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Tina P.
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| Posted: Feb 09 2011 at 11:37am | IP Logged
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I have always subscribed to the old adage: if it doesn't work, pass it on. BUT ...
I've had some CHC and math materials (TouchMath) that didn't work for some kids or which I put to the side for one or another reason ~ usually a new baby ~ I find it too difficult to continue with it. CHC can be very hands-on and when one has a new baby, that person's hands are full. TouchMath involves a lot of standing at the copier, which I generally don't have time for.
But I pulled them out and dusted them off this year and a new crop of kids are benefitting from these approaches, modified to fit our interests and desires at certain ag es. I also like to combine ages and subjects as much as is at all possible. In science, as an example of what we do differently, we do our own thing.
Did you ever find that something you inadvertently save is worth revisiting? If so, what were the items you revisted? Are you using the items completely? Or just parts of them?
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Tina, wife to one and mom to 9 + 3 in heaven
Mary's Muse
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Erin
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| Posted: Feb 09 2011 at 2:45pm | IP Logged
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Tina P. wrote:
| Did you ever find that something you inadvertently save is worth revisiting? If so, what were the items you revisted? Are you using the items completely? Or just parts of them? |
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Definitely, or sometimes it is a case of not now but a year or two down the track with the same child.
Let's see, currently; I'm using lapbooks with my 5th child with great success, none of my others were ever keen.
I'm using Lingua Mater with my 3rd child, after putting it down from my 1st who had a violent reaction to it
Also using Stories with a View with dc 4 & 5 regularly, when I only used it with dc2 & 3 a little.
These are from the top of my head but there are certainly others, which is why I find it hard to move on resources once purchased. But to be honest I research alot before I buy anyway.
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Feb 09 2011 at 3:18pm | IP Logged
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how about phonics?
I had my oldest not able to learn with phonics at all.. so we put it away and did our own sight reading thing.. but then I have kids that can use phonics.. and some that just "magically" are reading 
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Feb 09 2011 at 8:23pm | IP Logged
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Tina,
Challenging myself to brainstorm problems and seek creative ways to use materials (brainstorming-WITHIN rather than ditching an item or idea for good) has to be one of my all-time-favorite-home-education subjects! I'm so glad you started this thread! I have always been so grateful for having the experience of seeing my mom really enjoy the vocation of home education (with my brother and sister) with very, very few resources and a super tight budget. Everything - the stuff that worked and the stuff that didn't work - was an adventure to be lived out. She had to squeeze out every last drop of goodness from every resource she had, and I watched her do it! I learned so much from that! Those were valuable lessons!
Over the years I have developed my own way of squeezing out the good....or sometimes shelving an item and waiting for a time when that material was more "ripe" and ready to be harvested.
SQUEEZING OUT THE GOOD works for me if 3 things are in play:
1) Carefully, thoughtfully taking time to select and CONSIDER an item BEFORE purchasing: - how it will be used?
- who will use it?
- does it have multiple children applications?
- is it a classic? tried and true?
- what are the realistic challenges I'm likely to face with it?
- where will it fit in our day?
- are we already overloaded with materials that address a particular aspect that this tool would also address?
- how much money will this remove from our budget?
- can I accomplish the desired goal with something free?
- can I find it for a less expensive price elsewhere?
- can I be patient and wait a few months until it goes on sale?
- have I read every review possible to be able to get an honest idea of how this works...and areas it comes up lacking?
- can I visualize how I might overcome that weakness, or deal with that shortcoming?
- am I purchasing superfluous fluff?
2) (Assuming a material makes it through that filtering process)....put it to good use when it arrives!
3) NOT shelving it at the first sign of a challenge!! but giving myself permission to be creative with an item, use it in a different way than suggested, stepping outside the instructions, brainstorming the needs of the child using the material.
4) If it really isn't working, I should already have an idea of how I might use that material later. Shelve it and save it just as I would prudently set aside extra grain.
If I've gone through this process then I should have really considered whether or not an item or material is needed by our family....rather than just having purchased something on first glance/impulse...which does get me in trouble. I'll also add that I rarely go wrong with just sticking with the simplest, the most down to earth - living books. I'm finding the longer I do this, the less I actually need because the simplest and most straightforward is also the best use of my time and resources.
Tina P. wrote:
| Did you ever find that something you inadvertently save is worth revisiting? If so, what were the items you revisted? Are you using the items completely? Or just parts of them? |
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Thank you for indulging me and my FILTERING PROCESS! Yes! There are some materials I've shelved and then pulled to find that they work well!
Here's my list:
** Latina Christiana I (Memoria Press) - I floundered and floundered because I really felt the DVD set couldn't be that important and necessary. I shelved it for almost a year....only to realize that the DVD set IS that important and necessary. We really enjoyed the rest of the program after I purchased the DVD set.
** Saxon Math - Over the years we've encountered various problems with this (adequate/good enough) math program. I've been tempted to look elsewhere - and I'm sure there are some very good math programs out there! But every time I'd pull back from this program for some reason, I would brainstorm and find a solution I could work...a way to be creative....to brainstorm within...and make the program work for us rather than against us.
** Lingua Mater (Hillside Education) - I really liked this program, but my dd had a hard time getting into it initially. I considered that maybe it wasn't a good fit and shelved it for a while. I spent a little time brainstorming and we came up with some ways to work the program to fit us better, and made use of a private blog for my dd to do her writing. It was a hit and we were off!
** Phonics for Little Folks (CHC) - I have used this in varying ways with each child. I've never really "shelved it", but I do use the little readers a little differently with each child...so I thought I'd include it here.
Hmmmm....trying to think of a book that didn't fly with one child that was shelved until another child....aha....
** Jim Kjelgaard books like Big Red - these are fantastic living books, but my first dd just didn't care for them at all. I knew they were classics so I hung onto the small set I had here. It's a good thing because my second child devoured these books!
Great, great thread, Tina!!!! Because we all grow into this vocation a step at a time and sometimes programs and materials just legitimately don't work with a particular child in spite of our best efforts to consider ahead of time. It's wonderful to be reminded of a need for patience over the long haul, and being content, even joyful, doing more with less.
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Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Glad to use items that didn't work
