Boys, boys, boys!

[jina]

What accommodations do you make for lower elementary boys? Do you give regular breaks - of so, WHAT is regular? Do you make sure they have some kind of physical activity to get their "jitters" out? Do you hit 1 subject hard, then let them have time on their own before moving to the next subject? It IS typical for boys to make more than twice the time to do a worksheet than girls, right? And also typical for them to be much more SLOPPY with their work?

 

Let's share ideas, PLEASE, of how you've been successful taming the "wild boy" for school to help him stay focused...while still embracing that side of him for his normal play and activities. I want my boy to be "ALL BOY" jumping and running and rough and tumble - just not during school time! :tongue_smilie:

[rafiki]

.

[Homeschooling6]

With my 5, 6, & 7yr. old boys do some school orally. We take about 15minutes of sit down time per subject. We probably do about an hour of school with my 6 & 7yr. which includes Reading/Phonice (The Reading Lesson) Math (Singapore or Online Math) Writing (will start in the Fall with WWE for one & MFW1st for the other) Spelling we haven't started yet:001_rolleyes:

 

My 5yr. is coloring the letter that we are working on, listening to a song with that letter, Pre ETC book (coming soon) & will start Singapore Early Bird soon.

 

My 4yr. doesn't really do school, but he colors the same pages as my 5yr. old.

 

History/Science/Bible we do, but these subjects are too fun to fall under "school":001_smile:

 

Around here it gets pretty wild:001_huh:. I am trying to stick to a schedule and am working on one this month. Hopefully it will be done by the Fall.

 

Lots of time for legos, lincoln logs, blocks, running & jumping are part of our school too:D

[Bula Mama]

I have a very active 10 year-old ds who is probably a bit ADD and couldn't sit still and focus when he was younger for long at all. Now he does better about having most of his school stuff without too many breaks inbetween, but I do give him mental breaks. We start out with something that takes quite a bit of concentration and work on that for 15 min. or so and then I read him a fable or some poetry, for example. Then, we do more focused work and then I read his history to him, and continue that way through all of his work. (kind of Charlotte Mason style)

 

My 5yo ds has excellent concentration skills already but I pretty much do the same style of lessons for him. I think it just makes it more enjoyable for him and keeps him loving to learn!

 

Boys are just a different ballgame to teach altogether, aren't they?!!!

[mycalling]

During the day we send the older boys out to the trampoline for 5 minutes of getting their jitters out if they need it. My 7yo has no problem getting through a day's worth of work in one 90min sitting.

 

This will be the first official hs'ing year for my wild 5yo son, though, and I planned accordingly. He will be doing 5-10 minute workbook sessions between manipulative activities and play time with the little ones. I've tried to gear entire subjects or practice times for subjects as manipulative, group, or oral activities. ETC and copy work are his only sit down activities. I hope his attention span grows as his need for more structured lessons grows.

[jonnia]

My little one is just turning six. This past year, we had the best success with spacing out any activities (as mentioned earlier in this thread) that included writing, mixing them up with hands-on, computer and oral activities. I learned to tolerate more wiggling than I ever thought possible! We also did silly things sometimes. For about two months, phonics worksheets could be done under the table. Soon the novelty no longer outweighed the discomfort, though! Math drill and spelling words worked best using a little wipe-off board. He would write his response then flip the board around and hold it up high for me to see.

 

It does get easier! Mine can sit still for a little longer period than when we began and doesn't require quite so much "wiggle room" - most days, at least.

[MerryAtHope]

When my kids were 6 I only required handwriting--we did all other subjects orally (math, phonics etc...) and I didn't start LA until 2nd grade. Math, phonics & handwriting took about half an hour usually. Then I had a break & after that we did read-alouds, history etc... With my son I also did most writing in 2nd grade, gradually transitioning him to doing his math writing (we took turns etc...). I started copywork in 2nd grade & increased the quantity gradually as my kids got older (1 sentence in 2nd, 1-2 sentences in 3rd, 2-4 in 4th, paragraph in 5th, that kind of thing).

 

My dd transitioned to writing paragraphs & 1-2 page stories in 3rd grade, but my son didn't do that until 5th grade. This more relaxed approach made me nervous at times, but the end result that neither hates writing & both are willing to write has made that wait worth it for me! Sometimes last year they even asked for additional time to write!

 

HTH, Merry :-)

[NevadaRabbit]

and gettin' comfy to read the answers...

 

I'm praying for some mighty serious wisdom to come through on this thread!

[Jackie in AR]

I haven't read the other posts, so some of this may be a repeat.

 

I gave my boys (and actually my girls, too) lots of breaks when they were younger. (My soon-to-be-7yo-dd still needs these breaks.)

 

We would school for 15 to 20 minutes, and then take a break. We did as much orally as we could. When working on a set of math problems, they sometimes would get up and turn a couple of cartwheels, then get right back to work.

 

I'm convinced that one of my 13yo twin boys and my almost-7yo-dd would have been recommended for medication to curb their wiggles if they had gone to public school.

 

Some kids need to M-O-V-E frequently, and I don't have a problem with that.

 

On the other hand, my almost-11-yo-dd could sit in one spot for an hour or longer when she was younger with no problems.

 

As with most things, it just depends on the kid.

[Colleen]

What accommodations do you make for lower elementary boys?

 

None. I school my boys the same way I imagine I'd school girls (though I don't have girls, so I can't compare:)).

