Thursday, October 16, 2008

MOMS Club® Breakfast and Homeschool Ramblings.

Well today was a good day.  We didn't do much other than school work but after the last few days it was nice not having to run around.  Tomorrow morning it's off to my friends house.  Boys will come with me.  We are having a board and new member breakfast for MOMS Club®.  We are starting with the new members since Jan. 2008.  I think this will be a good way to get people to mingle with each other and feel more comfortable.

Homeschooling has been going well with the boys.  Chord is having problems a bit with subtracting when you have to borrow.  It's not really that he can't do it but I think he get's impatient and just does it without doing it and getting it wrong.  Then of course he has to go back and redo them.  When I tell him he has to borrow he does great and gets them all right.  It's just he doesn't want to do it I think LOL.  He can add (Carry over and all) and multiply the smaller numbers just fine though.  He's actually starting to learn a little bit of Pre-Algebra so I don't know why he just doesn't like to subtract with borrowing.

Jarod is really doing well with learning to read.  He took another Phonic test today and aced it!! I thought he would be harder to teach Phonic but I almost think he was easier than teaching Chord.  I don't know if it's because when I was teaching Chord we were newbie homeschoolers and  I was just getting frustrated.  Or if it's just easier LOL.  Chord is an excellent reader now but I just remember thinking he's never going to learn to read LOL.  I guess I am more relaxed with teaching it since we have now been homeschooling for four years though.

I think I am going to have to really go over the memorization facts of adding and subtracting.  He can do them but it he has to really think about them.  I was horrible in math so I really would like to see them understand it better than I ever did.  I think I will make a game of it though so it doesn't become more "work". 

Everything else they are doing really well in.  I love that now that we have been doing it for a while that we have our own flow of things.  Sometimes we start off at the same time but I am not really talking about time but we have a natural way we do things.  We are comfortable with each other and it's not a big fight to get through the school work.  I know we have our little school room but it's more for us a place to relax without distraction and really learn together.  Sometimes we get sidetracked with something else and it's ok.  I never feel rushed or that we need to catch up.  I know they will learn things when they are ready.  Not when I am ready :).

When we first started homeschooling I was a typical newbie LOL.  Not saying all new homescoolers are like this but a lot are.  I was making school at home instead of homeschooling.  Boy was that a hard first year LOL.  The longer we homeschool the more relaxed I have become and realizing just how much they learn without me having to do a whole lot.  I am more of an observer and helper, than I am a teacher.  I never really realized how much they can teach themselves.  Sure I am there to help them along the way but they can do a lot on their own.  They are becoming so independent as I watch them.

Well I have probably board you to tears reading this.  That is if anyone reads it LOL.  Thank you fore reading it though if you did :).  I hope you are having a great week!!!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kids learn to read so differently... With Jared it was a snap. He picked everything up so fast, it was like he taught himself... I wouldn't suggest having your first do that. Makes it harder when the younger kids don't pick it up so fast. *lol*

Ami said...

With the math facts I just made a grid.. you can get free printable ones already filled in online. I handed the grid to the kid (hey, that rhymes!) and said they could use it as long as needed.

Eventually, just through use, all the facts got memorized.