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Tell me about how your 10 yo works and where they work!


PeterPan
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What is the set-up for your 10 yo? List, space, all over the house or at the dining table... My ds is having a growth spurt and I think is ready to work a new way. Because of his autism, we've had to be pretty tight, with a lot of environmental control (shut door, etc.). I think though he might be ready to work in a more typical way. I homeschooled my dd all over the house, always shaking it up, but I just wanted to hear what other 10 yos, especially 10 yo boys, are doing these days. :smile:

I was thinking:

-big table--narrations, math

-read alouds--Hmm, we've been doing them in his bedroom in the morning and at night. I don't know, I hate the idea of doing them on the couch because he plays Nintendo there. Maybe a more quiet/cozy place?

-science--I had tried to set us up a dedicated science table and it got taken over by odd things (laundry, etc.). I could try again but put the table in a different place. 

-reading time--He likes to read in the recliner but I also got these cute floor chairs that are fun. What else would I use the floor chairs for?

-notebooking--In the past we've done some geography notebooking, doodling, things that are conducive to being together at a table with markers and the drawer stack with those supplies.

-puzzles, art, etc.--These would go much better if I bring us out to a bigger table! In the room we're in now, the together table is tiny (34" diameter?) and just too small for anything but tidily working together. It was perfect for controlling the dynamic, but he's more regulated now and could have some nice projects maybe. I can't actually get a bigger table in that bedroom, sigh. I could clear everything out and do a central island using two folding tables pushed together. Even then, I think it's still nice to let him feel more normalized if I can. We've been doing our narrative work, etc. out in the living room, not in his office, and we get it done just fine. So at this point I think it's just setting up our things out around the house in a normal way, rather than being cooped in that one room.

-computer--Where does your 10 yo use a computer? This is so loaded for me. I keep my computer locked with a password so he doesn't delete. He needs to work on typing and will have to use dictation due to the degree of his disabilities. He's really into searches right now, but I don't know how safe it is just to have him searching for stuff on the internet, kwim? I don't know. I don't want him having problems, but he does need to learn to type as soon as practical. It's going to be very hard for him, sigh, but that's a different discussion.

Well anything you want to share, including pics, will be interesting! Thanks! :biggrin:

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21 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

What is the set-up for your 10 yo? List, space, all over the house or at the dining table... My ds is having a growth spurt and I think is ready to work a new way. Because of his autism, we've had to be pretty tight, with a lot of environmental control (shut door, etc.). I think though he might be ready to work in a more typical way. I homeschooled my dd all over the house, always shaking it up, but I just wanted to hear what other 10 yos, especially 10 yo boys, are doing these days. :smile:

I was thinking:

-big table--narrations, math

My 10 year old does grammar, composition, and logic/puzzles at the dining room table.  Math is usually done on the living room sofa.  If he is drawing geometric figures he will sometimes sit at the table, but mostly it is the sofa or the floor.  He uses a clipboard to hold his paper.

-read alouds--Hmm, we've been doing them in his bedroom in the morning and at night. I don't know, I hate the idea of doing them on the couch because he plays Nintendo there. Maybe a more quiet/cozy place?

We do read alouds on the living room sofa or at the dining room table (during lunch).  

-science--I had tried to set us up a dedicated science table and it got taken over by odd things (laundry, etc.). I could try again but put the table in a different place. 

He hasn't done many science projects this year, but when he does they are either at the dining room table or on the floor.  Video is on the living room sofa if using a laptop or the family room sofa if watching on the TV.  

-reading time--He likes to read in the recliner but I also got these cute floor chairs that are fun. What else would I use the floor chairs for?

He reads in his bedroom, in the living room, and occasionally in the family room or my bedroom.  As long as there is no squabbling or excessive talking, I am not particular about where reading takes place.

