Tuesday, March 9

Write On!

Just in the last few weeks, I've seen vast improvement in Samuel's ability to color within the lines -- he's gone from scribbling over whatever he's coloring to giving fairly even color coverage within the outline. It is a little discouraging to see the scribble alongside the picture using poor handwriting to describe the scene. However, I am seeing more of a "tripod" grasp of the pencil. Both the coloring and grasp are prerequisites for handwriting, so I am hoping we are on our way. Wooo hooo!

Friday, March 5

To Heed or Not to Heed?

I suppose the first line of defense for a youngest child is to scream like crazy; most assuredly,  I engaged in the same strategy. When you have older siblings who are bigger, stronger, and more wily, what else can you do?

Now as a mama, my question becomes: when do I intervene? Especially when that older child is a spectrum kid?

Does Samuel keep pestering his younger brother because he can (big brother), or is he pestering him because he lacks the social skills to know he's gone too far. Since the younger brother knows he can get my attention by hollering like crazy, is he sounding the alarm because he truly needs help, or is he calling in the best reinforcements to "his side"?

Bunches of parents complain when their kids don't get along, and most probably ask the same questions about intervention. But with Samuel, we have a lot more figuring to do ....

Tuesday, March 2

Keeping Up Keeping Up

I am really struggling to combine household work with home schooling. I more or less took fall off, letting many projects go. Now I'm in serious catch-up mode and feeling like I'm not doing as much with the schooling as I should. This is compounded by some of the occupational therapy work that needs to be integrated. Sigh.

Monday, March 1

Testing Part Two

I got a glimpse of the California Achievement Tests that Samuel will take and am much encouraged. The concepts tested seem to be well within his grasp. I've also learned that several federal laws provide for giving a special needs student "reasonable accommodation" to take the test.

Among other things, I've worried that his difficulty with fine motor skills would make it next to impossible for him to fill in those little ovals used to mark answers on standardized tests. It's reasonable to have an adult fill in the answer Samuel indicates.

We've been working on reading comprehension, and I've noticed that some days he's much more on task than others. One day, I can ask Samuel questions about what he reading (or what I'm reading to him) and he answers with ease. Other days he acts like he hasn't seen or heard a word -- but I'll later hear him talking about the story and he'll easily pick it up on another day.

While taking the tests within the given time should be OK for most subjects, it seems reasonable to delay the comprehension test if he's  "off" on that particular day. Giving extra time is a common accommodation for special needs students.

Thursday, February 25

Nothing Is Adding Up

When we started home schooling, I was rather surprised to find that math was fun to teach. It was never my strongest subject in school, but as an adult, I had gone back and taught myself more algebra, geometry and some trigonometry because it just seemed ignorant not to know these subjects.

With math, you do see incremental improvements day by day, so perhaps that encouraged me while working with the older kids. But with Samuel, I feel like I'm running through mud. It's not him! He's plenty bright enough and seems to have an analytical mind and a natural sense for numbers. But I have to kick myself to sit down and do math lessons with him. I have no idea why.

Wednesday, February 24

Reading, Again!

While this blog is primarily about Samuel, today I'd like to focus on his main sidekick, Uriah, who has just turned four. Naturally, when we're doing school, Baby U joins in as best he can. He loves hearing books and stories and is usually on my lap as Samuel and I read.

Lately, I've noticed that Uriah is beginning to make the connection between letters and their sounds. So I've encouraged him, by pointing to simple two and three-letter words with a short vowel sound. I get him to identify the letters first, then tell me the sounds, then I help him put them together. Some words like no, on, Pa, and stop, he's seeing on his own as we read.

Of all the joys of home schooling, this is one of my favorite. To see the kids start reading has been such a thrill!

Since their Dad is dyslexic, I was concerned for my boys since it is more prevalent among males. I held my breath with an older brother, and he just plowed into reading. I was concerned there might be a link between Samuel's communications challenges and reading -- but so far, he's doing very well! And now Uriah is at the very preliminary stages, and I get to do see another child blossom with reading!

Monday, February 22

Jumping for Joy

At his last occupational therapy session, Miss Nicole introduced Samuel to jumping rope. It uses a lot of energy and requires coordination at several levels; but forget the technical aspects, Samuel is having so much fun!

