What are your time commitments/schedules like

[Purpledaizy]

My d.s., 6 y.o., is in k 1/2 day and at a babysitters home 1/2 day. We study before school 1 hour then I leave for work at 7:30 am; and for 2-3 hours in the evening. At this point in time is appetite for knowledge is insatiable. How long does this last? Its a very had schedule to keep up.

[LibrarianMom]

Wow! That would be a really hard scheduled to keep up. I'm very impressed that you guys are up and doing work at 6:30 a.m. as I'm just thinking about rolling out of bed then and my kids aren't even up. Are you holding up OK or are you feeling spent? Can you maybe encourage ds to do some work independently?

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Um, yeah, that seems like a lot of time. My boys are 5 and 7 and we do about an hour of school homework and mommy homework after school, then we do read alouds for an hour before bed.

[Shay]

Awesome job, mom (read your blog):hurray:! Reading your blog made this post make more sense for me. You are saying your son's desire to learn is insatiable, correct? You are spending hours daily trying to quench it?

 

Can your son read? Although not PDD, my first son's desire to learn was also insatiable. He literally followed me around wanting me to read page (after page after page.....) in Zoobooks. At that point, I did not know I *could* teach him to read. He would have been an easy one to teach to read early and he could have really enjoyed that. As it was, I often had to put him off, as I had a toddler and newborn at the time.

 

So, not knowing enough about where your son is exactly, it is hard to offer advice. But, I would doubt his extreme desire for knowledge will go away. Again, it sounds as if he is an amazing little boy.

[Purpledaizy]

Awesome job, mom (read your blog):hurray:! Reading your blog made this post make more sense for me. You are saying your son's desire to learn is insatiable, correct? You are spending hours daily trying to quench it?

 

Can your son read? Although not PDD, my first son's desire to learn was also insatiable. He literally followed me around wanting me to read page (after page after page.....) in Zoobooks. At that point, I did not know I *could* teach him to read. He would have been an easy one to teach to read early and he could have really enjoyed that. As it was, I often had to put him off, as I had a toddler and newborn at the time.

 

So, not knowing enough about where your son is exactly, it is hard to offer advice. But, I would doubt his extreme desire for knowledge will go away. Again, it sounds as if he is an amazing little boy.

 

Yep! absolutely insatiable! I'm very glad at 6 y.o. he still goes to be around 7:30 or 8 pm. Right now. the alarm goes off at 5:45 and he goes for the dictionary (see a) and reads two or three pages aloud. This take about 20-30 minutes. I am usually only half awake and if he doesn't know a word, he'll spell it for me and wait for an answer. Then downstairs for breakfast where we start poetry reading for memorization for about the 10 minutes it takes for me to get b-fast on the table. Next is vocabulary and spelling. about 10 minutes from Sylan vocabulary success grade 2. And then I'll give him 2 or three sentences to write. All the while I'm ironing, putting on make-up, getting his school bag ready, etc. Dad get him bathed, dressed and off to school.

 

After I get home around 5:30, we start with the 10-15 minutes of schoolwork from the ps. And our evenings vary every night of the week but its almost always math or logic oriented.

 

I have just about all my materials gathered for summer through next year and I'm getting ready to put up another blog post in a few days. I need to get the curriculum and a plan in place asap, because I can't do this haphazardly any more. Its to stressful for him when I try to throw a project together or just put sheet in front of him to do. I think he needs active learning with a schedule and goals to ease his anxiety.

 

Honestly, his brain is a machine and it worries me sometimes.

 

(a) The dictionary is First Dictionary from Parragon Books it has about 25 definitions per page at this level: Bright - something bright give out a lot of light and shines strongly. You should never look at the sun because its light is so bright it will hurt your eyes. etc.... He usually needs help 2 or three times per page.

 

oh, and another thing. he does not like to play for long periods of time. He seems to constantly need purpose. I'm hoping that making dioramas, art projects etc.. will help him to relax a bit. Phew! thanks for listening!

