Today I used the flashcards with Jennifer's math assignment. We're still doing number recognition of numbers 10-20. That didn't go over very well last week so it's getting done again this week. At first she did fine counting off each number, but when I selected random numbers, like I normally do with this lesson, she got a little confused. I tried showing her a little trick, like using the number in a "teen" number to help her identify which one it is (like "thra" with "three" and "thirteen" and "four" in "fourteen" and how the one in front of a number makes it a "teen number"), but she didn't catch on to that very well.

I got a little frustrated but reminded myself to STAY PATIENT! I kept my voice calm and avoided saying "no" when she guessed. Instead, I said, "Well, do you think that's correct?" or "Let's look at this number again." I get a feeling saying "no" has a negative affect when talking with people (that's just me and my penchant for constructive word choice in my communicating with others seeping in there!), and I tried to spend time on each number so she could think about it.

I didn't let that lesson drag on for too long. She got visibly frustrated. So I said we would work on the flashcards more later and that she did very well on today's math lesson.

She did, however, do excellent work on her English lesson. She got an "A" on all of her worksheets. I was impressed. She DOES have a tendency to write out all uppercase letters instead of lowercase, but at least she's getting her words right and no trouble with writing the letters. Apparently, she's taken after me: Strong in English, poor in Math. *sigh*

All the same, I'm keeping another reminder at hand: She's learning at her own pace. And I really have no problem with that at all -- especially when guilt tries to get the better of me.

This is a "recap" post. I was unable to get online for Monday evening and all day Tuesday, which is why I couldn't update this blog this week.

On Monday: My back went out on me. :( I was in too much pain to do my daughter's lessons. The pain did not subside until late that evening.

Tuesday's lessons went well. For science, we talked about how animals were different and I used flash cards and picture books to illustrate hooves/claws/paws/feet, tails, living environments and types of food. Later that day, she told her dad how she learned that some animals, like the dog, are tame, and some, like a lion, are wild. For reading, I read her the book The Cat in the Hat. When she was a baby, it was her favorite book. She asked me to read it so many times. It's still her favorite; I read it to her twice that day.

Wednesday: My daughter normally gets a week-long English packet to do a little work in each day. She completed the whole thing that day, however, I really think I scheduled the lessons at the wrong time of day (late afternoon) and she ended up pushing herself on that packet because she became really grouchy and irritable. She turned into a very unpleasant student, tearing up papers, writing on the table and ignoring her teacher (me). She got her first letter home and she burst into tears when her dad asked her why she did this and why she did that. I felt horrible. :( But I realized I can't let her push herself even if she thinks she can do it because she'll end up feeling overwhelmed. I also think timing is EVERYTHING with these lessons. Earlier in the day might be a better time to do them; she won't be so tired and harried from the long day's activities.

I picked up on this the next day. She was very moody and cranky on Thursday, so we skipped her lessons again this week. I think the breaks are good for her.

Today is "grab bag" day. We are going to go to the store to work on her math skills. No adding and subtracting at this point; just number recognition.

Today was "grab bag day," meaning we didn't follow a structured lesson plan like always. We DID explore learning English, math, science and Reading, but it was done through "out of the norm" tasks.

Since this was "A" week, I was going to take Jennifer to the aquarium. But the last window of time we had to get there (it's a 2 1/2 hour drive), I looked out my window and saw a storm going on outside. I thought, 'I'm not driving in that weather!' So, later, after the rains stopped, we went to a pet store instead to see some animals.

We had fun at the pet store. We saw rats, mice, some fish, birds, dogs, cats, snakes, lizards, guinea pigs and turtles. Jen liked checking out the turtles and the snake that kept slithering up its tank kept scaring her.

We also saw an interesting animal today; a Russian legless lizard. I had never known there WAS such a thing as a legless lizard! We both thought it was really neat.

We also talked about animals that start with the letter "A" and Jennifer also did this big "beach art" project. I had printed out and cut out pictures of things on a beach -- seashells, a crab, starfish, sand dollars, a sand castle and a seagull -- and glued them to cardboard paper. (Jen liked looking at pictures of starfish online. There were some BIG ones!!) Then we drew a BIG picture of the beach and she arranged how she wanted everything to appear. Those got taped down then colored. She's really proud of it and wanted it up on the wall. I have to get tacks for that; tape won't hold that big picture UP! LOL

But, it was a fun day. And that's what the "grab bag days" are all about: Having fun with learning.

This is "A Week" and I've got plenty of "A" words to associate with this week. Anxiety. Assurance. Accomplishment. Anticipation. Advocacy.

And adaptable.

I never realized just how UNprepared I was for this homeschooling business. I learned today just HOW important it is to figure out ways to meet my daughter's educational needs. I thought it was enough to figure out what subjects to teach and for how long, and that her lessons would be every day of the week (contrary to normal preschool hours, which are actually less continuous for some pupils). But, alas, it would happen that I just don't have enough supplies needed for her math, English, science and art lessons. I have made use of the Internet -- downloading worksheets and picking up on lessons here and there to incorporate -- but I just don't have the supplies and extra materials for her homeschooling needs.

