When it comes to school, we are always changing things. Sometimes big changes, sometimes small changes. This week I have a couple of small changes planned, and I am thinking about some big changes for the future.
The small changes:
After showing Honey’s spelling program to my sister, I realized that we could be doing more reading with it. It comes with cards that have the spelling words printed on one side. I usually don’t use the cards, because after she has learned the rules, she seems to get how to spell the words pretty easily. Starting this week I am going to start having her READ the words to me instead of spelling them to me. She has learned all of the rules concerning these rules and should be able to read them without trouble. We will see.
The other small change concerns the laundry. The kids have just about taken over the folding and putting away of the laundry. They are having fun with it, but I know that the fun will not last forever. So today I bought them a puzzle, and tomorrow when they finish the laundry I will give them each a piece or two. I’m not going to show them the box or tell them what the puzzle is about (or that it is a heart shaped puzzle) just give them the pieces. It should take them less than a month to earn all of the pieces of the puzzle. Hopefully this will help to keep it fun. (And $7.00 for a month of getting the laundry done is a lot cheaper than paying a maid!)
The big change:
The big change that we are thinking about concerns Honey. We are considering letting her drop piano. The reason we started Dearie in piano was to teach Dearie that she is capable of doing hard things. That it is OK to not be able to do something the first time you try. These are lessons that Dearie needed to learn (and she has learned them and she is doing great in piano now) and they are lessons that Kiddo will need to learn. Honey on the other hand gets to practice this lesson everyday in every subject. Giving her one more ‘hard’ subject just doesn’t seem fair. So we are thinking of letting her drop piano and letting Kiddo start. Honey needs to learn a different lesson. She needs to learn that some things are easy. Some school things are fun. She needs to see that she really is good at some things. So after we drop piano for her (maybe the end of the year?) I hope to find someone to work with her on art. I would like to find someone who loves art and could share their enthusiasm with Honey. While I know that Honey is good at art, it is not something that I am good at so I really can’t help her much and I am not that enthusiastic about it. (If you know of anyone who fits this bill and would be willing to come to the house, let me know.)
The nice thing about homeschooling is that you are never stuck with the current plan. You can make big changes or little ones whenever you like! I’m glad that we homeschool.
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November 9, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Art is something my second would love too. I wonder just how much alike our kids (the oldest with the oldest,your middle and my middle, youngest and youngest?) really are. Soon enough my oldest will have to learn that everything doesn’t come easy. I was thinking about having her learn sign language. She loves our sign interpreter at church. She would really like it, but it would not be easy because you have to do it the right way and the same way every time.
November 9, 2009 at 2:13 pm
Having her learn sign language sounds like a good idea. It is good for these kids to figure out that they can learn something even if it is not easy. Some kids learn that lesson early, for others their parents struggle to find a way to teach it. (In other words, if ASL turns out to be an easy thing, you might have to keep looking.)
December 9, 2009 at 9:59 pm
I am not sure if you would be up to it, but they offer a Homeschooling Art Class at the Springfield Art museum. My girls have taken it recently and found it to be really good…especially for the cost. I think it was $40 for 9 weeks or something like that….
December 10, 2009 at 6:46 am
Sillymama,
I have looked at Kettering and Beavercreek, but didn’t think to look in Springfield. That looks like a great price. For now though, I am trying to be very careful about not adding in things that require too much of a drive. I have found a home-school high school student who is willing to come here. She sounds like a good match for Honey and is going to start in Jan. I haven’t told the girls yet, but I know that Honey is going to be very excited!