One of the most challenging aspects of homeschooling is not finding curriculum or making space in your home for the books, it's simply fitting it all in. You're a mom, so you already have meals to cook and bathrooms to clean, errands to run and laundry to fold. Throw teaching into the mix, and something's gotta give. While I'm not even close to perfecting a system, here's what I'm finding helps the most.
Get up earlier than the kids
A lot of moms do this anyway, but this was the most challenging for me. When I started in September, I had a five month old baby who wasn't sleeping through the night. I took all the sleep I could get. He sleeps good now, but his brother still gets up about 6:30 every morning. Beating the kids out of bed is not easy for me, but it's always worth it. Even if I accomplish nothing but getting dressed and having coffee, I feel like I'm a step ahead the rest of the day.
Make the kids do their share
My kids have chores to do every day but Sunday. They're easy tasks, but they save me time. They make their beds and put their jammies away. They clear the table after meals.They feed the animals and Gracie cleans the bathroom sink. Caleb helps match socks and Gracie folds towels. We also have a rule that all their toys stay in their bedroom to keep the rest of the house neat.
Complete at least one load of laundry every day
Laundry is a constant thorn in my side. There's always so much of it! I have a bad habit of washing four loads, piling them up, and ignoring them for days. Instead of waiting until the hamper is full, I've been doing one load from washing to folding every day. It only takes a few minutes to fold and everything is where we need it so we're not digging for that missing sock Sunday morning.
Work with your schedule, not against it
The first thing people seem to say about homeschoolers after "they get no socialization" is they're "lazy and don't start school till ten o' clock". Well call me super-lazy, but we don't start till one, because that's when Luke takes a nap! In September we were starting at nine. The whole time I was trying to teach Gracie I was also trying to feed and pacify a very needy baby. I was back and forth between Gracie and Luke, giving neither of them my full attention. The result: everyone was frustrated, except Caleb who just does his own thing most of the time... I quickly realized we would be better off waiting till Luke went to sleep instead of trying to force it because that's when you're "supposed" to start. Now we have two solid hours to focus, and by the time he wakes up, Gracie is working on things she can do independently.
Do all your shopping/errands on one day
Instead of running to the store as I need things, I'm learning to plan out trips better so I can go out once a week instead of several small trips. If I need to go grocery shopping, I'll also return library books...stop at the post office...that kind of stuff. If I run out, I'm learning to just do without it for a few days. Jeremiah does have to stop for milk on the way home, but going once saves time and energy, not to mention gas!
Multi-task
Even though I have Luke's nap time set aside for school, I'm not sitting by Gracie's side every second. I learned early on that watching a first grader complete math problems is like watching paint dry. So now I use that time to straighten up the kitchen. I sit and teach her, then when she does the exercises, I start cleaning. The dining room is right off the kitchen, so she can still talk to me and I stop whenever she needs a hand. But it gives me a chance to get stuff done, and teaches her to do her work without me hanging over her shoulder.
Don't let homeschooling define you
There's a difference between "a homeschooling family" and "a family that homeschools". It's very possible to become consumed by it. You want to do a good job, you don't want to be judged, so you pour all your thoughts and energy into until there's nothing left over. I know a family in which the mom got so obsessed with homeschooling they almost got divorced. She ignored her husband because she was always making lesson plans and craft projects.When they did spend time together she wanted to talk about homeschooling. It's important to remember that you're a family, not a school. You have a life to live, and education should flow as a natural part of it, not dictate your every move. So don't worry if you want to take a day off, take advantage of nice weather or a visit from friends. Isn't that part of the reason we want to homeschool in the first place? I for one want to enjoy my kids while they're young, and while I do enjoy watching them learn, I also enjoy watching them play, relax, and be silly. I enjoy watching them be kids. And when they're grown, I don't want them to think of me as a good teacher. I want them to think of me as a good mom.
Monday, April 25, 2011
The Good, the Bad, and the Boring
As our "school year" is winding down and I find myself starting to look ahead to second grade (wow did I really just type that?!) I've been thinking about the things that worked and things that didn't...
