Behavior/attitude issues.

[awoogala]

A little background on us:

We have run the gamut from unschooling to classical education in this house, and have settled on a classically-inspired eclectic education. My son is 8, my daughter is 5. After struggling with all around crankiness and loneliness last year, my son asked to attend school this year. we tried it. 2 mths. later, they're back home, for a million reasons, bullying being one of them. They both read well above level, have math skills above level. The older one LOVES math and science. The younger LOVES art and likes math.

 

The classically inspired ideal, then, is plenty of read-alouds to work the history and literature angle. Whenever we attempt this, more often than not, the kids balk. The youngest is downright FRESH these days involving anything other than picture books. The oldest enjoys the history (if we can get through it with an angry 5 year old disruptiong everything), but balks at many literature selections.

 

So: 2 part question: What do you do with a 5 year old with attention seeking and disruptive behavior when you try to work with an older child?

(we have a room full of art supplies, puzzles, quiet work, etc.)

 

and:

Why is it SO hard to find literature to interest my son? Anyone have classical literature selection more appealing than the usual?

:confused:

[dcjlkplus3]

I have colring pages or his sketchbook handy for my 5yo. They all 3 listen together, however, since he is only 5 and my girls didn't do history in kindergarten, if he doesn't want to listen to history He has the choice of playing in his room, the playroom, or some other room wher he will not disrupt his sisters.

 

As far as literature goes I would give your son a selection of books to choose from and then let him pick.

 

How are you choosing things now? Are picking things that go along with what he's studying in history? What kind of literature are you wanting him to read and what does he like to read on his own?

[awoogala]

Well, we're reading Pippi Longstocking at the moment, and he loves it.

Coloring alone doesn't cut it for the 5 year old, she insisted on having her own workbooks... and whipped through any k ones, has moved onto 1st grade ones. We've got clay and playdough and building toys and activity books, etc. She gets bored and needy and disruptive so quickly, though.

 

On his own, he gets obsessive and delves, say into memorizing the entire encyclopedia of star wars, then discarding it, moving on, and never wanting to look at it again. He tends to obsess, master, then move on. He's had Captain Underpants phases (yes, it's twaddle, but it was free time reading), Had a 'books on tape" period with The Indian in the cupboard and all the sequels, etc.

 

We actually have not done History yet this year. They went to school at the beginning, so we're just sliding slowly into hs again right now. Started light, math and reading and art, language arts. Next I'll add in history, followed by science.

[Jean in Newcastle]

A couple of thoughts:

 

1. I read aloud at breakfast and lunch. Having their mouths and hands busy helps a lot.

 

2. What history/lit selections have you been choosing for a 8 and a 5 year old? Are you doing a 4 year cycle of history? When we did "Ancients", we read fairy tales /legends from different cultures. We also read books like "Detectives in Togas" (Rome), Aesop's Fables (Greece), You Wouldn't Want to be an Inca Mummy!. . .

 

3. Somewhere along the line (and I suggest now) you need to take the reins as a parent. You can choose to let your kids choose their books, subjects, etc. but in my opinion, you should not let your kids choose to be disruptive. Whatever form of discipline you have for such behavior is what I would use, every single time.

[dangermom]

About literature--some kids just don't care much about fiction. Often those same kids will devour non-fiction, and from your description he sounds like a non-fiction kind of kid. Perhaps you could introduce him to the 'how things work' books at the library and the books on how the Roman army worked, things like that. I don't say you should drop literature entirely, but he may just not want as much fiction as you're accustomed to thinking about.

[Farrar]

 

The classically inspired ideal, then, is plenty of read-alouds to work the history and literature angle. Whenever we attempt this, more often than not, the kids balk. The youngest is downright FRESH these days involving anything other than picture books. The oldest enjoys the history (if we can get through it with an angry 5 year old disruptiong everything), but balks at many literature selections.

 

 

For the 5 yo - some 5 yos can really appreciate longer read alouds. Others cannot. Picture books are 100% okay for a five yo. If you want some books that might have more depth and yet still hold her interest then try looking at the Five in a Row lists - it's an all picture book curriculum (in case you didn't know).

 

Why is it SO hard to find literature to interest my son? Anyone have classical literature selection more appealing than the usual?

:confused:

 

Define "classical literature selection." I think some kids get into older books. Others need more contemporary stuff to hook their interest. If you're keen to do a classical style history and literature program, I personally don't think that's a problem for the grammar stage (I think it is probably a lot more difficult if you've got a fifteen yo who doesn't want to read primary sources, kwim?). There are lots and lots of retellings, picture book versions, and recent historical fiction that's written in a style that I think can interest kids who fall asleep for older books. I don't know what history you're working on, but I'll bet if you ask for suggestions, you can find historical books that will go along that have a more contemporary feel - some kids will always love the older ones like Adam of the Road and others need to read Crispin. Both are good books about the middle ages, but the latter is newish and the other is decades old.

 

Also, steer him toward high interest stuff - series books, nonfiction, graphic novels, etc. There's a lot of great reading to be done out there beyond some of the classical homeschooler favorites. Some of it is the stuff some call "twaddle" but much of it is not. It's just not the stuff I see getting suggested as often on this forum. If you give us some idea of what he has enjoyed or the sort of book you think he might like, then I'll bet we can suggest stuff. Also, you may have to accept that, like a lot of boy readers, he's not that into fiction. If he enjoys history, then you might find him history books to read on his own - or science or biographies or any number of nonfiction topics.

[lisabelle]

What time of day do you read aloud to your kids?

 

Ds is 11 and I do still love to read to him. But for years I've found that he really enjoys it in bed--first thing in the morning and at bedtime. It's a lovely ritual, one he enjoys. But he doesn't care for it at other times of the day.