-=> Quoting Zaynab Richmond to All <=-
 ZR> Hi there, ...just thought I'd report in on how we are doing so far
 ZR> Well, starting with spelling and writing... we have pretty much
 ZR> settled into a routine with that, finally. :)  We have a table in the
 ZR> living room we are currently calling the C table.  On it goes anything
 ZR> that begins with the letter C.  Above it on the wall is a list of the
 ZR> c-words with some illustrations by Aaron.  We review the words and
 This is quite interesting.  I wish I knew some of this stuff when the
 kids were younger.  They would be bored with it now, but seems to found
 something to motivate and raise his self esteem about this subject.
 ZR> In addition nearly every day Aaron will make up a story on some
 ZR> subject that interests him.  Generally this is done verbally but I
 ZR> sometimes write them down or have him make an illustration book, then
 My kids hate the workbook stuff.  Jeremy is almost nine in a month and he
 hates to write on paper.  Of course he is ADHD and I believe that is why
 he hates it.  He has to concentrate and hold still too long.  Sometimes,
 I still write the answers in for him.  If I know he is having a bad day.
 I am more concerned with his knowledge than his writing.  Although when
 it comes to handwriting (which is what we are doing now) he has to do
 it himself.  Spelling is done on the computer.  Jeremy gets to frustrated
 trying to write it on paper.  
 ZR> For math I have found that Aaron can count only to about 6 so far, but
 ZR> he is able to mentally add and subtract the numbers up to about 6, but
 ZR> not on paper.  That surprised me.  I have been struggling to teach him
 ZR> to  /recognize/ the letters and numbers.  He knows very few of them by
 ZR> sight  so far.  It has been a many-years struggle to try to get him
 ZR> interested in  learning these things.  It is just this year that he has
 ZR> shown any interest at all.
 I don't know if you use the computer or not, but my 3 year old grandaughter
 showed no interest in these things until she saw them on my computer.  She
 now tries to teach them to her younger brother who is two.  So cute.  Any-
 way,  You could make a game like fish, but use numbers.  Brite colors
 should be used.  Then, play it just like you would play fish.  Use only
 the numbers he recognizes so far and add one at a time until he knows
 them all.  At the bottom you could put the total amount of stars or
 something for the number.  This way he will learn to do both automatically
 (in time of course).  You can do this for letter also, but I don't really
 recommend it as he will get bored with the game before all the letters
 are done.  
 ZR> Aaron has developed an art form all of his own: paper sculptures...
 ZR> I've never seen anything quite like them, but he builds large and
 ZR> complex  three-dimensional buildings, boats, airplanes, etc, all out of
 ZR> paper glued or taped together.  The detail work he puts on is
 Maybe you could get him to do this with numbers or letters.
 ZR> I'm stuck on PE, though.  Are there any suggestions for indoor PE
 ZR> activities for wintertime?  I'd rather not have to pay to take him to a
 ZR> gym... and he's a bit immature for that anyhow.
 Maybe a simple arobics tape or excercise tape (if you have a VCR).  There
 are some nerf ball toys available too, like basketball or archery
 things.  Of course, it depends on finances and the room you have in
 the house.  Hoping on one foot is one I recall my children were suppose
 to learn in school.  I will try to look up some of the things they
 had to learn and give you a list.
 ZR> considered "educational field trips" ...believe it or not... one thing
 ZR> we did was during the two hour viewing which my kids were not too
 ZR> welcome at due to their childish natures, we spent a lot of time at the
 ZR> cemetary outside the funeral home.  My kids were helping out by
 ZR> clearing grass clippings off the baby grave markers and straightening
 ZR> up toys that had fallen over.  The time we spent reading the names and
 I had to do this too, when we moved.  So much to do and we only had a
 short time to do it in.  But of course, looking for a place and all
 the interruptions when you buy a house and cleaning and well more and more
 interruptions.  Here in Michigan, the school district doesn't bother us.
 If you send the Board of Ed a register form the school district gets to
 count it.  Don't really understand why as they don't involve themselves
 whatsoever.  I pretty much had to make my own curriculum and figure
 out how to teach it.  
 "So THATS how  people get buried!" 
 Well this is important for kids.   Understanding death I mean.  With
 the things you did I am sure you helped them to cope with it all.
 I still have a heck of a time with Jeremy.  He doesn't focus very well
 and I have to go over things seperately with him.  If I have the kids
 do a math problem on the board, Jeremy just doesn't focus.  Then when
 his turn comes around I have to explain in all over again.  They like
 writing on the erasure board.  And love to clean it up afterwards.
 This is how I get Jeremy to focus sometimes, by having him write it
 on the board because he hates writing it on paper.  
 My kids are old enough now that they really like the internet too.  I
 give them assignments to look for stuff like historical people or
 something.
 Regina
... Discoveries are made by not following instructions.
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