Fourth Grade Spring Changes, Mostly in Math

I started my daughter's fourth grade year with a gradual increase in work. She started with enthusiasm. Then, we hit a brick wall. Math was not happening. Not without hours of whining & glares & foot stomping. By the end of the day we were both exhausted and miserable. It bled into other subjects and she finally just would not do school work at all, not without a fight. My husband, an outside observer, made a suggestion based on sound logic: it's time for Winter Break and it should probably be at least a month. His logic? She started school in August, a month before public schools started, and she was probably tired and worn out. So was I. Here we are a month later, all of us much more relaxed and happy again. In this breathing space I have been trying to figure out what went wrong and how to adjust to prevent the same issues.
 

My daughter is very creative. She looks at the world in the wide view- she sees everything at once. Math requires step by step organization and order. A conversation with my daughter's specialist helped clarify that my daughter, very right-brained, has numerous indications that left-brain focusing is not her strong point. So how do I build on her strengths and let her strengths improve the areas she struggles?
 

When our homeschool adventure started, I used verbal and physical math as lessons- taking her scooter and riding out geometric shapes while verbally stating measurements and learning how to calculate perimeter, for example. Or playing games that require using math for scorekeeping or as part of game strategy. Or verbalizing our grocery budget and doing the math involved in shopping: telling the difference in cost between similar items, staying within the budget, and using actual money during transactions. She excelled at this, and still handles real life math wonderfully. But without written records, her dad and the county reviewers were less confident that she was actually learning math. So, I started a more intensive written math component for fourth grade. And it blew up in my face.
 

A cousin of mine reminded me that my grandfather did even high level mathematics in his head. This is a point in time I wish my dad was still alive. He was a mathematician and a very good teacher. He did not agree with the way math has become to be taught in lower education (he had a lot of concerns for how unprepared his students at the University were for real math, or any college level work, actually.) I had briefly done some research into old methods of teaching math. I am now delving into more detailed research as I need more ideas. I am going to try to figure out a tutor, but the cost is prohibitive at this point. I do feel she needs to approach math in a way that makes sense to her.

So, I am going to go back to focusing on creative math, but, for record-keeping sake, devote one day per week on some kind of written or otherwise provable math. Hopefully, that can keep her progressing while reducing the struggle that was impairing all her other lessons.
 

I have started my daughter on the Junior Ranger passport book. While we likely won't get a chance to visit most of the National Parks, she can do the research online and I can have her learn geography, history, and any other area that can be covered, like science or art or music or even math. Mini- unit studies per National Park!
 

This is what I love about homeschooling- really participating in my child's education, learning on the go myself, and the flexibility to really adjust with our family's needs.

2013 Week 1

We rang in the New Year with friends and a pizza party. That was my favorite New Year's Eve party ever! Calm, low key, pleasant company and conversation. My daughter was disappointed. She fell asleep and would not wake up, though I tried at 11 p.m., 11:45 p.m., and shortly past midnight. Then again, she had played long and hard with my friend's three girls and had her first ski lesson the day before- she had every excuse to be exhausted!


(I want to add a picture here, but for some reason

I cannot get the uploader to work. Perhaps later.)

 

Since we have been home, the rest of the week has had it's fair share of a different sort of excitement. The bug going around seemed to have finally hit my husband, who was laid low for a couple days. I had a doctor visit which was a bit stressful with a not unexpected result. And, I regret slowing down on keeping a small colony of crickets here at home as NONE of the pet stores have crickets this week and their selection of worms looked unhealthy. So, Leon the lizard is going a bit hungry and I hope I can find an alternative food this weekend. (Note: during the warmer months, we hunt for crickets in non-treated woody areas. I discovered Leon won't go for spiders but he likes moths and flies.)
 

On the fun side, we have been experimenting with GFCF meals and so far are quite enjoying the process. My daughter spontaneously started reading a version of Oliver Twist and LOVES it! There have also been numerous dartgun battles, during which Flynn the cat chases and tries to eat the foam darts.

(There has been a loooong delay in me posting due to a lot of chaos going on- the homeschool part I will be posting in a short while. Frankenstorm, family trips, and some medical issues I am dealing with have totally loaded up my days, leaving me little time for anything but the necessities. But, I'm back- I love to chat!)

