Guest amitn Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Where does shrinking education budgets, increasing class sizes, reducing teacher – student ratio, expensive private school tuitions (if thats an option) leave our kids? Add to it the recession, layoffs, unemployment and an ever increasing competition - in a flat connected world this competition comes from around the world". The situation is undoubtedly challenging and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. With this background many questions creep up: - As parents what can we do to help, support our kids to get ahead in class and beyond? - Does supplemental education over and above the school education help? - Are there subjects that are more amenable to supplemental education than others? - What form should this supplemental education come in? - What matters the most - cost, accessibilty, quality, continuous interaction matter or something else...? I will love to have a discussion on this topic with parents and teachers alike and get different opinions on the topic. Regards, Amit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine in al Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Or is your interest other than personal? ~christine in al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Since this is a homeschooling forum, all of the questions you listed are a moot point. Homeschoolers are not impacted by what goes on in public and private education. We educate our children in all subjects to be competitive applicants against all realms of education......public, private, and other homeschoolers. We don't supplement........we are the teachers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine in al Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 This looks like phishing to me.. What say ye? ~c in al. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paisley Hedgehog Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 nm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest amitn Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 thx for your reply. i have kids aged 8 (girl) and 10(boy) so am interested in the topic. at present they are going to private & public school respectively. i am interested in find out what really works and what is out there from supplemental education perspective; who is providing what and which areas there is best return for the child. I am not much conversant with homeschooling frankly. rgds amit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 I homeschool, so the problems with the educational system don't apply directly in my case. But if I afterschooled a child with no particular problems in a certain area, I think I would focus on science because it would seem to be the best subject for incorporating reading and math skills into a larger context. And it is easy to make it fun, so the child would stay interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest amitn Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 ok looks like the wrong forum for me...thx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Wise Bauer Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 If this poster is an engaged parent (and the registration info does not indicate a professional spammer, FYI), I would be sorry to think that this forum could not offer any assistance just because the poster is not exclusively home educating. SWB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christine in al Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 So that's why my ears were pricked up. as a parent,, hi. :) you may want to look at the afterschooling forum. That is a great option for many people. good luck finding a group that can really address your needs. ~c. in al Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.S. Burrow Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 thx for your reply. i have kids aged 8 (girl) and 10(boy) so am interested in the topic. at present they are going to private & public school respectively. i am interested in find out what really works and what is out there from supplemental education perspective; who is providing what and which areas there is best return for the child. I am not much conversant with homeschooling frankly. rgds amit I have a 6th grader that I homeschool and a 9th grader that is at the public high school. We supplement in all areas as needed (or as we require) for our public school student. I would recommend that you read The Well Trained Mind for additional information on supplementing the education of your students. There is quite a bit of information with regards to afterschooling and enrichment that can be completed during holiday breaks and summer. There is also the afterschooling board on this forum. I hope you find what you are looking for. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 ok looks like the wrong forum for me...thx There's an afterschooling forum here, for parents whose kids are in school and want to supplement. That would be the perfect place to ask these questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 you may want to look at the afterschooling forum. :iagree:Full time homeschoolers over here aren't having an easy time answering you. I wouldn't vote in your poll. I would think which subjects need supplementing would depend on the school and your child's individual strengths, weaknesses, and interests. Parents' Forum Afterschooling Board Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibrarianMom Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 Where does shrinking education budgets, increasing class sizes, reducing teacher – student ratio, expensive private school tuitions (if thats an option) leave our kids? Add to it the recession, layoffs, unemployment and an ever increasing competition - in a flat connected world this competition comes from around the world". The situation is undoubtedly challenging and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. With this background many questions creep up: - As parents what can we do to help, support our kids to get ahead in class and beyond? - Does supplemental education over and above the school education help? - Are there subjects that are more amenable to supplemental education than others? - What form should this