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PDyer
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| Posted: April 03 2006 at 10:49am | IP Logged
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I’ve been dogged with many doubts about homeschooling this year. My confidence is really down, and I had an experience today that is bothering me.
My nine year old son was an early, voracious reader. For the past year or so, since I discovered Real Learning I’ve been asking him for narrations. I am becoming more and more concerned that what he is narrating to me is simply a memorized regurgitation of the facts, and he really isn’t understanding what he is reading.
Case in point: today we were reading a chapter in The Journeyman that refers the household tasks of a woman during colonial times. When we got to that point in the chapter I tried to stop and try to discuss what we were reading. Particularly, the book was discussing the process of making cloth (spinning, weaving, etc.). I know this is not the first time we’ve talked about this, but my son said he knew he had read about it before but really didn’t know what it meant.
He is not a child who asks questions and he is very quiet and ‘inside his own head’. It’s very difficult to draw him out to find out what is really going on inside there!
I’m getting very concerned that we’re spending an enormous amount of time reading, but all we’re really accomplishing at the end of the day is getting to the end of the book without really being engaged with what we’ve read.
Is this typical of this age group? Is there anything I can or should change about what we’re doing? I’d appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: April 03 2006 at 10:57am | IP Logged
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Well, can you tell us what else you are doing relative to the books besides reading and narrating?
These are just my off-the-top-of-the-head suggestions for connecting ds to his reading. Ideas could be doing projects, visiting living history sites, exploring rabbit trails (perhaps on cotton, sheep, flax, different cloth-making materials)trying your hand at weaving, or other crafts from the time period. I have a 10yo ds and these are the types of things he loves to do. Not all dc are alike, though.
Is this happening with all of his reading, or just one certain type? My dd absolutely hates historical fiction so I don't even bother asking her to read it. Maybe switching genres could help?
Is he really not understanding the material (vocabulary issues or reading level?) or is it that he just doesn't want to narrate it and is clamming up to avoid narration? Maybe laying off the oral narrations for awhile and asking for other ways of engaging the text might help. Perhaps he could illustrate it, act out a scene, write a new ending, write a journal entry from a character's point of view (one of my ds favorite things)do a collage, a movie poster, or a comic strip version. Variety is thye spice of life in our school and it sure helps with attitude, too.
I'm sure others will have many more suggestions for you. Hang in there. This is a tough time of year for all of us, I think, and many of us are in re-evaluate mode right now, myself included.
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Theresa
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PDyer
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| Posted: April 03 2006 at 11:23am | IP Logged
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lapazfarm wrote:
| Well, what else are you doing relative to the books besides reading and narrating? Some suggestions for connecting ds to his reading might be doing projects, visiting living history sites, exploring rabbit trails (perhaps on cotton, sheep, flax, different cloth-making materials)trying your hand at weaving, or other crafts from the time period, and having discussions about the storyline apart from narration. I have a 10yo ds and these are the types of things he loves to do. Not all dc are alike, though. |
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I haven't been able to interest my son in doing projects like those you describe. Crafts are very difficult for him; when he was younger he had fine motor issues that made working with craft materials very frustrating. Perhaps I should try again, and require it of him, rather than just letting it go.
We love to visit living history sites, but there aren't many near where we live.
He wants to read, read, read, all the time. I read here about the wonderful discussions many of you have with your children, and I'm jealous. I wish I knew how to better engage him in those kinds of discussions.
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: April 03 2006 at 11:36am | IP Logged
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Patty, I updated my post before I noticed you had already responded to the original post.
I wouldn't require projects if ds resists. Maybe, though, if you yourself were doing one, and invited him to join in, it would entice him? Not all kids like projects, though. Or conversations, for that matter. In my edit of my previous post I made some suggestions about alternatives to oral narration. Do you think any of these would work?
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Theresa
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: April 03 2006 at 11:39am | IP Logged
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I just noticed your kids are very similar in age, etc to mine that I am homeschooling. I have a ds 10 and dd 4. Interesting combination, eh?
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Theresa
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JennGM
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| Posted: April 03 2006 at 11:41am | IP Logged
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Patty,
If the hands-on doesn't work that well with him, I would suggest picture books, field trips, videos...some types of visual displays and demonstrations of what he's reading.
The spinning, weaving and such sounds like a trip to a sheep farm to see the wool and a visit to someone who does textiles. He won't have to do the whole project, but seeing it in action, being able to ask questions, having a small tactile experience might flesh out the reading.
Not every subject will have outside experiences, so that's why I mention videos and picture books. Sometimes just reading through chapter books the mental picture is hazy. For example, DK books have such great illustrations and explanations of various subjects.
