Homeschooling: A is for Aptitude

Lately, I've ran into some other parents of special needs kiddos who have a peaked interest in homeschooling.  

I'm writing this post with you in mind to show you if I can do it, you can too!!

The last couple of weeks we have been focusing on apples.  

I found these lesson plans from Motherhood on a Dime and I use them as a template to have a jumping off point. 

She has free versions and a downloadable PDF file for $17 which is extremely reasonable, but I have found I get by just fine with the free version.  

These lesson plans are written for one week at a time, but we can easily stretch a favorite topic into multiple weeks.  I anticipate continuing on with apples until Maddie gets bored, so this actually helps with prep time.  

If you are considering homeschooling a couple of things I would emphasize while reading this are:

1) Each of these activities were worked into our day to day lives.  Most of them only take 5-10 minutes with a few (like painting) lasting more like 30 minutes and most of that is unstructured play time.

2)  A lot of times, we may only do one or two activities a day.  

3) I keep my goals very broad. For example, one day I'll decide to focus on one-to-one correspondence, the next I'll focus on writing letters, the next day the focus will be fine motor skills.  I tell myself as long as I get in one large goal, the rest is icing on the cake.  That helps me keep from getting through a day without any homeschooling.

4) I am still trying to find a good rhythm for us.  It's a bit more of a challenge since she does go to preschool two days/week.  The other challenge working against us is myself. 

 I cannot STAND doing the same thing twice.  

(In 15 years of marriage, I can count on one hand the number of recipes I have repeated. Once I've conquered a recipe it's just boring to do it all over again!)

This is something I have GOT to work on.  

Maddie needs repetition to learn.  

So, keep these things in mind if you are reading this and envisioning yourself homeschooling. 

So, here's a look into our last couple of weeks:

We painted imprints with apples.

After the "work" was done, I let Maddie have some open-ended play with the paint.  

With her propensity for sensory play, she just couldn't help herself...

If it feels good to squish paint between fingers, it must feel even better to wipe it all over one's arm!

We also used these apples from Amazon.

Maddie sorted them by size

She knows "big" and "small" and we are working on "medium"

We also did one-to-one correspondence and quantifying

I found another great free resource from Pre-Kinders.com
These are same/different cards.
This was a challenge for Maddie, so this is something I need to repeat more often.

I also utilized our library and checked out a few books about apples.

We try and read every day, even on days she goes to preschool.

Our book list for apples is:
An Apple's Life by Nancy Dickman
How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman (one of my favorites!)
The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall
Apples by Jacqueline Farmer
and
Ten Apples Up on Top by Theo LeSieg

I also used the apple imprints we painted for number recognition.
I cut them out, wrote the numbers on the apples with a sharpie, and laminated them.
I went to 20, but for now, we are still working on 1-5.

I usually work in other things that have nothing to do with the "theme" of the week.
For example, one day my focus was less T.V. time, more open-ended play time.
I read a fantastic blog featuring 30 Days to Transform Your Play.

Maddie and I went out and collected "interesting things" from nature.
Then, we made play dough together.

Then, I set all of our nature finds out on her table to explore.

I found she needed a little more "encouragement" to really get involved so I added her
  Tinkerbell fairies.

I have to admit, this was more my creation than Maddie's! I couldn't help it.  They needed shade trees!

One of the most important aspects for us with homeschooling is preparing Maddie for independent living.  We are always working on practical life skills.

Since she has been progressing so well with her Sensory Processing Disorder therapy, I wanted Maddie to try to drink from a cup again.
We've been working on this skill for a LOOOOONG time.  She just couldn't quite get the hang of it, but now that she was showing signs of regulation, I knew it was time to try again.

I wanted smaller, heavier, glass cups.
The heavier the cup, the more "information" there is to help her brain process the act of drinking from a cup.
I went to Goodwill and found the most adorable ceramic Japanese cups that were absolutely perfect.
I filled it with water first, and her first try, she finished the entire cup with a very small amount of spillage!
She was sooo proud of herself!!

So, next I wanted to teach her to pour from her own pitcher.
We have been "practicing" using beans.
I bought this set from Montessori-N-Such.

This week, she successfully began pouring her own water in her own cups.

It took some practice to learn not only how to pour, but when to stop!

After lots of practicing, over and over, she did it!!

I know this is  super long post,  and if you're still reading chances are you are either really interested in homeschooling or Maddie's Grandma or Grammie!

Ideally, we would probably have more of a structured schedule,
we would work on the basics every day,
we would repeat a lot of the same activities over and over,
and we would work in more open ended play and less T.V. time.

We are still a work in progress with a large learning curve, but I can tell you that homeschooling is worth every minute of the investment of time and materials you are willing to make.

I have learned SO much about her learning style and I can't tell you how good it feels to know exactly where she's at, assessing her aptitude firsthand, and just generally having a handle on her education.

Homeschooling for us is has been a great decision.
Granted, it's one I will re-assess next year, but at least for the time being, we are having fun and are happy! 

Maddie Begins Ballet!

Today will be Maddie's first day of ballet classes! 

