Homeschool Chat Part III

[Denine]

Hello everyone. We are back from our Disney cruise and disney vacation. Back to school today. We are going to ease back into the week, as I have things I need to get done.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

Hope it's okay to post this here -- apologies if it's not! But I thought it would benefit you guys. I can delete it if it's a problem.

I know DawnM is in Charlotte, and I thought we had some other Carolinians here, too. But over on the website, Charlotte on the Cheap, the blog hostess is giving away my new Disney book in a giveaway. She's a hilarious writer and somehow always manages to find the best deals around town. So if you're in Charlotte, check it out if you'd like. (You can also check it out if you're not in Charlotte, of course!)

...back to regular homeschool programming!

 

[disneymom3]

I always recommend you read Lisa Whelchel's book "So, You're Thinking About Homeschooling?". It's a great overview of the types of homeschooling and curricula that are out there and written in an easy-to-read conversational style.

Yes. Also pretty much anything by Cathy Duffy is great. In her 100 Top Homeshooling Picks (or something close to that) she helps you to identify the learning styles of your kids and then her recomendations are based on that. Really helpful. I also encourage to people to read books by Raymond and Dorothy Moore. The Moores were pioneers in the homeschooling field and just "get" kids.

I am having some heartbreak here. DD is in high school and I want to bring her back home. Problem is, she likes school. She had surgery last week and is now behind and is not given much time at all to catch up. Because of the timing of the surgery (it was an emergency) she missed a few midterm exams and it sounds like they are not going to let her make them up. Which is going to totally mess up her grades. In addition, we are just seeing that eroding of values that is so prevalent in the schools today. There are no big things, just many little things that add up. So, my heart and mind are in turmoil.

Then this evening, we finally got the complete diagnosis for DS from the psychologist who evaluated him. He has been diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder, which we clearly knew, ADHD which I thought was probably going on and Autism Spectrum Disorder which rather came out of left field. Doesn't change who he is. But.... Now I am wondering if I need to be doing school even differently than I already do. And I worry about things in the future as far as what he will outgrow or how he will deal with issues as he becomes an adult.

 

[disneymom3]

I unenrolled from our VA last week! Tomorrow we start our new curriculum. It is exciting/scary to be going out on my own. I'm going to try my best to be relaxed and not worry about the "schedule". That is hard for my type A planning personality. I asked my friend yesterday how far out she plans. I said I've only planned out to the end of the year. She said I only plan out a week at a time.

So...how did it go?

At your friend...I usually plan a week or two at a time too. I've been doing this for nine years now and that generally works for me. We all have to find our own style though.

 

[Nicolepa]

So...how did it go?

At your friend...I usually plan a week or two at a time too. I've been doing this for nine years now and that generally works for me. We all have to find our own style though.

It went pretty well. He said he likes it better, but of course it was only one day! I'll let you know if we survive the week!

If all of my children were home I'd probaby be more laid back about scheduling. Since I have one that goes to Public School I have to make sure that he finishes close to when she does or we will have a big problem!

 

[DawnM]

UGH. Hard couple of weeks.

Got back from a wonderful Disney trip (although we moved condos in the middle of the trip due to very noisy neighbors above us!) but I have had sick kids and now DH is in Chicago on business, and things are just piling up.

My oldest has Asperger's and some learning issues and I have been trying to teach him paragraph writing. Since writing a mere sentence is sheer torture for both of us, this isn't going well at all! He is 7th grade too. UGH!

We switched to Winter Promise (from Sonlight) this year and overall it is going fine, but WP has so many grammatical and typographical errors in their instructor's guide that it is driving me mad!

And right now the boys are at each other's throats and yelling, "MOM, get him away from me. MOM, he is bugging me. MOM, make him do X,Y, or Z."

There is such a lovely school right down the street......why am I doing this again? Oh yeah, so I can go on those October Disney trips!

Dawn

 

[robinsegg]

My oldest has Asperger's and some learning issues and I have been trying to teach him paragraph writing. Since writing a mere sentence is sheer torture for both of us, this isn't going well at all! He is 7th grade too. UGH!

Have you considered starting this process by asking him to tell you a complete sentence, as you take dictation?
Another trick is to make the topic sentence and the conclusion sentence different colors from the body sentences, to help him keep track of where he is/what he still needs.
Maybe you could type up several sentences for him, cut them up (1 paper per sentence) and have him arrange them in a paragraph form? Then, he'd get to choose which sentences to use, and put them in order.

And right now the boys are at each other's throats and yelling, "MOM, get him away from me. MOM, he is bugging me. MOM, make him do X,Y, or Z."

When my kids do this, I send them to opposite areas of the house to clean. They stop pretty soon The idea I use with this is twofold:
1. make complaining/fighting so unpleasant (with consequences) that they stop.
2. if I have to deal with their unpleasantness, they have to make up for my lost time

 

[graygables]

Have you considered starting this process by asking him to tell you a complete sentence, as you take dictation?
Another trick is to make the topic sentence and the conclusion sentence different colors from the body sentences, to help him keep track of where he is/what he still needs.
Maybe you could type up several sentences for him, cut them up (1 paper per sentence) and have him arrange them in a paragraph form? Then, he'd get to choose which sentences to use, and put them in order.

When my kids do this, I send them to opposite areas of the house to clean. They stop pretty soon The idea I use with this is twofold:
1. make complaining/fighting so unpleasant (with consequences) that they stop.
2. if I have to deal with their unpleasantness, they have to make up for my lost time

We've done the cut up sentences before with success. There are also printable, cut out-able brainstorming tools that can be used the same way. I don't remember where I got them, but I used to use them many moons ago in my teacher days.

