Progress Report (AO4 Term 1)

We have just finished AmblesideOnline Year 4 Week 7.  It was a lighter week of readings (on my modified 14 weeks per term schedule), which worked out great since I babysat a toddler a couple of days, had an afternoon of IQ testing (he finished this time!), and today is gymnastics day.  He got extra computer time to practice coding (he gave up on Code Kingdom and is back at Code Academy), as well as math facts games, while I chased the toddler about.  It was great fun for all of us, as a change of pace usually is.

The books this term are harder than what we have done in the past, but there are several he enjoys (Robinson Crusoe, The Storybook of Science, Minn of the Mississippi) and some that he groans about (Madame How and Lady Why, Age of Fable) but I have confidence that he will come to enjoy those in time.  Pictures and videos help ease the pain! :)  Carol has a great AO Pinterest board and I've been repinning her MHLW and Storybook of Science pins to my AO Year 4 board.

As it was the first week of a new month, we started the next folk song and hymn, which is always fun.  I chose to do Jesus Loves Me, both in English and Spanish, to help prepare the Boy for his mission trip to Nicaragua (coming up in August!).  The folk song is Pick a Bale of Cotton (see it towards the end of this playlist), and its incredibly catchy, and he was tapping and humming along with it after the first listen.  Our artist this term is Degas, and the first painting was The Cotton Exchange, and the one we did the past two weeks was Place de la Concorde.  He likes to fight me on art study, but does seem to have accepted that its this thing we do on Tuesdays.  He considers it and listening to music a waste of time and doesn't see how its "school", but I think that might be the rigid thinking talking, that is so typical of Asperger's. (Still no diagnosis, but the paperwork is turned in and we are waiting on a phone call for an actual evaluation appointment.)

We will be schooling year round again, taking a couple weeks off here and there, so no real wind-down coming for us.  I hope to find a good stopping point around Memorial Day so we can take our first break cleanly.  Will you be making a hard stop for summer?

As you are winding down your school year, consider ramping up your household organization.  Summer is a great time to reassess and make some changes for a fresh start before you start school again.  Mystie is offering $15 off her Simplified Organization course for Mother's Day, so check it out! (Coupon code happymothers is good through Monday.)

A Day with a Sensory Child

Hello, my name is Laurke and I have a son with SPD.  Its mild, and most people have no idea that he is anything other than normal.  But I know!

On bad days, he looks like this. :(

I had never heard of sensory processing disorder (aka sensory integration disorder) until about 18 months ago.  I always knew he was on the sensitive side (see here), but thought he would just outgrow it.  Instead, homeschooling gave me the opportunity to see what little things set him off, and how easily frustrated and anxious he would get.  Being a foster parent, I saw how kids younger than he could balance on bikes, tie shoes and more.  He can do these things now, thanks to Minds in Motion and Occupational Therapy, plus a bit of influence from the other boys.

So what does our typical day look like?  If its a good day, probably much like yours.  But on those off days, it goes something likes this.  Here is the checklist I created in Evernote and have on the mirror in his room, and at my command station.  What I added for this blog post is italicized.  (Feel free to adapt this and use it in your own home.)
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Routine is EXTREMELY important to sensory kids.  Keep a schedule.  Throughout the day, please LIMIT TV and  electronic time and encourage lots of active play.

Wake-up, "Spirit of the Forest" music playing (recommended by OT)
7:00 Thera-pressure (brushing/joint compressions)
7:05 Therapeutic listening (headphones or other) (special headphones like in the above picture)
Get dressed, make bed
Oral motor protocol
7:15 Breakfast at table
Brush teeth, chores
Creative play
8:30 Thera-pressure (1.5-2 hours after first session)
Heavy work (riding bike, swinging)
9:00 School work
10:00 Thera-pressure
Snack
Heavy work (trampoline, climbing)
10:30 Seat work
11:30 Thera-pressure
Oral motor protocol
Lunch  (this part of the schedule needs tweaking, since it takes him about 30 minutes to decide what he wants to eat and fix it.  However, we have been done with school work before 2, so its good enough!)
School work 
12:30 Rest/play while therapeutic listening
1:00 Thera-pressure
Finish up school work
2:00 Oral motor protocol
Snack & free time
2:30 Thera-pressure
Free time - screen time allowed
4:00 Thera-pressure
5:30 Thera-pressure
Oral motor protocol
Supper
7:00 Thera-pressure
Screen time allowed until 1 hour before sleep time
7:30 Shower, brush teeth 
8:00 Read stories
8:30 Thera-pressure.  Lights-out

Therapressure - keep brush horizontal to ground - turn arms/legs, not brush.  Don't brush over clothes.  Don't brush stomach.  Apply firm, consistent pressure.

