This Week in Math

This week we are reviewing addition and subtraction using what we know about place value. We are also brushing up on our times tables and skip counting.
The lessons are very open ended and my son loves working math problems, so this is something that he enjoys quite a lot.
I am hoping to keep the math syllabus neat for the possibility of selling it when we are finished.
I copy the problems on to the blackboard or on to graph paper and he works them with a good will.
He can copy the problems as well, but dyslexia causes this to be a bit of a challenge. The writing is a bit slow and it is difficult for him to keep them lined up well for place value accuracy.
We vary what we use to write the problems on. The white board, the computer, the blackboard, paper, his main lesson book, or even a slip of a napkin at the coffee shop. I find that the math work is very portable and fun to do when waiting about town.
My biggest issue is getting him to add from the ones column over. He tends to do this type of problem in his head and then write it out without showing work and beginning with the highest place value spot. I am happy he can work these using mental math, but, in the interest of making good habits for harder math problems in the future, I encourage him to use the proper order and go from right to left when solving these problems.
He loves math and will do math problems for just about as long as I can keep coming up with them.

Merging Oak Meadow with Materials Created for Dyslexic Students

I have a son with dyslexia. Dyslexia is often misunderstood and causes many children to feel like "aliens" in a world where everyone seems to know the code, but they can't crack it. I know this, because my son tells me all about it. He used to feel alienated and could not understand why he felt "different" from other people. He would say things in unusual ways, was particularly observant, keenly intelligent, but could not seem to remember his letters or how to make them form words. I was perplexed by this. I had been a tutor to children in housing projects in inner cities, taught kindergarten for years, and worked in the children's room at the library. I had read to him in utero.  What was going on?

As time went on, we had him tested. He was diagnosed with dyslexia. If any of you have ever had your child diagnosed with anything, you will identify with the sudden frenzy of reading and studying I did on dyslexia. I read everything I could get my hands on, attended workshops, went to support group meetings, local advocacy groups, watched documentaries, and sought out expert help. I am summing up a few years here, but trust me when I say, I earned a degree in dyslexia from the school of self help.

When you first have to make changes to accommodate special needs, there can be a pendulum swing phenomena. My studies brought me to the Orton Gillingham method. This is a very scientific approach to multi sensory teaching for dyslexics. It is far too much information to go into here, but it involves a systematic approach to teaching reading through multi sensory techniques. I took some training classes and got started right away.

Slogging through phonics is hard work. I knew that in my fervor to help him, my pendulum was swinging towards much more structure and academics than I was really comfortable with for a second grader. He wanted to read so badly. He tried so hard. The work was quite strenuous and he began to say he didn't like "school". This really presented quite a dilemma for me. I am solidly in the camp of delayed academics for children, with plenty of time to enjoy unstructured play, handicrafts, and time outdoors. It had been a shock to me to realize that we needed to embrace the structure of the Orton Gillingham lesson. It was the fear that was driving me now. The fear that this precious child of mine would somehow miss out on crucial things because he couldn't read. I was also missing the gentle pace of the Oak Meadow curriculum and the creative aspects that we had so enjoyed in first grade.

It was in the third grade year that my pendulum began to balance and we finally hit our stride. I was now more of an "expert" at the multi sensory lesson. I felt more comfortable with setting a slower pace. I cut back on the time we spent in reading instruction and added more creative elements and unit studies that he chose the topics for. We began to enjoy "school" again. We were able to use Oak Meadow and substitute the reading instruction with his Orton Gillingham lesson. I was able to come up with appropriate accommodations for the lessons as needed and we began to feel comfortable with dyslexia. I say that we felt comfortable because, for me, it had felt very uncomfortable, very foreign, and very intimidating. The diagnosis of dyslexia left me feeling inadequate and so uncertain about my homeschooling. For my son, I believe that the diagnosis was both a blessing and a burden. He finally had a reason as to why he felt like an "alien" as he describes it. He had a learning difference. His brain saw things just a bit differently than most of us. He also felt the things that many dyslexics go through. He felt like he was "dumb" and that he wouldn't be able to do the things that other children did at his age.  When friends were reading chapter books and discussing them, he was still struggling with very simple readers. On the other hand, his skills of observation were very acute and didn't rely on the written word. He had developed ways around reading.

Third grade continued. We did unit studies on snakes and bugs, we struggled through the Merrill Readers, we went to the museums, we broke out in a sweat over consonant blends. My son discovered Calvin and Hobbes and suddenly, just like that, there was a breakthrough in the code. I could see it happen. It was like a switch coming on and the letters suddenly aligned into something comprehensible. He stayed up late to read Calvin. His light would stay on till we had to make him turn it off. We drove down the street to a constant wonder-filled voice that read us street signs and billboards. It was a miraculous.

