Educating My Children

Non-Winter Weather

2012-02-24T13:28:00.000-08:00

The bipolar weather here in Nevada is making both me and the kids crazy!! One day it is spring, warm, sunshine, gorgeous, outdoor park weather. And the next day it is cold, cold, cold, cold, cold...

We haven't even had a true winter yet.

There's been no snow to speak of. This picture of the kids in the back yard is the extent of our snowfall this year, and it's pretty pitiful...

That snow lasted one day then it melted away and we went back to spring temps.

It wouldn't be so bad if it would pick a season and go with it, but that's just not happening. And with this non-winter year I can only wonder if it will continue and be a super crazy summer, or if winter will just slam into us really late. And I don't want that to happen. I actually have science scheduled around spring. Not fake spring, but real spring. I have field trips planned and outdoor activities galore. If the non-winter turns into a late winter it'll really mess up my plans, ahhh!!!

Another IEP Down

2012-02-16T16:15:00.000-08:00

Due to a ridiculous amount of illness in my family (and the majority of it hitting me) I had to reschedule Bug's IEP meeting, twice. But we finally had it today!

Bug will, of course, continue in his social skills group. Also, he will now be getting speech therapy. He used to get speech therapy (and for reasons that don't make any sense in any of the reports they stopped providing it) and I have been saying for the last year that he still needs it... Apparently I am finally being listened to. It feels nice to be heard.

Bug continues to have a whole host of goals that I will work on with him at home and he will work on them in therapy and really that is all I can say about it.

Other than listing the goals one by one there's just not much to say. We cover everything from academics to life skills. You name it, it's on there.

Again, I can't stress it enough for those of you out there who homeschool a child with special needs - REMAIN ON AN IEP!!! I could pay hundreds of dollars out of pocket every month for social skills therapy and speech therapy, but I don't. Why? Because I keep him on IEP and get services through our school district. I know all states are different, but I also know that if services are needed there is a legal obligation of the school district to provide them.

In Nevada they are pretty good about it.

Sugar Teeth

2012-02-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

We've been doing a health unit on taking care of our teeth. I chose to put a lot of emphasis on this because I am trying really hard to get Bug to brush his own teeth. This has been a huge struggle. He wines, he cries, he clamps his mouth down and refuses. He shoves the brush away and he runs out of the bathroom.

He doesn't care if I brush his teeth or if Hubby brushes them, but he absolutely refuses to brush them himself.

So yesterday while discussing teeth I decided to do a demonstration. We were talking about how sugar can break down tooth enamel and cause cavities. I even drew a picture to show him how this happens and I discussed how we need to brush that sugar and whatever else we eat off of our teeth.

Bug followed along but I could tell he really wasn't getting the impact so I quickly said, "kitchen field trip!" (This is kind of a joke for us, it makes him laugh...)

So to the kitchen we went. I grabbed a teaspoon and the sugar and then I asked, "Do you know how much sugar is in an ice cream sundae?"

Bug looked at me excitedly and said, "No, but I bet it's a whole lot!"

"Yep, you can think of it like this..." I proceeded to spoon out seven teaspoons of sugar into a clear bowl.

"That is what is in your ice cream."

Bug looked surprised, "That's gross!"

Then I said, "Do you know how much is in a candy bar?"

I proceeded to spoon out ten teaspoons. Bug looked in complete shock.

"Wow! That's too much sugar!"

"Now imagine," I said, "that this is all getting on your teeth when you eat. If you don't brush then it is just staying there, piling up, and hurting your teeth."

He looked amazed.

"So you see why you have to brush at least twice a day?"

"Yeah, I see."

"Good, we start tomorrow."

And so this morning after breakfast I got Bug into the bathroom and I told him he needed to brush his teeth.

He started to refuse.

He started to do his normal clamped mouth, not gonna happen, routine.

Then I said, "Remember the sugar?"

He grabbed the brush from me and brushed his teeth better than I have ever seen him do!!!

