"Hey, Mom! I Need Help!"

How many times a day are those words spoken (at a loud volume, from another room) around here? More than I can keep up with or have patience for! It's usually a math problem that is giving trouble. Or a question on SOS that is "obviously wrong."

We have a schedule for our school day, and I can't jump up from the child that I'm working with to run to someone else. I would be doing that all day and end up with little to show for it except gray hair.

When the children get stumped while I'm having "school with mom" time with someone else, I ask them to please re-read the lesson. Since they do a couple subjects with Switched-On Schoolhouse, they are all guilty of skipping straight to the questions without reading the lesson. If they are still stumped, they should ask one of their siblings (and not the one I'm working with!).

If the above attempts at enlightenment fail, enter the new, handy dandy "Hey, Mom! I Need Help!" chart. They jot down what's troubling them on the easy-to-use form. We keep it taped right next to the computer so they don't even have to get up to fill it out. When their "school with mom" time rolls around, I scan the chart for their name and we cover their questions.

This has been especially helpful in reducing the amnesia that seems to occur between the time when the lesson was attempted and when I ask them if they have any questions.