A lil vent, a lil help maybe.... Lately, when my 7 year old gets frustratated with HS, especially writing and comprehension, she cries. My 9 year old son does fine, well when he applies himself, that is. Yesterday he wrote 3 three word sentences in English and I made him it expand them each as well as go to his room to do so. He will try to get out of doing good work if he can, so I have to watch that with him. Today when doing their writing, comprension part of English my daughter asked why they have to give up their summer to be HS'ed? I explained to her that in order for her to be her best and do her best in school, she must learn and understand all that she can. Bear in mind they are only schooled three days a week and off on Monday's and Friday's during the summer. (I think that is reasonable), I mean what else are they going to be doing; playing on the playstation, watching tv, on the internet..... I'm trying to listen and adjust HSing to fit the family, but if I adjust it anymore they won't be getting enough consistent lessons to learn anything over summer. They are schooled from around 9:30 until 1:30 or 2:00, or until they finish up or if we need to run an errand. Then back to it if it's not complete. Today they were doing the KIDS POST, from the newspaper. They are to find an article, read it, find a word they don't know, look it up in the dictionary and write down the definition. Then they have to form a paragraph with what they learned about the article and note what they liked about the story. She tuned up again. This is the second time they've done the Post, but the first time she has complained and started crying. I tried to explain it to her and asked her if she understands the article. I let her take a 10 minute break before she got back on the assignment, but she was upset even when she returned to the project. I picked up some cool award stickers today that the kids love, I gave them recess that they wanted. I'm trying to listen and be flexible but I may need some experienced input here. How do you guys handle this sort of issue, or am I being too hard or unrealistic with my incoming 3rd and 4th grader? :shock: being a newbie at it and all. Thanks
If this was happening every day I would say you are being too hard, but if this is the first time that they are acting up about it.. I would give them a break for a week, and then bring them back, When I do summer school I only do a half day so it may seem long to them.. especially if any of thier friends are wanting to play during that time? Use an award thing like Some one just said they do, on a nother thread, she uses tokens and prize box for rewards for reading, maybe use that for work done. At the school that I worked at for that time last winter, they had a bonus day off if they got ahead of their check marks.. that could be one of the prizes for getting work done ahead of time, or something, earn a free day here and there, just that child, though and special things? I love reward systems they always work for a while. I have found I need to change them occasionally to get things going smooth again but really prize buckets or boxes or treasure chest awards... you can make up coupons for them even! You helped me brian storm for myself! Wee! Hey how are your kids liking Brain pop btw? and is everything else going okay? School wise, and all... One of the joys of homeschooling is that you can ditch school for a day now and again... when you get ahead of schedule, share that with the kids!
Geekymom, Your kids may need some 'deschooling' time as well as just some down time with all the pressure off. I don't even work my 7th grader that hard in term time. ~ though we don't do breaks simply because once she's lost focus I've lost her for the day. Concentration is a big one for us. Perhaps some less formal schooling, more reading, museum trips, hands on activities, that sort of thing. It can be hard bringing a kid out of public school; they tend to bring a lot of garbage about learning with them. I know; I brought 3 out ~ with various degrees of success. Each kid, each family is different. You are allowed to tweak your program to get the best fit for you & your kids.
If a child can't learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn. Ignacio Estrada Celitic rose I love that! That is my philosphy!
well, I would try rewarding the children that always helps like a trip to the swimming pool fo r the day, or trip for some ice cream... something special. I agree with the other ladies they may need a down time. a week or two then come back... I had one that use to do that when I first started hsing and come to find out she thought when she was home she didn't have to do school she was home, but when I sat down explain to her she had to learn and we started the rewarding program it went well....kids are smart they will try there hardest to get out something if they can and they know they can get to mom real easy... good luck
I think two hours is enough for both a 7 and a 9 year old, certainly no more then 3. Did they de-school at all? I would be doing more fun type learning like playing Monopoly and reading aloud. Or finding out what interests them and doing a unit study with hands on activitites.
