"Describe yourself, your family, or one of your children. What is it like to be home educated in your family? What is "normal" for you?"
We are fairly structured in our days. I have found that it is me who needs the most structure! If I don't plan it, it doesn't happen!
Record keeping is not required for homeschoolers in my state but because I homeschool a child with special needs (and my own obsessive-compulsive nature) I do plan and record our days. I use a very basic template of my own design to plan and monitor progress of our daughter with Down syndrome. I have found it is the best way to keep ME on track and I can see the baby steps (and giant steps!) my daughter makes daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. Our daily schedule is quite flexible though. I learned long ago that flexibility is the only way to stay sane!!!
I confess to needing lots of sleep. I am at my best with 8 (or more) hours of sleep. My children are older (13 & 16) so my life is a bit more relaxed than when we first started our journey. My 16 y.o. is more like her dad - she is up at the crack of dawn to get her day started so she can get to her beloved books, writing, knitting etc. - all the things she loves that come after school! She is a gifted student and quite independent these days. She is artistically inclined while I am not.
Miss R, my 13 y.o. with Down syndrome, thrives on our one-on-one learning time. This year I have added a lot of software and online learning programs and have found them quite valuable because they are high interest and visual - a perfect fit for her learning style.
Our days usually flow smoothly. The girls know what is expected and they are fairly compliant. Miss R has rewards built into her day to keep her motivated and enthusiastic. We do reading and math - then she gets a little computer time. After science, social studies and writing, she gets to watch a DVD. I truly think lunch is her biggest motivator because we eat when she is done!
We are generally done with formal schooling by 12:30-1:00 p.m. I remember our early days on this homeschooling adventure where we didn't finish until the middle of the afternoon. Then we often are able to do errands or fun things like socialize with friends. It wasn't always this easy but that is another story for another day!
Read more about the lives of homeschoolers: Principled Discovery
11 comments:
Enjoyed your story very much!
Why thank you!
It sounds like you know well what works for your family.
Oh, I wished my daughter would be done by 12:30 or 1. She insists her brain functions best after 11 and doesn't really start until then. I tricked her today. I made her have her teeth cleaned and an ortho check at 9 AM. She then had to clean her room and write a book report. She is still moving things around in her room ~
My daughter is now grown, so my homeschooling days are over. You stirred up alot of memories for me, though. I remember how looooong it took us to get through a work day in the early days, and how much quicker it moved later on, once we both got our groove.
I enjoyed your profile. I too teach a daughter with a learning disability. I can only say I wish our days went as smoothly as you desccribe but maybe in 2 years when shes 13 they will be flowing smoother.
I liked reading about your day....sounds so similar to ours, right down to the older one writing and knitting. However, our son is most motivated by video games, and he can't touch his until we're done with school. He doesn't even try....he knows better ;)
I also have to have things structured or they don't happen.
Lori
The groove was an interesting process for sure - there were struggles but we worked hard to find what works best for our family....and it was worth every bit of effort!
Julie, I can relate very well to your daughter - I am a night owl. Having children has forced me to change a bit for my family but it is just my nature (my youngest daughter has a similar body clock) to stay up later than most people. My husband thinks nothing of arising at 4:00 a.m. when I am just getting my best sleep!
I need a certain amount of sleep myself. I struggle otherwise. Your day sounds great!
Blessings,
Laurie
I have enjoyed learning more about you and your family!
Thanks for sharing!
Post a Comment