At my wit's end

[TN Mama]

I have debated whether or not to post this, but I don't really have anywhere else to go for homeschooling advice. I apologize up front for the length of this message and sincerely thank anyone who gets through it in its entirety.

 

Last year was our first year to homeschool. I kept my oldest home for 2nd grade and we had the best time. I thought it would be difficult (battle of wills), but was pleasantly surprised at how much closer the two of us became through the process. Shortly after we started homeschooling dh was activated and stationed 9 hours from home for the year. It was difficult to travel to see him as my youngest was in ps for K and 9 hours one way is a bit much for a weekend trip.

 

So, when dh's activation was extended, we decided to homeschool both girls. Not only was I thinking it would be great for our family, but it would then allow a more flexible travel schedule to visit dh. I purchased CLE Math, LA & Reading for 1st grader as I had used the Math & LA with 2nd grader the year before and was thoroughly impressed with the curriculum.

 

We ended up dropping the Reading and found something she enjoyed more (ETC & Right Into Reading plus reading real books), but stuck with Math & LA. Fast forward several months and doing school with the 1st grader has become more & more of a nightmare. She cries daily saying the work is too hard (specifically Math & LA). She scores in the 90s most of the time on her quizzes and tests. Twice she has scored in the high 80s. Her scores don't reflect that the curriculum is a struggle.

 

I thought perhaps being apart from Daddy was playing a big role and last week we finally moved here, since he will likely spend one more year on this activation. Well, this week has been like all the others. She throws these awful fits when doing Math & LA but then does the rest of her work almost without issue.

 

I honestly don't know if I can homeschool her next year. And at the same time I'm not overly thrilled with the idea of putting her in school here (or anywhere else for that matter). Is it a curriculum problem? Discipline problem? Every day she apologizes for her outbursts and yet the next day it happens again.

 

I've looked into other programs to use for 2nd grade (like Abeka & BJU) and while she really loved the samples I couldn't help but notice they were showing things she's already worked on this year. Do I get over the repetition? I've looked into Math Mammoth as well and of course this only solves the Math portion of the equation. Thinking of LA makes my head spin. Heck, it's all making me dizzy right now.

 

I'd love to hear any thoughts. Be honest, but please be gentle. I'm in a bit of a depression from the move. I moved from a large city with a full schedule to the middle of nowhere and while I'm working on getting us all connected, we aren't yet.

[nicholsonhomeschool]

I don't have any answers, but reading your post made me think of bouts of resistance I've gotten from my soon-to-be 7yo son. For me it has helped to just take a break from it -- a week off, or maybe two... It's not easy for me to take those breaks because I'm a full-steam-ahead type of person, but he tends to be cyclical in his energy. And with moving, it might be that your daughter could use some time to just get a sense of her surroundings. Just my thoughts...

[kmacnchs]

It sounds like a discipline issue. We talk daily about having a happy heart while we do school (and the rest of the day). Math is our struggle. It's not that she does not do well, it's just that she has to TRY and concentrate a bit - it is not easy. B/c she is a perfectionist (like her mom), if it doesn't come easily, she gets frustrated and shuts down. So, as I said, we have talked about having a happy heart and trying hard (not necessarily getting it right). I did switch to an easier curriculum this year from last year (Abeka K math to Saxon 1 math) to boost her confidence but as soon as she was learning new things, we had to have the "talk" again. So I'm not sure that was a help, really.

 

I just try to make sure my dd1 knows that having a positive attitude and trying her best are what is important, not getting the right answers. Also, if it really is too much, you may want to do math by time, not by lessons. Good luck!

[Brindee]

Taking a break is a good idea--Daddy's been gone, you've had a busy schedule, now a move......I think a break could really help! It doesn't have to be long, a week or two, but it could work wonders! You can do FUN learning at those ages, where they think they're playing but really they're learning.

 

As to the fussing, since it's about the specific CLE curriculum, I'd try to find a different one that she may like better. It's okay to go back a little, where maybe it's easy for her, so she doesn't struggle or fuss as much. That could help her gain confidence, cuz she's doing so well at it!

 

Maybe make a new thread about what Math and LA to use for her? Or people may answer here. CLE is a good program, but maybe it's not the best for her learning style.

[TN Mama]

I appreciate the input. We took a week vacation before the move and have taken a few other days here & there.

 

I'm definitely open to suggestions and haven't really looked thoroughly at another Math program (mostly online samples). I do prefer a more traditional curriculum if returning to school is anywhere in the near future.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

So am I correct in understanding that it is math and language arts where the struggles are?

 

May I recommend Math U See-- because that is hands on and may be more fun for her?

 

 

Language arts, I would wait! Wait until 2nd grade! A first grader should just really be working on phonics and reading! Also, this link and also this one is a great reading curriculum that my kids LOVE! It is a full course with comp checks and everything!

