The first week

I figured the first week would be the hardest for a couple reasons. First, any time you start something new it takes time to get used to the new routine. We had arranged with Galen's preschool to have him come in two afternoons the first week and two afternoons the second week to help make the transition a little easier, but after one week I'm thinking that actually worked more for my benefit than his. He loves his teachers there, so it's not like I don't think he enjoyed being there for a few hours, but he was just as happy with the idea of staying with mommy the other three days. I, on the other hand, needed the time to get things done. I'm apparently taking longer to adjust to the new routine than Galen is.

The second reason I expected the first week to be hard is because we started the day after returning from a trip to see the grandparents. That didn't seem to be a huge factor compared to the first reason - except for me, again. I didn't get as much done the week we were at my in-laws as I would have liked, so I opted not to start the science stuff until this week. As it turns out that was a good thing, because it made the first week a little simpler.

As far as the curriculum goes, reading and mathematics are laid out in a formal curriculum (The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading, and Singapore's Earlybird Kindergarten Mathematics, respectively), while science and art are more free-form explorations. Eventually we'll be using Zaner-Bloser Handwriting, Grade K, but that won't be until after his fine motor skills have been evaluated right after Labor Day. Academically he's ready for kindergarten, but he's still only 4, and he appears to be left-handed. He seems, however, to be ambidextrous with scissors, even when given a pair of genuine left-handed scissors made by the same company that made his right-handed scissors. As a right-handed writer I feel a little inadequate to teach him handwriting skills without a little direction from an expert.

That reminds me...did you know that scissors labelled for use by both left- and right-handed people are actually right-handed scissors that just have handles that haven't been molded to fit only in the right hand? Until a couple months I ago I didn't know this. It turns out that it's about more than whether or not the scissors fit into your hand. The right blade on standard (right-handed) scissors goes up, which means if you're viewing the cutting line from the left, you can actually see where you're cutting alongside the far blade. If you're left-handed you either can't see the line you're cutting, or you hold the scissors very awkwardly trying to do so. Also, the pressure your left hand creates on the pivot point while you close right-handed scissors tends to separate the blades rather than push them against each other, so left-handers often find that the paper bends instead of cutting (the same would be true for right-handers trying to use left-handed scissors). Obviously with a well-made pair of scissors the last issue shouldn't be an issue, but school scissors are cheap. If anyone else has a left-handed child I can highly recommend the left-handed scissors made by Fiskars. They have fun red and blue handles and, although they're available on Amazon, buy them either direct from Fiskars or do a web search for another alternative - Amazon is way overpriced for this item.

I guess that's all I had on my mind regarding the first week of homeschooling. Galen's doing great, and I'm starting to get used to the new routine. This week is the last week he'll be at his old preschool (Tuesday and Friday afternoon only), and the teacher is gathering contact information for his friends so we can arrange playdates. In fact, his first playdate will be this weekend - two of the teachers and their kids are going bowling with us. I can't wait to teach Galen how to bowl, and I'll try to remember the camera.