"Can we learn things in a funner way"?

[SereneHome]

That's what my 6 yr old asked me today.  But I don't know how.  I am not a "fun" person.  My husband is.  He is fun and funny and can totally make things entertaining.  I am the uptight one.

 

Our curriculum is not "fun" either.  I really like what we use, it's strong curriculum but it's not "fun".

 

Also, he is the kid that bulks at hard stuff.  He loved "doing school" (same curriculum) last year, when he didn't have to.  But this year it's different bc he is officially 1st grade, so expectations are different and some things are getting harder for him.  Examples:  I make him write letters correct way during copywork, we do narrations from WWE1, math is probably getting more involved. 

 

So, what do I do????

[CadenceSophia]

Well what curriculum are you using? You can do narration from anything and same with copy work so maybe WWE just isn't working out. Maybe you need to do more drawing? Drawing With Children has a chapter in the back to suggest ways to use drawing lessons in every subject including addition and subtraction. 6 is sooooo young to be plodding through a boring curriculum just because it's "strong".

[Jackie]

I intentionally choose curric that will be as engaging as possible and then let it speak for itself. I detest all cutesy ways to "add fun". Besides, DD sees through the cutesy to recognize it's the same old thing, just dressed up. For her, the curric/base approach has to be right or nothing else will fall into place.

[OneStepAtATime]

1.  Are your expectations developmentally appropriate for THIS child?  You say things have changed since last year.  Did you ramp up the volume of copywork?  Or is it perhaps that you have the same volume as last year but since he has to make all of his letters correct it is too much volume for expectations this year?  There are a lot of 6 year olds that find copywork very challenging, even physically painful.  Not all little ones do well with lots of handwriting at that age.  If he is doing a lot of copywork I would consider cutting back on the amount.  Just focus on maybe even one line for a while.  Quality, vs. quantity.

 

Narration can be quite challenging for a 6 year old as well.  You may need to adjust expectations, ramp things up more slowly.  Children develop skills at different rates.

 

2.  Could you incorporate more games into your curriculum?  Like perhaps look up some games on Pintrest or you tube and see if anything would tie in well with what you are planning to teach him that day.

 

3.  What does he LIKE?  What are his interests?  Could you help him pursue something he likes?  

 

4.  Is he getting enough run around time?  Might he need some solid exercise before starting school stuff?

 

5.  Is he the type that might prefer you incorporate real world stuff?  Like (using an example from another WTM poster) maybe you could do a chart of how many vegetables he eats each day or the number and color of the cars that he sees when you go to the store (you could help him write down the colors then he could record hashmarks next to the different ones and chart it when he gets home) or something like that.

 

6.  Is most of his school work seat work?  How long is he expected to sit and work in total?  For each subject?

 

7.  Do you do read alouds?  Or let him listen to audio books of his choice?  If he doesn't like those, might he listen and enjoy those better if he were also allowed to play with Legos or clay or color? (My kids need to be moving to listen.  Otherwise all of their energy goes into sitting still, not listening.)

[SereneHome]

1.  Are your expectations developmentally appropriate for THIS child?  You say things have changed since last year.  Did you ramp up the volume of copywork?  Or is it perhaps that you have the same volume as last year but since he has to make all of his letters correct it is too much volume for expectations this year?  There are a lot of 6 year olds that find copywork very challenging, even physically painful.  Not all little ones do well with lots of handwriting at that age.  If he is doing a lot of copywork I would consider cutting back on the amount.  Just focus on maybe even one line for a while.  Quality, vs. quantity.

 

Narration can be quite challenging for a 6 year old as well.  You may need to adjust expectations, ramp things up more slowly.  Children develop skills at different rates.

 

Last year he was learning how to write, so we just did WHOT and he loved it.  He didn't actually do narration, but was always trying to answer questions from lessons I was doing with my oldest. 

 

2.  Could you incorporate more games into your curriculum?  Like perhaps look up some games on Pintrest or you tube and see if anything would tie in well with what you are planning to teach him that day.

 

That's where my shortcomings are - I am just not a very creative person that way. 