-notebooking--In the past we've done some geography notebooking, doodling, things that are conducive to being together at a table with markers and the drawer stack with those supplies. 

puzzles, art, etc.--These would go much better if I bring us out to a bigger table! In the room we're in now, the together table is tiny (34" diameter?) and just too small for anything but tidily working together. It was perfect for controlling the dynamic, but he's more regulated now and could have some nice projects maybe. I can't actually get a bigger table in that bedroom, sigh. I could clear everything out and do a central island using two folding tables pushed together. Even then, I think it's still nice to let him feel more normalized if I can. We've been doing our narrative work, etc. out in the living room, not in his office, and we get it done just fine. So at this point I think it's just setting up our things out around the house in a normal way, rather than being cooped in that one room.

Currently we have three tables in our dining room: a card table, an old drop leaf table, and our dining table.  The extra tables are where my sons build models and do other messy projects.  I do not particularly want two extra tables in the dining room, but that is where we had space for them.  

-computer--Where does your 10 yo use a computer? This is so loaded for me. I keep my computer locked with a password so he doesn't delete. He needs to work on typing and will have to use dictation due to the degree of his disabilities. He's really into searches right now, but I don't know how safe it is just to have him searching for stuff on the internet, kwim? I don't know. I don't want him having problems, but he does need to learn to type as soon as practical. It's going to be very hard for him, sigh, but that's a different discussion.

My 10 year old has a chromebook that he uses in public areas of the house. He is not permitted to take it to his room. Usually he works in the living room, but sometimes in the dining room or family room.   

Well anything you want to share, including pics, will be interesting! Thanks! :biggrin:

 

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Wow! We sound pretty unimaginative in comparison! (Smiley emoji here, but I'm afraid of the giant ones, so just imagine it, ok?) We generally do school work altogether at the kitchen table. History is the exception, she and I do that on my bed (and then I often fall asleep, oops!) She reads wherever she feels like it, and does personal computer time wherever she wants also. I can see the dining room from my place at the kitchen table and I like that room to be a neat, uncluttered refuge for my eyes as they skip past the kitchen counters filled with the flotsam and jetsam of living, so while we do use the dining room for larger projects, they can't live there indefinitely.

You sound like you really have a handle in the changing needs of your ds as he makes a transition. Bravo!

I've wondered how hard it would be to install a trapeze or swing somewhere, it one of those seat-shaped hammocks. That could really change things up around here!

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Math, writing, foreign language- desk in living room

history, literature reading, computer use - couches or in her bedroom (I do prefer the laptop to stay where I can keep an eye on it, although I trust her...just lots of distractions available)

science projects - desk, kitchen, dining room table, outside depending on what the project is 

we also do a lot of pacing around discussing stuff. I feel like we are always moving. Bouncing on exercise balls in the basement discussing religion. Walking the length of our house back and forth talking about a history video. Discussing a book walking up and down the block outside.

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3 hours ago, SusanC said:

I've wondered how hard it would be to install a trapeze or swing somewhere, it one of those seat-shaped hammocks.

We have one. He uses it less now, but he has used it a lot. It hadn't occurred to me that he might use it for school, hmm. The bummer is it's in a fixed position, so you can't just change your mind. But yeah, heavy use, lots of use. Actually adults, teen, everyone uses it, hehe.

2 hours ago, alisoncooks said:

My DD10 does most schoolwork sitting on the living room couch. We're pretty unstructured. 

I think you're onto something there. We only need the amount of structure that helps him function. I'm not hyper-formal beyond that.

30 minutes ago, bensonduck said:

we also do a lot of pacing around discussing stuff.

Yeah, that's why I think the room we've been using as his office is feeling small! He used to be able to move around in it, play movement games, etc., but his body has gotten bigger.

So it seems like you have focused work, comfortable work, and practical/messy work. So cool, I'm not crazy. He doesn't really read to learn yet, so that part is more together. But maybe that will change too?

5 hours ago, Sherry in OH said:

logic/puzzles

Ooo, I had forgotten about this! We put so much effort into our intervention stuff (like I'm building narration with him from the ground up) that sometimes I forget to add the brain tingling stuff. Good point! And I think a little independent work would be good for him. 

