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Connections
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I hope this post comes across in the way I intend it…sincerely looking for help and guidance. However, I have had a sinus headache for days and very little sleep, so I MAY sound a little harsh!!
My ds15 is simply being lazy with his schoolwork. He does the subjects on his “list,” but it’s always the bare minimum. It’s never his best effort. Even when we do our together reading (world history and CM’s Ourselves), he refuses to make the connections. He doesn’t even try…so I end up “teaching” the information so he will at least have gotten SOMETHING out of the lesson. I don’t want to do that, I know it’s up to him, but we only have 3 years left to homeschool!
I realize that this is a habit issue, more than likely, but everything I’ve read so far deals with training younger children. What do I do for a 15 year old when we are truly in our first year utilizing CM? Do I turn to a curriculum that makes him responsible by asking questions? Like Beautiful Feet or Tapestry of Grace?
Any guidance is greatly welcome! I am in need!
Hi blessedmom! This will most likely cause many CM Moms to shudder, but my 15yo ds no longer does “together” readings with us for school. He prefers, and is much more motivated, to do them on his own proceeded by oral or written narrations. He’s made the connections far greater when I finally decided to let him go and become a self-learner. These are some of the reasons why. I hope you feel better soon and get some much needed rest. Heather
Thank you, csmamma, for your reply! I won’t get much rest anytime soon…Dad is out of town this week again
The only together reading we do is World History (they do American history on their own), CM Ourselves, and read aloud just for the sake of reading aloud. He does everything else on his own. I read through the site you posted, and it looks amazing, I just don’t want another text for history with answers he’s just supposed to regurgitate. I would love some thinking type questions that point the way to making connections. His oral or written narrations would be one word answers, if left up to him!
He’s a bright young man, and I want him to take responibility for making those connections to other knowledge. I don’t want to keep “teaching” because that would just encourage lazy learning where they wait for me to fill in the blanks.
How do you “do” CM with an older student who doesn’t have a CM foundation? (we’ve homeschooled for 4 years, this being our only CM year)
Like your son, csmamma, he does prefer to do the work on his own, but he doesn’t “do” anything with what he’s read. He reads it and then he’s “done.” I’m afraid that’s not what CM had in mind!!
Does he narrate at all? Maybe if he begins there, the connections will come. He could start out with oral narrations and then move into written. Along with oral narrations what helped my ds, was keeping a History Log; He typed up a summary after each book he read, creating a simple chronological (digital) notebook. If narrations don’t work for your son yet, then you could use something like Beautiful Feet which I’ve heard have excellent discussion questions to really get ds thinking. Also, Queens have their Learning History Through Living Books Study Guides which might help him “do” something with what he’s read. I’m sure your ds will come along; it does take time. I hope your week goes well – it must be hard with hubby gone. Blessings to you ~ Heather
Also, if you haven’t read SCM’s Homeschooling Through Highschool the CM Way series yet, you may find it helpful.
Sorry so late in responding…and thanking you, csmamma!!
Over the last couple of days I’ve run the gammut of homeschool options! I’ve researched until my typing little fingers were sore and my eyes couldn’t read another word! I so want to have my sons educated in a CM way, but I feel I am failing them. I don’t have a clear progression of skills in my head, therefore I haven’t implemented it in our shool. We have had a lot of “wasted lessons” since they’ve been read and forgotten.
I’ve looked at Beautiful Feet first, since we are reading John Smith as a family for World History. The questions are good recall questions, but not much in the way of discussion where my oldest would have to think out an answer.
I really want something solidly Christian, CM, that has some of those thought-provoking questions…I even tried to figure out how to make Heart of Dakota work for us! I don’t see how that’s possible, but it was a nice thought…having a solid CM education all laid out for you!!
How are the Queen’s history guides? Since there are no sample it’s hard to see if they would work for us. I’ve even considered the Queen’s language lessons, but I like the way HOD ties in the narration and composition into history and science rather than “language arts” being a cut off subject.
There seems to be so much out there but nothing that meets my needs right now. I feel like I need more guidance since I am basically homescooling in a bubble–no family around and no one in my church family that homeschools. I don’t need something to tell me what to do each and every day, but I would love to have some sort of “progression chart” that says, “do this first, and do this next when the student is able to x.” I also have NO IDEA how to adequately integrate narration, copywork, composition into our subjects….
Boy, I am rambling! Sorry! We just had a week break, and hubby asked the kids what they are learning in school….and they couldn’t tell him one blessed thing! Maybe I am completely off track!
Thanks for the listening ear and your encouraging words! (….off to go get back on my knees and humble myself before my Lord!)
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