Homeschooling through chaos

[Sherry in OH]

The school year started out great. We got a lot accomplished in August.  Then dh had a take or lose week of vacation. We took an unplanned week’s vacation and got back on track.  Dh got laid off.  I adjusted expectations and we moved on.  Dh found a job.  He starts in two weeks … in another state. 

 

We have two weeks to get this house ready for sale. Dh has some work on the house to finish, he has to pack, and he has to de-clutter his office and the garage.  He has to visit his mother and take the boys on some excursions.  

 

After dh leaves, I need to deal with a relocation servide, real estate agents, home maintenance, tons of paperwork, and eventually movers.  Meanwhile, dh will be in temporary housing looking for potential homes.  The boys and I may need to fly or drive to Arkansas to look at houses or just to visit with dh. 

 

The boys are very anxious about moving.  One of them really doesn't want to go.  He understands why we must move, but he is sad and extremely stressed.  Decluttering is not helping but must be done.  We will have a smaller home, possibly much smaller in Arkansas.

 

I need a plan for schooling.  This week and probably next week will be minimal.  I am hoping 1-2 hours of the basics plus instrument practice and continuing their outside activities will provide enough structure to my sons’ days.  They are anxious and need the routine.  Then what?  We could move in a month or not for several months, it really depends on how quickly our house sells.   

 

[8filltheheart]

Copying and pasting from your other thread:

 

How old are your kids? My suggestions will vary greatly depending on their ages. We have moved a lot (the last time just in June and we moved into a rental. We just made an offer on a house today (no idea if they will accept), so we might be moving ourselves in a month. ) I do different things depending on their ages, but remembering that school yrs can be longer than 180 days and breaks can shift to a different time than summer can lower stress levels.

[JenneinCA]

How old are the kids?

 

We moved from Arizona to California when the kids were 10, 8, and 4. We found out about the move and new job in mid September and were in a new to us place the beginning of December. I think we went to the library and the park for the time in the middle. I can’t say we got anything school related done. I simply did not have the brain cells left.

 

So unless your kids are high school aged, just do what you can and then let the rest go. If they are high school aged, then things are different, but still. Do what you can and left the rest go.

[coastalfam]

I can understand your boys need for a bit of structure in the chaos. One thing that helped us when we were between houses during a chaotic season in our lives was to create a daily picture schedule for the week so the kids knew well in advance (or as far as we were able), in a concrete way they could understand, what to expect. Even though we were not able to manage our full homeschool program with much consistency during that time, the calendar helped a lot. Another thing we didn't do, but popped into my mind as I was reading your post, are the Do It Yourself Fun Schooling books. It sounds like this time might be perfect for some self directed, interest led exploration, maybe even incorporating topics such as your new state, and also whatever floats their boats and helps them feel happy and content. Here is the Fun Schooling website. http://www.funschoolingbooks.com

[Clemsondana]

I don't know their ages, but we move across the country when my older was in K, and we have also traveled some during the school year. I would set up a short list of the 'must do' subjects, and try to make those as 'get it done' and fun as possible - maybe critical thinking company workbooks for some subjects, which would be easily packable. If you will be driving to your new location, would planning a road trip give your kids something to look forward to? My kids have enjoyed plotting a course, or looking at lists of national parks, museums, historic sites, even cool playgrounds,to pick things to see. In some ways, I think that the feeling of being in a holding pattern is harder than the actual work - it's fine to have a week of minimal school while you pack, but situations where you don't know whether to keep things 'normal' or start transitioning to the new thing can be really hard.

[Sherry in OH]

The boys are 9 and 11, 4th and 6th grades.  They are accustomed to a lot of interaction with me during lessons.  The 11 year old, especially needs structure to his days.  

 

We have borrowed library books about Arkansas.  They have gone online with dh to look at maps and some sites in NW Arkansas.   

[HomeAgain]

Moving is hard.  The one thing we learned was to keep school as the constant.  Each kid gets a binder with all work for the next few months printed out.  All books/supplies go in a backpack to streamline.  And they have to be involved.  One move, I had my kid make a travel brochure for our new home.  He did a full report enticing people to come visit. :)  This move I connected with a group here well before we got here and started making a list of places to visit and things to do - like the free children's program and a pond, things that would excite my kid about living here.

