I love this video! Thank you Nicholeen! I have a question for you. My kids are 4, almost 8, and 11 (he's going into Young Men's this year). I do things pretty similar to what you talked about as far as mom school. We do lots of family read aloud through breakfast, which could be a fun chapter book like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or it could be Story of the World for history. My question is when it's their independent study time, is that when your kids do things like language arts and math? You mentioned big projects and I really want to start letting my kids set goals and really dive deep into subjects they would want to learn about, like engineering, reptiles, and photography, but it feels like by the time they are done with their language arts (their least favorite subject) math, and piano, then they are feeling done for the day and would rather go play with friends. I am mostly referring to my 11 year old, my 8 year old still gets lots of free time. I want them to be able to learn things they want to learn, but I also know they need to learn how to write a sentence or multiply numbers. I know he still likes learning, he could sit and build with Legos for hours or build different things from cardboard. But he would prefer to be done with book studies by lunch, then be able to go play or go out and play with friends. I know friend time is so important too, but I don't know how to balance that with studies. And I don't want him to think that studies is something we just have to get done for the day. I know you said you didn't have a set number of hours, but did you have a certain time they were allowed to go play with friends? And am I asking too much of him at 11? Right now he has to read for a bit, do his language arts, math, piano, and spelling each day. Then, throughout the week I try to get in some science, history, etc. I don't feel like what I'm asking him should take that long (I could be wrong), but combine that with distractions from brothers, wanting to go play with friends, not enjoying writing, etc, then to him it feels like he doesn't get the time he wants to do what he wants to do. Am I overscheduling? I would love any advice or thoughts! Thank you and I'm sorry for the very long question!
Good question. Here are a few ideas for you. I always do math first. Best to get that done while the brain is fresh. Plus, math and spelling don't lead to much inspiration as do other projects. But, language arts, history and science do inspire. I want them to launch off to other useful things like you do. I often have them pick spelling each week from their reading books. We've combined those many times. Or, I have sequential spelling bees. My children knew we had a time when school began: 9:00 am. And, we also didn't end until 3:00 pm. This didn't mean we were sitting there studying the whole time, but no friend play time or distraction time until then. But, I also didn't have my children play with friends every day because that isn't healthy for their social development. I didn't want their allegiance to siblings and family to be traded in for an allegiance to friends and distractions. So, I determined how many hours per week of friend time each child got based on their age and developmental needs. We usually had Thursdays and Saturdays for friend times. Also, you need to ask him what he will do during independent time before the time starts and then follow up after. And, in our weekly mentor sessions we have them plan for what they want to accomplish that week as far as projects go too. This gives them ideas for study time. Hopefully that helps!
Would appreciate some tips for the kids that don’t “love to learn”. I wouldn’t say hate school but dislikes a certain subject. I try to make it interesting or easier to learn but sometimes the attitude is just get it done as fast as I can and be done with it.
Sometimes you just have to give an instruction to get certain schoolwork done. There are times, despite all we can do to make something fun, that it just doesn't work. So, we have to teach them that it still needs to be done, even if they don't want to do it.
![Gunna - HIM ALL ALONG [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HiCxoDeo0hc/mqdefault.jpg)
i really loved the light bulb example , thats a really interesting point of view!
Glad you liked it!
I love this video! Thank you Nicholeen! I have a question for you. My kids are 4, almost 8, and 11 (he's going into Young Men's this year). I do things pretty similar to what you talked about as far as mom school. We do lots of family read aloud through breakfast, which could be a fun chapter book like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or it could be Story of the World for history.
My question is when it's their independent study time, is that when your kids do things like language arts and math? You mentioned big projects and I really want to start letting my kids set goals and really dive deep into subjects they would want to learn about, like engineering, reptiles, and photography, but it feels like by the time they are done with their language arts (their least favorite subject) math, and piano, then they are feeling done for the day and would rather go play with friends.
I am mostly referring to my 11 year old, my 8 year old still gets lots of free time. I want them to be able to learn things they want to learn, but I also know they need to learn how to write a sentence or multiply numbers. I know he still likes learning, he could sit and build with Legos for hours or build different things from cardboard. But he would prefer to be done with book studies by lunch, then be able to go play or go out and play with friends. I know friend time is so important too, but I don't know how to balance that with studies. And I don't want him to think that studies is something we just have to get done for the day. I know you said you didn't have a set number of hours, but did you have a certain time they were allowed to go play with friends? And am I asking too much of him at 11? Right now he has to read for a bit, do his language arts, math, piano, and spelling each day. Then, throughout the week I try to get in some science, history, etc.
I don't feel like what I'm asking him should take that long (I could be wrong), but combine that with distractions from brothers, wanting to go play with friends, not enjoying writing, etc, then to him it feels like he doesn't get the time he wants to do what he wants to do. Am I overscheduling? I would love any advice or thoughts! Thank you and I'm sorry for the very long question!
Good question. Here are a few ideas for you. I always do math first. Best to get that done while the brain is fresh. Plus, math and spelling don't lead to much inspiration as do other projects. But, language arts, history and science do inspire. I want them to launch off to other useful things like you do. I often have them pick spelling each week from their reading books. We've combined those many times. Or, I have sequential spelling bees. My children knew we had a time when school began: 9:00 am. And, we also didn't end until 3:00 pm. This didn't mean we were sitting there studying the whole time, but no friend play time or distraction time until then. But, I also didn't have my children play with friends every day because that isn't healthy for their social development. I didn't want their allegiance to siblings and family to be traded in for an allegiance to friends and distractions. So, I determined how many hours per week of friend time each child got based on their age and developmental needs. We usually had Thursdays and Saturdays for friend times. Also, you need to ask him what he will do during independent time before the time starts and then follow up after. And, in our weekly mentor sessions we have them plan for what they want to accomplish that week as far as projects go too. This gives them ideas for study time. Hopefully that helps!
Would appreciate some tips for the kids that don’t “love to learn”. I wouldn’t say hate school but dislikes a certain subject. I try to make it interesting or easier to learn but sometimes the attitude is just get it done as fast as I can and be done with it.
Sometimes you just have to give an instruction to get certain schoolwork done. There are times, despite all we can do to make something fun, that it just doesn't work. So, we have to teach them that it still needs to be done, even if they don't want to do it.
9 1/2 going into "5th" grade homeschool
11 yr old or 6th grade