I'm so excited!

This morning I showed her the leotard and ballet shoes for class and she couldn't wait to put them on and try them out!

We are keeping things low-key.  

We chose to sign her up at the YMCA rather than a dance studio.  

I think she's going to love it. 

First position, second position, here we come!!

Lens Love!

So, I rented this little beauty and took her out for a test run yesterday.

She's very lovely.
All of these pictures are SOOC (straight out of camera).
No editing. 

1/2000, f/2.8, 200mm

I was probably 25 feet from Maddie when I took this photo.
I love the compression.
See how the pole she's leaning against appears to be the same scale as the tree behind her?
In reality it's more like a scale of 2:1 or more.
I love how this lens seems to pull in the background to make things "tighter".

The main reason I love this lens though is how it changes the relationship with the subject.
The physical distance creates this mood that I'm just LOVING!

1/1250, f/2.8, 190mm

1/1250, f/2.8, 135mm

1/1250, f/2.8, 95mm

 It feels more natural to me.
I just love it.  

It also performed really well with motion and keeping the focus.

1/1600, f/2.8, 70mm

I was panning to get this shot as she was running on the bridge.

I did discover this lens is all about distance.
I tried a familiar shot I get of Maddie all the time because it's one of her favorite things to do.

1/1250, f/2.8, 70mm

Peek-a-boo around the tree.  I was right there, maybe 1 foot from her.

1/500, f/2.8, 70mm

The lens couldn't find focus this close, so when there's action going on with little ones in close proximity, this is NOT the lens for the job.

Here are some of my favorite shots at 70mm.
I was probably 5-7 feet from her in most of these.

1/2000, f/2.8, 70mm

1/3200, f/2.8, 70mm

And here are my favorite shots at a longer focal length.

1/2500, f/2.8, 200mm

1/3200, f/2.8, 135mm

Another amazing find I discovered with this lens is the lack of chromatic aberration.

1/500, f/2.8, 70mm

Normally, with this much contrast between the chains and the sky there would be some green lines that appear between the transitions (aka chromatic aberration)
Look at this!  It's amazing!

Well, now that I have proven what a nerd I am, I have just ONE more observation/conclusion with this lens.

This is NOT your lens for macro photography.

On the left, 70-200.

On the right, my 100mm Macro.

No comparison!








Choosing the right tool for the task at hand is an artist's first decision to make when creating art.

I love this lens for the mood it can create with the distance between me and the subject.

If I want to capture the essence of who a person is, I'll reach for my 24-70 f/2.8 L II.

If I want the details, details, details, I'll pull out my 100mm Macro.

Bottom line:  I would absolutely love to have this lens in my toolkit!

Thank you for reading and allowing me to get all nerdy on you.
I know I really need a blog my photography can call all it's own, but who has time to create another blog ;)  

Homeschooling: Creating the Right Learning Environment

We have begun our homeschooling adventures here at the Schasteen house!  

I was hoping to find a "perfect" private school for Maddie like this one but my search came up empty.

Since I couldn't find what I was searching for, I decided to create it myself...and here we are homeschooling!

We are actually doing a hybrid version of private school/homeschooling.  

She is still attending the private preschool she went to last year two days a week, and I am working with her the other 3 days.  

I still felt it was important for her to be in a "typical" developing environment for a couple of reasons:

1) Maddie can learn so much from her peers.

2)  Since she's an only child, she really benefits from the social interactions she gets while at preschool.  

Although we just celebrated her 6th birthday, she's in the 3-year-old class.

This fits her developmental needs best.  

With the struggles we have had with Sensory Processing Disorder to regulate her system, last year was a tough year. 

We are super fortunate to have the same teachers she had last year again this year! 

I really love the flexibility we have with homeschooling.  

My favorite thing is when Maddie comes to ask me, "wanna play?"

And I say, "yes!"

And we sort Easter eggs.

 and then line them up to create a pattern.

As a side note, do you notice the rock-star-type device she's wearing?  

That's her bone conduction therapy device.  

It's amazing!!!

We began doing music therapy with her last October as an Integrated Listening System to treat her SPD.  

Although we saw a bit of progress, we eventually hit a plateau and then digressed a bit.  

And then came the bone conduction therapy! 

At our last OT visit, Maddie is FINALLY looking like a regulated child!!!

What we spent 7 months trying to accomplish with music therapy, we finally accomplished within 14 weeks of bone conduction therapy!!!!

It basically bypasses the auditory system altogether and relays sound through the bones (like in utero).  This, in turn, trains the brain to receive and process information differently.

And this has made all the difference :)

OK, back on track wtih our homeschool story...

 We read one of our library books...

 I used this tutorial to make mini books.

 Maddie re-created the steps in the book, learning sequence and number recognition.

And then her favorite part...

We got in a lot of gross motor play running around the house from the bear!

We also worked on fine motor skills while practicing pouring beans.

She uses her ipad and this stylus to practice writing all of her letters.
With other ipad apps, she can name all of the shapes including pentagon!

