On Sunday Mr I advised that he wanted to go back to school today. I think he is missing his friends and he was upset that he wasn't going to get to see his Library teacher anymore or borrow books from the school library. Apparently the school library is much better than the town library. I think I agree. I was pleasantly surprised when he wanted to stay home and homeschool.
Today is a bit of a struggle and I think he needs a break from schooling. I have read many kids just need to do nothing for weeks or even months when first leaving school. I think having only been there for a term he doesn't need full time off. But at least some slower less involved days. It is days like today that I wonder whether I can do this, whether I am doing the right thing. Will he learn enough from me? But why do I doubt myself when I have been teaching him since he was born, I am perfectly equipped to see what it is he needs to learn and how he needs to learn it. I taught him his colours, shapes, numbers, alphabet. I can do this, we can do this together.
Take a step back and look. I need to step back and look at what he can do and how much happier he is. He has refound his love of reading, he wants to read and all day I find him sitting with books reading as many of the words as he can and coming to me for the words he cannot read. He pulls out his maths subtraction book to do for fun AND can do it. Why do I worry, I am not sure, society tells me to I guess, and he is my son and all I want is the best for him.
Things he has learnt in only a week of homeschooling:
Can now read Dr Suess The Foot Book and Hop on Pop
Understands the concept of subtraction
Understands the concept of comprehension
Has an understanding that not all animals live in all countries
Has learnt many new sight words.
And finally his handwriting is starting to improve (it was getting worse and worse the longer he was in school)
I need to not worry and just trust that he will learn, he is learning. I hope he continues to choose to homeschool.
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Monday, 27 May 2013
Another Sick Day
Yes another child is sick. Thankfully nothing drastic or ED worthy. Just a bit of grastro from Miss I.
She spent the morning sleeping on me. Mr I collected his work from the other room found a little table and set up next to me in the lounge room. We got through the work, and he read me a few books. Was a great morning and I was thankful for not needing to bundle up sick little miss to get him to school.
Today we started learning about Australian magpies at Mr I's request. We did a comprehension sheet and he did wonderfully, such a clever monkey. A vocabulary page labelling the magpies parts. And also a distribution map to see where they live in Australia. I wonder what animal he will choose next week. If I can ever work out how to embed PDF's here I will share the worksheets with you.
We were all done by lunch, the rest of the day was resting and bike riding for the boys.
She spent the morning sleeping on me. Mr I collected his work from the other room found a little table and set up next to me in the lounge room. We got through the work, and he read me a few books. Was a great morning and I was thankful for not needing to bundle up sick little miss to get him to school.
Today we started learning about Australian magpies at Mr I's request. We did a comprehension sheet and he did wonderfully, such a clever monkey. A vocabulary page labelling the magpies parts. And also a distribution map to see where they live in Australia. I wonder what animal he will choose next week. If I can ever work out how to embed PDF's here I will share the worksheets with you.
We were all done by lunch, the rest of the day was resting and bike riding for the boys.
Thursday, 23 May 2013
Blast off to Outer Space
Mr I decided that today work would not be done unless it was space related. Sigh. So get him through his Maths workbook with the promise of outer space after. Mad dash around the internet and a good 10 or so page book has been made and he is stoked. We have covered, maths, english, Science and Art. WIN.
We did:
Label the Solar System
Colour in the Planets and read the small description
Count backwards from 15 to blast off the rocket
Colour the stars that start that have the letter A on them
Colour in Earth and name the planets that have rings.
Paste the Rocket ships from largest to smallest
Pick the letters the space words start with
Sort planets from non planets
I made a quick find-a-word too
I am sure there were a couple more pages but I cannot think of them
Collected our Space resources from a number of places.
ABC Teach Solar System Lapbook
Label the Solar System and the answer sheet
Homeschool Creations Astronaut Printables
1+1+1=1 Solar System pack
Space Word Match
I have to say I LOVE google images for searching for worksheets.
I wonder what he will want to learn tomorrow. I am hoping it is the work I already have printed and prepared.
We did:
Label the Solar System
Colour in the Planets and read the small description
Count backwards from 15 to blast off the rocket
Colour the stars that start that have the letter A on them
Colour in Earth and name the planets that have rings.
Paste the Rocket ships from largest to smallest
Pick the letters the space words start with
Sort planets from non planets
I made a quick find-a-word too
I am sure there were a couple more pages but I cannot think of them
Collected our Space resources from a number of places.
ABC Teach Solar System Lapbook
Label the Solar System and the answer sheet
Homeschool Creations Astronaut Printables
1+1+1=1 Solar System pack
Space Word Match
I have to say I LOVE google images for searching for worksheets.
I wonder what he will want to learn tomorrow. I am hoping it is the work I already have printed and prepared.
