They Will Grow: Homeschool

Two whole terms of Grade One are finished! We finished a week before Mr R's school did - I was so done and really needed a break. I have enjoyed the work and enjoyed teaching my girl. I have struggled to juggle the baby and Mr A and there were a few days when not quite everything on our list got done. However, things are getting easier now that baby is older. He is more happy to crawl around and play, and his naps are more more predictable. I had imagined that my helper would help more with baby during school time but it never works out that way. On the days when she is here she mostly does the housework and babysit when I need to do grocery shopping or lift the big kids.

Here's Miss J doing Maths in the garden! Yes, her numbers were pretty messy but no more than they usually are :-)

Doing a worksheet with our littlest pupil - Mr A is not happy to go and play while we start school. At first he used to watch some TV but that was a disaster - he would scream for more when it was over, and Miss J could hear the TV and was very distracted. So now (if I am organized) I get a few worksheets for him to do with us, and I leave some puzzles or lego or playdo out for him to "find". If I say, "Why don't you go and get your blocks?" the answer will always be"NO!" However, if he happens to SPOT the tub of blocks on his own he might actually start playing with them! Then after a while he'll get bored and go and play outside, and by the time he's had enough of that we're done with school for the morning. Well - that's a good day. There are less successful ones of course.

Painting in the afternoon. I still find it so stressful to have paint flying around my dining room and dream of a sheltered outside area with a scruffy table where they can make as much paint and glue and glitter mess as they like. Maybe one day!

What's going on here ... yup, it's raisin incentives. One per sum when she hits the moans towards the end of the lesson. It works better with chocolate chips though!