Today, I am asking for advice/thoughts from all the homeschool mama's who read this blog. I am struggling to get school done with a 2 year old running around! So, here are my issues and some thoughts on how I can change things. I would love any input you can give.
My two oldest children can pretty much do all their schooling independently. They still come to me with questions and we do Science and History as a family. My biggest issue is with my youngest two. Some of you may have seen my facebook post about my 3rd child. He will be undergoing some test for Autism Spectrum Disorders and Sensory Processing Disorders (ASD and SPD). I am not going to go into these issues now but we are definitely dealing with some learning delays. Mainly, reading. Kyle turned 7 in December and is "technically" in the 1st grade. I tried the 100 Easy Lessons with him and he did ok but didn't seem to retain it. Now we are using a different reading program and it slow going. Since he can't read on his own I need to be able to work closely with him to read instructions and such. This is extremely difficult with my toddler who thinks he needs my undivided attention every waking hour! I had a pretty good schedule going on for a while. I was able to help Kyle through some of his subjects and have him play educational games until my youngest went down for his mid-morning nap. Recently, my
Now, my thoughts on how to fix this. I think the obvious answer is to do the majority of schooling in the after noon while the toddler naps. Fortunately, he does take a 2 1/2 to 3 hour nap. The pros I see with doing this are as follows: I would be able to give most of my attention to my 3rd child with some interruptions to help the older two when needed. At some point I will be starting at home exercising therapies with Kyle and the mornings would be a perfect time to do it so that he is more able to focus on his work later. I would also like to start doing Tot School with my little guy and this would give me the time to do it. I think the older kids would enjoy being involved in this as well. The cons: I definitely lack energy after lunch time. I worry that the kids will also be tired and not able to focus as well. My husband gets home from work around 4:30ish so I am concerned we would feel rushed in getting the house picked up and all our normal "before daddy gets home" chores.
I would love any input from those teaching multiple ages and how you do it. We will probably end up going to the afternoon school schedule because I just don't see another option at this point. I also want to make sure we have a good routine/schedule down before we bring home 2 more children who will also need A LOT of my attention.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Hey Stacy! I am going to start homeschooling next school year, so I am prob not as much help as the BTDT mamas......but I do have a son on the Autism Spectrum (Asperger's Disorder), so you and I might be able to really help each other out with some advice! My son is 9 and was diagnosed at age 3. We have been through a lot of struggles, so feel free to ask me any questions. The only schedule advice I can think of is maybe do schooling in "chunks" throughout the day instead of all at one time. That way you could still do the "pick up and chores" time before Dad gets home:) Just a thought.....but keep in mind, it's a "thought" from a rookie, lol. Also, check out a bunch of HS blogs and check out their schedule for ideas!:):):)
ReplyDeleteI could have written your blog post today...okay, minus one child though ;). I take it one day at a time which is a HUGE struggle for me as I am extremely type-A and really work best with a consistent schedule. With Epilepsy, one day is great and all the information is retained and the next day we can't remember our A,B,C's (sounds extreme, but it's the nature of the beast). Being that every single day is different, I can't really give you a black and white answer, but what I really want to share with you are just a few comments from our daughter's various doctors along the way that have helped me immensely! "Quality, not quantity", "small chunks of her best, rather than long exhausting time of her exhaustive effort", and THE MOST encouraging..."homeschooling is a perfect scenraio for any child with a special need as it offers the one on one attention needed". I realize none of this answers your question of "how", but all I can do is offer a little encouragement and tell you that you're not at all alone and to hang in there!
DeleteAlso, here is a link to a not-so-typical site I found yesterday on learning styles. Her site has been the most helpful to me. http://www.custom-homeschool-curriculum.com/learning-styles.html
Let me just say "DUH!!!" Chunks of time....why didn't I think of that!?! Yes, that is exactly what my special little man needs. I have always known Kyle was going to need a different type of schooling than my older two. I guess I need to come to grips with the fact that I do indeed have a special needs child and chances are I am going to have 2 more coming home in several months. So, 3 special needs kiddos to school and love and train. Phillipians 4:13 is going to be my mantra! Rachel...I love my schedules too and I like to stick to them. When we don't I feel like the whole day is shot. That is something I am working on. Instead of just giving up on the day because things didn't go my way, learning to just start over and try something different or be more flexible. I think keeping the older 2 on a morning schedule still and just being with Kyle and Ethan during that time...doing Tot School and some OT type therapy stuff with Kyle and then adding in those chunks of schooling when it is good for him. Ok, I can do this. I know that homeschooling is the best choice for our family and especially for the special children in our lives! Thanks ladies!
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