I'm 3 months late with this. I've been just buried in my own schoolwork and very busy keeping the kids going with their schoolwork.
So, T4L...it's great! All of the kids did like it and they learned quite a bit without knowing they were really learning. I took a few days and made them 'T4L school days' and the kids were thrilled not to have their regular work.
However, it was hard for me to keep track of what they were learning. I don't have time to go on after them and see what they've done and where they've been. In this way, Always Icecream and Clever Dragons win hands down. I get an email on each kid once a week (I believe you can set the frequency). I peruse it quickly and then toss that email into an email folder and there the info sits if I ever need to get to it. With 4 kids homeschooling, I don't have time to chase around and find out what they have done. Having it automatically delivered is perfect for me.
As I figured, my boys did the best with T4L online format. They are both very computer-minded and learn well in that way. I would consider T4L for them in the future, but not as an every month ongoing subscription. I think my kids need breaks from it in order for it to remain fun and exciting.
Bottom line...while I like it, T4L isn't for us every day. Best use would be for fun, so I don't have to worry about what they have done or what they need my help with. We have regular curricula for that.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Friday, April 26, 2013
A good day
Holy canoli! I haven't posted here in almost 3 months. Better get cracking if I'm going to meet my goal of 52 posts this year!
Thursdays are rough around here. They are very busy days and because I am near stores, I usually also try to fit in some necessary grocery shopping. This wrecks Levi's world just about every week because if it were up to him, he would leave the house much less than we do and only go one place per outing. In my world, I just don't have time for that.
To add to the roughness of leaving the house at all, Thursday is swim and gym day for us. Forty-five minutes of swimming lessons followed by a forty-five minute gym class with other homeschoolers. This has been Levi's first year with the program and it has been a S.T.R.U.G.G.L.E. For a while, the Y gave me free child watch for Esther, so that I could be right with Levi for the entire program and not have to worry about what Esther was doing. We have weaned off of that totally in the swimming area and about halfway in the gym portion. For Levi, this program is not about learning to swim or play games. This is social skills therapy and occupational therapy. This is helping my little boy learn to live in a world where everything doesn't always go your way and where not too many people care about your low tolerance for frustration. These are lessons in stretching our comfort zone, and they are NOT fun.
Today, though...TODAY...while I was watching through the glass into the pool area, I witnessed an amazing thing. My little boy FINALLY was able to put his ears in the water and really swim on his back!! This may not seem amazing to anyone but me, but I can assure you that this is a miracle that has been 28 long weeks in the making. Then, not ten minutes later, I look up and see him putting his face in the water and blowing bubbles! No way... I would be lying if I told you that I remained calm. No, I was that crazy mom out in the viewing area, jumping up and down, demanding that everyone look at my little man and SEE the amazing thing he just did! With tears just rolling down my face, of course. Then he looked over, to see if I was watching, and I gave him our standard sign for 'you're doing great, keep it up!'.
Two thumbs up, Levi, two thumbs way up!!
Then gym came...and that is always a little rougher. There is a new teacher, who only observed last week and was on her own this week. She has a natural, wonderful knack of working with my boy (and all of the kids, really). He did struggle a couple of times (very minor, for him), but she was able to capture his attention and got him back in the games quickly. After gym, she headed straight for me and asked me how she can best help him. She also asked, before I could get to it, if he is on the spectrum. She recognized it in him because she has worked with other kids just like him. Ahhhh...the relief in knowing that the person helping your child really gets it.
Suddenly, life is looking a whole lot brighter...
Thursdays are rough around here. They are very busy days and because I am near stores, I usually also try to fit in some necessary grocery shopping. This wrecks Levi's world just about every week because if it were up to him, he would leave the house much less than we do and only go one place per outing. In my world, I just don't have time for that.
To add to the roughness of leaving the house at all, Thursday is swim and gym day for us. Forty-five minutes of swimming lessons followed by a forty-five minute gym class with other homeschoolers. This has been Levi's first year with the program and it has been a S.T.R.U.G.G.L.E. For a while, the Y gave me free child watch for Esther, so that I could be right with Levi for the entire program and not have to worry about what Esther was doing. We have weaned off of that totally in the swimming area and about halfway in the gym portion. For Levi, this program is not about learning to swim or play games. This is social skills therapy and occupational therapy. This is helping my little boy learn to live in a world where everything doesn't always go your way and where not too many people care about your low tolerance for frustration. These are lessons in stretching our comfort zone, and they are NOT fun.
Today, though...TODAY...while I was watching through the glass into the pool area, I witnessed an amazing thing. My little boy FINALLY was able to put his ears in the water and really swim on his back!! This may not seem amazing to anyone but me, but I can assure you that this is a miracle that has been 28 long weeks in the making. Then, not ten minutes later, I look up and see him putting his face in the water and blowing bubbles! No way... I would be lying if I told you that I remained calm. No, I was that crazy mom out in the viewing area, jumping up and down, demanding that everyone look at my little man and SEE the amazing thing he just did! With tears just rolling down my face, of course. Then he looked over, to see if I was watching, and I gave him our standard sign for 'you're doing great, keep it up!'.
Two thumbs up, Levi, two thumbs way up!!
Then gym came...and that is always a little rougher. There is a new teacher, who only observed last week and was on her own this week. She has a natural, wonderful knack of working with my boy (and all of the kids, really). He did struggle a couple of times (very minor, for him), but she was able to capture his attention and got him back in the games quickly. After gym, she headed straight for me and asked me how she can best help him. She also asked, before I could get to it, if he is on the spectrum. She recognized it in him because she has worked with other kids just like him. Ahhhh...the relief in knowing that the person helping your child really gets it.
Suddenly, life is looking a whole lot brighter...
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