October

October has been busy! Nothing particularly exciting, just a busy daily grind. My daughter did, finally, have an Occupational Therapy evaluation for the pain she experiences when writing. She likes some of the games & exercises, but not others. It seems her fingers are "locking", so she was shown a massage that can help relax her finger joints, and I have found that helps if she periodically stops her writing to do this exercise. She giggles like crazy getting the monkeys into the barrel with a special instrument (she has to use her fingers properly to do so.) We learned a new tic tac toe version- we each get a word (not an x or o) and the word has to be written correctly. I found it interesting the OT noted the same thing my daughter's vocal coach keeps correcting- scrunched up shoulders. I have been taking advantage of the weather and my daughter has spent a lot of time outdoors. She plays football with some neighborhood boys- they don't seem to be soft on her at all because she's a girl, and I think she is thrilled with that. She did end up with a nasty bruised cheek/eye after a tackle earlier this month. I told her that was it for injuries this month, but she didn't listen. She got a friction "rip" on her palm while playing on the playground equipment (it's basically a large, sloughed blister.) After getting ver the initial stinging pain, she had a temporary joy thinking this would get her out of schoolwork- it was her right hand- but, no, she can still read, type, and give me oral answers!

Field Trip: Hot Rods for Heroes

We are still recovering from a long and wonderful day with our pals from Hot Rods for Heroes.  Being a military family, we had an incredible chance to go behind the scenes at the NHRA qualifications this past weekend. While we were based at the Permatex/Follow A Dream team's pit, we also met Alexis DeJoria and Clay Millican and the Parts Plus team. My daughter was inspired by her experience watching the awsom Jay Blake (Follow A Dream) at work. She loved the slower cars, but the top fuel cars scared her a bit, so we sat at the pit after a few of those races. She said it wasn't so much the noise, but how much everything- from the ground to her teeth, shook when they go by. She saw science in action- from machinery, to chemistry, to physics, and the math involved in speed and racing. When the Permatex car brushed along the wall, she got to see the damage- the solid metal pipes were melted and fused. Talk about heat!

The damage:

Marathon Kids

This year, my daughter has been entered into the Marathon Kids program. We recently celebrated at their Kick Off event, where we both did the first quarter mile. There were kids, teachers, and parents from all over the area- both traditional schools and homeschools. She had fun racing one of her homeschool friends during the lap, and ended up way ahead of me! When we looked at her tracking sheet, her only dissapointment was the box to check off she ate squash or zucchini- she dislikes both.

Marathon Kids is a national program that encourages physical activity and good nutrition. It is open to any elementary school child. Visit their website!

A really distracted day...

I know how important routine and predictablity are to my daughter, and today demonstrated what a mess things can become when our household routine, homeschool routine, and my general activity level tanks. I work at the nearby public school part time and it seems I catch every respiratory virus that comes around. Most of the time, I'm just a little sniffly- this month I caught a full-blown cold to sinus to asthma mess that has left me drained- still moving and getting through the days, but absolutely drained. I have tried to keep up with the homeschool lessons, and for the most part things have gone well. Not today- my daughter spent the day unable to focus on anything (I mean anything) for longer than a few minutes, kept needing my attention, and I was too tired to keep redirecting and trying to talk and stay focused on what I was supposed to be teaching. So, we gave up. Part of the work done, the rest will be added to tomorrow and we'll plug along as we can. Honestly, I pretty much knew the day was over when doing sentence contruction, I asked her "where do shooting stars shine?" and she said in a village... and she was serious. So, tonight I will continue to treat myself, boost my immune system, and hopefully get enough sleep to be ready to focus and keep her interest in the morning.

End of the first month of Fourth Grade...

We have had a very busy August, so I have had barely any time to do everything I have needed to do. Overall, Fourth Grade has started well, with only one major snag- there was an initial (expected) tantrum-prone rebellion in the beginning of the month. She did NOT want to do school. She did NOT like math or grammar. She wanted TV and to go out to the playground or the pool and to go see her friends and to go shopping... She protested completing her work and discovered she was going nowhere. She could be on the couch, at the table, in her room, or anywhere else in the house. But she was not allowed to go to the playground, the pool, etc. Oh, there was also no TV or XBox. Or shopping. The day her rebellion turned to creative sentences in her grammar book, I knew she was getting the idea. So far, she has actually been getting her stuff done, and with a much happier attitude.

This is the grammar rebellion:

First Week of Fourth Grade

The first week of Fourth Grade is over, the year has begun!

My daughter had a light schedule, which turned out to be a very good idea. She was exhausted from her vacation with grandma, and once fell asleep while doing math. The focus for the first week was Reading Comprehension (Mary Poppins), and Math (numbers, including huge numbers). She even got a chance to do some real-life math helping out at a fundraiser booth! There were a few other lessons- like an impromptu history/science lesson on locusts. We discovered a nearby playground that has an extensive trail leading from it- and I can't wait to go back! We love hiking. She also had an important Choir performance, and the kids did such a terrific job!

