Re: A Day in the Life....
Tom & Nanci Kuykendall
I doubt the list
more school age girls from foster care (Our Homestudy is being considered
by numerous Case Workers) so I am in need of practical brass tacks advice
on what exactly we should be DOING duting the day in terms of fullfilling
educational needs. These kids are coming from IS and will most likely need
to ease out of that mentality slowly. They will also need time to deschool
and heal and adjust menatlly, emotionally and psychologically to their new
home and family.
Nanci K.
>would be interested in a blow-by-blow account of a typical day here but IMe too, Me too! We have two toddlers, and will soon be adopting one or
>would be glad to discuss it with you if you think it would help or be
>interesting.
>
>Nance
more school age girls from foster care (Our Homestudy is being considered
by numerous Case Workers) so I am in need of practical brass tacks advice
on what exactly we should be DOING duting the day in terms of fullfilling
educational needs. These kids are coming from IS and will most likely need
to ease out of that mentality slowly. They will also need time to deschool
and heal and adjust menatlly, emotionally and psychologically to their new
home and family.
Nanci K.
[email protected]
In a message dated 02/01/2000 7:59:21 PM !!!First Boot!!!,
tn-k4of5@... writes:
<< so I am in need of practical brass tacks advice
on what exactly we should be DOING duting the day in terms of fullfilling
educational needs. >>
What would you like to be doing? How would you like your days to be
structured? What suits me and mine may not work for you. I am in a
situation that is quite different from yours (hats off to all you are
undertaking, by the way!) so what we do may not apply.
Nance
marbleface@...
P.S. As an example, today was baking day. Literally. We have been shopping
and mixing and baking all day. My son has a "belt party" at Tae Kwon Do
(when they promote to the next belt) and we are bringing cookies.
Yesterday, my son was standing in the sandbox doing time/distance type word
problems -- If a plane leaves NY travelling 60 miles per hour, etc. This was
his idea. Believe me. I was pre-coffee and had to go get the calculator
just to keep up (and it was a good excuse to grab a 2nd cup of coffee).
But that's us.
Daughter is learning to read. We read a lot. And do workbooks. And write a
lot. And draw and paint.
And they both take music. Son is bored; daughter is happy but I am not --
her group class has turned into more of a play time than I want to see -- but
we'll see how it goes.
How can any of this possibly help you? I think you have to start with where
you and yours are and plan or not as you are inclined.
But there is no secret battle plan or anything.
You can check on-line or with your school board or with "What Your X Grader
Should Know" type books. Maybe those would be a sanity check. They have
been for me.
But they are just a jumping off point.
Well, I guess my PS ended up a little too long.
Feel free to email me if you think I can say anything useful.
tn-k4of5@... writes:
<< so I am in need of practical brass tacks advice
on what exactly we should be DOING duting the day in terms of fullfilling
educational needs. >>
What would you like to be doing? How would you like your days to be
structured? What suits me and mine may not work for you. I am in a
situation that is quite different from yours (hats off to all you are
undertaking, by the way!) so what we do may not apply.
Nance
marbleface@...
P.S. As an example, today was baking day. Literally. We have been shopping
and mixing and baking all day. My son has a "belt party" at Tae Kwon Do
(when they promote to the next belt) and we are bringing cookies.
Yesterday, my son was standing in the sandbox doing time/distance type word
problems -- If a plane leaves NY travelling 60 miles per hour, etc. This was
his idea. Believe me. I was pre-coffee and had to go get the calculator
just to keep up (and it was a good excuse to grab a 2nd cup of coffee).
But that's us.
Daughter is learning to read. We read a lot. And do workbooks. And write a
lot. And draw and paint.
And they both take music. Son is bored; daughter is happy but I am not --
her group class has turned into more of a play time than I want to see -- but
we'll see how it goes.
How can any of this possibly help you? I think you have to start with where
you and yours are and plan or not as you are inclined.
But there is no secret battle plan or anything.
You can check on-line or with your school board or with "What Your X Grader
Should Know" type books. Maybe those would be a sanity check. They have
been for me.
But they are just a jumping off point.
Well, I guess my PS ended up a little too long.
Feel free to email me if you think I can say anything useful.