even if you are trying to play get them ready for the begining of the year you can always take a few breaks or go half days, I know its easy to want to make that goal but if they are getting too stressed , ( I have a 2 yr ahead girl for the most part, she has always been ahead and I had to stop and shorten her day or she would have pushed up to her older brothers level, she needed to be stopped because she was a little 5 and 6 yr old who was trying to keep up with a 3rd grade level, she had the brains but she pushed herself too hard, so I made her go play for the next two years I made her take an extra long break each day to play. She today reads more than plays! But she is still ahead too! I Let her go at her own pace not mine, but keep it in reason.
Well, let me say you are such a nice mom! I think you handled it very well. I tell my dd to go to her room if she doesn't stop crying ("its too hard" "I can't do it") some times you have to give them a new task then go back to the problem assignment give a little more help than you had planned for the first few times. Keep doing the same kind of assignment. until it becomes a sinch.
GM, can you send them to camp somewhere for a break? That would get you a break, too. I'm tough like you are, but even I lightened up severely this summer. I wanted a break, too! Maybe it's a Maryland thing??? Lol ( GM and I are from Maryland!) Try this- WalMart has rolls of tickets in their stationery aisle, for about 3.00. I think there are a thousand tickets just like you get at a carnival for the rides. For every hour Jeannie works without grousing she gets one ticket. On Friday we count up her tickets. Each ticket is worth .25. She cashes them in for whatever amount she has earned. Sometimes I'll give her extra tickets for things like extra neatness or really showing interest. She enjoys this and it has really cut down on the crying and whining. I use a tiny flowerpot and set it on the edge of the table by her desk. She sees the tickets gathering up in there and it motivates her. My blood pressure has benefitted, as well.
Becky, I loooooovvvveeeee the ticket idea! Thanks! GM, perhaps you can have them choose a book, age appropriate, that they can read. Then have them summarize it. It might be more at their level of understanding and they will enjoy it more because they picked it. You can still do the same thing with the definitions. For example, if your daughter likes horses, let her pick a book at the library about horses. Then she can do definitions and summarize something that is exciting to her. She will eventually have to do current events but this will come with time. I also agree about deschooling, as well. I think it is important. Patty
Oh I like the ticket idea as well! I think I'll apply it to other areas apart from school though. My philosophy is I don't reward for school- I encourage, tell her how proud I am of her, and how well she's doing, ect. I am trying instill in her that the reward for doing her schoolwork well and with a good attitude, is a good output, a brain full of facts, and learning new things. We have bad days. It used to be that I'd keep pushing, no matter how much she fought me. I have a VERY stubborn one here so to a certain point I have to push or she thinks she has the upper hand and we can't have that. We started school almost 3 weeks ago now- this is week 3. We ended very beginning of May. We did NO school except for reading every day in that two months. Gave us both a nice break and when we did start back up she was asking to start so I knew the timing was right. On our bad days I don't so much get crying, I get rotten attitude. Couldn't get much more rotten lol. I have her go practice piano till she calms down, or we go to a different subject. If they're crying, whining, and fighting something, then no matter how much you push, they are not going to retain anything so why keep pushing? I have seen this myself on occasion. That being said, maybe find a different activity, book instead of using the newspaper. Use an encyclopedia, research type book, apply it to an area they are already studying. Maybe the newspaper isn't interesting, and if it's not interesting to them, then why should they read it? Just my two cents. I like the idea of reading something and looking up words you don't recognize or know the meaning off, excellent for dictionary and vocabulary skills, but who would want to read something that doesn't even interest them? I'd give THEM a choice as to what to read and lay down some guidelines- it has to be an encyclopedia or similar type book. Has to be grade level appropriate, ect.
