Aprendemos Academy

I was going to try to clean this all up. I may come back and do that later. but for now, here are the notes I took during today’s Heart of the Matter Virtual Conference. and I’m way 2 tired to look up links right now. maybe in the AM. We’ll see. anyway. Enjoy! **Update** I fixed the formatting a bit, got all wonky when I hit publish. I’m not going through and linking things up right now. Day 3 is about to start!

Session 1: There is a Teacher inside you, let her out! Relax!

“Never let education get in the way of learning” Mark Twain

• See yourself as a teacher.
• Don’t be scary- We moms are responsible for creating that nurturing environment that leads to a love of learning. If we are constantly saying “Hurry up!” or other such things, it will lead to stressed out kids who hate school.
• Our God created us to be relational being. Our kids do enjoy being together with their siblings. Try keeping us all at the same table, and mom needs to stay present!
• If you are not interactively teaching, you are more a resource person then teacher. If you just send your kids to study at their desks, you don’t get the interaction of knowing what they are doing and pointing things out while out & about.
• Why should we do this learning thing? Just to say I did it? Education is for the glory of God, not for pats on the back or recognition.
• Teaching is more then academics. Should be natural, not stiff. Teaching is discipleship, so be a teacher in all things; chores, social, daily life, etc.
• Make reading aloud a priority. Build a home library

Session # 2 Fear Not

• Why are you homeschooling? Did the Lord lead you to homeschooling? Don’t just do it because it seems neat and fun.
• Develop a philosophy of education. Write what you think about raising kids and child training and education.
• Our kids are our responsibilty. God gave them to US! Like Moses. God chose Moses, despite his failings. He has chosen me to care for these children he’s given me. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of might, and a sound mind.”
• Our kids don’t need to have everything to have a good childhood. In our struggles we grow closer to the Lord. embrace them and grow closer to Christ through them.
• It’s not what they learn, it’s that they learn how to learn, so that when they are on their own, they will have the tools they need to continue.
• If we miss something academically, they can always take a class down the line. There is no “class” of Godly character. “Class” is the day in and day out life we live as an example for our kids.
• PRAY! He wants us to ask him for help. When we fear, we are recjecting help from God. I Sam 10:19

Session # 4 Homeschool & Austim

• Step back, and focus on your child. Forget the “what caused this” and move on with life. Let go of the stress.
• Every child is different. Don’t hold #2 to the bar set by #1. Go at their pace, let them develop on their own, and they will be successful.
• what age level r they functioning at? Don’t set the expectation too high.
• Figure out how they learn and teach to it. visual learners may not get phonics. “A sounds like aah. Um. ok mom, what does that mean?” Math U See is great for Visual learners.
• Make adjustments for what your kids can and can not do. IE: dsygraphia – switch to typing instead of writing. Write with chalk on the sidewalk, write in playdoh, use magna doodle, whatever! Prepare them ahead of time for events that are going to happen.
• Use his interest to get him into a topic.
• You will not spoil your child by helping him too much. Just like you won’t spoil a baby by holding him too much. they need the help and seek out that comfort.
• Check her site for more info – http://homeschoolingthechaoticfamily.blogspot.com/search/label/conference
• Don’t overwhelm the kid! Be flexible. Recognize when he’s getting overwhelmed and take a break or a nap.
• Be flexible. So important we said twice. School has too many changes and people and outside issues. Homeschool is the best for these kids, free from outside distractions.
• Have a normal routine. Routine is key! He knows what is going to happen and is not surprised. Going against the routine is hard on the kid and the family. Get him a watch with hands. He will be able to tell time quickly based on the next thing on the routine.
• Create a quiet place for the kid to go when he’s overwhelmed. Make sure no one bugs him there. Mother’s voice can be a calming influence.
• Need 2 make sure no matter what you do, u give them the gentle encouragement to not use disability as a crutch. Reassure them they can do anything they set out to do, they just may have to do it differently. check this guy out for inspiration – http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/index.php God is not finished with you yet, you have no idea what he will be able to do with you. Suspect that albert Einstien had aspergers. Dont hinder them with the feeling that they can’t do something. You can do anything you want, its just about finding the right way. Jer. 29: 11 – Plans to prosper, not to harm, plans to give u hope, etc.
• Celebrate the small stuff. No accomplishment is too small for a party.
• Spanking is not a good means of discipline. They aren’t thinking about why they are getting punished, but rather that someone is touching them.
• Teach tolerance to one who hates noise, and teach her how to handle frustration in other ways.
• Making up stories is pretty normal for aspies. They just want to fit in. and are usually just testing the boundaries of believability.
• Dictating to others is very typical. They want to be the boss, and everyone should follow them because they are right. They don’t know where to draw the line. Let the peers tell her to knock it off. Try to stay out of it.

Session#5 Teaching Toddlers to Teens – Tips for a multi-grade homsechool.

• Make and USE a schedule. Helps everyone to get along and know what’s expected. Not necessarily based on time, can be order based. – check this out http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com/article17.htm
• Incorporate a circle time – Means you all get together in the AM b4 subjects to discuss the day, encourage each other, sing, stretching & light exercise, connect as a family.
• Choose Curriculum that incorporates multiple ages & grades and teach together whenever possible. Keep things as simple as possible. Also check out the copyrights and see about permission to reproduce within the family.
• eliminate &/or combine subjects. IE: writing doesn’t have to be separate from everything else, you can write for science, hsitory, launguage, etc. Geography can be combined with history. Spelling can be combined by using a spelling notebook (write in words they mess up, so they can review later)
• Teach kids to read early, so they can develop independence. This is ideal, but don’t sweat the late bloomers.
• Train older kids to help the younger. All areas of life, not just academics. the youngers will pick things up from the olders, and it will ease the burden from you.

Session # : History through Learning

• Go with the flow. If they are into a topic, run with it! If they aren’t, ditch it and move on. Pursue what your kids love.
• use Living Books – books that are well written and engaged. the opposite of cold dry textbooks. Read alouds – nothing like cuddling up on the couch with a good book. www.homeschoolinthewoods.com/hoh
• Keep a creative Journal. Don’t sweat the small stuff (spelling grammer, etc) Let them be creative! Be a reporter! Report the history and make your own newspaper.
• Create a multimedia event. Movie, flimstrip, whatever.
• Interview Grandparents & create reports.
• do games. IE: match the author with the work. take info they already know and incorporate into games. helps review and drill. file folder games – check them out.
• Lapbooking. Very fun. www.tobinslab.com & hands of a child.
• Do crafts, puppets, dioramas etc.
• Dramatizing! Act it out! Make your own costumes – look through thrift stores etc for things you can mod. Act out what you’ve learned!
• Cook history – cook food from the time period. Field trips!!
• throw a party! celebrate the end of the series with a party!