 

Do you give regular breaks

 

No.

 

Do you make sure they have some kind of physical activity to get their "jitters" out?

 

No.

 

Do you hit 1 subject hard, then let them have time on their own before moving to the next subject?

 

No...Okay, I'm sounding like a broken record, so maybe I should explain what the day looks like here. Beyond the age of 7 or 8, my guys go outside first thing in the morning (a little after 6 a.m.) to do farm work. They're out there for anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, so they do get the fresh air and movement in before school. The younger boys don't, although now and then my 5 (almost 6) year old will go do a bit of work out there, too. But most often, my little ones just play or read a bit inside before breakfast. After breakfast, everyone brushes teeth, makes sure beds are made, etc and then the four older boys sit down at the table and begin school. The pattern here is skill subjects in the morning (handwriting, spelling, math, English/grammar, foreign languages) and content subjects (history, science) after lunch.

 

It IS typical for boys to make more than twice the time to do a worksheet than girls, right?

 

I think that's a stereotype and based on what I've read on this board and heard from friends, it isn't a matter of gender. Very rarely do my guys dawdle.

 

And also typical for them to be much more SLOPPY with their work?

 

Another stereotype, imo.

 

Let's share ideas, PLEASE, of how you've been successful taming the "wild boy" for school to help him stay focused...while still embracing that side of him for his normal play and activities. I want my boy to be "ALL BOY" jumping and running and rough and tumble - just not during school time! :tongue_smilie:

 

Expectations and consistency. The expectation here is that inside ~ during school or otherwise ~ is not a place for jumping and running and rough and tumble. So for my crew, school + inside = standard, calm behavior. Which is not to say they sit there like robots ~ and Lord knows the older ones can annoy each other with elbows or pencils or what-not! But I haven't encountered the antsy boy syndrome here, even with five boys on hand. So take heart!:)

[Woodland_Mom]

I have two boys, age 6 & 8. We take a break about every 1.5 - 2 hours, sometimes a little more often than that. I find that switching subjects about every 30 - 45 minutes works well for that. Much longer on one topic is too much for them!

 

They LOVE contests and active things. They enjoy learning through games, songs, and hands on stuff. At this young age, school should be fun!

[JudoMom]

:iagree:

 

I don't really do anything differently here, I don't think. We don't take breaks, we school from 9-12 and then the older 3 do independent work from 12:30-1:30 during quiet time.

 

Expectations and consistency. The expectation here is that inside ~ during school or otherwise ~ is not a place for jumping and running and rough and tumble. So for my crew, school + inside = standard, calm behavior. Which is not to say they sit there like robots ~ and Lord knows the older ones can annoy each other with elbows or pencils or what-not! But I haven't encountered the antsy boy syndrome here, even with five boys on hand. So take heart!

 

While I can't say that my boys have any "standard, calm behavior" :glare:, they do know they are to sit at the table and work during school time. It is what is expected, and they do it.

[sagira]

:lurk5: Taking notes, taking notes..

 

I do have a "wild boy" here. He's also young, just turning five in September. He is a ball of energy. At soccer, all the kids get tired and he goes, "more, more more!" He has a ton of stamina. So... yes, it has been a challenge to get him to sit down even for even an hour. Now I know when people say, "ants in his pants" -- no better way to describe it. Could be genetics too, as my dad was a very active person well into his late sixties/early seventies. You could have never guessed he was older man. I heard he was quite the locomotion when he was a young boy.

 

I have noticed that the Peak with Books literature curriculum is just the thing for him. It has a segment on doing "wiggling your fingers" etc and motion type things to get out the wiggles. Oh, and we should take him to the park or we pay the consequences (jumping on the couch, running around the house).

[Peela]

My boy is now 12 and I have homeschooled him since he was 7.

Yes, he is very different from his sister- stereotypically so, in terms of schoolwork. He has the sterotypical delayed academic development, and is a reluctant writer. He was recently diagnosed dyslexic.

 

I don't find breaks as useful as the others have said. I find they distract too much and getting back to focus on work is more difficult after a break. SO I have never used the run-around-the-house or jump on the trampoline thing as much as others seem to. But my son is not "hyper" at all, or overly physical, so maybe thats a difference. He has always had chores before school, and he does have an exercise ball to sit onl, and I allow him to move around a certain amount.

 

I have always done a lot orally with my son, and a lot of one on one. Short lessons, very small amounts of writing, but consistent, predictable writing every day. I remember a few years ago now, he had to do one line of copywork a day- that was a lot for him, but his hand hurt.

He has always hated me springing more work on him- he likes to know what he needs to do each day, predictably, and so that he can get in and do it- or not. So a schedule is good- originally it had pictures on it. He has always tried to wheedle his way out of work and he has always been one to tell me I give him too much work. :) I have learned to be deaf to those complaints, because no matter how much I cut back, it was too much :)

We have covered a lot with reading aloud. At times I have covered a fair bit with documentaries too, since my son is extremely visual.

 

Lots and lots of physical affection, cuddles, snacks, seem to help him feel its not just one long chore.

And keeping the school day short, so that he can have plenty of time for what he wants to do. He loves to have something to look forward to each day- nowadays it is the neighbourhood kids on the street after school.

Restricted electronics time- very, very addictive, so none during the schoolweek, so that he doesn't think about it all day.

