Well its been a while since I blogged.
The issue thats been fired up in the last day or so on the WTM boards is how to do/ get to Science? It seems many of us love history and find it difficult to teach, or find the time to teach, Science.
Its been an issue that I have thought about a lot.
I love Science. I just don't like the mess, the making it into work, the dryness of turning it into a subject.
I think Science is Life. It's real, it's nature, it's the world around us, and you have to get out there and touch, feel, taste, listen to it. Thats why I dont like 'studying' it. I don't want to turn my own love of nature or my kids' into a subject. I dont like doing Science experiments, like growing beans in different environments, because they are too contrived, and my kids already know the result, because we have a garden. Anyone with a garden knows.
All right, there are other things we could do as experiments that they wouldnt know, maybe. But it just seems so messy. I think I want to learn Science naturally. Or, get someone else to teach my kids, someone who is passionate and loves to teach it.
However, we are doing Science. Apart from the nature walks, and the discussions, and the documentaries. We do 'do' Science. Genevieve is outlining Science from How the Universe Works. Jared is reading lots. We read together.
We do it on alternate weeks to History. That way, we do it. But I am still not happy with it. We all prefer history. We can sit on a couch and be enraptured by the story of history. We can read it ourselves and be fascinated. But my kids do not naturally pick up a National Geographic or any book on Science and just read it. I have to make them. Yes, they will watch documentaries.
I read Science. I like it. My dad is a scientist. But its just not cosy and comfortable to teach.
Maybe its because I dont have a good curriculum, but I dont think so. I have tried a few 'good' ones and I still dont even use them, they dont excite me. Even maths excites me nowadays. Even grammar. Wierd. Just not science. I love it for myself, just not to 'teach'. Maybe I should let my kids loose a bit more with it, let them find their own passions, and go from there. Maybe.
OK, I am getting myself down about this. We are ok. I know I am not alone in this anyway.
Friday, February 25, 2005
Saturday, February 05, 2005
books and reading ability
Well, I am sitting here, and I only wrote on my blog yesterday but I feel like writing again.
I am about to go and read the kids the next chapter of The Hobbit. They are so into it. Less than a year ago I tried it and they just begged me to stop, they didn't like it. Now, they beg me to read it at mealtimes and late into the evening. Just goes to show what a bit of extra maturity will do.
I went to a private Christian girl's school (where we learnt Latin and had to wear hats AND gloves)
but we must have had a good English staff because in my first year of highschool, which is year 7 where I grew up, I was 11, we had to read The Hobbit. Well, of course I loved it, we al ldid, my best friend called her dog Bilbo.
We also had to read a book called The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart. If you havnt read it, and the next 2 books in the series (the Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment) I highly recommend them. The first is the story of Merlin, or rather the Arthurian legend through Merlin. Its so wonderful. I remember finding it a little bit of a challenge (as was the Hobbit) but VERY worth it.
I have just given it to my 10 year old, as we are doing Medieval this year, and told her, dont worry, if its a bit too much for you, (it is an adult book), you dont have to read it now, you can wait till you are older. She is hooked, she loves it, and says its not too hard at all.
Which really makes me think, all this reading we do is definitely helping their reading skills- and I was a prolific reader as a child, but I remember finding the Crystal Cave a little challenging, at 11-12, yet my daughter is only 10. Thats good!
As for myself, what am I reading? I have a pile of spiritual books next to my bed. However I am not at the moment really INTO any particular book. I miss getting into a good novel, but I got out of the habit many years ago and have only read non fiction since then. As in, reading for a reason, rather than just for pleasure, for the comfort and joy or enrichment of being into a good book. There are so many good ones out there, but I dont know any at all. Sounds silly, but I am looking.
I did read Siblings Without Rivalry recently, that is still next to my bed. I highly recommend it. My kids were really fighting a lot over the summer holidays (Christmas hols here in Australia) and I was at my wits end knowing how to deal with it. The book really helped. They really just want to be heard. I listened, and threw the solving of it back to them, and it was miraculous. I dotn always have the patience for it, but it really does work.
