|
Today we did our reading and then worked on reading comprehension and choosing outcomes to short stories. We studied spelling words that ended with ing and ed. Princess was restless but seemed better after I stopped and ran her through her theraputic calming exercises.
We also spent some time on arranging words in alphabetical order. Princess is very good at this but tends to get quite confused if you go past the second letter.
We worked more on synonyms and antonyms and homophones.
In math we studied place value and did quite a few exercises on placing things in the right column for tens hundreds and thousands. We ended our school morning by listening to the singing cd of the multiplication tables.
At noon she went to private school and there had studied the skeleton of the human body and a geopgraphical study focused on the state of Virginia.
I read other blogs where mothers are bemoaning their HE inconsistencies. I really have to say that around here there is just no room for slufffing off. If you give Princess an inch she'll take 30 miles. So she almost never gets the inch!
|
|
Princess fought every thing I tried to do in school today. We did our reading and workbook stuff then worked synonyms but she just couldnt sit still and began fidgeting and crying so I stopped her and let her do Scrabble on the computer. Of course I had to help her but she thoroughly enjoyed forming words and manipulating the letters.
I've been dying to blog about some other things going on around here but I really daresn't blog about it on my other blog because we're not ready for real life friends and family to know about it. But the fact is that we may be going to Utah for a year. Hubby's job has asked him to relocate and run a job back there. I hate not knowing which way things are going.
We would have to close up house here or get renters. It all comes at a bad time as far as gardens and stuff go. So I'm waiting with bated breath to hear the final verdict on that.
It even effects our summer vacations and such. I cant rent the lake house cause I dont know if we'll be here. My daughters wedding is this summer so that would mean I wouldnt be here to help with that either. And I cant magine not seeing my granddaughter for a year. And whats going to happen to Princess? She hates change. And how can I live some place where I dont know a single soul? I dont know how to live without a bevy of friends running in and out all day.
And yet I can see good come from this if we do go. It will do us good to get a different perspective on life and how we live. We've lived here all our married life and maybe we need to step back and take a look at things.
All in all though it's quite stressful. If you are reading this could you please pray about this? I havent written here for so long. My site meter shows there are still one or two of you checking this. If you read this and also read my other blog please dont mention the pending move. I'm not ready to deal with it among real life friends. I want to know for sure before we say anything. |
|
Princess is in her room banging her fist into her pillow and screaming. I hear her rolling on the floor making loud thumps. She shouts unintelligble words every few seconds. The screaming is now muffled by pillows but I can hear her feet thumping on the floor.
What terrible thing has happened you ask? I will tell you why she's in full meltdown sensory overload.
Her mama told her she had to read a book for 20 minutes. That's all. |
|
I like to start school by 9:00 am. Princess goes to private school at 11:30 so if we dont get started at nine we dont have a lot of time. This morning we started at 9:30. That extra half hour made it so we couldn't do Math but otherwise we had a productive morning.
Princess played her recorder with out any prompting from me which is miraculous. She seems to like that little recorder so I'm going to look into music lessons for her. I'm not sure which instrument yet but most likely the flute or the violin.
We worked in reading this morning and then started working on specific things she missed in the assessment testing. She missed everything having to do with rhyming, synonyms, antonyms and homonyms. So today we began work on the ryhming words.
We use BJU for reading and the private schools own curriculum for speed drills. Princess loves being timed but isn't so keen on practicing for the timed tests. She's very impatient.
We also worked on grammar, punctuation and sentence combining today. She's aamzingly good at that stuff. The book I use is brief and to the point. Every day you only have four things to do. So it gives one sentence to punctuate, one word to capitalize, one sentence to combine and one sentence that you need to figure out the noun. Then your done. Princess likes things short and brief. Thats one reason I'm using BJU in reading. Not only are the stories short but the pictures are big and colorful.