 

All in all, consistency has been helpful, and now he can handle a lot more.

 

My daughter has never had to be handled like this, but she is soooooo different.

[Pink Fairy]

I have three boys and two girls. My two hsing boys definitely have less control when it comes to fine motor skills, which leads to sloppier handwriting. I don't make a huge issue of it, because I can see that they are doing the best they can.

 

My 6yob is young in terms of maturity, and is constantly moving his body. I make allowances for that as well, because honestly--that's just how God made him. He's been that way since infancy, and I can either accept it and work with it, or fight what I assume would be a losing battle.

 

I recommend that you take each child--male or female--as they are (not that you aren't--just in general). For me, one of the beauties of homeschooling is that I can adjust for my child's strengths and weaknesses. Right now, I have two that are accelerated learners, one that is at grade level, and one that is below grade level. I require them to do their best, whatever that is FOR THEM.

 

HTH someone! :001_smile:

[Chris in VA]

It's so individual, isn't it? One thing I've noticed about parental expectations re boys--

 

My df has a boy whom from whom she accepts what she thinks are typical "boy" answers--for example, she allows him to make up the most obnoxious sentences in grammar, as long as they are grammatically correct. I would never, never find most of his answers acceptable, because they are just rude. He never has to sit still, he never has to be quiet, and his siblings suffer because of it--of course, they don't respect each other, either--chaos reigns in the guise of "freedom."

 

I am not homeschooling a young boy, just a high schooler, but I do have two sons, and when they were little, standards of behaviour were high around here. One really needed to move, but he had to learn to control himself and "move" when appropriate. They both went to public school. It didn't hurt them to sit at a desk and work--and no, they are not chained to the desk in public school elementary classes--

They learned to sit when appropriate, concentrate, be respectful of other's need for stillness and quiet and work hard.

 

I find parents placating their boys, instead of expecting them to rise to a standard. If they don't have ADD, they can and should learn to control themselves.

 

That said, there IS greater freedom in homeschooling, that's for sure, and some kids really do learn better "a-swingin' from the chandelier," but I still think some desk/table work is important. It's often a matter of respect for others.

 

Keep your expectations high but reasonable. They can do more than you think, most of the time.

[Sunshine State Sue]

Let me start with saying that in 6th grade my ds started to be a wonderful, fabulous, delightful student. No more avoidance of anything that looked like schoolwork. So, hang in there. It does get better, and the payoff is worth it.

 

Here are some things that I did:

• I rarely required him to sit still if it wasn't necessary. Ie. I could read history aloud to him while he colored or jumped around the room or acted out the story with stuffed animals or lego men.
  
• Books on tape in the car or during meals were (still are) great.
  
• Math could be done outside with sidewalk chalk.
  
• Science was more hands-on.
  
• Find curriculum that is efficient.
  
• Very involved in PE and team sports.
  

 

Like Peela, I had mixed results with taking breaks in between subjects. We did it, but it always took a long time to rein him back in afterwards.

 

With 20/20 hindsight, I wish I had worked on handwriting earlier, say K, instead of waiting until 6th grade to do remedial work.

 

The second reason I homeschool is because of ds's "active" nature (see signature). If he had been in school, that would have been wrung (or drugged) out of him. But, at what price? I wanted to honor it. After all, how many times do people say, "I wish I had that energy..."?

[Homeschooling6]

I would like to add that my 10yr old son does take forever to finish his school work compared to his 8yr. old sister. She will sit there do her math, spelling, english etc. and be done with it. Josh would barely be done with one subject.His mind wonders a lot. His room is organized though:glare:

 

My 7yr. son is always hungry as well as my 6yr old son.

 

All my boys so far have started sounding out words at the end of 5yrs. and start reading, reading at 7yr. and my now 10yr old is at grade level for the first time:hurray:

 

My dd on the other hand took of with reading at age five. She is 8 and reads better than her 10yr old brother. She is a natural speller unlike her older brother:001_unsure:. She is also very bossy:toetap05:.

 

I have been reading a book that talks about how boys and girsl brains are wired different. Very interesting. I'm thankful we get to homeschool our boys. I can't imagine my boys sitting for 7yrs a day:eek:.

 

 

Blessings,

[MtnTeaching]

I have a wiggle worm. Even at 11 he still seems to like to be upside down on the chair or sticking push pins into his big pink eraser while doing his schoolwork.

 

A couple of things that have definitely worked for us over the years-(though I'm still trying to find something to help with the handwriting)

-A big breakfast with lots of protein (I make shakes with fruit, yogurt, protein powder, flaxseed oil, etc.)

-A big walk or bike ride right after cleaning up b'fast and before math

-Doing math first thing in the morning, then taking at least a 15-20 min. run time break

-We also move rooms and locations a lot during the day to break up the feeling of being pinned down to one spot

 

After that morning break, he is able to focus until we need to break again around lunch.

This works very well for my wiggle worm and starts the day off with rosy cheeks and lungs full of fresh air. As a matter of fact, I find that if I don't have this type of morning, my own day doesn't go as well. Having a boy in the family is great - he keeps us moving and exploring!

[Karen FL]

My eldest son, just shy of nine, spent Kindergaren and 1st grade mostly on his head upside down. He would even spin sometimes. That was fine with me. My 7 y/o son can sit still for about 10 or 15 minutes at a time. When the two of them get very wiggly, I let them race each other outside for five or ten minutes.

