I am so old fashioned. I love writing but I prefer the paper and pencil way. Although I love being on the computer it's hard to keep up with this blog thing.
I feel like we havent done much work. With trips and holidays we have just gotten in some reading and writing in the early morning but none of the science and history I had planned. We have done math in regular everyday activities like shopping and cooking.
I'm trying to stay cool and let Nala take the lead and be ok with it. A few days she was like I don't want to do this or I don't want to do that. I'm like look you can't just sit around and do nothing. When I fight and push she doesn't want to do anything but when I stand back sometimes she takes the lead and says I want to write or something. Tonight she was writing and doing this worksheet I found where it introduces similar sounding words, they have to unscramble the words and then write them in sentences that have to have at least 5 words in them and not start with I. She does really great. I'm so proud of her. When she was done she says can we do a spelling test. I'm like uh sure. Its 830pm, who says learning has to take place during the day right?
So I give her a spelling test of all the words we have been doing with the vocabulary building worksheets...There's only like 3-5 she doesn't know so we will do like she did them in school. mostly cause i think it really works: write them 3 times, put them in a sentence, alphabetize them and then we'll have a spelling test. I'll also do an oral spelling test so she can get used to spelling off her head as well as written.
I got tips from another fellow homeschooler. She does dictation. I don't remember how old her children are but I think that would be great skills for Nala. Something small, something she already knows like the girl scout promise, law and song.
We joined a group where Nala looks up info on a particular country and we bring in food related to that place. The country next month is Mongolia and Nala decided to talk about music. She says she doesn't want to do it but I'll have her write a couple of sentences about their music, we'll bring in a sample and I'm making Eggplant Salad. Of course she will help. I hope she will begin talking and playing with kids. That's what i really want.
I'm looking forward to the 28th and the 30th though, I finally get to meet up with a new group I'm interested in joining. The leader is extremely helpful and I really want Nala to hit it off with some kids in the group. We'll see, I'm very excited though. There is a dinner on that Friday and I'm making cranberry sauce.
I've talked to a few other people family, friends and associates about my decision to homeschool and their first reaction is "What was wrong?" LOL i laugh. Does something have to be wrong? Does my child have to be doing horribly in school? Does she have to have a problem of some sort? Maybe I just felt like it. That should be my new reason and maybe the discussion won't be so long...with some of the older people "Why arent they in school?" "Don't you get tired of being with them all day?"
The experience has been getting better and better though. However Nina will be going back to preschool, until this summer. She gets a nap there and she really needs one. This will free up more time for Nala and I to get work done or get out and about. But come Sept 2008 when Nina starts kindergarten, I will bring her home to homeschool. She wouldn't get a nap in kindergarten and by then hopefully she won't need it, but for now I believe this is really the best choice. I'll continue to be an active parent and teacher as I have been and she will understand homeschooling better next year. Now she just wants to go back to school. Still deciding if Natasha will try school or just stay home with in January. It would be nice to have some quiet time with just Nala to get things done without all the interruption. As she gets older it will be easier, but she's 2 ya know.
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