I am happy to say that we all got some meat-and-potatoes homeschool work done yesterday. Sami couldn't sit at the kitchen table while doing her math and other written work, but she did do her work.
Megan fussed about doing her math at first, but she sat down, zipped right through, and (here's the funny part) ASKED FOR MORE. Megan said that she LIKED IT. I am writing in caps because it was that shocking to me. She has never once before mentioned liking math. I am hoping that it is because of my superior parenting skills (*cue crickets chirping*). Seriously, I have been constantly telling her how good she is at it and that she's a natural and how fun math was for me as a kid because it's like solving puzzles...maybe some of that sunk in. I'm just delighted, whatever the reason.
I read out loud about OCD in front of Sami and Meg. Up to this point, Sami wanted to keep it to herself because she was embarrassed, but now she is accepting that Meg is part of the team and it's okay to talk about it in front of her. Never mind that Megan was reading, "Pencil of Doom" by Andy Griffiths at the same time. I didn't stop Megan because I was happy that Sami was including her in the same room.
We had several OCD hiccups today. Sami was able to win some OCD battles today, such as touching the Nintendo DS, sitting on my lap, and calming herself through several episodes of OCD nagging her. She seems to be getting stronger at telling OCD to back off while she delays, changes, or stops the rituals. It's a good start to the CBT, and I'm hoping that the momentum sticks. Even though we've only targeted the smaller of the OCD triggers, she's been working on her least favorite bigger triggers by delaying the rituals. As long as she is happy with her progress and it isn't impossible to keep trying, I think we can bypass any medications.
Showing posts with label math. Show all posts
Showing posts with label math. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
One Day of Math Down
The girls saw me pulling out the various math books that we have, and immediately started shrieking. Literally. Not happy shrieks, mind you.
I got the books out to get some ideas of what to do and where to head with math. I didn't even let them look at the books. I then picked up an abacus and started playing with it.
Sami saw me with the abacus, sat beside me, and wanted to play with it. I let her hold it. She wanted me to tell her again how to use it, so I explained it again. Then she wanted me to give her some problems to work out. I started telling her some word problems that I made up in my head, and she started working through them with the abacus. We added, subtracted, multiplied and divided.
Megan saw this going on, and she wanted to do it too. She got the little abacus that a friend gave us, and started doing the problems, too. They even learned about remainders today.
After they did this for a while, they wanted to know when the math lesson was going to begin.
Win!
I got the books out to get some ideas of what to do and where to head with math. I didn't even let them look at the books. I then picked up an abacus and started playing with it.
Sami saw me with the abacus, sat beside me, and wanted to play with it. I let her hold it. She wanted me to tell her again how to use it, so I explained it again. Then she wanted me to give her some problems to work out. I started telling her some word problems that I made up in my head, and she started working through them with the abacus. We added, subtracted, multiplied and divided.
Megan saw this going on, and she wanted to do it too. She got the little abacus that a friend gave us, and started doing the problems, too. They even learned about remainders today.
After they did this for a while, they wanted to know when the math lesson was going to begin.
Win!
Monday, August 30, 2010
To Math or Not to Math...
Our first week back to unschooling went well. One would think that unschooling happens 24/7, but in my case we really did take the summer off and pretty much did whatever we wanted, including watching TV and playing on the computer whenever we wanted. With Dave going to Iraq in April, we all just needed some time to just be and not add to the pressures and demands that were already on our lives.
This last week the children were calm and relaxed, and so was I. They came up with many activities on their own; their creativity is always a joy to see. I made a couple of suggestions of what to do, and we did some activities as a family. They only complained of being bored a couple of times, but they quickly found something else to do and they forgot all about being bored. I was very happy with the flow and the atmosphere of our home and their learning journey.
I did give them a couple of art lessons. While both girls did listen, it was obvious that Sami had no interest or desire to do what I was trying to show her. She just wants to do things her way and to be left to her own devices, so I happily let her. If she has her own ideas about how art should be, then I will let her take that ball and run with it. I am secretly hoping that she'll watch Megan following the lessons and that she'll want to try some things out, too, but that's just to broaden her techniques.
Now we get to math. I want to start doing official math lessons again, and it's just because I am paranoid that they will never learn their math skills on their own through unschooling. I don't have any unschooling mentors to talk to in my community, so I just don't know how to unschool math. I've read a couple of blogs that say that they learn it through measuring while baking, or counting their allowance, or through every day life. While I'm sure that 's true, I'm wanting the girls to be GREAT at math NOW. The paranoid side of me is afraid that they'll be the only kids around that can't do math at their "grade level," which is totally counter to everything I believe in.