But my favorite accomplishment of hers has to be her amazing puzzle skills.
By the end of the week, she put together a 24 piece puzzle all by herself!  Wow!

She didn't really want me to tape her, so I didn't push my luck, but later this same week, she did the puzzle from start to finish with no help from Mommy!!

I love this series of photos because it shows her sheer determination.
These puzzles do not come easy to her, but she's so stubborn she's going to get it done!!

So far, homeschooling has been working great for us.
I love that I feel like I've got a handle on where she's at developmentally and what goals are appropriate for her.
I love getting to see her accomplish tasks and persevere through her frustration.
I also love the flexibility.

That's some highlights of our first couple of weeks.
I hope to keep posting to keep me accountable and also have a record of her progress.
(plus it's great for Grandma to see what she's doing to help us set new goals!)
We are spoiled to have a Grandma with TONS of experience  and expertise in teaching little ones!

A Monumental Moment

This image probably won't stand out to anyone else but me.  

I knew it was worth capturing the moment I heard the words, "I did it!"

This image represents courage, facing fears, and overcoming real and present obstacles in life.  

And I'm so proud because my baby girl, "did it!"

We had somewhat of a traumatic experience with our second sleep study.  

The technician taking off the "stickers" on Maddie had no mercy!

He ripped them off, I'm sure thinking that was the best method.  

Maddie was wailing.

With 27 wires hooked up and several more "stickers" to rip off, it was torture.  

She looked like she had a rash when it was all said it done.  

Her skin was irritated with bumps and red spots which stuck around for several days.  

It hurt!

So, when we went to the cardiologist Monday morning and the technician announced she was going to put a few "stickers" on for an echocardiogram, Maddie was in full-on panic mode.  

Normally she's a flight responder when it comes to stress but that day, she was going to FIGHT!

While I had to hold her down (the worst feeling in the whole world, btw) the technician somehow managed to get all of the sticker tags on.  

Maddie was NOT going to let her connect any wires though!

She fought hard.

And won!

Looking back she probably saved us several hundred dollars ;)

The Dr. came in and did things the old fashioned way with nothing but a stethoscope and was able to ease all of our concerns about an irregular heartbeat.
She has what's called a sinus arrhythmia, which is very common and considered normal.

Now with were left with all these "stickers" all over her chest.
I tried reassuring her that we could use a wet paper towel and ease them off, or we could use soap and slide them off.
She was having none of it!

So we wore them home.

When her daddy came home, she showed him her chest and said "hurt" and started crying!

I decided we would just attempt to deal with them in the bathtub.
I put "magic bubbles" in to 'get those stickers.'  

She apprehensively got in and I stepped back and gave her some space.
I knew this was something she would have to have control over.

In my mind I was thinking we would have to wear these stickers for weeks waiting the adhesive to give out.

And then I heard her proud, tiny little voice exclaim, "I did it!"
She had taken off the first sticker all by herself.
She faced her fear of pain and conquered it.

All. by. herself!

She took every single one off.
Her skin is still irritated with red little squares marking the spots her "stickers" taunted her.
I'm so proud of her.

I hope she carries this lesson with her always.
And just in case she forgets, I have the documentation to remind her what she's made of!

Progress with Sensory Processing

We have a live-in house guest in our sandbox outside.  

This little guy has taken up residence and has been there all summer long.  

He usually hops on out as soon as the commotion of the building of the sand castles commences.  

Yesterday, however, he lingered a while.  

Maddie has never noticed our one-eyed guest...

until this day!

When she saw him hop away, she didn't hesitate. 

She had a plan. 

She grabbed and sifter and the chase was on!

Lucky for our frog friend, he narrowly escaped.  

Maddie, however, was clearly disappointed.  

She began calling out to the frog and looking for him. 

And then, finally, resided in the fact he was gone, she sat down for a rest.  

This seems like an every day childhood occurrence but for us, this is BIG, BIG progress!!

For instance, this is the first time Maddie even NOTICED the frog, which indicates an awareness of her surroundings.  

Before this, she would have been so defensive of all the information her brain was trying to receive that she would just shut everything out, therefore not noticing the world around her.

Secondly, she PROCESSED what to do with the frog.  

She thought through the idea of catching him with her strainer (brilliant!) and proceeded to try and make that happen.  

Of course all this happened in a matter of seconds, so for me I had never realized watching normal kids how amazing this is, but Maddie has a processing disorder that has never allowed her to fully process a situation like this...UNTIL NOW!!!

I am so excited and so proud of her.  

We have been using a method of therapy called Bone Conduction Therapy that has really been the turning point for us.  

I'm so grateful for our wonderful Occupational Therapist who didn't give up on Maddie. When the music therapy wasn't getting the job done, she was just learning about bone conduction and decided to give it a try.  

I'm so glad we did!

Even though she's been doing this for over 20 years, she's still pushing herself to learn new techniques and find the best path for the kids she sees.  

Amazing.

New discoveries like our frog friend are now happening every day and life is getting super interesting for her and me!

Purpose in the Pain

For the last three weeks, I've been attending a digital storytelling workshop for survivors of the Moore tornados.  

Here's my story...