I tried Don Quixote and perhaps I will try it again. I found it surprisingly good, yet not good enough to be a high priority for my time, and the library needed it back long before I finished.
So, I am still on the lookout for a good book. Its unlike me to not have one. Maybe its all this homeschool reading I do.
ok, time to go read The Hobbit. over and out for today
I am about to go and read the kids the next chapter of The Hobbit. They are so into it. Less than a year ago I tried it and they just begged me to stop, they didn't like it. Now, they beg me to read it at mealtimes and late into the evening. Just goes to show what a bit of extra maturity will do.
I went to a private Christian girl's school (where we learnt Latin and had to wear hats AND gloves)
but we must have had a good English staff because in my first year of highschool, which is year 7 where I grew up, I was 11, we had to read The Hobbit. Well, of course I loved it, we al ldid, my best friend called her dog Bilbo.
We also had to read a book called The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart. If you havnt read it, and the next 2 books in the series (the Hollow Hills, and The Last Enchantment) I highly recommend them. The first is the story of Merlin, or rather the Arthurian legend through Merlin. Its so wonderful. I remember finding it a little bit of a challenge (as was the Hobbit) but VERY worth it.
I have just given it to my 10 year old, as we are doing Medieval this year, and told her, dont worry, if its a bit too much for you, (it is an adult book), you dont have to read it now, you can wait till you are older. She is hooked, she loves it, and says its not too hard at all.
Which really makes me think, all this reading we do is definitely helping their reading skills- and I was a prolific reader as a child, but I remember finding the Crystal Cave a little challenging, at 11-12, yet my daughter is only 10. Thats good!
As for myself, what am I reading? I have a pile of spiritual books next to my bed. However I am not at the moment really INTO any particular book. I miss getting into a good novel, but I got out of the habit many years ago and have only read non fiction since then. As in, reading for a reason, rather than just for pleasure, for the comfort and joy or enrichment of being into a good book. There are so many good ones out there, but I dont know any at all. Sounds silly, but I am looking.
I did read Siblings Without Rivalry recently, that is still next to my bed. I highly recommend it. My kids were really fighting a lot over the summer holidays (Christmas hols here in Australia) and I was at my wits end knowing how to deal with it. The book really helped. They really just want to be heard. I listened, and threw the solving of it back to them, and it was miraculous. I dotn always have the patience for it, but it really does work.
I tried Don Quixote and perhaps I will try it again. I found it surprisingly good, yet not good enough to be a high priority for my time, and the library needed it back long before I finished.
So, I am still on the lookout for a good book. Its unlike me to not have one. Maybe its all this homeschool reading I do.
ok, time to go read The Hobbit. over and out for today
Friday, February 04, 2005
week 2- Science woes, and new schedule
Well, we have managed to get through our second week of the year of school.
I had a mid week crisis about Science and posted on the WTM boards about it. I got so many beautiful responses. I thought I was fine, that I had my act together with science, but I dissolved into tears in frustrations after one science session with the kids, which surprised me!
I am not so good with experiments, messy things they are, but I tried one and the kids were bored. That triggered it. But more, it was the writing I was expecting them to do. I got lots of great ideas from the posts, and I decided to relax and just take it easy, even to unschool science until I could find a better way. (or a better curriculum - that endless search for the perfect curriculum!). I love Science myself, and my dad is an astronomer, and we are doing astronomy this term, (dad lives on the other side of Australia though). I just couldnt get the kids excited though.
We have a great planetarium here in Perth- but of course, when we went this week , it was closed for yearly maintenance. grrrr
Then someone emailed me privately and asked if they could help me, perhaps I was getting overwhelmed with my schedule. I took them up on their offer and emailed them my kids' schedules. Well, am I glad I did that!
So many wonderful suggestions for my son.
I have been trying to do too much, but not very effectively, I can see that now.
My new schedule for ds9. He seems to be doing mostly U.S. 3rd grade material. My pencil allergic, doesnt care a fig about punctuation, often very difficult to work with son, bless him.
Maths- Singapore, 2 lessons a day. Also times tables and Saxon drill sheets. 45 minutes. He likes maths.
