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Refrigerator Goals

5/11/2015

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Ever since Hope was two,  her SEIT has always encouraged us to set "target goals" for her.  A target goal is a very specific goal or behavior you want to work on.  Whenever her SEIT came up with a new target goal, she would scribble it on a piece of paper and hang it on my refrigerator door.  If you are like me, the refrigerator door is prime real estate.  I constantly glance there throughout the day.  If I were to keep Hope's goals in a binder or planner, they would not get the attention they deserve.  Hence, Hope's refrigerator goals were born!

Target goals are a very important component for me to help me keep my sanity and have been extremely helpful when teaching Hope. 

For example, one of Hope's target goals right now is to respond to her name when playing.  So if we sit down to play a game of "Don't Break The Ice" she may have a hard time, taking turns or following directions, but the important thing for me to keep in mind is that I am working on one goal - responding to her name while we play the game.  At the end of playing, the game itself may not have gone as well as I would have liked to - but if I got her to respond to her name while we were playing, then it was a success!

Sometimes it can be so hard not to see the whole picture. 

Imagine that you are having your entire family over for dinner the next day and realizing that your kitchen is a complete disaster - dishes everywhere, dirty floors handprints all over...  where do you start?  You just want to conquer everything and have the kitchen clean. It would be so easy for me to freeze and not be able to find a starting point.  The result?  the kitchen doesn't get clean at all. So instead of seeing the whole picture - a disgusting kitchen, force yourself to just focus on one small aspect - wash the dishes.  After you wash the dishes, set another target goal - sweep the floor.  Then just keep going one small task after another.  Soon, you will see your kitchen start to take shape and before you know it, you will have a sparkling clean kitchen to be proud of. 

The great thing about target goals is they can always change and evolve to meet the needs of your child.  Hope's target goals are constantly changing.  But having them on my refrigerator is a constant reminder of what we are currently working on. 
Below I have attached some samples of our current target goals and also a blank one that can be printed out and filled out.  Have fun hanging them on your refrigerator.


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April Showers bring...

5/8/2015

1 Comment

 
May Planning…

Is anyone else bit by the planning bug this time of year?  It never fails, May arrives and I jump into preparing for the next school year.  Books to buy, curriculum to tweak, and of course… plan books!

For the last several years, I have ordered from Good News Planners.  You can find them here: 

http://catholic.creativecommunications.com/Products/CategoryCenter/CCGNP/GoodNews-Planners.aspx

I have to admit, I never think to change and try a different one.  They really work for us! 


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Of course by the picture, you may think I have 6 children – but no they are all for my 2 girls.

Let me explain the method to my madness…

The small one on top is Good News' Jr. High & High School planner. 

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 I use this for my personal planner.  This year I also got one for Julia who I think is old enough now to start to organize and keep track of her activities and events.

I have a separate planner for Julia & Hope to keep my lesson plans and goals.  Instead of filling in the entire year’s daily lesson plans, I actually write in as we go - a daily check list.  It helps me keep things organized when I have to write my quarterlies.  Plus it helps me to know what we have accomplished. 



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I love that they have a monthly view – where I can write my goals and objectives for the year and then on the weekly sheets, I can write in more detail when we accomplished.  I also like that the subjects are labeled.  I use the last column for Art/PE/Music.

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This year I also purchased a planner for each girl.  Julia is getting to the point of doing more research and longer term projects – so I think this could help her manage her time better.  For Hope, I think it will be a good way to reinforce the calendar and be a strong visual when we are working on different topics, keeping track of important days and going on trips.  Plus the Primary planner has a short puzzle or game for each week that is nice. 

So there you have it… 6 plan books, 2 children and one crazy homeschool mom.

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It's Official!

5/7/2015

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On July 1st, Hope will become an official homeschooler.  Now for the big decision, should I report her as Kindergarten or first grade?  In NY, Kindergarten is not mandatory.  Reporting is determined by compulsory age, therefore I can decide between the two grades. Even though Hope is doing mostly first grade work now, I am leaning towards Kindergarten. Why?  It buys some time.  4th grade is the first year when I will have to give a standardized test versus a written narrative.  Should she not be a good “test taker”, testing on a lower lever can be a help.  In other words, if she is reported as 4th grade but doing 5th and 6th grade work, the test will be less stressful for her.  It also allows some breathing room if I should ever want to give her a break or if she, herself should need a break in the upcoming years.    

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    About me

    I am a homeschooling mom who lives in New York State and homeschools my 2 daughters.  My oldest is 12 and Dyslexic and my youngest, who is 5,  was diagnosed with profound Autism. 

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