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Bookswithtea
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My oldest is now a junior, and after him, I have been busy homeschooling young girls. They love Serendipity and all things fairy, the more girly-crafty CHC stuff, illustrations in soft colors, FIAR with lapbooks, etc.
Now I have two boys coming up after years of not teaching little boys. I am remembering that my oldest couldn't do the writing in an Explode the Code workbook at 6 while my girls were writing everyone's name in the family for fun at age 3.  And so it goes with the joys of gender differences...
It occurred to me on a long road trip where I had lots of time to muse (read: bored) that my little boys probably aren't going to enjoy the same types of school that my girls do. I distinctly remember my oldest wanting things over and done with as soon as possible...rabbit trails not welcome. Are all boys like that, or am I assuming too much based on my experience schooling only 1 boy so far?
And what catalogues/options do you like for little boys? I recently saw the WP Sea and Sky (or something like that?) for 11 yr old boys and thought it looked awfully cool. Are there other new things out there for younger boys? My oldest mostly did modified Sonlight, so that's really all I know that doesn't have a girly flavor.
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mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and  due 9/10
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CandaceC
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Books, please 'scuse me for butting in.
I see you have a girl (02) and a boy (05) and I have 2 that age too, as well as another girl in the middle.
Thus far I have been doing ALL the girls school work together. (which I know has been rather wonderful and I'm completely spoiled.)
However, now that Caleb is 4.5 yrs, he is doing more with us. Or at least I'm hoping he'll do more with us.
I'm curious with the girl/boy mix if I should give up my high hopes of continuing to do unit studies together...or if I should get it in my head that I need to plan something totally different for Caleb.
We do mostly unit studies -- FIAR, HSS, my own conglomerations of units, etc. Right now we are doing Serendipity's World Tour.
It would *seem* to me that the World Tour could be girl OR boy. Would you not think? We are learning about culture, the girls are coloring and filling in maps, reading fun books from each continent, etc. We are also learning about animals from each place. Like next week we are doing nearly an entire week of Animal study on Camels - from the middle east.
So, my hope is to continue doing this type of learning with ALL 3 of them. However, I have noticed a few things about Caleb...
*he isn't interested in the least in writing - like you said, both girls LOVED learning to write their names, etc. He could care less. And at 4.5 cannot write his name.  I know, not a big deal AT ALL. It's just SO different from my little 3 year old girls who were writing up a storm by that age?!?! So, basically I'm having him do NOTHING at this point. I mean, he is still very young! I do put things in his workboxes, because sometimes he is offended that the girls have things and he doesn't. However, I don't ever MAKE him do any of it.
*he will NOT sit still for stories! Again, not a big deal. I'm a former Kindergarten teacher, I know boys are so different from girls and mature later...but I would like him to at least LISTEN. How do I encourage him to listen even though he's running around playing? I don't mind if he is playing in the same room with us - our room is school/play room. Should I insist that he sits on the floor with ONE SPECIFIC TOY - like legos or blocks? Should I be stopping periodically to ask him questions?
*I tried doing one letter a week...we got all the way to Q! At that point I realized he already knew his letters and it's been about 1.5 months with no more letter instruction. He was just bored with it...oh well, we have a beautiful alphabet notebook that stops at Q. Should I attempt to finish it?
*I do like to go with their interests. When the girls were around 4yrs-5yrs, I did a big princess unit - not disney princess, but on being a Child of the King, we are all princesses in God's kingdom, how do princesses act, etc. We've done butterfly lapbooks, ladybug parties, etc etc. I think it would be GREAT FUN to plan some boy unit studies too ---
HOWEVER, here's my dilemma - b/c my kids are so close in age, they will ALL want to do the boy unit. And that means more planning for me.  As I would feel the need to "beef up" the unit for the girls to gain things from it.
I really want to keep on doing the World Tour, at least with the girls...
But I want to add in boy things...
But I can't imagine doing 2 totally different things and fitting it all in...
but, but, but... Again, sorry to butt in, your question just got me thinking...and figured I'd chime in and just hope it doesn't take too much away from your orignal questions.
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Candace - wife to David since 2000...mommy to Hannah (Feb. 2002), Emily (April 2003) and Caleb (March 2005)
His Mercy Is New
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Elizabeth
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| Posted: Aug 07 2009 at 3:00pm | IP Logged
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Bookswithtea wrote:
Now I have two boys coming up after years of not teaching little boys. I am remembering that my oldest couldn't do the writing in an Explode the Code workbook at 6 while my girls were writing everyone's name in the family for fun at age 3. And so it goes with the joys of gender differences... |
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Great news! Explode the Code is now online Explode the Code. No more struggling with little tiny workbook lines for those little boys. They can point and click until their hearts' content.
Books wrote:
| I distinctly remember my oldest wanting things over and done with as soon as possible...rabbit trails not welcome. Are all boys like that, or am I assuming too much based on my experience schooling only 1 boy so far? |
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I'm five boys in. Some love rabbit trails and are good little hoppers. Some just want the facts ma'am.
Books wrote:
| And what catalogues/options do you like for little boys? I recently saw the WP Sea and Sky (or something like that?) for 11 yr old boys and thought it looked awfully cool. Are there other new things out there for younger boys? |
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Welllllll, there is this curriculum written this summer by two moms who have 11 boys between them
World Tour, Care to Come Along?
ETA: Candace, I didn't mean to ignore you. I started to answer this before you posted, got called away and left the window open, then posted, and only saw your questions later. Now, dinner prep calls...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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KauaiCatholic
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just a quick answer, since you asked about catalogs: my DS's K and 1st curriculum came almost entirely from Timberdoodle. games for math were way more successful than any workbooks at the beginning. and he HATED Explode the Code; I'll have to check out the online version.