Our math curriculum has been awesome. So much better than I expected. We used Modern Curriculum Press and I will definitely get the second grade book. It uses a mastery approach, so the student fully understands one concept before they start the next, but they also review the concepts so they don't forget.
Phonics, on the other hand, has been a drag. We used "Adventures in Phonics" from Christian Liberty Press and it is the most boring book ever written. Not adventurous at all. I dread it, so I can't imagine how much more Gracie does. You literally do the EXACT same exercises on every page, only with different letters/digraphs. I thought it was good at first, because it taught the rules and seemed really thorough. But as the year went on, it dragged...and dragged...and dragged...I can't wait to be done with this book. I would quit it now, but after doing it this long, it's kind of pointless. I am almost decided on Abeka for Language Arts next year, because they seem to have a more interesting approach and they include spelling with it. I also really like their readers. I shied away from Abeka at first because so many people said it's too "text-booky", but I don't see any way around that for Language Arts or Math.
We started the year with Five in a Row, and I have mixed feelings about it. I love the stories, the kids love the stories, and I love how every thing ties together. I also love that you can customize it and do the projects that work for you. However, halfway through, I stopped being able to find the books. Our library just doesn't have some, at any branch, so my only option is to order them. But...some of them are out of print! One book costs $40 used on Amazon! I also kind of felt like there were holes...with one book you could study China, with another Ohio... it was fun, but I felt like it jumped around, lacked continuity. I'm thinking of just using the book list next year as extra reading instead of the core curriculum, and not worrying about the books I can't find.
I used Christian Light Education for Bible. Actually, I ordered their Science and Social Studies too, but they were so awful I abandoned them after a few lessons. There was nothing to them. It seemed like preschool level work. There were about five sentences to read and maybe three questions. Science started with colors. "Name some things that are red" Seriously? My kids did that when they were two.
Bible seemed a little better. It was kind of dry but not too bad. Until this week when I tried to find the Easter story and discovered they completely left it out! It went from Jesus' miracles to his ascent into heaven. I was pretty disappointed and will be searching for something else next year.
History is tricky for me. I love History, I just don't know where to start! Do you start with America? do you start with the Garden of Eden? It's also still hard for Gracie to grasp the concept of the past. She understands things happened before, but she can't quite get the idea of "a thousand years ago" yet. In place of History we've worked on Geography and map skills, which has been really fun. We're using "Daily Geography" from Evan Moore. It starts with maps of rooms, schoolyards, streets, and moves on to the U.S. and the globe. Then there are exercises to locate things on the maps using directions and a compass. Pretty cool. I'm thinking of expanding it next year and working out some unit studies for each country.
I think the highlight of the year has been the classes at the Wetlands Institute. We go once a month and it costs $8. Gracie enjoys it and has really learned a lot ( I have too!). It jump started a lot of interests that we were able to dig into more at home and I hope they offer it again next year. I'm also planning on using Apologia Science next year.
So I'm pretty much scrapping everything but Math...I had hoped to be more "settled" by this point, but at least now I know what doesn't work. I feel like I have a better idea of what to get for next year, and I'm excited about finding better books and curricula.
Just as I wrote that, I realized how important that is...that I'm excited. One year is almost done, and I'm not discouraged or burned out. Not everything worked, but overall, homeschooling worked, otherwise we would be frustrated and ready to give up. All things considered- what more could you ask for?
But if you have curriculum suggestions, keep 'em coming!
Our math curriculum has been awesome. So much better than I expected. We used Modern Curriculum Press and I will definitely get the second grade book. It uses a mastery approach, so the student fully understands one concept before they start the next, but they also review the concepts so they don't forget.
Phonics, on the other hand, has been a drag. We used "Adventures in Phonics" from Christian Liberty Press and it is the most boring book ever written. Not adventurous at all. I dread it, so I can't imagine how much more Gracie does. You literally do the EXACT same exercises on every page, only with different letters/digraphs. I thought it was good at first, because it taught the rules and seemed really thorough. But as the year went on, it dragged...and dragged...and dragged...I can't wait to be done with this book. I would quit it now, but after doing it this long, it's kind of pointless. I am almost decided on Abeka for Language Arts next year, because they seem to have a more interesting approach and they include spelling with it. I also really like their readers. I shied away from Abeka at first because so many people said it's too "text-booky", but I don't see any way around that for Language Arts or Math.
