Today we're taking Mighty Joe to Lucille Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford to see a pediatric ophthalmologist. His neurologist has been concerned about his eyesight since his first post-ICU neurology appointment, but his words didn't sink in until I saw them in writing in Joe's report:
"I am surprised he has any vision at all. I fully anticipate vision impairment."
That's hard for a mommy to read.
God is still God, no? He has big plans for Mighty Joe, whether or not his eyes see what ours see. God's already made a way for us to see an excellent pediatric eye doctor as the result of a long-time friendship with a friend who is an ophthalmologist himself.
Please pray for us, Mighty Joe, and his physician if you think of it today. Thanks.
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Sometimes getting in the play yard to keep the baby happy is the only way I can read aloud to every one else in peace.
Anything that gets me organized, motivated, and allows me to keep school running (nearly) on its own is a winner of an idea.
Sue Patrick's workbox system sounded like a good fit for our family, except I wasn't sure how in the world I would get so many boxes in our schoolroom (plus, my frugal side didn't like shelling out so many clams to invest in them, either).
After reading through several great blogs which described how workboxes were being used in other people's homes, I landed on the idea of making work files for two of our children- the 3rd grader and the k/1st grader. While I am planted in the school room in the afternoons, available to any one who needs my help, these two girls can be working through their files systematically.
Here's what we did:
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I numbered 4 sets of file folders, 1 through 12. Each set holds the work to be done for each day, and I figured I'd just organize them for four days and keep Fridays for any make-up we need to do. There are 12 folders for each day because that number gives me a lot of options.
Each folder contains a designated activity or paper to complete. Here in folder number one we have Rod and Staff First Grade Reading Workbook papers, one per day.
Here's the fun part. I photocopied the boxes of several of her favorite games and then laminated them. Instead of having to put the whole game in the file or box, I just drop the card in and she goes and gets the game.
Works for outside activities, too...
...and chores...
...and snacks!
So, what goes into each folder? For our first grader:
1. Rod and Staff Worksheets 2. Rod and Staff Reading Workbook 3. game 4. penmanship 5. art or Literature Pockets 6. math 7. outside activity 8. snack 9. puzzle 10. fold laundry 11. dry erase board 12. tidy schoolroom
And for the third grader:
1. Math 2. Art 3. Pathway Readers 4. Visual Perceptual Skill Building 5. Cursive 6. outside activity 7. snack 8. Writing Tales 9.Craft 10. Copywork 11. Fold Laundry 12. tidy schoolroom
The board in our kitchen sports a new message every few weeks or so. Sometimes it's a verse we're working on, sometimes it's a reminder to be kind, other times it's a thought we wish to permeate our lives.
This summer we've been camped on one main motto:
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We talked about planning everything for the school year all at once here. It's a HUGE undertaking, but one that frees you up for the whole rest of the school year. No more Sunday night planning marathons! That's worth it, isn't it?
Dana emailed to ask me some questions as she was working steadily on her mega-planning this summer. I thought I'd share our dialogue since I know some of you have the same questions.
♥
Question: After I make the binders with ALL of the photocopies, and I make spread sheets for the subjects I do with them (like history) what do you use to communicate with the kids what you want them to accomplish each day in their individual pursuits? Checklist or spread sheet? I assume you load that into the binder also.
Answer: A little of each. I have spreadsheets that I put into page protectors and that go into binders for the older guys. They keep them where ever it is boys keep those things. I have a checklist for the others. But truth be told, this summer everyone got a checklist that I have been updating weekly. It's a "quickie" checklist, made with capital "o's" to bubble in and printed out on Sunday nights:
Jack- Checklist for the week of August 2nd
Breakfast prep -- -- O -- O
Devotions O O O O O
Circle Time O O O O O
Chores O O O O O
Greek O O O O O
Lunch Prep -- O -- -- --
Omnibus Reading O O O O O
Red Herrings O O O O O
Piano O O O O O
Fold Laundry O O O O O
Weed Trampoline O O O O O
Clean Timmy's Cage O -- -- -- --
Evening Chores & Zone O O O O O
Garden O O O O O
The bubbles, by the way, represent each day of the work week- Monday through Saturday. Just couldn't get them to line up here on the blog :)
Question: Do you ever take apart a book and put it in the binder simply to have it all in one place (to lessen the chance of it being misplaced or lost)? Am I going overboard?
Answer: Yes, I do. Definitely. And the year I did Story of the World III I interspersed the text pages with the student activity pages and maps, etc., just so I could see what was on tap for each week. In other words, I took the binding off the book, punched holes in it, then organized it by weekly tabs. Then I did the same with the student pages and maps, filing them in the correct week as well.
Dana and two other friends got together to plan over the course of a weekend away. You can see what fun they had at Rebecca's blog, Leading Little Hearts Home.
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We named our third daughter an unusual name, much beloved from a family friend. That sweet friend recently sent me a book that has been wonderful food for thought. The book is Praying the Scriptures for Your Children, and was written by Jodie Berndt.
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