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"A baby needs not to be taught a trade, but to be introduced to the world."
- G. K. Chesterton
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What we Did: June 2009
Our start to official "school" didn't go off too well, with tears about five minutes into the first day. But it went better than the first day of potty training, at least.
The tears were not really about school, they were about restricted use of the erasable markers. It was ok for her to use them for writing words; it was ok for her to use them for practicing her handwriting strokes. But when those activities were done they were to be put away, not to be used for coloring all day. Life is tough that way.
At the same time, they didn't want school to end when I was ready for it to be done. But they didn't really want to do it on my terms, either. What plans I had went out the window pretty quickly. I don't know how much of this is a maturity issue, how much is a character issue, and how much is just a personality issue. I still can't imagine following an actual curriculum.
Here is what we settled on instead: For fifteen minutes (I set a timer for this part) we do *something* related to reading and writing. We choose the activity ahead of time so we don't waste time deciding during our fifteen minutes. Among the possible activities:
- Alphabet book pages for D2
- Making words with alphabet magnets. (This is a lot slower than I would like it to be, especially since D1 *always* wants to start by spelling her name, after which there's not much time for anything else. D2 does this the most.)
- Learning words to/ practicing reading a poem. (This is from what I actually prepared to do, but we are not really doing it the way I planned. She has no interest in the word cards, which I thought would be fun.)
- Reading a book together. (We got the first set of Bob Books from the library--unfortunately that's all they have--also stacked up all our Beginner Books.)
- Writing labels and sticking them on appropriate things around the house.
- Practicing writing with dry-erase markers on a worksheet inside a page protector.
- Making a book with words she can read.
I'd like to also try writing short commands (Sit in a box. Get on the bed. Set a car in a box. etc.) for her to read and act out. I'm still looking around for ideas for this stage. She can sound out a short word pretty easily if she actually looks at it, but she has that beginning reader trick of staring at the ceiling and spouting a random word at times. D2 is still just playing with the letters, but he seems pretty comfortable with most of them.
Anyway, after our fifteen minutes of reading and writing are done, we have another fifteen minutes for another activity of their choosing. This usually winds up being a game (involving math, no doubt--there are few that don't) or using the messier art supplies. I am hoping at least once a week to take art supplies outside and add to a nature notebook. I don't set the timer here and we usually keep going until I am tired and want to take some time by myself before the babies wake up from their morning nap.
I still haven't worked Spanish into this, but let's let this all work for awhile and maybe on the next rainy day I'll give it a try.
So here is what a day looks like:
7:00-8:00 Get everybody up and dressed.
8:00-9:30 Breakfast and outside play time; I do yard and garden work when no one needs rescued.
9:30-11:30 Singing time and babies' morning nap; school with big kids and then my rest time while big kids play.
11:30-1:30 Lunch and kids play all together while I try to catch up on dishes.
1:30-2:30 Get babies ready for nap; read stories to babies; put babies in play pen and read Bible story, sing, and read picture books of their choice; once or twice a week a chapter from a chapter book.
2:30-3:30 or 4 if I'm really lucky: everybody's nap time! Big kids often don't nap but are expected to play quietly alone and not ask for anything.
4-6:30 snack; more play time, outside if I'm caught up on housework and supper prep; pick up house (hopefully)
6:30-8:00 DOB gets home; supper; get everybody ready for and in bed.
A bit tedious and very exhausting, but it does work. |
Posted: 11:26 AM, Jun. 29, 2009 |
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