Homeschooling - what are we up to?

We started in the end of May of 2012.It has been a little over 6 months. Lots has happened. Its time for some updates ... Time to acknowledge some lost battles and time for some resolutions and time for some prayer ... Its time to talk about how homeschooling is going.

Homeschooling is not about educating Isaac it is about increasing his knowledge, keeping his active, getting him involved and helping him understand and respect the world around him. That should be the definition of EDUCATION.

Puzzles
ISaac has found a sudden love for jigsaw puzzles. We initially opened up only the 4, 5 and 6 piece puzzles. However we slowly moved up to 12 and now have opened up the 16 piece set. He loves it! I had a moment when I was wondering if he was memorizing the puzzles - which would not be good use of this spatial skill. But he got a present from his Princy athai (thank you) which was a brand new set of 12 piece jigsaw puzzles times four puzzles and he put them together correctly in the very first shot. Ziva came and broke them up and mixed up all 4 puzzles and he was still able to find the correct set together. Yeaah for jigsaw skills!! I dont think he gets that from my side of the family.

Story time together
I must thank Veena a gazzillion times and acknowledge her for this fabulous idea. Dhruv and Isaac have started story time together. We spend about 2 hours together once a week (hoping to increase to twice). We bring books that both boys are familiar with and read out loud. Sometimes they listen ... sometimes they play together. But the important thing is they realize that we are getting together for 'story time ' or as Dhruv would say 'Nohini aunty ... stony time' :) Love this activity.

Phonics
I started using the letteroftheweek.com page. This has a phonic sound for each week or you can adjust it to one sound every two weeks. It did seem though that I could not get Isaac's attention. He looked up as I wrote the alphabets and then got distracted. I was beginning to give up and go back to alphabet phonics when I came up with a new strategy. Isaac loves visuals and Isaac loves colouring. So I combined Phonics with the above two - visuals and phonics. I have a paper prepared that has the word 'fl' for Isaac to colour along with picture of words that begin with 'fl' (such as fly, flame, flamingo etc) for him to colour. I will update you on how my new strategy works


Alphabets and their phonics
Isaac recognizes both big and little letters. I found a neat website that lets me print out big and little alphabets in block print which Isaac can colour. There is also a picture of  an object associated with the alphabet for him to colour. This page also has a tracing section with dotted lines for each alphabet and a little puzzle at the bottom where you need to circle the alphabet  you just colored from a mixture of other alphabets. I wasnt even sure Isaac understood what it meant to circle the correct alphabet. But the very first time we did it together it was a piece of cake! He loved all the coloring. He loved following the dotted lines and he loved circling the correct alphabet. I would give him a check and good job and he got the giggles with every 'check'. I was careful to give him one sheet at a time in case he got bored. But there was one day when he was done with X and he said 'Amma please give me Y and Z (zzz zebra) to color'
Recognizing it is great but even better was the joy when Isaac right before bed says 'jjjj (sound) Johnsons, J is for Johnsons' I was surprised 'Who says Johnsons Isaac?' ....'Satvik'... Thanks Satvik. I tested him with all kinds of phonics of words he had seen and those he had only heard. 'l'eopard , 'c'atch, 'Z' iva, 'S'uresh, 's'wing, 'p'lane , 'p'late etc. I am scared of knowing the difference between 'k' and 'c' ... but I guess a 3 year old has no fear of being wrong.

Rhymes and songs and big boy stories
We spend a little time trying to learn a new song or rhyme every week. Isaac's favorite is Simple simon. He sometimes says it wrong .... but gets the basic story of the  rhyme ... i.e. Simple simon has no money to buy a pie.
We have two songs this month: Jamaican Farewell and Give them all to Jesus.
I try to read a few big boy books to Isaac that have a finer print ... that have more than one sentence a page. Some of them get his attention - like 'Sammy and the whale' which is actually Suresh's book from primary school ... a classic by ladybird for sure. I tried reading one that had something about fairies ...and he got off my lap and wandered away ... Any comments on 'nature' not 'nuture'???

The book
About every so often I feel very disorganized. Since I am cherry picking a lot from various homeschooling websites and cirriulums, I feel like I have no proper format of knowing what needs more concentration on .... What should Isaac learn more of  ... numbers? ... or spend more time in a creative project like egg shell painting? That is when I thought of the book. Rather A book. Someplace where I can write down what I would like to do this week or today. Some place where I can jot down ideas and even if I am unable to get to it due to a potty catastrophe or a tantrum or just the flu, I can come back to it at anytime.

Music time
Music time is everyday. We turn on the keyboard and there are classical songs recorded which we play everyday. Dad has promised to spend some time with Isaac showing him a few basics of the piano. But this does seem like something we may need to outsource.

Numbers
Numbers are very very bad! He can recite till 30 ... but I think he can recognize only till 10 and count (add up) only to 10. I am running out of ideas on how to improve his math skills. Anyone?

 

Ziva's here
Ziva's naps have reduced and while I do want her out of the way, I am realizing I need to start some basics with her. Alphabets sounds etc. She is speaking a lot and lots make sense. But something a little more structured is needed for my upcoming toddler. Preparing for her takes time away from what I want to do with Isaac. There is also an attention struggle and MR. KNOW-IT-ALL  a.k.a Isaac does not give Ziva a chance at answering a question or pointing at an alphabet (big reason to go to school - reduce some arrogance!)

 World around him
Two things that Isaac has learnt since May is to almost ride his bicycle (with support wheels) and to get OFF the road when there is a car. Road manners are very important. I am very afraid of him scooting across the road in front of a car which is something I am sure I am going to struggle with Ziva.


Lot ... lot ... lot of bench time
I thought homeschooling would involved a 100 % of my time. I would not be able to step away from my toddler. Especially since he is a toddler. I know as they grow they can be assigned something like reading or craft work. But at 3 what do I leave him with. I think each child has a passion that he wants to pursue on his OWN. Isaac has found a few of his own. Puzzles are his current favorite. He can sit for 10 - 15 -30 minutes with a bunch of puzzles. Previously he would get annoyed if they didnt fit ... now he has gained a little patience. He still wants me in the vicinity. But I can hold a book (currently reading Lord of the Rings) or sit on the laptop and order groceries or make a dosa or get their clothes ready for bath time or clean up Ziva....Plenty of time. He loves flipping through books and pretending he is reading. And he loves ... loves ... loves colouring. So at the lunch table while I am getting things together .. I hand him some crayons and a few sheets with pictures to colour and .... life is a lot smoother.


A conversation between cousins!
Amy: Whats your name Anna ('brother' in Tamil)? 
Isaac: Isaac ... I-S-A-A-C!

So much for homeschooling huh :) ---
Yours truly --- super proud mama.


PS: not gloating - but enjoying reaping what I am sowing ... try to see it from my perspective.   ;)