Posted on 11/13/2004 4:04:54 PM PST by Marinefamilyx3
To The Editor: I have a daughter in first grade in Henderson County schools. She gets off the bus at 4 p.m., dinner around 5:30, and bath/bed by 8 p.m.
That in itself is a busy enough night. But she has spelling words (writing 10 words five times each), reading a book (first grade, 100 words), nursery rhyme, memorization goals.
Where does family time, playtime, or just sit and stare time go? And then there are families with multiple children in school. And you can forget it if they participate in Scouts, dance, sports. There's just no time!
We spend at least 1.5 to two hours a night on homework. My child is 6 years old! With barely enough patience to sit through an episode of Pokemon.
I can't blame the teachers. Sorry, but I can't. The schools are overloaded, the classrooms at capacity. And then you throw in the language barriers, and various learning disabilities, and the teachers aren't able to do their jobs.
So we're having to do it at home. There has got to be something that can be done within our schools to get this problem under control.
You're very welcome! I do what I can!
TG! One less burden tomorrow!
I absolutely agree. This is very important. I can't understand why it is so hard for some parents to understand that kids cannot learn everything in school. Kids need some time to absorb what they learned in school, and it is best done through homework. I actually moved my kids to private school because they didn't have enough homework in public school.
Thank you and I appreciate where you are coming from.
I'd like to see the PS's change. I can't imagine when it will happen, but if it does, I'll have my 3 at the public school! I would like to see my tax dollars work for me, for a change.
All I can say is AMEN!!!!!!!!!
I don't homeschool - but I am extremely interested in a lot of what is said by the homeschoolers - it is amazing how many hints I've picked up from them about occupying children while at the same time teaching them something.
Homeschooling is not for everyone, but that does not mean that homeschooling is not going on in the homes of children in public schools.
Having a 1st grader who understands fractions is an amazing thing!!!! Particularly to the mom that didn't understand fractions until about 6th grade!
You're right - and clothes have been laid out and bookbag/backpack secure - I would be able to sleep in, except that Jax fell asleep BEFORE her hair was dealt with..........she's asleep without a tie in that mop, so I have to get up in the morning to deal with it - hubby does not know how to make a braid.
pardon me? LOL
Somehow I think that posting ones opinion must not be allowed here at FR. I have in no way, shape or form "forced" anyone to home school or to believe the way I do. LOL this is just too funny. I mean...really!!
Giving an opinion for OR against something doesn't mean you are a zealot or that you are forcing your views upon another person. I have not implied that ALL people should homeschool though I do admit that parents should do two things.
1. be aware of what your children are being taught whether it is in public schools or private.
2. do what is best for your child whether it is public, private, or homeschooling.
I can not speak for other states but I can for a large part of CA. I have lived in CA all my life. I attended public schools all over CA. My family moved a lot. In high school alone I went to 5 different schools. I had good teachers and bad. It isn't the teachers that is the problem but the system.
As for morality, well, if you look at public schools as a whole...it is an issue. Kids are doing drugs and having sex at earlier and earlier ages.Violence in schools is getting worse every year. The school I graduated from had 10 foot high fences with barbed wire on top, security guards with dogs searching for drugs,gangs...it is so sad really.
My high school was in a big city but if you think this doesn't happen in small towns think again. I am now living in a very small town 3 hours from the nearest large city. They had to take the lockers out of the elementary school here because of drugs.ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
Again, perhaps its just here in California...
I think the main thing for elementary school aged kids is reading. If the parents are reading for fun with the kids, then they will learn.
That's why I hate homework and forced reading. It's not enjoyable, and the kids get stressed out.
I also worry about exercise. The kids don't run around much at school, and after school there's no time to run around. If we don't get homework done when they first get home, then they are too tired. By the time they are done with homework (5:30), it's already dark. In the spring time it's not as bad. I get dinner done early, and then they play after dinner because it stays light longer.
However, teachers also give stupid homework. Kids do not need to do coloring at home.
I personally think homework should only be stuff that isn't finished in class, and then time spent on areas of weakness. If a kid is not good at math, then the kid should spend time reviewing math facts. If a kid is not good at spelling, then the kid should spend time studying for the spelling test. If the kid is up to par, then he doesn't have as much homework.
I have both a special ed child and two gifted children. My special ed child needs lots of time to work on her spelling, writing, reading, and most importantly her speech. She doesn't need to spend time on math. She's one of the top students in her class in math. She doesn't need time to spend on coloring. The teacher send home stupid homework, and I don't have time to work with my daughter on her speech.
Then they send home some homework, and it's too much for her at the end of the day. She is very weak at writing, and she is worse when she is tired. She has an individualized education plan, but it's not specific enough. I need to call another meeting and force the issue. I don't need my 2nd grade daughter with brain damage having meltdowns over homework.
I didn't say you "forced" anyone to homeschool or belive the way you do. Just like you, I was expressing my opinion regarding your comments.
I grew up in New York City - moved to Delaware when I was 22, I wanted out of the city so bad I could taste it. guess what? After 21 years I felt the same way about Delaware and that is why I now live in nowhere in Virginia.
