Homeschooling Behind the Crowd

My son is "in" third grade this year. In the state of Pennsylvania, when the child turns 8, they become "official". That means, until this time, families are able to teach at home and not make any contact with the school district, but when that 8th birthday come...it gets REAL!

My son turned 8 last December. Up to that point, I was still patting my son on the back for reading above level, staying totally curious when it comes to all things related to science, and moving along at a steady pace. Everything with him has been pretty easy...expect one thing...MATH!

I love math! I always have, but I ever since I was in college, I have some very real fears about teaching math. I feel like I get words tangled and teach concepts in a way that makes them more difficult to understand. Unfortunately, because of my fears, I keep putting math on the back burner, at least the workbook anyway.

That means, my son, who is in 3rd grade is doing a 1st grade math book. Sometimes that feels so embarrassing! How can I have a child that is so far behind? Then I remember how lucky I am that I get to be the one to teach him these concepts and that we can work with a goal of mastery. I am not tied to finishing the book by the end of the year and I do not have to answer to anyone about why my son isn't work at an "age appropriate level". He worked through the kindergarten books for nearly 2 years, but along the way, we used some of the "Life of Fred" series and I found that learning math using words worked much better for him than pages and pages of numbers. Additionally, I'm finding that he's really "getting it" this year. He's actually starting to pick up the pace and cruise along much faster than he's ever been able to do in the past. I feel like something just clicked!

I hope that you will read this and know that you are not alone. If your worried because your child is struggling to read, spell, or multiple, remind yourself that every child is different. Sometimes, just having some time to let the concepts sink in, will allow reap great rewards in the long run.

Have a Blissful Day!

How to make a tin whistle cover for all of your Classical Conversations moms out there!

This is year my children and I are working through our second year of Classical Conversations! The second year is SO much better than the first!! I know what to expect, I understand the format, and I am starting to understand the model.

We have just finished our first 6 weeks of Cycle 3 and that means that the tin whistle is right around the corner!!! Ever since we did the tin whistle last year, I hoped that I could make some cute tin whistle covers for my kids. Last week, I finally sat down to find a pattern and get started, but I couldn't find anything that was perfect for my sewing abilities and that I could follow. So, I read through a few ideas on how to make the covers and also looked up how to make a drawstring bag. THEN, I had something!!!

Once I got started, I found it very easy to blow through making them in in about 30 minutes or less. So, I asked the rest of my community if anyone else needed them. I also found a post on Facebook where moms were looking for some help with a pattern or an idea on how to make a cover. So ladies, THIS is for YOU!

Pizza Hut Book It for Homeschoolers!!!

This week, my kids were not feeling great. When that happens, I tend to see them using lots of screens and I start to feel like a horrible mom! I know you've been there!!! Thursday, our Pizza Hut Book It slips came in the mail. This program is offered to homeschoolers and you can sign up here. Just an FYI - You will want to sign up over the summer and then everything will come in early October. I decided that this would be a good time for me to get my kids off of screens and motivated to read some books!!! I make up a reading log for each of them and set the required books at 40 per month. I also explained all of the rules. The charts went right up on the wall, but the kids did not jump right into reading!?? Whaaaa???? Actually, they ran for the paper and markers. Both of my kiddos wanted to make "Do Not Disturb" signs for their rooms so that they could read uninterrupted. THEN, they started reading!!! That got me thinking that there might be some other families that could use a Book It log or "Do Not Disturb" signs. So, I made some for my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Click here to see the full product. Here's the fun cover!!