It's time for a break. All children need a little down time to relax and take the pressure off. Try a different approach to your teaching style to regain their interest. I know when my children got frustrated, I would end the lesson and move to Home Economics and make cookies. Distraction goes a long way and so does letting them recharge. Educate4Kids thehomeschoolexchange.com
We do the ticket thing, got them at Wallys or Dollar Tree I forget, but they can purchase prizes from prize bag, or box things I pick up at clearance sales in August mostly! TRU has game boy advance games for 5 dollars from time to time so even good stuff like that can be in there! Coupons for lunch out with Mom, or Dad, and stuff like ICE CREAM Cone from baskin Robins or Smoothies at Frutopia that sort of thing... you can redeem the tickets, that way OH! And if you keep track of them you could do a once a month drawing, they put thier ticket in a box and you draw a ticket for a special prize!
Kim, using these tickets with Jeannie all but did away with crying here. I say 'all but', because here and there she will still go off, but if I remind her that she'll lose that hour's ticket she stops. It has made a ginormous change here. My b.p. was up through the top of my head most days, and I was giantly sick of it. I actually started to not like my own child. I might even increase the tickets to .50 apiece when we start back up. Say.. I should use these with Kevin, lol.
Geekymom.. I can soooo relate to this.. but I can't help you fix it as I haven't found the proper cure yet myself. I know I was pushing too hard and cut back and it helped.. but my son is lazy when it comes to schoolwork stuff.. I have to fight him every inch of the way.. and he bawls and carries on like I'm asking him to go to Iraq! You can't let the crying manipulate you.. or she will do it everytime she just doesn't want to do her work.
Thank you ladies, But a week or two week break and I may not come back. -LOL Seriously, I appreciate the helpful comments, but I have to find a blend of what works with the kids and meets the goals I have for them academically. I took the kids to the movies last week to see "Ratatoulle," and reward them regularily. Someone hit on it, they may have thought Hs'ing would be more play and less work since they are at home. I realize now that the KIDS POST project this week (based on the articles there) may have been too hard for my bright 3rd grader. My 4th grade son rolled with it and did a great job. The article was just not as easy to interpet as the one the week before. I am a "teach up" type, and believe they can sometimes do more than they are doing, if challenged. However, I also have to find the point that the kids both are comfortable, but can be stretched without the break. The other day, obviously was not a finer moment. Actually, it was my 1st bad day since homeschooling. At the end of that day after discussing it with my hubby, I asked Bethany why had she had a bad time with the assignment. She said that she wanted to be HS'ed at her grade level. (Needless to say, I had kinda forgotten that she is a grade below my son, so naturally, some things she will struggle with, given the same lesson). I do not think I will give them a one or a two week break though. What if I do that and they think "wow, that's how we get out of school." I will lighen up the curriculum for my 7 year old.... more, and see how it goes. I just don't want to be one of those parents who cave in when their child gets to whining or when the going gets rough. I remember last year how my then 12 yo daughter was practically crying about her 1st year taking Saxon Math and doing the extensive homework in 6th grade. Well, she scored in the above average range on her SAT in math. I think it was because of that work that she didn't want to do. This year she did not score as high. New school, new Saxon teacher who gave minimal homework. So she's working in a math workbook over the summer to regain lost ground. As a side note; I'm still not using Rod and Staff LA or Horizons for Math yet, I'm just printing off material from the web. I'm saving those programs for the Fall. I think when I go to these outlined programs I won't get the same complaints. TA, for my kids, an reward system seems to work for a really short period of time. It seems like the more I bend, the more they want me to bend, and I'm not a pretzel. :lol: Celtic, the outtings sound nice, but that is not my primary teaching style so far. I'm more of a desk and computer type, although outtings can serve as a learning platform as well. I zero in on their weakness and try and strengthen that area. I found that they were weak in LA and I want them all to possess good comprehension and writing skills. I do think instead of giving them the worksheets to do for writing/comprehension, I will give them both the folder and have them pick out two from the printouts there that they like for the day. Thanks P.S. My kids are coming from a private school, and I do sometimes believe that these schools tend to "grade up," so my efforts is also an attempt to identify where they really are academically.
