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"Thank
you so much for addressing an issue that is on-going in my
homeschool. I immediately followed the links to the exercises
for fine motor skills and my 2nd/3rd grader is going to get to
do some fun exercises! Thank you again for the links and
encouragement to find what works best for my child. I enjoy
every "minute" and always stop and read it as soon as it
comes!"
-Debbie, THM
Reader
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"The handwriting issue of THM really struck a
chord with me. My youngest son is taking a few college
classes, and early in the semester he came home and asked me
for some copywork. It seems that as he had to write quickly
while taking notes, he found that his handwriting was slipping
into illegibility. I was so glad he knew how to improve
it!
I think it's important for homeschooled students to
learn to write both quickly and legibly. I teach a workshop on
writing timed essays for the SAT, and some of the student work
I see is very hard to read. Evaluators have little time, and
almost no patience, for deciphering illegible work, so I
always recommend doing at least one timed writing practice per
week during the high school years. It will help with both
standardized tests and with college work.
The
Homeschool Minute is a terrific resource- thank you so much
for sending it!"
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Janice Campbell, EverydayEducation.com
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"As usual your timing is
perfect. Just yesterday I started searching for
information on handwriting books. This morning, I sit
down to read all about the importance of teaching and
practicing good handwriting. Thank you for the
information. It helped me decide what I needed to get
for my family."
- Terry, THM
Reader
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"I
love the idea of putting a mouse pad
under
the paper. Thanks for this great idea! We will be trying
it
tomorrow."
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Andrea,
THM
Reader
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The Old Schoolhouse
Magazine
Home Where They
Belong
|
April 25, 2007
|
 Wow,
you all amazed us with the overwhelming response to last
week's handwriting THM. You know if you ever miss an issue,
you can find it in our Homeschool Minute archives, don't
you?
This week, we're talking about better late than
early. While this isn't a hard and fast rule and some
kids are ready really early (My mom says I begged to read when
I was two.), the truth is that pushing a little one who isn't
ready doesn't do anyone any good. It simply leads to
frustration for both mom and child.
Since I was an
early learner and a public school teacher (with a specialty in
Early Childhood Education), I was just sure that my little guy
was going to be a regular brainiac by two. We had read to him
in the womb and pretty much kept him immersed in an enriching
educational environment from the moments we first held him in
our arms. Yet as a toddler, a book was nothing more than a
glorified frisbee to him. Hmpf.
So I thought I'd just
be patient and I kept singing the nursery rhymes, doing all
the hands-on things, and drilling the alphabet with him. He
still wasn't interested in learning the ABC's with me. We
passed ages 3 and 4 and I consoled myself with the fact that
he was an active boy and sometimes boys are just slower to
mature than girls. But once he hit five, the pressure was on.
Here I was ... a certified teacher, who had been paid to teach
other people's children and my own little guy simply had no
signs of wanting to learn his letters, their sounds, or even
how to write his own name. ugh. It was so discouraging
(and humbling) to me. I tried not to let it show, but
deep down I questioned whether I was capable of homeschooling
if I couldn't even teach him his ABC's.
But I
persevered (It was that whole God-calling-me-to-it thing and
the fact that I was having SO much fun with him) and the fall
after he turned six, I officially called it Kindergarten. And
we made a little ABC book and the letter sounds began to click
with him, so we started in on Teach Your Child to Read in 100
Easy Lessons. And by Christmas time, he was beginning to read
and we skipped into first grade books, and he just took off
from there.
I know that six isn't really that late. It
just seemed like it at the time. I know children who were
still struggling with reading at 8, 10, and sometimes even 12.
But you know what? They are all reading now, no matter which
method their moms used. And their moms will tell you, "Well
when he was finally ready, he just sort of took
off."
That's what we want. And homeschooling gives us
the freedom to set our own pace in our own home. Embrace that
freedom and let go of the pressure to do everything
on-schedule. All our kids are going to have different
strengths and weaknesses. The whole time I was stressing about
my little guy not reading, he was developing awesome great
motor and reasoning skills. Those are still his strengths
today. Oh and enjoy this video. It will make you
think.
Enjoy every minute!