As far as the fighting goes, I used to send mine outside when they were like that, along with instruction that they were not to come back in until they were over it. They could beat the crud out of each other, I didn't care, but they were NOT coming back in. Mind you, they had to go outside THAT INSTANT, so if they had no shoes or were in pajamas or it was raining or snowing, oh well, sucks to be you. It only took a few times for them to get the picture and they stopped, but I like the housecleaning idea, too.

 

[bellebud]

hey all, there's a thread Pollyannamom started on learning styles (on this board). Come join us if you feel like it. It can be for hser's, as well as schooled kids.

 

[robinsegg]

Just a quick rant
I'm seriously needing time to myself! It's been about 2 weeks since I had this, and I'm about ready to send my kids to their rooms for the duration!

I usually have time on Sundays . . .last week we stayed together because of scheduling with a church function. This week, we'll stay together because of ds's birthday.
Hubby's got a cold and is tired/irritable, so it's hard to leave them with him. We don't have money now for a babysitter (saving for Disney).

I'm just going nuts here!

Ok, rant over

I've found that regular time away gives me that extra peace I need, and I just can't seem to get it right now. :sigh:

 

[pamelasu1]

Hello! I just found this thread and I love it! I am homeschooling my DD12 this year for the first time. She attended our small church school preschool through 5th grade, but has many friends who hs, so had been begging to be hs'd for a couple of years. I work part time, never thought I could hs, but loved the idea. A couple of my hs friends offered to have her at their houses while I work, so we were able to make the change this year.

We are both loving it, although some days are more challenging than others. I love that she has the extra time now to do things she loves, such as art and dance. And, as a bonus, we are going to Disneyworld in 24 days, before the schools let out for Christmas break

Wish I had found this thread sooner, but I will definitely be following it now that I did!

 

[The6ofUs]

Hi everyone,

Just a note to let you know that registration for this spring's New York City homeschool trip is open. We'll have three trips this year, with smaller groups in each. For more info, see http://www.carolinahomeschooler.com/travelnyc.htm

I hope some of the DIS homeschoolers can join us!

Dianna

 

[disneymom3]

I am having such a hard time. DD is in high school this year and attending a small charter school not far from our home. I am not happy. but I didn't exactly love homeschooling her either. It's just not an environment I am all that happy having her in. Not that it's a bad school. As far as schools go, it's a good one. however....I don't know. Something just isn't right. I don't know what to do. She is not doing very well, primarily because she's not turning in assignments and she had surgery, missed a week of school and did not do a good job following up with making up tests etc that she had missed. Lovely. So, now her grades are crap because it was mid-terms. What a mess. I just don't know what to do.

 

[momtoltl74]

Hi my name is Shonda and I hs my 3 kids. Liberty is ins 2nd grade, Teyla is in K and Landon is in Preschool. I love hs'ing them. I look forward to getting to know you all who also have a love of Disney. We will be heading to DW in Sept. 2011 and we are all very excited.

 

[Nicolepa]

Hi my name is Shonda and I hs my 3 kids. Liberty is ins 2nd grade, Teyla is in K and Landon is in Preschool. I love hs'ing them. I look forward to getting to know you all who also have a love of Disney. We will be heading to DW in Sept. 2011 and we are all very excited.

Welcome! I have a Landon too. He will be 3 in Feb.

 

[momtoltl74]

Thank you for the welcome.

Mine will be 4 in Feb. the 13 )

 

[NHWX]

I'm sorry that she's going through such a rough time. My ds17 had day surgery this summer and it really knocked him for a loop. Add in pain meds, energy spent just recovering, etc. and that's a lot to take on during the school year.

I'd first ask you and your daughter if one semester of poor grades will make a lot of difference in the long run. If not, then take the time to heal and just get through each day. If it is, then I'd go to the administration and ask to work out a plan for this semester or even the whole year to take this into account. If she'll have follow-up doctors or therapy appointments, if medication changes her ability to sleep well, think well, etc., those are all aspects that the school should take into account.

If nothing else, your daughter can explain during her college applications that she had surgery during this semester. Her other grades will hopefully reflect that this is a short or mid-term difficulty.

NHWX

I am having such a hard time. DD is in high school this year and attending a small charter school not far from our home. I am not happy. but I didn't exactly love homeschooling her either. It's just not an environment I am all that happy having her in. Not that it's a bad school. As far as schools go, it's a good one. however....I don't know. Something just isn't right. I don't know what to do. She is not doing very well, primarily because she's not turning in assignments and she had surgery, missed a week of school and did not do a good job following up with making up tests etc that she had missed. Lovely. So, now her grades are crap because it was mid-terms. What a mess. I just don't know what to do.

 

[dis-happy]

Thank you to the DISer who mentioned Work Boxes!

I just set up a system for my ds. While I don't have the same needs as Sue Patrick (needing quiet and independant work), I do think it will help our school day go much more smoothly, having everything already laid out. And for those times when I am busy doing something else my ds can move right on to the next thing without having to wait for me. Plus, now those extra enrichment things that I seem to keep putting off will have a better chance of seeing the light of day. Already I feel much more organized and that's a great feeling! So, thank you!!!!

 

[danjoealexis3006]

Just bumping to the first page!

 

[DawnM]

Bumping.

We have had a rough few weeks. One child has been sick after another and then I got pneumonia and it had me laid flat for a whole week!

Kids are doing better with school and getting along. Just had a bad day there. Problem with writing is writing itself. He knows what a sentence looks like and can tell you sentences and parts of speech all day long. I need him to write! He is getting better.

Planning our next Disney trip!

Dawn