One other suggestion would be fleshing out with other chapter books on similar subjects, so other author's descriptions might fill in the blanks.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: April 03 2006 at 11:42am | IP Logged
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Does your ds like using the computer? One thing mine loves to do is make a Powerpoint presentation about a topic of interest. It is usually just a slide or two, but he will spend so much time on it getting it just how he wants it. Very engaging. Really gets him to focus on the main points (summarization) plus gives him an excuse to google and find pictures to add. He ALWAYS loves that 
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Theresa
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PDyer
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| Posted: April 03 2006 at 11:58am | IP Logged
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lapazfarm wrote:
Is this happening with all of his reading, or just one certain type? My dd absolutely s historical fiction so I don't even bother asking her to read it. Maybe switching genres could help? |
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He insists he loves the book, and he loves history. It's a great passion of his. Just this past weekend we were talking about the trip to Gettysburg we have planned (in May) and he went on and on about the Civil War, the different generals and battles, etc. So I know he can be engaged with what he reads, but it's a very fact-oriented engagement -- things that can be memorized, rather than experiences to be had.
lapazfarm wrote:
| Is he really not understanding the material (vocabulary issues or reading level?) or is it that he just doesn't want to narrate it and is clamming up to avoid narration? |
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The latter, I imagine, or he is disinterested and not really listening, not engaged with the material. But then he says he loves the book and wants to read it. You see my confusion. 
lapazfarm wrote:
| Maybe laying off the oral narrations for awhile and asking for other ways of engaging the text might help. Perhaps he could illustrate it, act out a scene, write a new ending, write a journal entry from a character's point of view (one of my ds favorite things)do a collage, a movie poster, or a comic strip version. |
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I would love to do these types of activities with him, but I think they would have him in tears. I don't mean to shoot down all your suggestions. I'm really struggling with what to do, and what to require, and what to expect.
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
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PDyer
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lapazfarm wrote:
| I just noticed your kids are very similar in age, etc to mine that I am homeschooling. I have a ds 10 and dd 4. Interesting combination, eh? |
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Very interesting combination, especially when they are entirely different personalities.
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Patty
Mom of ds (7/96) and dd (9/01) and two angels (8/95 and 6/08)
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lapazfarm
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Hmm...this does sound challenging. But if ds loves the book, loves history, is enthusiastic about your trip, and is learning alot from it (facts and such) it could be that it is just his personality. Maybe he is a "just the facts" kind of guy?
Is his father this way? Perhaps dh can give some insight as to what is going on?
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Theresa
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abcmommy
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Lots of boys are just the facts types, arent they? I have a couple great articles somewhere on boys and reading...
http://www.slate.com/id/2137789/?nav=tap3
http://www.marcaronson.com/marc_aronson_articles.html
just interesting POVs there.
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abcmommy
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oh and also, when I am feeling like I have nothing to offer and my kids arent getting the big picture I get something like this to round it out for me- Check out the history kits. They are $4 but if you dont want to spend the money you can make your own. I didnt know if this would actually suit your child but thought I'd mention it as an aside, just in case.
www.handsnhearts.con
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PDyer
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| Posted: April 05 2006 at 7:47pm | IP Logged
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Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I think what we have is a case of boredom. Today we started a unit on astronomy (topic was his idea). We watched one of the videos I ordered from the library and looked through a pre-planned lapbook I bought from Hands of a Child.
I see enthusiasm! He willingly read about and wrote several sentences about Galileo (scientist of his choosing). He liked the preplanned lapbook, although I know we'll tweak it along the way. He likes having a work product to look at himself later and show to others. Unfortunately I falter at brainstorming those types of projects on the fly. Having a template to work from will do nicely for us.
I also discovered a local museum has a monthly star gazing party starting this month, and he is very excited at the prospect of a visit.
You're right -- he's a very 'just the facts' guy. My husband has already taken full responsibility for that.
I think we're on the right track again. Mom just needs to let go. Again. And repeat. 
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Patty
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cathhomeschool
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Patty,
I'm glad your son is showing signs of interest again! One thing that I've noticed with my 10 and 12yo boys (for some time now), is that sometimes they really lose interest in a book if they know that they will have to narrate it at some point. It sort of kills the joy of the book, because they dread the "test" at the end. So I've really decreased the amount of narration I require. Like Theresa, I use hands-on projects to help cement ideas (and to have some sort of written record/memory of what we've done). My 12yo isn't a "hands-on" person. He LOVES to read and devours books and would happily spend the entire day absorbed in a book while sitting in a tree. I've noted, though, that when I make projects optional (and he sees younger brother working on them), he often picks up a lapbook on his own or spends a lot of time embellishing the borders of a page.
Another thing I've noticed with 12yo is that the he is willing to put forth "hands-on" effort (or even a long narration) when the subject is something he loves and I don't rush him. We just finished a unit on birds, and he spent a great deal of time building and coloring paper airplane-like birds from a book. He loves his Wandering Albatross model, and took care to accurately color it. We had a stained-glass window bird coloring book (by Dover), and again, he took great care in coloring and staying in the lines -- extremely unusual for him.
Sounds like astronomy may be one area in which you can go deeper with your son. H.A. Rey has a couple of cute astronomy books (The Stars: A New Way to See Them and Find the Constellation). One Small Square: Night Sky is cute too. (I love astronomy, though I haven't found as much time to get into it as I'd like -- usually I'm dead tired by the time the stars come out!)
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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PDyer
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Sounds like astronomy may be one area in which you can go deeper with your son. H.A. Rey has a couple of cute astronomy books (The Stars: A New Way to See Them and Find the Constellation). One Small Square: Night Sky is cute too. [/QUOTE]
Thanks for the book suggestions; I'll put those on hold at the library today.
Thanks to everyone for being here. What a great resource!
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Patty
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Topic: I feel like I've blown it