BTW, my DD wants more bookwork but is a little mystified by fairies and princesses, so I'm not sure what we'll do for her. 
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Viviane
Grateful mama of Jonah Augustine ('01), Sophia Marie ('05) and Luke Dominic ('10)
We can do no great things; only small things with great love. -- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
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Bookswithtea
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I totally agree that the world tour is great for all genders. I am planning on doing that unit at some point with all of them. I love the Serendipity units, but they don't always match my age mix in the time they are presented. I print and store them for the future.
I'm looking toward the future. My set up in the next few years includes a dd who will be high school aged soon, and then two girls I want to school together and two boys I want to school together. The age spread is big enough between them all that I don't know that I can work it all out. I've never been all that good at covering a huge age span. I feel like someone always gets lost.  And I really want to continue doing the girly stuff with my two girls. I am hoping to revisit the Alphabet Path and fairies with the littler girls one more time. I kind of like the idea of doing something more boyish with my two little men, and then in certain years, doing something like the World Tour with everyone.
Candace, your littlies are so close in age that I would continue doing exactly what you are doing. I'd continue with the units, making sure to include both boyish and girlish options, and do things like the World Tour.
I used to give my oldest something to hold while I was reading aloud...either a small pile of legos that he could play with while listening would work, or maybe some Beeswax modeling compound? It used to drive me crazy to see him playing until I realized that its no different than when I am listening to an audiocd while cleaning the kitchen. If it keeps them from bouncing off the walls, so much the better!
I'll check out the ETC online option. That sounds ideal!
I sat down today with a year old Winter Promise catalogue to see what everyone is always buzzing about, especially since that Sea and Air unit looks so interesting. Frankly, it gave me a headache. I've never read such a confusing catalogue in all my life! I did see some neat books I've never seen before, though, that I may revisit. I like how their units are built, though, and several of them really do have a boyish feel. Maybe I can create something similar for my own when the time comes?
I am in need of some vision and a plan, I think. Ages and stages are changing dramatically here in the next year and I haven't really processed it all yet.
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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Elizabeth
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Bookswithtea wrote:
I am hoping to revisit the Alphabet Path and fairies with the littler girls one more time. I kind of like the idea of doing something more boyish with my two little men, and then in certain years, doing something like the World Tour with everyone.
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You can always do the AP without the fairies:
introduce the letter, do the saints' stories, do the author study, do the science, and the art and don't leave out the cooking/tea (my boys' favorite). It's way more than enough and you never have to even say the word "fairy."
There are a few weeks in the middle that don't have the author study and science format that the other posts have. God willing, we'll get to those soon. The research is finished; it's just formatting and links...
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Elizabeth Foss is no longer a member of this forum. Discussions now reflect the current management & are not necessarily expressions of her book, *Real Learning*, her current work, or her philosophy. (posted by E. Foss, Jan 2011)
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SusanMc
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Oh my goodness! Just omit the fairies--so simple yet it never occurred to me.
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Bookswithtea
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SusanMc wrote:
| Oh my goodness! Just omit the fairies--so simple yet it never occurred to me. |
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sigh...I suppose...but I *like* the fairies!
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Blessings,
~Books
mothering ds'93 dd'97 dd'99 dd'02 ds'05 ds'07 and due 9/10
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lapazfarm
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Just a note: Homeschool Buyers Coop has Explode the Code Online at 30.00 (plus 5.00 fee) for members. I just signed my JBug up. It sounds like something she would love.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Cheryl
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Books,
My two boys are so different. My oldest has been into real life stuff: cars, boats, planes, construction, the Titanic, buildings, etc. I think he'd love that Sea & Sky curriculum. He is doing well with SL 3. My ds 8 is not at all interested in these things. He prefers Narnia, Harry Potter, Ginger Pye, Jan Brett, etc.
When they were younger, ds 10 prefered art and being outside. He liked FIAR. Ds 8 enjoyed The Letter of the Week curriculum. FIAR was hit or miss with him (depending on the book.) The older still has trouble remembering his times tables and the younger picked them up from listening to a CD.
They both do prefer short lessons. They love to draw. They write stories about gross things and crack each other up. I can see what you mean about gender differences. My dd 7 seems so much more independent with her workbooks, she reads her pile of books over and over, is asking to do crafts, etc. I may have some fun years coming up soon. 
For the boys this year I'm going to try to add some lapbooking, notebooking, projects and movies to SL to try to hold dd 8's interest. We're going to do science and P.E. with friends. I'm going to try to do more art projects and spend more time outdoors.
I probably didn't really answer your questions. I guess I wanted to add that I agree boys and girls are different and even my boys have very different interests in read alouds and rabbit trails.
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Cheryl
Wife to Bob ('97)
Mom to Matthew 13, Joseph 11, Sarah 10, Rachel 6, Hannah almost 4 and Mary 1
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teachingmyown
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Elizabeth wrote:
Great news! Explode the Code is now online Explode the Code. No more struggling with little tiny workbook lines for those little boys. They can point and click until their hearts' content.
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Wow! That would mean no more lost workbooks, too!!!!
Oh, wait, yikes! I just looked at the online price. I guess we will just have to keep better track of our workbooks.
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In Christ,
Molly
wife to Court & mom to ds '91, dd '96, ds '97, dds '99, '01, '03, '06, and dss '07 and 01/20/11
Remembering Today
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: learning with little boys
