Sowaksided
Some days, homeschooling is really hard. Seth is an excellent reader and writer and has decent penmanship, but the boy hates, hates the physical act of writing. Ask him to copy a sentence or fill in blanks about the state of Missouri, and you can be sure you'll find him hiding behind the recliner or writhing on the floor in a state of misery instead.
Caleb tends to get a belly ache every day at about math time, no matter what time math time is.
And Lily hates read aloud time so much that she celebrates every time I finish with: "Hurray!" or "Finally!" or a heaving sigh of prison-release. (And she yawns and rolls up into a ball throughout the entire reading time, as well.) The rest of us love read-aloud time, so she is just going to have to learn to endure it. I trust that the lyrical music of well-written language spoken aloud will eventually penetrate her heart.
Gabe is often found upside down trying to balance a pencil on his chin. "I just got distracted," he explains.
These bumps in our school day are so much more frustrating when I feel like I have to check off a list of school accomplishments. Spelling--check. Math--check. Literature--check. History--check. Latin--check. I have tried working without the rigor of a set schedule, and while the day does flow freely, I find myself questioning, "Did I give them enough opportunity to learn what I think is important? Am I doing a good enough job preparing them to reach their potential for the glory of God if we forget to do spelling for three weeks...or three months?"
I'm looking for the good balance here.
Today is a good homeschool day. First of all, we are studying early American History. I love early American history. I think I could camp here for a couple of years. We may very well do just that.
Monday we read And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz. We loved learning that not everything went right for Paul Revere that April night in 1775. The moon was bright, making sneaking past the British Regulars a big problem. He forgot to bring the cloth he needed to muffle the sound of the oars of his boat so he could row past the British ship unheard, so he ran to a neighboring home, whose lady immediately took off her petticoat and threw it out the window for him to use. He forgot his spurs he needed for his historical ride, so he sent his dog back home with a note to his wife, and shortly after, his remarkably obedient dog returned to him with his spurs tied around his neck. Good dog!
Today we read, "The Landlord's Tale: Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wordsworth Longfellow. We snuggled up on the couch and took turns reading stanzas aloud. Lily participated as she carefully followed along with her finger. We noted Longfellow's clever use of language and rhyme and rhythm. We pointed out fabulous word choices that painted clear pictures in our heads, like "muffled oar" and "stealthy tread" and "gilded weathercock." This time was precious to me. Longfellow's poem charmed us all, awakening inspiration, a desire to create and express.
I gave them all this assignment: "Get your journals out. I want you to pretend you lived in Boston in 1775 in Paul Revere's time. Tell me what you see and hear and feel. What is your story?"
I was so pleased with how eager they all were to jump into this project. Would you like to read their stories?
First drafts. These are 100% their own original works of art, transcribed here by me.
Seth--1st grade:
"One If By Land, Two, If By Sea" by Seth [He is the only one who decided to title his story. I love it.]
One if by land, two if by sea. There were two lanterns so the British are coming by sea. Paul Revere told the people, "The British are coming! The British are coming!" Paul Revere rode a long distance to tell the people, "The British are coming! The British are coming!" The British were coming by sea. There was a battle between the Patriots and the British. The Patriots won! The last man standing! The Patriots won!"
In order for Seth to complete this project with as much enthusiasm as he began it, I asked him to tell me his story, and I wrote it out for him. He had drawn out all the pictures for his story, and then I told him to say his story for me, and the above is what he wrote. This is indeed writing for a first grader.
Lily--2nd grade (As she wrote it, misspellings and all.)
"Once i was walking in th woods with paul rever then we saw some indians and we saw the indians Borded the 3 ships, dartmouth, the beaver, and the Eleanor Paul reaver [Revere] dresded as an indian and While i was watching the indians throw in the tae. [tea] I said paul rever look but he was not ther I tride to look for him then wene [when] the indians were done paul rever undrestsed [undressed] himself then I found him I was sowaksided [so excited! haha] I sed wer [where] have you Ben [been} Paul never told me his seckret I was surprised he told that they werr [were] not indians and he also told me that he was not an indian but they were the sons of liberty."
She really likes the story about the Boston Tea Party and wanted to write about that. I love that she writes what she saw and that she was "tricked" into believing the Indian disguises. Also, her phonetic spelling of so excited as "sowaksided" just melts my heart. It sounds exactly like what she wrote!
Gabriel--5th grade, as he wrote it. (We will go back and correct spelling and grammar later.)
