschool looks different. Some are very regimented because they know they won't homeschool forever, or they have a lot of activities outside the house so they have to be regimented. Some are unscheduled and loose because they work better that way, or there are babies in the house. Whatever the reason, you have to decide what your goals are and what works for you.

 

How was your oldest in school? Did she complete her work in a timely manner? Did she bring home a lot of homework? If so, it might be the textbooks. FIAR is a great curriculum, but the books will be beneath your oldest. Look at other Literature Based programs. Simply Charlotte Mason, or Ambleside Online are mostly free. You could do what I did in the beginning, and sell what you have to buy what you need. Then you would have a little extra cash to try something new. I really only think this is your answer if she's bored though. We started with Apologia this year. We love it! But we got bored with Life Science so we're moving on to chemistry after the first of the year. The change will work for us because it's not a discipline issue, it's just time to try something new.

 

Or, do you think this is a discipline issue? My girls try and compete for my time. Here's my rule, "When I'm working with your sister, you need to wait your turn. I cannot answer two questions at once. If you interrupt, you will ____insert chore/punishment here________." Another rule we have is, no reading non-school books during school. My oldest LOVES to read so she would wait on me and read instead of finishing work she should have been finishing. I tried to do my youngest's school first, but that wasn't fair to her. I don't know of ANY 6 or 7 year old that is willing to be alone for 2 or more hours. It's funny because, I do a lot of "busy work" with my 1st grader that I did not do with my oldest. I have A Beka's art book, I print off puzzles and coloring sheets from Edhelper.com, I have jigsaw puzzles, pattern books, legos etc. If my youngest is out of work and won't entertain herself, I assign a jigsaw puzzle, or something else. We do Science together so sometimes she's "cut loose" to play knowing that she'll be called back in a little bit to do science. This has been good for my youngest because she has learned to entertain herself. After doing extra chores a couple of times, she's learned to let me work with her sister. This was hard for me because I would forget about her:blushing:. That would force her to come and interrupt because she felt lonely. So, I would set a timer for 15-30 min. No matter what was going on with my oldest, when that timer went off, I would go and do something with my youngest. A puzzle, a quick book, ask her what she was doing, etc.

 

Don't think I've got this all figured out.. . . . I don't:lol: Each year needs tweaking because of age and circumstances. But, we're getting better! The only thing lacking this year is History with my youngest. I guess I'm not terribly concerned with that because it's only 1st grade.:D And, we're not terribly regimented either. I have a schedule that tells me the order of what we do each day, but not the times. That's what works for us, but it doesn't work for everyone.

 

It will get easier, You will find your groove, and we've all been there. Take the next month to figure this out and come back in January with a plan!

 

You go MOM!

Blessings!

Dorinda

[thowell]

I'm confused about something. Are you doing MOH *and* Abeka4 (american)??? That's overkill. No wonder you aren't getting to history and science, lol. Yes you can do a unit study approach with FIAR and cover science and stuff, but it's so sporadic, it's certainly not adequate for a 10 yo.

 

Now here's something else. You need to stop doing an hour of Bible study first and do that MATH first, while she's fresh. You can sing together some Christmas carols, then hit the math right away. Set a timer for 35 minutes, work together, and put it away, done. THEN do your Bible time. And if you're doing MOH, then you're doing history too. If that's the case and you still want some american, I'd just have an american history read aloud or give her the COFA's and leave it at that. You can't pull in two directions at once and do a good job, kwim? Pick one or the other to focus on and let the other slide and be quick, just a lick and a promise, 15 minutes. So either the MOH goes short or the american is short.

 

Now on that science, have you thought about the Apologia elementary books? Their astronomy book would be SO much fun with those ages.

 

What you're accomplishing this year is called finding your groove. Many people try 3 or 4 math programs before they find a good match for their dc. That's why I suggested you give yourself permission to do that. But a dab of 3 or 4. Or change how you're using what you're using.

 

As far as being in the room or not, I think you're getting out of it what you put into it. You have to sit there with her. It doesn't matter if some kids would be fine without mom there. Your dd needs you there, so you need to be there. So for that 35 minutes, you set the timer and plunk yourself there. Take some crochet, take a task. Put your 6 yo beside you and have her do little maze books and dot to dots or something. That way you're giving your 6 yo glances of attention but fully there for your older. 35 minutes is not too much to ask, and it is what it takes. I know it's no fun, btdt. But it's what keeps peace in our house. I do certain things with her, and certain things (LA workbooks, etc.), she can then do either with me around or on her own, depending on how I need to attend to the baby. But that math, I stay right there, right there. And if she still dawdles, you stop at the 35 minute timer and save the rest for homework after dinner, when Daddy can supervise. That way you have limits and she's not pushing your buttons.

