Home Educating with Little Ones. . . . 10 year Anniversary!

I wrote this post back in 2015.  I can not believe how slow and how fast life has gone.  My youngest is now 13 and the 6 year-old mentioned in this post is in high school and thriving!   My newest encouragement is . . time does pass, and your kids do get older.  You can do this!  

I have homeschooled for the last 10 years and always have had a little one running around while I was trying to work with older kids.   When we started home educating I would read anything I could about how you home educate with little ones.  I actively sought magazines (remember this was awhile ago); and later looked at articles and blog posts on the subject.  I am not sure if I am all that good at it, but I have learned a few things that have been helpful along the way. Today I thought I would share what has been helpful organizationally, time-wise, and how I manage my days.  My thought is that maybe one of these ideas will help you.

Some things we have done:

I try to have a separate schedule for the little one in my master schedule.   I try to plan where they need to be in the house and what they should be doing while others are working.

I have invested in at least one computer curriculum for most of the school age kids.  If the school age child is working on the computer I can read, play a game, or just love on a little one.  

I try to have intentional video/streaming time for the little ones.  For me that means setting up a math lesson with an older child and telling them we will have 30 minutes to do a lesson and stay focused before the little one needs us again.  I also make a personal commitment to not be online or on the phone during this time.  I am amazed at what I can do in 30 minutes.

I try to train the little children to have some playpen time which later leads to playing by themselves in the family room.  I put the little one in the playpen/family room first thing in the morning.  That will usually give me 30-60 minutes until they start moving the playpen around the family room.  It also keeps them away from 3-5 year old's who tend to get in their face.

When setting up a schedule I will assign other children to entertain, read,  or play with a little one.  Up until 8th grade or so most students have time in their schedule for 20-30 minutes of play time with a little one.  I love how it teaches the older one to be patient, play directly with someone less competent then they are, gives them a meaningful break from work.  It usually helps both ways.

I set up a "school time" at the table with the little one with coloring books, small toys, or paper and crayons. They want to be like the big kids and do school.   I had to laugh when one of my children told me it was time for "math Jesus."  Apparently his bible coloring book qualified for this subject.

When my parents or others have asked what they can do to help, I invite them over to sit with a little one for a time and read books, play a game, or just hold and love on them.  It is good to ask for help.

I try to take breaks to just hold my little one, rock them, or read to them.  When I first started I was so worried about doing "the right thing" for the older kids doing school work I tended to not love on the little ones enough during the day.  If I can hold and rock someone for 5-15 minutes they are often fine after that and go back to playing.

What I have learned:

I have learned that no matter how great your schedule, how focused you are, or how great your plans  may be, sometimes how well things go depends on the temperament of the child.  Some kids are better at entertaining themselves, others need more training, and for some it is really hard and drastic measures must be taken.  My 6th child had to have each person in the family assigned to her for a 30 minute time slot to be with her.  We just to refer to that as "doing your time."

When I go into my day with a plan we are all better off.  If I can think of my little one as part of the learning schedule it helps all of us.  If I set aside a video, plan a story, know their snack, or set aside time for them we all have a better day.

It is never too late to start again.  I also try to give myself grace.  Home Educating is a hard job and adding a little one or two to the mix is not easy.  But I try to see it as a challenge that can be overcome, and not to take the bad days too personally.  Tomorrow is a fresh day with no mistakes as Anne Shirley says.

Lastly, the little one will grow up, and things will get better.  My 6th child is now learning to read.  I honestly was not sure if she would make it through her 2s, 3s, 4s, or 5s.  (currently I am not sure if I will make it through her 6s.)  But each time she has and she continues to get better.  I figure she will use her negotiations skills one day to become a CEO.  I try to nurture her skills, hold her more, and remember that before I know it she will be in high school. (Please note that this is on a good day.  The other days I whine to my husband.)

I hope these help.  Please add any ideas you have in the comments.  I am still reading those online articles on how to home educate with little ones.  I would love to hear your tips!

