Week 15 overall went well. We're now juggling scheduling with preschool, which eats up parts of our Mondays. But, since Mondays are usually a science read-aloud, fluency, and something fairly easy for math, it's not too bad.
Respectfulness went about as well as can be imagined for a 4 year old. It's getting better, but for most of the week, I've wanted to hit myself over the head with a shovel. However, we made progress, we got through our schoolwork, everything was mostly uneventful, and we carry on from there.
This week, we are doing Not Week 16. Monkey and I are leaving town to go back to my mother's house for a funeral this week. We're leaving early Monday morning, and probably returning on Wednesday. Because I'm so completely wrecked (a friend of mine died unexpectedly at 34 {natural causes} and the funeral arrangements have only recently been set), I'm not focusing properly, and I don't want to subject Monkey to half-assed teaching.
Instead, I will take my child, who is obsessed with all things relating to death and dying, and bring him to a funeral and hope for the best. I need to say goodbye to an old friend, and this is the only way it would make sense to do so. So Rowena's Browncoat Academy is closed for the week, and we will pick up week 16 when we return. Hopefully, that will turn out to be the smarter move.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Friday, September 7, 2012
15-1.
Also known as "the day I want to rip out all my hair."
Reading: Monkey did very well with lessons 5 and 6 of his reading. He is still struggling with silent e words - when they're presented to him without any preamble, he defaults to short vowel sounds, then ignores the silent e - but ee, ea, ow, and oa were all rather easy for him. I'm thinking we'll move on, and review silent-e words as we go. That may also be a fluency/context thing, as cub makes no sense in something like "the six sided die is in the shape of a cube." I suppose we'll see.
Math: Always fun, that math. It was ridiculously easy for him to count by tally marks, but apparently Monkey's focus and my patience are on holiday in the Caribbean together today, as partitioning (as in splitting 5 into 1-4, 2-3, 3-2, 4-1) was an utter bust, and while he added plus-ones competently (when he would hold still), he didn't quite see the pattern.
I'm thanking lucky stars at this point that Fridays don't have a third subject yet.
Last night, we had a family meeting. We talked about being respectful, and about school, and work before play, and things like eating meals in less than 3 hours, and such. I'm hoping it's just a matter of getting used to the new normal, but right now, it's insanity in here. Belligerence, screaming, rudeness, hitting, completely ignoring instructions (be they "add one bead" or "don't stand on the easel," or "could you please bring me your froggy bowl?")... It is an utter nightmare in my house, and I'm debating running away. However, I'm trying to hang in, and see what happens. I'm also considering returning to dairy-free. That made a difference forever ago, I'm not sure if it's something we're going to be able to do, but we can sure as all get out try. I need to do something or I'm going to go nuts.
Reading: Monkey did very well with lessons 5 and 6 of his reading. He is still struggling with silent e words - when they're presented to him without any preamble, he defaults to short vowel sounds, then ignores the silent e - but ee, ea, ow, and oa were all rather easy for him. I'm thinking we'll move on, and review silent-e words as we go. That may also be a fluency/context thing, as cub makes no sense in something like "the six sided die is in the shape of a cube." I suppose we'll see.
Math: Always fun, that math. It was ridiculously easy for him to count by tally marks, but apparently Monkey's focus and my patience are on holiday in the Caribbean together today, as partitioning (as in splitting 5 into 1-4, 2-3, 3-2, 4-1) was an utter bust, and while he added plus-ones competently (when he would hold still), he didn't quite see the pattern.
I'm thanking lucky stars at this point that Fridays don't have a third subject yet.
Last night, we had a family meeting. We talked about being respectful, and about school, and work before play, and things like eating meals in less than 3 hours, and such. I'm hoping it's just a matter of getting used to the new normal, but right now, it's insanity in here. Belligerence, screaming, rudeness, hitting, completely ignoring instructions (be they "add one bead" or "don't stand on the easel," or "could you please bring me your froggy bowl?")... It is an utter nightmare in my house, and I'm debating running away. However, I'm trying to hang in, and see what happens. I'm also considering returning to dairy-free. That made a difference forever ago, I'm not sure if it's something we're going to be able to do, but we can sure as all get out try. I need to do something or I'm going to go nuts.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Week 14, Day 4
Today went remarkably well for being right after a massive sick day.
We got done most of the things I wanted to, we are only behind in math (I'm so not doing two lessons in one day) and Monkey is having enough trouble concentrating that I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't something more going on than just "he's an active boy." Tomorrow is our Not Going Back To School picnic - we hope. It might be a trip to the Central Library, as it's supposed to be miserable and rainy, but I'm still hoping we'll be out to the park. Monkey needs the time to run and be free. ^_^
All in all, a productive week. The only problem I have for the foreseeable future is that he is now sounding out ALL a-words with a long A sound. Including things like cat and has. Whoops. We'll get there, though.
