Finishing a book...What would you do?

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

We school year round with summer being a little more light and fun. I emphasize one main subject with a couple other subjects just for review/reinforcing concepts. This summer our big focus was early American history. We had a great time learning and enjoyed many books, field trips, and documentaries/tv programs. My problem is that we have one book left that we're halfway through; a biography on Harriet Tubman that we've been doing as a read aloud. September ended up being a crazy month and we've just never finished it. Tomorrow is our first day "back to school" and we're starting a new history curriculum and a completely different time period - ancient history. (We're starting our first cycle, I'm so excited!)

 

What would you do? Finish the book while at the same time starting a new history program? Finish the book and *then* start the new history program? Abandon the book and jump into the new year? I'm so torn. I hate leaving a book unfinished. Also, it's due back at the library in three days and I know we won't get it finished by then. I already renewed it once so at this point it has to go back or I'll have to pay a fine....which I'm tempted to do. On the other hand, I'm ready to just be done with summer and all its activity and school schedule and general craziness (but I'd keep the warm temperatures if New England would let me) and have a nice, fresh, back to school start without any tag-alongs from the summer. :confused1:

 

Is it dumb that this is even an issue for me? My husband would say yes. But then, he's more laid back and doesn't like books so he'd be happy to drop the book. :rolleyes:

 

My oldest will be in 4th this year and I think I'm more stressed about each decision in the planning process. Things that would typically be a non-issue for me seem like a big deal when I think about only having a couple of years left until middle school. And then I just read a thread about how I need to have my pencil-phobic 4th grader writing for 30 minutes a day. I was hoping to just get her to write something.....anything.....once a week..... :glare:  

[Chrysalis Academy]

Unless  you guys want to finish it, I say just let it go!   We kind of bogged down in the last half of LIttle Women at the beginning of summer, and after great internal struggles, I just dropped it.  We enjoyed the first "book" and it was getting dull and she can always pick it up and read it herself some day.  I vote for let it go. 

 

And, um, I don't know what thread you mean, but there's no way you *have* to have your 4th grader writing for 30 min a day . . . . writing by the clock is the worst thing I can think of for a reluctant 4th grade writer!!  Short, frequent assignments that are meaningful will get you a lot further than trying to make her write a certain number of minutes a day.  Sometimes, you have to just back away from a thread slowly and not let it get to you!!!!!

 

Sounds like you need a  :grouphug:

[AK_Mom4]

When DD12 was in 4th grade, we worked on writing for probably 30 minutes a day.  That time was spent on grammar, penmanship , learning how to organize her thoughts and learning how to write good paragraphs with topic sentences and so forth. 

 

Working on writing is not the same as making them write for 30 minutes straight.  At 4th grade, that would have given us major melt-downs unless she was working on a story of her own that interested her.

 

ETA - leave the Tubman biography lying around.  If anyone is interested, they can finish reading it.  Otherwise, you can pick it up next time you go thru American history (LOVE the cycle!)

[Stars]

Can you just read it outside of "school time"?  Maybe it could just become your one-chapter-before-bedtime book or your breakfast table book or whatever until you finish it.

 

Can you condense it and just read the most significant parts?  When my kids pick out a book that is too long or verbose, I sometimes just read aloud the photo captions and pulled-out quotes.  I might skim the first paragraph of each chapter section and offer a paraphrase.

[Farrar]

I say let it go.  This has happened to us occasionally.  Such is life.  You'll get more momentum starting anew, I think.

[ErinE]

My oldest will be in 4th this year and I think I'm more stressed about each decision in the planning process. Things that would typically be a non-issue for me seem like a big deal when I think about only having a couple of years left until middle school. And then I just read a thread about how I need to have my pencil-phobic 4th grader writing for 30 minutes a day. I was hoping to just get her to write something.....anything.....once a week..... :glare:

Ask your kids. If they want to finish the book, go ahead and finish it. Otherwise, drop it.