 

Hope this helps you!

[lauracolumbus]

I'm sure the move has been hard on her as well. Did she leave friends behind. What are you doing for fun.

 

My dh has been activated for a couple of months and we've seen him once in the past 6 weeks. Most of my behavior issues come from my oldest, but he's always been the work resistant type. What helps him is knowing there is light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe a mini workbox system will help her know when her day is done w/a little fun planned at the end.

 

Laura

[at the beach]

I have debated whether or not to post this, but I don't really have anywhere else to go for homeschooling advice. I apologize up front for the length of this message and sincerely thank anyone who gets through it in its entirety.

 

Last year was our first year to homeschool. I kept my oldest home for 2nd grade and we had the best time. I thought it would be difficult (battle of wills), but was pleasantly surprised at how much closer the two of us became through the process. Shortly after we started homeschooling dh was activated and stationed 9 hours from home for the year. It was difficult to travel to see him as my youngest was in ps for K and 9 hours one way is a bit much for a weekend trip.

 

So, when dh's activation was extended, we decided to homeschool both girls. Not only was I thinking it would be great for our family, but it would then allow a more flexible travel schedule to visit dh. I purchased CLE Math, LA & Reading for 1st grader as I had used the Math & LA with 2nd grader the year before and was thoroughly impressed with the curriculum.

 

We ended up dropping the Reading and found something she enjoyed more (ETC & Right Into Reading plus reading real books), but stuck with Math & LA. Fast forward several months and doing school with the 1st grader has become more & more of a nightmare. She cries daily saying the work is too hard (specifically Math & LA). She scores in the 90s most of the time on her quizzes and tests. Twice she has scored in the high 80s. Her scores don't reflect that the curriculum is a struggle.

 

I thought perhaps being apart from Daddy was playing a big role and last week we finally moved here, since he will likely spend one more year on this activation. Well, this week has been like all the others. She throws these awful fits when doing Math & LA but then does the rest of her work almost without issue.

 

I honestly don't know if I can homeschool her next year. And at the same time I'm not overly thrilled with the idea of putting her in school here (or anywhere else for that matter). Is it a curriculum problem? Discipline problem? Every day she apologizes for her outbursts and yet the next day it happens again.

 

I've looked into other programs to use for 2nd grade (like Abeka & BJU) and while she really loved the samples I couldn't help but notice they were showing things she's already worked on this year. Do I get over the repetition? I've looked into Math Mammoth as well and of course this only solves the Math portion of the equation. Thinking of LA makes my head spin. Heck, it's all making me dizzy right now.

 

I'd love to hear any thoughts. Be honest, but please be gentle. I'm in a bit of a depression from the move. I moved from a large city with a full schedule to the middle of nowhere and while I'm working on getting us all connected, we aren't yet.

 

:grouphug: Well, I would think it is a curriculum problem. You said she does her other work without issue. I wouldn't stop homeschooling over this. She is just 7, though I know how worrisome it can be to wonder if you are doing enough.

 

Frankly, I would look for something less workbook in nature and see if that helps. I'll also suggest that you read the Moore's handbook on homeschooling. You'll see that Raymond Moore suggests better late than early. Forgive me if this is not the type of advice you are looking for. I'll also suggest Charlotte Mason. Have you considered something like Ambleside Online? Their Year 1 would fit her age and it would probably be a lovely break for both of you--ETA that AO is defnitely not what I would call unschooling, either. It's great lit (and a few that were a bust for us like Parables of Nature, so don't feel it's something you can't do w/o subbing a book here and there). There's copywork, narration, and that about covers language arts. There's poetry and the Year 1 poetry is WONDERFUL. We just loved doing AO Year 1 when we did it. Really, as long as she's reading and you're reading aloud to her, as long as you're playing some math games and she's doing some handwriting daily, I think you are fine. But that's just my humble opinion.

 

The thing is, whether you are actively doing things with your kids or not, they grow and learn anyway. We're finishing our fourth year of hs. There were times I grew so weary with my youngest due to her learning challenges, that we just relaxed for some months, letting things go. Then, when we picked up again, it amazed me how much she'd learned during that time that we hadn't formally done anything.

Edited April 19, 2010 by Violet

[ReneeK]

(((((hug))))) I have been at that point also. For us we changed our curriculum. It could be that it is not right fit for her. We only had to play around with one curriculum to find it after our first nightmare. Also we started using workboxes and it made my dd feel like she had some control in her school. Its a very modified version. If you are interested in workboxes you can click on my blog link on my siggy. It has helped my daughter alot.

 

I think that they like to test the waters also and see how much they can get away with. I am sure it has been hard on them with daddy being away.