So today I will dust off the workbooks and we will slowly delve into the world of math. We will do a few problems daily, do simple math activities, and make sure that it stays fresh in their minds. I don't think any of us would survive doing a whole hour, so I'll keep it short and to the point. The girls will complain, I'm sure (they hate workbooks and worksheets), but I'll be sure to keep it from the point of tears that used to come with their math lessons.
I can't imagine them doing math in public school. Would the girls do their assignments? Would they have cried in class? Would the teacher move on even though the girls weren't ready yet? I'm glad I don't have to know those answers.
This last week the children were calm and relaxed, and so was I. They came up with many activities on their own; their creativity is always a joy to see. I made a couple of suggestions of what to do, and we did some activities as a family. They only complained of being bored a couple of times, but they quickly found something else to do and they forgot all about being bored. I was very happy with the flow and the atmosphere of our home and their learning journey.
I did give them a couple of art lessons. While both girls did listen, it was obvious that Sami had no interest or desire to do what I was trying to show her. She just wants to do things her way and to be left to her own devices, so I happily let her. If she has her own ideas about how art should be, then I will let her take that ball and run with it. I am secretly hoping that she'll watch Megan following the lessons and that she'll want to try some things out, too, but that's just to broaden her techniques.
Now we get to math. I want to start doing official math lessons again, and it's just because I am paranoid that they will never learn their math skills on their own through unschooling. I don't have any unschooling mentors to talk to in my community, so I just don't know how to unschool math. I've read a couple of blogs that say that they learn it through measuring while baking, or counting their allowance, or through every day life. While I'm sure that 's true, I'm wanting the girls to be GREAT at math NOW. The paranoid side of me is afraid that they'll be the only kids around that can't do math at their "grade level," which is totally counter to everything I believe in.
So today I will dust off the workbooks and we will slowly delve into the world of math. We will do a few problems daily, do simple math activities, and make sure that it stays fresh in their minds. I don't think any of us would survive doing a whole hour, so I'll keep it short and to the point. The girls will complain, I'm sure (they hate workbooks and worksheets), but I'll be sure to keep it from the point of tears that used to come with their math lessons.
I can't imagine them doing math in public school. Would the girls do their assignments? Would they have cried in class? Would the teacher move on even though the girls weren't ready yet? I'm glad I don't have to know those answers.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Unschooling, continued...
We're still doing the unschooling thing. If it feels so good, why do I feel so guilty?
I think it's because when we do a worksheet, there is something tangible to put in a binder and check off a list. When we unschool, we almost have to have a blind faith that something is being learned. Almost.
I'm going to start journaling or listing what is learned each day, just to quiet down that little type-A voice in my head that wants order. My creative side will still be satisfied, and my up-tight side will be fed. Even though I know that the girls are learning and getting more creative every day, I can use the journaling as a tool to work in suggestions of what they might be interested in and even lay out some books for stealth learning. I'm a huge fan of stealth learning.
I am going to reintroduce math (we've taken a math break), but I'm going to incorporate some suggestions from a free-thinking friend (thanks, Christy!) to make it more enjoyable this time. I've got an abacus, and that's a big hit already. They couldn't wait to take turns with it and were making huge leaps in their understanding of basic math concepts in just a few minutes of "play" with it. We're going to try Christy's method of flower pots and glass beads next for division and multiplication.
And the journey continues...
I think it's because when we do a worksheet, there is something tangible to put in a binder and check off a list. When we unschool, we almost have to have a blind faith that something is being learned. Almost.
I'm going to start journaling or listing what is learned each day, just to quiet down that little type-A voice in my head that wants order. My creative side will still be satisfied, and my up-tight side will be fed. Even though I know that the girls are learning and getting more creative every day, I can use the journaling as a tool to work in suggestions of what they might be interested in and even lay out some books for stealth learning. I'm a huge fan of stealth learning.
I am going to reintroduce math (we've taken a math break), but I'm going to incorporate some suggestions from a free-thinking friend (thanks, Christy!) to make it more enjoyable this time. I've got an abacus, and that's a big hit already. They couldn't wait to take turns with it and were making huge leaps in their understanding of basic math concepts in just a few minutes of "play" with it. We're going to try Christy's method of flower pots and glass beads next for division and multiplication.
And the journey continues...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)