Well I have a stupid first world problem because the heavy air hockey table is planted right where I thought I wanted to put a work table for us, oops. But I'll figure it out. 

Thanks ladies!

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My ten year old does half of her work on the couch with me as her “morning couch work”. This is anything I read to her or she reads to me, flashcards, recitation, any memory or review work. This is a big chunk of the day. Sometimes she will get up and do stretches while she listens to me or color if I am reading something lengthy.

The rest of her work we call “seat work”. This is math, handwriting, spelling, and workbooks or written work she has. She does this at the kitchen bar while I do kitchen chores. So I am there with her but she is primarily working on her own. I do answer questions and keep her on task.

My laptop is set up on the dining room table and she uses that to type or research.  I am always nearby. 

I also read to her in the kitchen while she eats lunch sometimes.

Pretty boring but it works great for us. Boring and predictable is a good strategy for staying on task (for us!)

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I have a 10yo boy (almost 11). Anything he has to write is done at the dining room table. Reading stuff is done on the couch in the living room. We have a dedicated school computer in the main area of the house that the kids use for any school-related stuff, and they are not allowed on the internet at all without permission (the only reason my 10yo goes online is for his typing lessons and I have that bookmarked).

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11 hours ago, teachermom2834 said:

“morning couch work”.

 

10 hours ago, hollyhock2 said:

Reading stuff is done on the couch in the living room.

I think I'm noticing a trend! LOL And that kind of stuff was obvious when my dd was little. It's just with ds and his ASD and language issues, listening to a read aloud was a lot harder. We had to do ABA for it and bring in workers and have environmental control. Now he can just listen, sure. And that's exciting too! And I was realizing too there are things that come with this like wanting a map, maybe a timeline, a basket/bin for the books, etc. This could all be really good! 

I need to think through what I want him to sit at a table and do, hmm. We've had to be very flexible. We do use clipboards and whiteboards. I think I might leave typing and math in his office, because those need the most control. I think doodling, independent work, LA could be at the table I want to set up. We work in the basement, so we can be pretty flexible. I think it's coming together in my mind.

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I have a 9yo.  We have a dedicated floor of our house to school, complete with a table that is slightly shorter than usual, a tv in a partitioned room, and a variety of chairs/movement toys.  We use that Apr-Nov, but since it's on a separate heating system I don't use it in the winter.
Currently, reading is done wherever he likes.  For the rest, we have a tv free room on the main floor of the house.  He's still a sprawler, so a lot gets done on the carpet with his work on a clipboard.  The music stand and instruments are right there in the corner.  Writing activities are done at the kitchen island.  I read aloud over meals.  I use placemats to contain work on the floor and be a dedicated workspace for that subject.  The laptop is on the table, mostly because we haven't figured out a good configuration in this house for the PC.  Family rule is it must be on the main floor in eyesight, but since we can't have that it's packed away.

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This is a very useful thread. Thanks to PeterPan for asking the question!

I would love to hear from people who have a 10-ish year old boy *and* younger siblings. DS9 will be 10 soon, and he's got three little brothers I'm also teaching/reading/playing/chasing/yelling at while he's trying to work. Does that change how/where your older child works?

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2 minutes ago, Noreen Claire said:

This is a very useful thread. Thanks to PeterPan for asking the question!

I would love to hear from people who have a 10-ish year old boy *and* younger siblings. DS9 will be 10 soon, and he's got three little brothers I'm also teaching/reading/playing/chasing/yelling at while he's trying to work. Does that change how/where your older child works?

Peter will be turning 10 in a couple weeks.  I also have Elliot (7.75), Spencer (5.5), and Audrey (3).

Peter has ASD, ADD and anxiety and is not yet at a stage that he can successfully work out of my sight.  So school is a constant balancing act of keeping him (and Elliot) on task while also keeping the younger two out of trouble.