Edited May 15, 2010 by Purpledaizy
clarity re: the dictionary

[EmilyK]

My oldest was/is like this. Audio books and history and science documentaries have been my lifesaver. I've gotten a lot of ideas here and on the TAGFAM/TAGMAX lists. It also helped that he was an early reader, but he never read as fast as he wanted to shovel it in. :001_smile:

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Okay, read your blog. Does make more sense now. How about some learning activities that you can set up for him to work on while you do something else. I'm thinking something like Snap Circuits, or trying to build a pyramid with blocks, or cutting out a bunch of words from magazines and arranging them into a story or a poem? Seems like you just need some time to get other things done. Does he like to write? My kids can spend a long time writing "books". Maybe he can make up some stories about a favorite toy or character.

 

Best of luck to you.

[Purpledaizy]

Okay, read your blog. Does make more sense now. How about some learning activities that you can set up for him to work on while you do something else. I'm thinking something like Snap Circuits, or trying to build a pyramid with blocks, or cutting out a bunch of words from magazines and arranging them into a story or a poem? Seems like you just need some time to get other things done. Does he like to write? My kids can spend a long time writing "books". Maybe he can make up some stories about a favorite toy or character.

 

Best of luck to you.

 

I do need to get him more challenging toys and plan more projects. He is such an information junkie, just like mom and dad :) Perhaps listening to the audiobooks/documentaries will help him to hold his interest in the more challenging toys.

[MBM]

Yep! absolutely insatiable! I'm very glad at 6 y.o. he still goes to be around 7:30 or 8 pm. Right now. the alarm goes off at 5:45 and he goes for the dictionary (see a) and reads two or three pages aloud. This take about 20-30 minutes. I am usually only half awake and if he doesn't know a word, he'll spell it for me and wait for an answer. Then downstairs for breakfast where we start poetry reading for memorization for about the 10 minutes it takes for me to get b-fast on the table. Next is vocabulary and spelling. about 10 minutes from Sylan vocabulary success grade 2. And then I'll give him 2 or three sentences to write. All the while I'm ironing, putting on make-up, getting his school bag ready, etc. Dad get him bathed, dressed and off to school.

 

After I get home around 5:30, we start with the 10-15 minutes of schoolwork from the ps. And our evenings vary every night of the week but its almost always math or logic oriented.

 

I have just about all my materials gathered for summer through next year and I'm getting ready to put up another blog post in a few days. I need to get the curriculum and a plan in place asap, because I can't do this haphazardly any more. Its to stressful for him when I try to throw a project together or just put sheet in front of him to do. I think he needs active learning with a schedule and goals to ease his anxiety.

 

Honestly, his brain is a machine and it worries me sometimes.

 

(a) The dictionary is First Dictionary from Parragon Books it has about 25 definitions per page at this level: Bright - something bright give out a lot of light and shines strongly. You should never look at the sun because its light is so bright it will hurt your eyes. etc.... He usually needs help 2 or three times per page.

 

oh, and another thing. he does not like to play for long periods of time. He seems to constantly need purpose. I'm hoping that making dioramas, art projects etc.. will help him to relax a bit. Phew! thanks for listening!

 

A plan sounds like a good idea. Besides TWTM, I bought the Core Knowledge Sequence book to help me. It's now available for free as a download. Of course, you don't have to use all of the material they suggest, but it might help you develop a long-term picture. Warning: big files!

 

http://books.coreknowledge.org/home.php?cat=314

 

Books on tape are a wonderful idea. Don't fear those with big words or complicated sentences. Your son might also enjoy hearing poems read aloud on Poetry Speaks to Children. He could follow along in the book while listening. A Child's Introduction to Poetry is also good.

 

I'd also recommend developing a reading plan that includes non-fiction.

 

If you'd like some catalog suggestions, I'd be happy to post those as well.

