Dyslexia is not a Sentence to Life without Books!

A group of ladies from church were out on Tuesday

evening.  We were at a local cafe enjoying great food

and conversation.  As is often the case since three of 

us are actively homeschooling our conversation turned

to things of education.

Kelly, of Cozy Comforts, was describing the way their

youngest is learning to read.  He loves it and she told

us how careful she is to maintain that enjoyment. 

Keeping his lessons short and rewarding his efforts

with related activities which he greatly enjoys.

I was so very happy to hear Kelly say this.

So often, I think, we have the tendency to 

take what is a good thing and stretch it out

too long.  It wears out it's welcome.

I think that just like anything else in life

it is best to leave them wanting more.

This brought to mind my own son,

Jonathan.

He is now twenty and sees himself

heading into a life of writing and 

film making.

Jonathan has dyslexia and other

issues with his eyes that make it 

incredibly difficult to read...

in the traditional manner.

However, as we discussed on Tuesday

evening, it does not stop him from 

treasuring books and the library.

Many days find him walking 

  to our local library.

He loves to spend time there perusing

books and books on tape.

You see, I was his living book on tape

throughout his school years.

I read most of his lessons to him.

At his level.

Because his eyes and dyslexia

made reading at his level nearly impossible

for many years.

But his intelligence far exceeded those abilities.

The library was our friend.

We would go through many, many books

in a week.

Books on tape opened up a whole new

world for Jonathan.

One that fed his need for literature beyond

what I had time to read to him.

The result of those long,

and sometimes hard, years?

A young man who decided this week to 

do serious research on filming.

He wants to study lenses and special 

effects in filming.

Where did he go?

The Library, of course.

I listened quietly to his plans.

I think he thought I was disapproving.

However, when he was done decribing

his ideas I just shook my head and 

quietly told him....

"You make me proud!"

And he does.

Not letting the things that are

hardest for him 

stop him from reaching for his

dreams.

He makes me proud!

And his face lit up when I told him so.

Have you told your children

how proud you are of them...

lately?

Nature Study - A Great Foundation For Science

Join me over at my regular blog for a post about nature study!

Creekside Cottage

See you there!

World History Resource

Chelsea is enjoying books by 

T.L. Higley.  

They are fiction

featuring some of the Seven Wonders 

of the World.

The research that Higley does

is intense and she makes every effort

to be historically accurate.

The titles in the series are:

The Shadow of Colossus - Featuring the Colossus of Rhodes

City of the Dead - Great Pyramid of Giza

Guardian of the Flame - Lighthouse of Alexandria

The website describing more about these books is HERE.

I highly recommend these books for your high school student studying

World History.  Of course, you need to do the research and make sure they are a good fit for you.

I Didn't See That One Coming!

Chelsea has two ten page papers to write 

this year.  That is my requirement....not the 

State's.  She loves to write and this is not

the challenge it would have been if I had 

assigned it to either of our boys.

You have to know that at the beginning of this 

year Chelsea decided that she wanted to do 

two year's worth of work this year in order to

graduate early.  She was already a year ahead

at the end of the last school year.  So, technically

she will "graduate" three years early.

When I say "graduate" I mean that she will be 

able to participate in the County-wide ceremony

and will not have any more of the required coursework

that does not fit into her future plans to complete after 

this year.  Mostly this means formal math and history.

However, this does not mean her education is complete.

We are in the process of figuring out next year's educational

plans.  They are most likely to include a Serve Safe Course,

at least one college level class in business, contact with the 

small business association to get advice on opening a cafe, 

and real time experience at work at the bakery and cafe.

So, anyway, back to the report that caught me by surprise.

Her topic of choice?

The Ocean.

Fish of the Ocean.

Cool!

Perhaps it was vacation to the ocean,

field trips to science centers

and aquariums.

I would definitely do all of these

things again if the kids were young

students.  It really exposes them 

to things that we couldn't see in 

our daily lives.

One fun thing we did from home

was to bookmark a live webcam

from the National Zoo that 

had an underwater

camera.

The kids loved to put that 

on and watch the 

fish swimming.

Simple...but effective.

Chelsea had a great time doing research today

and getting this

paper started. 

 

Last night's dinner?

Tilapia and Tuna melts.

My choice.

Fitting, don't you think?

Co-op Begins Again Today....

It is so hard to believe that this is the 

first day of the last semester that our family

will participate in.  We have been with 

this co-op since 2001!

We have made so many special friendships

and I have loved teaching history and music

classes over the years.

It has been very strange for Jonathan not

to leave with us this year when we go.

There have even been days when he asked if 

he could come along or co-teach something.

But, he is a graduate and must move on 

with finding a job.

So...today I will begin teaching music 

for our Spring Concert for the 

very last time.

In ten weeks it will be history.

A very pleasant memory

and many forever friends!

Teaching Classical Music Appreciation

I happen to love teaching music to children.

Taking them from wherever they are on the 

spectrum of music appreciation and showing 

them more.

For several years now I have been involved 

with the music classes at our Co-op.

First I was the assistant in the more formal

choirs taught by a certified music teacher

and then as the teacher after she 

moved out of state.

As a person who just loves music but is not

a certified teacher I don't even pretend to 

be an expert at all aspects of music.  I do, 

however, have a lifetime of singing, playing

piano and listening to music to fall back on.

I have sung in several choirs, was in a vocal group

that traveled and found a love for classical music

in an early morning class at Penn State.  

One would think that getting up early, rushing

to class and then sitting in a darkened auditorium

listening to the classics might put one right back 

to sleep.  But, instead, it invigorated me.  I learned

to love the harmonies and creativity of so many 

instruments working together.

So....when I teach young people about classical 

music I let them listen to it.  Not for lengths of time

at first.  We listen to pieces and identify the instruments

we hear.  I tell them stories of the people who have

written the music.  Such interesting stories!

We laugh together at Beethoven's Wig and other 

silly lyrics put to classical music.

Photo Credit:  Amazon.com

 I highly recommend this series of CD's if you are 

teaching music at home.  Truth be told, even my 

teenagers get a kick out of them.  I would put them 

in while we were driving here or there and tell them

that I was prepping for my music class and my guys

came to love them too.

Teaching music to children is a joy.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to
have done this for so many years.
This will most likely be my last year with
our co-op.
I will miss my young students and
hope to make the most of this last year.

What do you do to teach your children 

to love music?

Becky K.

Schooling Outside the Box

Chelsea and I have a plan for this new

school year.  It involves a field trip per

week.  Not just random field trips, mind you.

We are going to visit cafe's and eateries 

all over our area.  

You see, it is Chelsea's dream to open a 

Cafe' one day.  I can think of no better way

to do research and plan than to go to see 

what others have done.  Perhaps we will work

up the nerve to speak with the owners.

We will have a list of questions prepared 

in case it is convenient.

In any case, Chelsea will have a notebook

and pen, with an assignment of writing down

the top three and bottom three observations 

at each establishment.

I know that she is serious as her first notebook

is getting to be full of lists of coffee drinks and 

baked goods she wants to offer.  Next on her 

agenda is to work to develop her own recipes for

each of these items.  She wants to be as original 

as is possible.  

I think this is lining up to be a very fun

and tasty school year at Hospitality Lane!