Time to tweak

[threegreatkids]

Tweak our routines, that is, since I really wouldn't change a thing about the programs

So our honeymoon weeks are over, and last week was challenging. One kiddo has figured out which subjects she doesn't love (english and math) and there were more complaints than I would like. Th other kiddo is just VERY prone to distractions, and that was more evident this week than the previous 3.

But the Biggest issue is juggling 2 programs without losing the attention of one while working with another. Was it Julie who talked about floating or gliding from child to child? I have this lovely image of this graceful, effortless attending to one patient child and then another. I feel like I'm doing too much thudding and not enough floating, KWIM? Neither of my dc has alot of independent subjects, so I work with one and let the other either play or do something like a puzzle or math pattern blocks and then switch.

We are easily finishing by 12:30 (we start at 8:30 or 9), but it just feels awkward.

Also, the two kids that I'm teaching at home are the two who are most prone to argue with each other. This week I noticed a spirit of possesiveness about their programs, like if ds came over to hear dd's science book..."This isn't YOUR science." Yuck! Now they are both in programs that fit them perfectly, but am I missing an opportunity to nurture their relationship by separating them for everything??

Here's what I've come up with to try this coming week:
-add an extra read-aloud during snack that they listen to TOGETHER
-pray all together and read ds's LHFHG bible story all together (since dd often likes to listen in later in the day to that anyway) before starting school with dd (who has the 1st block)
-purposefully schedule BHFHG science readings and experiments with both dc, then do any written work with just dd

Please offer any suggestions if you have them. I want to float!!!!!

[juliekay]

I am so glad you shared and I think your plan sounds wonderful! It's funny because I've been thinking that maybe if I add another program and separate each child to a program - perhaps that might help me "float" better! We will be starting week 5 of Preparing & LHTH. I'm not floating everyday - maybe more like juggling - of course I have that "toddler ball" in the mix , but I am so pleased with what we have been able to accomplish and the kids still like homeschooling!
Reading your post has made me think about my day and why I am liking HOD so much..... It's the things we are doing TOGETHER - Bible, History and Story time!

[my3sons]

Believe me, sometimes I thud instead of float. The goal is to float, but it doesn't always go that way. I have actually found that separating the dc at different tables in different rooms works wonders. I was originally going to float all at the kitchen table - or I guess that might be more hovering from chair to chair. That didn't work well for me, probably because our kitchen table was small, and our toddler is LOUD. I now have my oldest working at the dining room table, and my middle at the kitchen table with the toddler. That worked so much better, and I really could float quite well between the two rooms as they are right next to each other. This week I'm putting the toddler's table in the kitchen during this time to try that out. It's at his height and he can play at it better. I guess my first thought as I read your post was that if you are finishing by noon now and things are going fairly well, maybe just putting some distance between the two during their schooling times would be enough. Having prayer together and a read aloud during breakfast or lunch would be nice, but I don't know if I'd start having them listen in on each other's Bible or science. I think it's kind of neat they both like their own programs, and I think if you started them being together for the Bible/science, that they may get even more possessive of their time and be more upset - BUT, there's one way to tell, and that's to just try it out because I could be totally off the mark here.

One comment about the floating - the purpose for me doing that was not to have them all have a neat together time but that I needed my toddler to be able to be out and about, and he's loud. So, it made sense to have them be in proximity doing semi-independent things all at once during that time, since I needed to keep a close eye on toddler anyway. I figure when we are finishing at noon, they have the entire rest of the day to be together (and I have the rest of the day to help them work on being together in a loving way ). They also have the night together, so a little separation is a good thing. So, here's to floating as gracefully as we can, maybe from room to room instead of from chair to chair, and maybe with some occasional thunking involved too! HTH! And I guarantee you'll be able to tell after giving your plan a try if it's a hit or miss - I think it's worth giving it a shot and seeing how that goes!

In Christ,
Julie

[threegreatkids]

I am so glad you shared and I think your plan sounds wonderful! It's funny because I've been thinking that maybe if I add another program and separate each child to a program - perhaps that might help me "float" better! We will be starting week 5 of Preparing & LHTH. I'm not floating everyday - maybe more like juggling - of course I have that "toddler ball" in the mix , but I am so pleased with what we have been able to accomplish and the kids still like homeschooling!
Reading your post has made me think about my day and why I am liking HOD so much..... It's the things we are doing TOGETHER - Bible, History and Story time!