"It was no ordinary night. I was wareing my fathers night-shirt becaus mine has a tare. It was not comferteble becous my fathers night shirt was to long, but I maneged. I woke up from the sound of church bells. I was comfuced [confused]. "It's the mitel [middle] of the night." I siad. "And I only fell asleep an ouer [hour] ago" then I looked out my window. I saw two small lanterns on the church then I heard a knoke [knock] on the door. "BANG, BANG, BANG!" It went. My parents and I went down the stairs as fast as we could I opened the door and there was Paul Revere. He said, "The British are coming! They are coming by sea. You can see that becous two lanters are on the church." Then he went to the next and the next hous.
I love Gabe's extra detail about wearing his father's night shirt and that he really put himself in the scene. This is so much fun for me.
Caleb--6th grade, as he wrote it.
I was sleeping as soundly as the dead when a huge light lite [lit] right through my window. When I got up to check it out the Old North Church had two lanterns. I was so scared I nearly fainted. I ran to tell my father. He told me to get my gun, gun powder and saber. When I went to the barn to get my things there was a huge righit [riot] of peaple [people] geting, practiceing, loading and cleaning there weppons. I knew their is going to be a battle by sea. I smelled gun powder and smoking hey stacks. Paul Rever went up to me and asked my name, age, and if I would like to come. "Caleb, ninteen and yes." I told him. I ran to get my steed a red yellow girl named Rose. I made sure I brought exstra food just in case. I kissed my mother goodbye and left. as I left I saw slave traders, pasters and farmers. The whole time we screamed at the top of are voice "THE BRITISH ARE COMEING! THE BRITISH ARE COMEING!" After a few hours we got captured by British soldiers and since they were in a hurry they took my beloved Rose. I never felt this sad in my life. When I got home I had dinner and went to bed. The next morning I woke up to the sound of hooves. Rose had returned!
Please share in my excitement at my kids taking snips of history and creating their own art! I love that Caleb keeps his own name and also KISSES HIS MOTHER, and that he adds a bit of fictitious adventure with Rose. Yet my little optimist leaves us with a happy reunion at the end.
Today, I love homeschooling. Yes, they still have to work out math problems. They are working on that right now. But maybe, just maybe, I need to look for more ways to fire them up and dip them into inspiration and then let them build, create, invent, and discover within themselves the joy of...well...discovery.
My favorite quote of the day comes from Caleb, "Writing that story felt like an adventure."
Caleb tends to get a belly ache every day at about math time, no matter what time math time is.
And Lily hates read aloud time so much that she celebrates every time I finish with: "Hurray!" or "Finally!" or a heaving sigh of prison-release. (And she yawns and rolls up into a ball throughout the entire reading time, as well.) The rest of us love read-aloud time, so she is just going to have to learn to endure it. I trust that the lyrical music of well-written language spoken aloud will eventually penetrate her heart.
Gabe is often found upside down trying to balance a pencil on his chin. "I just got distracted," he explains.
These bumps in our school day are so much more frustrating when I feel like I have to check off a list of school accomplishments. Spelling--check. Math--check. Literature--check. History--check. Latin--check. I have tried working without the rigor of a set schedule, and while the day does flow freely, I find myself questioning, "Did I give them enough opportunity to learn what I think is important? Am I doing a good enough job preparing them to reach their potential for the glory of God if we forget to do spelling for three weeks...or three months?"
I'm looking for the good balance here.
Today is a good homeschool day. First of all, we are studying early American History. I love early American history. I think I could camp here for a couple of years. We may very well do just that.
Monday we read And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz. We loved learning that not everything went right for Paul Revere that April night in 1775. The moon was bright, making sneaking past the British Regulars a big problem. He forgot to bring the cloth he needed to muffle the sound of the oars of his boat so he could row past the British ship unheard, so he ran to a neighboring home, whose lady immediately took off her petticoat and threw it out the window for him to use. He forgot his spurs he needed for his historical ride, so he sent his dog back home with a note to his wife, and shortly after, his remarkably obedient dog returned to him with his spurs tied around his neck. Good dog!
Today we read, "The Landlord's Tale: Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wordsworth Longfellow. We snuggled up on the couch and took turns reading stanzas aloud. Lily participated as she carefully followed along with her finger. We noted Longfellow's clever use of language and rhyme and rhythm. We pointed out fabulous word choices that painted clear pictures in our heads, like "muffled oar" and "stealthy tread" and "gilded weathercock." This time was precious to me. Longfellow's poem charmed us all, awakening inspiration, a desire to create and express.