Reading is still hard. I don't want to give the impression that he suddenly read on grade level or that he took up War and Peace, but he is READING. Was it the multi sensory instruction, the thousands of pages read to him by his mother, father, and sister, the freedom to choose his own books and topics of study? Was there one element that brought it into focus or was it a cocktail of literature and systematic study?

I strongly believe that dyslexic children need instruction that is tailored to their specific need. I continue using an Orton Gillingham style of reading instruction and provide accommodation as needed. I believe the success we have enjoyed comes from my son's hard work, his determination to read, his thirst for knowledge, and the drive of his family to build bridges for him to travel on. In my work with the public, I see many children who need special instruction, but are not able to receive it. (There are many reasons for that, but this is not a blog post on how we can work towards that end, although it is a fabulous topic and one I spend a lot of time on.)
What I can do here is point you, my fellow traveler, towards some resources that have helped us on our way. I can also assure you that it is possible, and highly desirable, to merge a creative curriculum with systematic instruction.

The program we use for language arts (reading and writing) is called PAF, or Preventing Academic Failure. It is an Orton Gillingham based program. The teacher manual provides excellent information on the layout of a solid lesson. The lessons are laid out for you and easy to follow. The program uses the Merrill Readers, Explode the Code, and Stepping Up books. The program can be used for several years depending on where you start and how long it takes to complete.

I also use pinterest and creative bloggers to find materials to help me practice certain skills. For example, when working on "bossy r", I made games and activities to help reinforce the differences in the ar, ir, or, ur, and er sounds.

Now that we are in fourth grade, we are reading our first book in the Oak Meadow syllabus, Stuart Little. I was delighted to discover that my son can read a page or two at a time of this book without getting too overwhelmed. So, we take turns reading. We have also used audio books for required reading. Journal entries can be dictated. He can tell me what to write and I record it in his main lesson book for him. He can also copy a few sentences or trace things to label. He then illustrates the page. There are many ways to make a creative, meaningful, and scientifically sound program at home for your dyslexic child. It is not always easy. It does require hard work and patience on both the part of the child and the parent.

I hope that if you have a child with special educational needs, that you will find your stride. There are many valid and excellent choices for you to choose from. If you choose to homeschool, I hope you feel empowered knowing that you can find the resources you need to move forward. Homeschooling with learning differences is challenging and wonderful. Enjoy the journey!

Observation and Discovery - Sketching Fruit in Our Main Lesson Books

Today we practiced our observation skills by examining fruit and then sketching it in our main lesson book. We passed around the banana, apple, peach, orange, pear, and kiwi. The children commented on the different ways to describe the fruit. Then we cut them in half and observed them from a different perspective. The children sketched the fruit from the side, the top, and then the middle.
We also took a nature walk and observed the land (contours, plant life, etc.).
We read the book, Seven Blind Mice. It seemed like a perfect fit for talking about observing things with our senses. They are also reading Stuart Little for the next three weeks.
We reviewed grammar terms, practiced for "Battle of the Books" this weekend at the library, did self-portraits in our journals, and had a pleasant first day of school. The children will continue doing activities from the syllabus this coming week at home. Next Friday we will do some more work on the topography project.

Magical Math the Waldorf Way

Math has a bad reputation. For many of us, the memory of math class is not something we recall with fondness. There are a few math nerds out there (my sister, for one), and I salute them. But, for the vast majority of homeschoolers I know, math is, if not the enemy, at least an uphill battle.

When my youngest was in first grade, I got a taste of Waldorfish math when I ordered the first grade curriculum from Oak Meadow. This curriculum included charming stories about the math gnomes and their adventures. Each gnome had a name (add, multiply, subtract, and divide) and a symbol. I made my son a set of plush math gnomes from some felt and wool. They were cute and cuddly and a huge hit. I bought a bag of glass marble type things from the local Dollar Store to be "gems" for the gnomes. He loved this arrangement and was quite happy to play with them and do the hands-on math the curriculum suggested. I can't say enough good things about the story approach to math.

My son is dyslexic and has struggled to master reading, but working with the math gnomes helped him explore math and make sense of it in his way and time. I have spent time online looking at Waldorf math stories. There are many fantastic stories available as well as making up your own. As a storyteller, I love to memorize or make up math stories to use in lessons. Christopherus curriculum uses math squirrels instead of gnomes. I love the idea of woodland critters as math story characters!

So, what is meant by a "math story"? When I first came to Waldorf education, I can remember wanting to know what a math story looks like. Here is an example of a math story and how you might use it to teach the concept of Roman numerals.