Thanks for going back in time with me!  Hoping you are hanging in there.  Remember I am also happy to meet with you to brainstorm some ways to help you with your homeschool days!  

Repost: Assisted Reading with Developing and Struggling Readers.

I always get questions about how to help students with reading.  This is one of my favorite's for helping with reading.  

I have been reading a very interesting book called The Fluent Reader by Timothy V. Rasinski.  He has an interesting chapter on how to help students learn to read who are developing readers or struggling readers.  I knew all of the methods that he mentioned, but he backed up his methods with research and more effective strategies then I have seen in the past.

He discusses Paired Reading.  Paired reading is essentially where a more proficient reader, either a parent/teacher and child, older student and child, or two children read together.  Paired reading should be about 10-20 minutes at a time at least five times a week. It is recommend that the less proficient  student should be able to read 90-95 percent of the material accurately for this instruction to be the most effective.  The student and teaching reader read to together side by side.  The student follows along with his/her finger.  It is recommended that if the text is harder the teacher should read a little louder and match your reading rate to push the student.  If the text is easier then the teacher should use a quieter voice and provide less support.  When the passage is finished the teacher and the student should chat about the reading. The student should be allowed to read independently if they would like during this process.  This is really nothing new to home educators.  But what excited me was where he talked about a research study where the majority of students who participated in paired reading at least five times a week made 6 months of reading progress in six to ten weeks. (Limbrick, McNaugthon, & Cameron, 1985).  I have a video below that demonstrates this.

   The other interesting study was that which revealed the positive gains that students made when listening to audio books while following along in the text.  Students who did not follow along in the text did not make the kind of gains as those who did.  Here is an article that discusses the gains students made and some resources for audio books.  Here is another article that discusses the benefits for all readers. With many kids at many different reading levels my students often listen to audio books.  We mostly use the public library for their audio books and downloadable digital books.  I renewed my commitment to having them follow along in the book after reading these articles.

The last intriguing idea was that students who watched closed captioned programming made gains in reading.  At my house we turn on the closed captioning because there are so many loud people in our house making it challenging to hear a movie or show.  My students were pretty excited about this!

I am hopeful this helps you with some specific ways to help your struggling or developing readers.

If you want to talk more about your student and reading please click here for more information, or to make an appointment.  

Patrica Polacco for November 2021

  I am looking forward to this month's author: Patricia Polacco.  I saw Ms. Polacco in person many years ago.  I remember her whipping out a babushka and wrapping it around her head during her presentation.  She walked around the room and everyone's eyes were glued to her.  She is an amazing story teller.   

She has an interesting personal story.  She shares her story in this video, including her challenges with her learning disability.  She has a delightful way of sharing her life.  Here is a list of her books from Amazon.

Ms. Polacco also has a wonderful web site.  It is filled with her current happenings and activities to go with each of her books. She has a Facebook page with updates as well. I created a Pinterest Board with some ideas from around the web.

Lastly, I have to end with a fun story.  I enjoy hitting resale shops and thrift stores.  I was searching through books at my favorite resell shops when I cam across this book.

I thought it was providential.  But, then I looked inside, and found this.  

Which close up looks like this.  

Which made it even more exciting!

Happy Reading!

~ Becky

September Author of the Month Ellen Stoll Walsh

The author for September is Ellen Stoll Walsh.   I remember learning about Ms. Walsh back in graduate school.  I was fascinated as another student used an overhead projector, glass jars, and colored water to enhance her telling of Mouse Paint.   I am dating myself with that overhead projector comment, but it was very fun to watch. 

Mrs. Walsh pictures are distinct and inviting.  She has a wonderful way of reviewing colors, shapes, and counting.  Here is a post by another author Tedd Arnold about Ms. Walsh.  It tells about how she became a storyteller and author. 

 I have set up a Pinterest board with some activities that I have found.   Here are some ideas I am going to try to work in this month.