 

We schooled last year through a house sale and upheaval.  I took everyone to the park a lot and schooled more in the car.  We spent more time at the library.  Still structure, but different locations to get it done.

 

I wish you the best of luck on your next journeys! :)

[8filltheheart]

For house showings, I went out and bought several big, sturdy laundry baskets. If a showing was suddenly scheduled, we would throw whatever was out (everything from toys to mail to school books) into the laundry baskets and just carry them out to the car with us. It made it easier than thinking we needed to keep the house spotless all of the time.

 

In terms of school, I would try to stay consistent with what you are already doing, but give yourself the permission to have days that are just a total flop. Be flexible about your calendar. If you get behind, at those ages I would focus on math and writing and ensure that those are being maintained. Have them read and watch documentaries during transition days when you cannot be directly engaged with them.

 

Try to find activities in your new location prior to your move. When kids know that there are things to get involved in in their new location, it can help make the transition easier.

[PeterPan]

It sounds like this has been so fast! Given that the kids need structure and consistency, what you might do, and I'm just throwing out ideas, is send the boys with their father to Arkansas, enroll them in the ps wherever he goes (don't worry about district or nothing, just enroll them), let him continue to do things with them in the evenings (it sounds like they'd have a great time), and let you focus on finishing the packing and readying the house. Then, you can follow them once the house is staged and ready. 

 

As you say, this is not a season for selling houses. This could take a long time. What is going to give them more stability? They're going to be anxious about the move, no matter what. 

 

I've heard on the radio there's a realtor in Ohio who will do guaranteed buyout if your house doesn't sell in x amount of time. You could look for something like that. I'm assuming it's not a great deal.

 

The families I know who did this were apart like 6 months. That's why to me it could be on the table to let the boys go with their dad, let them bach it in an extended stay unit (hotel room with kitchenette), eating tv dinners. They'd love it. I wouldn't want to keep a house in ready to show condition while homeschooling with no dad, no relief, all through the winter. that would be hard and very disruptive. Going into the ps in a new place for a few months right now, over the holidays? Really not a big deal. They're going to have party after party. The boys are old enough to stay by themselves at the extended stay hotel if they have a day off. 

 

Thinking farther outside the box, do you have enough friend support where you are that you could literally clear out the house and all move together? Or move you and the boys in with Grandma who is local so that you don't have to keep the house tidy and deal with meals and loneliness while getting it ready? 

 

There are some people on the boards from Arkansas, or there used to be. It seems like a really nice place, like it might have people kind of like in Ohio. You could post on Chat and see. Hopefully it will turn out to be a good move! :)

SaveSave

Edited October 29, 2017 by OhElizabeth

[Critterfixer]

:seeya: Northwest Arkansas is a beautiful place to be. My boys and I particularly love the Buffalo River and spend as much time in the summer as we can out on that river, or one of the many rivers and lakes in the state. 

 

What about scheduling your day in blocks? Maybe scale back but do your school routine in the morning, and schedule the packing, working on the house, cleaning and so forth for a few hours in the afternoon, and then take a day out of the week to go do something with friends? This could become a more regular routine if the house doesn't sell quickly.

[Critterfixer]

I would second the laundry basket for school books. We still use those whenever we want to go do school by the river. It makes it so easy if you need to get everybody up at a moments notice for a showing.

[Hunter]

I have had contact with a few families  that chose to continue homeschooling while homeless instead of attempting to enroll the children in public schools.

 

I can only tell you what seemed best for the families I had the privilege of interacting with.

 

Children had a small math textbook in their own backpack that was theirs. Strayer-Upton was a good choice. Wrap a rubber band around it, before placing in the backpack and these books hold up amazingly well.

 

Each child did best with their own tablet or Kindle Paperwhite or something for free eBooks. There are pros and cons to each. If money isn't an option, I recommend a tablet and a Kindle Paperwhite. If you can afford a Kindle Paperwhite 3G that will allow you to download books anywhere there is cell phone coverage, that is absolutely awesome. If the tablet can access books stored on external storage that is awesome too, and we can discuss things like a Yesterday's Classics or Heritage History collection on the external storage.