supplemental education come in? - What matters the most - cost, accessibilty, quality, continuous interaction matter or something else...? I will love to have a discussion on this topic with parents and teachers alike and get different opinions on the topic. Regards, Amit Hi Amit, I think I recognize your name from another forum I used to frequent. As a parent, I feel my job is to to be the primary educator even though I work outside the home and my children attend public school. It is my job to go over their work with them and make sure they understand it. Frequently that means pre-teaching before it is presented in school. Sometimes supplementary education means presenting something I know they aren't getting in school (primarily history) or going deeper in a subject because of interest. I find history and English to be very easy to supplement because you read and read or go to museums. However, science and math are equally easy to supplement. Fpr example, today my children are off school but I left some math and critical thinking work for dd to do because as we like to say "just because there's no school doesn't mean your brain gets to turn to mush." As to what matters most, it really depends on each family. Our family has made the decision that we are sending our kids to public school and save the private school tuition dollars to buy lots of books, go to museums and concerts, and take great vacations because in our area the private school wasn't that much better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earth Yarn Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 We ( my DH and I ) are currently toying with the idea of supplementing DSD 11yo PS by adding some "classes" at home on the weekends that we have her here. I would think that we would focus on critical thinking, history and some science as that is what we feel is pretty greatly lacking in the schools in our area. HTH! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 "just because there's no school doesn't mean your brain gets to turn to mush." Good point. Doing your own schooling over the summer is an excellent idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 12, 2009 Share Posted October 12, 2009 It isn't on your list, so I didn't think of it earlier, but the biggest thing to check for as it will make all the difference, and a subject many schools drop the ball on... is phonics. I would start with that. And I am with my spelling programs. :) DD went down in her reading level when she attended Kindergarten for a short time. Who needs phonics and how to supplement phonics, including how to teach the commonly taught "sight words" with phonics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Shrinking budgets have NOTHING to do with poor performance in 98% of school districts In the US. School is, if anything, overfunded. I dislike the idea of supplemental ed. When are the children to play? If the schools stink. do something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Shrinking budgets have NOTHING to do with poor performance in 98% of school districts In the US. School is, if anything, overfunded. I dislike the idea of supplemental ed. When are the children to play? If the schools stink. do something else. :iagree:Reya, you have made so much sense! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Shrinking budgets have NOTHING to do with poor performance in 98% of school districts In the US. School is, if anything, overfunded. I dislike the idea of supplemental ed. When are the children to play? If the schools stink. do something else. I completely agree. This is one reason we homeschool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuff Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 (edited) I would not consider any of those suplimental. Well, Social Studies, but not history. Seriously, if a school doesn't have time for the basics, what's the point? Oops, I misunderstood the question. I was thinking they wanted to cut out somehting and qualify it as "suplimental" if they got to it. :) Yes, there are a lot of people suplimenting their childrens' school. I wouldn't look at what's the easiest to supliment, but focus on what the child needed the most. (help or enrichment) Edited October 13, 2009 by Scuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in WI Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 (edited) - As parents what can we do to help, support our kids to get ahead in class and beyond? - Does supplemental education over and above the school education help? - Are there subjects that are more amenable to supplemental education than others? - What form should this supplemental education come in? Hi Amit! As others recommended, we have an afterschooling forum that might be better able to answer your questions, but I'll give it a try. For your first question, I would be actively involved in what my child was being taught in school. The Educated Child by William J. Bennett is an excellent book that you can use to evaluate what is being taught in your child's preschool through eighth grade classroom. I think the areas most to be on top of would be reading and math. Everything depends on reading ability, and if your child struggles with reading, they will struggle in every subject. Also, because limited ability in arithmetic will not only limit their upper math classes, but also upper science classes, I would want to make sure my child was understanding and excelling in their math classes. Singapore math makes great math supplement books, if you're interested. Here is a link to "Extra Practice with Primary Math." I know there are many programs that help with remedial reading and I'm sure someone else could recommend one, if your children need help in that area. I absolutely would supplement the other subjects you mentioned with books, books, books! A fun way to do this is take weekly trips to the library. When you're there, have your children pick out "one science book, one history book, one art or music appreciation book, one practical book (a craft, hobby, or "how-to"), a biography or autobiography, a classic novel (or an adaptation suited to age), an imaginative storybook, and a book of poetry." (List was taken from The Well-Trained Mind) I love this quote by John Taylor Gatto