 

Enjoy your son and keep him going. You're in a terrific predicament! :)

[Purpledaizy]

A plan sounds like a good idea. Besides TWTM, I bought the Core Knowledge Sequence book to help me. It's now available for free as a download. Of course, you don't have to use all of the material they suggest, but it might help you develop a long-term picture. Warning: big files!

 

http://books.coreknowledge.org/home.php?cat=314

 

Books on tape are a wonderful idea. Don't fear those with big words or complicated sentences. Your son might also enjoy hearing poems read aloud on Poetry Speaks to Children. He could follow along in the book while listening. A Child's Introduction to Poetry is also good.

 

I'd also recommend developing a reading plan that includes non-fiction.

 

If you'd like some catalog suggestions, I'd be happy to post those as well.

 

 

 

Enjoy your son and keep him going. You're in a terrific predicament! :)

 

Thanks!! those are great suggestions, especially the core knowledge series. I would love to see your literature recommendations.

You're in a terrific predicament!

We feel very blessed!

 

ETA: oh now I see, the Core knowledge Sequence is from E.D. Hirsch, we have What Your 1st Grader Should Know. I really like this series.

Edited May 21, 2010 by Purpledaizy

[MBM]

Thanks!! those are great suggestions, especially the core knowledge series. I would love to see your literature recommendations. We feel very blessed!

 

ETA: oh now I see, the Core knowledge Sequence is from E.D. Hirsch, we have What Your 1st Grader Should Know. I really like this series.

 

For literature I used E.D. Hirsch's recommendations. We bought the curriculum for the first few years and supplemented with particular selections.

 

E.D. Hirsch's Books to Build On: A Grade-by-Grade Resource Guide for Parents and Teachers

I highlighted what I liked and checked them out from the library. Includes many non-fiction titles.

 

The Core Knowledge Sequence book contains many excellent titles listed by grade and genre.

 

Beginning in middle school, I used Core Knowledge's three Realms of Gold anthologies.

 

As you might have guessed, I like E.D. Hirsch's ideas!

 

You could also begin to read some of these to your son already:

 

McGuffey's Eclectic Readers (primer through sixth grade), the boxed set

These were used back in the 1800s, but the selections are excellent, IMO.

 

Avi: A Beginning, A Muddle, and and End; The End of the Beginning, very Frog and Toad-ish

 

Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel -- one of my personal favorites!

 

Picture books, of course.

 

CDs narrated by Jim Weiss. My youngest has listened to many, many times.

CDs of the classics -- Heidi, Robin Hood, The Secret Garden, whatever suits your fancy.

 

HTH!

[Purpledaizy]

Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel -- one of my personal favorites!

Me too! I read this over and over. Ds has my childhood copy :D

 

CDs narrated by Jim Weiss. My youngest has listened to many, many times.

 

 

We have SOTW 1, aside from SOTW, are there others?

[MBM]

We have SOTW 1, aside from SOTW, are there others?

 

Yes, many!

 

Here's a link to Greathall Storytelling Productions which lists and sells his recordings. Amazon and various children's catalogs sell them, too. I found a box of them at our library's used book store for $1 each. Kind of like striking gold!

 

Of course, there are other wonderful storytellers out there, too. We liked the people who read Hans Brinker, Or the Silver Skates and also The Bronze Bow. Nowadays we're listening to a few G.A. Henty novels some of which are read by Jim Weiss.

[BabyBre]

My d.s., 6 y.o., is in k 1/2 day and at a babysitters home 1/2 day. We study before school 1 hour then I leave for work at 7:30 am; and for 2-3 hours in the evening. At this point in time is appetite for knowledge is insatiable. How long does this last? Its a very had schedule to keep up.

 

 

Not nearly as long if he enters public school. They have a way of squashing that appetite right out.