Follow with joint compressions - Shoulders, elbows, wrists x10 quick pushes.  Fingers x3.  Hips, knees, ankles x10.  Spine (hands on shoulders) x10 fast or x3 slow.  Chest (hands on sternum and back) x3

Oral motor protocol - gently swipe roof of mouth (right, left, right) with finger.  Open mouth midway and gently press down on bottom teeth x10.
C-swipes x3 cycles - start with fingertip on gums above front teeth, around gum line, down cheek, and halfway across bottom, like a "c".
Take finger on inside of cheek, thumb on outside.  Gently squeeze cheek between fingers and pull forwards, sliding fingers across muscles in cheeks.  3x each side.
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I'm thankful that on recent days we haven't had to do the brushing (therapressure) but he does enjoy it.  I usually forget to remind him of the oral motor protocol, too, but we are both works in progress!  The protocol is supposed to help desensitize his mouth so it is easier for him to try new foods, and we have seen improvement in that area, although slow.

Here are some of our sensory tools.  In this white basket are dry erase markers and crayons for using on the white board, which he prefers over paper (too scratchy).  Pencils and pencil sharpeners for when paper is required.  He likes the mechanical pencil with the special finger grip, and sometimes will use the wristband to wipe sweaty hands on.

School basket

In the sensory box, which moves around the house, are things to keep his hands busy, eyes focused and mouth occupied.  Balloons and the duck whistle help him breathe deeply.  The wonder wand is calming.  Then there are some chewy things in there as well.

Sensory toys

 The wonderful snack tray.  I really think this has helped more than anything.  Although it irritates my overly-sensitive self to hear him sucking and chewing all day long, it helps him focus and stay calm.  We include a couple of crunchy things, chewy, and sour items.  This tray has pretzels, peanuts, Lemonheads, fruit roll-up, ice (pellet ice is best), suckers, and bubble gum.  He rarely eats the suckers or hard candy, except for Lemonheads.  Lemon is very alerting...we also put lemon essential oil into our water everyday.

Oral motor tray (aka snack tray...his favorite part!)

 Finally, varying where he can go during school really helps.  We start at the dining table, and go to the playroom for the kid-sized table for copy work and maybe math, use the computer for typing, some math, and Spanish, then to the couch or front porch for read-alouds.  See more of where we do school.

Sitting on an exercise ball helps focus and builds core strength

Resources for SPD:
Your local pediatrician can recommend/refer to an OT for evaluation.  You will likely have to ask for this; once I did, the rest was easy.
Sensory Smarts
A Sensory Life (formerly Understanding SPD)
Pinterest - SPD and OT

I linked up with iHSN!

The Rest of AO Year 2 Plans

See the official AO Year 2 plan in my previous post, along with Bible and Shakespeare plans.  Now here's the rest of the story!  You can also see some of what we are doing on Pinterest.

We are already nearing the end of Week 3 (will post tomorrow), and I still haven't finished blogging my plan.  Thank goodness my planning and implementation powers are better than my blogging power. :)

 

The only other difference in Week 1 was that Tree in the Trail took longer to get through inter-library loan than I had hoped, so I didn't receive it until the end of Week 2...and it is due back in early September.  The official schedule has one or two chapters a week scheduled, so I will speed that up.  We will get through chapter 6 this week, and I will try to do at least 4 chapters next week (about 1 a day should be doable).  This is a geography book about plains Indians hunting buffalo (so far).  The chapters are short, and he is doing a great job narrating.

Week 2 introduced most of the rest of the books we are using this term.  (Click through to see the weekly AO recommended schedule).