Reading teaches nothing more important than the state of mind in which you find yourself absolutely alone with the thoughts of another mind, a matchless form of intimate rapport available only to those with the ability to block out distraction and concentrate. Hence the urgency of reading well if you read for power. Once you trust yourself to go mind-to-mind with great intellects, artists, scientists, warriors, and philosophers, you are finally free. HTH! ~Heather P.S. What the heck has happened to this board? Why is everyone replying snarkily to the OP? This has become a disturbing pattern lately. If you couldn't help or try to answer her question, why not just ignore it? Edited October 13, 2009 by Heather in WI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibrarianMom Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Shrinking budgets have NOTHING to do with poor performance in 98% of school districts In the US. School is, if anything, overfunded. I dislike the idea of supplemental ed. When are the children to play? If the schools stink. do something else. Supplemental education isn't because the school stinks and still provides plenty of time for children to play. Our school does quite well. Supplemental education is largely what people did before we all sat around the TV every night. It's being a family, reading together, playing together, being part of each others lives. Unfortunately, shrinking budgets do impact poor school performance. Smaller budgets mean there is less to go around and sometimes important things get cut. Teachers must be paid and insurance premiums go up which result in some positions being cut or combined and increases class sizes. Things that are considered important by some like art, music, and libraries are cut because they do not visibly impact student performance on tests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homemama2 Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 (edited) (I haven't read the other replies so sorry if this is a repeat) If I were looking to supplement my children's education, I would probably focus on areas of their interests in science and history. (Story of the World history books by Susan Wise Bauer would be great as a bedtime story for example! Or other history picture books) I attended public school K-12 and my mother did this with me. I loved butterflies, so she had me start a butterfly collection and we would label what they were etc. I can still tell you all the names of the butterflies etc. I learned back when I was 6-8 years old. She took me on nature walks and would tell what trees were around me, what kind of turtles were in the pond near our house, what the plants were etc. This seems simple, but it peaks the interest of children when a loving parent shows interest in something. I can hardly remember anything learned in my science classes (in fact, if asked, I would have told you I hated science), but I remember alot of what my mom taught me casually (she wasn't specifically trying to 'teach' me- just a mom sharing with her kid). I even got my degree in a scientific field. So find what interests your kid (mummies? knights? writing stories? animals?) and start there. I think by teaching our children to love learning and discovering we are giving them the tools to learn all the other important things out there. ETA: This is only if your child's reading and math skills are what they need to be. If they are not, then focus on these first, then add in the fun stuff. Edited October 13, 2009 by Homemama2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I think if it were me, I would find out what my children were the weakest in and then supplement in the school year for those. During the summer and breaks, I would find engaging science curriculum and then have a science club once a week or so during the summer. I would read or listen to Story of the World starting from the Vol 1 ( to make sure they have a chronological view of history) and then pick out classics to read before bedtime to them. FYI - we have done this as homeschoolers with other kids from private and public schools adding in because parents we have so much fun learning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Another Lynn Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 If I couldn't homeschool, the subjects that would concern me most (assuming the school wasn't seriously lacking in one particular subject and assuming a child didn't have a need in a particular subject) would be 1) worldview and 2) communication (use of language, oral, written, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Unfortunately, shrinking budgets do impact poor school performance. Smaller budgets mean there is less to go around and sometimes important things get cut. Teachers must be paid and insurance premiums go up which result in some positions being cut or combined and increases class sizes. Things that are considered important by some like art, music, and libraries are cut because they do not visibly impact student performance on tests. Schools cut these kinds of programs instead of cutting other things that would impact education less, like vast bureaucracies at the district, or cutting-edge technology in elementary schools. They call this the Washington Monument Syndrome: when the National Parks' System budget gets cut, they immediately say that they'll have to close the Washington Monument, instead of obvious waste. Lower class sizes have not been shown to affect education (i.e. the learning of the children) very much. (See also here). The most important thing is good curriculum and good teaching methods. Right now constructivism is rampant in the schools. The idea that children will naturally develop sounds good, but most kids just don't learn well unless they are taught. If kids are not taught explicitly what they should learn, usually they don't learn. If kids are not grouped according to ability, they will not learn to the best of their ability. The bright kids will be bored and slower kids will be overwhelmed: neither condition helps learning take place. Until these two things are fixed, public education will continue to get poor results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strawberry Queen Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 