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sunnyviewmom
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| Posted: July 30 2009 at 10:18am | IP Logged
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My DS is a bright & sweet boy but he is not very motivated or excited about (home)school work. He's been having a great summer and last night "confessed" to me that he doesn't want "school" to start again because it's boring and he likes to have fun. It's hard for me to keep a positive attitude when he feels this way. I have been planning a workbook free curriculum that I hope he will like. One of my big challenges is that he does not like books nearly as much as I wish he did! I want to have a literature based curriculum but I don't think it will work. His reading is coming along slowly. He is just not that motivated. He is already 8 but I consider him 2nd grade.He became bored with LSLF but has enjoyed (pretty much) the I Can Read books such as Little Bear. So I am planning to use those types of books as his "readers". He likes games so I am going to focus on using Happy Phonics (which we already have) rather than phonics workbooks. He also likes to draw and make all sorts of creative things with paper so I am thinking that lapbooking may be great for him. I am not a good craft or project mom though. I am hoping that if I get him started with lapbooking (and maybe notebooking) that he wil take off with it. I am open to any ideas for making homeschool, especially reading, enjoyable for him.
Can anyone help? I get excited about planning, but then I think "Oh, he probably won't want to do that"... I only have one other homeschool DC (plus 3 darlings in heaven). He is 13 and an avid reader! He learns so much just from reading that in some ways it's been "easy" to homeschool him. (By the way, DS age 8 already celebrated FHC last spring.)
Thanks for any help you can offer. This forum is such a great help to me.
Dana
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Sarah M
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| Posted: July 30 2009 at 10:59am | IP Logged
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Quick question- does your ds like to listen to stories read aloud? I see no problem with offering a literature-based curriculum that you read aloud to him. Perhaps that would be more enjoyable for him than having to read himself...?
My other thought is to consider what it is he likes? Star wars? Nascar racing? Boy scouts? Sports? No matter what it is, I wonder if you can just run with that, and create a less-intense currriulum for him around something that will capture his interest.
My 2nd grader *hates* phonics. We quit doing it altogether because, at one point, she went from loving being read to, to HATING BOOKS. I abandoned ship pretty quickly, and quit trying to teach her to read for a good long time. I wouldn't hesitate to bail on the phonics for a while if it's stealing your son's love of books. The skill to read will come later, but the love of reading might not, if he associates that with the phonics that he doesn't enjoy...
In your situation, I might suggest going very low-key for 2nd grade, offering lots of time for creative drawing time, exploring outdoors, and read alouds (of books that might be related to his interests?). Maybe the two of you could write up a bunch of slips of paper (together) that say things like: go to the library and find a book on a famous athlete, play yahtzee with mom, pick any book off the shelf for mom to read to you, go in the backyard and find something to draw, etc. Then put them in a jar, and each day, have him pick one thing out of it? That might seem to him to be more spontaneous and fun, while you are still getting in some schoolish activities. ?
The other ladies here will have great ideas, I'm sure- they've always helped me when I'm in a bind of this sort. Sending hugs your way, Dana!
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Meredith
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| Posted: July 30 2009 at 11:02am | IP Logged
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Dear Dana, I will send up a prayer of thanksgiving that you are wanting to home school your children, it's wonderful  I too have a 2nd grade son and some days are more motivating than others for him. He wants to read all the books his older brother has read, but isn't really feeling like he wants to do the work to get past that hurdle with his reading that will enable him to read harder books. He'd love to just do math all day, which is great, but I told him at some point (actually already) that he'll need to be able to read the directions in his math book!
One of the things we have found helpful in terms of motivation and encouragement in "boredom" times is to change things up and make a game of our day. Do all your schedule backwards, or put all the subjects you want to cover that day/week into a big basket and let him draw out each one before he does it. There's an element of surprise and anticipation that will make any lesson a little more palatable 
What about getting him one of those great black and white composition notebooks and letting him keep it as a special "science lab" notebook or "comic book" drawings, or something not really "schooly" as such but will entice him to put special-to-him things/drawings into it. He might even decide to write a story in pictures and words that he'll be able to read aloud to you 
These are just some intital thoughts off the top of my head. I hope they help spark some ideas for you and many blessings in your home school journey together!
