Mary has taken interest in letters lately, knowing most of the sounds they say, and "making" letters out of anything she can. For example, each morning as I ready myself, Mary sits on the bathroom counter and makes letters out of cotton swabs. And one morning this week--in the dark before the kids' clock turns green and they're allowed downstairs--Mary must have woken because I heard in the dark her whispering voice sounding out letters that she must have been reading on some tag or book left in her tangle of bedclothes.
Reading time with exuberant children
I wish these snapshots of my homeschooling day could actually capture what I perceive as the joyful chaos: joyful for the children, sometimes extremely exasperating for me as teacher! John is a wiggly five-and-a-half-year-old boy who can focus with rapt interest for an hour or more on something that fascinates him (e.g., making an invention, hammering bricks to smithereens, sawing fallen logs). But if he isn't interested, he's doing gymnastics, standing on his head, singing, making noises, making funny faces, and basically having ants in his pants. Sometimes he's really interested in School Time--sometimes not. (And while I'm trying to teach School Time, the baby might be crying and tugging at my skirt, or nursing in my lap, Mary might suddenly shriek that she has to get my help to use the potty NOW, the timer goes off on something in the oven for which I must step away, or the garbage truck drives by and so distracts the children with the excitement of it all.)
If my boy can focus on School Time for only five or ten minutes, that means I have to gather the children again for School Time three, four, or five times per day just to get through one preschool curriculum (a typical homeschooling Kindergarten curriculum lasting 45-60 minutes per day). I find gathering the children up from whatever they are doing--these transitions--to be difficult. As an adult, I'd much prefer to gather the children once in the morning, do one hour of school, and check it off my To Do List. Or even do two 30-minute sessions, but 30 minutes is a very long stretch for John to focus at this age.
If my boy can focus on School Time for only five or ten minutes, that means I have to gather the children again for School Time three, four, or five times per day just to get through one preschool curriculum (a typical homeschooling Kindergarten curriculum lasting 45-60 minutes per day). I find gathering the children up from whatever they are doing--these transitions--to be difficult. As an adult, I'd much prefer to gather the children once in the morning, do one hour of school, and check it off my To Do List. Or even do two 30-minute sessions, but 30 minutes is a very long stretch for John to focus at this age.
Volumes of books have been written about this, I know. I've read them. I recall Laura Berquist, founder of Mother of Divine Grace, saying not to ask a Kindergartner to focus more than 20 minutes at a time . . . and, if 20 minutes proved too long, to shorten it! I think she (as someone who has overseen the homeschooling of tens of thousands of children) is correct, but when it's my own life I'm trying to organize, I feel a lot more frustration that I find myself having to squeeze in five minutes of school over and over again throughout the day.
I have much to learn . . . most of it involving patience!
Looks like Right Start! We use that too! Interested to hear what you think as time goes on.
ReplyDeleteOh, baby distracted me. You said John is 5 1/2, but didn't he turn 5 in December? I think you'll see a big leap in maturity at 5 1/2. We did, and more 6 yo behaviors are starting to emerge. What you might want to do in alternative your quieter school activities with more active ones. After ten minutes of reading, do a few rhythm or clapping songs from MMPT. Or get out the sensory bin for a while. Then sit down for 10 minutes for math. After outside playtime, cuddle in for read aloud.
ReplyDeleteThink about a nature rhythm of inhalation and exhalation to plan the day. I've had to let go quite a bit of how I want the day's schedule to work, and go with the one that comes more naturally to the children, yet still folding them into the rhythm of the household. Piece of cake, right?
Obviously, we are in the same season of beginning homeschooling with toddlers and preschoolers, but we are starting to find our way (some days!). I'm sure other mamas will have more (and possibly better!) ideas.
Yes, it's Right Start! I've found out that a few homeschooling moms whom I admire and trust use it too, which makes me feel good! Do you love it?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback about alternating quiet and active moments. I think that's the right track. Also I have to respect his natural body rythm, as there are certain times of day when he's naturally bursting with energy and other times when he can be quieter.
Emma is really enjoying math too...I'm amazed at what she's able to do at a mere 5 years of age.
ReplyDeleteAnd she too often gets the case of the wiggles when I'm trying to do school work with her. Sometimes, she'll flip around and stand on her head while in her chair, and she'll tell me "I'm just taking a stretching break."
Ummmm????
I like your letter box. Where did you get it?
ReplyDeletePriscilla: It is called the Montessori Movable Alphabet and you can search online for different sources. Mine was a gift so I'm not exactly sure where it was purchased. It is super useful for the young child who knows letters and their sounds but lacks the fine motor skills to write letters yet. Here is an example:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Montessori-Small-Print-Movable-Alphabets-/190550925209?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c5db85f99
Sorry, I didn't see your response right away! We do like RightStart, but it took a little adjustment to working with the groups of five. Both my older boys are very math minded, and "see" math. My oldest had already worked out most of his number bonds. So when we first started and were learning the rhyme for 5-10, it took a little practice to stick to "six is five and one" or whatnot. He'd be saying, "But three and three is six too!" Or "I can do four and two!" I'd have to say "That's right, but we're doing it THIS way right now!" LOL. The abacus helped, and now we're in the groove.
ReplyDelete