 

3.  What does he LIKE?  What are his interests?  Could you help him pursue something he likes?  

 

He loves chemistry so we try to do RS4K chemistry and as many experiments as I can manage.  Another shortcoming of mine - science is just not my thing.  But I have always tried to buy him all those experiment kits and he loves that

 

4.  Is he getting enough run around time?  Might he need some solid exercise before starting school stuff?

 

Yes, plenty!  Even though we are in New England, I throw them outside all year long and he takes gymnastics and swim classes.

 

5.  Is he the type that might prefer you incorporate real world stuff?  Like (using an example from another WTM poster) maybe you could do a chart of how many vegetables he eats each day or the number and color of the cars that he sees when you go to the store (you could help him write down the colors then he could record hashmarks next to the different ones and chart it when he gets home) or something like that.

 

Need to think about this one.

 

6.  Is most of his school work seat work?  How long is he expected to sit and work in total?  For each subject?

 

10 min per subject, no more.  And there are lots of "breaks" bc I do work with his older brother and his younger one too.

 

7.  Do you do read alouds?  Or let him listen to audio books of his choice?  If he doesn't like those, might he listen and enjoy those better if he were also allowed to play with Legos or clay or color? (My kids need to be moving to listen.  Otherwise all of their energy goes into sitting still, not listening.)

 

Ever since he learned how to read (which he is GREAT at), he reads a lot more himself.

 

Thank you for the questions - gives me something to ponder on.

 

I asked him if we could take turns with stuff the I want him to do, like math and copywork and stuff that he likes - spelling and science.  So we'll try it this week.

 

I am just always soooo worried about not killing their desire to learn.

 

I really want to do right by my kids.

[OneStepAtATime]

Hugs. Hang in there. Hopefully you will get some good responses on here that will inspire you in some way...

 

Good luck and best wishes.

[scoutingmom]

He is your oldest?

 

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[Monica_in_Switzerland]

I'm not a really "fun" teacher, and I don't think it's a necessary thing to be.  But you can be more engaging, and it's not as awful as "fun" would be!  :-)  

 

- Do lessons on a white board.  Write math problems out of the workbook and onto the whiteboard.  Alternately, you can scribe into his math book for him.  I scribe as often as needed through second grade (or level) math because I want to go at the pace the kid can learn math, not the pace that the kid can write numbers without frustration.  When I am in scribing mode, the kid has a numbers handwriting sheet to do each day in lieu of writing their own math answers.

 

- Do an art project at least once a week.  Find a way to embrace the mess.  I had to have four kids before I finally gave up and decided art would only moderately worsen the mess already in place.  :-)

 

- Read aloud or listen to audiobooks.  We do audiobooks during lunch and it's nice.  

 

- If it doesn't cause anxiety, you can "race" to find answers, etc.  

 

- Have a visual checklist so the kid knows he's progressing through the stuff he doesn't like, and there there IS an end to it.  

 

- Take some kind of movement break between each subject, or every 15-20 minutes at that age.  Jumping jacks, run up and down the stairs or around the house, dance music, etc.  

 

- Memorize poems by first reading them, then drawing a picture of what the poem is about, then reading it again, then using if for copywork (in appropriate sized chunks), then reading it again... each time trying to do more by heart.  Choose poems that are relevant to your child's life.  Ex.  My kids were out rescuing worms on the sidewalk the other day after a rain, so that week we memorized Hurt No Living Thing by Rosetti.     

[displace]

I just bumped my thread about making homeschooling fun. But, you have to go to general education to see it. There's some great advice and links to other threads. HTH!

Edited December 5, 2016 by displace

[8filltheheart]

My kids really love learning. I don't make school activities into games, I am not into tons of teacher-directed hands on learning, either. I think the success I have had in teaching my kids to enjoy learning has been from taking things theynare naturally interested in knowing more about and using those interests as their individual springboard for subject content.

 

I have never taught any grade or any of my kids the same way. Every course (math and high school science are the exceptions) has been uniquely designed for the individual student. If they love dinosaurs, history, science, and writing can all be revolved around dinosaurs. Let them pick a topic and then let their interest take the driver's seat. Learning to be engaged in learning should be a priority for younger kids. Wanting them to want to learn doesn't have to be fun and games, it absolutely does have to pique their interest and make them want to keep learning. If you can help them master the skill of wanting to learn when they are little, you have given them a skill for a lifetime.