If my kids were in PS and there was nothing that was a huge glaring weakness then I would do the easy stuff. I would focus on reading wonderful chapter books together, and playing games. For a resource on the topic there's The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. I would try and enhance areas of passion, mine or theirs and work on things together. For example, I like sewing so I might help my child to do small sewing projects for their stuffies. I have a dd who loves science, so I would probably have a science experiment book for her to whip out and have fun with. Games that I would go for would be some individual logic type games like Rush-Hour, or Raging Rapids. I would teach them card games, especially ones that can include some level of strategy like canasta. Another idea for slightly older children is Bohanza, a bean-trading game where you have to make choices ahead of time that impact coming turns, Carcassone and Settlers of Catan. There are also the old stand-bys like chess. Another one you could do is Mancala (this is for age 7+). I would try not to stress their life too much with extra work unless they really needed it. I would also include Story Of The World as a read-aloud. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 If this poster is an engaged parent (and the registration info does not indicate a professional spammer, FYI), I would be sorry to think that this forum could not offer any assistance just because the poster is not exclusively home educating. SWB Sometimes I just want to hug you :D Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 thx for your reply. i have kids aged 8 (girl) and 10(boy) so am interested in the topic. at present they are going to private & public school respectively. i am interested in find out what really works and what is out there from supplemental education perspective; who is providing what and which areas there is best return for the child. I am not much conversant with homeschooling frankly. rgds amit As far as I am concerned, Amit, you are welcome here. I remember when I was first beginning to research this "homeschooling" thing, I didn't even know what to ask! Sorry if this board seemed rude to you, it usually isn't, so I hope you stick around and learn and become a part of this community. :grouphug: Now, back to your questions! If you plan to keep your children in school, you might want to visit the "Afterschooling" part of the forums. There you will find parents who also have children in school -- they supplement BEFORE and/or AFTER school, during breaks, and during summer vacations. I agree about the budget cuts affecting the kids in schools -- my nephews and niece go to public school. They have lost out on Spanish, art, field trips, and so on due to budget cuts. But there is another factor at work, I think -- testing. Even in districts that have the money for foreign language instruction, art classes, and such, there is still enormous pressure to produce HIGH TEST SCORES for all students, and IMO, this is just not realistic. I hope you come back again and again. Keep asking those questions, don't be intimidated by an "exclusive club" mentality, everyone who is sincerely seeking is welcome here. Welcome! Oh, and FYI, there is a thread somewhere about the ABBREVIATIONS, so if there is an abbreviation you don't understand, then look at this: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1503 HTH! (Hope That Helps). :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Where does shrinking education budgets, increasing class sizes, reducing teacher – student ratio, expensive private school tuitions (if thats an option) leave our kids? Add to it the recession, layoffs, unemployment and an ever increasing competition - in a flat connected world this competition comes from around the world". The situation is undoubtedly challenging and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. With this background many questions creep up: - As parents what can we do to help, support our kids to get ahead in class and beyond? We can become active in Booster Club/PTA activities, including donating money for extracurricular activities, and participating in other fund-raising activities to support our schools. It makes all the difference in the world. Second, we can spend time in the class-room aiding the teachers. A second, third or even forth adult (especially in the lower grades) makes a huge contribution to the class-room and to learning. - Does supplemental education over and above the school education help? Without question. Yes! - Are there subjects that are more amenable to supplemental education than others? I'm unaware of ANY subject that isn't amenable to enrichment. The question is what your priorities are, where you think the education at school may be lacking and take it from there. My son is in kindergarten, and I'm focused on making sure his math and language arts education are top-notch. - What form should this supplemental education come in? A form that inspires, excites and involves the child. - What matters the most - cost, accessibilty, quality, continuous interaction matter or something else...? What matters is that it engages the child and the parent/teacher, and aids in creatively teaching the subject(s) at hand in a fashion that works for you. I will love to have a discussion on this topic with parents and teachers alike and get different opinions on the topic. Regards, Amit Welcome to the forum :001_smile: Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Sometimes I just want to hug you :D Bill Oh, Bill, hug me! Hug me! I want a hug! :biggrinjester: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibrarianMom Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 The most important thing is good curriculum and good teaching methods. Right now constructivism is rampant in the schools. The idea that children will naturally develop sounds good, but most kids just don't learn well unless they are taught. If kids are not taught explicitly what they should learn, usually they don't learn. Actually constructivism is much closer to many homeschooling philosophies. "Constructivism is a learning theory based on the notion that students actively construct knowledge. This view of learning calls