School Update

I've been meaning to update what we've been doing in school for quite some time, but life keeps getting in the way :) I have succumbed (sp?) to this head cold going around the house and, of course, I got an allergy attack on top of that. I'd just like to know why the east coast gets all the snow and we get a dirty air mass hanging over us??? I'll trade!!!

Anyway, we've really been enjoying Core K. Matthew loves the Mother Goose book and other poem book we read each day. He loves how silly the original Mother Goose poems are and sometimes we launch ourselves into a small history lesson because of them. We're doing an overview of world history this year and I will admit that it's hard to restrain myself at times. History is one of my passions (having taught it for nine years) and I'm able to add little extras into each lesson. He's fascinated with what happened "back then" so I may have my little history buff. We also work our way through a book and so far we have reread the first Boxcar Children story (we read it about a year ago) and are almost done with The Apple and the Arrow, a story about William Tell. Matthew LOVES this story and begs me to read more each day. I have to admit I'm enjoying it as well! He's always more interested in our readings when they are based on a true event (or legend, in this case.) Again, my little history buff!!

The one thing he hates is handwriting, although he's doing well with it. I don't use a program with him and have had him printing from my sample writing. When he tries and concentrates, he writes well. He just doesn't like doing it and I think it's just a "guy" thing for him. I let him take his spelling tests orally unless he really messes up, then he has to write. It's great motivation for him to get the words right the first time!

Another part of his language arts is reading. For the first 18 weeks, he is supposed to read The Beginner's Bible and then there are questions to answer each day on the reading. As soon as that book came out of the box, he snatched it up and it's been his constant companion! He's read it through twice already and is working on a third round. He likes to read it before bedtime b/c he says that it keeps him from having nightmares. I don't make him reread it during "school time" unless he can't answer the questions. So far, we've only had two re-reads.

We also have a map that we use for several subjects to find places we're studying or reading about. Both boys are fascinated with the map. I marked where we live so that can get an idea of where everything is in conjunction to us.

Now for Ben. I was allowing him to join Matthew at his leisure, but he seemed to lose interest in school time completely. I didn't really care since he's only three and let him join more to humor him than anything. However, he started becoming very disruptive once Matthew got his new school material. That got me to thinking and I realized he was just jealous. So I decided to pull out the Early Education book I used for Matthew last year in preschool and we've been working through it. We read some library books, a Christian Mother Goose book (gotta be like Matthew), and we ordered him the Get Ready for the Code books for some simple phonics lessons. We do a page each day. We are also working through the Brain Quest cards for 3's. He's whizzing through them and will be ready for the 4's in no time.

Rob decided that he wanted to teach science, so he ordered the Science K material from Sonlight. They just started this week and are having fun learning with Daddy.

My mornings became a little more full doing two separate school times, but it's not a big deal. I'd rather teach than do housework any day :) Ben's only takes 15 mintues and Matthew an hour, so it doesn't eat up that much time.

And I do spend some special time with Anna each morning. Sometimes we play, sometimes we sing, but we always end up reading a pile of her favorite books. Right now a potty book is one of them, but it hasn't inspired her much yet. She is a funny little thing and strings together new sentences all the time. Today the boys were trying to put a hat on her head and she said, "I said no hat!" When they laughed at her, she replied, "I'm a funny baby!" Rob often does a word count on her sentences and I think the highest complete one is ten words long. She's also as girly as the day is long and is enjoying girl things. It's fun to have a little friend when I get ready in the morning and do more girl things with her. I love my boys, but a girl is loads of fun!

As for Rob and I, we're almost finished with the parenting class we started in September. We have enjoyed it for the most part and have learned a few things that we're implementing with the boys especially. I do recommend Growing Kids God's Way, even if you may not agree with all of it. It's a bit technical at times and seems long, but the results that they have seen over the past twenty or so years of the program can't be denied. No program is perfect, but I think this one may help change our family. One simple thing they taught is that if your child is getting out of control, have them sit down and fold their hands. It really does work! Matthew gets crazy sometimes and all I have to do is tell him to sit, fold his hands, and gain control of himself. Works like a charm! The other thing we have them do is say, "Yes, Mommy" or "Yes, Daddy" after an instruction or reprimand has been given. Just by agreeing with us, their behavior changes. Ben is rather stubborn about this instruction b/c he knows once he agrees to whatever it is we said, he's "stuck." But he does it, and it works.

Wow. Long post. Hope you didn't fall asleep :)