 

Don't feel obligated to do everything that the book says. Finish off the year with what you are doing and maybe do half of the work. If you feel that its not enough do the other half the next day. I have heard of others who do just the odd numbers or even numbers on the worksheet. You may find that its not the curriculum but it too much at one time. Hang in there homeschooling is hard at times but worth all the tears you put into it. The first years seem to be the toughest for most.

[Maurrean]

Doesn't sound like a discipline issue to me. Sounds like self confidence to me. Fits, but then high test scores...

 

When my daughter has had issues like this, we take time away from the book for some fun activities. It's tough, but maybe create some games around the work at hand. With boardwork, i've taken time after each question to congratulate her on getting the answer correct. Make it casual - giving 'hi-fives' etc. I've even made confetti and threw it in the air for correct answers. A mess, but well worth it. We've made grids on the driveway for multiplication problems (7 x 4 = one foot on 2 and the other on 8, kid says 28!") Patty-cake to math problems, etc. We've made a fishing game too - magnet on the end of a clothes hanger (via string), paper clips attached to paper.

 

It's all about the little things you can do to prove to her that she can do this.

 

hope that helps!

[Karis]

Make it fun. There are plenty of math games. My child was resistant to a curriculum I love & thought she'd enjoy, too. But the pages were too busy and she hated doing math. I had to switch up - but still have her do math. Cuddle with some good books and do Math Stories.

 

Math Bingo. Coloring pages. Physical activities with math. Math and munchies (use something good to eat and do math - m&m's, cheerios, etc...

 

We love the Munchroom Math Game. Bought Disney princess math flashcards at the $ store.

 

do math with real money and hit the dollar store or create a store/ restaurant at home.

 

Have a Marvelous Math Day Be creative whatever you do -focus on developing skills in math but see how you can incorporate it in everything.

 

have fun

[5LittleMonkeys]

Some questions I ask myself when I'm met with resistance over a specific subject.

 

Are the subjects being complained about being taught at a bad time of the day. (tired, hungry, restless) Ask if she would like to do them at a different time of the day. If it is her idea she may be more willing to get through it.

 

Is it boring; too repetitive? If she is scoring well on the test but complains that it is too hard maybe she means its too hard to sit through doing it over and over.

 

Is it confusing? Some dc don't do well with a spiral math program. It moves to quickly from one concept to another. If this is the case a mastery program may be better.

 

Can it be taught to suit her style better? More hands on for tactile learner, more get up and and do for a kinesthetic learner, etc.

http://www.custom-homeschool-curriculum.com/homeschool-curriculum-package.html

 

What does she like about the subjects she does like? Can those attributes be incorporated into the subjects she doesn't like? Or can you replace them?

 

Are you spending too much time on these subjects? For a 1st grader 20 minute sessions is ideal. If your LA program requires 30 minutes break it into two 15 minute sessions separated by something she loves to do and followed by something she will look forward to getting to.

 

Does your dc just not like those subjects? Try different ways to teach the subjects. Lapbooks, literature, unit studies, hands on, etc. Even switching up math lessons and doing them on a whiteboard or on the sidewalk with chalk or on the window with window markers may help. Ultimately if this is the case you will have to explain the big picture. She has to learn these things in order to graduate so it is just something she will have to get used to making the best of.

 

 

If have found that if I work through these questions I can usually find the problem and solution. I don't get the feeling like it is a behavior issue with your dd since you say she doesn't complain about the rest of the subjects. It really sounds, from the information you've given, that the curriculum is not a good match for her. You said you switched to a reading program she liked more and don't have any problems with complaining about it. It just sounds like she is going to be a different species of flower than your older dd and needs to have her curriculum customized to her. One of the awesome perks of homeschooling.;) It's customizable to each individual...because we are after all superbly unique!

 

Hope that helps. As for your mental well being might I suggest (if the laws where you are allow it) backing off of the math and La for a while as you re-connect with her and try to work this out. Maybe try some free online resources for math and LA. I know there was a post here recently about favorite free online resources ... you could do a search maybe. Just let her know it's okay to have these little hiccups when you are first starting to homeshcool but that you will work through it together and find a solution.:D Oh and :grouphug: for your moving situation. I had the opposite. I went from blissful peace and solitude on 175 acres 30 miles away from a Walmart, to a lot with a house so close to the next they might as well be attached and save us the hassle of mowing in between. (and the Walmart is now only 5 minutes away :glare:)

Edited April 19, 2010 by 5LittleMonkeys

[Guest Barb B]

Doesn't sound like a discipline issue to me either. Take a look at the math and language arts you are doing - see if you can see why it may not be a fit. I agree with the poster that said wait for language arts. Really at first grade phonics is enough! Not doing grammar at 1st grade won't put her back (sometimes not doing it is better!). Sometimes kids can be scoring good grades but curriculum may not fit their personalities, learning style or ages. My 1st grader just can't have too much curriculum that requires writing things out. He can do it, and understand it - but HATES it if he has to write too much. I would agree with the poster that suggested a math curriculum that is very hands on.