for a dramatic lessening of reliance on a didactic, textbook-based, ‘transmission’ of knowledge approach to teaching and learning in the classroom. " Some constructivist educators follow Vygotsky advocating an apprenticeship learning model. "Like a veteran tailor, the teacher using this approach is expected to first model the practice, gradually turning over control to the novice as he or she becomes more skillful in implementing the practice." Others follow Dewey and Piaget. They view "the role of the teacher is to quietly nudge the process along, to point out in a gentle way any problems the student may be encountering in figuring out how to construe a new experience, to bring to the fore the most important aspects of that experience, and so forth. The type of pedagogy that best fits this view of learning is problem-based, project-based, or inquiry-based pedagogy." I'd rather have constructivism than spoon-feeding any day. Quotes taken from "Constructivism." Encyclopedia of Educational Psychology. 2008. SAGE Publications. 20 Oct. 2009. <http://www.sage-ereference.com/educationalpsychology/Article_n51.html>. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Oh, Bill, hug me! Hug me! I want a hug! :biggrinjester: Totally :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 If you're interested in more details about how the economic crisis will affect the schools now and in the future, check out this blog. With this background many questions creep up: - As parents what can we do to help, support our kids to get ahead in class and beyond? - Does supplemental education over and above the school education help? - Are there subjects that are more amenable to supplemental education than others? - What form should this supplemental education come in? - What matters the most - cost, accessibilty, quality, continuous interaction matter or something else...? The schools have had pretty poor performance for quite some time. SAT scores never recovered from their dive in the 1970s. Yes, I suppose it's possible that it could get still worse. But in the big picture, education spending has increased way faster than inflation for the last 30 years, with no positive impact. Cutting education budgets is just bringing things back down to earth. I'm sure it will be painful though. Of course parents can have a big effect on their children! Many parents, such as the ones that write at the Kitchen Table Math blog, propose that the real reason for the achievement gap is parental intervention. Most schools teach using the same failed constructivist methods. If the parent of a child values education and has either the knowledge to tutor them themselves, or the money to pay for a tutor, parents generally do so. Parents are very motivated to help their children succeed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 My kids have been in a mishmash of homeschool, charter school, and public school. Here are my thoughts on keeping an eye on their education: (1) You as the parent are the general contractor over the child's education. You can subcontract this out to schools, but remember that the buck stops with you. (2) Get a sense of what a good education requires each year. Some good books to help with this: for a more mainstream public education view, The Educated Child; for what we on this board think is a good scope and sequence, check out The Well-Trained Mind. These will teach you what is generally taught each year. (3) Prioritize skills over content. If a child doesn't learn to read phonetically in 1st or 2nd grade, that skill deficit is going to hurt that child's education more and more each year until it is remediated. (4) Get a sense of the philosophical point of view of the education establishment: constructivism (i.e. not directly teaching subject matter, having the teacher be the "guide on the side" instead of the "sage on the stage"), devaluing learning facts (i.e. "rote knowledge"), suspicion of phonics and math facts. More info on these topics can be found at the Illinois Loop website, the book The Schools We Need, and Left Back: A Century of Failed School Reform. Specifically: (1) Teach your child phonics no later than first grade, preferably before. "Balanced literacy" is whole language under a new name. They tack on a few phonics lessons to the same whole language methods, which encourage guessing. They don't teach the children to apply the phonics as they read. If you teach your child to read before the child attends school, they won't be harmed by the instruction to guess at words, and they will be able to learn from silent reading time. Jessie Wise has great instructions on how to do this in The Well Trained Mind. (2) Keep a close eye on math curriculum. Constructivist fuzzy math programs are rampant in the schools. These claim to teach deep understanding of math, but they don't, because they don't teach to mastery. Singapore Math does, though. I would suggest getting these books and afterschooling with them if your school has a constructivist math curriculum, such as TERC Investigations or Everyday Math. (More info on these curricula on the Afterschooling Board.) Also, make sure your child masters the math facts. Master addition and subtraction facts within 10 in 1st grade, +&- facts with 18 in 2nd grade, multiplication facts in 3rd grade, and division facts in 4th grade. The faster they can do them, the more brain power they will have to spare when they get to higher math. If Kumon is in your area, consider having your kids go. It's cheaper than tutoring, and probably more effective. (3) The public schools teach a lot of writing, but not always skillful writing. Grammar often isn't taught. So grammar might be on your list of subjects to teach after school or in the summers. If your child has difficulty completing writing assignments in early elementary school, use the suggestions about narration and dictation from the Well Trained Mind to help them out. Help them compose their thoughts into complete sentences, and have them say it into a recorder. They can take dictation from the recorder for their final paper. (4) Other than that, cultivate academic interests. This can be done informally. Have a globe around. Listen to Susan Wise Bauer's interesting history, Story of the World, in the car. Go to