Grammar- Rod and Staff- orally and with a WHITEBOARD- why did I never think of that myself? 10 minutes a day.
Spelling Power, because he wants to! He actually likes spelling, he is a natural speller.
Latin- 10 minutes mostly, longer at beginning of week, orally and with flash cards.
Writing- either dictation, copwork or written narration The trick is, to repeat the dictation or whatever each day till he gets it right. I started this this week with a science dictation , and he did it 3 days in a row- it was his only writing, apart from 2 lines of copywork for handwriting practice. It was amazing, I could really see his weaknesses. He corrected the punctuation by today, the 3rd day, but made 2 new spelling mistakes! But he liked doing it, no resistence except for constant happy chatting and losing focus, and it felt much more effective and satsifying to work on the same passage than just showing him the mistakes and moving on the next day. So, I have a new attitude with him, to work on perfection, the quality of his writing, rather than quantity.
So, I am happy. I needed to let go of what I thought he was supposed to be doing, and find a way to help him improve, starting right where he is at! He can do memory work, reading, listening to me read etc- I tend to think only 'writing' counts, but its not true at all.
Of course, today he read a Childcraft book for Science, and he learned something very exciting that he didnt know before, that our sun is actually a star. He didnt even believe it at first! He came to check with me. Now, thats the sort of thing I want to see with Science- a child jumping off the couch to come and find me to check if what they read could possibly be true!
So, its been a good week.
I had a mid week crisis about Science and posted on the WTM boards about it. I got so many beautiful responses. I thought I was fine, that I had my act together with science, but I dissolved into tears in frustrations after one science session with the kids, which surprised me!
I am not so good with experiments, messy things they are, but I tried one and the kids were bored. That triggered it. But more, it was the writing I was expecting them to do. I got lots of great ideas from the posts, and I decided to relax and just take it easy, even to unschool science until I could find a better way. (or a better curriculum - that endless search for the perfect curriculum!). I love Science myself, and my dad is an astronomer, and we are doing astronomy this term, (dad lives on the other side of Australia though). I just couldnt get the kids excited though.
We have a great planetarium here in Perth- but of course, when we went this week , it was closed for yearly maintenance. grrrr
Then someone emailed me privately and asked if they could help me, perhaps I was getting overwhelmed with my schedule. I took them up on their offer and emailed them my kids' schedules. Well, am I glad I did that!
So many wonderful suggestions for my son.
I have been trying to do too much, but not very effectively, I can see that now.
My new schedule for ds9. He seems to be doing mostly U.S. 3rd grade material. My pencil allergic, doesnt care a fig about punctuation, often very difficult to work with son, bless him.
Maths- Singapore, 2 lessons a day. Also times tables and Saxon drill sheets. 45 minutes. He likes maths.
Grammar- Rod and Staff- orally and with a WHITEBOARD- why did I never think of that myself? 10 minutes a day.
Spelling Power, because he wants to! He actually likes spelling, he is a natural speller.
Latin- 10 minutes mostly, longer at beginning of week, orally and with flash cards.
Writing- either dictation, copwork or written narration The trick is, to repeat the dictation or whatever each day till he gets it right. I started this this week with a science dictation , and he did it 3 days in a row- it was his only writing, apart from 2 lines of copywork for handwriting practice. It was amazing, I could really see his weaknesses. He corrected the punctuation by today, the 3rd day, but made 2 new spelling mistakes! But he liked doing it, no resistence except for constant happy chatting and losing focus, and it felt much more effective and satsifying to work on the same passage than just showing him the mistakes and moving on the next day. So, I have a new attitude with him, to work on perfection, the quality of his writing, rather than quantity.
So, I am happy. I needed to let go of what I thought he was supposed to be doing, and find a way to help him improve, starting right where he is at! He can do memory work, reading, listening to me read etc- I tend to think only 'writing' counts, but its not true at all.
Of course, today he read a Childcraft book for Science, and he learned something very exciting that he didnt know before, that our sun is actually a star. He didnt even believe it at first! He came to check with me. Now, thats the sort of thing I want to see with Science- a child jumping off the couch to come and find me to check if what they read could possibly be true!
So, its been a good week.
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