 

First graders are still so little. Relax, snuggle together and read (take turns!), sit on the floor with favorite toys and add and subtract them, find a hands on text, don't worry about landuage arts (read to her, have her dictacte stories, do mad libs).

 

Barb

[brownie]

DS7 gave me a hard time early in the year (he did ps kindy last year and I also have a 3rd grader). He is afraid to get the wrong answer and this is part of the reason we brought him home. He is gifted AND old for his grade so we figured he would never get challenged at school and therefore have it reinforced that he could indeed be perfect for many years to come.

 

My goal was to challenge him. We had a lot of tears at first and I learned to back off a bit. I watched what gave him the most struggle. Writing complete sentences drove him buggy (composing them did not). He hated journal prompts and Wordly Wise so we dropped them in favor of writing whatever he pleased in a journal I don't even look at and a 3 month break from Wordly Wise. We used WWE since it is mostly oral. I dropped handwriting after one round through all the letters, only adding a review sheet when I see a specific problem. I learned to push the math just enough to challenge but not enough to frustrate. I learned to be very calm with him and to say "wow you made a mistake! I've finally found something you can learn!" No more tears here.

 

Good Luck! Brownie

[TN Mama]

I have to say, the responses are really encouraging and I will try to make some changes now in the way we do things and look at different curriculum for next year.

 

I didn't feel like I was giving her too much work, but here is what she does daily. I also write it all out for her so she can check things off as she completes. She loves to check off/cross out!

 

Here is what we did today.

 

Math - Lesson 141 in Light Unit 109

 

Language Arts - Lesson 1 in Light Unit 110

 

Writing With Ease - Copywork

 

Handwriting - 1 page in a small Skill Builders workbook

 

Science - Reading from CLP Nature Reader 3 1/2 pages

video of spider making web

 

History/Social Studies - 1 page of a Social Studies workbook (Basic Not Boring series - She loves this and we always do this orally.) I read 3 - 4 pages of History for Little Pilgrims

 

Explode the Code 6 1/2 - 1 page

 

Right into Reading 2 - 2 pages (We always do orally.)

 

15 minutes of free reading.

 

Too much?

[Daisy]

My son thought CLE Math and Language Arts were torture also in first grade. It is a TON of written work. Way too much, imo. And all the same thing. Endless pages.

 

Personally, I'd look into a different curriculum that had more hands-on activities.

 

Edited to say I just read your previous post. Yeah, I'd say that is too much and a lot of it is repeated skills.

 

Why do CLE LA and WWE?

Why CLE LA and Handwriting?

 

I'd pick one or the other but no way would I try to do both.

Edited April 19, 2010 by Daisy

[TN Mama]

My son thought CLE Math and Language Arts were torture also in first grade. It is a TON of written work. Way too much, imo. And all the same thing. Endless pages.

 

Personally, I'd look into a different curriculum that had more hands-on activities.

 

Edited to say I just read your previous post. Yeah, I'd say that is too much and a lot of it is repeated skills.

 

Why do CLE LA and WWE?

Why CLE LA and Handwriting?

 

I'd pick one or the other but no way would I try to do both.

 

Thanks for your response, Daisy. We use WWE for the narration & copywork. There is usually one sentence in CLE's LA and then she does one sentence in WWE (twice weekly). I can see where the handwriting and LA from CLE would be repetitive. We added the hw workbook a few months ago to work on neatness. I get that we're possibly writing too much, even doing some things orally.

[everlastingstarflower]

For my dd, time of day has been a big deal. She struggles with math more than anything else so, we do math first right after breakfast. If her blood sugar drops out right before lunch and for whatever reason we haven't finished with her math lesson because we got a late start or were interrupted for whatever reason, she's a mess. Work that she has been doing for days somehow becomes too hard and is asking too much from her. Tears are abundant and there's no going back. There's no reasoning with her either.

 

But, if we do math first thing, it's done before we know it, she scores well on the timed math fact tests and she feels a sense of accomplishment with a job well done.

 

It may be that a change in curriculum combined with watching how her temperment changes during the day and capitalizing on her best part of the day will help her enjoy those more difficult areas of school. I know it's made a big difference in our math time!

[brownie]

I don't think anyone can tell you for sure if you're doing too much bc so much depends on your child. As long as you are keeping up with grade level you are doing "enough". DS7 works about 12 hours a week as far as I can estimate and that is plenty for him. He loves to read and does that to a fault during his free time.

