I'm trying to come up with something fun to do for our first day of school. Maybe I'll attempt pancakes for breakfast, or we will spend the first day of school in our jammies. Or both. Or something else. That's kind of the awesome part - it's all ours to decide!
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Cabinet
We continue to prepare for the start of our homeschooling adventure. I finished cleaning out one of the kitchen cabinets this morning to make way for math manipulatives, art supplies, science materials, seeds, small musical instruments and other items we will be using very soon!
I'm trying to come up with something fun to do for our first day of school. Maybe I'll attempt pancakes for breakfast, or we will spend the first day of school in our jammies. Or both. Or something else. That's kind of the awesome part - it's all ours to decide!
I'm trying to come up with something fun to do for our first day of school. Maybe I'll attempt pancakes for breakfast, or we will spend the first day of school in our jammies. Or both. Or something else. That's kind of the awesome part - it's all ours to decide!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Incentives and Rewards
I've had this post in my mind and my drafts for about a week, so when someone in our virtual academy group posted about rewards, I finally felt motivated to discuss in detail what I've been thinking about.
Everyone works for something. Maybe it's the fruits of a backyard garden or that weekend project that adds value to our home; we all have reasons, goals, and things we desire to have or do. Children are no different, and we shouldn't expect them to do things 'because I said so'. Sure, you do what you boss asks of you, but it is because you want that promotion, or simply to keep your job. Without goals, even if it is just a cool activity book or a fun new whistle from the dollar store, children are unlikely to feel motivated. Feeling motivation and excitement of working toward and attaining goals is important for children; it gives them a sense of purpose in what they do.
My children are young, ages 5 and 7 in grades K and 2. We have a "warm and fuzzy" system.
I keep huge bags of cotton balls in the house, as well as a container of fun books, activity pads, funky colored pencils or markers, jelly bracelets, silly pencil toppers, bubbles, and other cool things I find at the dollar store and other various places. They LOVE trading in their warm and fuzzies for a prize! We do prizes for every 10 warm and fuzzies earned. Because they are so close in age, filling the bin with items they will both enjoy is fairly easy. The only issue I've run into so far is when one of them chooses a prize the other was hoping for (note to self: grab two of most things!).
For older children, you could use marbles or homemade coupons. Charts can work also, but having something tangible they can hold and watch accumulate seems to be more motivating. There are endless possibilities, so your family can design a cool system that is a perfect fit for you. As prize incentives for older children, parents can offer extra computer or TV time.
A word of caution on incentives. Some people have mentioned using candy or even trips to fast food places as prizes. I'd caution strongly against this. Children should never associate food with rewards or behaviors, only as fuel. This can create a world of trouble for them down the road.
Everyone works for something. Maybe it's the fruits of a backyard garden or that weekend project that adds value to our home; we all have reasons, goals, and things we desire to have or do. Children are no different, and we shouldn't expect them to do things 'because I said so'. Sure, you do what you boss asks of you, but it is because you want that promotion, or simply to keep your job. Without goals, even if it is just a cool activity book or a fun new whistle from the dollar store, children are unlikely to feel motivated. Feeling motivation and excitement of working toward and attaining goals is important for children; it gives them a sense of purpose in what they do.
My children are young, ages 5 and 7 in grades K and 2. We have a "warm and fuzzy" system.
I keep huge bags of cotton balls in the house, as well as a container of fun books, activity pads, funky colored pencils or markers, jelly bracelets, silly pencil toppers, bubbles, and other cool things I find at the dollar store and other various places. They LOVE trading in their warm and fuzzies for a prize! We do prizes for every 10 warm and fuzzies earned. Because they are so close in age, filling the bin with items they will both enjoy is fairly easy. The only issue I've run into so far is when one of them chooses a prize the other was hoping for (note to self: grab two of most things!).
For older children, you could use marbles or homemade coupons. Charts can work also, but having something tangible they can hold and watch accumulate seems to be more motivating. There are endless possibilities, so your family can design a cool system that is a perfect fit for you. As prize incentives for older children, parents can offer extra computer or TV time.
A word of caution on incentives. Some people have mentioned using candy or even trips to fast food places as prizes. I'd caution strongly against this. Children should never associate food with rewards or behaviors, only as fuel. This can create a world of trouble for them down the road.
