We all know how frustrating it can be when our children just do not seem to understand a concept even though you have tried to explain it in a hundred different ways. Or the pain of watching them try to form letters that you both know don’t look right.
These are just some of the things we are dealing with, but before he would just give up and withdraw into himself - but now he wants to try. This is what I call fantastic progress and something he would not have had time to do if he was still at school.
It's the end of 2018 and we are looking forward to 2019 and to more improvement.
Our week was busy. Tiny created a great timetable for this week and for once we managed to complete everything on it. Even though we did have to use some time on Saturday.
We are winding down our work now until the New Year. Looking back since February I cannot believe how far he has come. Yes, we still have a long way to go, but there has been improvement in all areas.
In the New Year I am going to put our maths plans on the blog weekly so that if anyone wants to follow what we are doing they will be more than welcome to.
I will be working the plans around Year Two level - (even though Tiny would be in Year 4).
I still need to build up his confidence in maths.
At the beginning of the year, when we first took him out of school he was working and Reception level. So the fact that we are aiming for Year two just shows how far he has come.
Our week this week
Numeracy:
In numeracy we are still concentrating on place value, but we are beginning to look at multiplying and dividing. We are still doing that in a very concrete way by using objects, cubes, number lines, numicon and beads.
Tiny needs to use objects. He needs to see what happens to the numbers as he moves them around. This is helping him begin to see the numbers in his head.
Mathseeds is helping a lot. He uses it for 30 mins at the start of the morning before we do any maths in his book. This takes the edge off and calms him down ready to start.
Literacy:
In Literacy work is taking a bit longer. Tiny is still very reluctant to write, and he is still really finding it difficult to write the letter a and the letter d.
I have started him with continuous cursive. This seems to be helping because he knows he has to start on the line each time. We will carry this on in the New Year and look more on how to structure text.
He is really enjoying the 'I can' statements. We put them in the front of his exercise books and he refers to them each time he does some writing. He has already gained some stickers for spaces between his words and forming most of his letter correctly.
If you would like a copy of the 'I can' statements you can find them under the resources tab. Or click here
Animation:
This is going really well. He has started to look at the youtube animations (that he loves to watch) in a different way. He looks at the backgrounds, and how the characters are moved.
We started adding voice overs to his animations and that really brought them to life for him.
Something I want to start with him in the New Year in making video blogs. He can then add them to his website. He is getting to understand how to add text and images to his website more and more now. He has added lots of youtube videos of songs and cartoons.
By working on his own website he is developing an understanding of how the internet works as well as developing a lot of computer skills.
Arts and Crafts:
We made our Advent calendar which turned out really well. We used envelopes cut down to make them smaller and put a small chocolate coin in each one. His fine motor skill are developing and he is gaining more confidence with designing what he wants to do.
Making and doing is something he loves, but it is another thing he finds very difficult - but there has been so much improvement in the last 10 months.
Our arts and crafts are now based on Christmas.
We will soon be making presents for the family. He is really looking forward to that.
He is doing so well with his drawings. He copies line by line instruction on YouTube videos on how to draw. He is so happy with himself. He draws in pencil and then I help him go over the lines in felt tip afterwards.
All in all this has been a fantastic year. Looking back, it was the best thing we did when we removed him from school to home educate him.
I always knew the progress was going to be slow and it has been in some areas. But in other areas he has done far more than I expected.
I am looking forward to the New Year and seeing how much we will achieve then.
Our first topic will be Pirates. Why don't you join us.