 

A typical day might look like

Math: 3 workbook pages, 2 word problems and a facts quiz

LA: identify 5 words in Spelling Power, 1/4 WW lesson, 1 WWE lesson

Literature: Read and discuss a chapter of a book

History or Science: 1 ch of SOTW (narration and mapwork) or 1 h of science

Memorization work (5 minutes)

 

But remember we're moving onto 3rd grade next year. I wouldn't be doing spelling, vocab or lit if we were still working on strengthening reading.

Brownie

[Wee Pip]

You've been given a lot of good ideas to try & things to consider. I'll give some more:)

 

Both my girls have hit stages like that. My once highly motivated, quick working 7yo is now dragging her feet thru our short lessons & crying at the drop of a hat ("I can't do it! It's too hard for me!") It's not the curric, the level of difficulty is fine for her. Often she cries before I even get a chance to explain something. So my big goal for the day is to get her to stop crying and simply listen to me. I simplify it and get her to understand it. If it means only doing 2 math problems on her worksheet for the day, then that's what I do. I'm trying to teach her that something might be hard at first, but if you slow down, ask for help, and listen, then it's not too hard for you. Just getting her to stop and listen (instead of cry, complain, run from the room, etc.) IS the lesson!!! LOL.

[SophiaH]

I think I'd try different curricula for math and LA.

 

Immediately, for math, I'd print off some MEP Year 1 and just have her do a page a day. There will be some problems that will be easy for her, and some that will challenge her, but many children (including my dd) like the "puzzle" aspect and think it's fun!

 

For the long term, if MEP is not really what you want (since you're wanting something more traditional), I'd check out some samples of different math programs online like Horizons, BJU, or Saxon. Once you have it narrowed down to the two or three choices you'd be okay with, let her look over the samples and see what she'd like to use. Taking ownership of it might help her to really enjoy her math time. I let my dd do that over Christmas break when we finished RS C and she immediately picked CLE over BJU (my two choices) because BJU was too busy for her. Something as simple as layout or lack of color on the pages may be very distracting and/or frustrating for some children (especially those who are very visual).

 

For LA, since you're already doing a handwriting book and WWE, both of which she doesn't seem to have any problems with, you could just drop the CLE LA and be fine for first grade. However, if you did want to replace CLE with some type of grammar, try FLL. If she likes doing her reading program orally, she might really enjoy FLL.

 

I'm absolutely no expert, but just some thoughts as I read your post...I hope you find what works!! :grouphug:

[Hedgehogs4]

your post in no way made me think "wow...she needs to throw in the towel." rather, i think you need to listen to your daughter...

 

i look at my homeschooling this way--stress is like pain in the body. when i and / or the kids are stressed out from something we're doing or not doing with lessons, then it's time to step back, reevaluate, and take a break. can i do this??? YES! but if there's a problem, i need to be flexible enough and honest enough to say that my current circumstances, methods, attitude, techniques, approaches, mood (insert circumstance here) may be affecting the outcome in my child. maybe it's me. maybe i need to quit white-knuckling it and just take care of myself for a couple of days. maybe i just need to find out what things my kids really love about school, and have a chat with them, then draw out those things.

 

give yourself a break. you're facing some tough times right now. it's not the time to be the heavy with your first-grader.

[SnowWhite]

I would drop CLE so fast it would make your head spin. Did, actually, when my Joshua was a first grader crying over his math. BJU Math has been a good medicine for him and now he is REQUESTING CLE to be like his best friend. :glare:

 

If she likes Right into Reading and ETC, she is a perfect candidate for WinterPromise LA (which my ds has loved so far). They use those books, real books to read, and gentle grammar and spelling for first grade. SKIP the 2nd grade WP LA title CLP Adventures in Phonics book though, or do it orally. It's torture.

[SophiaH]

Oh, one other thing.

 

The first thing I'd do is take a week or two off! :party:

 

It's a beautiful time of year in Missouri! If you're at Ft Leonard Wood, you're in a prime spot to go explore the Ozarks or the Mark Twain National Forest!!!

[Mom0012]

I think I'd try different curricula for math and LA.

 

Immediately, for math, I'd print off some MEP Year 1 and just have her do a page a day. There will be some problems that will be easy for her, and some that will challenge her, but many children (including my dd) like the "puzzle" aspect and think it's fun!

 

For the long term, if MEP is not really what you want (since you're wanting something more traditional), I'd check out some samples of different math programs online like Horizons, BJU, or Saxon. Once you have it narrowed down to the two or three choices you'd be okay with, let her look over the samples and see what she'd like to use. Taking ownership of it might help her to really enjoy her math time. I let my dd do that over Christmas break when we finished RS C and she immediately picked CLE over BJU (my two choices) because BJU was too busy for her. Something as simple as layout or lack of color on the pages may be very distracting and/or frustrating for some children (especially those who are very visual).