Cool Things
This morning, I logged into the OLS (online school) to browse announcements and check my e-mail. In my inbox was an introduction and bio from the teachers who we will be working with as Little G navigates his Kindergarten year on our homeschool adventure. And I could not believe what I read; one of the teachers also has a degree in communicative disorders!
Since Little G has a diagnosis of expressive/receptive speech disorder, the only concern I had about homeschool (or any school, really) was the possibility of encountering issues where is receptive communication challenges would become an issue. Let's just say I feel a whole lot less concerned now! I was so excited that I immediately e-mailed her to introduce myself and tell her about my son. Any trepidation I felt about plunging into this unknown continues to ease, as these little affirmations seem to be popping up at every turn.
Truly, my only frustration at this point is that I still have not received any science, art, or music curriculum for Little G, and he actually became very upset and started to cry about this when he realized it this afternoon. His favorite things, in order, are math, music, science, and art. And since he will blow through the phonics and language arts at warp speed with little challenge, if any, the lack of science doesn't leave a whole lot to his core courses. Hopefully I can get this rectified tomorrow.
Meanwhile, G did enjoy going through what he already has, which are below:
Pictured are mostly Little G's materials, but a few items of R's. In the upper photo, G poses with his phonics materials, inflatable globe, map, and some reading materials. Below we have math manipulatives, beans, grass seeds, a pile of workbooks on top of a pile of reading books, a slide whistle, a (hot pink!) tambourine, and 3-D shapes. I can't seem to stop playing with the tambourine, heh. I think we are all going to enjoy the music, even if Little G doesn't get his materials. It's not like we're going to leave him out of the fun!
Since Little G has a diagnosis of expressive/receptive speech disorder, the only concern I had about homeschool (or any school, really) was the possibility of encountering issues where is receptive communication challenges would become an issue. Let's just say I feel a whole lot less concerned now! I was so excited that I immediately e-mailed her to introduce myself and tell her about my son. Any trepidation I felt about plunging into this unknown continues to ease, as these little affirmations seem to be popping up at every turn.
Truly, my only frustration at this point is that I still have not received any science, art, or music curriculum for Little G, and he actually became very upset and started to cry about this when he realized it this afternoon. His favorite things, in order, are math, music, science, and art. And since he will blow through the phonics and language arts at warp speed with little challenge, if any, the lack of science doesn't leave a whole lot to his core courses. Hopefully I can get this rectified tomorrow.
Meanwhile, G did enjoy going through what he already has, which are below:
Pictured are mostly Little G's materials, but a few items of R's. In the upper photo, G poses with his phonics materials, inflatable globe, map, and some reading materials. Below we have math manipulatives, beans, grass seeds, a pile of workbooks on top of a pile of reading books, a slide whistle, a (hot pink!) tambourine, and 3-D shapes. I can't seem to stop playing with the tambourine, heh. I think we are all going to enjoy the music, even if Little G doesn't get his materials. It's not like we're going to leave him out of the fun!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
The Cat at Night
We love books in our family, so I thought it would be a fun addition to our homeschool blog to discuss some of what we are reading and offer some mini reviews. Our most recent book love is The Cat at Night by Dahlov Ipcar.
The Cat at Night became an instant favorite for us. Bright, colorful, and beautifully illustrated pages tell the story of a cat's nighttime adventures through city and countryside. Fun and informative, the book gives readers a few insights into the mysterious noctournal nature of cats and why the darkness is not a problem for them. Perfect for a bedtime story to read to your children, or to have them read to you!
The Cat at Night became an instant favorite for us. Bright, colorful, and beautifully illustrated pages tell the story of a cat's nighttime adventures through city and countryside. Fun and informative, the book gives readers a few insights into the mysterious noctournal nature of cats and why the darkness is not a problem for them. Perfect for a bedtime story to read to your children, or to have them read to you!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Learning About Gardening
My children love to learn, but learning goes way beyond the classroom. One thing we enjoyed learning about this year was how seeds transform into a garden that we can enjoy for the whole summer!
We have enjoyed tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, our combined weight in zucchini (seriously, I don't think I have seen as much zucchini in my life to date as came from our garden this year), onions, hot peppers, orange bell peppers, green bell peppers, and probably a few things I am forgetting. It was wonderful!
