littlemomof3 Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Hi all! Hope everyone is doing well. I was just sitting here reading posts and thinking about curriculum. I started to wonder how much actual "teaching" many of you moms do? I dont really do a whole lot. A lot of it is self teaching and I have a 1st and 3rd grader. I really do sit more with my 1st grader with reading and phonics and thats about it. I answer questions when they arise and really we dont have many tests that are given...if any. I will be switching to BJU dvd this coming year and there will be much more "teacher instruction" thru those. Is it wrong that we dont get up and teach stuff like they do in schools? I mean should a child that is 9 be independent. I teach when we come to new material or when he isnt *getting* it on his own...but what do u guys think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penny Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I spend a lot of time reading aloud, going over vocabulary words from the books we read (I make flash cards), reading Latin stories with them and practicing the pronunciation, chanting Latin verbs, calling out spelling words for pre-test, teaching/reviewing math concepts (every day), and I teach the grammar lesson, along with teaching my now 5th grader outlining skills by modeling, and teaching note taking skills by modeling. When dc were younger, I spent much time doing the history lesson (SOTW with activity book) with them and doing dictation. Also, having them read to me and practicing those sight words, and doing First Language Lessons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaMomTo5 Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Is it wrong that we dont get up and teach stuff like they do in schools? I mean should a child that is 9 be independent. I teach when we come to new material or when he isnt *getting* it on his own...but what do u guys think? The mere idea of "getting up and teaching my kids" at all like the school systems is nauseating to me! The methods they've been using in our school systems for decades does not work, therefore I try to do as much possible NOT to mimic their techniques. My dd10 is very independent in much of her studies. She has grown to love science and can tell you why it is that the word 'dinosaur' is not mentioned in the bible as well as a huge array of other things that are completely uninteresting to me, but will do her well when she is a scientist. All of this LOVE for learning would be drained from her if I sat her down at the table or a desk and lectured her for hours on end. I merely open the doors of education to her and she chooses to learn. Personally, my 1st goal as a hs mom is to raise confident communicators for Christ!! The way you run your hs will vary based on what you prime objective is. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Academy of Jedi Arts Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I have a lot of dialogue. Dd might read or do an assignment and then we talk about it. I'll look over something she has done and help her see the strong and weak points. There are times when yes, it is time for me to write on the whiteboard and actually do more traditional teaching. Sometimes I seek out a person more qualified than myself for instruction. I find that different learning goals require different approaches. I do what it takes to get the job done. My student prefers to work independently. I see great value in independent study. I also think one's ability to be taught is important. My dd does great independently, but sometimes gets frustrated at the instructional methods of others. Working independently is not something we have to work on, but being able to do something somebody else's way is at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Lynx Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I call it tutoring, really. If the child needs to learn new material, I tutor them. Otherwise, wherever they're capable of it and ready for it, they work independently. There is great value in independent study and independent work; there is great value in learning to be self-taught; but there are times when we do need to be *teachers*, too. One of the strengths of homeschooling is that we can do that as needed, and not as it is not needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomOfOneFunOne Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 The two things I think you could consider that I taught was Maths and English. We used Shurley and I just don't really think you could call that teaching. My daughter loves it but I just can't stand it. We're just doing Latin, spelling, and writing next year w/o grammar so I wont' be doing it next year. It's so insanely scripted that I just can't call that teaching in any sense that I understand that word and I don't call it teaching in the way I think you're asking the question. For maths I was truly trying to teach it but I'm so mathmatically deficient that I'm finally farming it out online. She does indeed teach (and is great so far!!). We do Latin together and have an online teacher. Sometimes I think you could think of it as traditonal teaching but often I don't. As for the rest of it, the standing in front of the class (of one) teaching from a textbook and expecting it to be poured back out in the form of a test is not anything like what we do. For History and Science we read the best books we can find and do projects. We read and do them together and have fun. I tend to look at texts just to make sure we stay on a certain track but we don't use them in the traditional textbook sense. We use IEW and that's a different kind of animal than trad. teaching. We do other things as well but not in the way I think you mean. Except, as I said, for Maths and Latin but I'm not in charge of