 

For LA, since you're already doing a handwriting book and WWE, both of which she doesn't seem to have any problems with, you could just drop the CLE LA and be fine for first grade. However, if you did want to replace CLE with some type of grammar, try FLL. If she likes doing her reading program orally, she might really enjoy FLL.

 

I'm absolutely no expert, but just some thoughts as I read your post...I hope you find what works!! :grouphug:

 

I think this is great advice! Try something different for these subjects and see if you get a different response. CLE may just be too much for her right now even though she is capable of getting the correct answers.

 

Lisa

[jld]

Just another vote for relaxing and taking some time off. Your kids are so little; please just have fun with them!:)

[texasmama]

Have you considered FLL 1 and 2 for the younger dd? It is a very gentle, mostly oral introduction to grammar. Regarding the math...I wonder if she is balking at the tests. I have a child who is convinced he is a failure if he gets one single problem wrong...and we use Singapore math, a curriculum which is teacher intensive but uses no tests. I can't imagine what he would do with tests...

 

Since she does the other work just fine, I think you have a poor curriculum fit. What works for one child might not work for the next. :grouphug:

[StephanieZ]

Well, IMHO, if your 1st grader is in ETC6 1/2, that means s/he (sorry, i forgot which) is reading fairly well.

 

IMHO, reading is the only necessary thing for LA prior to 3rd grade or so. . . Sooooo, I would suggest dropping all LA except for reading. And, frankly, at ETC6 level, you've got a lot of books to choose from. . .

 

Sooooo, how about choosing a nice pile of books at easy-ish level for your child. Let him choose the book each day (from a stack or a shelf that you designate. . . You can even let him help you choose books FOR this shelf one day a week . . . Just so it's not a debate each day. . .) and have your child read to you for about 20 min a day. There you go. LA is done, done, done.

 

(Next fall, you can add back in some handwriting +/- spelling if you wish.)

 

During your science, history, etc studies that your child enjoys, have him write ONE sentence of his own -- a mini narration -- once or twice a day. As in, write a single sentence describing something you learned about magnets today in your science notebook. Do this much each day and you'll make progress learning basic mechanics (puncutation and capitalization) just by gently reminding your child to capitalize the first letter of the sentence, etc.

 

That's enough!!

 

For math, depending on what level your child is, I think you could get away with very, very little formal math at this age. You could definitely take a couple month total break to get your peace back. . .

 

I'd suggest Peggy Kaye's book Games for Math. It has so many great free & easy math games ideas. Choose a new game one day a week to figure out & play for 20 min. Each other day that week, you can re-play that game or the child can choose any other math game that you learned a prior week. Just doing that will teach sooooo much. (And, of course, there are plenty of other games ideas out there!)

 

So, drop LA except reading in books of your child's choosing (that you choose together to put in a designated reading basket) and drop Math except games, games, games. Computer games are OK, too!

 

And, frankly, IMHO, no other subject matter really matters at this age. Not that history and science aren't lovely, but if they make life hard, then you can drop them.

 

The thing that matters, IMHO, is to pare your expectations down to some quantity of work that can be done cheerfully and well while building up your relationship with your children. . . If you can get 20 min of good work a day, that is much better than 2 hours of battles. . . Once you get a good groove, then you can gradually expand your expectations. Be gentle with yourself!

 

Hang in there. . . :grouphug::grouphug:

 

HTH

[TN Mama]

I just want to thank you all for our first tear-free school day in I don't know how long. I don't know WHY I didn't take a break from the CLE before to see if that was the culprit. I love, love, love the program, but I guess this is a perfect example of how a program can't be great for every kid. Because Daddy was away, I think I attributed our problems to the change in our household and so I was perplexed when the behaviors continued after our move.

 

Today has been great so far. I know I'll be spending a great deal of time over the next little while researching possibilities for different Math & LA programs for the fall. But knowing it won't be a tear filled journey is such a comfort.

 

I appreciate all who have offered advice/ideas!

[LittleHouseHomeschool]

I've been homeschooling for thirteen years. I've seen this in two of my children. (High scores, but struggled during daily work.)

 

Are you having her do every problem on a page? It sounds like she doesn't need to be doing every problem. If you are assigning the entire worksheet...then I would change that and only have her do a few of every type of problem.

 

In CLP math, for instance, I have my son only do a type of problem once a week if he has shown mastery in that type of problem. This cuts down on boredom and frustration. I also go through the problems daily and circle the ones that I want my children to do. I love CLP math, but it can be redundant. My youngest son has been able to test out of the last three CLE booklets and has skipped them altogether.

