Is this ok(a bit unstructured)......?

mamamia · Post by **mamamia** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:11 am

I visit this board daily! It's been a source of motivation on my many(lately)discouraging days. I keep saying "I can do it!"

My DS will be turning 6 soon. I have both the LHFHG and BLHFHG in anticipation of the fall. This is what I am wondering...I have noticed that many of you have a schedule. Some seem to get all the work done in one sitting. We seem to be randomly working through things throughout the day. For example...this morning he got up and played while I vacuumed. Then during breakfast he did a couple of ETC workbook pages on his own(at his own choosing). He played a bit more then we did the continent song(in the appendix). Now he is on his computer. I have many books including all the supplements around the house. As the day goes on he may ask to read with me or look through the book. I may start talking about something in the history or science book etc. More play throughout the day(I have math manipulatives around etc). Then at bedtime we will read and talk about a Bible story, read from the science or whatever other book. Last night while reading he started talking about noun,verbs, adverbs etc.

We made a poster that we list our scripture we are learning. I also made a creation poster. I'll do random things like that to grab his interest. Is it ok to be so unstructured? Am I doing enough? I'm starting to think that I lean toward unschooling. It seems we do the work but not always in the order of the manual.

Vicki · Post by **Vicki** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:01 am

I think however it works for you is what is best. The little boxes are neat because they can be done as you can work them in. Sometimes it's around laundry, playtime, or cooking or whatever--but we usually get them all in.

Looks fine to me, and it looks like you're already instilling a love of learning in your child.

Melanie · Post by **Melanie** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:10 am

Hey....he's only 5....just do whatever floats your boat (and his)!

We do all of ours is one big chunk, but that's only b/c my kids have figured out that when school is done, they can play!

They usually plan some big elaborate "thing" to do after school as soon as they wake up in the morning.

inHistiming · Post by **inHistiming** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:36 am

I think it is absolutely fine to break your work up throughout the day if that works for you! As homeschoolers (and as parents in general) we are teaching them all of the time. It's a reality that the vacuuming has to get done, as do the dishes, and dinner and laundry...

He is learning that those things are a priority too as he watches you do those things. And I'm sure he's learning to do some of them himself, as well. I tend to want to have a schedule, because it keeps me on task. If I don't have a plan for the day, the whole day disappears into never-never land!

However, I am a 'wanna-be' unschooler, with a basic plan to follow, KWIM?! Is that an oxymoron? I want to be able to follow those bunny trails, and spend weeks and weeks studying a particular topic we love, then move forward faster if we've learned all we want in another subject. I desire that...but anyone who knows me would tell you I have to have a plan; what time, where, how, in what order, etc.

Anyway, all that to say you should do it how it is most comfortable for you. As homeschoolers we do not have to have a traditional school day from 8-3! That's just one of the many freedoms we have as hs'ers. He is learnign what is in your manual, what you think is important for him to learn, and that's how God designed it. He gave each of us our children, because He knows that we will teach them the best way for them...It's great that you can be so relaxed. I say go for it! You can always add more structure as he gets older, and bit by bit in certain areas.

I hope that helps you feel better about what you're doing.

mamamia · Post by **mamamia** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:07 pm

What a blessing your replies are! Thank you for reminding me of some things and teaching me some new things

I wish we were more structured and that he would love to just sit and do his work and then we are done. I feel better knowing that the way we are doing it is ok as well. Ahhh, big sigh!

Though I'll probably keep reading your posts in awe of your structure!

granolamom6 · Post by **granolamom6** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:00 pm

I love how you incorporate learning throughout your day! You truly have a lifestyle of learning. That is wonderful and what many of us are striving for in our homes.

Keep up the good work, Momma!

Post by **Carrie** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:50 pm

mamamia,

I have to admit that structured as I am by personality, when my oldest was 5, I was fairly unstructured with his schooling. We did accomplish what we needed to overall, but our day was not nearly as structured as it is now. I think that as I added more kiddos to my schooling, I HAD to become more structured in order to get time with each of them. So, don't worry that the tone you have now is inappropriate. If you're happy, and he's happy and you're moving forward, you're fine.

Little boys tend to need more movement than little girls, so the boxes in our guides are designed for short spurts of learning (which is how you're designing your day)!

I just wanted to encourage you too! Just because you like learning is short spurts scattered throughout your day, doesn't make you an unschooler. It just makes you well suited for the set-up of our guides.

Blessings,
Carrie

mamamia · Post by **mamamia** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:49 am

Thanks for your reply Carrie. I really like how the boxes are set up. This past weekend I went through LHFHG abd highlighted the boxed I will continue with this yr(Bible,math,fine-motor,movement,science). I'm going to do the history and storytime boxes plus thinking skills(fine motor)for next yr. I realized that he was not ready for the history and even some of the fine motor. Instead of throwing the baby out with the bath water.....I'm going to split my manual up. Plus add some of the Beyond manual for next yr.

