I haven’t posted anything for awhile! We’ve been doing a lot of hands-on activities and little field trips here and there, so I haven’t been on the computer too much. It was really nice, because Tim hadn’t been on T4L for about two weeks, and we hadn’t really done a lot of ’school’ work, which includes reading. He went on today, and one of the sections he did on language arts was where he had to read a story. I wasn’t sure if he’d be able to, usually is memory doesn’t hold anything unless we hammer it EVERY day. But he was able to read along and only needed a little help! It feels so good to see his accomplishments, the little ways in which he’s progressed, and see him really enjoy learning!

I honestly could not ever see sending him to school, and missing out on all of this! I’m very selfish in that area, I want to watch every step of his development and have a part in his reaching his milestones. It would really be depressing for me for him to bring something home that he did, and know that someone else taught him to do it and not me! The day will come soon enough where he will go out into the world and I won’t be as big a part of his life, but I’m not going to allow that to come any sooner by sending him to school now. Somedays, it is VERY tempting, but when I wake up the next morning I’m ready to do it all over again.

I just realized today that it’s been quite awhile since any of the activities have frozen up on us, warranting going back through them. Has anyone else noticed this? I’m wondering if whatever was causing it, has been fixed.  Oh! I came up with an idea for using the social studies that is too advanced for Tim! I couldn’t stand the idea of just using T4L for the language arts and math, it seemed like such a waste of what is offered. So, I go on the social studies, read it myself, and make a lesson on it breaking it down where he can understand it. Then, it gives me a point of reference to look up other sites that gears it down a little more to his level.

What do you all do when a child has gone beyond what T4L has for their level? Tim is almost done with 2nd grade science, and he finished 2nd grade social studies a few months ago. Third grade social studies was just out of league, it wasn’t interactive enough to hold his attention, and I’m pretty sure science would probably be the same way. The LA extensions aren’t really helpful, either. They need a science extensions!
The LA extensions is good for the first section of it, but after that it loses his attention too much. We use other sites as well, so I’m not worried about his not getting the material he needs, but after today he’s only going to be on T4L for language arts and math. Now, Josh is just getting started with T4L, so I’ll still be using it for him. But, only the math and language arts, again, because the science is too hard for a preschooler.

What do you like most?

ds13: It’s fun, not boring, usually funny.

my “extra” student a boy, age 12: math

ds10: doesn’t get boring

dd9: It’s on the computer, it’s easy

dd7: not so hard

What do you like least?

ds13: I don’t hate anything about it.

12yo boy: Peddy Parrot

ds10: When it freezes during a lesson and you have to restart the lesson over.

dd9: some lessons are boring, like science and Social studies

dd7: math

Favorite character:

ds13: Mr. Nesterton

12yob: Jack Riley

ds10: Jack Riley, Vern

dd9: Bongo

dd7: the puppets

Favorite T4L subject: 

ds13: LA

12yob: Science

ds10: LA

dd9: math

dd7: LA

We go year round in the truest sense. We go from the first week of August until the second week of July, with a week off for Christmas, one for Easter, and a day off for holidays and birthdays that are important to us. Tim just cannot handle not having his routine, so I’m not even sure if I’m going to stop completely for those two weeks between the end of kindergarten and the beginning of 1st grade.

We finished our 3rd quarter yesterday, which is why I forgot to post on here, it was busy making sure I had paperwork in order. I printed his report card (he just gets S, S-, S+ grades) and printed out his attendance, and looked over what we are doing for the 4th quarter. We only have two more weeks of new material, and the rest is all review from the whole year, which means a really relaxed, easy last quarter. I’ll use T4L and a few other sites for the reviewing, and the rest will be worksheets and verbal review. He loves webcams, so we’ll use those again to review animals.

Our state requires 180 days for school. Right now he’s completed 151, so he only needs 29 more to go, but I have 71 scheduled. I like going over, so we can take a day off here and there as we want to and not have to worry about it. This was my test run to make sure I had everything figured out so next year, when he’s officially a homeschooled student (he’ll be six, compulsory age, in July) I’ll know exactly what I’m doing for record keeping, making sure we are covering the required attendance,etc. It’s been great, my system works, so I’m sticking to it! I’ll spend those two weeks between grades writing my curriculum for 1st grade, leaving off where we are now since he’s ahead anyway. This way I can double check curriculum standards and make sure he doesn’t have any gaps, and then just keep going.

I was very frustrated when I first started t4l. As you may recall, my plan to do Sonlight for all of my children, plus the neighbor quickly soured.

So I was really seeking (immediate!)support and relief when I signed up for t4l. Thank GOODNESS someone on the forums mentioned that it takes about 2 weeks to feel comfortable.

I wanted to just give up and quit so many times while I was adjusting educational levels, figuring out how to exit the lesson correctly so that the lesson gets marked completed,etc.

I am so glad I stayed. Even though, I am still pretty far from “stress free”, using t4l is a huge improvement. Even if a lesson is hard one day, it does get easier.And because of the excellent explanations, I have learned to be a better teacher when I supplement t4l w/ something else.

As I go along, I realize that every lesson doesn’t have to be completed, that every question doesn’t have to have the “perfect” answer typed out.