I don't know how long the impact will be there, but if I can get it to last long enough to make it a habit then I will have won the battle!

Woohoo!!!

Decision Made

2012-02-13T13:53:00.000-08:00

I've made an important decision and figured I better tell you about it. Actually, the decision was made by my Hubby and I together.

In regards to Bean's education... She will finish kindergarten at regular school. Next school year, for first grade, she will be homeschooled.

I just can't see myself sending her back to public school. The thought of it makes me feel ill. I know what people mean now when they say they believe God has called them to homeschool their children - I know because I believe He let me know 100% without a shadow of a doubt that this is what He wants me to do. It's hard to explain without sounding a bit odd, but He spoke to me. No, there was no actual verbal conversation, but He spoke to my spirit and I know my kids both need to be homeschooled now.

Bean needs more social outlets than Bug. I've already found a homeschool co-op that we can participate in. I'm thinking a weekly music class will do both kids some good.

I guess this means I'm in first grade planning stage for Bean. It's really nice to feel right about my decisions for a change. That's the joy in listening to the Father.

Math Blocks

2012-02-10T12:06:00.000-08:00

Today we were working on multiplication when I brought out my math blocks to create a visual for Bug. I thought maybe you'd be interested to see just what my math blocks are...

Generally when someone says "math blocks" people automatically think of base 10 blocks. Well, in our home school base 10 blocks are forbidden.

I'm not sure why, but base 10 blocks send Bug into an immediate full-scale meltdown. He totally flips out - shaking and screaming and the whole bit. All I can think of is that they remind him of public school and he really disliked being at public school.

So anyways, we don't use base 10 blocks during math for anything...

Instead, we use my math blocks. A convenient set of miniature foam blocks that I picked up in the $1.00 bin at our local Target store. They work perfectly, keep Bug calm, and can be used to demonstrate just about everything I need to demonstrate at this point in time.

And the best part is that they come meltdown-free.

Another Meeting

2012-02-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is Bug's annual IEP meeting.

I really feel like I have nothing for this meeting. I just want him to continue in his social skills group. Other than that I just don't want to deal with the school.

I'm over public school. It's been nothing but a source of frustration since we got involved.

Homeschooling makes everyone around here happy.

A Cowboy in the House

2012-01-27T13:18:00.000-08:00

Who knew when I began lessons this morning that I would have a visitor in the house...

Look at that... Woody came to visit!

And Woody is a very good student, too!

Some Days Make You Smile

2012-01-24T14:16:00.000-08:00

Sometimes in this homeschooling journey daily life can be so frustrating.

Sometimes it just seems like nothing is getting done and the kids are arguing over everything and tempers are flaring and everyone is unhappy.

But that is only sometimes.

The majority of the time life is pretty routine with the normal daily hiccups.

For us those normal daily hiccups tend to include Bug arguing with me about whether or not he actually "needs school" - oh yes, he believes he is smart enough without it.

Boy is he wrong!

I get that the kid is intelligent, but when he reaches true genius status it will be when he actually has learned that life will always involve learning.

Anyways, those arguments can sometimes cause the whole day to go bust. He will decide he doesn't need to do his work and totally shut me out and when I try to press on he will freak out and it is only after massive amounts of deep breathing (so as to not go insane) and a lot of discussion that we will finally move forward on a subject and he will finish his work.

I'm not saying that every day has to have these long, drawn out, exhausting, argumentative sessions... But lately a lot of them have.

But then every once in a while I get a day like today.

Today... Bug sat down. Started his work. Listened intently to every word I said. Paid attention. Smiled. Did every task set forth. Smiled more. Seemed to enjoy every bit of it.

And then said, because he knows he is behaving in a way that makes me happy, "Wow, Mommy, it's 10:30 and I didn't argue once."

Yep, that was today. No arguing with me. No yelling.

No telling me he was too smart and already knew what I was teaching him anyway (boy he is full of himself at times - but I love him).