I also introduced her to poetry reading this morning. She read her first poem ever and was quite proud of her rythym. The last thing we did was practice for her spelling test review this afternoon at the Acadamy where she attends.
This afternoon she will have handwriting, spelling, and history at the Acadamy. It's a good balance and I feel that things are really on track right now. Now I just want her to LEARN! |
|
Homeschooling has been like pulling teeth lately. Princess fights everything. It seems like the first hour of every day is spent just getting her to calm done. She sees a book and literally freaks. I'm hoping that the more she realizes she can actually read teh books the easier it will be to get her to open them. Thanks to the public school that had her in books she couldnt begin to understand she now hates reading. Well I gotta go settle a fight with the kids. |
|
Today was our first day of homeschooling in the morning. We have taken Princess totally out of public school and I couldnt be happier. Schooling went very well this morning but Princess seemed to need a break about every 20 minutes. She's not used to the concentrated effort it takes to stay on task for any length of time. In spite of that we got a lot done!
We read and then did a bunch of loose leaf papers that I had around. Princess seems to like worksheets because it breaks up the whole book idea that she so hates. We did some work with opposites and a bunch of stuff on reading comprehension. Tests have shown that she only understands about a third of what she's reading so I'm really pushing the comprehension part of reading. We also did some work in story writing.
I didnt really have a Math or English curriulum for her so we did some work with money. After I dropped Princess off at the privte school for afternoon classes I went to Exodus and purchased some more curriculum.
I'm using the Horizon Math and the Bob Jones University reading for Christian schools. She's in 2a in the reading books so at least she made it into second grade. I also found a cd on learning multiplication tables through music. I cant tell you how much I hope it works. If it doesnt I have no idea how she'll memorize all the multiplication tables.
The whole thing is really rather exciting. At first I felt kinds depressed but now the old school teacher part of me has kicked in and I'm feeling an adrenelin rush! I just cant wait to see how much she has learned by summers end.
Well I have to sign off. I'm using the computer at the library while I wait on Princess at the tutoring center. She's doing the CAT testing today and I'm dying to know where she places. It's pouring rain so I'm going to stop for a cup of coffee and then browse through some magazines at the center. |
|
Here is a copy of my written request to Princess's school. Now lets see what comes of it.
Dear __________, It seems like we're forever missing the phone calls so now I'm trying to reach you this way. Here's my proposition. I was wondering if Princess could attend school half days. That would give me a chance to homeschool her in reading in the morning and then go to school in the afternoon. I know other school districts in _________ are allowing this and was wondering if you would consider the same thing. According to _________ Sate law if I homeschooled her she would be entitled to take all the interscholastic classes offered by ________but I was wondering if you would consider anything more than that.
I know that PE, music, and all the interscholastic classes don't necessarily just fall in the afternoons as it does at some schools. Because of that I 'm requesting that she be allowed to attend in the afternoons regardless of classes offered.
All the testing that has been recently done by me and by Sylvan are showing that she is still reading at first grade level. Sylvan says she will drown in the fourth grade and I totally agree. Fourth grade is not set up for the beginning reader. Because of this I feel an urgent need to work one on one with her in the prime morning hours and see how far I can get. My thought is that by attending afternoon classes she would still be able to stay acclimated to the classroom environment. This would help her with the transition back into public school when the time comes that she can actually "read to learn".
In your office you told me that she cannot have a one to one tutor or be pulled away from classroom noise to concentrate as the focus is on inclusion. I understand the position you're in but this is proven to not be working with Princess. I just tested her in k12 curriculum. It's a virtual school who's students are recognized in ten states as part of the public school. The only difference is they are schooling at home via the Internet. Unfortunately ________ is not one of the schools allowing students to attend virtual schools.
The testing for this curriculum is free so I tested Princess. She tested in their curriculum at a Kindergarten level. At _________ and at Sylvan she's testing at a first grade level. So be it Kindergarten or first grade this child is in no way ready to enter fourth grade nor do I see any great changes happening if she continues in the classroom as she has been. Her processing disorder coupled with a fluid reasoning score of 70 is just not conducive to learning in a classroom of 30 kids.