 

Remember, you are the teacher and curriculum is your tool. The curriculum authors write for a wide range of students, so it becomes our job to tweek the program and make it fit for our individual children.

 

Another idea may be to let her be the teacher, while you pretend to be the student. Let her teach you a concept. If she can teach you, then she has mastered it! (I also use this trick with younger siblings, with my supervision of course.)

 

Another idea might be to keep lesson times short. In the elementary years, 20 minutes per subject works well...stretching it a little bit longer every year until middle school. Take lots of physical breaks and spend time outdoors. A little sunshine after a tedious grammar lesson does wonder for a little person's soul!

 

Do you know what her primary learning language is? What you might try is teaching in her primary learning style and then occasionally throwing in other learning styles to keep her growing in lesser skills as well. (Auditory, visual, hands on/experiential)

 

I hope that some of this may help.

[johnandtinagilbert]

I have to say, the responses are really encouraging and I will try to make some changes now in the way we do things and look at different curriculum for next year.

 

I didn't feel like I was giving her too much work, but here is what she does daily. I also write it all out for her so she can check things off as she completes. She loves to check off/cross out!

 

Here is what we did today.

 

Math - Lesson 141 in Light Unit 109

 

Language Arts - Lesson 1 in Light Unit 110

 

Writing With Ease - Copywork

 

Handwriting - 1 page in a small Skill Builders workbook

 

Science - Reading from CLP Nature Reader 3 1/2 pages

video of spider making web

 

History/Social Studies - 1 page of a Social Studies workbook (Basic Not Boring series - She loves this and we always do this orally.) I read 3 - 4 pages of History for Little Pilgrims

 

Explode the Code 6 1/2 - 1 page

 

Right into Reading 2 - 2 pages (We always do orally.)

 

15 minutes of free reading.

 

Too much?

Based on this message, and the one above about your tearless day...I def. say drop CLE. Seems like the odd-man out when compared to your other choices. Sounds like she is a Charlotte Mason kiddo :) She loves the read alouds, the gentleness probably draws her in. She may be able to handle more traditional text-type materials in a couple of years, but for now, I'd be searching for hands on, read aloud, GENTLE....a major mistake I made the first time around was Not catering to ds's style. He needed a lot more activity than I gave him b/c I was stuck on using the best rec. materials, and not on catering to his needs. Don't make my mistake! If she's that successful in other areas, then sell that CLE on the swap boards and have some easy fun with CM materials! Glad to hear you had a better day!

[jplain]

I know ETC isn't one of your problem areas, but unless she had a lot of trouble with ETC 6, she doesn't need to do the half book. You can go right to ETC 7, or if it would make life simpler, just take a break from phonics instruction until you're ready to go on to the next book.

 

:grouphug:

[TN Mama]

I just wanted to share with you how things have been going since my desperate post last week.

 

We put CLE away. For Math we've continued with the time & money workbook (per dd's interest/request). She has been doing 1 sheet on money & 1 on time. She has gained so much confidence and to see her excited about Math is something I wasn't sure I'd see.

 

I've looked into several different programs for next year and think we'll try Abeka. She has seen the samples and is excited.

 

Today we brought CLE back out for LA, but went through it orally. Much better! And although she insists that she really does like this program for LA, we will probably choose something else for 2nd grade. Planning on keeping WWE (2) and using either FLL 2 or GWG 2. Don't know about spelling or handwriting at this point.

 

Just wanted to thank you all again!

[Medieval Mom]

I just wanted to share with you how things have been going since my desperate post last week.

 

We put CLE away. For Math we've continued with the time & money workbook (per dd's interest/request). She has been doing 1 sheet on money & 1 on time. She has gained so much confidence and to see her excited about Math is something I wasn't sure I'd see.

 

I've looked into several different programs for next year and think we'll try Abeka. She has seen the samples and is excited.

 

Today we brought CLE back out for LA, but went through it orally. Much better! And although she insists that she really does like this program for LA, we will probably choose something else for 2nd grade. Planning on keeping WWE (2) and using either FLL 2 or GWG 2. Don't know about spelling or handwriting at this point.

 

Just wanted to thank you all again!

 

If you decide to stick with CLE, I'd suggest breaking up the lessons. A few weeks ago, ds was dawdling with both Math and LA, although he insisted he liked CLE! :confused: So I decided to break up the math into THREE sections:

 

New stuff + Counting book + Calendar book

I Can Do This

Speed drill/Flashcard drill (sometime I even break these up!)

 

LA can be broken up into new and review.