To improvise, I've had to get creative. For her socializing needs, for example, I take her to PlayLand, where she plays with other children for at least an hour almost every day of the week. That is also where she can do arts and crafts, so if I don't have anything for an art project for her to do (like I did today), then PlayLand meets this need, as well. I also had to create the flashcards for her math lesson today, as well as use the English worksheets I made which she has been working on all week. Additionally, I bought cheap 99-cent stickers for her beach art projects, as well as changing supplies for projects if I can't find/afford something.

I've also restructured lessons on the 'Net, changing them to accommodate my daughter's educational level. For example, if a preschool science lesson involves naming the parts of a plant, I'll break that down for her in a way that she can not only easily grasp the words but also remember them by writing it down or drawing it.

Where I can't do a lesson with her because I don't have the materials or know how to get somewhere or can't afford a trip to an aquarium (we've been studying the beach and marine life themes all week), then I'll print stuff off of Web sites and throw it together as an improvised project. The same theme is still being taught, but until I get organized better and get more materials, I can't teach them the same way everybody else does.

Even if I wasn't homeschooling my daughter, I've realized there are moments in everyday life that can be teaching opportunities. Normally, I pick up on this if she's watching one of her educational TV shows, but I have also picked up on other teaching moments, as well -- outside of her normal schooling hours.

This morning we had pancakes for breakfast. She helped me to make them. I asked her "we need 2 cups of mix; can you find 2 cups on this measuring cup?" And I also let her pour, stir and flip. She had trouble with the flipping at first but then she got the hang of it.

Next, during Storytime and I was reading her the Disney version of The Prince and the Pauper, I paused at the part where Pluto knew that Mickey wasn't really Mickey because of his scent.

"Does Pluto look happy in the picture?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"Does Goofy look happy?" I asked next, pointing.

She nodded.

"Why do you think that Pluto isn't happy?"

She thought for a minute than shrugged.

"Because he knows that's not Mickey," I answered, then I read that part of the story again.

"See, baby? Pluto could smell him, and he knew that wasn't Mickey because he doesn't smell like Mickey."

"Oh," she said, smiling.

Then I talked with her about how dogs have a very strong sense of smell and that everybody has their own kind of smell. After a dog gets used to someone's smell, he won't bark at them anymore.

"That's why Chewie doesn't bark at your friend anymore, when she comes over," I concluded. "He's used to her smell."

So we continued the story and the rest of her lessons for the day.

I kept an eye out for other little moments to teach her something new. Whether or not it's for schooling, it's always a good parenting habit to enforce.

Since Jennifer has her science lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I'd have to figure out just how I'd teach someone so young a science lesson.

A search on the 'Net helped me understand it doesn't have to be anything all that difficult. In fact, teaching preschool science could be done easily from home. I explored many sites and lesson plans until I finally decided on one that explored shadows.

And once we got started, I caught on to how easy it could be done, and how it could be a learning experience all wrapped in to one. (Now, see, it's that "natural teacher" kicking in.)

We went outside and I was grateful it was a sunny day. We stood in the backyard examining our shadows. I asked Jennifer, "What makes a shadow?"

She smiled and, pointing up, she said, "The sun!"

"That's right. When the sun is shining on you, it will make a shadow appear. Do you know what else can make a shadow?"

She shook her head.

"Light," I answered. "When light is shining on you like the sun, you'll see your shadow on the floor or the wall."

I then asked her to notice where her shadow was (in front of her) and I asked her, "How come your shadow is right here and not over there?" I pointed to her side.

She thought a minute, looked in the sky, then said, "Because the sun is right there."

Wow. Smart kid. "Very good," I replied. "If the sun is in back of you, your shadow will be in front of you. If the sun is in front of you, your shadow will be behind you." I then demonstrated, asking her to turn around. She did and I told her to look behind her to see her shadow. (Had to make sure she didn't turn around completely to do it.)

I also asked her to touch her shadow and I asked, "Did your shadow do anything different when you moved?"

"It moved, too," she said.

"That's right," I said. "If you move, your shadow moves." Then I demonstrated again, asking her to watch her shadow while she moved her arms up and done, wiggled them in the air and walked side-to-side.

Next I asked her to jump over my shadow and asked why her shadow moved and mine didn't. I told her it's because I stood still while she moved, so my shadow stood still, too.

Then I had her stand under an umbrella at the patio table and i asked, "Can you see your shadow now?"

She looked down then shook her head.

"That's because the umbrella's shadow is covering it up," I said. I pointed at both the sun and umbrella. "The sun shines on the umbrella to make the umbrella's shadow. But when you stand under the umbrella, it's bigger than you are, so you can't see your shadow."

Next I asked her to stand under a tree. "Do you see your shadow?" I asked.

She looked down then shook her head.

"Do you know why?"

She pointed. "Because the sun can't get through."

"Very good," I smiled. "Buut..." And I held my hand against the house, where it was still under the tree but my shadow was visible. "Look. Can you see the shadow of my hand?"

She smiled, nodding.

"And why can you see it?"