teaching those and by the way, we both love those classes for different reasons so eventhough we could consider them trad. teaching/learning school-style, they are fabulous! I do think that if we tried to do that for everything we'd go mad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I spend a lot of time teaching math, but I'm using RightStart curriculum, and it is teacher-intensive. I like it that way, and my kids seem to, as well. It's one of our favorite subjects. I'd miss doing math with my kids each day if they worked mostly independently. That said, one of the best things about homeschooling is doing what works for your family regardless of what anyone else does. So, if it's working for y'all -- enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa in the UP of MI Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I wouldn't say that I get up and teach like in PS, but I currently spend the entire "school" time interacting with my dd. My dd is quite young (4.5yo) but I think that she will require more mom time than the average child even when she is older. She is not a work book girl! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 (edited) There are times when yes, it is time for me to write on the whiteboard and actually do more traditional teaching. I usually write on a piece of paper when showing my children a process. Even despite that, I find there are times when I need to stand between the blackboard and the dining room table and play school, particularly when I'm teaching drawing skills to more than one child, or when I'm trying to create a visual for science (like the whole solar system, or a labeled skeleton). Because I've emphasized teaching them to read before teaching much of anything else, I could probably give them all a checklist and a bunch of worktexts, and have my day to myself. But I believe that dialogue is crucial to a good education. I'm smart enough to solve problems, learn what I need to learn, organize things, but the one thing I really stink at is responding quickly, or pulling my intelligence out when I'm in dialogue. I don't want the kids to be in that situation when they're older. That's why I use more of a tutoring method with my kids, rather than DVD school. One of the tutoring centers I worked in when I was pre-motherhood had the classroom set up with lots of independent work stations. Each student went at their own pace through a series of activities in a guidebook. The tutors were supposed to notice when a kid looked confused and go help them sort out the issue. I found that this was a very active role. For best results, you want to catch the kids when they're sighing deeply, not after they've progressed to staring at the ceiling. So, I guess my answer is that I do a lot of teaching. I'm going to say two hours a day for the six- and three-year-olds, counting all those times when I capture teachable moments, and maybe four hours a day for the eight-year-old. Edited April 27, 2009 by dragons in the flower bed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I don't just stand up and teach, but I spend a lot of time helping them learn new concepts and going over their work with them. For the most part they start on things themselves, but need me if they get stuck or don't understand something. We spend a lot of time discussing history together. I have a lot of interaction with my kids during school, but not really teaching like in ps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I don't just stand up and teach, but I spend a lot of time helping them learn new concepts and going over their work with them. :iagree: This sounds like me. BTW, my oldest is just finishing up first grade. By third grade, I will expect more independence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 At this time I do very little 'teaching'. I read over the lessons with each of them and then when they have a problem, I ask questions trying to draw out of them the learning they already have with any new concept learned that day. I feel that this helps them to understand that they already have it in them, they just need the confidence to put it to use. If one of them is truly stuck and we can't talk it out this way I go back and review whatever is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I play an active role in shaping my kids' minds. They do a few things independently, but a lot of what we do is done all together. That said, my "teaching" looks a lot different than what you see in a school. And I'm a former math teacher so I have been in that world. As an example, I very much want to shape how my daughter thinks about math, so we go through the Singapore text together. It probably takes about 2 minutes a day. Then she does the workbook exercise on her own and I check it after and go over anything wrong. I also play an active role in history, science, Latin, Grammar, Bible, and Writing. Spelling is the one thing that is mostly independent. Dd is progressing very well and I have a good feel for what she knows because we do so much together. I know there are things you can learn on your own, but there is so much you can gain from interacting with a well-informed tutor (me!). I don't see turning her loose for completely independent work, even as she will do more and more on her own as she gets older. We will always at least discuss what she is studying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 I teach our entire core. I sit with her and teach all of the subjects and she does spelling, piano and handwriting independently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 The only subjects that I don't teach are math, typing and Rosetta stone German. otherwise I teach ( or push/ drag) them through every subject. I read aloud for about 2-3 hours a day, History , science , read aloud book etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlemomof3 Posted April 27, 2009 Author Share Posted April 27, 2009 Well thank you for some of your replies. Gives me some things to think on. I DONT read to my children even tho I know they really enjoy being read to. Maybe when we move back into our house (house fire) in a few days I will get all my stuff back and start-a-reading to them! They both love science too. Still plan on doing BJU this coming school year so they will have a more lecture approach..we will see how that goes :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siloam Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 Around here I spend an hour a day one on one with each kid. I read history aloud during lunch and science during breakfast. What work they do independently needs to be checked, so I still spend time on it. Just the way it goes... Heather Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PinkInTheBlue Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 (edited) I vary between doing a significant amount of teaching and very little with math. It depends on the day and the content. We use Chalkdust DVDs but sometimes I clarify or simply give more information if he needs it. I read along with and teach Math Matters with my 5th grader. I also read along and teach with Life of Fred. I almost always teach grammar. I almost always teach writing. Occasionally either of those have a day that's just a "finish this from yesterday" or "this worksheet". Also, I read and discuss history and science and assist in Latin. Logic, geography, typing, and speed math are pretty much always independent. I enjoy teaching even if sometimes it's just being nearby to answer questions. I'm not hand holding but I am being aware they are not moving forward without understanding. P.S. After reading the other responses I wanted to clarify something. My brand of "teaching" is more accurately described as dialog between the boys and I. Lots of back and forth talk, especially after reading some if any of the instructions of the book. Edited April 27, 2009 by PinkInTheBlue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I call it tutoring, really. If the child needs to learn new material, I tutor them. Otherwise, wherever they're capable of it and ready for it, they work independently. There is great value in independent study and independent work; there is great value in learning to be self-taught; but there are times when we do need to be *teachers*, too. One of the strengths of homeschooling is that we can do that as needed, and not as it is not needed. For my 7th grader, at this point, I am a lot like a facilitator as far as the material goes. We do discuss things a great deal throughout the day, in the car, whenever it comes up and I do still read aloud at least an hour a day. One of my goals has always been to teach my children how to learn. I use materials that foster that and I am always there if they need me but I spend little time these days actually "teaching" in the manner in which you inquired. I guide the 3rd grader, reminding her of grammar rules, math facts, etc. as she works in her lessons. We do a fair amount of lap school still because it is a joy to be able to do so. But it, in no way, has ever resembled me standing in front of them and "teaching". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 A whole lot. I have a wiggly worm 6 who will suddenly say "Look a hummingbird" right in the middle of a math problem. Sometimes he says "I can do this by myself" but he gets distracted. I try to be on hand when we have a classical disc playing so I can tell him the name of the composer. I try to leave him alone when he is doing art. Ditto when he has pulled out a book and is going through it on the over-stuffed chair. But flash cards and phonics cards and SWR, and narration and dictation and SOTW, and, well, everything seems to need me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 All of this LOVE for learning would be drained from her if I sat her down at the table or a desk and lectured her for hours on end. I merely open the doors of education to her and she chooses to learn. This is a common misconception. I used to read on by statements like this, but I am beginnig to see the damage this thought has done in my homeschooling friends as their dc are hitting the middle school and high school years, so I am now challenging it. I teach my children for hours a day, yet they are the most curious independent learners you would ever see in their free time. Success produced by strong skills developed from thorough and excellent teaching will lead to a desire for more learning. We shouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water; direct instruction was not invented by modern school systems. Yes, mind-numbing schoolwork that is not appropriate to the child's needs would harm a love of learning, but good direct teaching by a caring and engaged adult does not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I teach a lot, but especially in the younger grades. Hard work in laying the foundational skills early on has allowed me to start backing off as they get older with consistently excellent results in their work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 We shouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water; direct instruction was not invented by modern school systems. Yes, mind-numbing schoolwork that is not appropriate to the child's needs would harm a love of learning, but good direct teaching by a caring and engaged adult does not. :hurray::hurray::hurray: Thanks for saying so, Angela. