Yeah here is another post about schooling for Max, but I promise it will go into other stuff too. It is just that I am learning so much by doing this, that I thought I would share!
The spelling program we choose for Max is very different. It teaches the rules of spelling in English. Rules? I never heard of them other then “I before E except after C.” It turns out that there are rules to english spelling! Here is a list of the rules if you ever wanted to see them. This program also is tactile, and multi sensory. I needed to get a magnetic whiteboard just for this one subject. I will go over it more when we get it (still waiting on a shipping notice) but it seems just what Max needs. Here is a short video on it:
Okay now I want to go on to the math program. Shiller Math is very different then any other math that I can find. And that difference I think is a good thing. It also multi sensory, and incorporates songs and movement into the lessons. It doesn’t have normal tests it has assessments that tell me (the educator) where to go and how to fix issues that I am having. So the child masters things before moving on. However Max will be working on several areas at one time, so he isn’t stuck with several weeks of cramming stuff into his head, that will quickly fall out once I deem him mastered of whatever it is that I am teaching. Max will be starting out with book one with this program, but it isn’t like that is first grade. It is more or less, the first chunk of information that he will be making sure he knows. I have downloaded the assessment for book one (it is 25 pages long!) and looked at the parts of it. While I think some are going to be VERY easy for him, others I know he will struggle with, and still others I barely remember from my school days! Here is a review of Shiller Math, and here is the website for the program. I haven’t ordered this one yet (will be doing so in the next month) but I am sure I will be talking about it more when I get it.
Moving on I have some art for you!
The boys watching the Sprint Cup race.
The boys playing with the small kitchen I got for Nathaniel today. (This is going into his homeschool play box.)
I thought it was funny seeing how Fenway walked in the snow. If you look you can see his little foot prints in the snow and they are anything but straight lines. There is also Tony’s big foot prints too.
And video:
Max throwing a ball in the air and catching it!
Other Max lessons from Saturday:
(They are teaching Max to catch a ground ball using an alligator technique.)
Tomorrow is swimming! I am hoping Nathaniel wakes up soon so we can go for a walk. It is nearly 50 degrees out there!