JenniferB Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Yes I believe it. I lived it too. When my kids were 3 and 5, I went all out with Montessori materials because I absolutely LOVE the philosophy. I made many materials following patterns and suggestions from a yahoo Montessori homeschool group. I spent hours making the colored bead bars, the individual bead groups on a thin wire from 1 to 9. I had geography cards and place value cards and other stuff I can't recall exactly. My kids had no interest, but instead loved Calvert School (at the time). Just earlier this week, I sent an inquiry to a Montessori training school asking about their program. I would love to be a Montessori teacher! Beth, can you believe I took a Montessori training course from NAMC, and I'm a certified Montessori "teacher"? I forgot to mention Montessori didn't work for us either. And this was the most abysmal failure of all. I also have an ENTIRE school room of Montessori materials, some hand made, some purchased, because I too love the ideal of children quietly working by themselves and learning spontaneously. It didn't work here. The children just don't do things the "Montessori way". LOL I've gotten rid of many books, but I can't seem to part with my Montessori materials. They are so beautiful. I just love to look at them and imagine them being used. But, they also sit in the cabinet mocking me, because I failed to teach with them. :confused: I think in a few years when my youngest is too old for them, I'll sell them then, with all the NAMC binders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Five In a Row. I wanted to love it. I loved the IDEA of it. It just did not work for us at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlockOfSillies Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 Can I have my dd back? Sounds like she lives w/ you now, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Yes I believe it. I lived it too. When my kids were 3 and 5, I went all out with Montessori materials because I absolutely LOVE the philosophy. I made many materials following patterns and suggestions from a yahoo Montessori homeschool group. I spent hours making the colored bead bars, the individual bead groups on a thin wire from 1 to 9. I had geography cards and place value cards and other stuff I can't recall exactly. My kids had no interest, but instead loved Calvert School (at the time). Just earlier this week, I sent an inquiry to a Montessori training school asking about their program. I would love to be a Montessori teacher! Oh, Night Elf, that's so funny! I was in that same group! Playschool6, right? I actually took a full-year Montessori course and BECAME a certified Montessori teacher. And I mean to tell you, it was HARD!!! And we're using HomeSat. Not that I'm complaining against HomeSat. It is wonderful. But it could not be more different than my initial vision of Homeschool. LOL! ETA: I posted this before seeing JenniferB's post. Jennifer, me too. How weird that there are three of us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Sonlight Science, history, readers (about half tolerated), read alouds(about half again). Math U See Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelli in TN Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I dont really care if my kids "hate" something. One of my kids hates everything he is told to do and you know, that's his choice. But Im not switching gears just because he doesnt "like" something. . How old is he? How tall? What color hair? I ask because I think you might accidentally have my 9 year old.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Both Math-U-See and Singapore were disasters. I loved them, but they did NOT click with ds. Five in a Row -- I loved it. Ds? Big fat yawner. SOTW activity book -- I thought it was wonderful. I thought "ds loves hands-on! He'll loooooove this!" Nope. Hated it. He'd actually cringe when he saw me bring out that book. Great Science Adventures -- I thought making little books was cute. Ds thought it was "boooooooring!" :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tallwoodsca Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 same here. five in a row didn't work for us. loved the books though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funschooler5 Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Singapore Math (I still love this program, and my kids learned so much from in in 1st and 2nd grade, but they ended up hating it for some reason. I still plan on using it with my youngest) Lapbooks (thought they would love it...turns out none of us are crafty) Spelling Workout Trail Guide to World Geography History Pockets Tons more that I just can't think of right now. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted April 18, 2009 Author Share Posted April 18, 2009 Oh, Night Elf, that's so funny! I was in that same group! Playschool6, right? I actually took a full-year Montessori course and BECAME a certified Montessori teacher. And I mean to tell you, it was HARD!!! Really? I fell in love with the Montessori method before I even heard about homeschooling. My oldest dd attended a Montessori school from age 3 to 6. Then she went into a Quaker school that had a similar philosphy and combined some grade levels so a classroom wasn't so uniform. Those were wonderful years! She did so great in school and the whole experience was awesome. Then she started public school. It was a very noticeable change. Do you regret your Montessori training? Do you see yourself teaching in a school when your kids are older? I've been planning to go back to college this summer. I've got enough credits to be a senior and yet I have NO direction. I re-applied as a History major because it's the only subject I have an interest in, but I'm not entirely sure I want to major in it. The college isn't large and doesn't offer as much as the bigger universities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Miquon math and most manipulatives. If I push them across the table towards him, he hold up a hand like a traffic cop commanding "stop", bows his head, squints his eyes and intones "thinking, thinking, thinking". Why do with your slow hands what you can do in your head? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calandalsmom Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Does anyone ever think that the reason the kids dont respond to something is because they know that if they complain enough or act unimpressed (or confused or something) you'll get something different? I have switched some things around from year to year but largely Im not one to be changing things to suit my kids whims because Im certain they'll never be as thrilled with what i choose as I would be- they are obnoxious children and it is schoolWORK. I know that even the mythic children from the SL catalogue don't thank mommy for SL when they have to do dictation.