Love,
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Meredith
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sunnyviewmom
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| Posted: July 30 2009 at 12:46pm | IP Logged
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Thanks so much for the support and creative ideas. I actually got tears in my eyes because I can feel your suppport! It is much appreciated. I just walked to Church to pick DS8 up from VBS and was thinking about Sarah's quesion: Does he like to listen to stories read aloud? Well you see, he doesn't like it nearly as much as I would hope but I think I am just comparing him way too much to his brother who has basically always dropped anything else when I offered to read to him. DS8 does like read alouds to some extent. Generally, he prefers chapter books to picture books.Lately, I have been reading to both boys (DS 13 still enjoys me reading to him even though he devours many books on his own). DS 8 usually plays legos or something while I read but he still seems to get a lot of the books. Since late spring, I have read 2 Vision books & Miracles on Maple Hill to both boys and a Boxcar book & Old Mother West Wind to my younger alone. Older son has read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to DS8 (they were in the play Wonka Jr.) and some Hank the Cowboy books (not my favorite). Anyway, I will consider literature based again because that it what I get excited about.I will also consider the other ideas. I have been pondering this for months. Thank you to both of you! Also, you both have beautiful blogs!
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Meredith
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| Posted: July 30 2009 at 1:01pm | IP Logged
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Oh you're welcome Dana, when in doubt, my default is always a good read aloud
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Many blessings,
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Meredith
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Connections
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| Posted: July 30 2009 at 1:46pm | IP Logged
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What about letting him make up games based on the books you read? We often tape paper together for "board" games and use index cards in various colors for card games.
Dice and playing cards are essential here.
Illustrating and lapbooking sound great for your son. You will know best if you should direct his work or let it be more free-form.
Perhaps letting him read what really interests him (even if it is a toy catalog) and reading aloud the "school" books you want him to hear.
Reading aloud during meals and snacks works well.
Asking someone to recap the last chapter of a book we are reading is narration (I even take turns to model it).
Also, I need to give them down time after read alouds as they often end up "playing" something from the books.
Use the great ideas of the ladies on this board (and all the wonderful blogs out there) as jumping off points and then focus on tailoring for your son- you will be amazed at your creativity when you focus on him (you know him best after all). Also, by allowing your son to use his creativity you will be amazed at what he comes up with and how peaceful it can be!
Have a great year!
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Blessings,
Tracey
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sunnyviewmom
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| Posted: July 30 2009 at 5:57pm | IP Logged
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Thanks Tracey,
He actually does make up his own games already so making some based on books may really interest him! He is a creative little guy. Thanks for this and the other suggestions.
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LLMom
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| Posted: July 31 2009 at 7:19am | IP Logged
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I am wondering if he prefers hands-on projects? Maybe pick some from your history and science studies if he does.
I have come to the conclusion that not all children will like reading. It is very painful, but one or two of my boys do not care for it. They are both teens and I had this struggle when they were little. They like active stuff.
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ekbell
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| Posted: July 31 2009 at 4:39pm | IP Logged
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Children who need to move while you read to them do take a bit of getting used to, don't they?
My second daughter (who is also eight) is like that. She has a strong tendency to pace or play with something while I read to her but she does enjoy being read to.
She likes to color a relevant picture while I read which is interesting because otherwise she has no real interest in coloring.
I finally realized that she's doing the same sort of thing as I do when I'm listening to music, watching a video or talking on the phone - I'm not good at just sitting and listening either, I tend to either tidy up or do something with my hands.
I found that I was reading all but her readers to her this last year as well, partly because she enjoyed chapter books which were ahead of her reading level more then the picture books which she could read by herself. She's reading a lot more voluntarily now that she can read simple chapter books.
I will be doing lapbooks for the first time this year, ones from Faith Folders with instructions and forms all ready to print-out. We'll see if this works well with my eight year old. She does enjoy art work and she really liked the hands-on work that we did with CHC's tour the continents course.
If your son enjoys board games or computer games then there is quite a bit that can be used at a grade two level. There also file folder games which are sort of a hybrid between board games and lapbooks.
I've been browsing CurrClick which has many,many lapbook, notebook, and folder games available for purchase in download form. There are a number of free items as well as quite a few items under $5.00.
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sunnyviewmom
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| Posted: Aug 01 2009 at 8:05pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for the great ideas. This has helped to get me thinking. I have a kind of comfort zone now as far as homeschooling DS 13, but the same things aren't working with DS 8. I showed him some samples of Hands of a Child lapbooks and they sparked his interest. He choose some on animals and even one literature based one. I plan to let him personalize them, but thinking this is a good way to start lapbooks. Hoping eventually we will do homemade ones. I plan to suggest that he make games based on books too. I think he may like that idea. I want to have enough of a plan to get started (in Sept.) but will try to stay flexible. I'll be rereading this post every so often, I expect!
Thanks so much. Blessings to all of you for the new school year!
Dana
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: need help with unmotivated 2nd grade DS