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
Today we call in sick
Had a fantastic day, Had planned to spend the morning at the library exploring books, head to the op shop to see what we might be able to score, get some groceries with Mr I helping me weigh the fruit. Then come home have some lunch, watch a movie and then spend the afternoon crafting and exploring the internet to learn about whatever topic Mr I chose today.
But today had other plans just as Dad was leaving for school hehe yes he is a primary school teacher. Mr N decided to dive under the bed but miss and split his head open. Dad was thankfully there to hold pressure on the cut while I threw clothes on myself the other kids and collected what I could to entertain them in the ED, no food of course, do you think we had a single piece of fruit or anything to grab in the house. Off we rush get to the ED at 7:45am head still bleeding slightly, nurse has a quick look tells us to take a seat. at 10:30am once the kids were thoroughly starving we finally get seen by a Dr so he can glue Mr N's head back together.
So how did I use this time wisely. We talked about platelets, blood, skin. How the bleeding stops, why the bleeding stops. How it will heal. And why holding pressure on the wound helps. I also threw the iPad in the bag so Mr I got to practice handwriting, spelling and addition on some apps.
After we finally left the hospital we headed to the op shop as planned and had a massive score turning the day back around. I filled a basket with books I had seen sitting their for months that I felt were overpriced, found the manager of the day and asked if they would accept $20 for my basket load and woohooo they did. So here is my score.
The rest of the day is a right off I am pooped. Going to rest in front of the first fire for the season. Turns out one of the books came with a DVD about tigers. Afternoon sorted.
But today had other plans just as Dad was leaving for school hehe yes he is a primary school teacher. Mr N decided to dive under the bed but miss and split his head open. Dad was thankfully there to hold pressure on the cut while I threw clothes on myself the other kids and collected what I could to entertain them in the ED, no food of course, do you think we had a single piece of fruit or anything to grab in the house. Off we rush get to the ED at 7:45am head still bleeding slightly, nurse has a quick look tells us to take a seat. at 10:30am once the kids were thoroughly starving we finally get seen by a Dr so he can glue Mr N's head back together.
It is deeper than it looks in this picture.
So how did I use this time wisely. We talked about platelets, blood, skin. How the bleeding stops, why the bleeding stops. How it will heal. And why holding pressure on the wound helps. I also threw the iPad in the bag so Mr I got to practice handwriting, spelling and addition on some apps.
After we finally left the hospital we headed to the op shop as planned and had a massive score turning the day back around. I filled a basket with books I had seen sitting their for months that I felt were overpriced, found the manager of the day and asked if they would accept $20 for my basket load and woohooo they did. So here is my score.
These Numbers books are fairly simple readers but with number recognition thrown in. They looked pretty good from the quick look I had while trying to stop the kids running riot.
These preschooler books are the only ones with writing in them and only a couple pages between them.
I love Cocky's circle books.
Noticed when I got home I have a few double ups oops. The doubles may head to a cutting up pile if no one else wants them.
Handwriting books completely empty.
The rest of the day is a right off I am pooped. Going to rest in front of the first fire for the season. Turns out one of the books came with a DVD about tigers. Afternoon sorted.
Tuesday, 21 May 2013
Stimming Day
Today I see why school just does not work for him. I should have seen it before but it has just been so much a part of our lives I haven't managed putting two and two together. But today as he stands up to do all his work, completes his maths while balancing on one leg. Then runs around the room flapping and jumping between activites. Today I see why he comes home totally and completely stressed. A school room is no place for balancing, jumping and flapping while completing work.
But he has completed 4 pages of maths, about 6 of english. Completed his project on woodlice. Plus a number of other worksheets he wanted to do. He is really loving number mazes at the moment. And I am pretty sure all his balancing jumping and flapping will tick a few PDHPE fundamental skills boxes. Todays formal learning is done. Natural learning for the rest of the day, and lots of reading if I can make him sit.
So now he is bouncing while he makes a stamp collage and is hanging out to play mathletics this afternoon.
Despite his need to stim today, he is very happy and content and having the freedom to stand, jump and flap when HE needs to and not when it works best for the class seems to be doing wonders. I was hoping that by the end of the week I would see some things I could suggest to the school to make schooling easier on him. But asking that he run, jump, flap and balance around the room as needed is not conducive to the learning of the other students. Homeschool is where he needs to be at least for now.
But he has completed 4 pages of maths, about 6 of english. Completed his project on woodlice. Plus a number of other worksheets he wanted to do. He is really loving number mazes at the moment. And I am pretty sure all his balancing jumping and flapping will tick a few PDHPE fundamental skills boxes. Todays formal learning is done. Natural learning for the rest of the day, and lots of reading if I can make him sit.
So now he is bouncing while he makes a stamp collage and is hanging out to play mathletics this afternoon.
