Homeschool this week

Javan was lucky this week to go on TWO field trips (plus Awana on Wed nights) and we still have Friday park day to go to....phew busy boy.

He went with a friend to Science City on Wednesday and then on Thursday he got to learn about weather with our local weather guy, Gary Lezak

Click to link to see a pic

http://www.kshb.com/gallery/weather/weather_experts/gary--stormy-visit-local-homeschoolers

When exactly have we had any time to do school?!?!? haha. Well, its really only a few hours a day so we just squeeze it in the mornings or while I'm making dinner, worse case we save the fun art/science projects for the weekend. Its amazing how there is plenty of time and if we get  a little behind we just push things back until we make it up. I control the time-line.

Our school experience has been pretty smooth and fairly easy.  Javan is a quick learner and the curriculum hasn't been too terribly challenging

Until this week.

Before this week my reasons for loving homeschooling Javan might have been a bit different.

The curriculum we use for Math is "Singapore Math".  Apparently, its one of the best math programs out there. I was none-the-wiser, I didn't choose it.. it was what was given to me with the virtual charter school.

Here is the deal with Singapore Math - they teach more than just "how to do math" but they teach math techniques in elementary school that make upper level math quicker and easier to understand (or so I am told).

Here is the deal with Javan - he is excellent with addition and subtraction. He can add and subtract in his head rather accurately and fairly quickly. He does not like to use his fingers either. He just does it in his head. Its really crazy watching him do it. (eh hem.. .I still add with my fingers). But, his little brain can't wrap around the technique that the book is trying to teach him. He gets the right answer but doesn't get there the "right" way.

Now, if he was in public school and the teacher marked his work wrong because he wasn't doing it "the right way" I would be all upset about it because he's getting the right answer so why does it matter HOW he gets there.

But, since I'M the teacher, I can't really get mad at myself. (Well, I can but that's strongly discouraged) Instead, I can look ahead through the teacher's manual... understand why they are teaching him what they are teaching him... and think of ways to teach him that works for HIM.  As an individual.  (This technique lays a foundation for being able to teach some more difficult skills in a much easier way... but if he never learns this technique - whether he chooses to use it or not - he will be lost later in the year)

I can also rearrange things a little so we can spend more time on this math skill until we know he's got it right.

So, today we put the math books away. We were both getting frustrated and not getting anywhere. Tonight Lance and I looked through the Math curriculum, talked it through and have a game plan that I'm pretty confident will work for Javan.

I guess its the control freak in me but I love that. I just love being able to slow it down when its challenging and speed it up when its super easy. I love having control over his learning instead of waiting to see what the test scores say. I love when he asks me (which he does every time for some reason) "what if I get them wrong" when I give him a test - I can say "Then we will go back and learn from our mistakes" instead of having a grade dictate to him what kind of student he is.

In our school - as long as he is learning, he is a good student and I love that.