For the rest of this month, she will have a gradual increase in classwork (starting Grammar and her Science curriculum, for example.) By mid-September, all her coursework should be in full-swing.

A very busy July!

We have had a very busy summer! Our area was hit hard by the derecho that passed through Maryland right before our Independance holiday. We still managed to head out for vacation, but were slightly delayed. I learned how useful having a CB-owning husband is on a road trip where over half the gas stations along the highway were inoperable due to power outages- he just kept up conversation with the truckers. We visited family down South and had a blast- after the power outages and storms, we also experienced a midnight swim, my daughter sang for the family Church, we moved some cinderblocks and got stung by bees, more swimming, trampoline-ing, a massive fireworks display, Legos, and, a lot of time with family.

My tire somehow got a hole in it while it sat at home for our vacation. That was a fiasco. We have had friends and Church events, which have all been incredibly fun, but last week, my daughter told me she felt a little burned out from all the activity, so, other than VBS and some family time, we have had an at-home week this week. VBS was super-fun, and I loved volunteering. The theme was bugs, and, lo and behold, my daughter caught a rather large praying mantis- which we then brought in for VBS. He- my daughter named him Manley Mantis- was a hit and fit in nicely with the theme. He has been released back into the wild, but so far has refused to leave our porch. Maybe he liked us?

I have planned out August, and part of September for homeschool. I am eager to start, but we still have a bit of vacation left. My daughter is headed for a visitation vacation, but once she comes back home, we will be slowly getting back into the school-days routine.

Pictures will be coming soon!

4th Grade Planning

I have spent several months looking over different ideas for my daughter's upcoming Fourth Grade year. I like a lot of what I used for Third Grade, but not all, so I had to make some new choices. I finally have the majority of the texts and workbooks I decided to use.

For Grammar & Writing, I will continue with Climbing to Good English (pictured), and add in Handwriting Without Tears (not pictured). For Reaeding & Comprehension, I will start with Mary Poppins and a comprehension workbook (pictured), followed by Reading Comprehension (Jane Ervin; not pictured). Besides using vocabulary from her various subjects, I will use a Greek & Latin Roots workbook (pictured).

For Mathematics, I will be using Aha!Math (not pictured), in part because I can print a record of what subject areas she has covered, and the program offers assessments. This is an online curriculum. For a workbook supplement, we both went over several different workbooks, and she picked this 4th Grade Math workbook (pictured). I will keep Sylvan in mind if she seems to be struggling doing written math, but this workbook is formatted in a similar way and did not intimidate her.

For Science, I chose a ScienceSaurus book (not pictured) and combining it with the Basic Not Boring Science for 4th to 5th grades workbooks (pictured).

For History, we are moving into Book 2 of Story of the World (pictured). For Geography, I chose the Geography Coloring Book (pictured). I will only be using certain sections of the coloring book, that are simple enough for my daughter and emphasize what she is learning. Other topics, like Government, may use other materials.

For Health, we will be covering different topics, and I do not have everything, yet. The Basic Not Boring series has a Human Body & Health workbook. I will continue to use ideas from our Hopscotch book (pictured) for P.E.

Art will have a variety of projects from other subject areas (like History). For Music she will continue her voice and instrument lessons.

This year I will be picking different famous people to do a brief look at their lives and how they contributed to the world. I will be choosing according to the topics she is studying, if possible. I also have some games, and am looking at others, that emphasize different subject areas. Abalone (pictured) & Treasure Trove are the newest, but we also have Around the World, Scrabble, Boggle, Bananagrams, and others.

Blue Angels & More

We had a terrific time going to see the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels last weekend. We went to Martin State Airport to see the team up close (very up close!) as well as the numerous other attractions. My husband took my daughter up in a Cessna- the first time for both (a local school was giving rides), and later, they both convinced me my fear of hights would not rear its ugly head. It was not as bad as theme park attractions (where I now keep my feet firmly on the ground!)

On their first flight: my girl is in the back.

My daughter has been practicing chin-ups, copying my husband as he stays Army fit. At Martin State Airport, the Marines had a bar up for any takers- she took their challange and (with a little help after 5) did 10 chin-ups to earn a large goody bag!

We saw various military aircraft, and I watched while my daughter & husband ran around ooohing and aaahing and squealing (okay, that was my daughter) with delight when something took off, did a fly-by, or landed. When the Blue Angels flew, we were able to be close-up for them lining up, taking off, and landing. Afterwards, we got their autographs.

The Angels lining up for take-off.

My girl's favorite pilot was #2 for the very little-girl reason of "he's the tallest!" She was super-impressed with his hight, and I was super-impressed with his gentleness and humor.

