We are just starting to get into the routine for the new school year. This year we enrolled to Seton Home Study School because I was stressed and tired this summer. Each summer I get a big kick out of curriculum planning, picking out books, finding books cheap etc. I did not have the energy this summer, so I just sent a pile of money to Seton and they sent me back a big box of books and daily lesson plans. The only thing is the day is much longer, but I am finding the lessons to be very redundant, so I am shaving off a little here, a little there. Normally I do not buy books that are redundant because books are not cheap.
The hardest part of the day is my seven year old's reading lessons. Each day he reads a story from his This is Our Town reader in this terrible little boy monotone like ..."At...St....Francis...Church...Faththth-err...Michaels...met...the...pas...tor...
Faththth-errr....Carl..." I love my son, but man, this is penance. I have not stayed awake for one reading lesson yet. Not only do I fall asleep, I fall into a deep sleep, dreams and everything. My other son will come and nudge me to wake me up and I will get angry at him for waking Mommy up in the middle of the night. Then I come to my senses and Posco is still reading "...yess...Pee-terrr...Mar-tin...anDuh...MaTT...Lay, lay, Lake...are...nice...boyz...said...Faththth-errr Carl..." I love my children, and I love homeschooling. I am so grateful my son's reading is improving because I was going to start begging someone to put me out of my misery.
Ha!
I have to read every few sentances as a way to stay awake. I also will copy what he's going to read and follow along highlighting mistakes. It keeps me going. My problem is late afternoon read aloud time. I last about 15-20 min before I start to talk like I have mush in my mouth and nod off. DS does not wake me up...he takes off.
Julie w in ar
Actually, most of the time he runs off too. I felt bad telling on him. It is my other son that wakes me up. LOL
I go through the same thing with Eve, also seven. I've just resorted to using Reading Reflex to get her to read more smoothly. I haven't noticed a big change yet, so I may just try Audiblox. I want so much for reading not to be so cumbersome for her. But I totally know what you mean; reading time can be the most frustrating time of the day. Now I'm just working on phonics/phono-graphix skills and not requiring too much reading from her readers yet. We're taking it very slowly this year. She actually loves the Faith & Freedom readers so at least I don't have to worry about lack of interest.
I thought I was the only person who had this problem! :) I was sure the boys were reading with a soporific monotone precisely to put me to sleep. When I asked for more feeling, more umph so to speak, Chuck started reading in a mind jarring falsetto that would draw his father into the room to find out what the problem was...
But it is still easier with one's own children. Some mornings at work I have to listen to second graders read - and without the underpinnings of maternal devotion it is really a chore.
They all do that; don't let it worry you. I used to want to crawl the walls when mine were at the robot-reader stage. It doesn't last long, however, and when he is reading easily and comfortably, you can work on expression with him. The best way may be to put plenty of variation and melody in your own voice when reading aloud to the family.