concerts and national parks. (5) If the school assigns busywork homework (time consuming projects with little educational value), consider skipping them, or negotiating with the teacher to tweak them for the educational benefit of your child. I've successfully tweaked school spelling programs (one for a remedial speller; one for an advanced speller), or exchanged a time consuming project book report for a written book report. (6) Keep an eye out for good charter schools or other educational opportunities in the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I've seen Sandra Tsing Loh discuss school extensively in the Atlantic magazine [for example here] (and in her book, Mother on Fire, as well, but it is a bit rambling and campy) -- she feels mothers who are involved in the PTA are the unappreciated/underutilized key in education. She has become a bit of a cheerleader for LA public schools. Beating up on public schools is not just our nation’s favorite blood sport, but also a favorite conversational entertainment of the well-off—like debating the most recent toothsome plot twists of Big Love—who, of course, have no dog in the fight. And who adore a tragic ending. In my Los Angeles, everyone agrees that public education is a bombed-out shell, nonnegotiable, impoverished, unaccountable, run in Spanish. I wept over Kozol’s books for years, but I myself am no freedom fighter. If I could have afforded either a $1.3 million house in La Cañada or $40,000 a year to send my two girls to a private school (that is, if we’d gotten into said school; I confess that, even though I described my older daughter as “marvelously inquisitive” when we applied, we were wait-listed) I wouldn’t waste two minutes on social justice. Let them spell cake! (Which is to say, let them spell it “kake.”) We tried to flee to the white suburbs, but we failed, and in failing, we seem to have fallen out of the middle class, because today my daughters attend public school with the urban poor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I've seen Sandra Tsing Loh discuss school extensively in the Atlantic magazine [for example here] (and in her book, Mother on Fire, as well, but it is a bit rambling and campy) -- she feels mothers who are involved in the PTA are the unappreciated/underutilized key in education. She has become a bit of a cheerleader for LA public schools. I enjoy Sandra Tsing Loh's musing on life and the local schools (she has a radio segment on the local NPR station). We are extremely fortunate to be in one of LAs best schools. The reason it is a success is in large measure due to parental involvement and financial support. When the school system was facing collapse (and as a system it still has challenges) parents at select schools made vigorous and concerted efforts to "save" their local public schools, rather than to pull out. The difference in these schools is astounding. And there has been a "demonstration effect" as the model for how to re-claim a school is replicated at one school after another. Obviously, schools in upper income brackets are at an advantage, but parent involvement is making a difference in schools all over the district. And administrators and teachers are quite keen to have the help. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Some of the education blogs I've been reading (mostly Kitchen Table Math and D-Ed Reckoning) say that a lot of the inner city schools actually teach more effectively than suburban schools. The high test scores in suburban schools is often because the parents are either tutoring their own children, or paying for outside tutoring. Those parents value education, and have extra resources that they can and will use to help their children succeed. As a result, suburban schools are sometimes insulated from the effects of their chosen methods. Inner city schools, by contrast, can't count on extensive parental support, so they teach it right the first time. (Wish I had a link to post in support of this idea; I can't remember exactly where I read it.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reya Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Supplemental education isn't because the school stinks and still provides plenty of time for children to play. Our school does quite well. Supplemental education is largely what people did before we all sat around the TV every night. It's being a family, reading together, playing together, being part of each others lives. Unfortunately, shrinking budgets do impact poor school performance. Smaller budgets mean there is less to go around and sometimes important things get cut. Teachers must be paid and insurance premiums go up which result in some positions being cut or combined and increases class sizes. Things that are considered important by some like art, music, and libraries are cut because they do not visibly impact student performance on tests. " being a family, reading together, playing together, being part of each others lives" isn't doing a second math curriculum or adding history to a kid's course of study. If money matters so much to education, then there's be a correlation between school funding and school performance. There is not--not in the US, and not internationally. The "Robin Hood" system in Texas was a complete failure for this reason. Class sizes, also, don't have a big impact on performace. Class sizes in the Far East are twice what they are here, and yet the kids learn much, much more. There is next to no difference between the amount of individual time a kid gets when there are 18 in the class or 36. --Rey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan Wise Bauer Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Sometimes I just want to hug you :D Bill Awww, Bill. What can I say? My husband would like to hug you too. :) SWB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Awww, Bill. What can I say? My husband would like to hug you too. :) SWB Group hug :grouphug: Emily too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sara R Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Actually constructivism is much closer to many homeschooling philosophies. Reply in a new thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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