Does that seem appropriate? Will he be learning enough? Basically the only history will be the Bible(most important). We will be reading various books for our storytime. He's loving the same Little Bear story every day.

Does anyone else do it this way??

joyfulheart · Post by **joyfulheart** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:56 am

As a mom of a 5 and 6 year olds in PUBLIC school, I wouldn't worry about the history too much!

In prek and kinder here they dont learn history much at all. On presidents day, they did a week long study of presidents, mostly the "famous" one's.

That's pretty much it, so far. Other than a few easy beginning reader books that may touch on the subject of history there's nothing else.

I think you are doing what works! Definately don't worry about anything the child is missing. TRUST ME, your child is getting one on one learning from YOU. In public school, my kinder is getting 24 kids to one teacher. Who do you think is learning more? LOL

(still working on DH to let me bring home the other kids, but we'll get there eventually!)

Melanie · Post by **Melanie** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:31 am

mamamia wrote:I went through LHFHG abd highlighted the boxed I will continue with this yr(Bible,math,fine-motor,movement,science). I'm going to do the history and storytime boxes plus thinking skills(fine motor)for next yr. I realized that he was not ready for the history and even some of the fine motor. Instead of throwing the baby out with the bath water.....I'm going to split my manual up. Plus add some of the Beyond manual for next yr.

Does that seem appropriate? Will he be learning enough? Basically the only history will be the Bible(most important). We will be reading various books for our storytime. He's loving the same Little Bear story every day.

Does anyone else do it this way??

Hmm....you've just highlighted and described everything that is taught is Little Hands..

Have you used Little Hands?? It would make Little Hearts run so much smoother is you just waited to do the science, rhymes and memory verses with the history and storytime.....kwim?

mamamia · Post by **mamamia** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 11:17 am

I've never checked out LHTH. I actually thought my son was too old for it(he will be 6 next month). Hmmmm, after I write this I'm going to check it out.

Thanks:)

Post by **Carrie** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 3:50 pm

Mamamia,

Let us know what you discover after looking over LHTH! I'd agree it would be worth checking out to see if it's a better overall placement for your little son!

Here's a link to the placement chart:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/placing-your-child.php

And a link to the Sample pages of LHTH:
http://www.heartofdakota.com/pdf/little ... t-week.pdf

Blessings,
Carrie

mamamia · Post by **mamamia** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:43 pm

I wish I had known about LHTH when he was younger,it looks wonderful. My DS places in a combo of LHFHF and Beyond.

Does my idea of saving the storytime box(Burgess books) and the History box(Little Pilgrims and History Stories) for next yr seem to make sense? Those are the 2 areas that seem a bit advanced for him right now.

Melanie · Post by **Melanie** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 6:20 pm

I'm just thinking out loud here, so bear with me.....it may not make sense!

If he places that high on the chart, then I'm going to suggest you go ahead with the history and storytime. I think once you get started, you may discover he's more ready than you thought. Here's my "why"....

The boxes on the left side of the page just don't really lend themselves to be pulled apart....they were written to tie the history reading into the other subject areas. If you pull those apart, you lose the whole concept and besides that, some of the activities won't even make sense without the history reading. Once you get started, the first half of the history reading are Bible stories, so I think you'll find it just fine.

The Burgess stories just take some getting use to....I don't know a better way to say it. They are written is a certain "style" and once you get into the Burgess groove, I bet your ds will love him as much as we do. It will really help his comprehension as you work through these classics. Perfect narration is not expected in Little Hearts.....we're still in the learning what it is and how to do it!

Just continue with fine motor practice....he a boy....they just take longer!

Just use the suggestions for K and he'll improve, those R&S books are terrific!

OK.....there's my $.02!

Mel

Post by **Carrie** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 10:34 pm

mamamia,

I agree with Melanie that if your little guy is placing between "Little Hearts..." and "Beyond..." then he is ready to go forward with the history readings and storytime. Think of both of those areas as something that he'll grow into as the year goes on. The readings are meant to build listening skills in your little one, which a necessary skill that takes time to master just like phonics or math. Just as kiddos don't read automatically but are instead introduced to it in short, systematic sessions, listening skills need to be developed in that same way. The short, systematic readings in "Little Hearts..." will eventually "grow" your child's listening abilities.

Whenever, we begin "Little Hearts..." with adifferent one of my kiddos, I feel like that child isn't retaining much from the readings and I wonder if he's even hearing any of it. But, over time, I can see my little guy is gaining and retaining more than I thought.

Some moms put aside difficult readings, until they feel their kiddos can grasp it all. Yet, the more Charlotte-Mason style of learning says kids can grasp more than we think from difficult readings, and so we should expose them to good narrative stories in short sessions and give them a chance to flourish over time.

I fall into the Charlotte-Mason camp with reading aloud. I'd encourage you to ponder on it and see what you think.

Blessings,
Carrie