Thanks, Julie, for your encouragement. It's a challenge to figure out the best fit for our family...some seem to thrive with combining and others with separating. I guess what matters is what God leads us all do to with our own family, right? Wishing you many days of floating this year

[threegreatkids]

Believe me, sometimes I thud instead of float. The goal is to float, but it doesn't always go that way. I have actually found that separating the dc at different tables in different rooms works wonders. I was originally going to float all at the kitchen table - or I guess that might be more hovering from chair to chair. That didn't work well for me, probably because our kitchen table was small, and our toddler is LOUD. I now have my oldest working at the dining room table, and my middle at the kitchen table with the toddler. That worked so much better, and I really could float quite well between the two rooms as they are right next to each other. This week I'm putting the toddler's table in the kitchen during this time to try that out. It's at his height and he can play at it better. I guess my first thought as I read your post was that if you are finishing by noon now and things are going fairly well, maybe just putting some distance between the two during their schooling times would be enough. Having prayer together and a read aloud during breakfast or lunch would be nice, but I don't know if I'd start having them listen in on each other's Bible or science. I think it's kind of neat they both like their own programs, and I think if you started them being together for the Bible/science, that they may get even more possessive of their time and be more upset - BUT, there's one way to tell, and that's to just try it out because I could be totally off the mark here.

One comment about the floating - the purpose for me doing that was not to have them all have a neat together time but that I needed my toddler to be able to be out and about, and he's loud. So, it made sense to have them be in proximity doing semi-independent things all at once during that time, since I needed to keep a close eye on toddler anyway. I figure when we are finishing at noon, they have the entire rest of the day to be together (and I have the rest of the day to help them work on being together in a loving way ). They also have the night together, so a little separation is a good thing. So, here's to floating as gracefully as we can, maybe from room to room instead of from chair to chair, and maybe with some occasional thunking involved too! HTH! And I guarantee you'll be able to tell after giving your plan a try if it's a hit or miss - I think it's worth giving it a shot and seeing how that goes!

In Christ,
Julie

Julie,
Thanks for giving some more details about your floating...and for reminding me that even seasoned floaters can thud once in awhile I see what you are saying about the reasons for organizing your day and time in this way. I don't have a toddler in the mix, but my 6 y.o. is so distractible that if i leave for even a few minutes he is onto something else, like making shooting noises with his pencils. So I think one of my main goals for him this year is helping him learn to stay on task. I wonder if floating is the wrong goal for right now for me? Maybe my current system of ping-ponging (working with one, then the other) is actually OK.
The problem we run into with that system is that if I let either one go upstairs to play it is hard to get them back to school again.
I'll try to post my freshly tweaked schedule and see if anyone has any ideas.

[threegreatkids]

Tweaked schedule...LH=ds6 doing Little Hearts, BH=dd8 doing Bigger Hearts

Block 1- all together LH Bible Story (History Box), BH Hymn and Prayer

Block 2- LH- break
BH-Bible and Math

Block 3- LH- Bible/Music and Phonics
BH- finish math, do cursive, Foreign language

snack/recess

Block 4- LH- "surprise box" (pattern blocks, book on tape, etc)
BH- Spelling, Poetry, DITHR, Poetry

Block 5- LH- Fine Motor, Math, Rhymes, Storytime, Rotating Box
BH- "surprise box" (puzzle, book on tape, etc.)

Block 6- BH- Science (possibly with ds listening in), History, Rotating Box

Lunch and together-read-aloud (we do read-aloud for BH in the eve with dd9 who goes to Christian School)

Thoughts?
Maybe I just need to stop feeling guilty that they are not working more independently, and use this year to teach, train, and help build good habits.

[juliekay]

Thoughts?
Maybe I just need to stop feeling guilty that they are not working more independently, and use this year to teach, train, and help build good habits.

There you go! That working independently thing is a LONG journey. Even my ds 12.5 and 11.5 still struggle in certain areas with this. Like missing details in the assignment or keeping up with the schedule. I THOUGHT I could do a weekly sit-down, check-up/ directing thing with them, but I'm just finding that some things need a daily or bi-daily check up and some things don't even need a check up depending on the child, depending on what they like, depending on their distractibility. My older ds's are doing a great job and my 8 year old isn't even close to where they are, but he's learning. HOD is the only curriculum I know of that gently directs and propels the learner into independent learning. Like you, I am continually reminding myself that it's a drawn-out progression, but I guess that is exactly what you need in order to create a good habit. Right?

[Carrie]

The ladies in this thread are right! There is much training that needs to take place for kiddos to truly be able to do things well independently. So, you are wise to think of this as a training period in moving kiddos toward some independence. Even once my kiddos are independent in some areas, I still check their work daily to keep them on their toes.

Many teachers that I used to teach with in my public school days never really trained their kiddos in independence. This left them using tasks like coloring and silent reading as independent tasks for their kiddos but never allowed the children to actually do any skill-based tasks independently. Consequently, the kiddos were continually asking the teacher what to do next, as they could never proceed well on their own.

The same is true in homeschooling. It is a progression to teach kiddos to do skill-based tasks independently, but it will be a huge help to you in the long-run to train them in these tasks (for both teacher and learner). Be encouraged that you are on the right track.

Blessings,
Carrie