Transitioning

Ok. I saw it coming. I avoided for a bit, then it hit. Homeschooling a teenager is definetly different than homeschooling the younger set.
I used to wonder why it was such a common trend for parents to homeschool elementary aged children and then once they hit middle school, they are thrown back in to the PS system. For me it was always the opposite. I figured if I were only going to choose one age in which I would keep them in a safe environment it would be that age.
As Seri has gotten older the resources we have for her are dwindling. The homeschool support system I am finding is mostly gear towards the elementary set. Other homeschooled friends are few and far between, unlike the plethora of little kids running around. I have had to look harder and drive farther away to find support for a homeschooled teenager.
Luckily, we have a good community and she is able to attend two classes this semester for teens in the TJED style of education. Lucky thing is, it's about five minutes away, there are children there who drive at least an hour to participate. She is taking Shakespear again and adding "key of liberty" which is a social science sort of class. They are studying the Constitution in depth this term.
There is also a Homeschooled teen group that meets once a month. We have to trravel an hour for that one, but again there are people who travel farther than that.
Lately she finds she has a ton of time on her hands and describes herself as "mentally bored". Her math, and shakespear are no longer cutting it. She does more academics than she realizes but I think we have taught our children to be in tune to their thirst for knowledge and now it has come back to bite me in the butt.

So, for awhile I have been wondering what to do about my "mentally bored child". It dawned on me the other night that one win-win situation would be to recruit her as my new preschool teacher. Win for me since Sariah will be getting that much desired time and attention, win for Sariah, win for Seri........ So far, so good.....Today she sat down with a few preschool activity books from the library and plotted out a lesson plan. The subject is Bees. They will sing the "I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee song", do a little bee finger play from the book, run and dance around the room acting like bumblebees to classical music, make bees out of construction paper and pom pom's for the antennae. After making this plan I asked her what she needed to have prepared for her lesson tomorrow and we discussed that this step was important because a two year old will not sit patiently while you get your act together. I think she will do great.
It begs to reason and got me thinking about whether she would be so mentally bored if she were in a ps highschool. That thought didn't last long. As I remember my days sitting in class and listen to the girls in the youth group I lead discuss their days at school I am comfortable that the answer would be yes. She would be just as mentally bored, or worse she wouldn't realize she was bored and would head for the socially active and mentally ignorant lifestyle that so many teens have today.
On another note one of the girls the other day told me that her favorite subject was PE. Now that is no surprise, that's been the age old favorite for as lon as I can remember, but what she said next caught me off guard. "Yeah, because we get to take naps". When I gave her my astonished "are you kidding me?" look, she went on to explain that they lay down matts and turn down the lights, play soft music and go to sleep until the bell rings. Wow, there is just so much wrong with that. Maybe these children wouldn't need to take naps if they were allowed to get an appropriate amount of sleep rather than burning the midnight oil to finish homework they procrastinated on and then getting up at 0'dark 30 to catch the bus. Maybe if the system found a way to be more efficient with their time the children could be home in time to take a nap and we wouldn't have to pay the teacher who is supervising them through this activity...... What a waste!!!! So glad my tax money is going to ensure that these teens are getting their naps!!!!!

Math-U-See

After a few years of doing the Saxon math curriculum I was looking for something a little different. Saxon was great don't get me wrong, it was thourough and complete, but there was just so much of it....... Once Michael really started getting into math it took a lot of time to do Seri's math and his and they both got frustrated with the amount of work there was to do. The assignments were a little overwhelming.
I started the search for a new curriculum and after ordering and watching the free DVD from Math-U-See, I knew I had found a perfect fit!!! Three years later we are going strong and I have no regrets.
Math-U-See is amazing!! It is helping me to understand math when I had all but given up hope on my mathmatical ability. Rather than teaching the methods and short cuts and procedures, he shows you the "Why". Why it has to be that way, demonstrating with cubes and different visuals exactly what happens when you are working mathmatical operations.
So many times I have watched the lesson and been left with my mouth open as I finally understand something I have never gotten through school or college. I then make Matt watch it and when Mom comes over I insist that she watch it also. We then spend the next hour exclaiming over how amazing the teaching method is.
Seri is doing math that I do not understand. Luckily it is also a self-teach program for the children who work best in that manner so she is pretty self sufficient.
Michael is moving along at a great pace.
Isaac is now adding and subtracting multiple digits and he just turned six last month!! He is also solving for unknowns. The amazing thing is he doesn't use his fingers to count on at all. I have seriously considerd putting Michael back in an earlier level so that he can learn how to not use his fingers to count with.
I recommend this program to anyone who is home schooling and looking for a curriculum, anyone whose child needs a little help understanding and anyone who has ever considered themselves "math illeterate" as I have.
This curriculum has blessed each and every person in my family including Matt who has a very "math/science" brain.
the other nice thing about the program is it fits all learning types, those that need to see it (with the DVD) those who need to manipulate and those who need to hear it. It also enforces a move at your own pace mentality with no pressure to finish at a certain time, they instead encourage you to master a procedure before moving on no matter how long that takes. That is something I struggled with when I was teaching third grade. It made no sense to teach these children division when they had a limited understanding of multiplication.
I love, love, love this program!!!!!!