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Five In a Row. I wanted to love it. I loved the IDEA of it. It just did not work for us at all. I forgot about FIAR. Knowing it would work beautifully for us, I bought every single volume and scoured the used bookstores and eBay for as many of the books as I could get. We started by reading The Story of Ping. Once. Not the prescribed 5 times. Once. Because the next day, when I started to read it again (and very animatedly, too, I might add,) my ds asked me why he had to hear the same story again. I mentioned all of the fun, thrilling, exciting activities we were going to do each day. He was unimpressed. I tried dragging FIAR out a few other times, but ds had no interest. He enjoyed some of the books, but the FIAR concept (and activities) just didn't click with him at all. It was so depressing reading about all of those happy FIAR families on the FIAR forum, especially back then, when I was still new at the whole homeschooling thing. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 How old is he? How tall? What color hair? I ask because I think you might accidentally have my 9 year old.:D If he turns out not to be your 9 year old, let me know, because I'm pretty sure he could be mine, too. ;) Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I forgot about FIAR. Knowing it would work beautifully for us, I bought every single volume and scoured the used bookstores and eBay for as many of the books as I could get. We started by reading The Story of Ping. Once. It was so depressing reading about all of those happy FIAR families on the FIAR forum, especially back then, when I was still new at the whole homeschooling thing. Cat Well, I love FIAR because we mostly do the Christian Character supplement. We do maybe two of the activities. DD didn't like The Story of Ping. Okay, we just move on to the next book. No biggie. Luckily, we did them out of order so it wasn't the first one. If we read a book 1-3 times, that works. It doesn't have to be 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Does anyone ever think that the reason the kids dont respond to something is because they know that if they complain enough or act unimpressed (or confused or something) you'll get something different? I have switched some things around from year to year but largely Im not one to be changing things to suit my kids whims because Im certain they'll never be as thrilled with what i choose as I would be- they are obnoxious children and it is schoolWORK. I know that even the mythic children from the SL catalogue don't thank mommy for SL when they have to do dictation.:tongue_smilie: There is a difference between complaining and it just not working. My DD was regressing in math due to MUS. The program was teaching her one thing... that she was no good at math and hated it. With SL, she did not like most of the books and really hated the science experiments. She loves the history books and FIAR books, and the science we have now, She is learning so much more than she was when I was trying to get her through SL. Since switching programs, our entire household has changed. School is done faster so I am able to do other things. DH is happier b/c he doesn't come home to me complaining about DD's uncooperativeness and our horrible, tear filled, long drawn-out school day. Please stay open to the idea of switching to a different program. If we hadn't switched she would be in PS now. Really. DH said well, there is a point where you just have to admit that you can't teach her. I think that dropping MUS and SL is vastly preferrable to putting her in PS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 (edited) Really? I fell in love with the Montessori method before I even heard about homeschooling. My oldest dd attended a Montessori school from age 3 to 6. ...Those were wonderful years! Same here. That lovely Montessori school is actually WHY we homeschool. It was so wonderful, I couldn't transition him to a regular school after that. I would observe a day in the Montessori school, then observe a day in the local Christian school and just feel sick for the kids who couldn't go to the Montessori school. No way was I putting my child in a non-Montessori school. Do you regret your Montessori training? Do you see yourself teaching in a school when your kids are older? No to both. No education is wasted. Ironically, the course I took was not pleasant, not fun, not good. (How could a Montessori teacher be an awful teacher? But she was!) And the workload was incredible! I was just so relieved to be done with it. But, no, I'm never sorry when I learn something. I loved Montessori and that time, and had I not taken the class, I would always have wondered what I missed. No, I can't see myself teaching in a real Montessori school. For one thing, after the joys of homeschooling one single child and having total autonomy over everything, I cannot imagine going back to classroom teaching. Secondly, Montessori teachers have to be strong and flexible enough to do a ton of bending down and sitting on the floor. I don't see how I could do that 7 years from now. ?? It was a mystery to me that my son responded so beautifully to his Montessori classroom teacher, yet would NOT cooperate with Montessori at home. I couldn't understand it, and he couldn't explain it. (He was only 6.) He's 11 now, and while he doesn't relish school work, he's not particularly resistant to the work required. It's funny that we have this in common. Edited April 18, 2009 by Cindyg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindyg Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 (edited) ... Edited April 18, 2009 by Cindyg Oops. Double post. Trying to get the quote feature to work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted April 18, 2009 Author Share Posted April 18, 2009 Does anyone ever think that the reason the kids dont respond to something is because they know that if they complain enough or act unimpressed (or confused or something) you'll get something different? No. I've been homeschooling long enough and know my children well enough that I can tell the difference between whining in general and truly struggling with a curriculum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 There were probably others that I'm forgetting right now, but these are the two that stand out most in my mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 I know that even the mythic children from the SL catalogue don't thank mommy for SL when they have to do dictation.:tongue_smilie: :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol: Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calandalsmom Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 No. I've been homeschooling long enough and know my children well enough that I can tell the difference between whining in general and truly struggling with a curriculum. Yes, I can too. We had to go off the Key to Fractions series because ds was struggling. Sometimes, though, TIMING is everything! I bet if we picked up Key to NOW we'd be doing well. We had a similar wall with long division in third grade- ds was not developmentally ready. Sticking stubbornly with something which isnt working is no good either! I can't help but think, though, that there are some people who never stick with anything long enough to really tell. No one in particular, least of all HERE on this thread, naturally. But I do know some people who seem to jump around from curricula to curricula as if it were a game of hopscotch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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