I think a few posts ago I mentioned that I was finally seeing the end of Skylar's deschooling. I don't know whoever said it takes 1 month for every year the child is in school. I've heard that so many times it makes my head explode. My son was taken out of school in February of 1st grade. He would now be in 3rd grade. So, if i'm doing my math correctly, its been two years. he has taken 2 years to be what I perceive to be just about completely deschooled. Just in the last couple weeks he has been asking for "projects" and for me to read him books. Today he even asked me to help him find a way to be a better speller. He's growing frustrated with asking me to spell words for him. Funny. He asked me to "teach" him to spell. I know what he meant. And it wasn't hooked on phonics or workbooks. That's when I went to the online unschooling group I belong to and asked for some advice. I was given the most spectacular idea. He could make his own "spelling book". According to him, spelling books are lame, so he call it his "words book". I made the book for him, and he now has a different page for almost every letter. Everytime he asks me to spell a word, I'm going to ask him to write it in his book. that way if he needs the word spelled again he can just reference the book. Like a dictionary. This should help him in a few ways. By writing the word, he is imprinting it into his memory. By seeing the word written he is becoming more familiar with the word. By finding and typing the word on his own, he has built the confidence that he is losing now when he asks me to spell it for him. Ahhhh.... Independence! Thanks Kelly!
I think a few posts ago I mentioned that I was finally seeing the end of Skylar's deschooling. I don't know whoever said it takes 1 month for every year the child is in school. I've heard that so many times it makes my head explode. My son was taken out of school in February of 1st grade. He would now be in 3rd grade. So, if i'm doing my math correctly, its been two years. he has taken 2 years to be what I perceive to be just about completely deschooled. Just in the last couple weeks he has been asking for "projects" and for me to read him books. Today he even asked me to help him find a way to be a better speller. He's growing frustrated with asking me to spell words for him. Funny. He asked me to "teach" him to spell. I know what he meant. And it wasn't hooked on phonics or workbooks. That's when I went to the online unschooling group I belong to and asked for some advice. I was given the most spectacular idea. He could make his own "spelling book". According to him, spelling books are lame, so he call it his "words book". I made the book for him, and he now has a different page for almost every letter. Everytime he asks me to spell a word, I'm going to ask him to write it in his book. that way if he needs the word spelled again he can just reference the book. Like a dictionary. This should help him in a few ways. By writing the word, he is imprinting it into his memory. By seeing the word written he is becoming more familiar with the word. By finding and typing the word on his own, he has built the confidence that he is losing now when he asks me to spell it for him. Ahhhh.... Independence! Thanks Kelly!
I've been enjoying your blog for some time now and I love it.
I just had to let you know that I think this word book is a spectacular idea! I love it!
As the days go by I'm becoming more and more enamored of the unschooling idea and have made significant changes to the way we "school".
Thank you for continuing to be an inspiration to us all!
I started unschooling my kids after 2nd grade. It's only been about 5 months and they are no where near done deschooling. It's great to hear of someone else that didn't follow the one month for each year thing. I can't wait until one of my kids wants a word book. Now, they just spell things wrong :-)
I love this idea and it is just what we need right now . thank you so much for sharing the idea.XX