Teaching Reading

Teaching Reading...where do I begin?

Many years ago I taught a class of Kindergartners and first graders.  Knowing what I know now, I feel sorry for each of those children.  I was not a great teacher.  I hate paperwork, and I am not naturally a very creative or imaginative person...which should be pre-requisites for working with that age group.  Nevertheless, I like to think that what I lacked in technique, I made up for with love and effort.

Why do I mention this?  I mention it because the school  I taught at used ABEKA for their reading curricula.  I LOVE ABEKA; but it was not what I used for my firstborn. 

Some time after my very brief teaching career,  we moved to Arkansas.  When we first arrived, Aaliyah was only about 11 months old.  Our reading program at that point was my reading to her daily.  We spent hours at our local library and we received free books monthly through Dolly Partons Imagination Library program. 
When we were ready for "real" school, I began to seek out options for our curriculum. I made it a matter of prayer because, of course, funding for the education of our 4 and 2 year old was not in the budget. While cleaning out the church nursery I found a set of Hooked on Phonics books.  Later, I went to our local library and found that what I lacked, they had available for me to check out.  Voila!  Our reading program officially began with Hooked on Phonics and some alphabet flashcards from the dollar store. 

When it was time for me to teach Cassidy how to read I had acquired some teaching materials as well as talked to some of my homeschooling friends.  Teach your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons was the hot topic at the time.  I LOVE Goodwill and resale shops.  I found a copy of 100 Easy Lessons at one of them for $1.00, so I decided to give it a try.

It seemed to be working well.  Cassidy was excited to learn to read and I noticed that Little Man (AKA Bubba, or Raymond DeSean) became curious as we read.  I began to make sure he was near us while we worked on Cassidy's reading. 

Time passed. I officially started Bubba on 100 Easy Lessons at 3 years old, but soon 100 easy lessons wasn't  so easy...somewhere around lesson 60 it became a chore.  By this time Aaliyah was using ABEKA and I had been introduced to Ebay.  I ordered all the Abeka readers from K-5 to 5th grade for about $100 (some new and some gently used) and we switched everyone over to Abeka.

I have incorporated a few tips and tricks for (hopefully) helping my children become great readers. I try to combine the things we learned from all three of the methods above, and to incorporate a few things I've noticed that work well for us. Are you curious to know what those things are?

Here we go!

1.  We learn letter recognition and word recognition simultaneously...with an emphasis on the vowels.

                a.)  I teach the 5 vowels first, then move on to letters which are     
                       common in three letter words.  (***Details below)

                b.) Once they master their vowels, we begin to make words...even if
                      they don't know EVERY letter/sound.

                c.) We sing our words instead of saying them.  This helps them to
                      hear the word more easily instead of hearing "broken" words. I
                      sometimes use refrigerator magnet alphabet or alphabet puzzle

I created this to be used with the chips
just like the consonant map
pictured above and below.

                      pieces to spell words. Bubba likes to drive his toy car under the "road words" and sing 
                      the sounds as he drives.
               

               ***A

This is Mr. A.  Say, Hello to Mr. A! Mr. A likes to say (short a sound). Mr. A likes to say (short a sound). What does Mr. A say? 
Say his favorite sound quietly.
Now say it loud!
 Sometimes Mr. A wears a hat. 
Sometimes he wears a smile. (Vowel marking symbols )
 What's his name?  (Long a sound)
What does he say? (Short a sound)

We are doing this right now with Rayanna. She is only 2; but she is holding books right side up consistently and running her finger under words as she "reads".


I continue by teaching them that every letter has a name and a sound, but vowels are special. Only the vowels get to say their own names in words.  When two vowels are present I need to hear the name of the first vowel as you say the word.

Teaching Long and Short vowel words

My "n" book at the library
We focus on a problem sound
each week with
these books at the library.

Notice this word has how many vowels?  That's right it has 2 vowels.  What are they?  Look at the first vowel.  He is wearing a hat.  That gives us a clue.  He is going to get to say his name in this work.  Look at the second vowel.  The second vowel is sad.  Why?  He doesn't get to talk this time. He has to wait for a word where he is first in line in order to speak.
If the child does not acknowledge the 2 vowel rule, I ask them to count the vowels and remind them of the rule. I sometimes sit up extra straight and salute as a hint to give respect to the  "Mr." (long sound) Vowel.

