Viper Report post Posted April 27, 2006 Ben is usually really good with his learning but this week he just wants to smash his cars into each other (his version of playing) I'm not too worried as he likes doing maths and reading and is ahead of his age group, but If it goes on for too long I may have trouble. He seems to have awakened his obsession with cars and you know what these obsessions are like once they start, there isn't anything more important. Does anyone have any tips on how you get your kids to do stuff? OOOHH I've just had a good idea. I will see if we can make a bar graph of the colours of his cars, thats educational. Off to see if it will work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oracle Report post Posted April 27, 2006 Sadly Viper we don't work to a school like routine like you appear to do. We follow an autonomous learning style and it works for all of us. If Matthew wants to sit and write or do sums for hours then we do it, if not we find something else, like building a lego building and then incorporate the maths so he does not even realise that he is learning. I know that many home edders do have a break from time to time if they feel that their child needs it. At the moment our topics are forensic detectives and air crashes - really Matthew wants to apprehend every Terrorist on the planet and needs to know how to do it. I am expecting to have my prints taken at any moment - he wants to buy the kit Oracle Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viper Report post Posted April 27, 2006 I think we do a bit of both Carole. Ben likes to do maths so I have books he can write in and I print sheets off the Web. I think we have a more rigid style because Ben is only 5 and needs to learn how to read. He can read most things now so it's just a bit of polishing. I don't make him stick to a time table, that wouldn't work with him. I ask him if he wants to do maths and if not then fair enough. When he decides to play I let him cos he doesn't do much of it so I think it's important for him. I think I worry that I am not doing whats best for him. We all want our kids to reach their full potential and Ben is high functioning so I feel I need to do as much as I can. I sometimes feel like I am flailing around in the dark, not knowing which direction to take him in. This can be hard work if you let it. How old is Mathew? That forensic detective stuff sounds cool, when can I start teaching Ben that sort of thing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oracle Report post Posted April 27, 2006 I think we do a bit of both Carole. Ben likes to do maths so I have books he can write in and I print sheets off the Web. I think we have a more rigid style because Ben is only 5 and needs to learn how to read. He can read most things now so it's just a bit of polishing. I don't make him stick to a time table, that wouldn't work with him. I ask him if he wants to do maths and if not then fair enough. When he decides to play I let him cos he doesn't do much of it so I think it's important for him. I think I worry that I am not doing whats best for him. We all want our kids to reach their full potential and Ben is high functioning so I feel I need to do as much as I can. I sometimes feel like I am flailing around in the dark, not knowing which direction to take him in. This can be hard work if you let it. How old is Mathew? That forensic detective stuff sounds cool, when can I start teaching Ben that sort of thing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oracle Report post Posted April 27, 2006 (edited) How old is Mathew? That forensic detective stuff sounds cool, when can I start teaching Ben that sort of thing? Matthew is 9 and he got into this about six monts ago. It can make me feel a bit sometimes but his Dad is well into to so I just do the cooking and let them get on with it Oracle Edited April 27, 2006 by oracle Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oracle Report post Posted April 27, 2006 PS The topic I do enjoy which Matthew is also passionate about is Wildlife - although not at 2am in the morning when you are chatting to a hedgehog at your front door We are watching the David Attenborough 80th Birthday celebration documentaries on UKTV and they are ace Oracle Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Viper Report post Posted April 27, 2006 Wildlife is my passion too. We have a resident hedgehog who lives in our garage and eats the cat food. I think he hibernated there in the winter. I found him last night and dragged the kids out of bed to see it.They weren't asleep this time but I have woken them up at 2am to see it before. They think I am mad although they do love to see it. I particularly love birds and get quite excited when a woodpecker visits our garden. the kids however don't seem quite as excited. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tensing Report post Posted April 28, 2006 Henry has good days and bad days, sometimes he sits happily working all day, and actually asks for more work, other days you can't get him near a pencil, those days we tend to do practical things like gardening. The LEA are coming next week so I am panicking a bit, that we are doing enough. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
denise2 Report post Posted April 28, 2006 Our son has good days and bad days. I like to incorporate formal and autonomous learning as he cannot cope with too much formal learning. However if he goes off track and I need to encourage him we offer a reward related to his latest obsession to encourage him to get back into it. It's amazing how quickly the enthusiasm gets up if there is a reward at the end. The reward lasts until he's back into routine and then it's dropped. Our son is 11 and AS. Good Luck Denise 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
