Roots and Wings Homeschool Group

STRUCTURE

When we are on our ‘A’ game, and there is a plan in place, and the boys know exactly what we are doing and what is expected of them, they thrive.  They love to help with chores when they know ahead of time that we will be doing that.  If I just pull them from an activity to help, I get resistance.  So, I try to provide them with a plan for the day and we suffer if there isn’t one.

Also, I  make sure that we read stories that build character and provide opportunities to talk about virtues and character.  We also role-model appropriate behavior and it is very endearing to see the kids play on their own mimicking what I am hoping to teach them.

I also try for every negative thing I say to counter with at least two positives in a reasonable timeframe.  You can see their chests swell when they are acknowledged for a job well done, or an appropriate behavior witnessed.

It’s such a balancing act on so many levels, but so worth it.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope your year is off to a great start!

As another new year begins, I find myself evaluating many areas of my life and trying to prioritize, organize and yearn to enjoy Peace and Joy in every day. Today was one of those really good days with my boys…so in addition to being thankful for the peace and joy in my home today, I also had to ask myself…."what made it such a great day? Why were the kids much more cooperative today than on many other days?" And this led me to our Topic of the Week discussion….

What motivates your kids? Each child is unique and will be motivated accordingly. I’m guessing that there are also different motivators according to what you are trying to motivate them to do. I’m looking forward to hearing what you have to say. I would love to hear how you motivate your children to cooperate and be helpful, what helps them have better attitudes and how they are motivated to learn. (this could probably be several discussions….don’t let this keep you from jumping in on the discussion ).

By the way….welcome home Mills Family!! Glad you’re back!
-Megan

Well, I’d like to say that I’ve mastered homeschooling with a new baby… but I’d be lying! Things are getting better as I’m learning to lay little L (age 3 months) down for naps. I’ve just reread "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." It’s my favorite sleep book for all ages, but especially babies. The author says to focus on nap cycles for best sleep at night. I’ve noticed that when she naps, I can teach the other children best.

My first priority is usually J (age 5) reading to me. Right now I’m using the Hooked on Phonics 1st grade books.  They are 30 pages, so we just read a few pages at a time.  He loves the pictures and plot (which are better than many other early reader books).  Then, I read to both kids. My kids love science books as well as fiction. Then, A (age 3) and I practice the alphabet. We either use flashcards or her handwriting book. J also has a handwriting book and both kids have cutting and pasting books (for fine motor development). I am using Kumon workbooks. 

Both kids are also in Awanas. J memorizes two or three verses per week. A memorizes one verse. We also read the Bible before naps and bedtime. This evening I read to J out of my Bible instead of his children’s Bible (the Jesus Storybook Bible) for the first time. It was actually very fun. We read about Simeon and Anna meeting Jesus in the temple after he was born. It really inspired me to try again.  We talked about the Trinity because the Holy Spirit was upon Simeon.  I love discussing theology with J.  His childhood faith is such a blessing!   My prayer is that he will continue to grow in faith and wisdom throughout his life!   Lately, A and I have been discussing Jesus’ birthday and why He came down to earth.

Finally, J and I squeeze in some math. Right now we are working on coin values (counting and sorting) and addition facts. He really loves math when I take the handwriting out of the subject I’m trying to be more creative by giving him games and oral responses to promote his math development and not discourage him with too much handwriting. I get my ideas from the Abeka math workbook. 

So, that’s my lack for routine for the moment… as L gets more predictable, we’ll have a better schedule. For now, I squeeze in as much as I can throughout the day!

Hi all,

I had posted about our homeschooling journey and included my favorite resources. For some reason, the links didn’t work….they do now!

Also, we have had some technical difficulties with my husbands laptop recently, which is why I haven’t posted any new topics. I will post the next one after the holidays.

Hope everyone is enjoying the snow and embracing the Hope and Peace of Christ during this time of the year.

In Him,

Megan