Hello,
We missed school some this past week and a half.  Getting ready to move.
Kids are excited as the rent (or payments) will be cheaper so they will
have more stuff.  My husband doesn't want me to work and I really don't
want to anymore.  We decided to become a little poorer so I could home-
school them.  This of course meant we needed a cheaper place to live.
We are trying to buy a house on land contract.  Not in the best part
of town, but fixing it up will bring in some money when we sell it.  Now
I will be able to get all those wonderful things for my kids to learn.
With Jonathon's learning problems he needs a remedial English course.
He forgets the rules on subjects and indirect and direct subjects, verbs
and predicates and understood subjects.  If I do it with him one on one
he can do it, but he still gets confused. This remedial English course
puts things in a way for him to understand.  I sometimes have a hard
time getting him to understand myself.  Things are comming along school
wise.  Being my first year, sometimes I feel I'm not doing the right
thing, but I keep remembering how everyone said it would be hard until
I got the hang of it.  So some days are great and some days are not.
Jonathon does sit, listen and wants to participate when I go over things
with the younger ones.  That will help him alot.  He knows it all and
that helps his self-esteem and confidence.  Plus it is like a review too.
I found out with math he has a hard time with 5 lines of numbers to add.
Seems he has a visual perception problem with it.  He can add the numbers
in his head but he can't always go straight down the line, so consequently
he won't add it correctly.  Not sure how to approach it.  Should I let
it go because he can add and do it if I point out the numbers for him or
do I make him practice it more?  Is there a way to teach them to do it
correctly?  Thought I would ask you all.  I don't want to hold him back.
I know he know how to do it and adds great in his head.
I was reading a book on spelling words.  It talked about having the child
write the word down and say the syllables without hesitation while saying
it and writing it down.  After they can spell it they write the word on
a piece of paper or index card and file it in alphabetical order.  Teaches
how the dictionary works by doing it this way.  Also the child can retrieve
the correct word any time he needs it and can go over it again if he forgets
how to spell it or recognize it.  This is a remedial technique book.  Its
kinda scientific.  Don't really care for it much, but somewhere here and
there it does have some good teaching things in it.
You can also have them use their finger to spell the word so they use
more than visual and auditory perceptions.  I mite try it.  So far, though
kids seem to be ok with spelling.  Except for Jeremy.  He does not like to
write.  Well go to go.
Regina
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