Testing

12yo dd did her standardized testing yesterday.  I was very nervous.  She has only been tested once before and that was at the tester's home.  This kind sweet lady passed away last year.  This year I had arranged for dd to test at a church she had never been to with folks we didn't know.  New testing situation, new setting, new people.  When I decided that it was time for me to exit the room, I could read the concern in her face through her calm facade.  During their break, I was relieved when  I saw her approaching the van with a beaming smile on her face.  She survived.

Celebration!

12yo daughter finished her Rod & Staff Arithmetic Grade 5 book today.  Oh what joy!  I think I'm happier than she  is.  She asked if we could start Grade 6 and do it over the summer so she can catch up to her grade level.  Who am I to say "no?" : )

It's True

Recently a homeschool mom whose family is struggling with illness asked for advice about planning for the next school year.  One of the veteran moms who has been dealing with family crises of her own shared this gained wisdom:

"I've been reading Rafe Esquith's books, along with Outlier, by Gladwell and my big take-away.....school works! Sure, pedagogy is important, curriculum is better or worse, etc. but the bottom line is this: a good solid curriculum, applied reguarly, with time dedicated to school, will cause education to occur."  Laughing Lioness

I have been testing the last part of her quote with my 8yo and what Laughing Lioness said is true.  A little reading and math every day has made a measurable difference.  She may continue to struggle, but every day we will plod along together down the path.

We did it!

We survived the first full week of school work.  It felt so good to be doing something instead of fretting about what we weren't doing.

There were a few glitches.  14yo has sleep issues and by Wednesday she was so sleep deprived that she was falling asleep while reading aloud.  I didn't think it was possible to read that slowly.  Plus, her words were slurred.  I finally had to have her stand up while she read.  A nap was in order that afternoon. 

In general Wednesday was one of those days when you feel like you are spinning your wheels.  12yo and I were still doing math at 5pm.  It felt like the day that would never end.  Thankfully school went much better Thursday and Friday and we were able to finish around 1pm those two days. 


I'm still trying to figure out who to do school with first.  In the past 12yo has always been first because she is eager to get school done and over with.  I started with 14yo for most of the week to try and catch her before she disappeared into her room for a nap.  Yesterday I started with 8yo.  That was okay but working with her first is probably not the way we'll go.  She is highly distractable which leaves the teacher frustrated.  Not a good way to start the day.


A productive week.

Tomorrow is THE day.

I spent the day making homeschool checklists for 12yo and 14yo.  12yo? Easy, peasy.  Her schedule is a continuation of what she's been doing.  The 14yo?  In the next few days I predict that some of you will sense a disturbance in the force.  I expect this to be cataclysmic.  Sort of like the Greek Gods vs. the Titans.  Yes, a huge power struggle is about to commence.  And you know what?  I expect to win! ;)

Do or do not. There is no try.

Yes, I'm quoting Yoda.

I came to the painful realization this week that I need to either do homeschool or quit.  Ouch!  My 14yo "forgets" to do school and I let it slide rather than confronting her about it.  I informed her Wednesday, with Dad present, that starting Monday she will do what I assign or we will have to make alternative schooling arrangements.  We are both at fault and I intend to do my part to rectify the situation.

Here I sit on a Saturday morning trying to figure out where to start over.   I'm also mulling over how to homeschool with a child who is passive aggressive.  How do I get her to do her work without having a melt down myself?  I don't want to be babysitter who has to watch her every move. 

12yo is doing good.  She complains about school work, but she does it.  We have found the right fit for her - Rod & Staff textbooks (math, history, and science).  Grammar and writing are our biggest weaknesses.  IEW writing is perfect for her when Mom follows through.  Grammar is just plain tough for her to grasp, so it is easy to let it slide.

8yo?  The kid needs help with everything.  She is a completely different ball of wax.  I've tried Rod & Staff with her but it is over her head.

No matter what we use, I believe consistency will be the key.  Just do it ... every day.

LDS?

If you are an LDS homeschooler, I have found a great new website that I think you'll like... Latter-Day Homeschooling. 

From their website:
"Welcome to LATTER-DAY HOMESCHOOLING. This blog was created as a gathering place for LDS homeschoolers to share their homeschooling experiences, offer tips, resources, ideas and encouragement to each other. Although we are not an official site of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we strive to hold to the standards and values of it."

How we do flashcards

(Pictures below)
I used to pooh-pooh flashcards.  Making them was time consuming considering how long they were used.  And then...I had a child who needed repetition.  I found that having her go through flashcards with basic information (ex: addition math facts) each morning helped turn on her brain for the day.

Yes, we have used the standard homemade 3x5 index cards and the pre-printed multiplication flashcards.  For homemade flashcards you don't usually need a full size 3x5 card, yet it is a pain to cut them in half.  I have come up with what I think is a better way to do/store flashcards - a Rolodex.  I copy questions from the science or history chapter we are studying and write the answer on the opposite side so that it is readable (upside down).  It is as easy as reading the question and then flipping the card forward.  No tracking down stacks of flashcards all over the house, they are in one place - on the Rolodex. 

FYI, writing them out is still time consuming.  I've also switched to blank cards. 

Who is the problem?

Hard to admit but true.  If school ain't happening it's mama's fault.  If I don't have it together, of course my kids are going to quietly slink off and find something else to do.  They are children.

This weekend I planned school for the week and today I attempted to stick to the plan.  Result? 

• 7yo - whining.  
• 11yo wailing and gnashing of teeth.  
• 14yo - rebelled by ignoring most of the list and played RuneScape instead of doing school work.

 The 14yo almost sent me over the edge into an emotional rant.  This is my child who is compliant for the most part.  In other words, she learned long ago to fly under the radar which has allowed her to do what she wants.  I bit my tongue and put myself in time out.  

I feel calmer and ready to jump in the trenches again tomorrow.  I expect more whining, wailing, gnashing of teeth, and rebellious attitudes.  And if I get better behavior?  I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Curriculum Slave?

It can be easy to become a slave to curriculum.  For example I really like Rod & Staff, so I chose to use their Bible Nurture and Reader Series (BNRS) to teach my beginning reader.  I like the mix of phonics, sight words, and Bible stories.  But..., it moves too fast for my kids.  My 7yo was taking about 45 minutes per workbook (one for phonics, one for reading comprehension/skills) with me sitting beside her.  When we finished, my brain felt like it had been sent through a blender.  After one of these torture sessions, I wondered why I was making us endure this?  Why was I trying to force her into a mold rather than individualizing the instruction to her needs?


I'm a rule follower and I struggled with the realization that one of my favorite curricula wasn't going to work for us.  Wait.  I started thinking, "Is BNRS good? Yes.  Do I need to use the materials step-by-step as laid out in the teacher's notes? No.  There is no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater." 

We have continued to use the phonics and the sightword flashcards that accompany the stories found in the BNRS Readers.  We have hit the pause button in regards to the workbooks while solidifying her knowledge of phonics with Progressive Phonics readers (free online) and ABeka's Handbook for Reading (phonics textbook).

Learning to read can be fruitful without being frustrating if, as her teacher, I remember to go at her pace.  She'll get there.