I don't know why we hadn't thought of this before -- perhaps jumping rope seems more like a "girl" activity; certainly that was the case when I was young. But then, boxing movies always show boxers working out with jump ropes, so maybe it really is for guys.

For most of the last week, we've had no opportunity to get into a store that sells jump ropes. Today, we finally had the chance, and both boys selected purple jump ropes. They're off to a jumpy start!

Friday, February 19

What Is Tested?

I've started looking at possible testing for Samuel this spring. I often did this with my older kids to help with curriculum selection for the coming school year. With Samuel, I'm concerned we will face a bit more scrutiny because he is "special needs."

Here's my dilemma: from what I've seen so far, the tests will depend a lot on language skills, his ability to understand what I tell him and his ability to express himself. He is reading at a second grade level (at least) and is doing well with his math, science, and social studies. So how do I demonstrate that without encountering his known weaknesses?

Looking at some of the test prep materials might be helpful and may eliminate my concerns. Right now, I'm just going by online descriptions. We have a store locally that sells educational materials, so it will be worth a trip over there.

Thursday, February 18

Bon (Electronic) Voyage

Since I had been out of touch with my inner blog, I missed until yesterday a comment that merits discussion. It reads in part:
I do see your point about accidental learning, but, at least for me, I feel that the internet is actually a much more effective medium [than print media]. I learn so much from the internet by following random links that it actually interferes with my ability to learn what I should be learning as a college student. Often times it is in the course of researching for a paper that I am drawn to random links, especially on Wikipedia, where I learn nearly everything but the thing I am looking for. 
 OK, I'll cling to my old newspaper, but I do agree that the internet has given much to everyone -- and to home schoolers in particular. Ten years ago when I first started home schooling, I thought we'd be using electronic media more. Both my husband and I are computer-savvy, but search algorithms could be frustrating and the electronic materials at the time were clumsy; they often either emulated a classroom or created  unnecessary impediments.

Jump forward to 2010 and I find the internet to be one of my biggest allies.

When we come across an intriguing topic in literature, history, or science, we can usually find pictures if not audio and video. Bagpipes don't have to be just a passing mention in a book, but something performed on the screen in front of us. (My youngest now wants to learn the pipes!)  A static picture of pioneers making their way out west suddenly comes alive with  creaking wheels, dust flying, and people struggling to dig themselves out of the mud.

We have found that some authors and even characters have their own websites with classroom activities. Our handwriting curriculum has a huge website with how-to videos, ideas, and a multitude of support. Science is limited only by my sons being so young.

Whether hard copy or electronic, a sense of adventure or willingness to explore can go a long way on the information highway!

Wednesday, February 17

Up Out of the Snow

Ah, the wheels are beginning to turn again. My husband is back at work, and my oldest son is back at his Christian school; We were mostly at home for about 10 days after back-to-back major snow storms (one actually labeled a blizzard). We were blessed in that we only lost electricity for eight or nine hours and were plowed out fairly quickly. One homeschooling friend did not get out until yesterday since she had six-foot drifts along a quarter mile of driveway.

From an occupational therapy perspective, these snow storms benefited Samuel -- steering a sled down an snow chute in our backyard involves a fair amount of core strength, coordination, and balance especially since he has to steer by leaning. Besides, it was plain, old-fashioned fun!

I continued reading to the boys (from the Little House series) but ran out of new materials for Samuel to read aloud to me. Little House on the Prairie corresponded nicely with our history and geography because we are studying western expansion in the US.

Our big news: Samuel's little brother is beginning to sound out three-letter words! Our reading adventure continues.

Monday, February 8

Storm Snows Blog!

First I was having trouble logging in to this blog, then we got blasted with 30+ inches of snow in an area that considers six inches of snow a big deal. We were amongst the thousands and thousands of people who lost power. And we're expecting another storm starting tomorrow!

Samuel and Uriah have had a blast barging their way around to make "roads" through the snow. I've also pretty much continued homeschooling both to stay on schedual and to keep little boys busy! Samuel's speech and occupational therapy have been canceled.

With the whole family home, though, I'm having a hard time finding time for this blog.