And more importantly...

No flipping out over paper being faced the wrong direction or the wrong color pen being on the table, or his sister being too noisy, or the sun being too bright, or being too warm, or too cold, or thinking he doesn't need to review something, or not liking that I asked him to number a paper, or anything else that he could come up with to argue and get upset over.

Nope, today he was happy as a clam and just did his work.

And at 10:30 he made his announcement... And do you know what I said to him?

I said, "And that, my boy, is why you are already done for the day and you can now go outside and play in the snow. Isn't it great to just get it done?"

He smiled. I smiled.

Because some days just make you smile.

Division is Easy!

2012-01-18T14:15:00.000-08:00

Today I began introducing Bug to the concept of division. I wasn't sure how he would do with it at first - he kind of looked at me like I was from outer space when I started describing the process. But as soon as I pulled out our little math blocks and created a picture for him he was off and running with it.

Our lesson was just basic with things like 10÷2 and 8÷4 and 12÷2 or 6÷3, stuff like that... but he caught on really quick!

And as I had him working on some small problems he suddenly yelled out, "Division is easy!"

Yes, my little math geek grew just a smidge geekier today with his new skill. I just love watching him learn.

I Just Love It

2012-01-13T13:23:00.000-08:00

This morning while doing lessons I had this moment that I just want to write down because I don't want to forget it. I was helping Bean with her handwriting (ahh, yes, homeschool before public school - taking matters into my own hands) and Bug was working on his math. Everyone was busy doing their thing and then I just kind of looked up at both of the kids and this wave of peace washed over me. I don't know how else to describe it, but in my mind I heard "this is right" and I suddenly began to think about just how much I truly enjoy homeschooling.

I love it! I love watching my kids learn. I love guiding their learning.

I just love it.

Back to Bean... Since she started kindergarten I have been doing lessons off and on with her before she actually goes to school. I haven't been doing it every day up until this month. This month I have done lessons with her every day and she is just a really great little student for me.

I feel like public school is failing her. She's in kindergarten and I already feel that way.

Anyways... As I watched my little learners doing their thing this morning I just loved the feeling that went through me and want to remember that always.

As with everything in life, homeschooling comes with its share of good and bad days, but the good is like this whole level of good that I just don't think you can experience in any other way.

I Want to Be Homeschooled

2012-01-11T13:37:00.000-08:00

Bean keeps asking me to homeschool her.

At first I wondered if this is just a response to her having her Christmas vacation off and enjoying being with the family, but we've been home and she is back in school and even after a couple of days she keeps saying, "Mommy, I want to be homeschooled."

But she still loves regular school. She has friends, is happy to be there, and seems to like her teacher. I'm not sure what it is that has her wanting to be at home.

Do I want her at home? Truthfully, yes, I do.

Am I pulling her out? No, I'm not.

She will finish kindergarten in the class she started in.

But I'm making no promises as to what will happen for first grade.

Laminating and Multiplication

2012-01-07T14:51:00.000-08:00

One of my friends surprised me with a Christmas present I wasn't expecting. She popped by one day with a laminating machine for me.

And she said, "For all your schooling stuff." It's really nice when people understand you and your homeschooling needs. When it comes to regular folks (meaning not family) that doesn't happen very often so I mean it when I say I was surprised.

Anyways, it came just at the right time as I am working with Bug on his multiplication and finally decided I need to print out a multiplication chart for him to refer to. I just printed it and I'm going to laminate it and I am just tickled pink to be able to do so!

I really like the chart I found, it is from the Donna Young website. That website is loaded up with goodies - planners, charts, tables, graphs, worksheets, ideas, and so much more. It is a great resource!

Jumping Back In

2012-01-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2012!!!

Today we jumped right back into school lessons and it felt great to get back to our regular routine. Bug is much more settled when he knows exactly what is going to happen with his day and the structure of our homeschooling routine provides for that need.

