Friday, August 8, 2008 - Starting School
Next week marks our third year in homeschooling! I'm so excited to get started.
This week I have been preparing: rearranging, pruning, organizing, and brain storming for the coming year.
All of the assignments are in the Homeschool Tracker. What a great tool that is.
We are going to use Ambleside Online again. This year, however, I feel a little more comfortable and we are adding more aspects. We will add the artist and composer studies as well as the folk songs.
I am so excited for our nature study this year. I believe I am better prepared and I was able to get my very own copy of Handbook of Nature Study by Comstock. I had not seen a hard copy of this book and was in AWE when I first laid eyes on it. It is 800+ pages, chocked full of nature, ideas for observation, and encouragement. We've already used it several times.
My biggest hope this year is for reading to finally click with Cameron. I have plans on reviewing from the beginning and really trying to slow myself down. I know that we did this last year and the things that we reviewed from the year before seemed to make better sense and come easier.
I did have a lightbulb moment with Cameron just yesterday. I realized that he doesn't understand that he will have to really work at some things. He is just not going to naturally know how to do all the soccer drills. He is not going to wake up some morning and be able to play the piano. And it seems that he feels if he can't do it now he will never be able to do it.
This makes total sense. He was very reluctant to learn to ride his bike, with AND without training wheels. Both times I basically had to find a slight hill and push him down. He has had some really rough moments in school which fall into this mentality. He has had some melt downs at soccer along these lines. And of course our ever present issue, learning to read.
I'm hoping that I'll be able to utilize this new information to help me cater even more to his learning style.
Comments
Friday, August 8, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Momto4nmore
Since you now know this "issue" of his, you definitely can better adapt to his learning style. My third child is similar. We bought her a bike for her 4th birthday this year and she tried it a few times but stopped because it was "too hard". My only advice is not to dumb down because of this way of their thinking, just challenge them a bit differently. Like when you found a small hill, I think we will be looking for one tomorrow :) Thanks for the idea!
Blessings on your new year~
Friday, August 8, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by hugs4Him
I'm sorry he gets frustrated; we have that issue here too at times. I tell them a little at a time; then we look back to see all they've learned & they get some perspective. It's probably rewarding to discover that themselves!
Saturday, August 9, 2008 - Same here!
Posted by jennybell68
It's so good to know Samuel is not the only perfectionist. And by "perfectionist" I mean he doesn't want to try something unless he can do it perfectly. I tell him that I don't care if he does it perfectly, but I do expect him to try. And if he tries, he will get my help to "clean-up" or "finish", but if he doesn't try, he won't get my help at all. I have seen him master several non-academic things this way (like buckling his own seat-belt...a HUGE help to me especially in the rain!). It's still a battle, but I have learned that if he knows I mean what I say, things go a lot smoother.
I'm glad Cameron had his "aha" moment. I'm still waiting...
Sunday, August 10, 2008 - WOW
Posted by Kelly Gooch
That camera is great! Such clear shots! The frog is kinds cute too!!
