Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
Posted on 01/28/2006 7:49:24 AM PST by Clintonfatigued
I encourage you to give it a try. You sound likie me with my oldest son five years ago. The last straw was when I found out a week before school that there would be 35 kids in his class in a private school fourth grade. My husband said we're bringing him home, that will never work. We now hs our three oldest kids with the youngest in a small Christian half-day Kindergarten.
As to the meds, what ended up working for us is that four days a week he takes the four hour strength adderall...enough to get him through algebra and the other intensive subjects but not enough to ruin his appetite and keep him from sleeping. The difference is amazing at how he can focus and pay attention on the meds (it took me a LONG time to get there...I was adamantly opposed to medicating him at first, but after we tried it I realized it wasnt fair not to give it to him and have him struggle and feel like a failure when it really was beyond his control. Feel free to pm me if you want to chat about it.
Sounds like the teacher is the one who needs the meds.....or a new career.
The comment you responded to was a joke.
I am pleased that your kids turned out well.
That's the beauty of homeschooling, you can tailor it to the individual child. Math and Language (writing/reading/grammar) are non-negotiable. But until they get to jr high or high school you can really let them take part in deciding what science and history studies will be learned. I guarantee they'll remember more than any of us remember from 5th grade social studies.
My son balked every time I assigned him a book to read. It was such a battle. I was picking all the books at this point. One day a couple of years ago at the library he picked up the Jessica Lynch bio (he's a military/war story buff, even when he was in fifth grade). He wanted to check it out. I laughed to myself....I cant get him to read a 100 page book and I think there was like 250 in this one. Well, to my shock and pleasure he read it in two days! I immediately began letting him have some input in his reading list. Some things are mandatory, but most are ones of his liking. We also have the luxury of choosing topics that we're interesting in and parking on them for weeks at a time. We still cover the other basics, but it allows for much more love of learning for the kids when they can actually do something they enjoy. It also helps us recognize their strengths and help them develop those areas where theyre likely to end up in a career one day. I'm not so much worried about how many facts my kids have memorized and forgotten byb the time theyre 18....I want them to have a broad knowledge base and mainly to know how to think. That way they can go into any college program and learn the particulars in their chosen field.
I recently began homeschooling. I am in a cover group that makes the parents accountable. If they aren't, they are dropped from our group and reported to the local school board. In my short time, I have found a variety of reasons and methods people use for homeschooling. Some are not so good. My deal is that as long as my kids produce an objective 90% plus in a subject, they can independent study that course. I still outline the assignments and tests based on a legitimate curriculum.
We do not watch TV during OR after our school time, but I had never thought of such until you brought up that point. The TV is a very powerful negative educational tool for even public school kids no matter what time they are watching it.
Good point. My house stayed very clean while we were in public school. We laugh now. My husband thought I might not be able to give up myself to stay committed to homeschooling. Well, I have been very self disciplined about it. The house stays a wreck and the laundry stays behind, but the schooling is always done. lol
Certainly sounds like you and your group are doing a great job. I bet the kids are happier for it too!
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here
I guess stupid is as stupid does?
Ping
Discovery Kids is on for Breakfast.
Tapes of Magic School Bus or Schoolhouse Rock while mom makes dinner.
That's it, that's all for tv.
I have not read all the replies, so please forgive me if I am duplicating what others have said.
De-schooling and un-schooling are two different things.
When parents bring their children home from public school to teach them, they may need a period of time to de-school. During this time both parent and child need to adjust. That is not usually child directed learning. It is both parent and child taking a breather from intense education in preparation for more strenuous study at a later time. The parent still directs the child, but the subjects covered can be as casual as reading, book discussion, household chores, and rule setting.
What you do to de-school is as individual as the child you are de-schooling. If the child has had difficulty following the parent's rules, some time should be taken to instill the discipline necessary to homeschool. It is just as important for the parent to know how to develop discipline in the child as it is for the child to know how to obey.
Un-schooling is the usually thought of as child-directed learning. The extent of the child's control is determined by the parent. Some children are very capable of doing this. It is not good for everyone. I found that given his own choice, my son would play videogames and watch TV all day. The idea of furthering his academic knowledge could not be further from his mind, so we have never un-schooled.
However, I would have loved un-schooling as a child. Even though I went to public school, I spent hours in the library learning about things I wanted to study. My self-education was only limited by the hours I spent bored at school. A child like me would do very well with un-schooling -- given some parental guidance.
Each situation is different. The biggest advantage of homeschooling is the ability to adjust and adapt to the needs of the child. If as the title says, "Some in Homeschooling Movement Support 'De-Schooling,'" there may be some who have been able to de-school or even un-school successfully. But no one should think this is what all homeschooling families do.
I won't call you crazy but be ready to get flamed.
Didn't the educational establishment try this open classroom stuff or something like it? They provided the kids with EVERYTHING they needed to learn; the best books, equipment, computers, teachers avilable for help if asked for? Wasn't it an abysmal failure? If unschooling is so great, why did the highly regimented, structured, disciplined schools of the 1800's produce such a wealth of inventers, scientists, writers, and polititions? Seems to me that we just don't see people of that caliber these days; not to say that they don't exist but it sure seems that they're pretty scarce.
go to www.homeschooloasis.com and read the "Help! I'm just starting out and don't know what to do" article.
uhh, NO. My home educated sons of all ages (elementary to high school age) all love to learn. They haven't had it drilled out of them in the kiddie prisons called public school.
Not my teens (they're home educated, that's why)
Yeah, quite doubtful is more like it. :D
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