Our main floor is an L shape, with the kitchen, eating area, and living room making up one leg of the L, and the dining room and office making up the other.  During school time, I mostly keep quiet, sit-down workers in the dining room/office area, and louder, less stationary "workers" in kitchen/eating area/living room.  Whoever I am actively working with sits at the dining table; they always sit on the far side where they can't see through the doorway into the kitchen, and I sit across from them where I can keep an eye on everyone in both directions.

So, I might get Audrey busy "washing" dishes (kitchen) or painting (eating area table) or doing a puzzle or busy bag (living room).  The older two boys work independently at the piano (office) or Daddy's desk (office) or read in the bean bag nook (office) or work on the far end of the dining room table.  I work with Spencer at the other end of the dining room table.

Once Spencer's K work is done, ideally he and Audrey would go off and play, but sometimes that just doesn't work out.  At that point I might work with Peter at the dining table, have Spencer read in the bean bag nook, and have Elliot read aloud his superhero grammar book to Audrey (I would set them up in the living room because they are bound to get loud.  I might even give them the finger puppets to act out the grammar action just to keep them both productively busy for a while.)

I find flexibility to be a huge asset when juggling lots of kids of different ages with different needs.  The kids have a desktop computer, but we rarely use it during school time unless i can guarantee that I will be in the office, able to supervise, for an extended period of time...not very likely during the busy mornings.  Instead, computer work is almost always done on the laptop or Chrome book or on one of the tablets.  That way I can have them work right where I will be, and move them with me if necessary.  I can also have one child inconspicuously watch a school video or play a school game using headphones without attracting too much of an unwanted audience unlike if they were watching on the TV or playing on the desktop.

Wendy

 

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9 year old and just-turned-11 year old.

Most written work is done at the kitchen table.  Occasionally one kid will take independent written work on a clipboard to another part of the  house.  This tends to happen when one kid needs quiet while the other kid is having a lesson at the kitchen table that is "too noisy" (talking).

All computer (laptop) use happens at the kitchen table.  This is a firm rule. 

Subjects that don't involve writing tend to happen on the sofa (Oral french, read alouds, spelling bee practice), or more specifically with me on the sofa and the children on or near the sofa - they often fidget about on the carpet, rocking chair, stand on their heads etc.

Reading happens wherever.  Usually in bed, or on comfy family room furniture.

 

ETA: We don't do formal science.  They kids have a project table in their play area that gets used for ongoing projects (like lego), messy projects, and whatever sciency project stuff they get up to.

Edited by wathe
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My first response to the thread title was "as little as possible" 😉 My 10 almost 11 year old DD can be kind of lazy and sometimes tries to sneak it past me that her work is done when it's not.

She needs to do math without distractions. We do it at the kitchen table with one of those 3 sided divider thingies set up so she can't look out the window or anything else and I am right by her most of the time and she still needs multiple reminders to focus.

She does other subjects with me at the kitchen table too but keeping distractions at a minimum are not essential for those and the kitchen table location is for my convenience, not really any other reason.

She does her on her own subjects in multiple places - the couch, in her room, at a desk upstairs, wherever.

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3 hours ago, Momto5inIN said:

My first response to the thread title was "as little as possible"

Hahahaha! Too true, lol.

3 hours ago, Momto5inIN said:

with one of those 3 sided divider thingies set up

What a smart idea! You're right, if I decide to bring some subjects out where he's distractible, one of those barriers would be a great idea. 

Well we ended up bringing that table into the living room and setting it up in the corner. He worked at it using his new wobble stool, and it went really well! It's lovely having enough space to have out and organized all the things we were already doing out. And the math I'm planning to keep in the office. He's not ready to do that in a wider space but needs the physical containment of a smaller room. But we got to play our language games, do art picture study, a whole bunch of read alouds, some independent reading, etc. and he could do that around the house just fine. So that worked out fab! And I set up a bin at his spot at the table and he started realizing, hehe, there could be independent work in there too. So I think it's going to work out well.

Thanks ladies!!

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On 2/23/2019 at 9:08 AM, Noreen Claire said:

This is a very useful thread. Thanks to PeterPan for asking the question!

