Help
With Your Rule
Homeschool: Marking, Corrections & Discussions
Dear Holly,
I have a question about homeschooling. I have individual times for each kid during school hours then later in the day I give them some "homework" to do on their own. Problem is I don't have a good system on how to check and go over their work. I like to go over it with them but it ends up taking an hour to go over their work, correct mistakes and talk about whatever we need to talk about. I enjoy spending individual time with each but I can't do it with the 3 that are doing school everyday. I thought maybe spending an hour a week with each one and their work but I'm afraid that there will be so much to go over. I haven't tried it yet.. suggestions?
Labels: Homeschooling
posted by Holly at 3:10 PM
2 Comments:
I have all my kids bring me their work AS SOON AS THEY FINISH IT and I assign a little busy work for the one I am working with while I check it. If a child comes when I am busy, I usually say "Stand there," and they wait for me to catch a moment for them.
If I keep the work-checking increments small - a half page for the younger ones - then I have time to quickly correct and discuss, without it taking too long. So while I check the punctuation exercise with my Gr 3 child, I set my Gr 1 child printing a line or coloring. I move my attention back and forth between the two - as they sit on either side of me - and the immediate feedback is necessary so they don't practice error.
For older kids, I give them teacher manuals for Math or English and they check it - I only mark the tests - but they use the answer keys to judge their own progress, and they have learned to go back and work with the texts to understand where they made their mistakes. This is an essential skill in itself. They only come to me for help on these corrections if they are truly stumped.
If I am truly tied up with another child, I also stock pile things on my right (on the table in front of me) as they finish it. Then, while a younger child is writing something, I have something there to mark. I call the child to me if we need a chat about corrections.
I also have a school crate by my feet, just like my kids do with their grade level books in it - but I keep my teacher manuals and other reference tools in mine - so getting the answer key is easy - to just reach down and pick it up.
Thank you for sharing so much about your homeschooling routines. This post about making corrections was very helpful. I just started homeschooling this year and that has been one thing that I hadn't figured out. I would grade this huge pile of papers at night and never make it back to go over with the kids. Doing this with them right away makes so much sense. Thanks again for sharing!
Post a Comment
<< Home