Phonemic awareness

So I am still on the hunt for a curriculum that will work with my son. He just turned 7 and is still having problems learning to read. Since he is homeschooled, it is up to me to do the leg work to discover the magic solution. (hahahahahaha)

A few weeks ago I started researching dyslexia and while I know he is too young to officially diagnose in the public school setting, it has provided another avenue for me. I found a blog linked to Baldwin Elementary in Rochester, MI and their early reading lesson plans focused on Phonemic Awareness. I printed out the information, some of the Kindergarten lesson plans and ordered the books on eBay. So far, so good.

Having gone to College for secondary English, I have NO IDEA how to teach my son how to read. It is frustrating to me and I can only imagine how frustrating it is to him.

The first step with the phonemic awareness program is working on rhyming words orally. It really seems like a good fit for my son because he is such an oral person. He loves being read to and will hopefully enjoy the overload of rhyming books we are going to start reading after our trip to the library today. We practiced on our walk to the library and he eventually warmed up to the idea. We had read a Dr Seuss book, so some of his words were non-sensical, but at least they rhymed and he enjoyed it.

-Heather

Glasses

So we took my son to the eye doctor. When I say we, I mean my husband took him since the kids do better with him at the doctor. I’m okay with that. Anyway, he needs reading glasses which will hopefully explain why learning to read is so terribly difficult for him.
We are currently visiting my parents and watching more tv than is normal from a normal tv watching distance and my boy is squinting like crazy. His new glasses are only for reading. I’m bummed. We have waited three weeks and I have this sinking feeling they are the wrong prescription. Major bummer.

In the meantime we are having fun with grandma and grandpa for our early Christmas celebration.

Reading is hard

pre primer sight words

My son, Busy Boy, has decided reading is hard. I continue to tell him, he can do it while changing phonics programs when we hit a wall. Busy Boy is a very active 6 year old and I am confident he will learn to read eventually. When he is ready.
Yesterday, I finally bought folders to make lapbooks for the children believing this will help them grasp certain difficult concepts by making them more concrete. After panicking slightly when the link didn’t work for the math printables previously discovered, I made a very plain sight word lapbook for Busy Boy as well as one to go with lesson 1 in “Explode the Code.” He was simply matching the words today and repeating them aloud for me, but he seemed to like it. Yay! We may be doing quite a bit of lapbooking this year.

Homeschooling

I guess today could be the official start of our Homeschool year. Of course, I didn’t tell the 9 year old or her 6 year old brother. We began the day graphing August 1st through the 22nd high temperatures for WA and MN, our city and my parents. The 6 year old lost interest pretty fast and elected instead to accompany his dad to Home Depot. Fun times. The 9 year old and I finished the two graphs and compared them, MN is warmer.
We went to the library and the grocery store, had a melt down, went to another store to alleviate the melt down. Went home and the 9 year old read a graphic novel about Zeus. She enjoys the Greek Gods and their stories.
Started Beyond the Page with the 6 year old and I think he might actually like it!!! Yay! Picking curriculum is the hardest part of homeschooling for me, but after trying Environment today I have high hopes the year will be interesting.
One day down, officially.

M.O.B. Society

I started this blog to encourage myself to reach out in a few areas of interest. I am a homeschooling mom to two, interested in gardening (the zucchini is starting to ripen), field trips, photography, and am in a constant battle to organize the house and everything it encompasses. This blog is a work in progress, but I hope to use it to create accountability and organization starting NOW.
We started homeschooling when my daughter was in 1st grade after we moved from MN to WA in March of ’09. Starting her in a new school did not seem like a good fit for us at that time. My son started preschool in the public school the next year and I home schooled my daughter for 2nd grade. We have now finished up kindergarten and 3rd grade and I think the kids are learning what they need. My daughter is a voracious reader while my son is the COMPLETE OPPOSITE. It is maddening at times. Boys are so very different!
My son is 6 1/2 and very active. He loves to be busy, is a kinesthetic learner, very mechanical and mathmatical, does not want to learn to read, loves to be read to, being outside is his favorite place, needs a person around him at
all times, hates to be alone, and is always one step ahead of me.
We take frequent walking trips to the library where the kids pick out as many books as they want. I love books and we have a large library in the house. Many of them came from garage sales, but I believe if the books are in the house they will read them and possibly discover new books. This theory has proven true with my daughter and I am waiting for it to happen with my son. Yesterday he picked up the Where’s Waldo books, twice, and sat on the couch to read
them. It was awesome. At the library he picks out books about cats and Mighty Machine movies. He knows more about trucks than I thought possible.
Every night I read books aloud to the kids and my son has a few favorites. Clementine, Judy Moody, Dear America (historical fiction), and Junie B. Jones are in the list for chapter books. Bearenstein Bears, Franklin, Skippy Jon Jones, and Arthur are picture book series favorites. We have many more favorites, but it would take all day to list them.
Thanks for the inspiration to again become organized!

Brave Red Head

My 9 year old daughter is a red head through and through. She is very strong willed, knows what she wants, and will probably have more fun (when she gets older). In addition to inheriting red hair, she also inherited the need for orthodontics. She is in her first stage and had to have a baby tooth pulled this morning and she was so very brave! The tooth had the longest root I have EVER see on a baby tooth, but now the permanent one will be able to move to it’s proper place in her mouth. Yay!
This was a great accomplishment for her today, making it through the dental appointment; however, the better news for her was the end of her Math book. She has finally finished 3rd grade Math, but since she decided long ago that she hated the subject I tried not to force her. I knew she would finish before September and she did. Now she has less time to forget. We will be doing 4th grade Math with Teaching Textbooks again in the Fall since she tolerated it so well. I am leaning towards Math-U-See for my son.
Pretty good day full of accomplished things.

100% Juice and ADHD

My son is very active. He is 6 and not afraid to be this age. He may also have ADHD. While he has never been diagnosed, I am certain something is going on to cause some of his actions. They are above and beyond a 6 year old boy. His sister, of course, is the exact opposite. She will sit in one spot and read for hours at a time. Amazing.
Six months ago I read a book recommending gluten free casein free diet for ADHD and Autistic children. The Kid-Friendly ADHD and Autism Cookbook. The diet has done wonders for the entire family, although my Husband does not follow the diet. Many of my son’s impulsive behaviors have disappeared or lessoned significantly. My daughter’s seemingly minor health issues have vanished as have mine. I love the diet and would recommend it to anyone seeking relief with hyper children and/or autism.
As for the title of the post, I am still discovering what activates my son. Apparently 100% juice is one of them. Holy ball of energy yesterday. Lots of running, a couple meltdowns, bouncing before bed, and general constant movement. My husband and I have discussed his energy level and have decided it does not warrant medication. As a home schooled child, he is able to move around as his needs dictate. Incidentally, it was while trying to teach him to read that the lack of attention really became an issue. He pays attention to so much, it is hard for him to sit and follow a standard phonics program. We are on #4 now, ZooPhonics, which is a whole body system that seems to be working.