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AnaB
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| Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 9:17am | IP Logged
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Hi There,
I've homeschooled ala CM from the beginning, but the last two years have thrown me into a loop. We've had remodeling and a move and health problems for me (adrenal blowout--still recuperating). In that time, we let go of our read alouds and I purchased a boxed curriculum (which only produced more frustration).
Now I have three teenagers and a 7yo who is still not reading. My oldest 15yod is a great student and can work independently. My 13yo twin boys need a taskmaster to get anything done. My 7yo is highly distracted and busy and doesn't always enjoy sitting in on the history read aloud.
How do you use CM and address all the different needs? Do you have all your kids work independently? And how? Do you do subjects together? What do you use to keep it all organized? What does it look like in your home?
I really look forward to your replies.
Blessings, Betty
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His By Grace, AnaB blessed WIFE to Jeff and mama to 4 blessings!
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mom2mpr
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| Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 11:29am | IP Logged
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I think the 13 year olds are just normal 13 year old boys 
I can't help with the whole issue, and I am not totally CM, use a lot of curriculum, but I thought you needed to hear that LOL
I do history and science with both kids-the rest, I struggle to get them to do some independently and also try to get one on one to go over things with them.
It is not organized very well but I feel what we get too is what needs to be covered. I am finding the Lord leading me a lot of days.
My dd, who just turned 8 also has some problems reading and seems to be getting better. I did make reading to her a priority. She is also very busy and hard to keep engaged in an activity for long. I guess setting priorities instead of "organization" and a to do list is also how I handle my days.
Hope that helps.
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Anne, married to dh 16 years!, ds,(97), Little One (02), and dd (02).
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AnaB
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| Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 12:20pm | IP Logged
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You are right, Anne. I think they are pretty normal. Not complaining, just explaining what their needs are.
You have some good points that I'm going to pause and ponder. This may be how the Lord is calling me to handle my days as well. I guess I feel that this may not be enough for the high school days. I'll wait and see what others say too.
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His By Grace, AnaB blessed WIFE to Jeff and mama to 4 blessings!
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mom2mpr
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| Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 12:40pm | IP Logged
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AnaB wrote:
| I guess I feel that this may not be enough for the high school days. I'll wait and see what others say too. |
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I totally understand the high school issue, too. I have heard many who have recently sent their kids to high school after homeschooling all along, the schools say they are over prepared. I don't get that feeling with my kid, but the mom's that have told me this said they felt the same way before they sent them. I think it might be a maturity thing--because they are home they are a little more mature--though we don't see it most days 
I also, am waiting on some more thoughts from the wiser ones here!!!
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Anne, married to dh 16 years!, ds,(97), Little One (02), and dd (02).
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ekbell
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| Posted: Jan 14 2011 at 2:52pm | IP Logged
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Re distracted seven year old.
My now nine year old dd has always needed to be busy when listening to read-alouds or she'd wander off either literally or figuratively.
When she's listening to me by herself, it's worked to let her pace, only calling her back if it looks as if she's leaving the room and frequently pausing for discussion.
When I'm reading to a number of children, giving her a relevant coloring sheet or art supplies is better as this is less distracting to the other children.
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Willa
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| Posted: Jan 15 2011 at 12:06am | IP Logged
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I have similar age spans to yours -- my youngest three are ages just-15, 11, and just8. I also have a 17 year old who is doing charter-schooling basically using state textbooks, so he works independently.
The best way I've found for us (not perfect, just workable) is to write out a list of things for the 15 year old to do the day before (or the week before, ideally). That way he knows what the expectations are.
We have a morning time "pegged" to breakfast. We chat a bit and then I read aloud from several books basically geared downwards to the younger two. But the material is good for the 15 year old too (I use a lot of Ambleside selections). I think it's good for older students to hear good prose and poetry read aloud even if it's "below" their intellectual level. As CS Lewis says, a really good children's story shouldn't be of interest even to adults.
Since the morning time starts during breakfast, eating helps keep the younger ones occupied. Then they can draw if they want while they listen.
We stop to discuss quite often which is a substitute for narration.
After the Morning Time, I work with the 8 year old while the 15 year old goes to work on his own. Then if my 15 year old needs my help with anything I work with him. He narrates the books and sometimes I get him started on his math or Latin.
Meanwhile the younger ones do copywork or something like that.
With my delayed 11 year old, we work in bits and pieces of the day since his learning style is more unconventional -- lots of times he does his best work in the evening.
Keeping it all together in my head is probably the hardest part. Their ages and learning styles are so different. I get quite scattered sometimes. One thing I do is to focus more on a given child on a given day. So if I feel like I've been shortchanging my 8 year old, say, I might spend a much longer time with him on the next day and include art and music in his subjects.
If things feel like they are not quite going right, sometimes I discuss it with my 15 year old and ask for his input.
I totally agree with Anne that it's normal for 13 year olds to be spacey. I was just writing the last sentence about asking my 15 year old for his input (he just turned 15 this week) and I realized that a year or two ago I couldn't really have had a conversation quite like that with him. They do come out of that middle-school-zone eventually -- but sometimes it seems like it will never end. In the meantime, it helps me to think in terms of just sort of soaking in material -- giving them plenty to read, a variety of things to think about and do, and not worry too much about "production".
Hope something helps!
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AMDG
Willa
hsing boys ages 11, 14, almost 18 (+ 4 homeschool grads ages 20 to 27)
Take Up and Read
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AnaB
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| Posted: Jan 15 2011 at 12:15pm | IP Logged
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Hi Willa, this is helpful. One thing I have wavered on is whether or not to do a sit down breakfast. We've always done a free for all, each child eating breakfast when their morning chores were done. My oldest daughter is really good at getting up early and starting early. She doesn't really have a morning chore (she does the lunch dishes). My boys tend to take a while to really wake up and I let my little sleep as long as she can. We get alot more done when she's asleep!
But I miss that peg. Now that our afternoons have activities almost daily (for this month at least), we need to become more efficient in the mornings. I do get a little thrown off when my husband works from home. But when he travels I really tire out by the 3rd day and get less productive.
Alot of what I'm hearing is so intuitive. I just need to do it! I need to make more rules for myself and I bet things would run better.
Because I've always schooled the oldest three together for alot of their subjects, it's kinda where I'm at mentally. I really have to work at getting back to my youngest's level and shift gears to doing phonics again. Maybe that's the advantage of having children closer together... But there's no point in pondering that too long because I've got to work with the circumstances the Lord has given me.
You all have given me alot of food for thought! Please feel free to add to anything said. I'm listening!
Blessings, Betty
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His By Grace, AnaB blessed WIFE to Jeff and mama to 4 blessings!
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ekbell
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| Posted: Jan 15 2011 at 4:39pm | IP Logged
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Our entire family consists of night owls and we really need the peg of a proper 'school' breakfast if we are to regularly get work done in the morning.
A 'school' breakfast isn't just everyone eating at the same time but also a non-verbal reminder that there will be lessons.
This doesn't necessarily need to be very early in the morning. Our breakfast isn't until nine and lessons aren't until ten so that Dad, who works until midnight, can get a reasonable amount of sleep.
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: CM through the seasons of homeschooling?
