Kindergarten activities

Ry and I just finished up a 7 day lesson on the Creation Story. Ry made a picture book illustrating what God created on each day. His memory verse for the week was from Genesis 1:1. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." We hung glow in the dark stars from the ceiling on day 4. We both agreed that day 7 was the best day of creation. That was the day God kicked back and relaxed. On day 7, Ry's school work was very light, so he truly got a grasp of resting on day 7. We both agreed that resting one day a week is truly a great idea. We're glad God thought of it!

Now today, we began a new lesson, this one focusing on learning about the Sun. We will add planets to our hanging glow in the dark stars this week. And we made a Sun out of clay this morning, and when it dries, Ry will paint it and hang it at the center of our solar system. We also wandered around in the dark basement this morning, illustrating what our world would be like without the Sun. Then compared that to Jesus being "the light." Without Jesus, our lives would be dark, void of any light. The memory verse for this lesson is from John 8:12. "Jesus said,'I am the light of the world.'" We also started a science project making sun-dried raisins. Currently, I have 5 grapes sitting on top of our grill. Each day Ry will chart how they look and how long it takes them to turn into raisins. Ry is also learning money, time, ordinal numbers, tally marks, lots of number activities, letter sounds (in preparation for reading soon), handwriting and many other things crammed into each day. Wow! No wonder he and I are tired each night. But oh, what fun we are having! If I would have known how much fun this would be, I would not have spent so much energy in being nervous and worried. Homeschooling is awesome! And I smile a little smile when the school bus goes by at 3:30 PM, thinking that we've got it made. No more long frustrating time-consuming days for Ry. If he applies himself, we are done with school in an hour. If he struggles, its two. But even 2 hours is so much better than the 7 hours that he would have to stuggle to pay attention at public school. I think we made the right decision. Oh, and by the way, all THREE of us are doing our part in school each day. Mrs. Mom, Ry and GOD! He has helped us each and every day. To HIM be the glory!

School time is when??

The last three days, Ry and I have been having school around 1 PM, when little T goes down for a nap. This frees us both up from the distraction of his often loud and energetic toddler play. However, Ry's been having trouble concentrating on his work, when his little next-door neighbor friends are out playing. They homeschool in the morning. SO........today we tried morning school. I think it went OK. It was definitely more of a distraction to have little T awake and making noise. I tried to keep him occupied with various activities in another room, but had to make several trips to tend to him during school time. I probably will do some of both in the future. Morning and afternoon. I'll probably mix it up some. The best part so far of homeschooling, is the fact that Ry and I can accomplish in under 2 hours what would take all day in public school. Then his day is free for his enjoyment! What a great benefit! We have 4 days of school under our belts. I think that we're getting into the swing of things nicely and I think I can safely say we are both enjoying school. Whew! What a relief!

TTFN,
Mrs. Mom

Day One - Check

The first day of school..........accomplished! Spectacularly! Ryan did wonderful, he was very excited about all his new supplies and books. He struggled a little with his seatwork, but did better than I imagined. I had to cry a little when we had prayer together before we started. He prayed that Jesus would help him listen and obey. The Lord heard that prayer and answered! I've been trusting the Father to help us both in this adventure! I definitely felt his presence here with us today! Thank you Jesus!

Back to school time!

The end of this week is drawing to a close and I find myself in nervous anticipation of school starting this coming Monday. I chose to start a full week and a half earlier than public schools so that I have a little leeway in taking days off here and there. We have received all our books and supplies, Mrs. Mom has lesson plans browsed, studied and layed out and we are ready to go! Each day, we have a conversation about school, what will be expected of each of us, what needs to get done, what fun things that will happen and generally prepping Ry for this big transition. As the teacher of an ADHD child, hubby and I have discussed and decided on a more formal approach to homeschool than the typical homeschooling family. We have a large finished basement, which has in the last week has been transformed into a little schoolroom. We hope to conform to as much of Ry's school experience last year. I've incorporated a lot of the things he enjoyed and did in the classroom into our daily routine. This will aid his transition, we feel, and enable him to also focus on learning in the home setting. ADHD children thrive on routine and boundaries (at least ours does). He performs best under these conditions, yet bores easily. So this will be a learning experience in balancing routine with exciting diversions.

