Wednesday and Thursday disappeared into a fog of grumpiness. We have trouble with the focus. Not news.
I'm considering what it takes to get things moving on a bad day.
Incentives like more computer privileges can only take us so far. They're great motivators, but I don't like them spending too much time in the computers/video games. They will choose those over friends and playing outside. And I really don't want them missing these beautiful fall days.
Little gifts are nice, but I don't want to be encouraging materialism. They already get plenty of allowance-earning opportunities. Maybe earning points towards a purchase they'll greatly value? Like points towards a 3DS or board game they've been wanting.
Trips to the library are good breaks in a bad day.
I still need to reconcile the difference between productive and educational activities and the pressures of a very full curriculum. I really hate skipping lessons. I want them to benefit from the material. Certain subjects are "more important" than others. Math and Language arts really need focus. But social studies and art are particularly important to me, as a liberal arts major in college and a working artist. Science goes without saying, they all love it, it's important for any possible career they've ever expressed interest in.
Face it, I've always bought into the idea that all these subjects are very very important. I grew up in a family that valued education. I've seen how much of an advantage it gives economically. I love seeing the things I've learned as they apply to the real world. Any time somebody says "When will I ever use this in my real life?" I've always thought, ummm ok, math is good in cooking, when analyzing information to make decisions, grocery shopping, keeping your bank stuff straight, planning a home or yard project... Or listening to current events, the history I know is always coming back and helping me understand... I can see science in every little technological innovation, in cooking, everywhere... And you can't communicate anything at all without vocabulary, grammar, paragraph organization and composition skills.
How could any of it be useless?
So far we're doing ok. Not ahead, not behind, on track. And that's more than good enough.
"But wouldn't it be nice to be a little ahead?" The nagging little voice says in my head.
I tell it to stop. We'll do what we do and enjoy ourselves.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Yes, we can!
Here I am, watching the Three finish up the last lesson of the last subject.
No, I'm not so wedded to the curriculum that I won't be flexible. Yes, I believe we can do one suggested day on an average day.
It feels a little bit like victory.
Havoc still needs to be reminded to look at "Don't Panic" written in friendly red letters under the calendar.
Hawthorne still puts his head in my lap to "think" whenever he has less than total structure placed before him on a writing assignment.
But we made it through a day.
Yes we can.
No, I'm not so wedded to the curriculum that I won't be flexible. Yes, I believe we can do one suggested day on an average day.
It feels a little bit like victory.
Havoc still needs to be reminded to look at "Don't Panic" written in friendly red letters under the calendar.
Hawthorne still puts his head in my lap to "think" whenever he has less than total structure placed before him on a writing assignment.
But we made it through a day.
Yes we can.
Monday, September 26, 2011
School only goes as well as Mom does
Long weekend, slept late, school got started late.
Not a good recipe.
Our deal, made on Saturday, for a better school day overall in exchange for more computer gaming time, is a bust today. We'll try the same deal tomorrow when I think it will work.
Today we took some time to work on handwriting and spelling and math in the morning and then the lesson plan after lunch. Definitely a good building up to the school week. But not quite the plan.
One day we'll have a rhythm.
Not a good recipe.
Our deal, made on Saturday, for a better school day overall in exchange for more computer gaming time, is a bust today. We'll try the same deal tomorrow when I think it will work.
Today we took some time to work on handwriting and spelling and math in the morning and then the lesson plan after lunch. Definitely a good building up to the school week. But not quite the plan.
One day we'll have a rhythm.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Motivation, that's all we need.
Today all three children completed a "full day" of the lesson plan.
All three of them.
It just required a little motivation. In other words, I promised them they could take Friday off if they did.
Ta Da!
Things I learned today.
Writing is still a bit of a struggle for Hawthorne. Second grade writing expectations are a bit higher than the level he's at. He'll catch up, but some subjects are getting writing help from the mom.
Persephone is self motivated, but we knew that. She has off days (yesterday) but usually she really enjoys working through and completing lessons. She was done an hour early and not only got to read for an hour, but she's going to do an extra science activity this afternoon.
Havoc is beginning to see the source of his overwhelmed feelings. The idea of a "complete lesson" when one lesson is meant to be covered in 2 days is hard to let go. We've worked out a system of notation so he knows there's a plan. 11 is a great age for him. He's starting to see big pictures sometimes. I'm greatly relieved and so is he.