~ Take a nature hike.
~ Make some shape pictures
~ Read and snuggle as much as I can.
~Do some color mixing in glasses so my kids can see it.
~Paint and mix colors.  
~Print a couple of worksheets as optional activities.

I would love to hear your ideas.  Please write them in the comments.

Happy Reading!
Becky

Author of the Month--Eric Carle

 

Spring seems to finally be coming to the Midwest.  How can you talk about spring without reading at least one Eric Carle book? Especially if you have a child under eight.

Eric Carle has many wonderful books and a great author web page.   His web page includes a list of his books, a link to his biography, and downloads.  His downloads include how to make his tissue paper illustrations and his Caterpillar Express Newsletter where he answers many questions.  Great information.  I have also created a Pinterest Board with various activities I have found around the web. We have quite a collection of his books here.

We tried our own version of making Eric Carle's tissue paper collages.  First we cut a butterfly shape out of tissue paper.  We then glued it down with watered down glue using a paint brush, and used tissue paper shapes to embellish our butterfly.   We found it helpful to paint glue around the edges of a shape to keep the tissue paper down.  Here are our results.

The tissue paper cut-outs.

Gluing tissue paper embellishments.

The final results!

Enjoy Eric this month. 

~Becky

Author of Month: Margaret Wise Brown

Our author for April is Margaret Wise Brown.  I know I have personally read her classic book Goodnight Moon hundreds of times.  I could probably recite it for you by heart, but will refrain.

Margaret Wise Brown led an interesting life and you can find out about her at her web site.   She was a prolific author with many titles to her name.  She has many books about bunnies for April.  These printables for the Runaway Bunny are excellent.

Her other great book is The Important Book.  You can use The Important book as a pattern for many writing assignments.  This blog post by Kindergarten Nanna has several printables that you can use to help your child with writing using The Important Book as a template.  I thought they were very helpful.

Lastly I have set up a Pinterest board with some ideas on using Margaret Wise Brown books.  She is truly a classic author.

Happy Reading!
~ Becky

March Author of the Month Tomie dePaola

My repost for author of the month is Tomie dePaola.  Tomie dePaola passed away last year on March 30,2020.  His books and illustrations are some of my favorites.   

I remember when I met Tomie dePaola at the International Reading Convention in Atlanta.  He was truly one of the coolest people there with his leather jacket and earing.  He  signed my book with his famous Tomie and gave me a big smile.  I was impressed.

I have always enjoyed the illustrations in Mr. dePaola's books.  His web site is filled with answers to many questions about his career, favorite books, and his current life.  He also keeps an updated blog that displays his artwork and current happenings.  He is a prolific writer and illustrator.  Here is a list of his many books.  I also have a Pinterest board filled with ideas. 

I enjoy his books about living with grandparents and the special part they play in our lives.  His book Watch Out for the Chicken Feet in Your Soup is one of the funniest books I have ever read. It is a story about a little boy who takes one of his friends to his Grandmother's house.  The little boy warns his friend about what he considers the strange things his Grandmother does.  His friend is intrigued and finds his Grandmother wonderful.  A great lesson for all of us.

To end, here is a wonderful video of an interview with Tomie dePaola on the value of  reading aloud.  It is a wonderful reminder of the gift we give our children.  Happy Reading!

 ~ Becky

Quick Start Homeschooling Guide.

Some people start planning to home educate their children from birth.  They attend curriculum fairs and conventions way in advance when their children are little. They have files with curriculum catalogs alphabetized and bookshelves set aside and marked.   If this is you then this post may not be very helpful for you. 

I have many families who write me and need to start home educating fast.   Usually their circumstances have not led to them having time to plan way in advance.   This is the Becky Boerner Quick Start Guide to home education.  It is a way to start home educating within a few days of deciding to home educate and/or something to do while you search for the perfect curriculum.  It is a bare bones approach that will see you through for a season, or longer if you continue to add to it.   

I am going to divide this Quick Start Up by subject and age.  Please feel free to post comments or ask questions.  I will update this post throughout the year and it will be a living document.

