Thursday, February 17, 2011

(Jake making a cloud)
This can be a hard time for most homeschoolers, cabin fever, spring fever, burn out... It is funny for me I usually feel a renewed desire to read about homeschooling and asses how things are going, whats working whats not. Then I pin Dan down for the "how's schooling going" talk, he has alluded me so far... I'll get him soon!
So things are working pretty well, Riley (always the one who has been more of a challenge to school) is getting older and I am wondering if he is needing things a little different. It is also difficult with him because he is getting older and needs more Independence and more interesting (deeper?) material, but although he reads just fine he does not enjoy it. He is also not a big fan of much writing. I know these things will come, and I am ok with letting him develop on his own terms. But how do I meet his needs in the mean time? He has no patience for me to read his assignments to him, but needs something.
Jake is awesome, he loves "reading"! And most of his assignments are fun for him to spend time with me and feel good about what he's accomplished. But boy is he a wiggly guy! It is a good thing he is not confined to a desk and chair for hours everyday!!!
Fern is SO opinionated! We have always started our school time together doing some rhymes/fingerplay/singing, but lately she has refused to do this. Not bad or anything just weird. She has also taught herself most of the lowercase alphabet, I have not introduced it and usually don't until first grade. She has her own way! :)
Leili, well she is lots of fun, but we have mostly started doing a good amount of our school work when she is sleeping! I'm sure you can imagine why. She just LOVES to do anything the big kids are doing, and they just LOVE her (except when she is stilling on their drawing stealing their crayons).
This got a little long winded, so I'll end with a couple links!
Two great articles from the Thomas Jefferson Newsletter this week too!