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hereinantwerp
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| Posted: Sept 12 2007 at 5:17pm | IP Logged
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I seem to have one son (12) who thrives on structure and "checking the boxes" (he even ASKED for real tests and exams, to which I said, uhhhhh--we don't do that around here!), and one son (8) who is absolutely creative and free-form. He needs to be "made" to sit and write or do any kind of paper-and-pencil work (a small amount of this is ok but I'm trying to get down to the bare essentials, and that's a whole 'nother question!!!), but otherwise I bet he would thrive in a very spontaneous, hands-on sort of setting. IN fact, the two seem totally opposite.
HOw much do you adapt for your children? Or do you find a "happy medium" (or if not "happy", at least practical!) way of doing school and that's just how it is for everyone?
Mine are far enough apart in age they have separate "programs" anyway, I just find it a little wierd trying to swing between and adapt to 2 such different styles through the day. I'm always trying to find "the theory" or "the system" to really fit US, but nothing does!!
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Angela Nelson
Mother to Simon (13), Calvin (9), and Lyddie Rose (3)
my blog: live and learn
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Sept 12 2007 at 6:20pm | IP Logged
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Real books work with all kids. Its the glue that holds us all together in spite of different learning styles. Some thrive on schedules and what feels to them like "real school" and others will want to be as nontraditional as possible. After that, I just adapt to different children. For example, one has a speller because she asked for it...another practices using manipulative letters and may *never* have a speller.
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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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joann10
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| Posted: Sept 12 2007 at 9:10pm | IP Logged
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Bookswithtea wrote:
| Real books work with all kids. |
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even though in this house it means some kids are listening as they sit still while others may be standing on their heads or jumping up and down as they listen.
We read, read, and read with all the children. After that I also try and shape curriculum to each different child.
I have found that some of the children have even changed from year to year as to what works best for them. The challenge is figuring out what the "best thing" is. 
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hereinantwerp
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| Posted: Sept 12 2007 at 10:48pm | IP Logged
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I suppose I was thinking in regard to a plan or schema for the day. This year I have more structured, laid-out plans than I ever have, and I've liked that, it feels less stressful to me to just look at our weekly sheet and see what we need to do. These plans are pretty much lifted from the Ambleside Online/Charlotte Mason site, with my own tweaks to include some favorite books from our shelves I don't want to miss. I love the content, it's exactly the stuff I want my kids to learn (I was originally inspired to homeschool by CM!). The plan means I don't have to figure out what to do each day. It's working great for the older one. But I'm not feeling sure about the younger one. I'm trying to figure out--what's essential, what isn't (real books of course being essential!), would he actually do better if I ditched the plan & flowed with his interests? I have this suspicion that he might, but I might not!
he likes the Read Alouds, no problem there. It's what to DO with the books that I have a hard time with. When we tried more "rabbit trail" style unit studies the last year we had a great time reading but--not much else happened! I have to confess "hands on" projects tend to stress me out, I'm not sure why, they always seem like a lot of time for not much result, or maybe I'm too "cerebral" or something. What he loves best is art and drawing, so we're doing a more and more of that. But I feel that writing is pretty central to education, and I'm not sure how to make that really work. Oral narration is also very hard for him, though we try. I don't get formal with it (trying to write it down, etc) as that seems to stress him out.
In an attempt to "cover" the writing area, I had ordered the Sonlight Year 2 LA. He needs a lot of help and support with learning reading/writing, I just don't feel comfortable planning that myself. (Year 2 is a year down from his age, so far the level seems just right). But all the spelling and etc.--I am just not sure about the spelling. Can he do without it? It takes so much time and work for him, and I'm doubtful how much will be retained LT anyway.
Right now he's behind me on the floor going to town with his stack of craft books from the library. He's in his element. I love that homeschooling gives a lot of room for this. I'm just not feeling confident how much that can BE "the curriculum", vs. how much additional to add. Come to think of it this may be more of an Language Arts question, that is where the conflicts happen, math seems to go ok as long as I keep it to 20 minutes.
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Angela Nelson
Mother to Simon (13), Calvin (9), and Lyddie Rose (3)
my blog: live and learn
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Bookswithtea
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| Posted: Sept 13 2007 at 7:05am | IP Logged
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hereinantwerp wrote:
| he likes the Read Alouds, no problem there. It's what to DO with the books that I have a hard time with. When we tried more "rabbit trail" style unit studies the last year we had a great time reading but--not much else happened! I have to confess "hands on" projects tend to stress me out, I'm not sure why, they always seem like a lot of time for not much result, or maybe I'm too "cerebral" or something. What he loves best is art and drawing, so we're doing a more and more of that. But I feel that writing is pretty central to education, and I'm not sure how to make that really work. Oral narration is also very hard for him, though we try. I don't get formal with it (trying to write it down, etc) as that seems to stress him out. |
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Have you tried something like FIAR? Its unit studies for people who get stressed out by unit studies (like me!). Have him narrate by drawing sometimes, telling back sometimes (and type it out and let him choose the fonts and colors), making colorful charts to log information instead of a worksheet...that kind of thing.
He's the 8 yr old? He's still young for narrations, imho, although I know CM recommends starting them at 6. My son didn't take well to them before 10, but my dd's could do it by 7 (I'm more of a better late than early type). BTW, I know what the FIAR web site *says*, but I wouldn't recommend Beyond for him yet. That works better with children who work independently.
hereinantwerp wrote:
| In an attempt to "cover" the writing area, I had ordered the Sonlight Year 2 LA. He needs a lot of help and support with learning reading/writing, I just don't feel comfortable planning that myself. (Year 2 is a year down from his age, so far the level seems just right). But all the spelling and etc.--I am just not sure about the spelling. Can he do without it? It takes so much time and work for him, and I'm doubtful how much will be retained LT anyway.. |
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I'm using the new LA 1 with an almost 8 yr old 2nd grader. Its a perfect fit. We are doing a lot of the sight word practice and "spell these words" activities with letter tiles. Writing burns out children fast at this age...its two skills at once...decoding plus fine motor skills. We are skipping all the creative writing too. Narrations are better, imho.
