Second Homeschool Lesson

Well, the after-supper session went just as well....  Delta was disappointed we were doing the same letter, but was ok with a promise of a new letter sound tomorrow.  Delta has the game down pat (ie, the structure of it) - Echo has to be reminded to say the letter sound instead of just moving the card.   Again, they wanted to continue longer than I did - but I think it is important to quit while they still want to play - it keeps them interested for the next time.

 

I decided to hold off on the blocks game until they have 2 letters to do....  and I'm still deciding on the "incentive" with it.   The blocks game can have them do a LOT more repetitions of the sounds - especially later as they will have to do multiple words for each turn....   But you need something to "pay" them for as they play it....   I'm thinking of getting them piggy banks, and letting them earn pennies.    Little snacks are suggested in the book - but when I had tried that with Delta, it was too hard to get his attention away from the food!

 

 

Oh, and Delta is 4 and a half.  This program is designed for 2 years old all the way up to school aged kids having problems with their reading.  Most kids will be reading at more than a grade 1 level doing it about 10 min a day - within about 60 days.....    The older children do learn faster.  (ie, I'm sure if I was just doing Delta, I could have done both U and P today....  with tomorrow working on "UP")

Started Homeschool

I have started our homeschool program!!!  (well, of course my children were learning at home all along - but now I'm working more at it....)

We are doing  Swimming Lessons and just playing for Phys-ed..... (been doing for a while....   btw - Delta earned his "floater" level and is doing great on "glider" level....)

We are doing Violin Lessons for Music (been doing for a while....   btw - Delta is starting to get to play on 1 string on the violin now....   Echo (not in lessons) can name many parts of the violin, can do a bow, and can sing "A" pretty much in pitch...

Math is just being done through play - They have Mega-Blocks, and Lego.  Delta can count to 10 very accurately, and knows the relationship between the items he is counting and the numbers.  He can sometimes do to 20, but sometimes misses numbers.   Echo can count to 10 consistantly, but almost always misses "4".  I suspect it is just a sequence of sounds to her though.

And - here is the new stuff.   I have started working on Teaching them to read (using Teach your child to read in 10 minutes a day).  Last night, I printed up 14 "business" cards with the letters/words for the first 8 or 9 "steps" of the program for playing the block game.  On the other 6 cards, I did pictures of cartoon caracters they like for a small variation of the "ledge" game.   This morning, I printed of 2 word searches with a lot of words with "U" in it.  They won't be searching for the words, just the "U"'s.

 

So after lunch, I announced that we were going to play school!   Mommy (and Daddy) are the principal, so we decide what will be taught.  Delta is the teacher, and Echo is the student.   I told Delta that although he knows the names to all the letters, that right now, we are learning what they SAY.    I then taught him U  (soft uhhhh sound) and showed him that he can teach it by having his student trace the letter with her finger while saying Uhhhh.   He tried it a few times himself, then helped Echo do it.

 

Then I had them sit at the table with the word searches, to circle all the U's they find.  Delta found most of them.   Echo was mostly just scribling over the paper, even though I helped her circle some.  (not sure how they do it with 2 year olds!!!!)

 

Then we played the modified Ledge game.   I put the character cards down, and put the U down.  Mommy says "Mickey Mouse would like uhhhh" - and then ask Delta.  Delta then underlines the U with his finger, while saying uh, and moves it to Mickey Mouse.    We did that with both of them for a while, then I announced that we were out of time.  They didn't want to stop - so I've promised we can play it again later.

 

I'll also introduce the block game later.....

 

The big problem is going to be the fact that Delta can learn this faster than Echo, and I'm not sure how long the teacher role will have him not worry about it.    We'll see....

 

Oh, and I printed a Sudoku puzzle for Delta to try later....

 

New Year

Well, the new year is going pretty good so far. We took a break during Christmas from practicing - so it did take a few days to get the practicing going again. Some of the practices are going good, some aren't.

Delta has had 2 individual lessons so far. Miss A is happy with how well he can hold his violin - but Delta is balking with the bow hold. I think Miss A was about to teach something new, but then had to do a few adjustments with Delta, so we haven't really done anything new yet. I have been moved on to the Twinkle Theme - and am having to play with the whole bow.... and using the bow speed to change the note length. It is amazing how much more there is to think about to play properly using more of the bow!