Monday, February 1

A Fact Is a Fact

"Do I have fluid in my stomach?" This question comes out of left field as Samuel plays with a monster truck.

We had been studying how the body processes food. What fascinates me is the way Samuel processes information. I think whatever we talk about in school just gets run over and over in his mind and pops out over the next few days as questions.

I'm also wondering if he's checking that facts remain facts. That's a given, to you and me -- unless proven otherwise, what is a fact today will be a fact tomorrow and next week. But I suspect Samuel is testing this. It takes patience to answer the same questions over and over (by the evening, my eyes are starting to glaze over!) but it's worth it in the long run.

Friday, January 29

What's His Name?

Names change! After months of trying to figure out the different relationships within a family, Samuel is suddenly aware that women's names change as they marry. His sister no longer shares his last name. I haven't always been a Withnell. Both his grandmothers' names changed.

Now he's getting comfortable with the idea that names change, but he's having trouble figuring out whose name changes. "When I grow up, with I be a ...." fill in the last name of a friend, his speech teacher, and others in his life. So much to learn!

An interesting side note: my maiden name is from old English and had four consonants in the middle. I've known people for many years who never learned to pronounce it correctly. Samuel got it the first time. This is another puzzle; he's a spectrum kid but he has many talents for language!

Wednesday, January 27

Guess What I Have?

Yesterday my boys and I were over at a playground that has become part of our (almost) daily walk. Samuel decided he needed to inform a nearby workman that: "I have a small intestine and a large intestine." Ah, the joys of homeschooling. At least I know the boys learned that lesson!

Tuesday, January 26

Kids See, Kids Do

Everyone knows that kids learn by imitation, but a few examples really jumped out at me today. I went upstairs to put away clean laundry. When I returned downstairs, I found Samuel eating a perfectly sliced apple. He had gotten himself an apple, then used a cutter that cores and slices an apple in one motion. (Now I wonder if he also imitated my habit of always washing an apple first?) One way or another, I was impressed with his ingenuity.

Now for a bad example. One of our neighbors has had visitors who hang around out front to smoke. Today, while I was bringing groceries in, I saw Samuel pick up one of the discarded filters and put it up to his lips. Yuck! He got a thorough lecture on the dangers of smoking, and also made me realize that sending smokers outside may not always be teaching neighborhood children the best of lessons. 

Thursday, January 21

Play Time

My boys are as energetic as ever while I have been rather lethargic. One morning, rather than working around the house, I just played with the boys. This was an education for me!

The boys have become huge fan of Thomas the Tank and have the tracks, engines and cars to go along with their devotion. As I played with them, I was pleasantly surprised to see how much problem solving is needed to get the tracks to actually hook up in the same spot or to build a bridge to cross tracks without the extra accessories designed for that purpose. The boys decided what they wanted and made do with what was before them. I couldn't come up with formal curiculum to teach such valuable life skills.

Despite Samuel's communication struggles, I was pleased to see the boys' cooperative and imaginative play. Whole story lines developed about trains coming off the tracks and needing to be rescued, and none of it sounded like any of the Thomas DVDs they've watched. In other words, the boys weren't just scripting. This is a big deal for Samuel. It's as if he's getting a chance to develop alongside his younger brother who is following a more typical trajectory. Play indeed.

Tuesday, January 19

Showing Strength

Yesterday my husband, some friends and I went to our state capitol. While we were not necessarily working on home schooling issues (to my knowledge we don't have any bills pending that would affect our schooling rights) we actively voiced our support of legislation that would protect our constitutional rights and opposed those that infringe on our freedoms.

Our state was on the forefront of developing the language that shaped our fledgling republic, so it was truly inspiring to stand in a crowd and use our right to assemble and to speak. It is reassuring that as Washington barricades itself further due to the terrorism threat, we can walk right up to the offices of our state lawmakers and tell them our concerns.

Right now, we enjoy some of the best home schooling laws in the nation. These are particularly important when teaching a spectrum kid -- some states (and even schools that misrepresent the laws) are willing to accept general home schooling but dig in their heals when considering a special needs child.

Those of you who are familiar with this blog realize that I advocate that parents get whatever assistance they believe is best for their child. If that includes services from public schools, that's the parents choice and should not be demanded by school administrators.

