still here.....

It seems that life has got in the way of blogging. School has taken on a steeper slope....lots more work and much less "fun stuff". I have been focusing on moving the kids forward, and lacking in History and Science. I feel so stuck in the reading area with my two daughters. I know that they have made huge improvements, and are working hard to overcome their disabilities....but I always feel like I am just not trying hard enough and am failing them. I don't want them to hate learning, through all of the struggles. As Lizzie gets older it just breaks my heart to see other kids tease her about her reading, even close friends that shouldn't be treating her in such a way. I know that God has a plan for this, and we will get through it! Its hard to see the improvements made when working closely with them on a daily basis, I am very glad that my mom was able to see improvement in both girls.  The other 3 kids are moving forward quickly, PTL. I am so proud of all my kids and the work that they have done so far this year.

Some of their accomplishments:

L has started 3 grade math, finishing both 1st and 2nd grade since September
B is finishing 1st grade math in just over half a year and is ready to start 2nd
S is finishing 1st grade math in just over half a year and is ready to start 2nd
C is finishing 2nd grade math in just over half a year and is ready to start 3rd
T has almost finished 5th grade math, and is testing in a 6th grade math level
L and S both learned 20 sight words in a week, and could spell almost all of them
B couldn't read in September, he is now testing at almost 2nd grade level, and improving daily
C couldn't read in September and is testing now at 5th grade level....um wow!
C is also show a great aptitude for spelling
T started the school year at a 5th grade reading level and is now testing at 9th grade level :)
T is on course to finish both 5th and 6th grade this year, starting 7th grade in the fall
T is showing responsibility by rising at 5:30am to do her school work while the house is quite
B is on course to finish both 1st and 2nd grade this year, starting 3rd grade in the fall
C is on course to finish both 2nd and 3rd grade this year, starting 4th grade in the fall

I know that my kids should never be measured by their academic strides, but as their teacher some times I need to remind myself that we are indeed moving forward and that all their hard work is paying off!

where in the world are the matz monkeys?

Ah, the hectic joys of being a homeschooler :) So where in the world (school) have we been? We have been studying the Sun, Noah and the flood, making art collages, watching fiddler on the roof, with a little math, grammar and phonics thrown in.
I have been researching how to teach a right-brained thinker....this year is full of new experiences. The world of APD (audio processing disorder) Dyslexia and Dysgraphia is cloudy and hard to grasp. So many claim to have just the right program to help my kids.... How do I know which really is the right one? Well, it will be through trail and error, with lots of prayer. We are starting HERE .  Hopefully our new reading program will be here soon. At this point I am totally up for suggestions, does anyone know what I should be doing???

Well, in the mean time, we have been learning! The boys just mastered the first level of Hooked on Phonics for this year, L just mastered a whole grade level of math and is excited to move on, She also decoded and read a book for her ES yesterday.....a tough feat for a kids with APD, she is SOOO proud :)

S had a sick day yesterday and in between naps had fun making collages with found objects.

T is working on a timeline of Noah and the flood

we started a timeline for this years Mystery of History, not quite a masterpiece, but we are having fun :)

We are enjoying the solar system with Apologia, currently we are studying the Sun

I am determined to make this year fun for all of the kids. I cried for 2 days after getting L and S tested for learning disabilities, then I woke up and realized that God didn't make a mistake on either of them, the are perfectly how he created them, and just how I love them! I never want them to feel dumb or behind, just loved, nurtured and creative. Seriously what could be better than being a right-brained thinker :)