And the Hubby says I fair better with routine too. Hmm... He may be right!

Anyways, we jumped in with a new list of spelling words for the week, a review of where we are in language arts (working with writing complete sentences) and a math lesson to learn more about multiplication and the concept behind it. As Bug and I worked on lessons, Bean sat nearby and worked on her handwriting. She doesn't go back to kindergarten until the 9th. I pulled out some early reading books for her to go over this week to reinforce her letter sounds and letter blends. She seems very excited to work with them.

We also jumped back into our reading. We are currently reading a series called Roscoe Riley Rules written by Katherine Applegate. We're on book 4, Never Swim in Applesauce. These books are hysterical and I have the entire series loaded onto the Kindle app on Bug's iPad. He loves them and he reads a chapter a day and I follow it up with comprehension questions.

Next week I'm going to begin a unit on health, safety, and manners with Bug and after we finish out health, safety, and manners we will move on to science. I did the same health, safety, and manners stuff last year, but this year I will expand on it and we'll work on some more life skills in the process - I'm really hoping more of it will rub off this year. Bug will be 8 years-old in May and well, his life skills are greatly lacking.

So that's where we're at for now - it's a new year and I am looking forward to great things!

Wishing You a Merry Christmas!

2011-12-14T12:54:00.000-08:00

Just a few days to go and then Bug will be on Christmas Break from homeschooling and Bean will be on break from regular school.

Bug doesn't do well with extended breaks so his last day of lessons will be Wednesday, December 21. We will pick up where we leave off on January 2 - fresh and ready for the New Year.

Bean will be out of school until January 9 - and truthfully I am really looking forward to having her at home. She does well at regular school, but I still have thoughts on most days where I wish I had never sent her there to begin with.

Anyways, I hope you all have a great holiday and that you enjoy your family as much as you can.

And may you always remember the true reason as to why we celebrate this season.

Numbering the Paper

2011-11-30T13:00:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of things in life that you'd think would be simple, but when asking a child with Autism to do it - well, what you think is so simple may not be.

Case in point, I asked Bug to please start numbering his spelling papers. I would like to see him number from 1-20 and write the words after the numbers. This is pretty standard procedure in any school environment so I figured that even in homeschooling he could manage this small task.

I was met with screams, yells, tears, and his shaking body full of anger.

"What's the big deal?" I asked. "Why won't you just number it?"

And that is when he slammed his finger on a line on the paper and said, "I know that line is number nine already! I don't need to write the number down for me to know that!"

Funny thing is, when I looked without the numbers written I didn't know which line was which - I had to sit there and count it to be sure. And yes, he was correct.

How do I argue with that?

I decided to be firm and told him, "Bug, you need to number the paper. Even if you already know the numbers for each one, I would like it numbered."

I was met again with shaking and screaming and after about a half hour he finally caved and numbered it - all the while letting me know just how upsetting this was for him.

Isn't that special? Ugh.

Amazing Visual Tool

2011-11-27T21:12:00.000-08:00

I'm so ready to get back into our regular routine with Bug's lessons and Bean at her school. It is nice to have vacations, but it really sets my son off and Bean feeds off of him so that routine makes for nicer days.

I have been having so much fun this weekend setting up Bug's iPad with various apps and such. I can't wait to begin tomorrow with making it a part of our daily routine. I'm still so very grateful to all who helped us to get that for him - it's going to be put to some great use!

I even found some very dynamic apps for use with fractions! I think these apps might make fractions a bit more fun for him and a bit less aggravating.

And there are a surprising amount of apps to help with daily life skills - I was very pleased to see this. Very surprised and very pleased. Bug still has many life skills that we are working on so I think some of these apps will be wonderful to use with him.

It's just an amazing visual tool!

Have a Great Thanksgiving!

2011-11-21T14:11:00.000-08:00

If Bug could study nothing but American History for the rest of his scholastic career I think he would be totally happy. He has really enjoyed this unit!