But in general, all rights to home school are fragile and will be strengthened only by a willingness to engage the political process. Tracking legislation via the internet, investing a day here or making a phone call there, will protect our right to seek what's best for our children.

P.S. One legislative assistant told me yesterday that they obviously have to track e-mails but that task can be overwhelming. A hard copy summary of bills supported or opposed is actually helpful and is likely to receive more attention.

Thursday, January 14

A Day For Grief

The extent of human suffering in Haiti is truly unimaginable. I have spoken of it only in general terms -- that there was a disaster and that people have been hurt -- and the kids have heard me pray for the people in that tiny island nation.

When Samuel, his brother, and I sit down again in a few minutes, we'll find Haiti on their earth ball. I had thought of using it to show them how the surface of the earth can quake, but decided that it would be a concept far too scary. Thank God I can teach them that he "who trust in God's unchanging love, leans on a rock that naught can move."

Wednesday, January 13

Story Time

We've "discovered" a new author: David McPhail. His book, Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore delighted all of us. What makes a good book?

I like books with rhymes so Samuel hears how letter combinations are repeated and how a slight change in sound can make a complete change in words and meanings. Actual story lines are important too, even if they're totally silly. Wondering what happens next keeps a child engaged in the story -- anyone can love stories, but few will truly enjoy the mechanics of phonics. Sadly, the latter is what so often is emphasized in child genius-type books.

A speaker I heard recently emphasized that these early reading years can be crucial for developing empathy and sympathy through imagination. Being able to put yourself in someone else's place greatly encourages kindness and helpfulness. Good books can help you feel what the main characters are going though and to empathize -- when they're scared, you're scared, when they're relieved by help, you're relieved. I think this will be a crucial skill to develop with Samuel since he is not likely to naturally be good at reading other's emotions and feelings.

Let's go find a good book!

Tuesday, January 12

Brother Can You Spare a Newspaper?

I miss my daily newspaper, and cannot understand the assertion that the computer easily takes its place. Even Samuel is used to my daily routine of reading my morning  paper with my coffee. As a bitty baby, I'd let him cuddle up with me while I read the paper and eased into the day. Now he enjoys looking at the comics and the car section while I peruse the weightier stories.

Except there is no newspaper at the moment. The Times messed up our subscription so it will be a few days before we get it again. And I'm afraid that news organization is on a steep decline; it recently released about 40 percent of its staff and stopped publishing any papers on the weekend.

This is more than a minor annoyance because newspapers all over are having a tough time holding their own against electronic media. From a technological perspective, I can understand the problem. A news producer can sit anywhere and send her story via internet to the far reaches of the world for little more than the cost of having a computer and an internet connection. A newspaper requires actual ink being placed on actual paper and someone to deliver the final product to your house.

But the internet changes how we read and learn. Glancing over a newspaper page, a compelling photograph or an intriguing lead paragraph may draw me into a topic totally new to me, one I might not have realized could hold my attention. As I follow that story onto another page, other items draw me in and inform me on a broad array of topics.

We have already reared a generation of kids who don't know the pleasure of sitting on a rainy afternoon paging through the encyclopedia. How many times as a child, might I have been looking up, say, the state of Florida for a school report and been drawn into an article about frogs, then studied the pictures of all the different flags, and so on through the "F" volume.

Its this accidental learning that I'm afraid we're losing. Am I adhering to a buggy whip, like those quaint old folks of 1910? Maybe. But anyone who's truly interested in how his child learns should be aware that the medium can shape the message and the very fundamentals of what and how we learn.

Friday, January 8

Back to Routine

We've done surprisingly well for the first week after a major school break. The kids are bringing out school materials on their own -- we had a US geography lesson before I finished my coffee this morning -- and we've been running at just about full curriculum on everything else.

Although it's been chilly, the boys have been able to spend a lot of time outdoors this week, and I think that helps. When they come back inside, they're willing to settle down and do some quiet lessons. When they can't get outside, I've found school is like trying to get an Irish setter puppy to sit in the parlor and sip tea -- it's not easy!

We had a few inches of snow last night, so the boys are heading out for a while. Let's see if my theory proves to be correct and we can get school done later .... gotta go find the mittens!