Once there lived a very young shepherd. He was a very responsible boy and had been chosen by the villagers to take care of their sheep. Each morning he would take the sheep to the pasture to graze. The sheep would wander all over looking for the choicest bits of grass to munch. The shepherd was very careful to keep a close watch on his sheep. He would stand on the little rise and look to the left and right keeping a constant count of how many sheep he could see. There were 12 sheep in his care and one day he devised a game to keep up with them. He took a little handful of sticks and made shapes to count his sheep. When he counted the sheep to the left of him, he would put the symbol he had made to his left. When he counted the sheep on his right, he could put the symbol for them on his right. In this way, he was able to keep track of his sheep from morning to night. The symbols that he used are I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII.

After telling this story to your child, you could provide a peg person shepherd, 12 cotton balls for sheep, and a little handful of sticks. Your child could then expand the story by making the Roman numerals out of sticks and acting out the shepherd and sheep story by putting a handful of cotton balls on each side of him and then make the number with the sticks. Your child could then copy the numerals into their main lesson and possibly add a picture of the story. Using stories to teach math is a brilliant way to help math concepts "stick". This example was only one of many ways that Waldorf math is magical. Waldorf Essentials also has a wonderful geometry resource that we use and love. Make an appointment with yourself to explore the world of Waldorf math. Rediscover math with your children and make it magical!

Whit is Published in Kids In Print!

Whit was published in the yearly Kids In Print publication put out by our local library. His story about Talgres the Squirrel and how he saved his animal friends made page four!  Needless to say we are very proud of our budding author. Here he is at the book signing and reception with the graphic novelist/cartoonist, Chris Schweizer. He is also pictured here with some friends from our homeschooling group. Pictured from left to right is Blake (published for his photography work), Whit (my favorite author of wildlife fiction), Haylee (a budding poet), and Shelby (published for her artwork).  I would say he has a great circle of friends! Congratulations Whitman, on a fantastic literary beginning!

The Art of Educational Balance

We have officially completed sixth grade and first grade this year (2010-2011) for my children. If you have read any of my other posts, you will know that we have unschooled, Waldorf homeschooled, sampled classical homeschool, dabbled at Montessori, and taken a helping of Charlotte Mason. We have led a nature-esque co-op for a year (last school year), that met at a local park on the river, we have tried a classical class once a week (last Fall), and we have been in Excalibur for this past year (the co-op hailed in my last post). Purist, we are not. One thing has remained steady throughout our eclectic curricula, and that is the element of choice. I have tried to keep my children on a path of their choosing. This has had its moments of faltering and its moments of triumph, but it is an educational value I still cling to.

This past year has been a season of balance for me. Balancing the needs and preferences of two children who are at very different places in their educational journeys. One is anxious to tackle the rigors of increased academic challenge and has a love for languages that astounds. She has completed a course in Spanish and in Latin this past year. She is attending the "Let's Speak Spanish" programs at the local library to "keep her Spanish up" before co-op classes start again in August. She has challenged herself to pick up the sign language her brother is learning and is making plans to add another foreign language in the next two years (she is thinking of French, Italian, or... Mandarin - go figure:). She is also working on the next level of latin over the summer. When the Summer Reading Challenge at the local library asked the students to read 25 hours over the summer, she quickly adjusted her personal challenge to 50 hours and told me that as a bonus, the reading had to be done in more than one language. I see a future as a translator or a teacher (in almost any country). Of course, she could suprise us and move on to other pursuits. I always like to leave the door open for change. I don't like to label the kids too early (or at all, actually:).

My other child has come to reading in his own way. After discovering this past winter, that he really does think way outside the box and has some challenges in the way he sees print and interprets it, we made changes in our approach. He has such a desire to be able to read, but has struggled to understand decoding and being able to see and hear differences in words. For him, personal choice has evolved into much more structure. He wants to be able to read well and this recquires a new way of learning for him. Enter the Orton Gillingham, multi-sensory approach. With the structured lessons of the PAF program, he has made more progress in three months than he had in the past three years towards learning to read. Does he love sitting down every day for "book work" and painstakingly printing out letters? No. I will be honest, it is hard work for him and for me. When he balks, I remind him of his goal (to read whatever he wants, including chapter books, informational books on wildlife, etc.), and he presses on with a good will. This has really taught me the place for workbooks and lesson plans. Still, it all comes down to choice. He wants to learn to read well. (He has been harping on it for years - when will I be able to read... (fill in the blank) . He has a very strong personal drive to get there.) So, this past semester has included more structured lesson plans. We follow a very regimented, scientific approach to his reading, and, it is working. He is delighted with his progress, which is huge, because it spurs him on when the work is hard and slow. I have also developed an appreciation for reading later rather than earlier. His observation skills are amazing. Most of us can read and so we rely on reading for the majority of our information input. We rely on signs that tell us where things are in public places, we read the headlines while waiting in line for coffee, we read brochures and instructions. When you can't rely on these things for information, you notice all the little details that clue you in on what is happening and how to respond. He is always the first to notice the details and has a crazy knack for remembering information. For instance, we pull up to the Chick-fil-A drive thru. As I scan the menu for our order, he says, "I wonder what is broken here at the Chick-fil-A?" "What do you mean?" I ask, looking around to see what is broken. "The repair man is here," he says and then adds, "Oh, it must the air conditioner." (I am still looking around for something broken, and now, the repair man. "Why do you say that?", I ask him. "Because there is a repair truck here that is not in a regular parking space and the lock on the ladder at the side of the building is off and open. So, someone must be on the roof, it is probably the repair man. The air conditioner is on the roof, I see part of it, so I bet it is the air conditioner that is broken." When we pulled forward for my order, it was confirmed by the girl in the window. The air conditioner was indeed broken and the repair man was on the roof.

