May. 16, 2006 - Sajolley asked questions on her blog....I am answering them here
Here are her questions which she posted on her blog True Stories
Okay, here's a question for all you homeschool families. How do you do it?
*****I have no idea how I do it. I homeschool with a Well Trained Mind overview. Starting this June I will be changing things a bit but still will consider myself to be a Christian Classical educator. I will be using Tapestry of Grace as my core curriculam. I will explain in the next post what I use and how I use them.****
Do you have a set schedule?
*****Schedule- well it really depends but I prefer to call them routines. There are things that need to happen every day but no set time for it (well yes we do but not in 15 or 30 min increment. It is more like there are things that need to be done before breakfast, noon, and supper. With another child added this July I will have to probably put everybody on a routine with paper to keep myself sane. *****
Do you fly by the seat of your pants?
*****No I couldn't fly by the seat of my pants. I did it and I was miserable!!!! I like having order and structure but preferably call them routines. Now I know we do math 5 days a week but I do not assign lessons to be done on each day. If a child failed to understand the lesson on that day then we touch on it again the next day. We are now doing things differently such as having 1-2 subject days meaning we concentrate on math for one day but we do have drill and meeting everyday. I will give my schedule tomorrow. ****
Do you have children whose learning styles are dramatically different from each others or your own?
****Yes I do. They are also very different in their temperment and effort. I have one child that is not motivated easily. The other child is very motivated by nothing, just having his school work done professionally is his motivation. My 3rd child has severe learning disabilities with Autism. It is because of her that I will need to have each child's routine on paper this July. My learning style is a different than my oldest. I have two visual children and I am a visual learner. My oldest is auditory just like his daddy. However my middle son is a perfectionist so he is motivated to do his work well.****
Do you plan out your year?
***It depends on what you are talking about. Here is my take: I plan my days off or vacation by using a calendar. I do not plan my math by dividing up the lessons. We do it day by day basis or in our case weekly basis. I do plan out my history, science, reading, Latin, Logic and US Geography for the year. This is planned loosely though. Now with using TOG soon History is basically planned out for me. I plan weekly with the basic 3 r's (math, language arts, and reading
Do you take one day at a time?
*** For the basics I do. Everything else is planned yearly. Math, Language Arts and reading are very important skills my children need to learn. So I evaluate daily or weekly. If one child is stuck on something in writing or grammar then we stop and study that until he gets it. One week oldest son was stuck on diagramming in Rod and STaff. We halted all lessons that week and worked on diagramming all week. He now got it! It is worth halting the lessons until the child is getting it. That is the purpose of homeschooling. ****
Do you find joy in your teaching?
****Yes I do but not in PAPERWORK!!! I know all teachers have a gripe on paperwork. It is mindboggeling how much paperwork we can accumulate and I have only 3 children!!!! I think I would enjoy it more if my room and house was organized and things were running smoother than it is right now.*****
I'd like to hear what works for YOUR family.
****I will post tomorrow what I am using and what our routines are. I am short on time today so will post more tomorrow so check back soon.****
Blessings~
Holly
Comments
May. 16, 2006 - Off Topic
Posted by kidsus8
Hi, I am just getting back to you. My children are profoundly deaf, from birth, recently diagnosed with Ushers Syndrome Type 1. This means they will both go blind as well at a young age. Our ddd11 is the one my heart aches for the most. She did not get her first CI until age 9. Thus, she can hear and process some environmental sounds but not language. So she remains completely visual in her communication. Ds4 recieved his first CI at 17 months. He is being raised oral and is slowly learning to process language. So when is vision finally goes, he will still be able to communicate orally. They just got their second CI's last week. This should help with localization and serve as back up for failures.
I am planning to start TOG in June and I am very excited about it! I do not know what the tomato board is. I used to be on the Woodshed one with Elizabeth, is that the same? I found I just did not have enough time to stay abreast with everything so had to let some go. Personally I find the computer a weakness for me as it can be such a time robber!
My Vertigo is still lingering. I am off the meds but still have daily mild symptoms. My ENT thinks it is migraine related Vertigo. I have had a bunch of tests trying to pin point exactly which type of Vertigo it is but all I know is I am tired of it. It gets worse when I drive, rock, type...I am sorry you are going through this yuck too!
Blessings,
Andrea
May. 17, 2006 - Untitled Comment
Posted by sajolley
Great answers. Thanks so much for sharing!
We have a great deal in common.
Do you school within the traditional school year?
I'm considering stretching out our school year and shortening our school day. Let me know if you have experience with this.
Also, mama1420 is another HSB that I know of. Check out her blog.
Amanda
May. 18, 2006 - Amanda
Posted by smfeet2001
The blog you mentioned is coming up blank. Is that the right name?? Could you post a link?
Thanks!!
Holly
