Mind Retrofit

We just started our new home school schedule this week. I have had some good days and bad days but over all there have been some really incredible things happening. I am trying not to ruin those moments with my freaky issues about getting everything on my list accomplished and sticking to exact times. I so wish my brain would calm down on those things and allow me to just enjoy the time I am having with my kids.

I have had meltdowns this week just as much as the kids.

A schedule is very hard for me to create on my own but I know that I desperately need one for my sake and the kids sake. It just causes me so much stress and anxiety to think of a schedule but when I do make one then I get all anxious if I don’t follow it or if the kids cause me not to follow it. It totally ruins my day, my mood and my train of thought. I have to fight to get back into it. I will just keep pressing on because I know it is the best for everyone.

I will focus on the positive. (try)

This week I have found out how much my kids do already know it has been great. Ariel and Joshua are really into it until about the afternoon then they are ready to stop. Daniel traced shapes, letters, and colored inside the lines for me in a picture. HUGE!! I haven’t been able to get him to touch any kid of writing instrument for months and here in this week he has made amazing progress. All of them have done amazing with their writing skills and reading comprehension.

I am looking forward to this year.

We like to have a lot of variety in our curriculum so we chose SonLight which incorporates a large diversity of reading material. They are also a great guide, not to be used as the only thing for your homeschooling. They encourage parents to be involved and be creative. I really like the fact that their goal is to help equip the children to be learners not indoctrinate them  with theology. I want my children to learn to think for themselves and love diversity.

I love the article they wrote entitled “27 Reasons Not To Buy from Sonlight” http://www.sonlight.com/not-to-buy.html

We are using many other supplements along with Sonlight curriculum for math, art, and music. There are many free things out there and many things not so free. We haven’t coined one particular thing. We are trying different things to see what kind of learner each of our children are.

Here are some books that have been great helps.

http://www.amazon.com/Homeschooling-Child-Asperger-Syndrome-Pyles/dp/1843107619

http://www.amazon.com/Autism-Life-Skills-Communication-AbilitiesEvery/dp/B001UE7DF0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252087419&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Literacy-Centers-Photographs-Step-Step/dp/0545007984/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252087475&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Organized-Teacher-Hands-Terrific-Classroom/dp/0071457070/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252087519&sr=1-3

http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Effective-Classroom-Routines-Deborah/dp/0439513804/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252087519&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Other-Doing-While-Teach-Groups/dp/1574712934/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252087676&sr=1-1

http://www.kumonbooks.com/home/index.aspx

Here is a link about the Kumon method. http://www.kumon.com/about/default.asp?language=USA

We do not go to a center but we do use the workbooks and think they are great.

We use Learning Games manuals The ABECEDARIAN Curriculum. They do better at explaining then myself, here is their link. http://www.mindnurture.com/

There are excellent workbooks that I find at Target all the time for a $1.00 or $2.00. The kids love to work on them in their free time they call it coloring. They do color too.

Well that is a pretty hardy list but mix and matching helps me and them not get bored.