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I know this has been talked about on this board before and now that we're a bit farther up in levels, I'm wondering if any of you have done this for the projects or paintings?

I know in schools kids get ideas from others, but it also sort of gives me a bad taste as it also increases copying or lack of imagination.

I think it would be helpful to sort of pre-do some projects, but as far as painting, I'd hate dd to feel like she had to compete. Perhaps the flap book could be partially completed and cut, but without pictures so dd would know what's expected without mom hovering over directions. I know she needs to read directions, but we're in the learning stage of that. Perhaps, moreso I should not be so controlling. Perhaps show her a general model?

So, as we're completing our first week of CTC, I was wondering if anyone has done this and has it been helpful? I know there's a photobook to see, but my service stinks and it would take forever to load it up all the time,not to mention, it's just not the same as to actually see one on hand.

I know I tend to hover and want him to make the projects the "right" way. I am realizing that I need to step back and just let him interpret the directions. That is my goal for this year. If it doesn't look exactly like I think it should then so be it (hard for the rule follower, perfectionist in me to do). If he gets stuck and really doesn't understand then I will try and help, but I see how important it is for the projects to be his own. When I have helped too much then he doesn't seem to get as much joy in the project, or learn as much. If he does it all himself, even if it isn't perfect he is so excited about it and loves to show it off and makes better connections with what he is learning. Last year in CTC my dd age 15 did the paintings also at the same time he did. It was so interesting to see how they took the same set of directions and interpreted things differently. A dear friend was just over and looking at their painting portfolio and she thought it was so neat how you could see their different styles and personalities in the way they did the same painting. My dd also did a few projects at the same time and I saw the same thing. They might have something that looked completely different from each other, but yet still achieved the goal of the project.

I do think LynnH has good advice. I fall in the category of a perfectionist as well, but I am (slowly) learning to let go and be happy with "well done". Sometimes well done means happily done and well remembered, more so than done my way and unhappily done with some repressed anger.

I have gone to doing some invisible modeling. (I've made up this term .) I have my ds read the entire box of plans to himself, while I do the same. Then he gets out the needed supplies, and I help get things as needed. Then, I have him do the invisible modeling. He looks at the box of plans, and step by step, shows me with his hands, kind of gesturing and pointing, what he'll be doing. For example, he might say for the watercolor painting, "I'll use this brush and dip it in water and brush back and forth over the paper like this. Then, I'll let it dry a bit, wad up a paper towel and get off any extra water. Then, I'll dip this brush in this paint, paint down to here on the paper, add this paint to the brush...," etc. This has been very helpful because he visualizes what he'll be doing, and I can see if he's off track. If he is, I'll have him look at the box's directions and help him find what he may have missed, and then I get to do the invisible gesturing. If he is stuck on visualizing how to draw/create something specific for a project (i.e. an elephant), I'll draw a quick sketch of one on a markerboard with dry erase markers, so he can get the gist of it without me doing the work for him or giving him something to just copy. I have helped him look up pictures of this or that in his HOD books if he needs something to look at that would be helpful, but I have decided not to actually model the project for him, as both of our perfectionist tendencies kick into gear then, and the results are me trying to get him to do it my way, and him thinking he failed if he couldn't. Anyway, this is just an idea, but I thought I'd share it as it has worked well for Wyatt and me.

In Christ,
Julie

That's actually a great idea. Her first watercolor tree looks rather, um not up to grade level...I suppose whatever that means. But having her go through the directions and motions could be extremely helpful. Maybe even a few sample runs prior to beginning too. MMmmm.... yeah...yeah....I'm going to do that.

One thing I've realized about myself is, that I always thought the goal was in the finished product. Well homeschooling my children has given me such a wonderful new perspective on this. I realized that the learning doesn't happen when we all sit back and admire the finished product. The learning happens in the process of "doing" it themselves. Through reading so many posts that Carrie has written on the "why" of certain skills, I've seen how so much learning is happening in the smaller things within each guide. Maybe things that may easily be skipped over because they don't look that important. (Now we don't skip anything, because we truly believe in what HOD is teaching, in every box of the guide, is very important.) But in doing those things for themselves, children are learning so much and taking away a sense of independence and accomplishment in their work, as well as developing and building on their skills within that guide.

Just thought I'd share that! May you have a blessed year teaching your daughter!