We got done most of the things I wanted to, we are only behind in math (I'm so not doing two lessons in one day) and Monkey is having enough trouble concentrating that I'm beginning to wonder if there isn't something more going on than just "he's an active boy." Tomorrow is our Not Going Back To School picnic - we hope. It might be a trip to the Central Library, as it's supposed to be miserable and rainy, but I'm still hoping we'll be out to the park. Monkey needs the time to run and be free. ^_^
All in all, a productive week. The only problem I have for the foreseeable future is that he is now sounding out ALL a-words with a long A sound. Including things like cat and has. Whoops. We'll get there, though.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
14-3?
Well, I prepped for today last night. That should have been my first clue. Skeeve is home from work sick, which makes anything school related an absolute bear, as Monkey hates an audience. However, I am also down with a stuffed, fuzzy head and sore throat, and Monkey isn't any much better. Therefore, today has been called in favor of sick day, and getting better before we get worse. Ugh.
In other news, I've sent an email off to the GDC in Colorado. If I don't hear anything, I will give them a call on Tuesday. I'm trying to sort out what kind of testing they will want to do, and how much it is likely to cost us. I can see some of the things being an absolutely invaluable resource, but the fact that it's worth the money doesn't make us any more likely to actually have the money, so... It's a research mission.
In other news, I've sent an email off to the GDC in Colorado. If I don't hear anything, I will give them a call on Tuesday. I'm trying to sort out what kind of testing they will want to do, and how much it is likely to cost us. I can see some of the things being an absolutely invaluable resource, but the fact that it's worth the money doesn't make us any more likely to actually have the money, so... It's a research mission.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Week 14 Day 2
Today, as predicted, went much easier than yesterday. Happily. It seems Monkey is coming down with something, though we're not exactly sure what yet. Skeeve has a headache and sore throat, which we're thinking came from Monkey, so... We'll see.
Anyway!
Reading: Reading went exceptionally well. He watched and completed lesson 5 today, with absolutely no difficulty. I was rather surprised, as we didn't even need to talk about what ee and ea say before he was competently able to sound out the words on screen. Tomorrow will be sight words, though if we have more time on our hands, I might just see if I can get him through a couple more lessons - not pushing, just looking to see what he'll get up to.
Math: Math was also ridiculously easy. It was another day of adding, this time using numerals and not tally sticks, but he used the abacus to add up to tens. It was really rather nice, and while the warm ups were challenging (due to a thorough dislike of repetition), the math itself was simple for him. I'm again leery of the rest of the week, on account of that whole review thing, but I'm hoping it will go much like today.
Logic: Today we did some review, and a few changes to methodology. We only did one new sequencing exercise, but instead I pulled number cards 1-6, and the last three lessons we worked on. We lined up the cards in order, then lined up the lessons underneath them. It turned out well, and he seemed to understand what I was asking a little better. When we went through the new exercise, he made a couple errors, but they were due to rushing rather than incomplete knowledge. I can certainly handle that.
All in all, a good, productive day. I like when those happen - it's not entirely a frequent occurrence, but I'm hoping it will be more frequent as time goes by.
Anyway!
Reading: Reading went exceptionally well. He watched and completed lesson 5 today, with absolutely no difficulty. I was rather surprised, as we didn't even need to talk about what ee and ea say before he was competently able to sound out the words on screen. Tomorrow will be sight words, though if we have more time on our hands, I might just see if I can get him through a couple more lessons - not pushing, just looking to see what he'll get up to.
Math: Math was also ridiculously easy. It was another day of adding, this time using numerals and not tally sticks, but he used the abacus to add up to tens. It was really rather nice, and while the warm ups were challenging (due to a thorough dislike of repetition), the math itself was simple for him. I'm again leery of the rest of the week, on account of that whole review thing, but I'm hoping it will go much like today.
Logic: Today we did some review, and a few changes to methodology. We only did one new sequencing exercise, but instead I pulled number cards 1-6, and the last three lessons we worked on. We lined up the cards in order, then lined up the lessons underneath them. It turned out well, and he seemed to understand what I was asking a little better. When we went through the new exercise, he made a couple errors, but they were due to rushing rather than incomplete knowledge. I can certainly handle that.
All in all, a good, productive day. I like when those happen - it's not entirely a frequent occurrence, but I'm hoping it will be more frequent as time goes by.
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