But all good things must come to an end - and let's face it, there is a lot more we need to learn about in other subject areas. So tomorrow will be our last day in the American History unit and I think I'm ready to move on, too.

Through the month of December we will just be working with our core subjects of math, language arts, spelling, reading, and handwriting. We'll be taking two weeks off for a Christmas break as well.

Then, as the New Year emerges, we will begin a unit on Health, followed in the Spring by a Science unit. I always like to save science for the Spring as it is just a good time to see science come to life in the world around us.

Bug will probably be finished with everything in his second grade package - with the exception of science - by the end of March. I like that. I actually planned it that way - we started our school year in July. I'm hoping that with science being the only focus at that time, we will be able to do some really fun stuff including some very cool field trips to some surrounding areas. My goal is that this year science will really come alive for him.

So with that, I'm going to say adios for a week or so as I make Thanksgiving really come alive. We have fun art activities planned and we're planning to go see a movie with the kids, and just do a lot of fun family stuff.

So from our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving. May God continue to bless you!

We'll meet back here next week with more learning fun!

Progress Towards Ranks

2011-11-16T10:34:00.000-08:00

Last night at Cub Scouts, Bug was awarded his Progress Towards Ranks emblem as well as his first yellow bead. The emblem is awarded when a Wolf Scout completes three achievements. He received one yellow bead to hang from it to symbolize those first three and he will receive another yellow bead for each additional three achievements. Once he receives four yellow beads it means he has completed everything he needs to do to receive the Wolf badge. After earning the Wolf badge he moves on to Bears (that is the red beads).

Bug is still really enjoying his Den meetings. It is a smaller group and he functions well within it. He isn't super social or anything like that, but he likes the activities.

We haven't been attending the Pack meetings in the last few months mostly because Bug gets upset at all the noise and chaos of them, so we've just opted out. However, in December we will be attending the Pack meeting as it is a special Christmas celebration and Bug will be recognized for his Wolf achievements. It's the first Pack meeting he has asked to attend since June when he was moved up to Wolf Scouts from Tigers. And it made me laugh last night when he said he wanted to go because, as he said, he "will get called up" - He's really proud of his uniform. And he should be - he works hard for those awards. It makes me proud to see him wanting to do something and enjoying it.

Thank You, Everyone!

2011-11-10T22:35:00.001-08:00

It's a really humbling experience to realize that when you want to do something really great for your kid you will have to ask for help in order to get it done. Especially humbling is when that help needs to come in the form of money. Let's face it, no one really likes to ask anyone for money. But life is expensive and people have bills and in houses with one income sometimes those bills can seem like gigantic weights constantly pressing down on you.

So when you finally come to the place where you know that if you want to accomplish something for your kid you will have to ask for financial help, yes, it is humbling.

And you have to just let your pride go and make the move to ask.

And that is exactly what we did.

James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

When I stepped out in faith to ask people to help us get an iPad for Bug never in my wildest dreams did I think it would happen so fast. In less than a week we have raised enough money to get his iPad - can't you believe it? I am still in a bit of a state of shock over it.

Equally as humbling as asking for help to begin with is realizing that people are kind and generous and very willing to help when there is a need. People I have known for years donated to help. Acquaintances from Twitter and other social networking sites donated to help. And then people I didn't even know donated to help. It is an amazing feeling to realize the goodness that is in people's hearts.

And while it took the donations to make the money be enough, it also took the care and kindness of people who tweeted out and shared on FaceBook and Google+ and in emails and on websites - people who took the time to tell the world about our need - those people helped us to reach our goal.

I told a few of my closest friends that I was "trusting God to do this" and I did. I asked God to bless it. I asked God to bless my boy. And I waited and trusted that He would make it happen.

The Bible tells us, as you read in that verse up above, that every good and perfect gift is from the Father. I believe that God used each and every one of the people who helped share and who donated to send my family a blessing. The amount of gratitude I feel for them is more than I can really put to words. I found myself crying earlier just out of pure joy and gratefulness and the realization that there are truly some amazing people out there who care about us and our family.