Below you will see pics of us using some of our reading tools.
1.  Consonant mat
2.  Vowel mat
3.  Special sound mat (common blends, digraphs and diphthongs)
4.  Red, white and blue discs
5.  Alphabet manipulatives (abc magnets or puzzle pieces)
6.  ABEKA  books

Our read alouds in the morning. We just finished Prince Warriors and are beginning Charlotte's Web.
Aaliyah has chosen to continue the Prince Warrior Series.

7.  Bob books
8.  My "alphabet" books at the library (pictured above)

Covering the sounds he knows.

printed from this website

Book for the month of September

Added just because she's cute!

Coming Soon...Addressing reading issues/problems. b vs. d and mirror imaging.

Until next time,

Why Homeschool?

The Basics
Not pictured is her penmanship

Recently I posted here about what we do for school each day at home.  Once again, I feel I have put the cart before the horse.  Today I would like to share with you why we chose to homeschool our children.  First, and foremost, let me insert this disclaimer...I know that EVERY parent cannot homeschool their child(ren).  There are a number of reasons why a parent or parents would choose not to homeschool.  I feel that my having the option to homeschool is a blessing and a privilege.

Even as I write this, I know that some of you are thinking that teaching your own children would be akin to taking a trip to a certain HOT place everyday. As much as I LOVE teaching; there are days when I lack patience, or they lack the will to work.  On such days I try to have a stress ball (usually in the form of play dough 😉) handy to manipulate in order to keep me calm; or we put off for tomorrow what will cause a problem for the rest of their lives.  Meaning, it is more important that Mommy does not get frustrated and project that emotion onto my children. It is imperative that they don't associate my negative feelings in the moment with the act of learning and be mentally crippled forever.

So...

Why do I homeschool when education in America is free?

1.  I homeschool because, contrary to what  has been said, the best things in life often are NOT free.
     Many have commented negatively on the state of our public schools.  I live in a small town.  I truly believe that I could place my children in our one public school and they would do fine academically. Why? Because I am a very involved parent and I would make sure that they did their best.

Daily Yoga...Cosmo Kids on Amazon

The table is set and ready for a days work on the Basics.

It is my opinion that the lack of parental involvement is one of the main reasons why our schools are failing our children, not the lack of teacher involvement.

2.  I homeschool because I am more concerned about my children's world view than ensuring that they have the ability to read, write, and pass tests well. It would be impossible, for legal reasons, for 99% of teachers today to impart the values and perspectives that I want to be a part of the person I desire my children to become.   Not only would the teachers not be able to contribute to the views I feel they need; but also, I would be fighting against the negative things and ideas they would pick up from their classmates as well.

3.  The last reason I will mention today is that I homeschool because no one in the world cares more about the success of my children than I do.  For the most part, I know their strengths and weaknesses.  I know their interests and disinterests. I know the vices they are prone to fall victim to.  I also know the society that we live in today, and as kindly as I can possibly say this, I will.

School field trip

1.) The enemy will use whatever he can to exploit our children.
2.) Racism and bigotry are still active in our classrooms today.
3.) Bullying is an issue that is alive and well. 
4.)Elitism and favoritism are also.

These are concerns that my children will not face as children at school.  

This months book

I pray daily that God will give me wisdom to know what I need to focus on for them, and to help me give them the tools they will need to have success AND integrity in their lives ahead.  I don't think anyone else will seek the face of God more fervently about the future of our precious children than their parents do.  These are the reasons we are a homeschooling family.



(Coming soon...Tips and Tricks I use when Teaching Reading.)


Until Next Time,

Homeschooling 202: Part 2

I'm back.  I have a few moments to myself, so I thought I would attempt to finish out this topic.  I ended the last post with our second grade work and curriculum.  Our last grade is fourth grade.  My daughter Aaliyah and my other niece are both in the fourth grade.

Fourth Grade:
I continue with the before mentioned curricula for reading (Abeka), Penmanship (Handwriting without Tears), and math (Math Lessons for a Living Education).  I would like to add that last year I used Saxon for math...which I love; but felt would be too time consuming for our family this year.  I feel I get the same quality in less time with Math Lessons for a Living Education...and it has more personality built into the curriculum.
We all do geography together.  Science for them is Zoology 1.  I am currently allowing them to listen in and participate minimally with the second graders as we do grammar until their books arrive.  I have been watching and reading reviews about Writers in Residence and am excited about beginning this new grammar program with them.