Despite his need to stim today, he is very happy and content and having the freedom to stand, jump and flap when HE needs to and not when it works best for the class seems to be doing wonders. I was hoping that by the end of the week I would see some things I could suggest to the school to make schooling easier on him. But asking that he run, jump, flap and balance around the room as needed is not conducive to the learning of the other students. Homeschool is where he needs to be at least for now.
Monday, 20 May 2013
Day 1
Day one was utterly terrible and thoroughly enjoyable all at once.
Mr I had a fantastic day and did all the work I had planned PLUS more. It was just fantastic and he had so much fun. At this point I think I will be disappointed if he chooses not to continue.
Mr N who is 4 was a terrible nightmare come true. He spent the entire day crying and screaming and carrying on. I have come to realise that he relies heavily upon Mr I for entertainment and activities. He cannot think for himself and so when Mr I is home, Mr N just flips out not know what to do by himself when Mr I should be helping him.
Little Miss I well she wavered as to whether she thought the new adventures of today were great or not. She happily coloured at moments but then at other times she wanted to scribble on the exact work that Mr I was trying to do.
Lets home tomorrow goes better.
Mr I had a fantastic day and did all the work I had planned PLUS more. It was just fantastic and he had so much fun. At this point I think I will be disappointed if he chooses not to continue.
Mr N who is 4 was a terrible nightmare come true. He spent the entire day crying and screaming and carrying on. I have come to realise that he relies heavily upon Mr I for entertainment and activities. He cannot think for himself and so when Mr I is home, Mr N just flips out not know what to do by himself when Mr I should be helping him.
Little Miss I well she wavered as to whether she thought the new adventures of today were great or not. She happily coloured at moments but then at other times she wanted to scribble on the exact work that Mr I was trying to do.
Lets home tomorrow goes better.
Alone space
together
Moving safely in your own space
Sitting in own space
Mr N conducting I'm a little teapot
Sunday, 19 May 2013
Our First week of homeschooling
Planning planning planning. What will we do week one.
So far I am planning on learning a Dr Suess book. Either Hop on Pop or the foot book. Just waiting for Mr I to decide which he would like to learn to read.
I found some fantastic resources for The Foot Book here http://www.homeschoolshare.com/seuss.php
I love the worksheet for Hop on Pop here on Vanessa's Blog
And a wordsearch I just made, Mr I loves find-a-words.
Mr I very excitedly caught a woodlouse the other day and is keeping and feeding it in a jar at the moment, so we will learn about Woodlouse this week. Apparently they have a 2 year lifespan, for a tiny insect I am very surprised.
Info and pictures here I will print a-z animals
A worldmap here to get in the habit of marking where animals are found Teach This
A basic sketch here to show the different parts of a Woodlouse http://www.arthursclipart.org/biologya/biology/woodlouse%202.gif
I picked up a couple of Disney Cars School Skills workbooks at target the other day which I know he is just going to love. So we will do some work in there.
To play into his love of photography going to get him to make sentences with his site words and then take a photo of the sentence.
Other adventures of the week will be
Reading Eggs
Maths workbook
Dot to Dots
Mathseeds
Ipad handwriting app.
Science
Moving Force - exploring how things move and where they get their energy from.
Dance/PDHPE/Music
Moving Safetly - what objects are unsafe to move/dance near, personal space, moving withing space
Chanting and moving - songs with actions.
So far I am planning on learning a Dr Suess book. Either Hop on Pop or the foot book. Just waiting for Mr I to decide which he would like to learn to read.
I found some fantastic resources for The Foot Book here http://www.homeschoolshare.com/seuss.php
I love the worksheet for Hop on Pop here on Vanessa's Blog
And a wordsearch I just made, Mr I loves find-a-words.
Mr I very excitedly caught a woodlouse the other day and is keeping and feeding it in a jar at the moment, so we will learn about Woodlouse this week. Apparently they have a 2 year lifespan, for a tiny insect I am very surprised.
Info and pictures here I will print a-z animals
A worldmap here to get in the habit of marking where animals are found Teach This
A basic sketch here to show the different parts of a Woodlouse http://www.arthursclipart.org/biologya/biology/woodlouse%202.gif
I picked up a couple of Disney Cars School Skills workbooks at target the other day which I know he is just going to love. So we will do some work in there.
To play into his love of photography going to get him to make sentences with his site words and then take a photo of the sentence.
Other adventures of the week will be
Reading Eggs
Maths workbook
Dot to Dots
Mathseeds
Ipad handwriting app.
Science
Moving Force - exploring how things move and where they get their energy from.
Dance/PDHPE/Music
Moving Safetly - what objects are unsafe to move/dance near, personal space, moving withing space
Chanting and moving - songs with actions.
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