I have on hand "fidget objects" and a heavy bag of marbles. What does this have to do with school, you might wonder?? Well, after attending a seminar entitled "Helping the Distractible Child" last spring, a wise and weathered homeschooling mom has devised theories on helping ADHD children learn more effectively! The "fidget objects" will allow Ry to have something to do with his hands when it is time to sit still and listen only. I have 3 such objects. Mostly rubbery little toys and balls that he can pull, push, roll and finger in his lap or on the table. ADHD kids move constantly, so this funnels his energy into his hands which hopefully will free his mind to focus. Also suggested, was a weighted toy or object to place on his lap so that it is a subtle reminder of his need to sit still. If he shifts too much in his chair, the object will fall. I have tried this already and been amazed at the results. It truly works! He is alert to the bag and works to sit still, allowing him to calmly complete seatwork. Also, the curriculum we chose is incredibly interactive with very minimal seatwork. I think Ry will definitely benefit with more hands-on learning.

Next week will begin a 7 day introductory lesson, focusing on the creation story for science and Bible, letter review and practice for reading/handwriting and I've chosen a supplemental math curriculum to begin then as well. After those 7 days, learning will begin in earnest. Our first week will be learning all about the sun and planets. Our projects will include making sun-dried raisins and making and using a sundial. We will work on letter sounds and phonics in preparation for learning to read, which will be happening before we know it, by lesson 7, as a matter of fact. And of course continuing in math and handwriting. I'm very excited about this curriculum, it offers such a vast spectrum of projects and ideas for sensory learning that I feel confident that Ry will enjoy it and succeed. Among the previous mentioned activities, we will also be hosting an ant farm (of which hubby is very very nervous ;) ), building a rocket to launch to the moon (out of cardboard boxes) and learning about the process of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly by having a mini butterfly garden. These are just a few of the neat things we will be doing this year. Stay tuned for further fun learning throughout the coming months.

There are weekly Bible lessons and memory verses which I'm thrilled about and so many other little things added in that I don't know how this will all be accomplished in only 2 hours or less. But we'll find our way. The closer it gets, the more excited I get. It is at night when I'm lying in bed, that the doubts and fears haunt me. What if I can't help him do what he needs to do to learn? What if I can't handle his ADHD symptoms while trying to teach? What if I fail? We took him off his ADHD meds after school was out for the summer. He has been drug-free for 3 months, and while this equates to a MUCH more active child, it also has allowed him a summer of no headaches, fatigue or irritablity. The side affects of the cure were really beginning to be worse than the problem. Our goal is to try school this fall sans drugs. I pray he will be able to center his mind into learning without them, as we have tried many drugs, all with terrible side effects. So I spend nights worrying about this angle as well. I'm learning to pray for the Lord's intervention in this situation. The medical help aspect of ADHD treatments has been dissappointing, so I have begun to pray that the Lord would intervene and help Ry's mind as he learns, enabling him to focus and absorb what is taught. Now, why didn't I try that to begin with? Why do we tend to try to fix things on our own without thought of consulting the ultimate healer?? I'm learning. I read a book about homeschooling a ADHD child way back when I was considering this option. The mom who wrote it was a Christian and said something that has stuck with me since. As a parent of a child with special needs, we tend to kill ourselves trying to find the best treatment, cure, aid, medical advice or doctor that can help our child get better. However, this mom suggested while definitely pursuing these options as well, we truly ought to focus on asking God for his mercy and grace in enabling our children to learn DESPITE the disability. I think her exact words were something like this; " If you feel the Lord's calling to homeschool your special needs child, yet feel overwhelmed and terrified of the challenges ahead, then you need to remember that the Lord will help BOTH of you succeed in this calling. HE can help your child, when you can't. " That was the nutshell of her thoughts, perhaps not verbatim, but the general gist. I thought, "Wow, what a relief! I can give it to God. When I can't get through to Ry, then it's HIS job!" Which is the exact place the Lord wants me to be as I start this year. It's not going to be my success, it's going to be God's. And yes! I said success because I have faith that we can do it. The three of us. God, Mrs. Mom and Ry!