Beth Burnham
Thanks for your PS, I for one appreciated it very much
Nance,
Ditto for me it makes all the difference in the world as a newbie and hope
others who are deep in the trenches will share or continue to let us know
something about their days and what their kids are doing at any given moment
that you feel like sharing.
Beth
Nance,
Ditto for me it makes all the difference in the world as a newbie and hope
others who are deep in the trenches will share or continue to let us know
something about their days and what their kids are doing at any given moment
that you feel like sharing.
Beth
[email protected]
In a message dated 02/01/2000 9:14:27 PM !!!First Boot!!!,
litlrooh@... writes:
<< Thanks for your PS, I for one appreciated it very much.
Kristen
I would just hate to bore everyone with our little goings on. And it is such
a personal thing -- deciding exactly how to live your life. But you're right
-- input is good -- even if all it is does is eliminate, at least that's
something.
Take care.
Nance
litlrooh@... writes:
<< Thanks for your PS, I for one appreciated it very much.
Kristen
>>Well thanks, Kristen.
I would just hate to bore everyone with our little goings on. And it is such
a personal thing -- deciding exactly how to live your life. But you're right
-- input is good -- even if all it is does is eliminate, at least that's
something.
Take care.
Nance
Have a Nice Day
Nancy, I don't think your PS was too long at all, and it really does help to
get an idea from others of what they do, so you can clarify from that what
you like to do for yourself. Kind of like, "Well, I'm not sure I want to do
THAT, but HERE is an idea I like, I'll add it to my list of things I like to
do".
It always helps to have a starting point, and modify it according to what
suits your own family. I don't think anyone here who is just starting out
would blindly adopt someone else's way of doing things, but would consider
the many ideas presented and choose what might work best for them.
Its also helpful for problem solving. Some of us run into walls, and its
nice to hear a few different perspectives and ideas from others. It helps
us see problems from different angles and come up with solutions of our own.
Thanks for your PS, I for one appreciated it very much.
Kristen
-----Original Message-----
From: Marbleface@... <Marbleface@...>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Tuesday, February 01, 2000 12:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom]A Day in the Life....
get an idea from others of what they do, so you can clarify from that what
you like to do for yourself. Kind of like, "Well, I'm not sure I want to do
THAT, but HERE is an idea I like, I'll add it to my list of things I like to
do".
It always helps to have a starting point, and modify it according to what
suits your own family. I don't think anyone here who is just starting out
would blindly adopt someone else's way of doing things, but would consider
the many ideas presented and choose what might work best for them.
Its also helpful for problem solving. Some of us run into walls, and its
nice to hear a few different perspectives and ideas from others. It helps
us see problems from different angles and come up with solutions of our own.
Thanks for your PS, I for one appreciated it very much.
Kristen
-----Original Message-----
From: Marbleface@... <Marbleface@...>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Tuesday, February 01, 2000 12:28 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom]A Day in the Life....
>From: Marbleface@...shopping
>
>In a message dated 02/01/2000 7:59:21 PM !!!First Boot!!!,
>tn-k4of5@... writes:
>
><< so I am in need of practical brass tacks advice
> on what exactly we should be DOING duting the day in terms of fullfilling
> educational needs. >>
>
>
>What would you like to be doing? How would you like your days to be
>structured? What suits me and mine may not work for you. I am in a
>situation that is quite different from yours (hats off to all you are
>undertaking, by the way!) so what we do may not apply.
>
>Nance
>marbleface@...
>
>P.S. As an example, today was baking day. Literally. We have been
>and mixing and baking all day. My son has a "belt party" at Tae Kwon Dowas
>(when they promote to the next belt) and we are bringing cookies.
>
>Yesterday, my son was standing in the sandbox doing time/distance type word
>problems -- If a plane leaves NY travelling 60 miles per hour, etc. This
>his idea. Believe me. I was pre-coffee and had to go get the calculatora
>just to keep up (and it was a good excuse to grab a 2nd cup of coffee).
>
>But that's us.
>
>Daughter is learning to read. We read a lot. And do workbooks. And write
>lot. And draw and paint.but
>
>And they both take music. Son is bored; daughter is happy but I am not --
>her group class has turned into more of a play time than I want to see --
>we'll see how it goes.where
>
>How can any of this possibly help you? I think you have to start with
>you and yours are and plan or not as you are inclined.