 

My eldest son doesn't like workbooks. For a couple of months I had to sit right beside him when he started learning a new concept. If I wasn't right at his side he would take forever to complete an assignment.

 

My second son loves workbooks so it's a non issue with him.

 

I don't have any problem with allowing boys to have breaks. I think many boys have difficulty sitting still during the early years. I noticed that one person who applied to this thread has boys who are doing farm warm early in the morning. Meg Meeker, MD advocates intense physical activity for wiggly boys in her book Boys Should Be Boys.

[Guest Live- Love- Laugh]

I have 2 boys who are "all boy" when it comes to play but definitely have different learning styles and attention spans.

 

My just turned 9 y.o. son is more stereotypical of the "antsy, can't sit still" boy. He needs breaks scheduled in to keep him focused. If he knows ahead of time when he gets a break, I get less complaints if he has a more difficult time with his work that day. I'll have him do math first for about 45-60 min. and then take a 15 min. break in which he can go and do whatever he likes which includes a healthy snack, but no tv. Then he'll come back and work another hour on spelling, grammar and writing with me followed by a half hour to 45 min. of reading of his choice. After that we take a break. It's around 11:30 am and we won't start up again until 1:30 pm with history or science. I encourage them to get outside during that time to ride bikes, play ball, anything active to get moving and some fresh air. As a side note, if he is having difficulty that day with a particular assignment, I may suggest he go get a drink and come back, just to take a mini breather. Then we'll work a few more problems just to review it together before ending that subject for the day. He'll then go read quietly until the next subject block of time. This is not often though. I reserve this approach for those upsetting breakdown times.

 

My 7 1/2 y.o. is quite opposite in that he'd prefer no breaks and would work straight through most days in order to get his work completed earlier. Although, for consistency in scheduling my teaching times with them, I have him take breaks as well. He could sit still for extended periods of time without any problems or complaints. Once he focuses on the task at hand, he can concentrate so well and block out everyone elses noises.

 

I think it is important to recognize the differences in your children and make accomendations to their learning styles and behavioral needs. That's a benefit of homeschooling. But there are limitations in that you are part of the equation as well. I need breaks and a moment to stretch just as my son does, but I need order as well for our school to run smoothly. I have made it clear to my children, my oldest son especially, that during school time, we sit and work. I remind them that I give breaks, and promise we won't skip them. So I expect them all to focus when we are schooling and when we're not, they can talk, play & run around. I've taken this approach from the beginning of our homeschooling experience. After three years, the routine of the day has been basically same, although the time has lengthened for subjects. My expectation has always been school first then play, working on self-control. Of course not all days are perfect when it comes to these expectations, but I think it gives us all a goal to work toward and helps us stay on track during the day.

[abreakfromlife]

 

None. I school my boys the same way I imagine I'd school girls (though I don't have girls, so I can't compare:)).

 

 

 

No.

 

 

 

No.

 

 

 

No...Okay, I'm sounding like a broken record, so maybe I should explain what the day looks like here. Beyond the age of 7 or 8, my guys go outside first thing in the morning (a little after 6 a.m.) to do farm work. They're out there for anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, so they do get the fresh air and movement in before school. The younger boys don't, although now and then my 5 (almost 6) year old will go do a bit of work out there, too. But most often, my little ones just play or read a bit inside before breakfast. After breakfast, everyone brushes teeth, makes sure beds are made, etc and then the four older boys sit down at the table and begin school. The pattern here is skill subjects in the morning (handwriting, spelling, math, English/grammar, foreign languages) and content subjects (history, science) after lunch.

 

 

 

I think that's a stereotype and based on what I've read on this board and heard from friends, it isn't a matter of gender. Very rarely do my guys dawdle.

 

 

 

Another stereotype, imo.

 

 

 

Expectations and consistency. The expectation here is that inside ~ during school or otherwise ~ is not a place for jumping and running and rough and tumble. So for my crew, school + inside = standard, calm behavior. Which is not to say they sit there like robots ~ and Lord knows the older ones can annoy each other with elbows or pencils or what-not! But I haven't encountered the antsy boy syndrome here, even with five boys on hand. So take heart!:)

 

 

I think it's interesting that you write it all off as stereotype, but yet your boys get an hour, hour and a half of hard work every morning. I'm sure if you had girls, you would treat them the same, which obviously, hard work is good for girls too. It would just be interesting to me to see how your boys would behave if they didn't get that hard work each day for an extended period of time. It just seems kind of unfair to say that we are stereotyping our boys, when you are giving your boys the kind of hard work that scientific research shows that they need. For most of us that don't live in a place where they can do hard work for an hour in the morning, coming up with breaks and allowing the jitteryness as 'normal', is our way of embracing the maleness of our boys and working with it, not against it. If we all lived on farms where they could work like that, then we probably wouldn't need frequent breaks, somersaults, etc.

 

Writing off a boy's need for active time as 'stereotype' could be harmful to a mother and her son who hasn't read books or research about the differences between males and females. Obviously stereotypes are broad and generalized, and each individual child is different, but there is strong scientific evidence to back this one up, that boys are different from girls, and do need the active, physical time. It would be a shame to see a mother think that her son is the same as her, and should end up medicated just b/c she doesn't understand his active need and thinks it is a stereotype.