We have had 1 group lesson so far, and that went good. We are in a different room for a couple of months - it is a lot harder to get to in the building. It is where they do the Piano group - as it has 10 electric pianos in it! Group lesson went well, and Delta had the opportunity to place the bow on various strings - trying not to make a sound. We also learned how to have him hold the violin, and then the parents play the rhythms for them with the bow. The child gets to hold onto the parent's hand, so that they can move their arms, and feel how it all feels.

Christmas Concert Nightmare

Well - Delta had his violin concert!

First, let me start that the night before, I hadn't slept well at all (coughing) - and I was helping Bravo (another older sister) move that day too.

So, by the time I'd done all that - I got home just in time to change and take my husband to work with the kids in the van. (He had gotten them all ready) He just made it to work - and we were on time for the concert, but not as early as we should have been. Charlie was going to watch Echo at the concert during the period that I was on-stage with Delta - which was right near the beginning. I think the cellos played first. So we just got setup in time for me to take Delta down, and wait.

So - Delta did great! There was a lot of people there (I'm guessing around 300 or so) - and he did everything he was supposed to! YEAY!

Well, we get back up to the level where we were sitting - and Charlie is out in the bathroom with Echo because Echo is just screaming! Charlie hands her over (Charlie was upset) and she left to have a break. (I found out later that someone was rude to Charlie AFTER she had left with Echo because Echo was crying.

So after trying to get Echo calmed down (which she wasn't - and she pointed near her ears when I asked if she was hurt.... hm.....) - I decided to take the kids back in hoping that me holding her combined with the music would comfort her.... and I could put the violin etc back in the case - and if it wasn't working, I could pack them up and go. I knew that people wouldn't want to hear her crying. So, it helped a bit but she was still crying, so I started getting her into her snowsuit.... and well, it just goes bad from there.

Some lady comes and is being just rude. She wasn't trying to be rude but she was. She was that I needed to get my baby out of there (um - duh - I'm putting her snowsuit on) - and then she expected me to just pick up the violin, clothing for 4 (winter coats, hats, boots, etc) and drag 2 children, neither of which want to leave - all by myself! She did offer to help - but what I wanted for help is to get the kids into the outfits - not to just cart the stuff out in a heap! Anyway, it was really getting blurry in my head because I was just so upset, dissapointed and tired!

One of the mom's from Delta's group came and helped - I think she got him in his boats and coats, while I continued putting Echo into stuff - and then we carried my and Charlie's stuff out and violin etc - about then Charlie got back - and this rude woman was still saying stuff - and when I got out the door of the concert hall - I just went BOOM! I was crying and yelling that I was doing the best I could, that I was taking her out. The rude woman was there and was patting my cheak - and I yelled at her "Don't touch me". I think someone got her out of there. Delta's group teacher was there, and someone I don't know. The person I didn't know asked if she could hold Echo while I got my coat on - and Delta's teacher got me some kleenix, and talked to Deltaa while (who was busy telling me that it was all right....) - and I got calmed down. I asked the person I don't know who it was that kicked me out - she said it was someone's grandma.... (after saying that I wasn't being kicked out - um - yeah, I was.....)

So anyway, between that scene and me crying at the one group lesson, the other moms must think I'm the most emotional person in the world!!!

And once again - we didn't get to hear the other kids play the violins.

I am still pleased with how well Delta did performing in front of 300ish people.... and so I'm glad we went. And Echo seems ok today again. She cried until about 15 - 20 min into the car ride, when she fell asleep. She does have a cold - but once home, she seemed ok, just tired.... and today she is running around with her sniffy nose....

Day and Night

Well, the difference is like day and night!!!

Last week, at Miss A's lesson, Delta did everything he was supposed to do, with confidence and skill - and so he earned his violin!!!! He was so pleased and happy (although at first he was confused because she said he gets his new instrument..... so then he was thinking he was getting a piano or a cello..... - we got that straightened out though!)

Since then, Delta has practiced well pretty much every day. He still sometimes isn't pleased to, until the violin is out, and then he is thrilled. I've been keeping practices really short - basically just holding the violin, and practicing "Up like a rocketship" (and so the bow hold) for the concert. I have sometimes added in the singing of "A" (his favourite practice activity) and naming the violin parts. He can easily hold his violin for all of "Twinkle Twinkle", although the first couple of times he was extra nervous. He was scared it would drop and fall. So far he hasn't dropped it. After the main part of his practice, he gets to "pluck" the violin. Miss A said he isn't allowed to put the bow to the violin yet - but that he can pluck it. He really likes to pluck the strings while I finger "Twinkle" - because it is actually playing it.