The marigolds planted around the garden are pretty, but their purpose is to discourage greedy garden visitors who like to take more than a fair share. I can't decide whether it helped or not.
Next year, we plan to have the children much more involved in the process of cultivating our yummy organic foods. This year, they mostly enjoyed the end result on the dinner table. It's a lot of fun eating food grown in our very own garden!
We have enjoyed tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, our combined weight in zucchini (seriously, I don't think I have seen as much zucchini in my life to date as came from our garden this year), onions, hot peppers, orange bell peppers, green bell peppers, and probably a few things I am forgetting. It was wonderful!
The marigolds planted around the garden are pretty, but their purpose is to discourage greedy garden visitors who like to take more than a fair share. I can't decide whether it helped or not.
Next year, we plan to have the children much more involved in the process of cultivating our yummy organic foods. This year, they mostly enjoyed the end result on the dinner table. It's a lot of fun eating food grown in our very own garden!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Socializing, Part II: Bullying and Popularity
It might surprise many people to know that I believe my children will receive more social benefits from being homeschooled (see my previous post here). What probably won't surprise them is my concern about the growing epidemic of bullying in our public schools. Overcrowded schools with kids who bully and teachers who don't care and administrators who don't do their jobs are more common, both in my experience and what I gather from others, that most any of us would be comfortable with if we allowed ourselves to think about it. The impact of bullying and very real psychological damage done by the less fabulous social aspects of public school is downplayed severely. "Over 14 percent of high school students have considered suicide, and almost 7 percent have attempted it," according to BullyingStatistics.org, and a British study (available at the same site) says that about half of suicides among young people are due to bullying. Further, consider that 1 in 4 children are bullied, and only about 58% report it. Those are some sobering statistics. Bullying-related suicide deaths are a growing epidemic in our country. Meanwhile, I have never heard of a child committing suicide because they were homeschooled.
In the two years my daughter was in preschool, and the one year my son attended, they were not bullied even once. They loved school and looked forward to going. But there were key differences between preschool and elementary school; a smaller teacher to student ratio (1:8), more structure, and very little random free time. Classes were 3x weekly for a couple of hours, and we all received a detailed typed report of everything the children had done that day and what they would be doing next time.
Elementary school was like jumping into a cold pool for me; the shock was palpable. There were no more detailed communications of what my daughter was doing, the days were much longer and 5 days/week, and there were bullies. Bullies on the bus, bullies in the lunch room, bullies on the playground, bullies from other classes, and even a bully for a gym teacher who went so far as to tell lies about my child to justify her poor handling of R's sensory struggles with noise and disorganized movement. My daughter, just by the end of Kindergarten, had rock snowballs thrown at her face, had a peer spit in her face at lunchtime because my daughter simply wanted to be her friend, was injured by a boy she didn't even know 'because he felt like it', was verbally and physically bullied on the bus, and became so upset about the happenings on the bus that she asked me to start driving her to school. That was quite significant, since she had spent years watching the bus do morning and afternoon runs by our home with great anticipation of the day she could finally ride it.
But it's not just bullying; it can also be compromising who you are to be part of the in crowd. The characteristics that will get you ahead in life are not typically the ones valued by peers. In fact, they just might make you a target. We need only look to the popular television shows on Nickelodeon to see what matters to school-age children. Spoiled, entitled behavior is rampant, elementary students are walking around texting with their own cell phones, and everyone is keeping up with the Jones'. A boy who is good at sports or a girl who has great hair and brand name clothes is far more likely to get positive feedback from peers than they would for being in honors math or being accepted to Yale.
Highly intelligent students typically have different priorities and interests. For some, this doesn't affect their social lives, but for many it does. If you don't see that easily at first glance, it is probably because there are many highly intelligent children not living up to their potential because school is a hostile environment for them, or because they have such a desire to fit in and be accepted that they make that their priority. I don't want my children to ever feel like their education has to include a popularity contest, or that they have to sacrifice who they are to be accepted.
Catch-all statements like "kids need to go to [public] school" are frustrating to me. I choose to homeschool my children, but I would never say that all kids need to be homeschooled. I simply don't believe either statement is true. Public school was okay, when you balance the positives (wonderful teachers) and negatives (bullying, family disconnect). But it was just okay. And I want better for my children than "okay".