Maybe it seems like small potatoes to some, but an iPad for Bug is a HUGE deal for us - Vibrant visual schedules, social stories at instant access, behavioral apps to help, visuals for schoolwork - and so much more! This is going to change our day to day in a big way!

So friends, family, acquaintances, and people who just found it in their hearts to help in any way they could - my family thanks you. We want you to know that you have made a huge impact in our lives both on the technology front and on another level that goes deep into our hearts.

We seriously can't thank you enough.

We are truly blessed.

Yeehaw!

2011-11-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

We moved from the American Pioneers to the American Cowboys - saddle up!

We've been talking about "cow towns" (like Dodge City, Kansas) and cattle branding - we even created our own family brand for if ever we become ranchers (doubting that'll happen).

Tomorrow we will be singing cowboy songs and maybe taking a peek at some cowboy poetry if we have the time.

And we talked about cattle drives...

We also talked about cattle stampedes - Bug thought the idea was pretty funny until he read that cattle can die during one. Then he just got serious. No one likes to think about anything dying.

I'm thinking that tomorrow while we sing our cowboy songs I will have him wear his Woody hat and see if he can really get into playing the part.

*If you find it in your heart, please help us get an iPad for little Bug: iPad for Bug

An iPad for Bug!

2011-11-06T22:18:00.000-08:00

I've debated doing this for a long time and I finally set up the page and I'm boldly asking my blog readers for support. I really want to get my son an iPad and I am now fundraising to do just that.

click here>>> iPad for Bug <<<click there

iPads are amazing devices offering a lot of potential for kids with Autism. Our son is an amazing kid with Autism. Bug has high functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome. We never truly understood the power of the iPad until we saw it put to use in his social skills class. Man, it was amazing! Just seeing the various apps we could use to help with his social and emotional needs blew our minds! Since then we have downloaded a few apps and put them on our phones, but our goal is to have a device that is specifically for Bug to use with its sole purpose being to assist with his special needs and his education - Did we mention he is homeschooled? Bug has severe anxiety along with his Autism and regular school is not happening for him. An iPad would be a great help with his educational needs as well!

The hope for our family is to raise enough money to buy an iPad for Bug as well as a good case so that we won't have to worry about bumps.

If you can help us out in any way we would be so grateful.

Friends, if you are at all able to help I can't even begin to tell you how much it would mean to me, to my family, and most importantly to my amazing son, Bug.

Pioneer Scene

2011-11-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I get these bursts of creativity. I am not naturally a creative person, so when this happens I embrace it.

Today, as I sat down thinking about helping Bug to create a pioneer scene, it dawned on me that I had supplies to do something fun right here in our school room - no craft store needed!

I had an idea! A burst of creative energy!

We would make a collage!

And so we did! We ripped paper and glued in on to make a cool pioneer scene. Bug made mountains, a river, the sun, a cloud, a pioneer man, a campfire, and a covered wagon! I think he did a great job!

It Doesn't Stop at Therapy

2011-11-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

One thing I've noticed as I peruse the online world is that many people seem to think that certain types of therapy for their kids are like waving a magic wand to make things better. Today I am specifically speaking about social skills therapy.

Social skills therapy is actually something that I believe is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for a child with Asperger Syndrome. It is through that therapy that these kids come to learn how to deal with the world around them.

BUT - and this is a big but so hear me loud and clear - it does not stop in the therapy room! You can't expect your kid to go into therapy once or twice a week and magically become a different person.

First of all, your child has Aspergers. He/she will NEVER be a different person. They will over time learn to cope better, communicate better, and deal with life in a better way, but they will always be who they are so you need to come to terms with that first.