 

Don't forget ear plugs for each child for audio books on their tablet. An overstimulated child can rejuvenate quickly by blocking out the visual and auditory stimulus of his environment. Have the child close his eyes or read along to get his eyes off his environment. For car sick children, audio is a necessity during traveling.

 

Mom had a grammar book and speller in her backpack. And if she were lucky, a large screen cell phone. Maybe a Bible or other family style literature book.

 

Older children thrived off the consistent schedule of their little math book, and having something to physically hold onto. Some children are capable of little progress; other dive into their math like never before, latching onto the consistency and order of math.

 

Visits to the library were almost daily, as it was conveniently very close to the women's center they were using for day shelter, meals, and advocacy. Children carried 1-2 library books, and replaced them daily. The children read voraciously – the library books and on their devices. They did MUCH better with books written to be consumed all at once instead of spread out over an extended period. They needed to start and finish things and then move onto the next. Bang, bang, bang. No loose ends.

 

Mom tried to schedule some time a couple times a day for group read alouds and language arts instruction that was often keyed to the Bible or literature book. Maybe a lesson was completed from Harvey's Grammar. For little guys, I adore the hardback book written by SWB called Writing with Ease

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Writer-Writing-Ease/dp/193333925X

or Ruth Beechick's the 3 R's

https://www.amazon.com/Three-Rs-Ruth-Beechick/dp/0880620749/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509289025&sr=1-1&keywords=beechick+the+3+r%27s

Phonics with a little guy? Blumenfeld's smaller Phonics with Success version of Alpha-Phonics. Order from the seller RemnantMan

https://www.amazon.com/Phonics-Success-Samuel-L-Blumenfeld/dp/1495144216/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509289092&sr=1-7&keywords=blumenfeld+phonics

 

My top 3 literature suggestions for Mom to carry in hardcopy are 

 

Dover Thrift Classics Aesop's Fables

https://www.amazon.com/Aesops-Fables-Childrens-Thrift-Classics/dp/0486280209/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&dpID=51bGWvl8%252BRL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=detail

Almost as thin as a pamphlet but packed with content to create DIY language arts lessons

 

Clapham's Best Fairy Stories. This book contains every popular fairy story that I personally know and lots more.

https://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Stories-Macmillan-Collectors-Library-ebook/dp/B01CGMBRQU/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509287868&sr=1-1&keywords=clapham%27s+best+fairy+stories

Tiny chunky book similar in size to Strayer-Upton. Again use a rubber band to keep it closed while being thrown around inside a backpack.

 

NIrV large Print Bible. As a copywork resource, this book is unparalleled. The consistency in punctuation and grammar is extraordinary. The book is heavy, but for some families is worth it. Children can sit quietly and just copy. Any generic literature based lessons can be applied to the Bible. Free Bible studies can be accessed with Mom's cell phone. The children may have a chance to interact with adults around them that are familiar with the passage they are studying. This book is often worth the weight for SOME families.

https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Large-Print-Imitation-Leather/dp/0310743990/ref=pd_sim_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0310743990&pd_rd_r=36Z7WWRFV1XYJ07KMA5N&pd_rd_w=hJL4l&pd_rd_wg=3KnQN&psc=1&refRID=36Z7WWRFV1XYJ07KMA5N&dpID=41kheXt7U8L&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=detail

 

For small art books that can keep children busy for weeks

The Drawing Textbook

https://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=002584

Ed Emberley Funprint book

https://www.rainbowresource.com/proddtl.php?id=002584

Ed Emberley Make a World

https://www.amazon.com/Ed-Emberleys-Drawing-Book-World/dp/0316789720/ref=pd_sim_14_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0316789720&pd_rd_r=BYD2W2VTZQCCQE76WDYQ&pd_rd_w=H0SSC&pd_rd_wg=5XwTp&psc=1&refRID=BYD2W2VTZQCCQE76WDYQ

 

A small box of Crayola 24 crayons can be used to teach color theory as the colors are perfect for that. Purchase a color wheel. Introduce a color theory topic to the children each day and encourage them to use it somehow.

