home schooling

[Jasharia]

Thinking about home schooling my daughter. She is 11 years old in the 3rd grade stares program. She is making progress just slower then they wanted it. She still has to pass the FCAT to go to the 4th she has the chance to stay back yet again. I did ask about home schooling and looking into books and such. I thought I would ask here and see if there anymore places I can go or here stoys of others that home school.

 

[Shara]

I have not begun homeschooling myself, yet, but I was homeschooled as a child and can say that when I was being homeschooled, we did an hour or two of schoolwork a day. The rest could be free time, choe time, life experience learning time. I was consistantly test far ahead of my level, testing at an 8th grade reading level in third grade.

I was sent to public high school, and my grades dropped, and I flunked out of almost everything. I couldn't "get" math in school. The teacher does not have the time or patience to sit with the kids who are struggling. I had to do algbra three years in a row, because Icouldn't get it. I actually didn't pass math unitl I was in a small alternative school with a teacher who was VERY invested in making us learn.

In public school, I went 8 hours a day and had homework, which left me with no time at all compared to what I had had before. I am not super social and so I struggled a lot with anxiety in PS.

To me, there is no good reason for kids to be in school, and every reason in the world for them to be homeschooled. Of course, you do have to work with your kiddo and help them, and that takes time, but not a lot of it. You get much more flexibility, and can decide to take a feild trip to the river in the summer. Swim, and maybe find different plants to ID. Perhaps gather bugs. You can teach them Home Ec, and it doesn' have to be time out of your normal day, but they are learning what they would have to set aside time for in a normal school day. They can read books THEY like. The lbrary is free, and book reports are FUN if you WANT to read the book. My brother is a math guy, but from being at home, he learned to do well in eading, although not as well as me (likewise I did well in math, but not as well as he did).

Istead of spending and hour every day on each topic, you can group them. Reading could couple with history, if you find books you kld likes on the topic. We read Little House on thePrairie as a school thing once. It is so fun to learn about things you ANT TO, and it sticks better. And if you know your child struggles in something, you can sit and work with them on THAT topic, and start and finish with something easy and enjoyable. No homework, less time in "class", fun feild trips, I mean, I could go on and on. And homeschooling only has to be as expensive as YOU want it to be. There as SO many good resourses online, and in libraries.

A series I WOULD recomend is "Super Year Book". They cover five subjects, five pages a day. Mom had us do 20 pages, but five would have been done like it was nothing. ANyways, the book recomendsfive pages a day. ANd then you can fill the day up with a million different things if you want. They go from kindergarden up to eigth grade, or did, anyways, I don't know if they are still in print. But they take the highest academic standards for the country and use THAT as what to teach,a nd at five pages a dady, you could REALLY afford to sit with her and help her on the things she has a hard time with.

Basically, you do a pretty "normal" day...but you look at t differently. You find the teachable moments. he opnly kids I have ever met that did poorly in HS was my couins, but their parents kept them home so the abuse wouldn't be caught, and they wee druggies who didn't even TRY to teach their kids anything. Really, it is very simple.

I would recomendwqhen you pull her out, to give her a good lond break from school, to let her unwind. Still take her to the library and lewwt her pick books, take her places, do "educational" things, but ONLY things she WANT to do, until she starts seaking out learning herself. PS is traumatizing, really. And if she is struggling, I would say take her out ASAP, because that can do damage to a kid wanting to learn. Even though I exelled in HS, once I started failing in PS, I jsut decided I was stupid and couldn't learn. My husband was in PS his whole life, was diagnosed with ADHD, and even though he is the only member of his family to graduate and go to colledge, he has this "I am retarded" menatlity, because he is not a reading person, and never learnt to spell and read very well.

Like me and math.

Anyways, I know I wrote a book, but I am always super excited when someone wants to homeschool, because in my experience, it is the absolute bestthing in the world for your kid, to be taught by you.

At the end of the day, I ended up flunking highschool for three years, took my GED and passed it, even with not caring or wanting to do the work for so long. I DO feel like that was a testament to how well I learned in PS, and how good he "super year book" series was.

 

[eco2pia]

I homeschooled both mine, one from 1st grade until now--8th grade. One for just first grade. I homeschooled the oldest because she was way ahead in school and really bored and not social, and therefore miserable, plus I was home anyway with her baby sister.

Then I homeschooled her sister after we found out she had a hearing problem that messed with her ability to learn to read. Homeschooling her allowed us to really get that sorted out.

Next year my oldest will be going to public High School. She is still far above her grade level in almost everything. I will still be sending her because she has never developed self-motivation. I am tired of being the drill sergeant in this house, so I thought a little positive peer pressure may help--embarrassment works wonders on that girl.

The youngest is already in school for 2nd grade--she takes a lot of time and I had less and less, plus she is very social and missed her friends. She can read now, just slightly below her grade level. She is in the title I program (remedial reading) and she is catching up by leaps and bounds--once we figured out what the problem was that was stopping her it was like watching her just take off.

Homeschooling is great, and everything Shara says is true, but once the kid hits young adulthood (after the early teen years) they need a transition into independence, which can be high school or a part-time job. Letting them just retreat from the world permanently is just as unhealthy as some school problems. Get her foundations solid, but don't forget to start pushing her out into the world. Homeschool "how to deal with people" and insist she practice if that is difficult for her too.

Another book to read!