[gandpsmommy]

Not to hijack the thread or anything, but I was so excited to see on your blog that you are in the Columbus area. We live about an hour southeast of Columbus. My husband used to work there, and we travel there often to go to museums, shop at Easton, see a play, etc. Have you been to the Franklin Park Conservatory yet? My children were four and six when we first went, and they loved it. We go back three or four times a year for different exhibitions. Also they like to go to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, and The Columbus Museum of Art (currently under major renovation, but still a fun place to spend an afternoon). We also like COSI, which I saw on your blog was an attraction for you. If your son is interested in fossils at all, there is a nice, very small geological museum at OSU that we visited last year. It is housed in just a couple of rooms, but it has a nice collection of fossils and minerals. About 30 minutes southeast of Columbus, in Lancaster, there is AHA! children's museum, which is a great place for imaginative play.

 

About your question, we're just about to enter the world of aftershooling as dd will be attending school for the first time next year, so I don't have any firsthand experience with aftershooling a four-year-old, but I personally can't imagine keeping up that schedule. DD was similar in her appetite for learning when she was four. She had a little math workbook that she loved to do pages in. She liked to visit starfall.com to work on reading skills. We started working through The Reading Lesson because she wanted me to teach her to read. She liked to paint and make art, so we tried to keep art supplies stocked and easily accessible. We read a lot of picture books from the library, and I started reading her longer books such as Mr. Popper's Penguins.

 

When ds was four he was mainly interested in science. He had me reading him a paleontology textbook for bedtime reading. He liked to go to ponds and creeks to explore. He started a rock, mineral, crystal, and fossil collection. We read a lot about that topic, as well, looking in the adult non-fiction section as well as the juvenile non-fiction section to find books with the best photos. He was also interested in reptiles and amphibians, so we read about them and he looked for them in nearby woods, ponds, and creeks. He liked to watch DK videos/dvd's.

 

I think audiobooks are a great suggestion. You can get SOTW books on cd and listen to them or have him listen to them while you work around the house or get to take a little break. Usually the library has some great children's books on cd as well. You could also get something like Songschool Latin or a foreign language cd that he could listen to independently.

 

If he's interested in science, The Young Scientist Club kits have been big hits with my kids. I love that they come with everything you need to do the experiment except maybe a few items that truly are common household supplies. They are much better than those science kits you get in a box at stores and gift shops, because they actually follow a theme in the guide and teach kids something.

 

Good luck!

[Purpledaizy]

Not nearly as long if he enters public school. They have a way of squashing that appetite right out.

 

 

Ds is a special needs student and attends primarily for services we would not otherwise be able to afford. Thankfully, we live in a homeschool friendly district. The school allows modified schedules for part-time homeschoolers and permits homeschool projects and learning to be utilized as part of the in-school learning process. The teachers we've had so far (ds has been apart of the district since he was 2 y.o.) have been amazingly helpful in creating a space where he can learn in a way that best suits him. If that were to change, we might need to consider other avenues, but for now we are well satisfied.

[Purpledaizy]

I hadn't heard of AHA! We are about a 15 min. to the S.E. I'll definitely have to check that out. I also didn't know about the geological museum ds would totally be into that. Do you know if they've opened up the Ohio Historical Center. I think they shut it down due to budget problems. Our church is the next door neighbor to the art museum so we take advantage of that regularly.

 

My little guy is also totally into science. He's gone to COSI camps the last two summers. He went to camp one day a week and since its within walking distance of my office it was so convenient to bring him on the bus, walk over and drop him off and pick him up later in the day. Unfortunately, he's been to all the camps in his age group and needs a change. He's going to this camp and has been talking about it for months!

 

We also love Easton, ds loves to play in the fountains and I love Godiva chocolate :drool5: We're actually going the the Conservatory for the first time this weekend. I just joined a homeschool social group who is meeting up for Asian Festival. Our usual hangout is Inniswood Gardens, I love the waterfalls there. I've heard about some caves in the area and just need to get in gear to make the plans to get there.

 

Thanks for all the great suggestions Terri!

Edited May 28, 2010 by Purpledaizy
to clarify "art" museum