Today felt relaxed somehow, despite the low productivity morning. But I did make these buns. Actually I made far too many, as I absent mindedly tipped in the quantity of yeast I usually use for two loaves of bread, and then had to double the flour! I could add a sugar glaze, but it is healthier not to really.
The boys began their day playing their new FiFa 08 game, and reading Famous Five books. They are having a reread phase on those books at the moment. They like to read in series, but many series only comprise between 3 and 6 books, or sometimes 8, so having a series of 21 books can at least extend reading interest a bit longer.
After breakfast, and reading, we worked through the daily Quran work. Getting everyone through their turn on each bit is rather time consuming, especially when the next person to recite is not ready when their time comes up. Anyway, I just need to keep working on mornings.
Then I let them do their own thing for a while. The boys had said they needed to organise something in their room!! After that they were ready for a more industrious afternoon.
Ia continues her slow progress towards reading. She shows flurries of interest in reading a book, then goes off it again. I'm not concerned about this, we consistently do some mild work on phonics and handwriting. She is only five, in reality there is no rush, but when you consider what school children are expected to be doing her progress is slower. Having had some conversations about this recently I realise that some people would be very concerned if she were their child. And I think, bearing in mind what is done in school, if she were my first child and I was at the beginning of home education I might be concerned too. And that is where the benefit of sharing home education experiences, both online and face to face, comes in. The boys took to reading fairly easily and quickly, alhamdulillah, once I started working on it with them when they were five. Ia is a different experience for me with my own children, but from other home educating friends and the excellent blogs that are written, I know that the experiences and ways differ, but everyone gets there in the end, inshAllah. All praise and thanks is due to Allah (swt), but I would like to acknowledge the debt owed to those friends who shared their children's learning with me, and those bloggers who do likewise, as with their help Ia will have a much more well suited (to her), relaxed journey into reading. Because I am more relaxed about it too.
4 comments:
those buns look scrumptious, and u could freeze the extra for another day?!
People here think the UK system is a bit crazy expecting the children to go to school let alone to read aged 5. M's class are still completing the alphabet and reading pretty basic books and some are aged 8, and this is standard practice.
It's probably a bit like the potty training hurdles I'm having at the mo', there are these expected ages for things to be achieved but in reality all children are different but like you said, most get there in the end if given the opportunity. It's often more stressful trying to get an uninterested child to achieve something according to the 'official' age expected, and could even backfire. It must be harder to resist 'pushing' her along when the boys were so keen early on. I have it somewhat the other way around, wondering if one of my kids might teach themself at a young age and be a keen reader without any intervention on my part.
The Jolly Phonics book I'm using with M is aimed at younger kids (the photo of children on the front cover look more like H's age!) and it won't be long before it'll be too babyish for him to use, although he's almost done with it, alhamdulillah.
Oh I could write more but it'll turn into another post...;)
Ummrashid,
I did post some comment before, seems like it didn't appear for technical reason.
Actually I like how you homeschool your children. Less worried.I know we all as a mum do worried. But, worried too much is no good.
All my other children accept AH start read when they were 5 because they all in school as you know. And I never intervene or do anything because I don't really do care too much about their education. I start reading when I was 7 years old because in Malaysia everybody start proper school at the age 7 until now. Only recently everybody rushing to get their children to start read as early as 2 years old and had to spend money on private nursery or tuition. I'm always believe this is no more than a scam to get money off parents! Although it might work for some children.
For my AHI do a bit worried and desperate because he's a bit frustrated and eager to read and it seems like mumy don't care. Because I never care on the others.Because I'm the only teacher for them, so I do need to put a bit worried and figure out.
Nevertheless, for me it doesn't matter what age they start. Like Umsuhayb said, the important is the end.
MS although start read when he was 5, but he's a bit slow in reading as he always like to play more and practice less when he was small. S can read better than him.
Only recently he improve a lots in reading and start to love books more. I don't know how. I do know he's a bit slow in reading.I'm always think he still until couple of weeks ago PS said MS reading is improve a lot and he start read all this thick book.Without me actually intervene and encourage or do anything about it.
For me I'm only worried which learning tools I need to used and a guide that I need to help them.For me I'm only guide them rather than teach them.
As now I kind of had an idea how to work with AH with reading, the progress seem very slow because I take it easy. But, I do know that there is a way I can used, when the time come gradually their progress will increase and meet their target at the end.
I know you got lots of experience with the boys..you get there!!
Assalamu aleikum
I agree, the pressure surely backfires. DS1 has the lowest confidence in his own reading and writing skills you can imagine... :(
It's driving me nuts that everyone has to comment about him being behind. He's 9 now and his progress is not being acknowledged, except by me. Because of outside pressures, I struggled with him, and now I have to struggle with his bad self esteem and hatred towards reading too... how do I show him the joy of reading now?!!
Jazakallah khair for your comments.
Oum Anas, that's a tough situation. I suppose we are at our most vulnerable to outside pressures with our first child, and learn by experience. InshAllah by sharing our experiences we will be of some use to others.
As for the buns...they didn't last long enough to require freezing.
Post a Comment