 

Do you have a timer? I got a really nice Oxo one at the hardware store that you can push the exact time into and set it, very nice. A good timer and some limits (anything left is homework) would help you immensely. As I tell my dd, when she dawdles, she's wasting MY time. That's why you cut it off and make sure she's then wasting her OWN time.

 

no we are no longer doing MOH. Maybe in another year but dd6 was having a hard time dealing with Ancient History and they were both more interested in American. So we use Abeka as our spine and add in ideas from Guest Hollow. I think the idea of a timer is Great! Knowing she will have to finish it with Dh is going to motivate her since he is very solid on doing your best in school. I will try switching the bible and math and see if that helps. Math is the main thing we are fighting with dd9. She has been known to take up to 2 hours to do one page with or without my help. I was trying to pull back some because she was wanting me to do all the work for her or figure out all the answers for her. I will try the timer tomorrow and sit with her to motivate and answer questions but not to give answers. We have The Lab of Mr. Q Classic Science and that goes well when we get to it. We were doing Considering God's Creation and that was way to heavy for dd6. So as you see we are only 4 months into the year and we have completely overhauled curriculum already. Maybe some of the suggestions will work. Today she is fighting a stomach virus so I have gotten a little break. Here's hoping tomorrow will be a better day!

[melmichigan]

Thank you for saying this. Honestly I was starting to feel like a failure for this. I also have a dd6 and I try to alternate between the two of them much like how you described. But as sson as I start to work with dd6, dd9 stops all progress. How can I hold her hand all day and give dd6 a fair day? Shouldn't she be able to have some independent work? I always teach and explain the lesson and then leave her with the seat work to do.

 

Ok, I didn't read your other posts right because the above its what I do, only I do all the teaching first for all the subjects and then my DD has to complete her work with me nearby but doing other things with other kids. Until the work is done she has no priviledges same as when it was homework in PS. Some days it takes her longer than others, depending on how much she wants to do something else. ;) Your original post led me to believe you weren't sitting with her and going through the lessons but expecting her to do that.

[dsmith]

:grouphug::grouphug:

It's your first year, which is all about finding what works and what doesn't, and getting into a groove - not only you, but your kids also. You mentioned that you are using workboxes. My ds could take forever with math. I would cut a sheet in half if possible, and put it in two workboxes with a few more fun things in between. You could do this with any subject that is taking too long. Have you read Sue Patrick's book? She gives lots of tips for making curriculum work and tailoring it to meet your child's needs. I generally will keep with something that's not working for about 3-4 months and try tweaking it in that time. Sometimes I buy something and can tell within a week that it's not going to work. Math was the hardest with us. I finally settled on AOP's Lifepacs and then Teaching Textbooks. He can work independently with this and I don't overload him. It's going slower than I like, but we are both happy with it. Grammar is another program he can do independently. Our first program was too easy, so I moved him up a grade in a different program. That made a big difference. I find with my son that if he is taking too long to do something, it is usually either too easy or too hard. We also use a reward system - a token per box that he can "shop" with at my little store. :) Is your daughter easily distracted? My ds needs low classical music on all day during school or he notices every little sound.

[thowell]

My ds needs low classical music on all day during school or he notices every little sound.

 

Good idea! I will try this also.

[2squared]

I think FIAR vol 4 would work well for you. It's meatier than the first three volumes, and it would certainly help build your schooling relationships.

 

I plan on using FIAR through at least 4th grade. We love, love, love it.

[thowell]

I think FIAR vol 4 would work well for you. It's meatier than the first three volumes, and it would certainly help build your schooling relationships.

 

I plan on using FIAR through at least 4th grade. We love, love, love it.

 

I am going to start with Vol. 1 since I already have all the books and just add it in to see how it works for the girls. If all goes well my plan is to do Vol. 4 next year and maybe some beyondfiar for dd9 who will be 5th grade then.