I don't do formal spelling until my children are done with phonics...3rd/4th grade and have completed ETC through level 7 or 8, depending on the child.
hereinantwerp wrote:
| Right now he's behind me on the floor going to town with his stack of craft books from the library. He's in his element. I love that homeschooling gives a lot of room for this. I'm just not feeling confident how much that can BE "the curriculum", vs. how much additional to add. Come to think of it this may be more of an Language Arts question, that is where the conflicts happen, math seems to go ok as long as I keep it to 20 minutes. |
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An 8 yr old boy doesn't need more than 2 hrs schooling and that would include some read aloud time, imho. I'd have him switch topics every 20 minutes for two hours with a 20 minute break after the first hour, and then keep lots of cool art supplies and other imaginative stuff around to school himself..."masterly inactivity style."
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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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hereinantwerp
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| Posted: Sept 13 2007 at 11:43am | IP Logged
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hmmmm,
talking about it with my husband this morning, I think we are going to drop the spelling.
My son has actually not done too bad with the "creative writing" from SL. (I think the "creative" side of it appeals to him a little.) We tend to adapt it to serve our own interests. I like that it is just one assignment a week, not too long or burdensome, lots of help for the parent. Anyway, I think I will try to keep using these, and just help him notice and spell words through this and the little copywork assignment.
I used the ETC workbooks with my first one but for this one workbooks or worksheets are an absolute disaster. Maybe we could play a few more word games though, or assign my older son to do it with him.
it seems the #1 most important thing for him is just to practice reading. It's a lot of WORK for him. If we miss writing for a day it's not a big deal, but the reading is. I felt reminded of that this morning as well, to keep things in perspective.
I also am just realizing I am SOOOOO anxious about school this year b/c we've moved back to America, 1 hr. from my parents, and my mom is a 1st/2nd grade teacher for many years and totally doesn't agree with what we're doing. She is a gentle person and tries to keep quiet about it, we have a good relationship overall, and have pretty much agreed to not talk about it. But it still makes me question & doubt so much and I just can't seem to relax and trust my instincts with my kids lately at all! 
Sorry for "spilling my anxiety" all over here lately !
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Angela Nelson
Mother to Simon (13), Calvin (9), and Lyddie Rose (3)
my blog: live and learn
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cathhomeschool
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| Posted: Sept 13 2007 at 7:59pm | IP Logged
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Angela,
Sometimes it helps to talk things through and just realize where our anxiety is coming from and why, so I'm glad you've got that opportunity here!
Sounds like you've got plans for your younger son a bit more fleshed out now. My 2nd son is big on craft books and drawing books, and we used to check out stacks of them from the library. (Special favorites here are the Crafts for Kids Who Are Wild About... series. Lots to make with fairly common supplies.) This child also struggled more with reading. It helped *so much* when we practiced with a book that he was interested in reading. I'm using this "technique" with my resistant 6yo. He loves Star Wars (legos and such), so we've checked out some Star Wars basic beginning readers and he has to sound out some of the words if he wants the books read to him. (It's *total* twaddle, I know,  but now he's sounding out words in other books too.) I wouldn't stress about the writing. If you want some "documented" narrations, let him draw pictures or use Dover coloring pages, then you can add a couple of sentences that he dictates.
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Janette (4 boys - 22, 21, 15, 14)
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ALmom
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| Posted: Sept 14 2007 at 3:33pm | IP Logged
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You said that your 8 yo likes to draw. That is fine motor. I'd take advantage of any fine motor and encourage it in whatever way is fun and games to him. Drawing pencils, etc. are still building some of the same writing muscles. I'd worry more if he wouldn't take pencil, crayon or anything to hand or wouldn't cut, etc.
I have tons of different learning styles in my house and children with very strong passions in totally different areas - and also have to take in my comfort level (I'm a detail freak, easily sidetracked and cannot remember decisions of the last 5 min. so its gotta be in writing. I am stressed with group interactions, lots of artsy crafty stuff or trying to lead any kind of project - I liked research papers). I take advantage of my own strengths when I work with the dc - I love to tutor one on one so answering questions, sleuthing to find out what is stumping someone, and helping research something -and act as general supervisor and resource person - that I can handle. The dc that want/need more structure from me, request it and I provide it - we chose some things together. I cannot function without plans - but my plans leave quite a bit of creative room for my creative ones particularly in their strengths. For my structure, detail lovers, I can spell it all out. Either way there is enough detail for me to know what it is that we are working on - so even if history fan's plans really just have choices or suggestions - they will id for me time period and a few important people to place on a timeline. My extremely creative science fan - his science gives him options like work on taxonomy research, leaf id (may use insets if you like), or do an experiment. I require a periodic experiment - his choice. I'm not really worried about science with him - but we are working on getting him to organize a bit and write so the experiments themselves are up to him but he does have to give me a lab report (I provided him with a sample form - but showed him various charts in case he needed a chart, rather than just the descriptions.) So far this is working well. (I do have lots of 3 part type cards I made and a ton of leaf/tree/bush id books we borrowed (I cannot make heads or tails out of them, but this kid can so why make him wait around for me as far as science). I tend to pick one or two things that I know are weaknesses that I really focus on. Sounds like this year, your focus with this child is reading. It really is fine.
Janet
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Topic: totally different learning styles