During this two-day field trip, we covered the War of 1812- this was the 200th Anniversary of that war; our Armed Forces, flight & aircraft, face-painting, and physical fitness. Whew!

Field Trip!

We have had a super-busy time, including a very fun field trip! My husband is in the Army National Guard, and one of the perks is how our FRG plans really neat events. Recently, the unit and families participated in a fun cookout, including... a rock wall! To say my daughter was overjoyed would be understating. Not only was there a neat lake with ducks and nests, a huge park to run around in, a DJ, tons of food (and deserts), but also a rock wall she must have climbed fifty times.

Racing a soldier to the top!

Homeschooling and Special Needs Children

My daughter is "special needs". It was a big reason why I chose to pull her out of public school and homeschool instead. I have researched a lot of the benefits and struggles with homeschooling a child who has struggles, and here are a few links:

HSLDA Special Needs has lots of information on homeschooling the special needs child.

Homeschooling the Learning Disabled and Other Special Needs Child from Bayshore Educational has links.

Experiences of ADHD-Labeled Kids Who Switch... from Peter Gray.

HSLDA Homeschooling and ADHD

I have found that my daughter responds very well to one-on-one, to being able to take a break- 5 minutes or a day- if necessary, to be able to slowly reinforce skills in focusing and handling emotions, and to be able to use right-brain and alternative methods of learning lessons. I have learned there are numerous different techniques, skills, and options that can be used as needed to help me as her teacher and parent.

Literature: Nancy Drew

A family friend recently gave my daughter a few (revised) Nancy Drew books. What a thrill! I remember reading these, and the Hardy Boys, as a child. While I have been reading to her from other classics, she is hearing the stories, but not understanding enough to get "lost in the book," so to speak. She can hear the words, but she doesn't feel connected to them or the story. I hope these Nancy Drew classics help my daughter gain more interest in reading (she dislikes both reading and writing) and expose her to well-written literature she can understand.

Most of the modern kid's "literature" I've been previewing is not well written even if popular. Many also describe innapropriate behavior, attitudes, and scenes. I thought, at first, that if she got interested in reading, she could progress to better literature. There is a fad she has gotten into, and I let her get the book... But when I ask her about the story, she only desecribes fashion, make-up, and worry about boys. The kids in the story do not have relationships with their parents, and they do not deal with real issues, but just various forms of giving into peer pressure and group acceptance. She also never asked me about new words while reading that modern book. But, in the first chapter of a Nancy Drew, she has already asked me about several words and what a sentence means.

I found an intersting article on the womanly example of Nancy Drew (Nancy Drew and True Womanhood) that confirmed my feelings on the difference between the young woman in this series compared to the young women portrayed in many of the popular modern children's books.

"End" of the school year

Tomorrow I will be marking down my daughter's 180th official day of school. Maryland homeschool laws [PDF] do not specify a certain number of days of instruction, but they do mention that public schools have a 180 day minimum and that homeschool should be "of sufficient duration" for a child to be taught. I use my county for reviews, and my daughter's father also needs a way to be aware of what I am doing with her. I use an attendance chart to demonstrate "sufficient duration" throughout the year. What I count as a "day of instruction" is any day on my calander where I cover three or more subject areas with my daughter, or we have a field trip, even if that field trip covers only one subject area.

Realistically, most homeschoolers teach- in some way- daily. I do not always mark down teaching moments or I would be spending more hours doing paperwork than would be viable. My plan, actually, includes many more school days than the 180 days. Third Grade math is unlikely to be completed before August, and my daughter loves her history text, so has asked to keep working on that through the summer. Swimming, water safety, reading, writing letters, and more. Learning doesn't have to stop! I just don't plan on tracking attendance again until September.

Unexpected Field Trip

We had an unexpected, and rather pleasant adventure yesterday!

Our travel to Spay Now took longer than expected (traffic, of course) and I decided we would stay on the Eastern Shore for the day instead of fighting traffic for an extra round trip. I did not, however, know what we were going to do. A quick Internet search turned up nearby Wye Mills.

We visited Wye Grist Mill. Rhonda explained the history of the area and the Mill. My daughter got to even try her hand at hand-grinding and crank grinding corn. Out back, we saw a large Great Blue Heron just hanging out. He did not seem bothered at our nearness- we were maybe 30 feet away. Rhonda recommended several other places to go. We saw Wye Oak Park- including Maryland's State Tree, the Wye Oak, and an old schoolhouse.