Below you will see our schedule for the week.  Please know that this is a map for us.  It is a rare that we are able to follow it strictly, but it is always best to have a vision for each day.

Homeschooling 202: Part 1

Our Summer has ended for us a little earlier than usual.  Normally, I stop for a break after the girls's birthdays (mid-June) until Bubba's birthday (September 2).  This year I decided to start the same day as our local public schools, August 13th.  We have guests and I needed a little more order in our day.  What better way to establish it!  Added bonus:  My sister's kiddos get to experience being homeschooled, and my kids have some competition in class.  My current classroom consists of our little one, Rayanna (age 2), Raymond DeSean (Age 4 and soon will be 5), Cassidy, my nephew and his twin sister (all age 7), my daughter Aaliyah and my niece (both age 9 and in the fourth grade).

Once we decided to start early I began ordering the supplies and books that we were lacking for the year.  They began arriving and I could barely contain myself!  There's nothing like the wonderful smell of new books!  (side note) One of my favorite places to go for thinking time is Barnes and Nobles.  Just walking in the door relaxes me!

Cozy corner in the right...notice our "class pet"  has found her spot.

I thought I would share with you today what we are using for curriculum.   I have watched hundreds (no exaggeration) of youtube videos and reviews and believe that I have selected the items that will work best FOR US!  I emphasize the  FOR US because every family is different.  Every child's needs  and learning style is different.  The curriculu I have chosen offers something for all the needs and styles represented in our home.

Pre-School:
Rayanna is only 2 years old; but she LOVES books and baby dolls!!!  I have chosen for her the Before Five in a row program and we have incorporated some aspects of an interactive notebook.  She has her very own little corner with books, manipulates, puzzles, finger paints, and such.

K-5:
Raymond DeSean is four, but will be 5 years old soon.  He is in to all things police officer!  For Kindergarten and first grade I focus primarily on Reading, Penmanship, and Math.  Everything else is Extra and only done when we have time on our hands...or if his siblings choose to share their knowledge with him.  Reading:  We use the Abeka reading program for Kindergarten and supplement with Bob Books when appropriate/as needed.  He enjoys finishing a book all by himself.  The Bob Books give him that experience.  For writing, I use Handwriting without tears.  Math Lessons for a Living Education is our favorite Math program.  He is currently on about day 26 in the Level 1 Book.

First Grade:

Bieroks from Kansas

My Nephew is doing first grade reading and penmanship; but second grade math. Also, I add grammar and geography into the mix (more about what I use for this in the second grade section of this post).  I continue with the Abeka all the way through fifth grade in reading with all of the children.  I usually find the readers on ebay or amazon.  I continue with the Handwriting Without Tears program until the child has finished each one through the second cursive book.  I had Cassidy and Bubba (Raymond DeSean) do the My First School Book twice ( the first time using sheet protectors and dry erase markers).

Second Grade:

The cook

Cassidy and my niece are both seven years old and doing second grade work.  This is the year in which I add science into the mix.  Reading, penmanship, and math are continued with the same programs.  Geography for us consists of us checking out the State books from the library.  We study one a week.  Our favorite thing to do in geography is to put a star sticker on our wall map by the capital of the state that we finish  and to cook a food (fourth grade home economics lesson *wink*) famous in that state.  Kansas State Food  I also add this to our grammar program.

I guess this post will have to be a part one and two because life is calling me away.

Until next time,



   

UP : The Queen of Multi-tasking

A couple of weeks ago at one of our church's LAFs (Lighthouse After-church fellowship), one of our ladies called me the "queen of multi-tasking".  I took that as a compliment.  One of the gifts of being a woman is being able to do many things at once.  I believe girls are born with this God-given ability for many reasons.  Men, on the other hand, do not frequently posses this gift. 

This was illustrated most vividly to me at clean-up time in my classroom during my brief time as a Christian School teacher.  I had a class of Kindergartners and first graders.  Free time was over and cleanup time had begun.  I stood by and watched as the girls grabbed piles of blocks and dumped them at once.  The boys grabbed one block at a time and tossed it into the bucket. The girls grabbed 3 or 4 books to put away. The boys grabbed them one by one and shoved them onto the book shelf.