Thursday, January 7

Friends from Heaven

Samuel, bless his heart, can be a real challenge. My decision to postpone this blog over the holidays was based, in part, on my simply being overwhelmed.

One of the more discouraging aspects had been the inability to participate fully in worship. Sunday mornings were the most tense time of the week for me. We had followed every bit of advice that came our way, including suggestions from someone who had grown up with challenges similar to Samuel's. But his spontaneous outbursts and movement just couldn't be tamed.

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, a dear friend stopped by the house. She suggested having friends sit with Samuel in a quiet room in the lower part of the church where the services could still be heard. He could learn and participate, and I could fully participate again in church.

This has worked out beautifully. Last week, Samuel worshiped with a teenager that he just adores. It sounds like Samuel is learning a lot about the service and is able to participate in his own way. Others are getting to know Samuel even better, and I don't end up physically and emotionally drained every week.

I thank God for the wonderful people He puts in our lives to help carry our burdens!

Wednesday, January 6

Writing to Grandma

Samuel has long loved typing on a computer -- you push a letter here and get an instant response on the screen. We first gave him one of those early learning skills computers and followed that with an older castoff full computer.

Now Samuel can communicate with someone via computer.

My Mom decided to send him a note via my email. I put him in my lap and opened the email in front of us, then let him write a note back to Grandma. We've had several notes back and forth already.

I get him to think aloud a bit first, but what he types is his writing. So far, the only misspelling I noted was "rote" for "wrote," which is a very logical error. He also knows how to type an ampersand by touch and he prefers that to "and." I have no idea how he learned that one because I'd have to hunt to find it on the keyboard.

Samuel's life as a writer begins.

Tuesday, January 5

Will You Be My Friend?

When homeschooling the older kids, I was prepared for the typical social arguments made against homeschooling. The public expectation seems to be that children need to be "socialized" in school, something like a puppy, I suppose. Well, in the 30 years I've been around home-schooled kids, the social argument has proven to be bunk! Not only research, but my own observations show these kids to be extremely confident and able to interact well in almost all circumstances. (Better actually -- they're typically unconcerned about age whether dealing with younger kids or adults.)

OK, now we get to Samuel. Social issues are at the heart of a spectrum kid's challenge. I've recognized that professionals can be quite helpful to me in developing strategies to work with him. And as you may guess, I'm hearing a lot that he needs to be in a group setting to learn to interact with his peers.

This was one of my chief thoughts over the holidays. One conclusion I've reached is that Samuel is developing quite normally for a home-schooled child. He enjoys children of all ages, and will go up and talk to adults with great assurance. (In a play area recently a mother warned him that her baby was quite grumpy. Samuel had both Mama and baby grinning in a matter of minutes.)

But what about peers? I'm not so sure about that one. Part of me wants to discount the experts' concern. For a child who's going to spend the next 12 years in an age-segregated setting, this peer interaction would be critical. Real life isn't like that. In churches, the workplace, and in the community, we have to deal with people of all ages, abilities and life experiences.

On the other hand, friendships are vital in life, and we are often attracted to people who are similar to us. I can already see other children showing some frustration at Samuel's impulsiveness and ability to  disrupt a group. But is this a peer-interaction problem, or the outward manifestations of being a spectrum kid? I'm still thinking on this question.

Monday, January 4

She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not ...

I finally realized that Samuel is trying to figure out relationships. He comes up to me and says: "Say: 'I'm not your mother." To which I reply: "I can't say that: I am your mother; I love being your mother!" This seemed like such a strange dialog, and he's been repeating this for weeks! Then I started to piece his thoughts together.

While reading (we just started the Little House series), he will ask again and again if one person is the mother or if someone else is the brother. With my parents here for part of the holidays, Samuel tried to figure how Grandma could be my mother and grandpa's wife -- how Aunt Mary could also be my sister. He also seems to be pondering that if a relationship exists today, it also exists tomorrow, and perhaps the next day. And then the list of people he wishes to marry extends from his brothers and sisters to me and to people he's just met.

Relationships extend to inanimate objects. Samuel just asked me if his trains could stay here at the house. "Of course," I replied. "I love the trains," he said. "They are my trains."

Samuel is blessed to have very stable relationships around him. Still, it's a lot to figure out.