All three of them.
It just required a little motivation. In other words, I promised them they could take Friday off if they did.
Ta Da!
Things I learned today.
Writing is still a bit of a struggle for Hawthorne. Second grade writing expectations are a bit higher than the level he's at. He'll catch up, but some subjects are getting writing help from the mom.
Persephone is self motivated, but we knew that. She has off days (yesterday) but usually she really enjoys working through and completing lessons. She was done an hour early and not only got to read for an hour, but she's going to do an extra science activity this afternoon.
Havoc is beginning to see the source of his overwhelmed feelings. The idea of a "complete lesson" when one lesson is meant to be covered in 2 days is hard to let go. We've worked out a system of notation so he knows there's a plan. 11 is a great age for him. He's starting to see big pictures sometimes. I'm greatly relieved and so is he.
Crabby
Havoc wants to post this link for you:
The Life Cycle of a Crab
Today he had to wear a tube of cardboard around his elbow and arm for 10 minutes to see how annoying it would be to not have a joint and to have a hard shell. I made him fill the dishwasher because I'm mean mommy. It was a pretty good test.
The Life Cycle of a Crab
Today he had to wear a tube of cardboard around his elbow and arm for 10 minutes to see how annoying it would be to not have a joint and to have a hard shell. I made him fill the dishwasher because I'm mean mommy. It was a pretty good test.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Win day
Internet win of the day
The History of English in 10 Minutes (10 episodes played in a row)
Also in winning news of the day:
I've been sweating about Havoc's lessons and not completing one for each of the major subjects (English and Math) and it turns out that ALL the lessons are meant to take two days! (2 hours per lesson)
This makes perfect sense. They're looooong and writing intensive.
And now my stress levels go way way down.
The History of English in 10 Minutes (10 episodes played in a row)
Also in winning news of the day:
I've been sweating about Havoc's lessons and not completing one for each of the major subjects (English and Math) and it turns out that ALL the lessons are meant to take two days! (2 hours per lesson)
This makes perfect sense. They're looooong and writing intensive.
And now my stress levels go way way down.
Monday, September 19, 2011
The Family that Reads Together...
Booklist Part the First
Currently we are reading:
Havoc- The Diamond Age: The Young Ladies Illustrated Primer, by Neal Stephenson. This one's on my all time favorites list. I'm going to have to re-read it when he's done. He just picked up the Crow Comic over breakfast. We were talking about watching the movie tonight.
Persephone-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by JK Rowling. She's re-reading the series.
Hawthorne- Dinosaurs Before Dark, by Mary Pope Osbourne. This is his book for school right now but he's really enjoying it. He stops to read the other books on our big old bookshelf all the time. Picture books, story books, books about science and animals.
Me- The Knife of Dreams, by Robert Jordan. The last book he published, Book 11 in the series the Wheel of Time. Another re-reading of a series. I'm hoping to finish the next two (authored from Jordan's notes by Brandon Sanderson and done really well) before the last in the series comes out next year.
Adam- he reads so fast and in e-book form, so I really don't know what he's reading right now. Last I looked it was Neal Stephenson books, but he reads very fast.
All together- Adam is reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchet. And I'm reading them the Wheel of Time series. We're up to The Great Hunt.
That's a lot of books.
What are you reading?
Havoc- The Diamond Age: The Young Ladies Illustrated Primer, by Neal Stephenson. This one's on my all time favorites list. I'm going to have to re-read it when he's done. He just picked up the Crow Comic over breakfast. We were talking about watching the movie tonight.
Persephone-Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by JK Rowling. She's re-reading the series.
Hawthorne- Dinosaurs Before Dark, by Mary Pope Osbourne. This is his book for school right now but he's really enjoying it. He stops to read the other books on our big old bookshelf all the time. Picture books, story books, books about science and animals.
Me- The Knife of Dreams, by Robert Jordan. The last book he published, Book 11 in the series the Wheel of Time. Another re-reading of a series. I'm hoping to finish the next two (authored from Jordan's notes by Brandon Sanderson and done really well) before the last in the series comes out next year.
Adam- he reads so fast and in e-book form, so I really don't know what he's reading right now. Last I looked it was Neal Stephenson books, but he reads very fast.
All together- Adam is reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchet. And I'm reading them the Wheel of Time series. We're up to The Great Hunt.
That's a lot of books.
What are you reading?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)