Another example that comes to mind is that of the typical fast food eatery.  Most of the time when you go through the drive through a woman is taking your order, getting drinks, filling orders,  and taking money.  If, by chance, a man does help you...he may get drinks also, or take money; but I have never seen him do more than that simultaneously.

From Pajamas to uniform almost everyday.  Raymond D. is a lover
of Justice and fast cars...think corvette

So what's the challenge? For me, it is to not multi-task so much; but rather to stop and focus on my loved ones.  I already practice this with my husband some (...wink); but I can get away with it more with my children.  Sometimes I just need to stop all the busyness and focus on them individually.  Look them in the eye, listen to their dreams, play a game with them, jump on the trampoline, etc.  I have been told by seasoned mothers to let the housework wait and focus on what matters; but that is somewhat hard to do at times.  Laundry does matter. A clean house does matter.  Contrary to what my kids think, Mama taking a shower/bath does matter! It is so true, however, that in a few years, My family won't remember whether the house was dusted weekly or not.  They will remember the time we build a puzzle together, or that Mama did a flip on the trampoline (wishful thinking here), or played bad guys and cops (I am always the bad guy, and he is always the police officer).

Us attempting to save a baby opossum that Raymond D. brought to me one morning.  The dogs found the mama and babies earlier that morning, I guess.  Mama and one baby survived...for a while.  Aaliyah wants to be a vet someday and was thrilled to "help" this one.

Until Next Time,

Brayden's Story

 April 8th, 2018 was my due date for Brayden's birth.  What was supposed to be a day of joy, turned out to be a tough one emotionally.  Brayden was born on March 11th, a Sunday.  I won't go into detail here about that because I have copied our prayer letter and pasted it below for those interested in reading his birth story in a nutshell.  The whole experience was really....awkward.  I have a photo of us holding Brayden after he was born.  The nurse took the picture of us smiling and holding our newborn baby.  Looking back, I have no idea why we were smiling...its just a natural reflex to smile for the camera I guess.  What else were we supposed to do?  Please understand that I am not writing this in a spirit of grief or bitterness.  The Lord promised to comfort and give grace in time of need. Believe me when I tell you that He has not broken that promise.  I can truly say that we have peace that passes human understanding.  Lying in the hospital bed that night I turned on the television out of boredom and curiosity.  We don't have cable or anything at our home by choice; so I was not sure what I would find.  I settled on a Christian television channel and heard a preacher preach a message entitled, "Get out of Gethsemane".  I listened to hear what he meant by the title.  He went on to say that Jesus stayed in the garden of Gethsemane and pleaded with God the Father about HIS will for Him (Jesus).  Jesus even cried tears mingled with blood; but once the enemy showed up to arrest him, he was ready to move on and carry his cross with boldness.  What did that mean for me?  I thought I was handling the whole situation pretty well.  I was complimented by many people, including my doctors, about how well I was handling everything.  I didn't think I needed to hear that message; but I was wrong.  The Bible says in John somewhere (chapter 15, I think) that God's sheep hear His voice.  He was speaking to me through that message from a pastor I would never have otherwise heard. 

We pleaded with God to give us a healthy baby boy.  He said no. I am to accept it and continue on with grace and boldness.  This is what the Holy Spirit said to me.  On days when I am hurting, but life goes on...I am to go on as well.  I cannot expect my family and the church to stop having needs just because I do.  I am to get up early. Allow God to fill my cup, including comfort when needed, and pour into others whether I feel up to it or not. I have experienced some really special times with the Lord over these last 2 months...really, even before these last two months as we waited for God to work on Brayden's behalf.  The Lord has been good to us.  I am sure He has been good to you as well.  I hope this little letter will encourage you, as  you experience uncomfortable things in your life.  If so, let me know.  

Below is our church prayer letter.  As I said, it goes into more detail about Brayden's birth. Thank you for sharing this time with me. 

Sincerely, 

April 23, 2018

Dear Pastor and Praying Friends,

 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. – Romans 14:8

     In our previous letter we asked for prayer regarding our son, Brayden.  He was diagnosed with Trisomy 18.  On Thursday, March 7^th, we went for his 36 week checkup, and found out that he had passed sometime that morning.  We know it had to have happened that morning because he was such an active little fella and that morning was no different.  Even the ultrasound tech thought he was sound asleep upon first glance because he had not yet begun to show any signs of death. You can imagine how shocked we were when we found no heartbeat.