We then went to the Chesapeake Exploration Center as a starting point for a short Cross Island Trail walk. Their museum has a small collection of artifacts from the Bay, and an amazing exhibit from a local artist, Coleman Sellers. On our walk, we had fun getting our toes wet, and my daughter found jellyfish. Lots of them. The lady at the Center was suprised there were jellyfish already. After looking at photos and descriptions of various jellyfish I am not sure what species we saw, but it may have been teeny lion's mane jellyfish. I do not think we saw sea nettles, which are tracked in the Chesapeake Bay because they cause problems with swimmers. While lion's mane jellyfish grow rather large, the colors and general look seem like what we saw, and from what I read very small ones can be found.

Art: NGA Kids

Learning about art is so much more fun when you can really interact with what you are learning! The National Gallery of Art's kids page has some fantastic (graphic intense) interactive games that help turn art concepts into vibrant demonstrations.

Science: Feline Castration

In honor of our newest Wildcat Flynn's upcoming neutering, here is some information on feline castration. First, correct terminology. Neuter is a gender-neutral term and can mean a castration or a spay. Castration is the lay term for the male neuter, while the technical terminology is orchiectomy. Spay is the female version, or oophorohysterectomy to be technical.

This veterinarian's website has a beautiful, simple explanation. At the bottom of the page is a link for a slide show of the actual surgery. If you are squeamish at all, do not click that link, as it shows photographs of an actual open surgery.

Given my background and experiences with anatomy, body functions, and surgery, my daughter has heard from a young age about proper body names, and age appropriate body functions. She has known for a while how a baby grows in mom, and how a baby is born naturally, including viewing diagrams and pictures. She knows about male and female body parts in a very basic way, including identifying the very obvious testicles of our male rats, guinea pigs, and her new kitten, so I made the decision to let her watch the slide show (after I previewed it) and learn a bit more about male anatomy. Her opinion of the surgery? "Not a big deal." Once she knew that Flynn was going to have surgery, she asked me several times to explain what would happen so she would know he will be okay. I know my daughter, what I've already taught her, and her squeamishness level- please take your own child's knowledge and maturity into consideration before you decide to discuss the details!

History: Ancient India & China

I use Story of the World for history, and we are nearing the end of the first book. This month, my daughter is learning a little more about Ancient India & China. Having spent my second decade of life living in Bangladesh, and travelling the Indian Subcontinent & Asia, I have found the chapters on India to bring back memories. I'm not quite that ancient, mind you, but I fondly remember the weather, cattle, crowds, colors, & food. I learned to cook some Indian food dishes since coming back stateside (though my daughter is only barely okay with mild curry, and my husband won't touch "exotic" at all.) I realize, as I talk to my daughter about my memories, and try to relate that to what she is learning, that my experiences there are very far removed from the life she knows.

I found and online translation of the Mahabharata and I penciled that in for some summer read-aloud time. I love the art work and I still remember reading both the Mahabharata and the Ramayana as a teenager. (This will go under "Language Arts: Literature" in my record-keeping.)

I love the British Museum website, and will be using their Ancient India and Ancient China pages. There are games, short readings, and quizzes, as well as maps and pictures. I can take a Science trip and discuss the Indian cattle breeds, commonly called Brahman and Miniature Zebu. (TNAU Animal Husbandry, Love4cows both have good photos.) She can explore the different cycle of seasons, including monsoon.We will also look at Hinduism and Buddhism, two religions origination from this area.

Science: Birding

Last year, my daughter learned some basics about birds & how to identify the common species we see around our home. She has maintained an interest in birds, including often asking to look up a bird she heard about. We saw the movie "The Big Year" in March, which piqued her interest to see how many species she can find herself. In April, she went on a mini-hunt, and identified approximately twenty-five species over the course of two weeks. Her favorite bird-spotting moment? When a blue heron flew directly over her head on the way to the water!

Here are my favorite links for birding:

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has photos along with information on each species.

The Maryland Ornithological Society and their Youth Division. Much of their information is better suited to older children or adults, but their Birding Basics has good information on the how-tos. Their Ethics page helped me introduce "ethics" as she begins to understand our responsibility in this particular endeavor.

WhatBird helps with using a variety of characteristics to identify different birds.

As a Science topic birding includes: exploring bird identification, anatomy, habitats, and behavior; environmental science, such as habitat protection; ethics, including proper behavior of the birder; other animals and plants found in the habitats; scientific classification and species names; and exploring endangered species, and how populations are affected. Math is used in a real-world manner through counting and estimating, grouping and categorizing. Language Arts skills include reading and comprehension, learning to research and write a report, keeping a journal, and using library and Internet (technology) skills. As for socialization, in our experience, birding has allowed us to meet with and talk to other adults and children we meet while out walking and observing.