Justin's Homeschool

Justin started kindergarten this year.  That's kind of difficult to say.  I have been very content only homeschooling Travis, but it was time to add Justin to the mix.  I have enjoyed our routine and now it has to change a little.  In reality, I have been teaching Justin too, with all the therapy "homework" we do, but this is the first time I really get to decide what to teach him.  We are working through the same curriculum I did with Travis, Little Hands to Heaven from Heart of Dakota, but with Travis I used it for preschool.   Justin has been working on upper case letters in OT, and now we are working on lower case and that's part of the thrust of this curriculum so we are using it, plus his other OT things and a little more Bible that includes memory verses. 

 

I have to say, it's working surprisingly well!  Despite the thought and planning that goes into school I am still surprised when things work out.  Justin mostly loves school, and he doesn't like it when he is having a tough day in general and he doesn't like anything.  (And that usually coincides with a day he is overtired because he took his CPAP mask off and he didn't get good sleep.  Go figure.)  He is amazing me with the way he is remembering his memory verses.  He has a verse for every letter of the alphabet and we are up to "F" which is John 3:16.  It's a long verse and he is getting it.  Plus he remembers all the one we have learned up to now.  I tried to use this book with Travis and he did not like it, but it's Justin's favorite after the Bible story.  The part I struggle to get him to do is his therapy work: matching upper/lower case letters, cutting with scissors, writing his letters, new sentence patterns for speech, prepositions, standing on one foot.  I even make it a game, like "Simon says stand on one foot" but Justin knows all my tricks already.  I need some new ones!

 

Justin does like art and he is very patient to complete his work.  I was very impressed with his rainbow.  And truly his writing is improving, if I catch him at a good time of day.  That's what's difficult: going back and trying again when he doesn't cooperate the first time.  Justin can be a very good wet noodle when he wants to be!

 

Travis is great with him too.  They sometimes do art projects together: Travis does Justin's and vice versa.  Travis wants to give Justin all the answers so I can't wait for Alaina to do this and Justin to give her all the answers!  Justin is already a little mother to Alaina.  That's what I treasure about this experience.  Watching them interact and work together is awesome.  Doing puzzles and solving problems together.  That's the way learning should be.  Travis is enjoying hearing the rhymes that coordinate with the letters each week and he sings them along with me.  Alaina dances!  And Justin is getting the letter sounds down and I have high hopes of him reading one day soon.  I think I will cry when he reads his first complete sentence.  One of the rewards I will cherish most!