In the two years my daughter was in preschool, and the one year my son attended, they were not bullied even once. They loved school and looked forward to going. But there were key differences between preschool and elementary school; a smaller teacher to student ratio (1:8), more structure, and very little random free time. Classes were 3x weekly for a couple of hours, and we all received a detailed typed report of everything the children had done that day and what they would be doing next time.
Elementary school was like jumping into a cold pool for me; the shock was palpable. There were no more detailed communications of what my daughter was doing, the days were much longer and 5 days/week, and there were bullies. Bullies on the bus, bullies in the lunch room, bullies on the playground, bullies from other classes, and even a bully for a gym teacher who went so far as to tell lies about my child to justify her poor handling of R's sensory struggles with noise and disorganized movement. My daughter, just by the end of Kindergarten, had rock snowballs thrown at her face, had a peer spit in her face at lunchtime because my daughter simply wanted to be her friend, was injured by a boy she didn't even know 'because he felt like it', was verbally and physically bullied on the bus, and became so upset about the happenings on the bus that she asked me to start driving her to school. That was quite significant, since she had spent years watching the bus do morning and afternoon runs by our home with great anticipation of the day she could finally ride it.
But it's not just bullying; it can also be compromising who you are to be part of the in crowd. The characteristics that will get you ahead in life are not typically the ones valued by peers. In fact, they just might make you a target. We need only look to the popular television shows on Nickelodeon to see what matters to school-age children. Spoiled, entitled behavior is rampant, elementary students are walking around texting with their own cell phones, and everyone is keeping up with the Jones'. A boy who is good at sports or a girl who has great hair and brand name clothes is far more likely to get positive feedback from peers than they would for being in honors math or being accepted to Yale.
Highly intelligent students typically have different priorities and interests. For some, this doesn't affect their social lives, but for many it does. If you don't see that easily at first glance, it is probably because there are many highly intelligent children not living up to their potential because school is a hostile environment for them, or because they have such a desire to fit in and be accepted that they make that their priority. I don't want my children to ever feel like their education has to include a popularity contest, or that they have to sacrifice who they are to be accepted.
Catch-all statements like "kids need to go to [public] school" are frustrating to me. I choose to homeschool my children, but I would never say that all kids need to be homeschooled. I simply don't believe either statement is true. Public school was okay, when you balance the positives (wonderful teachers) and negatives (bullying, family disconnect). But it was just okay. And I want better for my children than "okay".
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Socializing, Part I: People of All Ages
This is part one of a two-part post about my thoughts on homeschooling, public schools, and socialization. This is probably the the number one topic homeschoolers are confronted with by critics and concerned friends and relatives, and it is also something I believe is quite misunderstood. Thus, I have a lot to say about this, and probably will have much more to say in future posts.
Critics of homeschoolers are often quick to cite proper socialization as a reason children should be shipped off to public school. Interestingly, very few people ever mention the quality of education homeschooled children will receive! For a society so concerned with socializing our children, one might think we would be equally concerned with the quality of those social interactions. But quality doesn't seem to enter the equation, ever. And I find that sad, and a little disturbing.
I don't necessarily believe that those who tout the social skills development benefits of public school really think about what they are saying. How many people truly believe that a group of 15 or 20 age-matched children can provide social skills and values adequately and appropriately for their child? Yes, I added values in there, because anyone who thinks their values at home will automatically override the values of those their children spend most of their waking hours with is likely in for unpleasant surprises ahead. I'm not saying it cannot be accomplished, but it takes an incredible amount of parental effort and involvement that I am not sure is present within the 'let the schools take care of it' mentality.
As a child, I lived in an apartment complex for the first 9 years of my life which was basically a retirement community. Most of my interactions were with much, much older adults. I delighted in playing violin, reading stories, or talking for hours over cocoa with my elderly neighbors, and enjoyed playing with grandchildren of all ages when they would visit. As a result of that experience, socially interacting with people of all ages, I was able to relate to people of all ages with confidence. And, for that matter, with interest. Age barriers became more blurred for me, and I simply saw people as people. It was actually my age-matched peers who proved most difficult, and had they been my only, or even the majority of my social exposure, I don't believe that would have been positive for me in the least. I want my children to interact with children and adults of all ages who are positive influences, and feel comfortable doing so. After all, in the real, post-school world, they will always be interacting with people of all ages.