But there is an even greater reason I live in a rural area of Virginia - the school district is far superior to anything I could find in Delaware.
You need not lecture me about the realities of life - I've lived them. In the best interest of our daughter we chose to leave one state for another.
Are there drugs here? of course - happens anywhere and everywhere. But given the choice of one of the district public High Schools or the private Academy the daughters of several of our friends chose the public HS because they didn't want to be around all the drugs at the Academy and wanted real classes, not macrame and feel good stuff. 14 year old girls making these decisions - tells you something about the public schools and parents who send their children to them in this area, doesn't it?
Oh well, while my daughter is learning about Christmas and Hannakuh in public school - I will remind her to pray for the poor kids in CA public schools celebrating Kwaanza.
God Bless you for homeschooling your own.
As you said, it is not for everyone, but it is truly amazing just how much homeschooling goes on in the households with parents that really care about their children. There are a great many of us here at FR that, even though our children are in public school, can turn the simple task of measuring something for a recipe into a learning experience.
You are so right about the reading.....forced reading does NOT work, at all.
We're lucky, our daughter loves to read and so it is always fun. She has made up a game with her "story book" at bed time.......she reads one page and mommy (or daddy) reads the next page.
so what do you think of Gatto's suggestions for reforming public education (last section of The Underground History of American Education)... do you think they would work? why or why not?
another great read is "A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Oliver DeMille...
Understandably, the speech problem makes it difficult for them to translate letters into sounds (esp. if it is phonological). Sight words are probably easier for her to learn at first so have her read the same book over and over; maybe a math book. Also, use Bob Books to reinforce vowel sounds. There is a book called Spelling Power which is great. They take a test and then only study (using an easy 10 part study system)the words they misspell. Play the Phonics Game. Read the same index cards over and over while doing speech exercises, she will learn the words. Label everything so she will see the words. Let her color in letters (and spelling words), she may be a visual learner. They are not going to do any of this at the public school. Ultimately, it is your responsibility. Be creative, let her make up stories using her spelling words and spelling them out when you ask. Make it fun. She is probably very frustrated at school. You can do it ;-)
Actually, she is way past Bob books. She's into easy chapter books like the Magic Tree House series. She's reading at 2nd grade level, but it just takes work to keep her in the upper part of her class. Her fluency is below what it should be, so we have to work on that.
I'm not easy on her. For example, I want her to get 100% on her spelling tests because I know if we work at it she can. If she misses a spelling word, it's usually when we don't do practice tests.
She does extremely well, but it is definitely hard work. God gave her an extremely good work ethic, and she works hard.
I just wish homework was less so we could have time to work on speech and reading more.
Where I live a 1500 sf home goes for $380k.
***those that home school are a small minority where one parent has to be able to not work and stay home. ***
10% of school age children in my city homeschool. That's a large percentage!
***And children of divorce or widows/widowers if grandparents can't do the job? ***
As administrator, I have 2 grandparents homeschooling their grandchildren and 1 widow homeschooling her 4 children. It can be done.
***Also homeschool is only applicable to people who already come from a strong English language tradition. What of immigrants? ***
Absolutely not true, Destro. :o) We have 350 Russian families who have chosen to homeschool. Their children usually graduate 2 years early then immediately enter college. The college graduate percentage is 90%.
In order to have knowledge about any given subject, one must do the necessary research. I have many links/articles/studies/stats to offer if you'd like to take the time.
I know there are many terrific school districts out there, not burdened with the heavy NEA yoke. However, for many parts of the country the NEA yoke rests heavily upon the district shoulders, having a negative affect on teachers, students and families. That is how it is where I live in California.
I don't homeschool, but I had to comment on a couple of items.
I live in one of the highest cost of living areas (SF Bay Area), and homeschooling is very popular. I don't know the exact numbers, but I personally know at least 100 kids that are homeschooled.
I actually think that immigrants would do a better job at homeschooling than the kids going to public school with a teacher that doesn't speak their language. The only thing the kid wouldn't know well would be English, but hopefully they could take a separate class in that.
I disagree also that there will never be many of you. Homeschooling is growing in popularity. School districts are also offering Independent Study Programs, so that kids can use the school curriculum (and the schools get money from the govt), and the school supervise the education.
Private schools are starting to offer limited enrollment to homeschool kids, so that the homeschool kids can only take say a history or English class.
Also, there are tons of programs for homeschool kids. Barnes & Nobles has activities for homeschool kids. Most of the zoos, museums, etc have special days where the homeschool kids in our city get special rates to attend.
Homeschool kids usually also have other group activities like meeting at parks, skating, movies, etc.
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and homeschooling is big here and growing. I grew up in the Dallas, Texas area, and still have lots of friends there. Homeschooling is also popular there.
I would imagine that if you charted trends in homeschooling vs private schooling, that homeschooling is probably growing faster than private schooling.
You crow about those figures yet those figures are miniscule. In anycase homeschooling is not an answer for the macro - just the micro.
How big? 100 kids is not a lot when compared to teh total enrollement. Look - not trying to put you down - I praise homeschooling - why do you all get upset when I say it won't be anything other than a minority that will homeschool?
thank you for that is ALL I was trying to do.
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