I figured a lot of the trouble was that he wanted the real violin and was tired of the box one.... but there wasn't much else I could do about it. One of the other moms at the group class commented this week about how much more focused Delta was - that he was totally doing what he was supposed to be and not getting distracted by everything.

Tomorrow is the concert - should be interesting. I hope he likes seeing the other kids play, as he really hasn't had the opportunity yet.

Miss A gave us a paper with a Snakes and Ladders game on it for christmas. Each square has something different that he can practice. We will see how he likes it.

This and That

Well, it has still been an interesting experience with lots of ups and downs. Delta has earned his bow (a week ago) - and was so close to earning his violin. Unfortunately, he totally refused to do anything at lesson this week. I was about ready to cry again - the weather here was so bad (a snow-storm the day before) and it was so cold, and I took him to the lesson..... he was happy to be there - then ended up not doing ANYTHING.

Miss A talked to me after he was done - had him look at books in another room because I was clearly at the tears point. He really is at the same basic point as her other students (although some of the kids with different teachers are a bit further) - which really is amazing because of all the challenges he has been giving. She knows he can do everything he has been taught so far (really, he is learning very quick.) She figures it is basically a form of perfectionism and performance anxiety. He doesn't want to do things because he is worried that he will make a mistake. Especially if he thinks that it is important. She has sent me via email some thoughts and ideas.

Yesterdays practice went really well - I kept it low-key and short, trying to keep totally positive - and he co-operated great - did a fantastic bow hold and held it - and put up his boxillin properly and held it. Today's practice he wasn't as keen, so I also kept it short, and just did stuff that he knows really really well and likes to do.

His first concert is in about 2 weeks - he and a few other kids will be doing "Up like a rocket-ship" with the bow I understand. Some of the other beginners (mostly older) will play the open "E" string in the "Manitoba Hot-Dog" rhythem.... which I have heard elsewhere called the "E-string concerto".

It is frustrating - but he is learning. It is so hard not to focus on where I want him to be.

Doing Better

I was sure I had posted one more time than I see here.... hm......

Well, things are going a bit better. Delta has still been refusing a lot of stuff - and we had one lesson with Miss A that all he did was do his bow, sing "A" and refuse to do anything until she convinced him to do a closing bow. The rest of the time was spent on my lesson. (By now, I am now playing Twinkle in all variations/patterns - but with long pauses between notes)

I made up the "Violin Game" - which is cards that we draw out of a hat. I made them with pictures to give visual clues to Delta.  Delta is doing practice a lot better, but is still refusing most of the time to deal with the "Boxilin". But he was refusing to practice ANYTHING before that, so it is still better.

Talked to his group teacher today, she suggested having him say how long he was going to hold the boxilin, and to use a timer. And if necessary, offer something like a chocolate chip for each 5 seconds. The talk was also good - she said that every child will have a "block" like this at some point. Some kids have it when they are starting and young - others might be 6 or 8 or 12, when they come across something they are having problems doing. She said that when they are older when it happens, they are more likely to quit.... while those that have it happen while they are young have learned to work through it. It is a hope I guess!

So anyway, last lesson with miss Anna, he did hold the boxilin for 10 seconds - which is great since he was refusing to even try before. 2 days ago in practice he did it for 32 seconds - a record for him.... but yesterday he refused, and during the group class he refused. So that is frustrating.

He is doing better at getting ready for his bow. He is the only kid in the group class that hasn't earned his bow yet. But he has 2 things he needs to be able to do to earn it.... one Miss A has already checked off. The other, he did 3 times the other day - so if he doesn't refuse to try it with Miss A during his lesson, he should be able to earn it! I'm hoping that that will make a big difference towards him working towards earning the violin.

It amazes me some of the stuff he can do already. I just get so frustrated when he won't work on what he needs to get to where he wants. He wants the violin - he kept going into my room and getting it out (until I put it on top of the bookcase...)

One other item - during group class, everyone played on the open "E" string (or pretended on the boxilin) - so once he has the violin things should start moving again!