Posted in In the School Room
This morning I am feeling such a sense of pleasure. My children are still nestled in their beds. The house is quite. David is off at work. Standardized testing was completed on Wednesday. I even got to the post office yesterday to mail back our answer sheets. I started putting away books that I have finished with and rearranging the curriculum cupboard in the basement. All I have to finish doing is grading some math papers, and all of my record keeping will be complete as well. Then all I will have to do is write my reports that are required by the state. We are all ready to be done. The children are excited about the change in their daily routine. I am excited about being able to get outside early and not have to wait until school is finished. I think this is why we start school at the beginning of August. We have done so for 2 years, and both years have been very good years for us. I have a few more details to workout in my planning for next year's curriculum. Most of it has already been purchased. I decided to change Natalie's math curriculm from Rod and Staff to Christian Light Education. She has been working in Rod and Staff since 3rd grade and has just finished 6th grade, but she is just not doing well with the mastery learning approach. Although I am not an advocate of changing programs so late in the game, I believe it will be best for her if we do. So, that is another expense. The Lord will provide for our needs. Have a great Friday... |
Posted in In the School Room
Well, the tax return rolled in, and now all I can think about is next year's school materials. Actually I start thinking about it in January. I can't help it. I think it is the professional teacher that still lurks deep inside somewhere. I love the smell of a new textbook, the feel of an unmarred workbook, and the thoughts of "getting organized". Quite often it is more thought than action. Oh eventually I do get around to actually getting a concrete plan. I keep sensing that we need to make next year as simple on me as possible. That is probably because as I anticipate spring I desire something that requires NONE of my time. I confess that I really do need a break before I throw all my curriculum out the window and start from scratch. This would be foolish not to mention expensive. So, I must practice restraint. My biggest dilemma is son who will soon be in 9th grade. He will be our first homeschooled high schooler. So, I am still working on his plan. Here is how the plans are going so far. 7th grade 4th grade That is where I am right now. Some items I have purchased and received. Others I am still thinking about. Blessings, |
Posted in In the School Room
I got my Bachelor's of Science in Elementary Education. My first job was teaching English in a Catholic school. I was in graduate school at the time as well learning about how children learn to write. I learned all about the "writing process". I taught at least a couple hundred children to improve their writing skills during that time. Fast forward about 10 years and I am now at home teaching my own children. Teaching writing was the one area that I struggled with the most. It probably did not help that my oldest had a phobia to anything remotely resembled writing. He spent a year in public school and was expected to do journal writing. I could not understand why he could write something for his kindergarten teacher, but not for his "new" teacher, me. We have tried different strategies and programs over the years, but none suited us. Recently, I pulled out my little Ruth Beechick book, A Strong Start in Language and reread it. I had read it several times over the year, but I could not get the ideas from the book into practice. My biggest dilemma seeemed to be finding the resources from which to write. Finally after a long journey, my oldest is now in 7th grade, we have found away to put this method into practice. The results are fantastic. My problem of finding good resources from which to write was solved recently when I became convicted about reading aloud to my children for at least 45 to 60 minutes each morning. It also came from starting to use Five in a Row again with my younger two girls. I now take passages from the chapter books and sentences from the Five in a Row books to use as our copywork and dictation. I put these passages into our daily work in the following manner. Day 1: We study the passage. We look at difficult spelling, analyze all the punctuation, identify where the capital letters are, discuss meanings of unfamiliar words, etc. The children carefully copy the passage and then they have to check it against the original for any errors. This is sometimes challenging as they do not see their mistakes. Day 2: We look again at the spellings and other grammar related aspects of the piece. The children copy for a second time. Day 3: Pretty much the same as day 2. By now they should have enough familiarity with the piece to go to day 4. Day 4: Dictation. I will dictate the piece slowly. Sometimes we only do half of the piece on Day 4 and the other half on day 5 with the older children. For the younger girls, we dictate two days in a row. Day 5: Complete dictation or dictate for a second time. Duringthe process of using this method, my children's vocabulary, spelling understanding of punctuation and phonics skills have blossomed. I do wish I had settled on it sooner, but I am glad I am here now. Blessings, |
Posted in In the School Room
For the fourth time this year I have revised our home school schedule or routine, if you will. I am trying to find my way back to the simpler style of schooling that we had when all the children were still very young. When my oldest was only six, we would sit on the couch and read all those great Five in Row books. I didn't stress over all the reporting that my state requires. Well, maybe I did a little. I can't seem to help that. As the oldest two children have advanced in their school years we have become more traditional in our approach. While that may work very well for some, I truly felt that we were loosing our original purpose in chosing to educate our children at home. We want to enjoy learning. We want to follow our desires to learn. Most of all, I had become deaf to the Lord's still small voice directing our educational efforts. I was calling all the shots. Now we are slowly finding our way back to a God-directed home education thanks in part to coming across Terri Camp's website, Ignite the Fire. Most of all I did not want my youngest two to miss out on the fun that the older two had at age seven. Now they are snuggling up with mom on the couch to read Roxaboxen just one more time. Many blessings, Jennie |
Posted in In the School Room
I am here to report that the first morning with the ChorePacks went well. There were a few glitches such as Brianna not being able to find something to wear. This, of course, made a 3 minute chore take 15 minutes. Naturally, picking her clothes out the night before would elimate this issue. I set Brianna's chores up as task based ones, and she is cleaning the half bath. She didn't like to have to remove each card for each chores as she went around the bathroom. I understand this. The ideal situation is to make this a global chore, and have only one chorecard that says "Clean the bathroom". My 12 yo son did not like wearing "the goofy cards". His dad spoke to him last night and told Jonathan that he was to follow this system as I have laid it out. That was helpful. Jonathan did however complete all his chores without fooling. The up side for me is that I NEVER had to remind ANYONE what to do next. That is the whole reason I bought the book and ChorePacks in the first place. I do not want to be their taskmaster. I want them to be their own taskmaster. The goal is to work themselves out of having to wear them. Natalie really does not need to wear one. She is up and doing exactly what she should in the correct order every day. I think she is the exception and not the rule. I told her to help keep me accountable, I wanted her to use one. Also, if I add other things it will help her know what order to do things in. So that was our first day. I like it. I am anxious to see how it goes over the long term. Now off to some quiet time before making applesauce to can. God bless, Jennie |