[Colleen]

I think it's interesting that you write it all off as stereotype, but yet your boys get an hour, hour and a half of hard work every morning. I'm sure if you had girls, you would treat them the same, which obviously, hard work is good for girls too. It would just be interesting to me to see how your boys would behave if they didn't get that hard work each day for an extended period of time.

 

As I mentioned, my boys start working on the farm after the age of 7 or 8. The younger two ~ including the one closest in age to the original poster's son ~ are inside prior to breakfast.

 

It just seems kind of unfair to say that we are stereotyping our boys, when you are giving your boys the kind of hard work that scientific research shows that they need. For most of us that don't live in a place where they can do hard work for an hour in the morning, coming up with breaks and allowing the jitteryness as 'normal', is our way of embracing the maleness of our boys and working with it, not against it. If we all lived on farms where they could work like that, then we probably wouldn't need frequent breaks, somersaults, etc.

 

We were asked questions and I shared my thoughts and experiences in response. Naturally we won't all have the same perspective. My opinion may not align with yours, but that doesn't negate it or make it an unfair assessment.:)

 

Obviously stereotypes are broad and generalized, and each individual child is different, but there is strong scientific evidence to back this one up, that boys are different from girls, and do need the active, physical time.

 

I believe every child shares that need. Naturally, if one lives in a more restricted setting, it will be more challenging to provide the physical activity and time outside. What I specifically deemed to be stereotypes are the notion that boys will spend twice as long as girls to complete a worksheet, and that boys' work will not be as neat. It's not gender specific and appropriate expectations should be in place alongside an understanding of each child's individuality, as Chris in VA so aptly said.

[tonygirl]

I have 4 boys 1 girl my girl is just as much a wiggle worm. She struggles with academics as much if not more then ds 10.

I look at it more in a OT stand point maybe it's not just but that is where I started understanding it.

I give lots of wiggle time before that can be in the form of play heavy work (farm work is excellent) it seems to get their minds and body organized for work. I asssume it does alot of the samethings brain does.

I give scheduled breaks sometimes more. I have learned the hard way that letting them watch tv at that time is BAD NEWS! duh I should of known better but you live and learn.

Also for now anyway I have only been working on handwriting at hw time. I have found for my kids that they work so hard at the hw in the other subjects that they don't learn it. Lots of oral discussion I can then write down their ideas then at hw time there can be copywork.

I totally think though there is no set way a boy will be compared to a girl all kids boy or girl are different some good hw some not and so on.

[Suzannah]

I did read-alouds while DS was in the bathtub or playing with Legos or eating lunch. I found that frequent breaks were actually more of a disruption than an opportunity to "get the wiggles out." We tried running around or dancing or going for a walk at regular intervals to break the monotony. But in his mind he was finished at that point and would either be difficult or just silly about anything that followed. We had to alternate between "heavy" and "light" subjects, such as math, history, handwriting, phonics. As SWB says, "boys' hands are delicate." Too much writing will ruin a 1st grader's day (and mom's too.)

 

The thing that made the day go smoothly was writing down the day's assignments. DS began to feel that I was just making up work for him to do. He burst into tears one day because he had just finished math and then I handed him something else to do. About half-way through 1st grade I began either writing them on our white board or making an assignment sheet. The assignment sheets allowed him to track his progress and see how close he was to a break, or lunch or the end of the day...FREEDOM! If he's anything like his mom, he probably gets some satisfaction from crossing things off of the "to do" list. We never spent more than 30 minutes on a subject (other than read alouds/history/science which he loved). If he was clearly tired or beginning to get frustrated we would take a break. This improved morale tremendously, although we do still have some whining from time to time.

 

We still use assignment sheets (betting 6th grade this fall), but I'm moved from daily to weekly assignments and try to give him some freedom to choose which ones he does on which day (within reason.)

 

Blessings!

[Jlq4]

I have two sons 12yo and 9yo. If you want some insight into boys, Andrew Pudewa from the Institute for Excellence in Writing has a very interesting audio seminar that you can download ($3) called Teaching Boys & Other Children Who Would Rather Make Forts All Day. I have heard him give this seminar twice and each time is was great. He gives a lot of information about how boys and girls do learn differently, based on research by Leonard Sax. The seminar is very informative and geared towards teaching boys. Leonard Sax wrote the book called Why Gender Matters. It is interesting and eye opening. Becareful if you decide to read it, that it doesn't fall into little hands. He has sections in the book dealing with a wide variety of topics: teenagers, relationships, etc.

 

Joy

[Starr]

Sometimes you just have to run a few laps around the house!

[ubermomto5]

instead of a check off list, but similarly, we made my 6yo a laminated list that has spots to stick laminated stickers. its easy for him to read what still needs to be done (and i do require 'excercise' before he is done for the day). with 5 young ones, i don't have a set schedule but always try to get the math done first - in our house, it is the sittingest subject. he has responded very positively to his chart, and it helps me too.

[ElisabethGrace]

Similar to Colleen, although we only have a hobby farm, our children have outside chores in the mornings. We also have inside chores to complete before we begin schooling.

 

DH and I have found that our boys really thrive on physical work, daily. They seem to have pride in their completed jobs. The type of thing I mean is sweeping porches & walks, mowing & edging (13yo ds), stacking wood, animal care, vegetable gardening, etc. It's easy for us to have a lot of outside work because we have some acreage, but when our 13yo was 6, we lived in a suburban area and still found "jobs" for him.

