2nd Grade

The kids have all gone back to school around here. Our District went back this week, which is also when the road work for the very little road that goes right into our neighborhood school's parking lot, started up, for some unknown reason. People, you had ALL summer to wreck the roads! I hate 3pm. . .8am doesn't effect me, because I'm not even awake, I don't care about the traffic then, but 3pm. . .that's like THE time I try to leave my house for the first time most days. Except now, it's naptime, and if we don't get that nap started between 3 and 4, then we don't get one at all and it's crazy lunatic 4 year old with a chip on her shoulder, who doesn't go to bed until everyone else does. At least she sleeps then, though!

Recently I've felt really negative about the entire institution of school, as a whole. You know, oddly, I loved my own schooling experience. I loved preschool and friends, Kindergarten with my yellow corduroy pants and peeing myself because I couldn't get the zipper undone in time. I loved laying on a mat in the dark, never falling asleep. . .this clues me in that I was at all-day Kindergarten. I loved little conversations with my dad when he'd pick me up from school, like the time the kids were teasing me that Scott Thomas was my boyfriend and my dad was all "He's a boy and he's your friend, so yeah, he's your boyfriend." I hated how Christopher was the king of losing teeth, literally, there was like a crown and there was a chart on the wall. . .and I didn't lose ANY! I think he was already 6 when he started Kindergarten though and I'm a "late in the year" birthday (just like my mom, my sis and both of my girls).

And then I headed into another private school, St. Edward's and I made best friends for a lifetime. And I remember in FIRST GRADE my BFF refused to talk to me one day because I swore like a sailor! And she was like "We shouldn't talk like that" and I did NOT care! And the next day we were all fine and dandy again. I don't think I can recount year by year, but I remember little things here and there. We moved towns and schools and TYPES of school when I was in 5th Grade. My first public school experience and it was a multi-level class for gifted students. Then another town and another school, but just one year. I was in 6th Grade and would move to Jr. High the next year. In all of our schooling, my sister and I, only 4 years apart, attended the same campus for only 2.5 years of our schooling. I had my first REAL crush in 5th grade, Martin. Before that it had been far too homogenous, I'd been in a class with the same 30ish kids for nearly five years before moving the first time. In 6th Grade I had my first boyfriend, Chris Ashlock, we lasted a whole week!

I'm in Jr. High now. . .crushes abound and I have a boyfriend, Mikey Peterson. I also find a lot of trouble, rap music and grounding. I move scenes in 8th Grade and chill with a lot of hippie types. Then we move again.

I loved high school. There was usual teenage angst, several pretty significant crushes, best friends, lost friends, friends who died, friends who moved, friends who loved, three boyfriends and a cap and gown. I loved high school.

I read all about school now and I think. . . I don't remember it being like that at ALL. . .I don't remember aggressive standardized testing. I felt free to explore creatively within my class. I didn't feel limited. I will say that in the early years, my life was similar to Alani's in that the kids I went to school with were the same kids year in and year out, there were not multiple classes for each grade. They were the same kids I would go to church with when we went to church and the same kids I played sports with, the same girls I was in Girl Scouts with, the same parents my mom knew from PTA too. I like that. I like that we were involved in so many facets of one another's lives. It wasn't like heading out to public school at 6 years old and I brought home kids my mom didn't know or asked to sleep over with families she'd never met. It was community. I feel similarly about my girls in their homeschooling community. . .I know the parents first and then the kids are friends, I don't send my kids off to play with people I don't know.

Is it because there is too much to read? Is it because there are too many opinions about how horrible schools and standardized testing are and how militant the system is? Or have things really changed? One thing has changed. . .I am not the one going to school. I don't WANT to send my kids out into that great wide world of unknown and injury and hurt. I don't want someone else to mold their minds all day long (peers as much as teachers). I don't want unknown influences from other parents, coming through their children, to enter into MY children's minds and hearts and ultimately into our home. I also hate getting up early! I hate 3pm traffic. Last year I remember always being SO relieved that I didn't have to wake a napping toddler in order to get her sister from school each day and this year I'm thankful I don't have to delay a toddler's need for naps in order to get her sister from school each day, or wake her early, or wake MYSELF early. I don't like that the ENTIRE TOWN is bolted to the floor by the school schedule. . .what people can do when, and at what time of year, how much homework there is and when dinner and bedtime must be. We could probably do with at LITTLE more order around here, and we're getting a handle on that. . .but the freedom is also so very important.

