Slamdunk School of How to: Building a Better Learner

As I have mentioned before, Coral is ADHD, and sometimes that translates to not being a very patient learner. Ok, a lot of times she isn't a patient learner. Ok. Honest-to-God, every day is a struggle.

She loves math! When she already knows it. She loves reading--books she's already read. She loves writing--unless it's for school. She loves science--um, well, ok, she just loves science. You get the idea. She loves school, except for the school part.
It's so easy to get caught up with Leif who is the easiest student ever compared to Coral, but he's only 3 and this is her time. So I've been working on ways to help her be a better learner. If I can teach her how to learn, I will consider myself a successful teacher. I'm still learning how to help her become a lifelong learner, but I have learned a few tricks recently that have helped me.

So, we are learning time right now. I am taking this opportunity to teach her how to skip-count too. Sure, we started with fives, but we are learning other skip-counting as well. Relating it to reading a clock didn't really jive with me, but it certainly worked for her! She took reading a clock and is learning to skip-count by fives, tens, and twos. And it works for her. I have had to just go with it because while learning skip-counting via telling time isn't something I would have come up with on my own; but if I let Coral lead us where she wants to go, she is excited about learning. So, yay for math!

We are also still working on her reading skills. Talk about a fight. She gets to new words for her and often she just shuts down. I helped her read through her worksheet and then I told her to finish it up while I did something else. I came back int the classroom five minutes later and she had stuck her own nose on the wall because she "had a bad attitude" about it.

Sigh.

Come on Coral. We will work it together.

Or how about if we start reading in tandem? So, I started reading it to her, letting her read it after me, letting her read it with me, and then letting her read it on her own, and guess what. She is doing so much better, of course. The best part is, she is trying to help Leif learn to read too and as a result is becoming a better reader.

It also helps that I discovered that books without pictures are much easier for her to read and she really does understand them. The pictures were distracting her! Thank God for ebooks! My kindle has been a life saver in the reading department with my little girl. She has gotten into the habit of bringing me my kindle to "spend time" with me reading. She reads to me and it makes this momma so happy.

So long for today <3

Coral's Book: Marshmallow Girl Saves the Day

Marshmallow Girl Saves the Day, by Coral

This is Marshmallow Girl.

She has a stinger.

OUCH!!

She is a superhero.

Oh no! Bank Robbers!

Marshmallow Girl to the rescue!

The bank robbers are defeated.

HEY! Marshmallow girl saves the day.

Yes, I know I misspelled marshmallow in the last two instances.
No, I don't know what overcame my good sense.

Abstraction in The Slamdunk Homeschool

My wonderful 3-year-old is beginning to scare me. No, he's not a sociopath or psychopath. He's freaking smart! He's making connections that I don't expect from 9-year olds, much less 3-year-olds!

Definitions first.

Abstraction:

     The quality of dealing with ideas rather than events.

Abstract thinking:

     Abstract thinking is a level of thinking about things that is removed from the facts of the “here        and now”, and from specific examples of the things or concepts being thought about.

Here is an example of an abstract connection:

My father and I were discussing to possibility of water at the center the moon. I immediately jumped to: "That would explain why it's lopsided."

We were not discussing size or shape, but the abstract thought of size and shape came up under the theoretical discussion.

The reason why middle schoolers are so much fun is because they are just beginning the journey into abstract thought. I love seeing the connections happen for middle-schoolers. They become infinitely more interesting with this development in their ability to cogitate.

What does this have to do with a 3-year-old?

Me, zipping up my son's coat There you are, Leif. Ready to go.

Leif: I am Leif, and I am Bubby.

What I can't show you and what I am going to feebly attempt to explain was the light that went off in his head just after I said his name. It was just a split second and I would have missed it if I didn't have a habit of making eye contact with my children when I talk to them. It wasn't a recognition of name versus nickname, it was a statement of being. I am this and I am that and they are the same but they are different. I've worked through this so many times and I just can't explain it correctly except to say, trust me, this was an abstract thought.

This is just a single small example of an abstract connection my son is making. He's doing it more often now. Nearly everyday, sometimes more than once, he has a thought that he shares that is a bit beyond his developmental stage. It's a little scary, and recently he told me that he wanted me to teach him how to spell. He's doing it too, with his mouth, with his hands (ASL), and writing (with help, he isn't that developed in his fine motor skills).

He's going to be reading soon, I have a feeling he will be a reader before he is a kindergartner.

And honestly, I am scared. How am I going to keep up with him? How will I keep him interested in school when he learns so freaking fast. And how am I going to make sure Coral doesn't develop a complex about the competition that will inevitably form between her and her brother.

I'll be doing a lot of reading to prepare for Leif, and to help Coral be who she is without feel deficient because she isn't like her brother. Suggestions, anyone?

The face of my love and my fear.

Slamdunk: What Happens When You Confront Your Student With the Facts of Life

Yesterday I warned Coral about this semester's workload. I informed her that we would be spending the majority of our time reading and writing. She is behind the curve in the reading department because I haven't pressed her as hard as traditional schools press students in this area.

She has a few very strong innate abilities--art is her life, math is becoming one victory after another for her. She loves learning science--her questions never end.

"Why do we cough?"
"What happens if we get too much blood inside us?"
"What kinds of animals hibernate?"
"Where are the birds going?"
"What do fish eat?"
And on and on.

I love this about her! She makes my life interesting with all the wonderful questions she asks and we learn so much following her trains of thought. But I haven't pressed her to do her own reading. I was so focused on enjoying her ride that I let it slip. I became aware of how behind she is this Christmas when she and her friend wrote a letter to Santa. I should say, Coral dictated to her friend. Coral does write, and she reads, but she isn't much more than a beginner at either.

This semester I am going to lead her through her beginning stages and into the wonderful world of reading for delight and information. This is going to be a challenge for her because she gets her letters mixed up frequently. We are going to work it hard, and my lovely daughter surprised me when I informed her of the plan. She said, "Sounds good!"

Stop. Breath. Reboot.

"Sounds good!"

This is the face of a beautiful mind.