Conviction & Fear

With the new baby, simplicity is still on my mind and my attention is turned towards my 7-year-old son with regards to language arts. The problem isn't about consistency but with necessity.

This is what has worked in the previous year.

For spelling, my 7 year old has been practicing his spelling words daily by himself. When he reaches the fourth day of independent study, he lets me know that it's time for a spelling test. Spelling test can happen on any day of the week but always on the fifth day of independent study. This avoids over-complicating things when our weekly routine is out-of-sync. I did have to teach him how to practice his spelling words for himself. I simply gave a few self-test techniques and he chooses among them. I do expect mastery by the fifth day so he is responsible for his own work. I hope this lays down the foundation for him to be more responsible for the rest of his memory work.

For grammar, I correct it when I can, usually 2-3 times a week, but the workbook is self-explanatory so he doesn't have to wait for me to correct one exercise to proceed to the next. I just make sure that I do corrections frequently so that any mistakes are addressed before they take hold.

Now that's what we do when we do spelling, grammar & handwriting. However, I'm planning to drop them because his time can be better spent elsewhere. He doesn't complain about the exercises but it's not something he picks up when he doesn't have to. That to me is indicative of how much he enjoys it. However, he does work on his solar system model all the time and frequently I have to remind him to do his other homework assignments first. Otherwise it'll be two hours into school and all he has worked on is his solar system. :)

What I am coming to realize that a good indicator of what to add is my intuitive sense. Often I regret adding something because of my fear of incompleteness. It may not be the same for you. It was this fear that caused me to buy into that "comprehensive"and "intensive" package. I am now weary of myself when my explanation to my husband is along the veins of "Aren't you afraid he would miss out on xyz?" On the other hand, I have yet to regret anything that I felt strongly about on first glance. It's akin to "love-at-first-sight". There have been some treasures that I have uncovered on deeper inspection but not enough to warrant the time spent looking for the hidden gems. So for example, you don't have to argue with me on the merits about reading fluency and math competency. So for the rest of the summer, I intend to drop anything that I feel uncertain about. I would address whether this decision is indeed wise in three to six months. I'm not stating that grammar and spelling is not important. However, we will attend to them formally when it is appropriate.