 

Music appreciation with ear plugs can be helpful while drawing, especially if the child is overstimulated by his environment.

 

Newspaper in Education ideas are often generic and can be applied to any newspaper or literature. Newspapers and magazines are sometimes all that is available while on the road. Learn to use them to their fullest.

http://www.nieteacher.org

This pdf has ideas grouped by subject and grade for all of K-5 and is extraordinary.

http://www.nieteacher.org/nie2/1Elementary-Middle/Using_NewspaperStandardsK-5.pdf

 

If you have a tablet and are attempting Bible centered language arts lessons, the pdf versions of the original big binders for BSGFAA is super helpful. One of the things I like best are the visuals pages to aid in comprehension and as a drawing example for pencil phobic students. Unfortunately I cannot find a sample of the visual pages. Ugh!

http://www.currclick.com/product/92329/The-Original-Unit-1-Teachers-Guide-for-oral-study

Edited October 29, 2017 by Hunter

[Sherry in OH]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

A laundry basket for clutter is a good idea.  We’ve packed away the Legos for the duration, but there is sure to be other clutter.  Taking bags of books to the library would also work.  I’ve promised extra field trips as well. 

 

Sending the boys with dh isn’t feasible.  Dh will be working long hours and house hunting in his spare time.  By staying here, the boys can continue their outside activities for the remainder of the semester.   

[....]

I have had contact with a few families  that chose to continue homeschooling while homeless instead of attempting to enroll the children in public schools.

 

 

We homeschooled while living in campgrounds after a job loss/relocation.  We used CLE + read-alouds.  Each kid had a backpack with their schoolbooks in it.  That worked.

 

There's no right answer to your question, but our family has an Emergency Homeschool Schedule for times like what you're describing - moving, emergencies, new baby, etc.  

 

Our daily emergency plan has always been:

 

1.  Read-Aloud/Independent Reading

2.  Writing

3.  Math

[Hunter]

The original Robinson curriculum was 2 hours of Saxon math, 1 hour of writing, 2 hours of reading from the booklist. Grammar and spelling were added later to the second edition, but not what the Robinson kids did.

 

These are the guidelines I give newly homeless moms at the bottom of my suggested reading list.

 

1-2 hours 3R textbooks. 1 hour journaling/drawing/coloring. 2 hours public domain eBook reading list. 2 hours moving: playing, walking, working, chores, volunteering. I hour DEAR.

 

DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) whatever is in YOUR world: the family holy book, a newspaper, encyclopedias, biographies, poetry, song books, math books, art books, cookbooks, catalogs, instruction manuals, cereal boxes.

 

Sing. Practice spirituality and charity. 4 glasses of water a day. Eat at a table with others. All electronics off by 8 PM. 8 hours of sleep. Get up before 8 AM. 

 

A curriculum that gets done is superior, to a superior curriculum that doesn't get done. Shooting for the moon, without the resources to get there, can leave you stranded in outer space. Trying to prepare for everything is a sure way to prepare for nothing. Strong nets have lots of holes. Just because a little is a little good, doesn't mean a lot is a lot good. More detail and rigor often results in less mastery of the basics. That which is useful is not always essential. Math is like yeast: you only need enough to leaven the rest of the curriculum. KISS: keep it simple stupid. Life is short and uncertain; live today fully. 

[Sandwalker]

Best of luck on your life changes.

 

I just have to say that this site has some of the best advice and support that I've ever encountered. Amazing people here.

[keirin]

I can't speak from experience, but I would probably drop everything except reading and math in your situation. Involve your boys in packing and moving as much as possible - this is a life skill that they are learning since most of us will move a few times in our lives 😊 And maybe decide to make up some school time by schooling through the summer after you settle in.

 

Welcome to Arkansas! I grew up there, in the river valley, and graduated from the U of A in Fayetteville. If you enjoy hiking there are many varied opportunities for outdoor adventures. I wish I had appreciated it more before I moved away. I hope you enjoy living there.