Hyperlexic kids read precociously early but have poor comprehension skills. If you ask them to picture a frog, what they picture is F-R-O-G. They are all about the letters, having almost the opposite problem from that of dyslexics. If hyperlexic kids want to comprehend, which most dyslexics do just fine, they need to become all about the pictures. Gratefully, hyperlexic kids can often be helped by teaching them to visualize what they are reading. Most of us having a dynamic picture... Read more
Just finished a week of running a soccer camp for kids in the neighborhood. My whole body hurts. Even typing hurts, so this will have to do for Friday’s post. See you Monday night… Read more
I’ve been married twice, to two very wonderful, very different men. (I was married for five years to Scott, who died in 1997.) Other than adoring me, it’s hard to find things they have in common. But if I think really hard, I can come up with two activities that fit the bill. Both Jeff and Scott make or made great coffee. And they both pee or peed sitting down. There you have it. My advice on picking great husbands... Read more
The New York Times ran an article last Saturday about the increase in homeschool graduation ceremonies. Maybe if we end up homeschooling all the way through high school, I’ll change my mind. But for now, I can’t imagine why we would do such a thing. Here’s what one parent said about why her family was participating: “My daughter, Vanessa, really didn’t want to do it, because it was all strangers, and she didn’t think it was a big deal,” Brenda... Read more
Warning: Criminal Activity Ahead Warning for My Sister Jenny: Behavior You Won’t Condone Ahead I came home in the middle of the day today to pick up Ezra. I needed to run some errands for Soccer Nights, and I thought I would bring him with me since he was so bummed about not seeing me much yesterday. Zach was happy because, as he said, “Now I get some alone time with Z.,” the pretty teenage babysitter upon whom both boys... Read more
Ezra spent 25 minutes this morning crying and whining about going to swim camp. “I hate swim camp. It’s terrible. WHY do you have to pack my schedule so FULL?” First, Ezra has only been to swim camp one other time. And he loved it. And I hardly think his schedule was too full today. He had a four hours of swim camp. Then home for the entire afternoon, and off to play soccer tonight. It was busier than most... Read more
When one boy comes in crying because the other one is a cheater, inconsolable because “I told him a hundred times not to hold the stick like that,” it’s time to pull out the art supplies. How had I forgotten that? It was playdough when they were younger, then glitter and glue, then charcoal pencils. Something special. Today it was paint. Nice paint. The kind you put on a palette and mix with your brush. And beautiful sketchbooks. And a... Read more
My friend Kathy writes blog posts the revolve around and include a scrumptious recipe. This post is like that. Minus the scrumptious part. I woke up with a raging migraine and managed to stumble downstairs in time for Jeff to leave for work. The boys were scavenging for food when Zach stumbled on a giant Kool-Aid canister. (I’d like to note here that neither of us have ever bought a Kool-Aid product. But someone brought it for a party and... Read more
I noticed a while back that posts seem to take on a life of their own. I start out writing about something very specific, and then next thing I know a theme has emerged. I’m starting to wonder if weeks don’t work the same way. Last week, without having planned it, I wrote four posts about race. Other weeks took off in different directions – physical education, the joys of homeschool, the miseries of homeschool. After yesterday, I’m starting to... Read more
Ezra received Ian’s birthday party invitation today and read each word carefully. Ezra loves Ian, and even though he doesn’t see him often anymore, he sometimes calls Ian his best friend. Handwritten at the bottom of the invitation was, “Zach is welcome!” This news was not. Ezra turned to me and said, “It says that Zach can come,” as though he were reading bad news from an oncology report. “I know, but he’s going to stay home with us.” “YES!... Read more
The Homeschool Chronicles
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