 

Also, I think our older children model acceptable behavior for our younger ones & that helps. Since your 6yo is your eldest, I don't know how much of this will help you. I do hope something I've posted will help!:001_smile:

 

 

Oh, I just remember something that may help you or someone else. It was once recommended to me to have ds bounce on a small rebounder (exercise trampoline thing) to have him burn off some energy. This worked well for a bit until he decided to try lauching himself like a missle!:glare:

[asher]

DH and I have found that our boys really thrive on physical work, daily. They seem to have pride in their completed jobs.

 

 

ITA. This year we have given ds things to do prior to school work: feed dog/cat/fish, make bed, etc. He does take pride in doing these things. It helps quite a bit to have our lives on more of a routine. I don't know why I fought it so hard in the past, but it has made a HUGE difference.

 

I put ds's list of things to do academically on a white board. It changes from one day to the next, so a white board works best for us. That way he can mark off what we've done.

 

I've done small breaks between subjects, but no t.v., computer, etc., until schoolwork is done. Anything else is fair game.

 

As noted before, we've done A LOT of work orally and if need be condensed the lessons.

 

I think, too, that if ds were in PS, he would be recommended for meds. He's a lot of energy in one boy :D

 

I'm curious about other's answers here, too :)

[Sue G in PA]

Well, my 4 school-aged boys are all different. My ds8 is much more workbook oriented in that he CAN sit and do workbook page after workbook page and get it all done before he has break number one. My ds10 is the dawdler. He just stares and doodles and stares and taps his pencil and stares some more...You get the picture. For him, we do a subject, take a 5 min. break, do another subject, take another 5 min. break, etc. It does help sometimes. Sometimes it just creates more of a problem in trying to get back to work after the break, KWIM? With my ds7...he just was NOT ready for formal school last year. We tried it for half the year and by Jan. he was just DONE. His usual complaining and sluggishness turned into downright refusal to do any school. Now, he does have Aspergers. So that had a lot to do w/ it. We did "school" orally. He played computer games (educational). He played Leapster. He built forts. He colored. He played w/ pattern blocks. So, "school" did get done...just not in the traditional sense.

 

You can try breaks and see if they work to keep your son motivated. Whatever you need to do. At 6yo, much can be done orally. Practice math facts while jumping on a mini-trampoline. Do spelling on the driveway w/ chalk. Whatever works. And, keep in mind that at 6...he just might not be ready for alot of sit down work and that's okay.

[phathui5]

My oldest son is seven (turning eight in October). It has definately been my experience that he needs lots of exercise to help him be able to focus and behave well. I try to send him outside after our post-breakfast chores and then he gets a break in between subjects as long as he's working with a good attitude. That's one of the many things that I love about the fact that we homeschool. We have the freedom to give the kids tons of time outside.

[LanaTron]

I have two boys and two girls, some fit the stereotypes, some don't.

 

Eldest boy and youngest girl have very neat handwriting. Middle two (eldest girl and youngest boy) are sloppier, with eldest girl winning the sloppy writing category.

 

Eldest boy and youngest girl are most willing to sit at the table and do their work.

 

Go figure. :D

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Let me preface this answer by saying that I have 2 sons and a daughter...

 

The only differences I have found in teaching my son that I chalk up to differences in gender-

 

1)at first I took dictation and oral narration for answers to literature and history questions because I found he was less able to express himself in writing than his sister. She would dive in and try to answer even if her spelling and grammar were off while he would give one or two word answers. Having seen this I would watch for the tendency in any child until they are comfortable with writing but...it seems typically boy.

 

2)get used to boys who wiggle and sit in strange positions or stand while they work. They keep working but don't sit quietly at a desk.

 

3)my son was always more sensitive to the time the neighborhood kids arrived home from school. He couldn't concentrate well once his friends were home and wanted to go out and play with them.

 

4)as he gets older I notice he needs to exercise and get out of the house more or his attitude towards other family members suffers.

 

The other differences I notice between son and daughter seem to be age based or personality differences. These are the only things that seem to be "boyish" in nature. But-all kids are different and not all boys will exhibit these traits.

[EKS]

I don't make accomodations. I just insist that they get their work done properly. My older boy has some motor planning problems and dyslexia but I still expect him to do the best that he can. I think children in general rise to our expectations of them.

[turnin' 360s]

When my son was in K he spent more time falling out of his chair and dropping his pencil than he spent learning. I was ready to quit! Then in first grade I decided to lighten up and make it fun. We played lots of games, used manipualtives, and just had fun. There was still "work" to do, but we broke it up with fun stuff. Now he is in the third grade and loves to learn! We are ahead in math and reading, but behind in handwriting and spelling. We just discovered the copywork and classical method a few weeks ago. This has GREATLY improved the much dreaded handwriting lessons. Handwriting is not something I stressed enough. He just hated it. But the copywork seems to have taken some of the stress out of writing. He is not ready to learn cursive, yet. We may wait another month or two. One thing I have learned is to not push them, or you will both be miserable. If you wait until they are ready, it will come so much easier.:)

[abbeyej]

No, I don't. I would allow for physical/energy outlets during school if a particular child (male or female) really needed to work out extra wigglies... But I have not found that to be the case with my boy. We take very occasional breaks, and have increased the time we do school as he has gotten older. When he was younger, sure, there was more time for running around... And if a child needs to run a lap around the house, or do some jumping jacks, or start the day out with stretches, we do it! But mostly, we just get our work done.