From our unschooling roots to structured Orton Gillingham reading instruction, our homeschool path has led us on a scenic route. We find our balance as we go, adding and subtracting formal instruction and interest driven projects on the way. Homeschooling has been an exercise in trust; Trust that the children can live a life of meaning and substance now and not just when they are "grown up". I can see the fruits of our method. At first, it was our shot in the dark, but the light has dawned even brighter than I could have hoped and I couldn't be happier with the results. The varied interests, the determination to challenge yourself, the rich home life and relationships, and the ability to cater your education to your own ideas of success. The benefits we have experienced go on and on. As we plot our next phase of the journey, my daughter transitions into 7th grade and my son into 2nd. He has a present interest in antiques and wildlife. She is enjoying bohemian fashion and wants to try kayaking. I am reading up on homesteading and intentional communites and planning a sewing day soon. My husband is reading a memoir of 18 months of living in an Amish/Mennonite community and reading new books out loud to the children at night. Ahhhh... life is good.

Excalibur

This year my children are enrolled in a homeschool co-op called Excalibur. If you have read my previous post, you will know that after overbooking our school year and re-organizing to accomodate what the children wanted to keep, both of my children chose to keep Excalibur. I have been so favorably impressed with our experience there, I wanted to share it with you.

The co-op meets for three hours one morning a week. The children can sign up for an instrument (piano or violin) or art class for the first hour. Everyone takes Physics for the second hour and Spanish for the third hour.

The first thing that stands out to me about Excalibur is that the children have all been treated very respectfully with a minimum of adult coerced activities. Asking questions is encouraged by word as well as action and children seem able to participate at varying levels of interest and attention span. All ages meet together except for the preschool crowd, which meets in another area.

Parents attend with their children and no mention of punishments or rewards has been made in my hearing. (Alfie Kohn would be so proud!)
Interestingly, after the first six weeks children organically began to bring items of interest apart from any adult suggestion or plan, to share with each other. For example, a child brought her baton and began to show other children how she uses it and letting them practice with hers. A boy talked with my daughter about her knitting. He crochets, so they agreed to bring their supplies and teach show each other their skills. They ended up with a small group of children sitting together swapping handiwork know-how with promises to bring supplies again next time. I suspect that this will continue till someone gets bored and suggests some new thing that might be shared.

It is true that the music, art, physics, and Spanish classes are traditional-style classes - to a degree, but they are led by people with a high interest in the area they lead and a desire to pass off what they know to others. I don't believe any of the instructors have "degrees" in what they are teaching, only an interest and love of the material.

Children sit in chairs, at tables, or on the floor to take things in with varying degrees of note-taking or just sitting listening or day dreaming.
The instructors haven't seemed anxious about keeping order or making the children behave in any sort of regimented way. So the children are free to take in what interests them. I have not observed an atmosphere of fear or much anxiety - with the possible exception of the younger children trying to write down things quickly that became hard for them. Parents on hand were quick to point out that they weren't "recquired" to write it all down and many alternative suggestions were made as to how they could proceed.
* The desired words were run off on a list that could be cut out and pasted.
* The words were written on the board for all to see and spell.
* A parent or another child wrote the words for them.
* The child doesn't write the words or worry about writing the words.
All of the children found a solution here and have not seemed concerned or anxious regarding this since.

The physics instructor often has the children act out being molecules or conducting experiments in a sort of "en masse" way that is brave on her part and brilliant for the children.
I have noted that some parents (even myself) have been occasionally concerned about bringing things to order or keeping everyone moving along uniformally. But somehow, they have, to date, pulled back and let things progress naturally, much to their credit, in my estimation.

The Spanish instructor invites questions and requests for new words. She isn't put off by odd requests (My seven year old asked her how you say, "old decrepit gerbil" in Spanish.) She has the easy demeanor hallmark of this group.

The children in this group appear at ease and comfortable. I believe this group has great potential and varied possibilities so long as the parents involved are able to resist their instinct to control and pre-plan to any greater extent and let the children remain comfortable and engaged on so many varying levels.

My children have certainly enjoyed this group. They comment that the children there are very nice and easy to be with and that they feel comfortable with the instructors and the kinds of things they do there.