I would love to hear from people who have a 10-ish year old boy *and* younger siblings. DS9 will be 10 soon, and he's got three little brothers I'm also teaching/reading/playing/chasing/yelling at while he's trying to work. Does that change how/where your older child works?

I have a 10 year-old (almost 11) with ASD, and he has two younger brothers (7, also ASD, and 5). The 5 year-old goes to public K.

DS10 does most of his work on the couch. We do writing intervention work (due to dysgraphia) together at the dining room table. If his brother (DS7) is having a particularly hard day, DS10 night do his schoolwork in my room. He reads wherever he likes, but usually chooses a chair in a quiet corner of the dining room or his bedroom. 

DS7 is not in the same room with DS10 at any point when DS10 is doing his schoolwork. Either DS7 is doing schoolwork with me, he’s working with his ABA therapist, or he’s assigned other activities elsewhere. No schoolwork can happen for DS10 if DS7 is around. DS7 schools in the dining room or kitchen with me, usually. 

DS5 is in public K because he is a very, very extroverted little man who cannot bear to not be entertained at every moment, but the boys struggle to play together without careful supervision due to ASD challenges. So, if older boys are doing school on a day DS5 is off, I try to get him set up in his room with toys and an audiobook, which usually works long enough to get DS7 though his schoolwork, then DS7 and DS5 can play (with my supervision) while DS10 continues his own work far away from his brothers. 

I’m lucky. Once DS10’s meds kick in in the morning, we usually have several good, focused hours. And he’s happy to work hard because once he finishes his book work, he earns screen-based schoolwork (math games, brain pop, coding, documentaries). Structuring his work to include the “reward” of some screen-based school really makes him happy to work hard at the bookwork (of which he has plenty :-). DS7 doesn’t have a “good” couple of hours, so that’s always the more challenging piece. 

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DS 9 does all work at the kitchen table. I usually snuggle up with him on the couch for history reading and then he goes back to the table for his narration writing. After lunch we snuggle up for reading. He does most of his fun independent reading in his bed. I keep meaning to add on typing! But we use iPads and never use our laptop that’s old and has no dedicated space so I need to work on that  

I usually sit with him for about an hour as we go through his subjects and then we get to his math workbook that he can do independently after we’ve gone over the lesson. That’s when I bring in DD 6 to sit at the table for her time. I can work with her and check DS’ work. Depending on how long he’s been working I might add in some of other math or logic workbooks or he does his SOTW coloring while I work with DD. it’s getting to the point that they are starting to distract each other though. For some reason I cannot fathom DS starts watching DD sound out her AAR cards that he did years ago. I find that tedious but he’s fascinated. I think I might need to get some trifold posters so they can’t get distracted by each other since we sit together at the table. It was easier when she was younger and just did her Kumon books while he was doing his thing but now that she’s doing more aloud and needs more attention it helps to wait for her to start until DS is working more independently. 

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Our situation is a little bizarre, I suppose, since we live in an RV. We are also very unstructured and do a lot of our schoolwork snuggled in bed with our laptops. I say "our" because I am a full-time nursing student, so my kids and I are often doing school work at the same time (we each have our own laptops and tablets and phones -- we like electronics in our house). My 10 year old also has a lot of online classes.

So, he does math and programming online through AoPS. That could be in bed with me, if he is having issues and has some questions, or it could be on the couch or in his own bed. He does math for an hour each day and mostly does his programming homework while he is at his charter school on Mondays. He also does a half hour of history by watching Great Courses videos -- also in bed or on the couch. He does literature and science through online classes, and types his homework for those classes. He does those classes wherever he feels comfortable. I am totally hands off for those classes. We are working together on improving his persuasive writing and doing some test prep -- that work is also typed, but generally done at the table. He doesn't really handwrite much of anything because he has fine motor delays and prefers to type everything. He reads non-stop, and that can be anywhere -- indoors or outside on our patio. Not sure if any of that is helpful. 

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