This year, we are starting 2nd grade. I was very lax when it came to 1st grade. I was working around a little scamp we call Henry, whom I really thought would not disrupt our day THAT much. . .boy was I wrong. And we were working around a little rapscallion we call Airi, who I knew would be a struggle, but didn't anticipate being quite as difficult. I think we're ready. . .I've even found something I think Airi will quite enjoy this year.

We'll start the day after Labor Day, because that's how we always did it, growing up :)

Product Review: Lexia for Home

Lexia for Home is a software program designed to improve reading for students at all levels, including those children who have reading challenge, like dyslexia.  Until 2009 it was only available for use in schools and larger institutions, but Lexia has now begun concentrating on schools and use in homes in the U.S. and Canada.  A 1-year home license can be purchased for $174.95 for the first child and $109 for additional children.  The software is web-based, so it can be easily installed on multiple computers and it is really simple to install!  We had a few technical difficulties along the way, like when we had to "wipe" our entire hard drive and re-install, but we received fast and appropriate support for the issue and were on our way again.

I was particularly interested in trying out Lexia for home because of our past method of learning to read.  Though my little one requested to learn to read when she was only 4.5 years old, the method we used MAY have given her some amazing ground work for rules of reading and spelling, but it killed any love of reading I hoped she would have at a young age.  At the start I agreed with the method of the book, but the lessons eventually became tedious, caused a lot of struggle and we gave up without completing all of the lessons.  We were left with a child who spent the next year and a half saying she didn't know how to read and being very resistant to trying much reading on her own.  At the time the book promised a 3rd grade reading level (for a 5 year old) and I believe we achieved that, at the cost of enjoying reading.  She has also lost some of her knowledge of reading since.  Lexia tested her into the Primary Reading Level (and I believe into 2nd grade, but I didn't totally understand that part).  She was nearly 7 when we started and at the end of 1st grade year.

We've used various free programs online, because she enjoys almost any computer "game" even when it is for the purpose of learning, but she has given up easily on many that require much reading (or spends the time asking me to read everything for her, which defeats the purpose of everyone have "self" time).  At first she approached Lexia much the same way and felt very frustrated with the first few games she played, she was also disinterested in continuing day by day.  I began to request she spend 20 minutes with Lexia each day and then she could choose some other game (this is the amount of time recommended by Lexia).  It didn't take long and she was BEGGING to use Lexia each day.  The program is VERY easy to navigate!   

There are five games in the Primary Reading level and after completing enough drills in one game, when you exit there are bar graphs to show your progress through the game.  I believe seeing her progress in this fashion, is a huge incentive in itself.  She also began to understand each type of game a little better and came to know the "rules" for each game, which made learning even more fun.  When we thought we'd lost the game entirely, after wiping our hard drive, she was literally in TEARS over not having access to her reading games.  What a shift!  And it is has been so fun watching her grasp some of the sight words with so much ease.  Now we have to ask her to stop playing each time she gets on and she is easily reading and remembering words like "light" and "laugh" which are so hard to to teach children the rules for reading and spelling.  

We are really excited about this program and SO glad that we were offered the opportunity to check out Lexia for Home. I've finally seen a bit of the love of reading in her and I've noticed that she applies her new found understanding to really decode a LOT of text these days that she would whine and cry through before beginning Lexia.  I didn't even think to request a second trial license for my pre-preschooler, but I think she would absolutely benefit from and enjoy the Early Reading program.  It is something I would certainly invest in, in the future.

If you have a child who could use a little help with reading skills, this is a great program to consider!  For more information about Lexia for Home, visit http://www.lexiaforhome.com.  Please "like" them on Facebook; when they have received 100 likes they will give away a set of their 72 Family Readers for FREE!!!  These readers retail for $149 and cover K-2nd grade reading levels.  Everyone likes FREE stuff, especially when that free stuff could make reading with your child so much more enjoyable!

Inadequate?

There are days I feel completely inadequate at this job. More days than not, we do no formal schooling at all. Alani and I actually both really enjoy doing the work together, when we do it, but I have yet to find a rhythm that doesn't include a toddler who refuses to cooperate or being able to organize myself early enough in the day. There have been several times over the past few weeks/months where I feel the only day we school is on our busiest day of the week, Wednesday. . we're already being productive and Alani seems to need even more entertainment and stimulation.