We are using Child's History of the World (CHOW), and it is written differently and more personal-ably than any other history text I've seen.  I like it so far, although it is strange to be starting it at chapter 47 instead of from the beginning.  So no Synge or  Story of Mankind for us this year.

The Little Duke is a great little book, and we are both enjoying it.  I forgot to only read 1/2 a chapter this week, though, and we were both wondering how much longer I had to read!  So, next week will be a little lighter, LOL.

We are using a free version of Burgess Animal Book that an AO user (J. Elliott) formatted for this particular schedule, and added pictures.  Its great!  I converted it from doc to pdf and uploaded it to Google Drive, if you would like to use it.  (I just put the pdf files into iBooks and read on the iPad.)  This is written in the same style as the Burgess Bird Book we used last year, and introduces different types of animal and how to categorize them (taxonomy).

Understood Betsy is historical fiction, similar in feel to the Little House on the Prairie series.  After 2 chapters, I'm not yet sure what to think about it.

For poetry class, I purchased the Kindle version that AO's advisory has put together.  We read a new poem each day, and re-read the previous 4.  I had never heard of Walter de la Mare, but I am enjoying his writing.

My Favorite Pinterest Boards

As my Pinterest following has increased, I have added a few collaborators so I don't feel as obligated to pin everything myself (see where the project started).  During this process, I have discovered some fantastic boards and wanted to share them with you.  Of course, mine are the best. ;)  I have over 900 followers and will throw myself a Pinterest Party when I hit 1000, LOL.  Watch out for virtual confetti!

You can click the link over there ------> to follow me, or go to pinterest.com/laurke.  There you will find a board for each Ambleside Online year, as well as other  AO subjects.  I have boards for general homeschooling, homeschool blogs, things for the home, for kids, and for me.  Its great fun to discover new things this way!

Here are the people I find myself repinning from the most, as well as my AO collaborators, and other favorites.  Most are homeschooling and Charlotte Mason related.

Nikki
Danaedi
DreminofCO
Aimee529
FriendlyShoe
Women Living Well
Simply CM
CurrClick
Jimmies Collage
Linnette Doyle
LizzieUnusual
NL Home
Stormi
Amy in Peru

Enjoy browsing!

Book Review: Homeschooling on a Shoestring

This summer has thus far been hotter than usual - breaking records more days than not.  I can't say we are getting as much outdoor time as needed, but I am getting some things done around the house!  I've worked on an Emergency Binder and a Household Binder, which includes school plans.  I still have a long way to go, but some progress is better than none at all.  (If you are interested in making some organizational headway, check out my Planner pins at Pinterest.)

I've also been perusing our library to glean what homeschooling information I can from its (mostly) out-dated books.  I have decided to basically copy my notes here for a couple of reasons: 1. so I don't lose them and 2. on the off chance it helps someone else. (I wasn't asked to do this review.)

The first book I checked out was Homeschooling on a Shoestring: A Jam-packed Guide by Morgan and Allee.  I read this over a year ago, and wanted to go through it again now that I have some homeschool experience under my belt. Although the copy I read is not the latest, I think it is well worth reading, or keeping on hand for reference.  It is chock full of ideas for many different subjects, and if nothing else, is a great jumping off point for further internet research.

• The first thing that struck me was the discussion on television watching and how it affects kids and families.  They shared stats from The Overspent American, which said the more TV people watch and the more formal education they have, the less money they tend to save, with an average of $208 less in annual savings for every hour per week spent watching TV.  Wow.  So if I watch 3 hours of TV each week, I save $624 less each year then someone who watches none!  That is a great motivation to turn that thing off!

Here are some of their suggestions for getting a handle on the TV in your home.  Limit screen time to 1-2 days a week or an hour a day.  Hard rules equal fewer hard feelings, and its easier on the parent because there will be less negotiation.  Don't us TV for background noise - use a VCR (okay, I told you this was out-dated, lets make that a DVR) so you only watch specific shows and can skip the commercials.  Also, try the "no TV for a month" experiment - summer is a good time to try that because it won't be associated with the fact that you homeschool.  Finally, keep it in a central location - not in bedrooms - or hide it altogether!  (If you are like my family, hiding the TV isn't feasible because of its large size...but perhaps you can disguise it under a blanket or behind a room divider?  Out of sight is out of mind.)