"Because the sun got through the leaves," she answered, pointing.

"Excellent. The sun is peeking through those leaves, so you can make a shadow right here. You try."

Then she put her hand in the same spot, making her shadow appear. I asked her to move it to the left a little, where there was no sun. "How come you can't see your shadow now?" I asked.

She shook her head, looking at me. "There's no sun."

"Very good."

Next I put water into two glasses, one clear and one dark. I set them out separately in the sun. First the transparent one. "Can you see the water in the shadow?" I asked.

Smiling, she nodded.

"And why can you see it?"

"Because it's light," she answered.

"That's rigght. Now watch this." I put the dark cup of water down. As predicted, you couldn't notice any liquid inside. "Can you see the water's shadow with this one?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"And why not?"

"Because it's dark."

I started feeling giddy inside. "Very good, Jennifer. You're a smart scientist!"

The next thing we did was talk about how some shadows look like something when they are really something else. I held my hand up against the house. "What's that a shadow of?" I asked.

"Your hand," she replied, pointing.

Then I folded my hands in such a way. "That looks like a rooster, doesn't it?" I asked.

Smiling, she nodded.

"But it's not really a rooster, is it?"

She shook her head and pointed. "It's your hands."

"That's right. It's my hands." Next I held up a book. "What does this look like to you?"

"A book."

"Can you tell it's a book in the shadow?"

She studied both then shook her head.

"What does the shadow look like?"

"A square."

"That's right. It looks like a square. You can't see the pages like you can on the book, right?"

We did the same thing with a candle.

Finally, I talked to her about how shadows are like an "outline" of things. Like somebody drew around something and colored it all black.

"Can you see your hair in your shadow?" I asked.

Looking down at her shadow, she nodded.

"Can you see what color is your hair?"

Maybe if she had black hair, she'd guess it right. But her hair is brown so she didn't see that.

Next I asked her if she saw her shorts in her shadow. She nodded.

"Can you see what color your shorts are in your shadow?"

She looked down at her yellow shorts then at the shorts she saw in her shadow then shook her head.

"Shadows don't have color. They're just an outline of everything."

Today's lessons lasted longer -- and they were a lot of fun, too. In fact, she liked the water trick so much, she wanted to see it again and again. I'm glad I was able to make her science lesson fun -- for both of us.

I never thought I'd take on homeschooling. I'd decided long ago that I wouldn't do it. I worried too much about my daughter's social skills, despite many homeschooling parents sharing how they met that challenge. I figured I could do it, too, but I didn't think I could do it enough.

But, because of my finances, I had to take on homeschooling my daughter. She won't be 5 until next month, so she can't enter (free) kindergarten. I can't afford the preschools, so I'm homeschooling her.

The first thing I had to do was get past my anxiety over being able to do this. I don't have a college degree. I don't have any special training. But since my daughter's preschooling was either this or nothing, I'd HAVE to do it. Fear or no fear.

The next thing I had to do was educate myself on how to go about doing this. I scoured the Internet, checking Web sites and downloading worksheets specifically for preschoolers. I came up with a "curriculum" and decided not to spend more than 4 hours a day homeschooling my child.

Bonus: It could be ANY PART of the day. My daughter and I are not morning people (we're both night owls LOL), so we could start school at 10 a.m., if we wanted to.

Today, though, on her first day, we started at 5 p.m. I worried about this, but that worry disappeared after only 30 minutes passed of schooling.

Wait a minute. Just THIRTY MINUTES??

Yup.

And we did all the subjects, too. English, reading, math, art and "chorus." (I'm going to include science on Tuesdays and Thursdays.) She'd already had "P.E." with me earlier when we played ball, AND she played with her friend for several hours, as well. So I thought that was enough.

I didn't stretch out each subject. With English, for example, we're working on one letter a week, and today's lesson had her tracing a capital "a" and lowercase "a." (When I asked her to write a little "a" on a sheet of paper, she smiled then wrote a tiny capital "a." The goof.) She had trouble drawing the little "a" by herself, without the worksheets, but with gentle coaxing and practicing, even asking "do you want to see how I draw the little a?" then showing her exactly how to draw it, she finally managed to draw it herself. Throughout the lesson, I had to mentally repeat a mantra from one homeschooling article I'd read online: "Be patient!"

When I felt she had completed that lesson to satisfaction, learning and practicing, we moved on to art then math. During the math lesson, I asked her to verbally count to ten. Now, I may be deaf, but I happened to notice when she missed "six" during her counting. From there, we had chorus and "story time." We talked about how "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" was different in the song and book, and when I asked her how she would make the story different, she said she would put in a princess and an orange fire-breathing dragon. (I wondered how the star fit in with all of this.) We talked about how other songs were different from the way they were told in storybooks, and I asked her which she liked better.

The thing is, she doesn't call me "mom" when I'm schooling her. She calls me "teacher." That definitely makes me smile. In a way, all parents are teachers to their children, but actually being called "teacher" when acting in this capacity really touched me in a way I hadn't expected. It made me feel that maybe I'd be able to find it within me to do this job pretty well after all.