>
>But there is no secret battle plan or anything.
>
>You can check on-line or with your school board or with "What Your X Grader
>Should Know" type books. Maybe those would be a sanity check. They have
>been for me.
>
>But they are just a jumping off point.
>
>
>Well, I guess my PS ended up a little too long.
>
>Feel free to email me if you think I can say anything useful.
>
>
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Tom & Nanci Kuykendall
>What would you like to be doing? How would you like your days to beMy problem is that these children will need time to deschool, as well as
>structured? What suits me and mine may not work for you. I am in a
>situation that is quite different from yours (hats off to all you are
>undertaking, by the way!) so what we do may not apply.
>
>Nance
making all the adoption adjustments and dealing with past issues. But at
the same time we will be closely abserved by our Case Worker and by DSHS to
make sure the child is adjusting to the placement, etc. Which means that
one of the things they will want to see is advancement in the area of
study. Frankly I would much rather give them the room to heal and become a
member of the family and not worry about "educaitonal" goals until they are
emotionally and psychologically whole and at ease enough to be interested
in study of any kind.
Nanci K.
Tom & Nanci Kuykendall
>Nancy, I don't think your PS was too long at all, and it really does help to..... It helps us see problems from different angles and come up with
>get an idea from others of what they do, so you can clarify from that what
>you like to do for yourself. Kind of like, "Well, I'm not sure I want to do
>THAT, but HERE is an idea I like, I'll add it to my list of things I like to
>do".
solutions of our own.
>Exactly and Ditto!
>Thanks for your PS, I for one appreciated it very much.
>
>Kristen
Nanci K.
Beth Burnham
Frankly I would much rather give them the room to heal and become a
member of the family and not worry about "educaitonal" goals until they are
emotionally and psychologically whole and at ease enough to be interested
in study of any kind.
Nanci, I bet if you do this they will naturally demonstrate learning on the
scale that those social workers will be looking for are they giving you any
guidelines for how long they will allow for the adjustment period before you
have to prove to them that they are learning? I bet you are going to offer
them such a rich environemtn that the adjustment pd may not be so long
either. My cousin adopted a little boy from an orphanage in Russia at the
age of 4 and he absorbed their environment so quickly like a fish to water.
I hope you will let us in on what those first days are like if you have the
time to share or record it. They will be your baby records of these
children. We used a videotape prior to picking him up and of course
throughout the entire process when they first met etc. You can see a lot of
change using a video recorder too.
I am so thrilled for you. When will they be arriving?
Beth
member of the family and not worry about "educaitonal" goals until they are
emotionally and psychologically whole and at ease enough to be interested
in study of any kind.
Nanci, I bet if you do this they will naturally demonstrate learning on the
scale that those social workers will be looking for are they giving you any
guidelines for how long they will allow for the adjustment period before you
have to prove to them that they are learning? I bet you are going to offer
them such a rich environemtn that the adjustment pd may not be so long
either. My cousin adopted a little boy from an orphanage in Russia at the
age of 4 and he absorbed their environment so quickly like a fish to water.
I hope you will let us in on what those first days are like if you have the
time to share or record it. They will be your baby records of these
children. We used a videotape prior to picking him up and of course
throughout the entire process when they first met etc. You can see a lot of
change using a video recorder too.
I am so thrilled for you. When will they be arriving?
Beth
[email protected]
In a message dated 02/07/2000 5:06:06 PM !!!First Boot!!!,
tn-k4of5@... writes:
<< My problem is that these children will need time to deschool, as well as
making all the adoption adjustments and dealing with past issues. But at
the same time we will be closely abserved by our Case Worker and by DSHS to
make sure the child is adjusting to the placement, etc. Which means that
one of the things they will want to see is advancement in the area of
study. Frankly I would much rather give them the room to heal and become a
member of the family and not worry about "educaitonal" goals until they are
emotionally and psychologically whole and at ease enough to be interested
in study of any kind.
