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Science in a Milk Carton

July 6, 2006

Due to some health issues that caused me to take a break in schooling during the year, we are schooling part-time all summer.  Right now, Jonnie (11-PDD-NOS/ADHD) is concentrating on keeping his plants alive from his TOPS Green Thumbs, Corn and Beans kit.  (You can see the pole planter we use to measure the growth of two of our plants from the "Corn and Beans" link above.)  Last time we tried to do this it wasn't summer and our plants never made it to planting; they mildewed on the paper towel when they were supposed to be soaking up water in the home-made green house.  (The green house is made of a half gallon, cardboard milk carton, thus the name of this entry.)

The great thing about TOPS is that you use things you have around the house.  To make our scale for measuring the mass of our seeds and plants we used: an empty tin can, a piece of string, masking tape, aluminum foil, paper clips, a straight pin, and a straw.  The weights were just pieces of paper pre-measured for us that we cut out of the worksheets we copied from the book. 

Jonnie loves doing everything about this but the writing on the heavy writing days.  Every day, he has to record something in his journal, but some days he has to summarize and he doesn't care for that much writing.  But he does it and I think he will learn a lot.  After all, we've gone over dicots and monocots (thus a bean and a corn), primary roots, secondary roots, and adventitious roots, radicles and cotyledons, and so much more.  Soon, we'll study the roots and leaves in more detail.

This kind of school really keeps his interest.  (I'm sure his Strattera doesn't hurt either.)  Science isn't a text book, history isn't a text book, and language isn't a text book.  Only math is a text book--but no ordinary textbook, to be sure--, and that really can't be helped by his age anyway. 

At any rate, I owe the kids excitement--that's right, I said excitement--over school to Sonlight.  So, here's another promotion for you, Sonlight.  Thank you so much for figuring out what works so that all the kids of your customers can benefit.

I know my son is a follower and a people pleaser.  He also likes to goof off to make people laugh.  I cannot imagine the trouble I would have in public school.  But you see, he is so smart.  He has tested very high in the IQ tests and it would be such a shame to see him not achieve what he can because the school system isn't designed for the success of kids like him.  Kids who are smart--brilliant--but who need to be doing and moving and stimulated all the time and not slowed down with needless worksheets and reteaching for the slower kids.

I thank God for the opportunity to teach my kids at home.  It really is a blessing, especially with my special boys.  I love to see those little lights go on!

Best wishes,

Khy

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