 

[Jasharia]

Thank you so much for your input. I will look for the super year book series. She is a smart girl just I think she is over disratcted. It is hard for her to sit down and stay focused. I asked her about home schooling and she wants to do it. They're on spring break now and will bring them to the libray. I just want to do the right thing for her. My oldest daughter and son are both in middle school and doing verry well. My oldest has an IEP and is in intensive math and reading and is at her grade level now she is in the 7th grade. She was tested through the school but the the funding for that has stoped so my youngest don't get the same testing to help her. I am bring her in to get her tested but it takes a long time just to be seen. My main thing is I want to do what is right for her I want her to do well and not have to stuggle with life you know.

 

[Shara]

Oh, I agree with making sure she does have real world experience as she ages. For me, a job would have fit the bill better than school, but each kiddo is different. I think it is commendable that you are looking to do what is best for your girl.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Ohio has an on-line homeschooling program the kids get the curriculum the state dictates- so they can do well on those idiot college placement tests--parents flesh out the programs in ways that stimulate their children. I have noticed something, though= if the parent is weak in an area, the homeschooled child doesn't get the emphasis they need. So having a network of homeschooling parents is a big help- and the network can also provide some of the social interaction the kids need, without the lack of discipline seen in the PS systems.

 

[PulpFaction]

I have not begun homeschooling myself, yet, but I was homeschooled as a child and can say that when I was being homeschooled, we did an hour or two of schoolwork a day. The rest could be free time, choe time, life experience learning time. I was consistantly test far ahead of my level, testing at an 8th grade reading level in third grade.

I was sent to public high school, and my grades dropped, and I flunked out of almost everything. I couldn't "get" math in school. The teacher does not have the time or patience to sit with the kids who are struggling. I had to do algbra three years in a row, because Icouldn't get it. I actually didn't pass math unitl I was in a small alternative school with a teacher who was VERY invested in making us learn.

In public school, I went 8 hours a day and had homework, which left me with no time at all compared to what I had had before. I am not super social and so I struggled a lot with anxiety in PS.

I had almost the exact same experience. FAR ahead of my peers in almost every area until I started attending a reputable public school in the 9th grade. Depression set in, interest in learning plummeted (even though my grades were very good) and I dropped out half way through 11th grade due to disagreements with my Honors English teacher who failed for the semester and would have ruined my 4.0 GPA.

Homeschooling is the only way I will educate my kids whenever I have them.

 

[Miss M]

How did I miss this thread? :razz:

I homeschool our two -- one in 9th, and one in 3rd. I love it, because I can tailor the curriculum to fit them. If they're not getting it with one publisher's material, I change it until I find what works.

I started with ABeka, but it wasn't working with ILoveBunnies (we later found out she is mildly autistic, and it was all the writing that was the trouble.)

I tried Switched On Schoolhouse (computer based), but I felt it was a bit scattershot, especially the math. It didn't seem to have a logical, building progression. This was a good while back, so it may be better now... besides, there were plenty of people who liked it then, too. It just wasn't for us.

I finally did what I thought I'd never have the courage to do -- I put together a curriculum from different publishers, so I could fine-tune each subject. I started doing many, many things orally (even tests!), instead of having ILoveBunnies write them. For her, why let writing be the block to learning?

For Bunny-Wan Kenobi, I started trying to teach him, and he wasn't getting it. So, rather than frustrate him, I put it aside. Six months later, I'd pick it up again. After several days, if he couldn't remember what I'd been teaching, I put it aside again. Finally, at 7, he started getting it -- quickly! He learned to read (it was a struggle for him to actually read a book for a long time, though... turned out he's dyslexic), and he's speeding through math. Still working on writing... like I said, he's dyslexic.

That's one of the many beauties of homeschooling -- you don't have to worry about a classroom of 30 kids, you can work with them individually and tailor everything to them. They can take their time in one subject they find difficult, and speed up in another they find easy or enjoyable!

I have them take a standardized test each year for the satisfaction of the school board. I could do a portfolio review instead, but the experience is good. By the time they take the ACT or SAT, it will be old hat (remember all those super-nervous kids at the SAT?).

I use Apologia for science
Math-u-See for math (it uses manipulatives -- great for a child who needs to see what the numbers are doing)
A Beka for history, but will be going back to Mystery of History
A Beka for literature
Easy Grammar (very little writing, which is what I needed)
Writing Strands
Various other things I'm too lazy to go look at right now

I get a lot of things off of homeschoolclassifieds.com

There are so, so many resources available to homeschoolers now! You can drown in them, it's so overwhelming sometimes!

It's entirely possible that you could experiment with what's out there, find what works for her with each subject, and she could blossom like you've never imagined! :razz: Even if she doesn't suddenly turn into some super-duper honors student, you will be able to work with her until she gets it. And there's nothing like seeing the light bulb turn on in the eyes of a child who understands a concept for the first time. It makes the whole struggle worth it.

I encourage you to find the homeschool groups in your area, and find one that likes to do field trips and spelling bees and academic fairs and stuff like that. Homeschool groups are a valuable source of help for a new homeschooler, since they know the laws of your state. They are also a way for your daughter to make homeschooled friends.

Joining HSLDA is another very good idea, as insurance against disapproving neighbors at the very least.

If you do decide to homeschool, be prepared to feel completely inadequate for the task. Every homeschooler does. You will feel like a failure, and like your daughter is missing learning stuff. We all go through it, and our kids grow up well-taught in spite of us.