 

And I absolutely, stridently object to the idea that boys cannot be expected to do neat, legible work in a reasonable amount of time -- or that they are by necessity slower or messier than girls. Individually, yes, there are some kids who struggle more with writing than others. But an awful lot of it does come down to expectations and consistent practice. If one expects slow, sloppy work (from any child!), one is far more likely to get it than if one makes clear the expectation that neat, legible work will be completed in a timely fashion.

 

If a particular child needs more practice, more time, therapy, whatever, I'd work with them.

 

But please don't assume they can't do neat, timely work just because they're *boys*.

[St. Theophan Academy]

well, since that is a huge part of why I started homeschooling (could not bear the thought of my 5yo son stuck inside all day) yes, I would give him lots of free outdoor time to roam - but honestly - when he was six, our school time consisted of very little - about one and a half hours in the afternoon (while sisters were napping) of reading aloud, working on learning to read and practicing math. So it was less of an issue - I really do not remember doing worksheets with him at that age - other than ETC.

[Peela]

Hard to know with my boy what is Boy and what is dyslexia/learning difficulty. He IS very different to my girl, and yes, everything takes longer.

I started homeschooling him when he was 7, and looking back, I couldn't get a lot done. He was so writing reluctant. We did a lot orally, and I read aloud a lot. I had him read a little aloud, write a little, and do a little maths, every day. An hour at most. Then I would read aloud a lot.

I used to reward him getting his schoolwork finished with kicking a soccer ball with him, or walking to the shops together and buying him a chocolate.

In retrospect, I would worry less, enjoy the age more for it's exuberance rather than wishing it away, and I would do more physical games that required coordination and motor control to help the brain develop those pathways. A little schoolwork goes a long way at that age.

[threecsnme]

I have a 11 year old son with ADHD. He is very active. Here are some of the things that help in our home:

1.I let him use a small dry erase board to write on for math or spelling

2. We always do Math first thing in the morning

3. I try to make opportunities for wiggling- like practicing spelling words is done in chalk on the driveway. Or while throwing a ball back and forth each one says a letter of the word.

4. We do a lot of work orally

5. I allow him to type things on the computer. He does not like to write but will sit at the computer and type a paper no problem

6. Lots of hands on activites to go along with what we are studying

 

I try to break up our day by rotating between sitting and focuing and then a hands on project. This helps motivate him to get his work done so he can do the hands on. I try to be patient with the wiggling. When neccessary we will take a break, but try not to do it too often. It is hard to get him back into focus mode after taking a break. :001_smile:

 

HTH

[mcconnellboys]

For littles, I've let them build with legos or model with clay or draw (or color, during periods that they've liked that, which is not always) while I read aloud. My younger was more typical of a late starter in writing, so I've moved into it much more slowly over time with him, doing math with workbooks that don't require lots of problem writing; workbooks that allow fill in, short answers; doing things like grammar mostly orally, etc.

 

I haven't really needed this, but lots of moms of boys I know "run them", LOL, periodically. I was just speaking with one yesterday about this. She says for every field trip, she parks far away and hikes him in to the event, sometimes having him run laps in a safe area before entering. She has him run laps in the grassy area in front of our Y before they enter for class. She makes him run laps around the yard before they leave in the car to go anywhere.

 

There was a mom who used to post on these boards who would give her older son periodic breaks throughout the morning to run xxx number of laps through their neighborhood or xxx number of times around the house, etc.

 

Have fun with your busy boy!

[Kisa in CA]

One point that has not been made yet is that boys may be sloppy or do poor quality work because they are lazy or just don't care! That is the case with my eldest son. He doesn't want to have to slow down and think things through and to be careful to write neatly because he really doesn't care about neat handwriting. Girls naturally care more, (yes, that's a stereotype, but I do believe it is generally true. How many of us spent hours learning different ways to write letters or make our signature!). I have not accepted poor quality work but boy, has it been hard to get him to care!

 

I agree with other posters about involving physical activity in your school subjects. We will play basketball while reviewing phonograms, or play catch while everyone spelling their spelling words out loud. I also stop and have my 7 year old get his wiggles out by jumping up and down when he is particularly fidgety. Or we count to 150 while jumping. Things like that. I try to keep breaks to a minimum because getting them re-focused is an issue for me.

 

That said, don't you just love, love, love boys! They are a blast and sure teach you about patience!

[frogpond1]

in learning styles etc., but I believe there is truth in boys needing to move to get things into their brains etc. Having been a classroom teacher (and I still am 2X a week) I'm completely convinced that not all boys will sit still at a desk doing neat handwriting etc. for a full or even a half day of school (at least in elementary.) The thing that is hard is you really need to get to know your boy and what he is capable. If you push a certain way and you hit tears etc. you have hit frustration level and need to back down. I don't think it is always the quiet, compliant boys who are the most brilliant either. Real auditory boys will look like they are paying no attention and they will have absorbed the most information even if they are spinning circles as you read. Then you might have another boy who sits quietly and looks right at you as you read and ends up knowing nothing.

 

I have one super auditory boy who needed to run laps in between paragraphs during reading lessons when he was young. He needed lots of tickles whenever he got correct answers and now he is in 8th grade and doing fine in Middle school classes and doesn't need those interventions. He used to have to leap on his flash cards in a path like formation throughout the house. Memory work was done spinning in circles. If I had demanded him to just sit still and pay attention we would have had tears and not real learning.