• The next nugget was to listen to Diana Waring's History Alive! series, which are audiobooks of American history using traditional songs.  They look interesting, but I haven't purchased them.  Does anyone have any experience with these?

• Let kids choose wish list items for holidays and birthdays from educational catalogs.  This is a good reason to keep all those things collected from the homeschool conference!

• Talk to your local schools to see if they will allow homeschoolers to borrow textbooks, library books, or even to attend classes or extra curricular activities.  (The book also suggested checking with your state or local homeschool organization first, to see if asking these things could cause your family trouble.)   I think private schools may be more open to this, personally, and have considered looking into it, but haven't yet.

• Math - make your own Geo board by hammering nails into a square piece of wood (leaving 3/4" exposed) in a grid pattern, then wrapping with rubber bands into shapes and patterns of your own.

• Use more puzzles and games!  Mad Libs are great for learning parts of speech.

• Grammar - pay student a nickel each time he catches a parent using incorrect grammar, such as "ain't" instead of "isn't", or "don't" instead of "doesn't'.  Stipulate that this must be done privately! 

If you are stuck in figuring out how to school for less money, I think this book is a winner!

Year 1, Weeks 29, 30 & 31

I haven't written lately due to the beautiful summer-like weather, and the demands of many children and not a lot of help.  Plus, my inspiration ebbs and flows for blogging, just like other things.  When I blog less, I read a lot more!  I've read 4 books in the past 3 weeks, in fact. :)

 So, I'm back-tracking a bit to earlier this month.

Weeks 29-31 from Ambleside Online

The Good:

• We are enjoying Viking Tales, and Buffalo Bill was a big hit as well.  
•  We are continuing with Life of Fred (for math), and he seems to be enjoying it much more lately, as we near the end of Apples, the first elementary book.  
• We finished Birds in the Handbook of Nature Study...but haven't started wildflowers, beyond looking to see what we have outside our door.  
• We are almost finished with the last 1st grade reader, and he is doing very well.
• We have also gotten some more of the free reads in - St. George and the Dragon is completed and Pinocchio has begun.  I've checked out the Red Fairy Book, but honestly these foster kids don't want to sit long and its going to take a while to get through free reads unless my own son starts reading on his own.
• He built a wooden model tractor from a kit this week.
  
  We found a great Norman Rockwell study guide, and started using it this week.  I've missed having the term's art prints posted on the wall, but Rockwell is too modern for his painting to be public the way the others have been.  Here is another site that may be useful to Rockwell enthusiasts: http://collection.nrm.org/highlights.page.do
  
  
  
  

The Bad/Ugly:
We haven't really done much spelling in week 30 and 31, due to some reluctance on his part.  The newness wore off, and he has had struggles to get copy work done as well.  Trouble in one area typically means an extra hour of schoolwork due to time-outs and just plain wasted time, so spelling has been put off.  The few times we have worked on it, I've been using my foster son's 1st grade spelling list from public school :)

The Other :)
I've continued to work on Ambleside Online Pinterest boards most afternoons or evenings for a few minutes, and have gotten the Librivox recording of AO books pinned through year 7.  Once I'm done with Year 8, I plan on completing the booklists in the same way for years 6-11.  Its quite a lot of pinning, but I am sure it will be useful to myself and other in the coming years.  If anyone wants me to add them as a collaborator on any of the AO boards I've started, let me know!

Ambleside Online Pinterest Project

I started a project about a week ago for users of Ambleside Online.  When our foster baby went home, I wanted to occupy myself with something useful and had the idea of making Pinterest boards for all the Ambleside years' books.  Along with that, I started a variety of additional boards, such as Nature Study~Science, History~Geography, Bible~Character, Art, and Music Education.  If you are an Ambleside Online curriculum user, feel free to follow my boards here.   The majority of links will be useful to any homeschooler, so take a look around!

If you've already started following me on Pinterest, thank you!  Its exciting to think I'm helping out fellow AO homeschooler's in this small way.  I have gotten 4 more foster children this week, which you can read about here; so, it may take me a while to finish out the rest of years' boards, but I'll get there :)

*Edited to add image.  I have gotten the AO books & resources listed through Year 7 now, and have greatly expanded my other boards.