[PeterPan]

Thowell, since you have the FIAR vol. 1 books right now, why aren't you reading them? You take something like that that is motivating and you use it as a REWARD for finishing math! They work hard for the duration of the timer, work steadily, and when it goes off they get a fun read aloud. Use what motivates them as a carrot. :)

[thowell]

Thowell, since you have the FIAR vol. 1 books right now, why aren't you reading them? You take something like that that is motivating and you use it as a REWARD for finishing math! They work hard for the duration of the timer, work steadily, and when it goes off they get a fun read aloud. Use what motivates them as a carrot. :)

 

Good Idea. We do a read aloud together in the evenings but I hadn't thought about short stories for rewards. Keep them coming Elizabeth. i will have to send you a big Thank You card if this all works! I am doing some research now to put together a light Christmas unit study to do for the month of December and give some time to reorganize things for the first of the year.

[PeterPan]

Don't even make your Christmas thing hard. Google christmas crafts, christmas recipes, and make a list of 10 things of each you want to do together, then do them! Have you seen mention of the cool Christmas story books available? I had never heard of these things, but there are Joshua Trees (a project with book option), Jotham's Journey, Advent Foretold (we're doing this this year), etc. Have some fun, loosen up! It will be OK! Don't kill the holidy season trying to school. Doing your holiday stuff this month IS school, as long as you do your math and LA stuff. And make sure you take off enough time. It's already Dec. 1st. We'll school the rest of this week and two more full weeks, then take off the week off Christmas and the following week. So although it seems distant, this time is short. 13 more days of School till January!! Don't feel compelled to do so much. Make some happy memories and come back to your stress of formal schoolwork in January recharged! :)

 

PS. Think about it. Schools take off for parties and crafts and still call it school. You can too. Do your math and LA, then do your Christmas activities you picked out together. There's fun stuff they'd enjoy doing together. They might like to pick a list of easy crafts to make as gifts or something fun they could do together like a gummy tree.

Edited December 2, 2009 by OhElizabeth

[StephanieZ]

While this sounds like great advice, how do I know she is getting enough? If she is only doing say 50% of her work how will she stay on track? Also, since I am sure that this is not a lack of knowledge but a lack of wanting to do her work because she says it is not fun, would this be conforming to what she is wanting? Basically giving her an easier day because she is refusing to do it? KWIM? I want to do right by her but I also know that everything we learn cant always be fun. I am trying to offer her plenty of fun things to do and learn but she will not get through the things that she has to do ex. math, grammar, writing. I think next year I am looking into TT5 since it has soooo many good reviews.

 

 

You know how they teach dolphins to jump 20+ feet in the air to bop a red ball?? They start with feeding them a fish to simply touch a stick with a ball on it's end with the nose. Actually, the trainer reaches out and does the nose touch. The dolphin just accepts it. Then they praise, reward. They do that a bunch. Then they reward when the dolphin comes to find the ball and voluntarily dose a nose touch. Then they lift it a few inches out of the water. . . then a foot. . . then a couple feet. . . It is all about the baby steps. And, most critically, about the many many rewards along the way. There are NO punishment mechanisms in dolphin training. None. Ever. Just rewards or lack thereof.

 

The theory and practice of behavior management are consistent whether training dolphins, dogs, adult employees, minor children, husbands. . . LOL. I've read the academic employee management books as well as dog behaviorist ones and of course the child ones ad infinitem. . . They are all the same at the core.

 

The thing is that if you focus on training the behaviors you want (effort, attention, diligence) with frequent small rewards. . . instead of cramming in X quantity of info. . . then you will soon enough have a child with the behaviors consistent with excellence.

 

It is not a matter of rewarding bad behavior. . . it is about creating an environment/expectations/etc that foster good behavior and then rewarding that goodness and building upon it. (YOU are responsible for creating that environment. That may feel like an indictment, but really it is freedom to succeed because YOU CONTROL IT, not your dd. You can fix it, all on your own!) Then you can BUILD on small successes and increase the challenges. (Soon she will be leaping up to bop her nose against the ball up at the ceiling, lol)

 

The most important thing you are developing in your homeschool is your relationship with your child. The academic content in any particular year is irrelevant compared to the infinite importance of the emotional/relationap content. This isn't a call-out just to you. . . We *all* can forget that sometimes in our frantic rush to educate their minds, but it deserves mention nonetheless, as it is probably particularly critical in the early stages of hs'ing. Educating their hearts is of such higher importance. . .