Nanci K. >>
My thoughts only here --
Surely these children from the system come to you with some sort of
documentation. If they have been in school previously or have been tested at
all, there is something to give you a jumping off point. It may not be
particularly accurate and you probably have to satisfy all sorts of regs, but
this could be a time to say X is reading at 2nd grade level according to XX
and we will continue to assist him in improving his reading. Or whatever
subjects the system will still be interested in. What do they check on? How
detailed? Etc.
No, this isn't ideal unschooling, but it might be a starting point -- using
their existing documentation to project future educational needs and goals --
maybe you have to be more exact than one might want to be in a better
unschooling world, but you are dealing with regs most of us don't have to get
through.
Is there a way to determine what the system wants them to accomplish in the
next X months? You may be able to do that in less time than school would so
you will have time up front to deschool.
Is there some sort of pyschological component to the oversight by the system?
Is there a psychol in the picture who you could enlist to suggest these kids
may need a certain amount of time off considering all they are going thru?
Does this oversight end after a while? Or decrease? Perhaps true
unschooling can't happen just yet -- not under their watchful eyes -- but
will have to develop over time.
Good luck.
Nance
tn-k4of5@... writes:
<< My problem is that these children will need time to deschool, as well as
making all the adoption adjustments and dealing with past issues. But at
the same time we will be closely abserved by our Case Worker and by DSHS to
make sure the child is adjusting to the placement, etc. Which means that
one of the things they will want to see is advancement in the area of
study. Frankly I would much rather give them the room to heal and become a
member of the family and not worry about "educaitonal" goals until they are
emotionally and psychologically whole and at ease enough to be interested
in study of any kind.
Nanci K. >>
My thoughts only here --
Surely these children from the system come to you with some sort of
documentation. If they have been in school previously or have been tested at
all, there is something to give you a jumping off point. It may not be
particularly accurate and you probably have to satisfy all sorts of regs, but
this could be a time to say X is reading at 2nd grade level according to XX
and we will continue to assist him in improving his reading. Or whatever
subjects the system will still be interested in. What do they check on? How
detailed? Etc.
No, this isn't ideal unschooling, but it might be a starting point -- using
their existing documentation to project future educational needs and goals --
maybe you have to be more exact than one might want to be in a better
unschooling world, but you are dealing with regs most of us don't have to get
through.
Is there a way to determine what the system wants them to accomplish in the
next X months? You may be able to do that in less time than school would so
you will have time up front to deschool.
Is there some sort of pyschological component to the oversight by the system?
Is there a psychol in the picture who you could enlist to suggest these kids
may need a certain amount of time off considering all they are going thru?
Does this oversight end after a while? Or decrease? Perhaps true
unschooling can't happen just yet -- not under their watchful eyes -- but
will have to develop over time.
Good luck.
Nance
Tracy Oldfield
Nanci, do you think that perhaps you can explain this to the children? That while you know they need time to get over whatever has led them to being adopted, you all will be montiroed at least for a while, so if they can hang on for that time, they can relax after? I know they'll probably be a bit young to accept that, and it might seem a bit false and forced, but if in the end it means that you can live without thinking about what 'authorities' are thinking, it may help. It's only a suggestion, and I may not make any sense at all!
Best of luck whatever goes on, and yes I'd LOVE to hear about what's going on, I don't think there's anything off-topic on an unschooling list!!
Tracy
Best of luck whatever goes on, and yes I'd LOVE to hear about what's going on, I don't think there's anything off-topic on an unschooling list!!
Tracy
----- Original Message -----
From: Tom & Nanci Kuykendall
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2000 4:55 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom]A Day in the Life....
From: Tom & Nanci Kuykendall <tn-k4of5@...>
>What would you like to be doing? How would you like your days to be
>structured? What suits me and mine may not work for you. I am in a
>situation that is quite different from yours (hats off to all you are
>undertaking, by the way!) so what we do may not apply.
>
>Nance
My problem is that these children will need time to deschool, as well as
making all the adoption adjustments and dealing with past issues. But at
the same time we will be closely abserved by our Case Worker and by DSHS to
make sure the child is adjusting to the placement, etc. Which means that
one of the things they will want to see is advancement in the area of
study. Frankly I would much rather give them the room to heal and become a
member of the family and not worry about "educaitonal" goals until they are
emotionally and psychologically whole and at ease enough to be interested
in study of any kind.
Nanci K.
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