I gave them all this assignment: "Get your journals out. I want you to pretend you lived in Boston in 1775 in Paul Revere's time. Tell me what you see and hear and feel. What is your story?"
I was so pleased with how eager they all were to jump into this project. Would you like to read their stories?
First drafts. These are 100% their own original works of art, transcribed here by me.
Seth--1st grade:
"One If By Land, Two, If By Sea" by Seth [He is the only one who decided to title his story. I love it.]
One if by land, two if by sea. There were two lanterns so the British are coming by sea. Paul Revere told the people, "The British are coming! The British are coming!" Paul Revere rode a long distance to tell the people, "The British are coming! The British are coming!" The British were coming by sea. There was a battle between the Patriots and the British. The Patriots won! The last man standing! The Patriots won!"
In order for Seth to complete this project with as much enthusiasm as he began it, I asked him to tell me his story, and I wrote it out for him. He had drawn out all the pictures for his story, and then I told him to say his story for me, and the above is what he wrote. This is indeed writing for a first grader.
Lily--2nd grade (As she wrote it, misspellings and all.)
"Once i was walking in th woods with paul rever then we saw some indians and we saw the indians Borded the 3 ships, dartmouth, the beaver, and the Eleanor Paul reaver [Revere] dresded as an indian and While i was watching the indians throw in the tae. [tea] I said paul rever look but he was not ther I tride to look for him then wene [when] the indians were done paul rever undrestsed [undressed] himself then I found him I was sowaksided [so excited! haha] I sed wer [where] have you Ben [been} Paul never told me his seckret I was surprised he told that they werr [were] not indians and he also told me that he was not an indian but they were the sons of liberty."
She really likes the story about the Boston Tea Party and wanted to write about that. I love that she writes what she saw and that she was "tricked" into believing the Indian disguises. Also, her phonetic spelling of so excited as "sowaksided" just melts my heart. It sounds exactly like what she wrote!
Gabriel--5th grade, as he wrote it. (We will go back and correct spelling and grammar later.)
"It was no ordinary night. I was wareing my fathers night-shirt becaus mine has a tare. It was not comferteble becous my fathers night shirt was to long, but I maneged. I woke up from the sound of church bells. I was comfuced [confused]. "It's the mitel [middle] of the night." I siad. "And I only fell asleep an ouer [hour] ago" then I looked out my window. I saw two small lanterns on the church then I heard a knoke [knock] on the door. "BANG, BANG, BANG!" It went. My parents and I went down the stairs as fast as we could I opened the door and there was Paul Revere. He said, "The British are coming! They are coming by sea. You can see that becous two lanters are on the church." Then he went to the next and the next hous.
I love Gabe's extra detail about wearing his father's night shirt and that he really put himself in the scene. This is so much fun for me.
Caleb--6th grade, as he wrote it.
I was sleeping as soundly as the dead when a huge light lite [lit] right through my window. When I got up to check it out the Old North Church had two lanterns. I was so scared I nearly fainted. I ran to tell my father. He told me to get my gun, gun powder and saber. When I went to the barn to get my things there was a huge righit [riot] of peaple [people] geting, practiceing, loading and cleaning there weppons. I knew their is going to be a battle by sea. I smelled gun powder and smoking hey stacks. Paul Rever went up to me and asked my name, age, and if I would like to come. "Caleb, ninteen and yes." I told him. I ran to get my steed a red yellow girl named Rose. I made sure I brought exstra food just in case. I kissed my mother goodbye and left. as I left I saw slave traders, pasters and farmers. The whole time we screamed at the top of are voice "THE BRITISH ARE COMEING! THE BRITISH ARE COMEING!" After a few hours we got captured by British soldiers and since they were in a hurry they took my beloved Rose. I never felt this sad in my life. When I got home I had dinner and went to bed. The next morning I woke up to the sound of hooves. Rose had returned!
Please share in my excitement at my kids taking snips of history and creating their own art! I love that Caleb keeps his own name and also KISSES HIS MOTHER, and that he adds a bit of fictitious adventure with Rose. Yet my little optimist leaves us with a happy reunion at the end.
Today, I love homeschooling. Yes, they still have to work out math problems. They are working on that right now. But maybe, just maybe, I need to look for more ways to fire them up and dip them into inspiration and then let them build, create, invent, and discover within themselves the joy of...well...discovery.
My favorite quote of the day comes from Caleb, "Writing that story felt like an adventure."
Comments
Its all worth it when you have a day like that isn't it?
Mom