     The doctors recommended that my wife try and go into labor naturally for the sake of her health, so she did.  March 11, 2018, Spring forward Sunday, she began to have contractions as she was preparing for church.  Once we were sure it was real labor we headed for the hospital just down the street.  He was delivered that afternoon at  just after 1:00.  We had a small memorial service on the following Thursday.  I am thankful for those who attended, two of which raised their hand for salvation.  As was  mentioned in the verse above, Brayden was the Lord’s while he lived in the womb; and Brayden is definitely the Lord’s now.  We are thankful for the opportunity to have been his family for the brief time that he was with us.  Of course, we would have preferred to have him with us now; but we trust our heavenly Father, who loves us more than we could ever imagine, to know what is best for Brayden and us.

Thank you for your continued prayer and support for our family and our church.  May the Lord continue His work in us.

In His Service,

Pastor Raymond Beckles

Lighthouse Baptist church

Newport, Arkansas

Laundry, Laundry, Laundry!

A while back I posted on Facebook that every laundry day I contemplate becoming a minimalist.  When you have six people in one house dirtying clothes daily....laundry piles up pretty quickly.  What have I done to maintain peace, order, and cleanliness in our home? As with anything when you have small children in the home, it is a work in progress; but the following are the steps I have taken:

Step 1.)  I downsized everyone's wardrobe.  I am a HUGE fan of goodwill and consignment shopping.  One thing I have discovered about my self is that I have a habit of justifying buying more because I am "saving" so much money by shopping second hand.  Well, I have learned that children grow very quickly!  The item of clothing that is SO ADORABLE will not be as adorable when it is found in the closet  and has never been worn, or only worn once this season. If it is hard to match with anything else I have; or has an incredibly short season for wear...let someone else have it.
To keep myself on track, I printed out the Minimalist Mom's wardrobe list for her children .  I modified it to fit our situation. I went through everyone's wardrobe and removed the unnecessary clothing. I then donated anything worth wearing (If I wouldn't spend money on it, then it belongs in the trash) to Goodwill.  This left our closets and drawers looking and feeling so much more manageable.

Step 2.)  I downsize again at the end of the season .  I get rid of clothes not worth handing down and pack the rest away for the next year/child.

Step 3.)  I repeat this mantra with the children....I have to do this quite frequently with one child in particular..."If It's something I already wore, it doesn't go back in my drawer."  Once a month I check all the children's closets and drawers for things that are unclean or have been shoved back into the corner or dropped behind.  Also, I check for things that they never wear. I have learned to ask them why they don't wear the said item.  My son told me that he didn't like a pair of pants that I bought him because they looked like girl pants.  I thought they were "so adorable"; but I donated them anyway because I wanted to encourage him in noticing the difference between the genders.

Look who I found hiding in the closet.💕

Step 4.)  Last, but not least, I do 2 loads of laundry about 3 to 4 days a week. Usually I start Monday morning just before breakfast.  The kids help me sort the clothes, then I put them in the wash.  My two oldest girls help with putting them in the dryer and getting them out of the dryer.  Everyone except my husband, even little Rayanna (age 2), puts their own clothes away.  If they are too young to fold their own clothes, then they don't get folded.  This has saved my sanity!!! The clothes are dumped on the couch and then I call everyone in to sort the laundry and get their own things.  This process is SO much more efficient for us than me trying to be superwoman and do it all.

I hope this helps someone!

Now on to some pics of the life of the Beckles...

The Beckles
Resurrection Sunday 2018

Week 36ish

Brayden's funeral ceremony at the graveside

Us wearing purple for Trisomy 18 awareness day

Our 2 furry family members

Tablet time

Cassidy's free time activity

Aaliyah's free time activity

The chickens in our side yard

Those of you who know us, know that I was expecting a little one. He was due to arrive April the 8th.  He passed away on March 7th, 2018 due to  Trisomy 18.  I promise to write about this at a later date; but am not comfortable sharing about that at this time.  Thank you for your prayers. Have a wonderful Spring!!!

Until Next Time,