THM Editor
P.S. Do you have a
question that you'd like to toss out to our THM readers? We
are starting a new email feature, Minute to Minute, where we
will highlight questions from readers and then give you all
chances to respond. If you have a question that you wouldn't
mind us using in an upcoming edition, email it to me with Minute to Minute in the
subject
line.
| |
 Home Where They
Belong
Gena Suarez, TOS Publisher
When we become
parents for the first time we have a grandiose idea of just
how our children will be. We want them to become walking
encyclopedias, dazzling friends and family.
When I was pregnant with Paulie I wanted to
be sure to give him every advantage. I was already hard at
work putting together worksheets and activities that would
make him a Super Baby! Then he was born and I realized that
this tiny blessing didn't need an academic plan ruling his
life. He needed love, nurturing, and parents willing to
introduce him to the world.
I've had the privilege of
meeting Dr. Raymond Moore, author of Better Late Than Early, on more than one
occasion. This great pioneer has taught me much about relaxing
as far as teaching was concerned. He has proven over and over
that the key to educational success is in waiting for our
children to be ready and to let them explore the things they
love - computers, baking, chess, climbing trees,
whatever!
Parents relax! Children by nature don't
become stagnate; they want to explore and they ask question
after unceasing question about the world around them. When we
give them the freedom to grow they will
bloom!
-Gena
|
 Homeschool
Freebies
Julie Nott, TOS Marketing Manager
I'll tell you what - my biggest fear in homeschooling
was teaching my kids to read. After I brought our daughter
home from private school after second grade, I went ahead and
sent our kindergartner to school so they could teach him to
read. I guess my thought at the time was to get that "reading
thing" out of the way and I'll do the rest. Looking back that
seems so silly.
I have now successfully taught two of
my other kids how to read using the same book that Nancy
mentioned above - Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy
Lessons. One son learned earlier than the other. Go figure -
they're different kids. 15 minutes a day was all it took. And practice.
Several homeschool moms I know found this book/method
did not work with their children, whether it was a learning
disability or a different learning style. I've had other
friends who really enjoyed Sing, Spell, Read & Write. The price difference was a no-brainer for this frugal
gal. I'm thankful the cheaper one worked for us.
[grin]
If you decide to go with the 100 Easy Lessons
book, take a gander at this page on Donna Young's site where I found printable worksheets to use with each
lesson. This saved me some time.
You might also check
out this website. Lots of free lessons that might even be
helpful for those who are struggling in this
area.
-Julie
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Schoolhouse
Spotlight
Dena Wood, Schoolhouse Store Manager
"Better late than
early" doesn't mean doing "nothing" with your children. It
simply means putting less emphasis and pressure on structured
or workbook-style learning at an early age. There are still
TONS of ways your children can learn in a relaxed and
enjoyable manner.
Beginning with God, a highly acclaimed kid's devotional by a
national best-selling and Gold Medallion award-winning
children's book author is a great way to start the day. My
children loved this! Memory Games, puzzles, blocks & magnets are great learning tools as
well. And don't forget the best method of
all, sharing a good book with
your child.
-Dena
|
 Mercy in the
Morning
Deborah Wuehler, TOS Senior Editor
Better Late Than
Early? That can be a loaded question. I think my answer
would be: Better to Start When They Are Ready.
When I first started
homeschooling, my oldest were 5 and 3 and I was gung-ho! I had
them sit at little school desks which opened up to store their
workbooks. Yes, I made a 5 year old and a 3 year old sit at
those little desks and "do school" and they were BOYS! They
actually loved it as I sang songs and taught them in a fun
way. Then, another baby came along and it started to become a
struggle, a rushed "get it done now" experience instead of a
relaxed learning environment. Especially with the oldest; I
could see his potential, but all he could see was a stack of
workbooks taking him away from his playtime. I kept pushing
and he kept resisting. I actually killed his joy. Learning
became a struggle from then on.
All that to say, looking
back, I might have relaxed and waited a bit longer or made it
a bit easier and more desirable for that 5 year old.
Amazingly, though, that 3 year old little boy took off like a
lightening bolt. He was ready.
Are they ready later?
Don't worry, they'll get it. Are they ready earlier? Don't
worry; they'll get it even if you start them
later!
Better Late Than Early?
Depends on which kid you're talking about. Some are early
birds, some are late bloomers. All are your gifts from
God to encourage in His world of learning.
-Deb
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