 

My 2nd boy is a fine motor workbook boy. He must have done 4 different phonics programs because he loved workbooks so much. He can sit quietly an didn't need the running around. He starts to get sloppy in his work and I have to remind him that he can do it neatly and then he does. He is easy. Some moms only have this kind of boy and assume the other kind is some product of poor discipline. I discipline my boys all the same and it is truly a nature not nurture thing at my house.

 

Boy # 3 was just like boy #1 in the womb. I knew they would be bookends (he is my last). Sure enough, he needs to be going and in the middle of everything. He has more fine motor skills than boy #1, but he doesn't need hours to learn things, he just plows through things at an amazing pace. He isn't the mathematical genius of boy #1 or #2 but needs to do very active projects. He needs to be taking things apart. He needs to be on the computer. Funnix worked so well for him because of the pictures and colors and instant feedback. He has terrible mornings and great afternoons. He needs one on one time without the other boys. He needs to have everything color coordinated. He loves using the whiteboard. He does 2 days in a full co-op class with me a 2nd/3rd and he sits at his desk for portions of that time, but I always make sure that we vary activities and we have writing times and then active times. He wouldn't handle 5 days of sitting at a desk in a group of kids. He expends a lot of energy in that group and he does great, but the other 3 days he is exhausted and needs his work portioned out in quiet moments 15-20 minutes at a time.

 

I push all my kids for neat work, but I do understand which kids it comes easier for and I allow for that. I would rather my pencil challenged ones did less sentences very beautifully than more sloppily. That is a Charlotte Mason thing. Less is more for a couple of my boys.

 

Checklists are life savers here because no one thinks school will go on eternally or that if I finish up Mom will pile more on me. I let my boys choose what item on the checklist each will work on and go from there. I think giving choices can avoid a lot of battles.

 

I guess for me it has taken a lot to understand my boys and my husband because even he doesn't learn like me. I'm glad God gave them to me because I'm a much more empathetic teacher now. You gotta love those little balls of energy- they are so hysterical at times. I do have one girl and she is fabulous. She is her own thing and doesn't participate in the pouncing and wrestling etc. that happens around here. My 3 boys have their own measures of getting all the wiggles out. An old futon mattress makes a great wrestling mat in the playroom. :tongue_smilie:

[sagira]

When my son was in K he spent more time falling out of his chair and dropping his pencil than he spent learning.

 

:lol:

 

I thought my ds was the only one :)

[teachermom_7]

I homeschool two 5 y/o boys (my ds and my nephew). My son has been "doing" school with his big sister since he was about 2 1/2. At the preschool ages, I didn't require alot of "work" out of him (no actual curriculum) ~ we just did alot of puzzles, coloring, picture books, etc. The one thing I was VERY strict on, though, at a young age was learning to sit still in his desk and act appropriately in school. The one thing I learned the hard way with my daughter (8) is whatever you allow them to do when they're little, they'll assume they can do when they're older. It's MUCH easier to go ahead and instruct them and expect appropriate classroom behavior when they're just starting out than to think "they're little ~ it's okay" and then have to COMPLETELY retrain them when they get to the point they really need to get serious about their schoolwork.

 

It is never my intention to send my children back to public / private school, but in the event that it ever did happen, I want them to be able to adapt easily. My sister was a school teacher before she began homeschooling several years ago. She gave me that piece of advice when I began b/c she had seen so many children who returned to the traditional classroom for one reason or another and were just completely unable to function because there was no structure in their homeschool environment. I completely understand we as homeschoolers are typically very "untraditional," but even in our less structured environments, the children still need some form of boundaries and routine.

 

School with my 3rd grader typically is an all day affair ~ we usually get done with lessons after lunch and she gets done with her seatwork, reading, etc., around 2:30 p.m. With the two 5 y/o's, there typically done around lunchtime, so it's a much shorter day for them. We begin school at 7:30 a.m. with some indoor play time (puzzles, board games, etc). The boys stay in class with us for Bible, history / science, and reading. Then we take about a 30 minute recess for some outside play time to work all the "wiggles" out.

 

The one thing my children understand is they EARN privileges in our classroom. Recess and playtime is NOT a given! If they do not complete their work, pay attention in class, follow the rules, etc., there is no recess time that day. This has only happened a couple of times, but it got the point across.

 

When we come back in, we work on phonics and math with the younger ones while my daughter does some independent work (spelling, reading, etc). Once the boys are done with their work, they're excused from class. Kind of gives them that extra incentive not to play around but to get their work done quickly.

 

One thing I have found with the two boys I school is LOTS of hands on!!!!! Find out what interests them and that's half the battle. EVERYTHING to do with math has something to do with NASCAR!!!! Counting die cast cars, patterning hot wheels cars, read aloud counting books about racing cars, etc. If you find their "hot button," it'll make life in the classroom SOOOOOOOO much easier!!!

 

Phonics is the only thing my nephew still isn't completely "into." My son pretty much does whatever I work with him on, but my nephew isn't quite as compliable yet. They both LOVE the phonics museum!!!! Everyday is a little something different, so they never know what to expect.

 

Hope that helps!!

[teachermom_7]

Sorry ~ duplicate post!