Today, though, we got back to it. They were a little reluctant and I was a bit grouchy with them. We turned it around though. We sat outside for story time and we read SIX chapters in Junie B. Jones - Boo and I Mean It! They colored a ghost while I read and we all laughed at the really funny parts.
I'm sorry Phantom Tollbooth you pale in comparison to the antics of Junie B. It was SO nice to enjoy that time together, outdoors. For them to ask me to keep reading was like a miracle. We put our ghosts together and then they went off to play iknowthat.com. I got a few things ready for math time, while they played.
They practiced their math worksheet and they are doing well. Aria still hesitates on some of these that we have been practicing. Sometimes, it's as if it is hard for her to switch on her memory. She is constantly looking for patterns and if there is a way to figure out the answer by figuring out the pattern she'll do that, but while that part of her brain is engaged she cannot recall, automatically, the facts that we have reviewed over and over.
This ability to see patterns is quite impressive and valuable in many respects, until, there is no pattern. So, we shall just keep using that darn old memory and try to strengthen it. I need my memory honed as much as she does so we can both benefit from these exercises.
Casey, Aria and I played WAR and I was impressed by both their skills in adding. Casey understands adding tens is very easy and gets those answers right away. So does Aria. Aria got three hands of 9 + 7 and by the third one Casey had it memorized and told her the answer.
Aria wrote a nice short story about a Princess. It wasn't very long or complicated and it plagiarized Junie B. a little. It wasn't particularly nice handwriting. She seems so defeated if I criticize anything she does. I don't know how to make her understand that she is capable of more creative and beautiful things if she would just have some pride in her work.
I did ask her to try to write nicely. I asked her to slow down, but I didn't mention that the story sounded quite a bit like the story of Junie B. I didn't mention that her printing was still pretty bad. I didn't mention that the story wasn't very long. I just told her it was a good story and it sounded like something that could turn into a longer story about this Princess and her dad.
I guess I'm gonna have to try to figure out a way to encourage her without making comparisons to what other kids at her age are doing. I know she is capable of more, but maybe emotionally she isn't. I don't want to enable her if she's just being lazy, but I don't want to tramp all over her spirit either. She had enough of the that in daycare and public school. I'll just take my time and do some reading.
Again, this is a good reason for us to homeschool. Aria can take her time a develop as quickly or slowly as she needs to and she doesn't have to be made to feel like she's 'behind' everyone else. I just need to remind myself of that. We are not 'behind' we are right where we need to be.
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