Second, you need to either go to therapy with your kid or you need to be in constant communication with the person doing the therapy to know exactly what is being worked on and what techniques are being used so that you can then do the same at home as reinforcement. What your child is experiencing in the social skills therapy/group/class setting cannot just stop once they leave. Everyone in contact with the child - that means other teachers, family members, and yourself - needs to be onboard with what is happening so that they can follow through with the same techniques. And when writing that blessed IEP you need to be sure that this is written into it!

You can't just expect your kid to start social skills therapy and suddenly come home behaving and acting differently. That isn't how it works. As a family unit you need to be willing to put in the effort because without that effort you can kiss those results you crave goodbye.

Bug goes to social skills therapy every week. He also goes to special classes twice a week designed to be areas where he can "practice" what he is learning. Every adult in the room is aware of what he is focusing on in social skills and they are aware of what techniques are being used to help him so that they can then use the same techniques.

I go to therapy with him and come home with notes and charts and information. I have the same stuff he uses in his group here at home and we use it daily to reinforce what he is learning.

And is Bug a different person? No. He will alway be an Aspie. Autism will never go away. He will always struggle and it will be a lifelong learning process. We have to reinforce what he learns in therapy on a daily basis and when we don't we can't possibly expect him to excel. That's just not how it works.

So I guess this is a big pet peeve for me with the online world - I read what people write and it annoys the heck out of me. Therapy isn't a magic cure! If you aren't willing to put in the effort to reinforce what goes on in your kid's social skills group then you might as well not even send him - by not being onboard yourself you are setting your child up to fail. Autism (and really any special need) requires the entire family unit being onboard to create any sort of positive outcome. That's just how it is, plain and simple.

Updates from a Busy Day

2011-11-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

Today the kids made Pilgrim magnets and I think they're very cute...

The magnets were part of an activity that was going on at Bug's Social Skills group, and Bean is always welcome to join in which I think is nice.

In other news... Today was Bean's parent/teacher conference. It went very well. I received her report card which showed that she is right on track and where she needs to be. In our state, in kindergarten, they don't give out letter grades. Instead, everything is done on a number system (1-4). Basically what you want is either 2s or 3s up until the end of school when you want 4s - and right now everything on Bean's was either a 2 or a 3, so we are very proud of her! Her teacher also reported that Bean is a pleasure to have in class and has excellent behavior - I'm a proud mommy! Additionally, Bean's reading level is actually a little above the expectation at this current time. I guess all those bedtime stories are paying off! Our main things to work on are also things that are outlined in her IEP and have to do with her fine motor skills, which she is receiving therapy for.

As for Bug, well, I guess if I want a parent/teacher conference for him I can schedule a chat with my Hubby, LOL!!! Seriously though, he is doing pretty well with his studies. He is starting to grasp the fractions. I wouldn't say he's perfected it, but it's starting to make more sense to him. He has conquered both carrying (addition) and borrowing (subtraction) and has begun to learn a small amount of multiplication which will be expanded on in the coming months.

Tomorrow we are starting lessons on symmetry: line of symmetry; drawing a line of symmetry; and folding shapes to show they are symmetrical. I actually found some great worksheets to supplement our lessons at this website: Super Teacher Worksheets - they have all kinds of great worksheets!

And we didn't make it to the craft store today so we have to hit that tomorrow so we can get our pioneer scene going - LOVING that unit!

Go West, Young Man!

2011-11-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to tell you what we are doing right now in our history studies. Bug is currently working on a unit about the American Pioneers.

He is learning all about things like wagon trains...

He is really enjoying this unit! We have been discussing reasons why people wanted to travel west, what it was like to travel back then, what it was like to be in a wagon train - the community aspect of it all (kids, families, the Wagon Master, etc...). We have been talking about what the pioneers brought with them on the journey, the troubles they encountered, and the fear and excitement they must have felt.

And we've been playing a lot of Oregon Trail in the process because it's as close as Bug is going to get to going in a wagon train.

It's a really fun unit and tomorrow we are going to go to the craft store to pick up a few things to create a pioneer scene - should be fun!