 

As far as writing, what's your "year-end" goal for your fourth grader? When schooling year round, it's hard to fix an end point to a grade level, but for me, it helps to have a general goal. By the end of fourth, I wanted DS to be able to write 4-5 sentences a day. I helped him do this through note taking, outlining, narrating, and dictation. There were some days he was done within 10 minutes. Other days, it was 45 minutes. I think requiring some daily writing activity helped overcome some (though not all) the reluctance. It also prevented me from letting writing slide.

[abba12]

I'd pay the fine, and read a chapter a day, alongside the new history curriculum.

[2ndGenHomeschooler]

I hadn't thought to ask the kids. I think I'll leave it up to them.

 

The writing thing is tough. My goal is just to have her writing without crying about it by the end of the year. She'll read almost anything. She always has 3 or 4 books going at a time of different reading levels. Right now it's Tom Sawyer, Pinnochio, Nancy Drew, and a Burgess animal book. She writes letters to friends out of state. She wrote a story for her two best friends that featured the three of them. BUT - when I even mention writing something for school we end up with a complete meltdown. She gets frustrated because she struggles with spelling so that's a big focus for us this year. I have her doing LLATL a level behind to keep it less stressful for her. I was hoping to avoid the workbook thing but she seems to like them for LA. I plan to add in extra penmanship and spelling. I'm also planning to work on narration more this year to help her formulate her thoughts.

 

I love this site and had been lurking for a while before I joined and started posting. I've gotten so many great ideas on here. It is easy to panic a bit though when I read what others and their kids are doing. I just have to constantly remind myself that I am teaching MY kids, not someone else's. A big reason for why I homeschool is so that my kids can work at their own pace and not be bored or pressured.

 

Thanks for the replies!

[duckens]

Are you enjoying the book? 

If you are, then it's a no-brainer: finish the book.

If you are not, then this is a good opportunity to get rid of it and read something else.

 

As for the library (and fines):

Our library is awesome awesome awesome. 

If a book is overdue and has been renewed the maximum number of times, I can ask the librarian to check the book in and check the book out again to me.  They will do this if no one else has requested the book. 

 

You won't know if you don't ask, but don't show up with the book.  They may demand it back and keep it.  :glare:

[Nancy Ann]

I have a reluctant writer and it's tough. 

 

I do think a timer can be helpful, it's a suggestion from the author of Brave Writer. Except, you don't start at 30 minutes but maybe 10 or 15. It's called a Free Write and it's really helpful to just help kids put their thoughts on paper. Many times with reluctant writers that is the first step, just getting something on paper! It sounds like she is already writing but when it's something she is interested in. Anyway... the Free Write is you brainstorm with your kid about anything they want to write and set the timer for 15 minutes and they can write anything they want. Tell them not to worry about spelling, grammar or punctuation. You do this once a week. Some people do it on Fridays and call it the Friday Free Write. After a month you can collect all the Free Writes your student has done and let them choose which one they want to polish up. You can help them edit it. 

 

Another suggestion is Writing Strands. My son is a 6th grader and he is doing level 3. Level 3 is where you want to start, I believe level 1 and 2 are for really little kids. It is a good program that helps to work kids through with learning to write. It could be she just is not ready yet. I recommend getting Writing Strands level 3 and try it and if she cries and has a meltdown just put it aside, and just try 2 or 3 times a year. Maybe she just won't be ready for a structured writing program until 6th grade. If that is the case than just keep encouraging the stories and letter writing. Also, consider copywork and dictation until she is ready for a writing curriculum.

 

I worried and worried about writing with my reluctant son, but he's ready this year to learn and it's going well, he just wasn't in 4th grade. 

[MerryAtHope]

If they want to finish it...

 

Delay the start of your new program by one or two days, and have a marathon reading session with fun snacks while they play with legos or draw or paint etc...  Then you'll have it back to the library on time and can start anew.

 

If they aren't that into it, drop it for now. You can read about Harriet Tubman again another time (when you get back to US history), or maybe one of them will read the book when they are older.

 

Merry  :-)