 

Of course, you are free to continue the battle of the wills that you are now engaged in. *How is that working out for you?*

[thowell]

[Of course, you are free to continue the battle of the wills that you are now engaged in. *How is that working out for you?*

 

LOL, point taken. Thanks for the eye opening. I am going to regroup and come at this from a different angle and work to accomplish a long term goal with dd9 rather than fix things for mow. Small and steady!

[2squared]

If I wanted to put together a Christmas unit as a new homeschooler, I would totally use Liz Foss' De Paola unit study. Here it is.

 

Just keep paging down. She has everything laid out by week during Advent and she has all learning levels and all subjects.

[StephanieZ]

[Of course, you are free to continue the battle of the wills that you are now engaged in. *How is that working out for you?*

 

LOL, point taken. Thanks for the eye opening. I am going to regroup and come at this from a different angle and work to accomplish a long term goal with dd9 rather than fix things for mow. Small and steady!

 

you're entirely welcome. I was nervous that I was being too pointed in my suggestion. Hang in there and continue being open to re-inventing as needed and you'll be just fine. (HS'ing just like parenting that way!)

[thowell]

You ladies have been so kind with all your suggestions that I wanted to tell you what is happening right now. We made a trip to the library after school today. I am taking Elizabeth's suggestion and doing some really fun Christmas stuff through this month, so we picked out all kinds of books and videos and craft books. My dd9 is sitting at the table getting all the rest of her work done for this week so that the rest of the week can be focused on these Christmas items. I am not kidding you she just did 3 pages of math in about 15 minutes! :party: Can you see my happy dance. My hope is that after she learns how much better it is to just get the yuck stuff done so we have more time for the fun stuff this attitude will stick with her. But for now I am really enjoying her desire!

[StephanieZ]

:party::party::party::party::party:

 

Now that's what I call a great day!!!!!

 

You ladies have been so kind with all your suggestions that I wanted to tell you what is happening right now. We made a trip to the library after school today. I am taking Elizabeth's suggestion and doing some really fun Christmas stuff through this month, so we picked out all kinds of books and videos and craft books. My dd9 is sitting at the table getting all the rest of her work done for this week so that the rest of the week can be focused on these Christmas items. I am not kidding you she just did 3 pages of math in about 15 minutes! :party: Can you see my happy dance. My hope is that after she learns how much better it is to just get the yuck stuff done so we have more time for the fun stuff this attitude will stick with her. But for now I am really enjoying her desire!

[LibraryLover]

I always remind myself that we are a home, not a school.

 

Even if we detest schools and think they are horrible, good teachers in good schools don't/shouldn't give an assignment & them go off to wash dishes or clean the toilets far away from the child. Not that I don't do some of those things, but I stay nearby. I think it can get lonly for some children working alone in another part of the house.

 

Yes she just turned 9 in the end of May so I guess she is young, although she is extremely smart. And yes this sounds just like her Lori with the math. I have a school room set up in our front living room which is very open and I am in and out all day helping her and checking on her. I will try sitting with her during math to see if this helps. Right now I know it is not to hard because it all review from last year and she is scoring around 98% on her math. I have added in the History pockets and we will start them together next week and our science we do together (we just dont ever make it there) I will try to rotate the science and history. I am really looking at FIAR for next year and just adding Math and Grammar to make it lighter. I dont want her to hate learning and so far that is exactly what is happening.

Edited December 4, 2009 by LibraryLover

[PeterPan]

Well hurray, you're on the RIGHT TRACK!! Now keep it that way. You've learned what turns her on and motivates her (activities, fun stuff, new stuff, crafts), so you need to plan in those things in January. It's not hard to do that, not once you see how. She's old enough to make a lot happen herself if she just has a book and a time slot. Do you use a daily or weekly checklist for her work? You should. Get her that and she can see how finishing her morning work (math, LA, etc.) gets her time to do her crafts and fun stuff in the afternoon. Adapt her history to fit this pattern that she enjoys. With my dd we do some together history that I read to her, then she has time to read books and write up paragraphs. She likes that time to explore, read about the rabbit trails and topics that interest her, etc. So Abeka is still your spine, but you adapt how you're using it to FIT her. Then it's more fun. :)

[Critter]

Something that helped my kids was to give them a list of their work for the day. They could cross off each item when it was done, and they knew that when they finished the list, they were free. I never added anything extra when they were done. That would have been a punishment for finishing on time. Another thing that helped was to have them set a timer for each subject and try to beat the clock.