What didn't work for me

Every year, without fail, when I plan my school schedule I start with the children's individual schedules.  I color code them (black - individual work, blue - group work, red - lessons with me).  Then I create a schedule trying to fit all this in in a day.  With 6 students plus...this can be a little challenging. 

This year I decided to do something different.  I started with a routine and then tried to individualize from there. 

But...I've given up.  It failed.  Time to throw in the towel.  I guess I just don't think that way.  I (at least with school planning) do not work well moving from the whole to the parts. 

Going back to parts and then making the whole.

Speaking of what didn't work.  Sometimes that becomes what will work.  Years ago, my oldest (who starts college in a couple weeks!) learned to read using Seton's readers.  It wasn't easy for her at all.  She really struggled.  She eventually caught on about third grade.  A few years later and she was reading well beyond her grade level...and is now looking for a third bookshelf to house her ever expanding library.  No one who knows her now doubts her love for books!  ahem...back to the subject here.  Next child comes along and is really struggling.  I finally switched to Little Angel Readers (orton gillingham approach for those interested in the phonetic aspect).  It worked.  I couldn't imagine why anyone would not use these books!  Children 3 and 4 used them. Child 5 is nearly done after a slight glitch.  Child 6....was going nowhere.  Now, it could have something to do with her needing glasses.  Not sure. But, even after glasses she was slowly plugging away through LAR.  She picked up Dick and Jane and loved it.  That's what she wanted to read every day.  So, at first I met her half way.  Some days LAR lessons and some days Dick and Jane.  She really liked them and then I remembered the old Seton readers I still had.  I pulled the first one out and she loved reading it.  If she can't sound out the new word(s) I tell them to her, she may need help a couple times, but then she gets it.  Wow.  I am finding it hard to wrap my head around the fact that I am going to switch her to these.  I loved the scope of LAR.  LAR ecompassed reading, phonics, and spelling.  Hmmm.....I have phonics workbooks for her, but I am seriously thinking about what to use for spelling now.  I might use All About Spelling (I have it!) or I might make it up as we go and she learns new things in her phonics book and add in the site words too.  She's 2nd grade.  It's easy to that in 2nd grade :)

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