Journeying Sue: Independent students. Yellow card/red card. Cub scout campout.

INDEPENDENT LEARNERS: When my children were much younger, I think maybe 3rd grade, 1st grade, 4 yo, 2 yo and baby...I thought, "I need them to be able to do some work on their own without me doing everything with them." I just couldn't teach everything to all of them and have wee ones too.

I remember reading on the Sonlight forum that around 4th grade students start reading to learn (vs. learning to read). And, around that age or so, they start becoming more independent. I wanted to help them become independent learners. I think that's when I started to try to implement schedules for, at least, my older one. I've tried to enable them to do work on their own and even check their own work at times. I find I still need to at least do spot checks, but they've learned, or are learning, how to manage work on their own.

This year, with 5 in school, I started making a schedule for myself so that I know what I have to teach to whom on what day and at what time- whew. Schedules are actually a guide that make school more flexible. If we don't get to something at a scheduled time, we can work it in at a different time. I have about 18 years with each child, so there should be time to work all the "requirements" in before they graduate!

YELLOW CARD/RED CARD:
Below is a picture of the winning team for the ACYS Shootout Soccer tournament in San Antonio this weekend. Luke's team came in first place. Josh's team played and they won 2 games and lost 1. Oddly, Josh got a yellow card (that's like a personal foul and if you get too many you are out of the game). And Luke got a red card in the first game today so that meant he got kicked out of the game and couldn't play the next either. His opponent was playing dirty and it finally got to Luke, so when Luke had the ball he kicked the other player while taking a shot. He got carded. What do you do when the other team is playing dirty and doesn't get caught? One of the parents said you say to the player, "I'll pray for you. Jesus is watching you." He said that would make anybody think, no matter what his spiritual views were.