Alani LOVES math... I recently printed out some skip counting worksheets because they went easily along with the new start in multiplication. She happily does a math worksheet, even ones she doesn't understand, she tries to figure out, any day of the week.

When we sit down and do work, I feel like it goes quickly and we can get a lot in, but then I think to myself "surely I'm not giving her enough, if this is all the time it takes to complete.. .why, then, am I unable to just get this done every single day?" I also always feel like I lack on getting reading time in with her. . .because I do. . .the hours in the day feel full already. . .she doesn't seem to be behind, by any means, but I feel like we started out this school year ahead and with good intention and now I've caused her to fall back into pace with everyone else. . .boo. . .I don't want to be the one holding her back from learning at her true potential!

I have employed so many varieties of organization and still I struggle with keeping a steady working time each day. .. HELP!

A big break

WOW. . .I kind of just totally failed to write ever again! This "first grade year" has been soooo laid back. It seems like I should be able to find enough time to do the basic stuff I want to do with my 1st grader, each day, but a block of time is hard to come by and having to take out and clean up a mess of school work several times/day is just not on my list of things I want to be doing. I really thought that once winter forced us indoors I'd really get my act together, but it has just NOT happened. . .not between trips, holidays and visitors.

We have a weekly co-op and it's been a great time to socialize, learn some really fun skills and just have a good time with a couple of other girls in the same age range. Our first session we had "playground games" and "fun with plants" along with "sign language" and then "art class." Our second session we had "sewing" (hand and machine) and "yoga" along with the sign and art classes. This session is REALLY getting fun and more in-depth. This session we have "drama club" which will include reading out loud, improv and eventually move in to getting the kids to act out plays/short stories as well as hopefully write and create their own sets/costumes for their own plays. We have "fun with science" which will be a bunch of different simple science experiments and cooking class, with Mike. In his class they get to do a lot of hands on stuff with pretty instant gratification of being able to eat what they've made by the end of class, but making things from start to finish, week 1 was pizza from scratch! But they also have to do copy work, copying down the recipes each week, which I think is SUPER cool! They also still have sign and art :)

A couple of weeks ago I finally broke down and bought "What Your First Grader Needs to Know." This book is heavy on reading/writing in the beginning, with some info on history, I think she's pretty much touched on all of the math that the book suggest and then there's some stuff about art and music, which I'm just going to assume we're covering if she's having an art class each week and a violin lesson each week as well. One suggestion was having children write every day, just sounding things out on their own. This week I implemented daily writing. The first day she cried before she even took pen to paper, but each day she does it with more and more ease and excitement. Now we are embarking on week 2. She is still using a lower case "i" nearly every day, but remembering to capitalize the first letter and put a period at the end. This week we will add an additional element. All week she's essentially written "Today i. . .." with a simple short statement to follow. This week we will add "Today I. . .and I (felt how)." It will be a joy to see her journaling as she progresses and grows and I do hope it creates a desire to journal/record/write for the future.

Math is Alani's very favorite subject. Today she said to me "Mom, please give me just a little homework." She said this over and over again until I explained, as I wrote out a list, that homework is not me writing down a bunch of math problems, rather, a list of things she has to do on her own once she "goes home." I finally broke down and wrote out some simple math problems. She did them while we drove to the pool, then excitedly told Lila how she got to do homework to which Lila replied with something that basically sounded like "ugh." :) I am obviously NOT doing the amount of school work with her that SHE desires at the moment and I really do need to read that. There was a time when SHE was not ready, and now she is VERY ready and I want to keep pace with HER, not myself. She is begging for math daily. Writing with Ease, First Language Lessons, and even having to read out loud, she is NOT asking for. . . but math she enjoys a great deal. However, I have noticed that she does each of these lessons with less and less complaint each time. I hope I can be more consistent and have really struggled to find a balance between social obligations, family obligations, taking care of myself and others in the family, AND offering Alani the amount of time/day that she needs to in order to do school work (not to mention that sometimes I want to offer her my time and it NOT be school work, but how do I also fit that in?).

Slowly, slowly, things around here change. . . my daily time structure and priorities, my toddler's compliance, nap schedule, etc. I know that not all is lost, though I do feel like we could be SO much further than we are in her learning, if I could buckle down and be consistent with her. Today she completed "Caterpillar" after months of not having even looked at First Language Lessons. I love seeing her learn and really enjoying and yearning for it, much better than the alternative, but it makes me feel even cruddier about not being able to devote the time I should to her studies.