READING

You have two kinds of K-8 readers.  Those who are learning to read, and those who are reading to learn.  

K and up Learning to Read. 

With students who are learning to read I suggest 10-15 minutes of phonics reading instruction per day.  You are better off to do 10 minutes everyday than 30 one day, and then skip 5 days and then do more.  Small amounts of time done consistently will win the race.

I like Alpha Phonics.  It is easy to follow and I have had good success with it. You can use BOB books as beginning readers for your student. In this post I discuss more phonics options.  I highly recommend reading my phonics post.




K and up.  You need a library card.  Ask your librarian if you can  acquire a teacher card.  A teacher card usually allows you to check out a great deal more books, and sometimes there are no fines.  If you are looking for good books to read out-loud or have your child read Sarah Clarkson has a book called The Read-Aloud Handbook: Seventh Edition She lists books and gives summaries so you are able to choose what you would like to read. The Read-Aloud Handbook: Seventh Edition by Jim Trelease is another book that lists books to read. 




Math 

K-6  You need to teach basic math. Addition, Subtraction,Multiplication, Division, Shapes, Fractions, Measurement, Geometry.    A quick and easy program is MCP Mathematics.  Kindergarten, First Grade, Second Grade, Third Grade, Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade, and Sixth Grade.  They are basic books that will get you started.



.
7-12- Mastering Essentials in Math .  This is a good basic book to catch you up on math.


Another place to go for math help is Kahn Academy .  They have a wonderful feature which includes a summary page you can print to keep track of what your child accomplishes each year.

Writing/Language Arts

The most important thing you can do to improve your students writing  is to have your student  journal every day.  In their journal they can write about what they did today, what they learned, their favorite . . . , their future plans, pets, friends, etc.  Any grade can do this.  Get a simple notebook like this.

  If you have little kids than  get one like


 They can draw pictures and write on the same page.

If you want to do a spelling/vocabulary program, Modern Curriculum Press or MCP is  reasonably priced one.   Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6,


Social Studies 

World History K-8

Studying History is a serious business in the home education community.  People have many opinions on what should be included, what time line to use, and which viewpoint to consider.    I have my own personal beliefs, but I am respectful of all opinions and beliefs.  So please decide for yourself  what is best for your family.   Please remember this is the "I need a curriculum fast guide."  If you need to think and study about this before making a choice please do.  But, if you need a basic history text fast read on.  

The Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer is a series for younger children.  It is student  friendly and also has worksheet and activities available.  It is dividend up chronologically into four books that are each designed to last for one year.  You read them aloud or your child can read them. Each book is usually under $15.





Also you can go to your library and check out many many great books on history, geography, cooking around the world, and government.  Take field trips around your city and the state.  Watch PBS documentaries, and other historical shows.  So many ways to study social studies.    

For High School Susan Wise Bauer has also written books for adults.  My dad really enjoyed reading her history books. There are three books divided up chronologically.  




Science

There are many fabulous books on science.  You can check them out from your library.  If you want to do experiments the book, The Everything Kids' Science Experiments Book: Boil Ice, Float Water, Measure Gravity-Challenge the World Around You!  is a great place to start. 

You can also watch documentaries, PBS, and I love the site Hooked on Science and write about it here.  You can garden, raise animals, go to the zoo, museum and take nature walks.

Many love to do nature journaling.  I bought my daughter the book Keeping a Nature Journal: Discover a Whole New Way of Seeing the World Around You.   She has enjoyed the book and recommends it.  


I wrote a post on Conceptual Academy which has courses for high schoolers on Physical Science.
Some general helpful resources:



Reviews and discussed curriculum choices.  Everyone should own this book.

This is your basic how to give your child a classical education. 

  This books tells you what an experienced home educator wished she had done, or was glad she had done.


This is highly rated, and looks like a great read.

My Amazon Storefront.


www.amazon.com/shop/boernerb  
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