You and the team tell me she does not qualify for anything but Title 1 reading because she is not Learning Disabled. However she has been tested by _________and according to your tests, Sylvan testing, and CDRC testing she definitely places as a Slow Learner with a general intelligence level of 84. This basically means no special help by way of tutors or IEP's. So I feel this leaves me with no option but to tutor her myself. I feel that this can best be done in the morning when her mind is fresh. Thus I request that she be allowed to still attend _______ in the afternoons.
What is your feeling on this? Is it at all possible?
Cordially, Leigh
So do you think this will get me anywhere?
|
|
How important is it to be registered by the state if you homeschool? Are most of you registering your kids and do you do the benchmark testings required? Did you all present a letter to your state board of Education or is that really necessary. Is it possible or expedient to just homeschool without all the legal terms being met. How closely is this stuff monitored? |
|
I spent all of sunday afternoon researching curriculum and ways to teach using the multisensory approach. In the process I found some interesting stuff. One was the Letterland curriculum where all the letters and consonant blends andphonograms are in the shape of people. For instance C is sitting behind H on a ledge and H's hat is tickling him and making him say K K K K Kerchoo! I really think Princess could learn this way. Ebay has a lot of their stuff so I wouldnt have to pay full price for it. Do any of you homeschoolers have any knowledge of or input about Letterland? I'd be hapy to hear waht you think.
In all my research of yesterday I found one thing repeated over and over; the public schools have nothng to offer the slow learner. If you are learnig disabled you get services. If you are gifted you get services. But if you fall into the category as a slow learner you have nothing. Slow learners are determined as those who place between 75 and 95 on the bell curve. Princess is an 84 with her short term memory even lower at a 70. The slow learner is left to flounder and be pushed through school never grasping the material. 88% of these kids never go on to graduate. This is not acceptable for Princess. I need to have God turn the heart of my husband and let me homeschool. To that end I need you all to pray.
|
|
I'm not sure whats up with my other site but I cant get on it for nothing. It says i'm not authorized. I did some detective work and it seems to be a problem with my webhost and not my own computer. My site meter tells me that no one else has made it on since earlier this afternoon either. If you have tried getting on to my other website could you drop me a comment here and tell me if you were successful? That would help me figure out which end the problem is at. |
|
Princess has been diagnosed with Sensory Integration Disorder. We have a lot of work ahead of us.
This morning I started the Prince in Hooked on Phonics along with other paper work. I'm teaching him Math and writing besides the reading. He's smart as a whip. I cant tell you how different it is to teach him then the Princess. Suddenly I find myself excited about teaching again.
This morning we did a rehearsal of the alphabet both with flash cards and on CD. Then he worked on drawing straight and slanted lines. I introduced him to words for the first time. We're learning the words cat, sat and rat. I used to think that kids had to master the alphabet before going on to reading but I've totally changed my idea on that with all the work I've been doing with Princess. Phonics is important but when you have a child dying to learn to read you can encourage that desire by letting him read a few words by sight with pictures. The Prince just puffs up with pride when he reads; Cat sat sat sat. Fat rat. Fat cat. Rat sat sat sat. He loves it.