 

We interspersed other subjects in between, like piano practice, singing, coloring, poetry, read alounds, walking around the block, whatever. It was a MIRACLE! Although he LOVES math, LOVES LA, I think he just needed things to be broken up a bit. Perhaps it's the season-- Spring? Perhaps Charlotte Mason was right? :) I'm not sure, but I am THRILLED with the results-- And so is ds!:)

 

At any rate, I just wanted to chime in with our experience before you spend $$ on other curricula, or switch from a program you like. I remember reading in the Teacher's manuals from CLE that they recommend splitting up the lessons, too. I had simply forgotten all about it (because at the beginning, the lessons were so simple and short!):lol:

 

Good luck to you!

 

MM:grouphug:

Edited April 26, 2010 by Medieval Mom

[FlockOfSillies]

Actually, SM Standards Ed. has tests in a separate workbook.

 

I'm surprised you find it "teacher-intensive." Many children are able to do them independently. I think SM is one of the least teacher-intensive programs available. I've always thought of programs like Right Start as being teacher-intensive. But I guess it depends on how you implement it.

[FordFamily]

I am not trying to sound blunt, but for lack of time, I'll get to the point.

Is this the only time you see this behavior? Or, it when you cross her will in

other areas? Then you know the answer because is she is being disobedient (throwing fits, not obeying cheerfully) then no matter what curriculum

you put in front of her, when she decides she doesn't enjoy it, it will be the

same struggles.

I hope you can hear my heart, I don't have all the answers, but I would and have asked myself the same questions. And, honestly...for our family, it has NOTHING to do with the school work.

[LisaC]

I don't have any answers, but reading your post made me think of bouts of resistance I've gotten from my soon-to-be 7yo son. For me it has helped to just take a break from it -- a week off, or maybe two... It's not easy for me to take those breaks because I'm a full-steam-ahead type of person, but he tends to be cyclical in his energy. And with moving, it might be that your daughter could use some time to just get a sense of her surroundings. Just my thoughts...

 

:iagree: I have had the same experience with my DS. He is also one of those children for whom things come rather naturally; however, if he is pushed to think or work through something, he can get very frustrated. When he is having those days, I just work with him on staying calm, and I work through the material with him by asking step-at-a-time questions. When he sees that he can do the work he is fine--until the next hurdle :) We have also had to hs with my husband away and trhough a move and a new baby. I find that taking a little time off gives my DC a chance to de-stress a little, and they go at it with a more renewed energy when we start again.

[HeatherM2]

I don't have time to read all the replies so I'm sorry if this has been said before.

 

CLE math has a lot of problems for each lesson. If her math scores are high on quizzes and test then maybe you could mark out most of the problems that she has mastered. The amount of problems may just look overwhelming to her each day. Or you could take several days to complete one lesson. If that doesn't work she is so young you could put it away and try again next year. This year you could play math games and/or do fun little math worksheets.

 

I don't really see why kindergarten-third graders need a formal language arts program. I would put that away and work on reading, reading, and reading. :001_smile: My third grader started CLE Language Arts this year, but we went really slow and I can tell that she's still not fully understanding some of it. I really like oral narrations and copy work in the younger years.

 

It doesn't sound like a discipline issue to me so I hope you can find what works for you and your daughter.

[Mommee & Baba]

I'm not sure I can bring much comfort to your concerns specifically but I hope a little.

 

I'm not sure if you're doing alot of workbook style things or not but from what I've read about those particular curriculums they are more workbook style than what we use. For the first year of our homeschooling adventure it was workbook this, workbook that and my dd's were beginning to cause me to second guess our decision to homeschool. Then after much prayer and finding this forum..I found hope, motivation and we now have a WHOLE new curriculum library in our home and LOVE school!

 

I currently have a K4 and 1st grader. We don't do any LA workbooks or lessons per say. We are using Hooked on Phonics Level 1 and my K4'er is doing the Leap Frog Word Launch game daily as well as slowly reading a BoB book here and there. We also are doing Handwriting without tears.

 

As for math we LOVE MEP. It's FREE and it gets not only the kids thinking on another level of learning but my dh and I too! We love it. My k4'er will be doing Y1 of that math next year, while my oldest dd will be doing her grade level. This math has gotten my dd's to ENJOY math. So much so that my youngest is going to be an entire grade level ahead of what the public school system would have her.

 

When I got the right curriculum books for our home, schooling was FUN and the passion came back to me. I didn't realize it was being dragged down because of my curriculum choices.

[Guest]

I would definitely look into switching curriculum's if I were you. I use CLE and like it right now, but I can see how it would be WAY to much for some children. Some children do not thrive with a workbook program that has a lot of repetition, and that introduce a new concept every single day, while still having to remember everything you learned up until that point. There are also several pages a day which can be drudgery for some children, and suck out the love of learning.

 

I would try something like MUS, WWE, and FLL or GWG. I have done each of those programs in the past and they are quick and easy, but still get the job done. I may just convince myself to use them again:lol:.

Edited April 26, 2010 by Guest