[HomeAgain]

Are you interested and enjoying using the curriculum you have?

 

When I am interested, my kid's interest is piqued.  It makes it a more enjoyable journey regardless.  And when something truly isn't enjoyable, I can still do small things like set a minimal time, a minimal skill, or focus my attention solely on what is being done correctly.  We hold beauty contests for words and letters, pick poems that give him dramatic leeway or include his humor (both the Jabberwocky and Spaghetti Seeds were memorized this year, along with several others), and so on.

[knitgrl]

2.  Could you incorporate more games into your curriculum?  Like perhaps look up some games on Pintrest or you tube and see if anything would tie in well with what you are planning to teach him that day.

 

That's where my shortcomings are - I am just not a very creative person that way. 

 

In my experience, the games do not have to be complicated. To adult point of view, they can be down right tedious, BUT highly entertaining for a 6yo. There have been times as we were playing a simple roll the die, go around a really simple board sort of game where I thought to myself "I cannot believe this game is that much fun," but here is my child clearly enjoying herself. Themeasuredmom.com and thisreadingmama.com have a lot of freebie games in reading and math if you sign up for their newsletters.

Edited December 5, 2016 by knitgrl

[...................]

My kids loved Five in a row. It's VERY fun without being cutesy in any way. They didn't really like lap booking with it, so I just did it the original way Jane Lambert Designed it. They loved the picture books, the variety, the art, the hands on stuff and getting to know and love the characters. They both remember five in a row and they are 13 and almost 15.

 

You can put aside the more serious history and science and even read alouds and try volume one or volume 2.

[desertflower]

You have gotten some great advice here, which I'm probably going to need to read again.  :)

 

Not probably the answer you are looking for, but my kids look forward to tickle time.  I tickle them for about 2 - 10 mins after each session. 

 

So with my oldest I tickle him after 45 mins.  But with my 6 yo, her sessions are shorter and I tickle her after 20 or 30 mins. 

 

Homeschooling takes longer, but it's worth it.  :) 

[SereneHome]

Thank you everyone for suggestions and ideas.

 

After today I am begging to think that nothing will make it "funner" unless we only do the things that he likes and things are easy for him.

 

So, while  making things more interesting is always good, I will have to figure out a way to teach him to work through "not so fun", i.e harder parts of learning

[Tanikit]

I had my very kinaesthetic daughter learn multiplication facts by just asking her them and if she got a certain number right she could jump into our swimming pool and swim a length before doing more. Multiplication facts are not fun and it didn't make the facts any more fun, but jumping in the swimming pool is fun so combining the two worked for her. 

 

I don't think school always has to be fun. Most of the time it has to do with how long they must get on with the non-fun work before having a break and at age 6 many breaks are needed. Keep sessions very short - rather do a few very short sessions in one day than one very long hard session at this age. 

[UCF612]

I had my very kinaesthetic daughter learn multiplication facts by just asking her them and if she got a certain number right she could jump into our swimming pool and swim a length before doing more. Multiplication facts are not fun and it didn't make the facts any more fun, but jumping in the swimming pool is fun so combining the two worked for her.

 

I don't think school always has to be fun. Most of the time it has to do with how long they must get on with the non-fun work before having a break and at age 6 many breaks are needed. Keep sessions very short - rather do a few very short sessions in one day than one very long hard session at this age.

We did the same type thing. We'd shoot baskets and for every missed shot he had to answer a math problem. Killed two birds with one stone since he needed basketball practice anyhow! I need to do that again.

[fralala]

Thank you everyone for suggestions and ideas.

 

After today I am begging to think that nothing will make it "funner" unless we only do the things that he likes and things are easy for him.

 

So, while  making things more interesting is always good, I will have to figure out a way to teach him to work through "not so fun", i.e harder parts of learning

 

Well, I know I can't be the only one who read this and thought sympathetically, "BTDT!" And with a 6 year old, too, which strikes me as an age torn between cheerful compliance and sullen rebellion. Sorry you had a rough day and may this one be better.