I find myself so excited about working with him that I cant wait for the next time. Right now though I have cookies to bake and I hope to get to the Princes closet yet today! |
|
Oh you guys, I dont want to complain but today was such a hard day with Princess. It's days like this that make me determined to get her on medication. On her mild days I say, no I'll work with it. We can do this... then there are days like today when I cry put to God and say I cannot go on. I cant imagine how difficult it must be to be Princess. She fights with herself all the time. It's like one part of her stays normal while the rest of her goes into a tailspin. I hear her talking to herself and all the while screaming and raging in her room.Then she'll stop and clench her fists and tell herself to get control. Today she kept saying; this is all my fault. I'm stupid. Oh stupid me. It does me no good to go in there and try to calm her down. She lashes out at me and just gets more out of control. Today was typical. I left her alone although I stood outside her closed door so I could listen and make sure she wasnt hurting herself. As she started calming down I left her so she wouldnt discover me. A little later she came to the kitchen and said in a very normal quiet voice, Mama, I'm ready to read now. So we read. But the entire rest of this evening there is a tempest brewing in her little self. It flares at the slightest provocation. I love her so much. Why must she have these problems? I'm tired. It was an exhausting evening. |
|
It never ceases to amaze me that they can put a man on the moon but no one can make a child blowup toy without leaks! Today I'll be going to Walmart to return a blowup chair that has a manufactures defect right on the seam. It's so annoying.
My spirits have been slightly restored since my last post. Thank you all for your kind words. My oldest daughter was 14 when I had Princess. Sometimes I think I should have left it at that. But then even on the hard days I thank God for my last two little ones. They have been much harder to raise than Her Royal Highness but they have also blessed my life more than I can say. God certainly knew what He was doing when He made children so full of life and so sweet and unbeguiling. All to soon this period of time will end and I'll have teenagers again. I only hope that all these struggles will payoff to some degree when they become adults.
I prayed for seven years to have Princess and just could not get pregnant. Finally I went to our pastor for annointing and along came my little girl. We had done invitro before that and had frozen all but three of the embryos. I had those three put in before I got pg with Princess. One actually lived for seven weeks but then I lost it. Thats when I had the annointing.
Three years later we unthawed the rest of the embryos and thats how Prince was born. We truly wanted these children and God has been so good in blessing us with these precious little gifts. Now He needs to bless me with patience. I know I know, trials bring patience. Well one would think I would be the most patient person in the world now. But I'm not. |
|
I'm so tired I just want to cry. I'm frustrated with my husband and frustrated with myself. Why cant I be everything to every body? Other women are manging to do it all and I'm buckling under the load. I dont think I can do this mommy, wifey thing anymore. I probably should have remained unmarried and childless. I should live in a tiny 2 room apartment in the city instead of these 16 sprawling rooms in the suburbs. I should have contented myself with feeding the pigeons in the park rather than thinking that I could deal with motherhood and marriage. Calgon take me away! |
|
Have you ever invited someone for lunch and they dont show up? Gah! I hate that. I'm afraid thats whats happening as I type. A friend was suppose to come for lunch yesterday. She forgot but luckily I spoke with her two hours before so I didnt prepare for her. It was rescheduled for today. I do believe she has forgot again. Man I hate that. Does this mean she really doesn't want to come in the first place? If I'm invited to someones house for lunch you better believe me I'm there in flying colors.Maybe this friendship doesnt mean as much to her as it does to me. Eight years ago we were very good friends. Then she went to work so we couldnt get together as much. Then she took a job on staff at church and it seemed like she thought she was too good for all the rest of us. I have been working at reestablishing that friendship lately but maybe she's trying to tell me she's not interested. |
|
Princess has had two very good days on a row. I'm almost afraid to say that. I can actually see her trying to control herself. Her fists clench and she puffs air through her cheeks like a little puffer fish but she IS trying. I allowed her to bring a friend home from school today so I hope that wont be too much for her. She often gets overstimulated with friends here.
I'm trying to get the house in order because a friend of mine is coming tomorrow to visit while all the kids are at school. Much as I love my kids it will be nice to visit in peace. I havent gotten to actually sit down and talk with her for a couple of years now! I'm going to serve hot herb bread with soup when she's here.