We started the year with Five in a Row, and I have mixed feelings about it. I love the stories, the kids love the stories, and I love how every thing ties together. I also love that you can customize it and do the projects that work for you. However, halfway through, I stopped being able to find the books. Our library just doesn't have some, at any branch, so my only option is to order them. But...some of them are out of print! One book costs $40 used on Amazon! I also kind of felt like there were holes...with one book you could study China, with another Ohio... it was fun, but I felt like it jumped around, lacked continuity. I'm thinking of just using the book list next year as extra reading instead of the core curriculum, and not worrying about the books I can't find.
I used Christian Light Education for Bible. Actually, I ordered their Science and Social Studies too, but they were so awful I abandoned them after a few lessons. There was nothing to them. It seemed like preschool level work. There were about five sentences to read and maybe three questions. Science started with colors. "Name some things that are red" Seriously? My kids did that when they were two.
Bible seemed a little better. It was kind of dry but not too bad. Until this week when I tried to find the Easter story and discovered they completely left it out! It went from Jesus' miracles to his ascent into heaven. I was pretty disappointed and will be searching for something else next year.
History is tricky for me. I love History, I just don't know where to start! Do you start with America? do you start with the Garden of Eden? It's also still hard for Gracie to grasp the concept of the past. She understands things happened before, but she can't quite get the idea of "a thousand years ago" yet. In place of History we've worked on Geography and map skills, which has been really fun. We're using "Daily Geography" from Evan Moore. It starts with maps of rooms, schoolyards, streets, and moves on to the U.S. and the globe. Then there are exercises to locate things on the maps using directions and a compass. Pretty cool. I'm thinking of expanding it next year and working out some unit studies for each country.
I think the highlight of the year has been the classes at the Wetlands Institute. We go once a month and it costs $8. Gracie enjoys it and has really learned a lot ( I have too!). It jump started a lot of interests that we were able to dig into more at home and I hope they offer it again next year. I'm also planning on using Apologia Science next year.
So I'm pretty much scrapping everything but Math...I had hoped to be more "settled" by this point, but at least now I know what doesn't work. I feel like I have a better idea of what to get for next year, and I'm excited about finding better books and curricula.
Just as I wrote that, I realized how important that is...that I'm excited. One year is almost done, and I'm not discouraged or burned out. Not everything worked, but overall, homeschooling worked, otherwise we would be frustrated and ready to give up. All things considered- what more could you ask for?
But if you have curriculum suggestions, keep 'em coming!
Monday, April 11, 2011
English is Weird
One of the things that worried me most about homeschooling was teaching math.I was never good at it, never enjoyed it, and the thought of trying to teach it to my kids almost prevented me from homeschooling at all. Jeremiah and I even talked about it before we made our decision and came to the conclusion that we may have to "outsource" that subject someday.
English, on the other hand, was my strong point. I've always been a great speller, and consider myself somewhat of a grammarian. I feel a twisted sense of superiority when I find a grammatical error or misspelling in a published work and sometimes amuse myself by mentally correcting a speaker's grammar. When George W. was in office, I was in my element.
The problem is, there's a chasm between knowing something and trying to transfer that knowledge to someone else, and, ironically, I'm finding it much easier to teach Math. Math is made up of facts. Concrete, unchanging. There's a reason for everything, and that reason is usually pretty straightforward and easy to show to someone. English on the other hand, is starting to seem like a lot of mumbo-jumbo. I know how to spell, speak, and write correctly, I just don't always know why. I before E...ever heard of weird?! Why do ought and aught sound the same? We're on modified vowel sounds...are,ear,air,ere,err...they all say "are" as in "square". Do you know what it's like to try to make this make sense to a seven year old?!
Luckily Gracie is reading well and seems to just pick up which sound the modified vowels are making based on context, which in the end I guess is pretty much how everyone learns it unless you're a studying Latin. But every time we sit down for phonics, I'm reminded of this "I Love Lucy" episode. Ricky, you have my sympathies...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)