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I teach them every single math lesson; I'd say that's the bulk of my teaching - we sit and go through the lesson in the text and do all the sample problems on a white board. The workbook they do independently. I'm hoping to get them independent around Algebra (though I'm thinking I'll get the Math without Borders CDs to help with that). I've also been teaching them grammar this year for the first time - this has been going very well. I teach Spanish once a week, to them and a couple friends. For science we have a coop, but it's just bi-weekly and mostly the hands-on stuff, but it does include some lecturing (though often not by me). Spelling I just have to dictate the lists, but it often turns into teachable moments, as I point out spelling rules, homonyms, etc. I'm going to be switching to MCT LA next year, which looks like it's going to require not a lot of lecturing, but reading and discussing with them. What's funny is I think that my kids enjoy the subjects that I teach the most. They just brighten up and become more engaged. My blackboard and/or whiteboard get pretty much daily use, and I actually have been thinking I should do more, exactly because they seem more engaged when I do. I find I really enjoy it while I'm doing it, but I often have a hard time getting myself motivated in the first place - it's one reason I invited their friends to sit in on Spanish, because then I know it'll get done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I teach my children for hours a day, yet they are the most curious independent learners you would ever see in their free time. Success produced by strong skills developed from thorough and excellent teaching will lead to a desire for more learning. We shouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water; direct instruction was not invented by modern school systems. Yes, mind-numbing schoolwork that is not appropriate to the child's needs would harm a love of learning, but good direct teaching by a caring and engaged adult does not. :iagree: I'm not sure "teach" is the word I would choose for what I do, but I constantly interact with my ds during the school day. I teach some, but more importantly we process through everything. My ds can't focus if he is bored, so the mind-numbing classroom teacher style is exactly what we are out to avoid, but that doesn't mean I just send him off to do his own thing. I'm sure he could accomplish most of his work without ever discussing it with me, but I don't think he would gain the same depth of understanding from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 My dd10 is very independent in much of her studies. She has grown to love science and can tell you why it is that the word 'dinosaur' is not mentioned in the bible... Would you care to share her answer? Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jill- OK Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 I call it tutoring, really. If the child needs to learn new material, I tutor them. Otherwise, wherever they're capable of it and ready for it, they work independently. I'd only add that this has changed somewhat, as my oldest two have entered high school years. There's been more dialogue, and spontaneous (and forced, lol) discussion and interaction, as we've moved into more abstract subjects, and away from simple skills. But mostly...yes, this is how I see it, too. As needed, when necessary, then...allowance for practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaMomTo5 Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 This is a common misconception. I used to read on by statements like this, but I am beginnig to see the damage this thought has done in my homeschooling friends as their dc are hitting the middle school and high school years, so I am now challenging it. I teach my children for hours a day, yet they are the most curious independent learners you would ever see in their free time. Success produced by strong skills developed from thorough and excellent teaching will lead to a desire for more learning. We shouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water; direct instruction was not invented by modern school systems. Yes, mind-numbing schoolwork that is not appropriate to the child's needs would harm a love of learning, but good direct teaching by a caring and engaged adult does not. I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with. Are you saying that you do sit your children down and lecture them for hours? If so, then I can understand why you don't agree with me. If not please understand that my method is not to throw instruction out the window. I do instruct them in their studies, but it is not a structure in which I mimic that of a classroom (ig. mom standing at the end of the table for hours telling my child tons of information). I also learn along side them as well. For example science is an easy one for this where we are studying and exploring together. My day also goes on as they are doing their formal studies. In this I feel they learn so much by watching my daily happenings between my instruction. My response was more to the posters asking if it was 'wrong' for us not to stand in front of our children and operate our homeschools as the 'schools' do. I believe our children can gain a so much from NOT lecturing. I also have watched children who have grown in an environment like what I've mentioned and they are doing great as high schoolers. It really depends on the children and the parents. Different learning styles require different methods. I hope this clarifies my comments a little. Beth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaMomTo5 Posted April 28, 2009 Share Posted April 28, 2009 (edited) Would you care to share her answer? Bill The short answer is that any form of the term 'dinosaur' did not come about until many years after the Bible was written. Edited April 28, 2009 by cbb_momof3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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