Week in Review 1/30/12 -2/3/12. Great week here

We had the best homeschooling week that we have had in loong time!!
Last week I decided there was too much whining, complaining, beefing, sobbing, etc...mine and theirs, so a shake up and reorganization was called for.
I tried 2 new things that worked so beautifully it scares me to share them...but I will....I am a daring person.

Thing 1: I found our trusty clip boards and pulled one out for each child. On that clipboard I placed their math, grammar, copy work and logic puzzle worksheet. I also placed their reader for the week on top of that and 2 sharp pencils. That " gift" went on their favorite snuggle spot...my recliner for Hammy, one end of the couch for Cubby and the bother end for Gracie. When they wake up in the am, I am usually still working in my in-home office. They usually all come down one at a time and sit and stare or snuggle up in a blankies and wait for me to emerge sometime around 8. So, now...they are greeted with their own book and package of daily work.

I wasn't sure how that would go over, but each kid was happy to have their reading book...and read until they were awake enough to function. We like a slow rise around here.

This worked BEAUTIFULLY!! The kids read a chapter or 2 in 15 minutes and then are ready to move. They get breakfast...take care of doggie , kitty and tank pets...then they get busy on their clipboard work. I check everyones progress....and teach what needs teaching.....and then...we are able to do our together school...read aloud, bible study, history, etc.

I didn't want ti jinx my luck last week, so I did not add in any projects or experiments yet. I did swap up Hammy and Cubby's reading...one day historical fiction, one day science, one day biography then back again....lol....but that was the extent of my creativity.

Dropping CLE Math for Hammy was a extraordinary change for him. He is less overwhelmed by volume and happy to do what I leave for him. He finds it so less intimidating to have ONE worksheet...and not 5 pages...even though we are covering the same exact material.

Ok...THING 2.

Moving our stuff OUT of the schoolroom...sigh....and relocating back to the main part of the house. I give up! A schoolroom will never work for us. Our materials just migrate out to the living room and there we school. My big giant whiteboard was nice in theory....but in reality...our lap ones work much better. I am doing one on one tutoring after all...lol.

Ok...our week in review:
every kid completed every assignment....and I covered ALL the material I wanted to cover...and we are here to tell the tale. That and we had NO TEARS! None. Not mine or theirs.

I call that a successful week!

~~Faithe