It's rainy today and it makes me want to just amble around pursuing my own hobbies and such but I dare not. the work needs done. I have actually beeen ambling at my work all morning. Lol I have managed to clean my store room and my entire upstairs plus take lights down outside. I need to go downstairs and clean now though. The work doesnt get done by itself! sigh
EDIT: Princess is home with her friend and as I feared it isnt going well. She's hyper and uncooperative.I will be spending the rest of my evening supervising her. sigh Till next time. |
|
Does anyone reading here know anything about the charter schools called MITCH? They use Core Knowledge Sequence curriculum; Riggs Language Arts, and Saxon Math. I know nothing about Core Knowledge Sequence. They use a multi sensory approach to learning. School operates four days a week with Fridays as field trip days. I know most of you homeschool but my husband is 100 % against that so I'm looking into alternative schooling to get Princess out of the public school setting. If you know anything about this I would appreciate your input. Or if you have any other suggestions I'll take those too. |
|
Princess did not want to get up for school this morning.She begged to be allowed to stay home. Poor child.
Yesterday she was bugging her brother so I sent her to her room. She came out later crying and showing me her book. She had ripped the pages on the book she had spent two days making. She was crying hard. I asked her why she tore it and she said when she gets angry she just has to tear things. Through her tears she said, "Mommy a lady comes to our class on Tuesdays for anger management classes and she says to count to ten when we're mad. But that dont help me at all. I have to destroy something to feel better".
I was amazed. I had no idea she had actually thought this through to such a level. I suggested we put paper in her room and let her tear it if it makes her anger go away. Know what she said? She said, "No mom it has to be something that means something to me. I have to destroy something I really want then I feel better."
I was actually glad to hear her thoughts. I never knew that about her. It's amazing how she is trying to figure herself out. How scary it must be to be her and not be able to control your impulses.
I went to the library yesterday while she was at Sylvan for tutoring. I checked a bunch of books out that deal with medical and behavorial issues. I just know God has a plan for my little girl and I know He has an answer for her problems. He has entrusted this child to me and I must take good care of her.
My quest for understanding continues.
|
|
I've done very little schooling ths Christmas vacation. We finshed level three in Hooked on Phonics and Princess has listened to a few stories on tape to improve her reading fluency but other than that we havent gotten much done.
I was amazed and surprised when Princess spent the last two days making a book. Never mind that the book has six pages four of which have just one huge flower on them drawn exactly as the flower that came before it. She at least made it.
Almost every word was spelled wrong; meet is spelled mite, there is spelled ter. stuff is spelled thof and the j in jump is written backward.
Poor little girl. Sometimes I despair of her ever learning.
|
|
My heart was so stirred tonight at church. I feel a longing that can only be expressed through my poetry. I can only write poetry when I feel deeply. But you know what? My kids have no idea my heart has been stirred and that I've cried most of the night as I listened to 6 sisters give a singing program at church. My kids have no idea there is a time to fight and a time for peace; there is a time to bug mommy and a time to leave her alone. Worst of all they think that all time is fighting time!
The nitpicking and arguing go on day and night until I feel like I'm going insane. Princess pushes buttons everywhere and anywhere she can find one to push. She has no idea how to get along with people. It's like theres a cog missing and she just has to annoy and annoy and annoy until we send her to bed to get peace in the house. I pray that this will be the year that we will find out what is wrong with Princess and that this will be the year that we get answers from heaven in dealing with this difficult child.
Will I ever get the poem out of my soul and onto paper? I dont know. If I do it will show up on the other blog too but without all this explanation but you will know where it is coming from. It's coming from a night of weeping in the church pew; a night of longing for my sisters and the singing we all used to do when we were all of one faith. This poem will be written from a place of desperate longing to be all I can be to my kids and to discover all I am in Christ. It's coming from a tired soul.
You may never get to read it because it may never get written. I have to put the kids to bed tonight. After that it may have left. Sometimes I get angry inside when I cant create the things I want to create because my kids are always pulling me back to mundane reality. Creating with words is a spirtual excercise and that means nothing to my kids. Will I ever find me again? Will I, like this poem, be forever trapped in the land of people barely four feet tall? I just want to find me again but it seems too much to ask for!
|