This isn't to say some public school options don't offer such opportunities, but for the most part there is a very sharp cutoff between adults and children, and even between children in different grades. I never understood that, nor do I think it is particularly healthy. We are all people, and I often did not feel like a person in school; or at least, not a person with rights or respect. Sure, putting first graders with fifth graders on the playground with minimal supervision can be disastrous, but why not involve them all together in structured activities? Our local elementary did some of that, by having fourth grade students read to the Kindergartners; however, I feel that it still fostered the 'I am above you, imparting knowledge to you', one-directional way of education.
While public school is certainly the preferred route for some families whose children thrive there and truly have a positive experience, those children are not representative of all children. By nature, we are all different, and we cannot expect a cookie cutter education to work for every child. Given the very same curriculum, environment, peer group, and teachers, two students can have wildly different experiences and outcomes. I do my very best to understand my children, to consider life from their perspective. I ask a lot of questions about how they think and feel about things and ask for their feedback on family decisions. It is my belief that they should feel valued, always, and I'm not confident that most schools offer this sort of environment.
Until my next post, here are just a few of the ways homeschooled children can really enjoy very active and healthy social lives:
Critics of homeschoolers are often quick to cite proper socialization as a reason children should be shipped off to public school. Interestingly, very few people ever mention the quality of education homeschooled children will receive! For a society so concerned with socializing our children, one might think we would be equally concerned with the quality of those social interactions. But quality doesn't seem to enter the equation, ever. And I find that sad, and a little disturbing.
I don't necessarily believe that those who tout the social skills development benefits of public school really think about what they are saying. How many people truly believe that a group of 15 or 20 age-matched children can provide social skills and values adequately and appropriately for their child? Yes, I added values in there, because anyone who thinks their values at home will automatically override the values of those their children spend most of their waking hours with is likely in for unpleasant surprises ahead. I'm not saying it cannot be accomplished, but it takes an incredible amount of parental effort and involvement that I am not sure is present within the 'let the schools take care of it' mentality.
As a child, I lived in an apartment complex for the first 9 years of my life which was basically a retirement community. Most of my interactions were with much, much older adults. I delighted in playing violin, reading stories, or talking for hours over cocoa with my elderly neighbors, and enjoyed playing with grandchildren of all ages when they would visit. As a result of that experience, socially interacting with people of all ages, I was able to relate to people of all ages with confidence. And, for that matter, with interest. Age barriers became more blurred for me, and I simply saw people as people. It was actually my age-matched peers who proved most difficult, and had they been my only, or even the majority of my social exposure, I don't believe that would have been positive for me in the least. I want my children to interact with children and adults of all ages who are positive influences, and feel comfortable doing so. After all, in the real, post-school world, they will always be interacting with people of all ages.
This isn't to say some public school options don't offer such opportunities, but for the most part there is a very sharp cutoff between adults and children, and even between children in different grades. I never understood that, nor do I think it is particularly healthy. We are all people, and I often did not feel like a person in school; or at least, not a person with rights or respect. Sure, putting first graders with fifth graders on the playground with minimal supervision can be disastrous, but why not involve them all together in structured activities? Our local elementary did some of that, by having fourth grade students read to the Kindergartners; however, I feel that it still fostered the 'I am above you, imparting knowledge to you', one-directional way of education.
While public school is certainly the preferred route for some families whose children thrive there and truly have a positive experience, those children are not representative of all children. By nature, we are all different, and we cannot expect a cookie cutter education to work for every child. Given the very same curriculum, environment, peer group, and teachers, two students can have wildly different experiences and outcomes. I do my very best to understand my children, to consider life from their perspective. I ask a lot of questions about how they think and feel about things and ask for their feedback on family decisions. It is my belief that they should feel valued, always, and I'm not confident that most schools offer this sort of environment.
Until my next post, here are just a few of the ways homeschooled children can really enjoy very active and healthy social lives:
- Scouts
- Library groups
- Community volunteering
- YMCA
- Homeschool groups
- Arts centers
- Dance classes
- Gymnastics
- Martial arts
- 4-H
- Community sports teams (soccer, baseball, softball, etc.)
- Local common interest groups (painting, collecting things, etc.)
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