Do you do all the same reading/watching your child does?

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

I think I asked a related question once before, and IIRC, most people replied that they're not doing all the same reading/watching that their kids are doing--that that amount of work would be overwhelming for a homeschool parent, especially those teaching multiple kids.

 

So assuming your child is is learning via classes at home with you as teacher/facilitator, if you don't do all the same "work" they're doing, how do you assess essays, exams, etc. that you assign them? How can you determine whether their assertions are accurate or justifiable if you don't have the same level of knowledge of the material that they have? 

 

I'm working on history lesson plans at the moment, so this is probably where the biggest issue lies. But I can see it coming up in other areas as well, though maybe to a lesser degree.

 

Thanks!

 

ETA: And, as always, if there's already a discussion about this somewhere, please feel free to point me in that direction. I just wasn't coming up with anything in my search, since the terms are kind of vague!

Edited September 22, 2017 by ILiveInFlipFlops

[Julie of KY]

I don't keep up with everything. However, I do try not to assign work for ME to grade that I don't have a sufficient background to do so.

 

 

[regentrude]

I read most of the literary works I assigned my kids, but not all of them.

If I were to give an assignment that tests fact knowledge and retention, then yes, I would need to know the books thoroughly in order to assess my student's assignments.

But when I give a writing assignment in literature or history, I don't test them on their recollection of facts. I don't give quizzes that test which character said what, and which event happened where. If they wrote about a work of literature or an analysis of a historical topic, I could evaluate the essay based on the quality of the writing, the logic of the argument, the way information was extracted from sources, the discussion of different viewpoints, the internal structure, the creativity of their analysis etc. Knowing the work of literature helps, of course, but I have read and evaluated many essays about topics I had no subject knowledge about. 

 

Just so you get an idea what I am talking about, here are links to two of my DD's essays I had posted in the high school writing thread:

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/248096-13-yo-odysseyaeneid-comparison/

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/329862-dd14-history-paper-papal-schism/

 

I can evaluate a research paper in history based on what it tells me about the subject, how coherently the information is presented, how the student works with citations and sources, and how well it is written. I learn some interesting history in the process.

Edited September 22, 2017 by regentrude

[MerryAtHope]

I didn't read everything, but I read a lot. If I didn't think my student's answers made sense, then I read until I understood either why they were wrong or what they were trying to say. I asked them questions about what they wrote and why they thought what they did. We had lots of conversations. We discussed literature whether I had read them, studied them, read some cursory notes, or had very little knowledge of the book at all. I asked lots and lots of questions and they had to be able to explain what they thought and why, and back it up. Most of the literature papers they wrote were on works I had read and knew well.

 

For subjects like science, history, world views, psychology and so on, I could usually skim what my students had read and find the information I needed, but occasionally spent an additional hour or so studying if I had a strong question about something my student had written.

 

 

Edited September 22, 2017 by MerryAtHope

[Mom22ns]

I didn't read everything but I read the vast majority. In most subjects I read/discussed/taught all that they read. We occasionally used something very self-contained that didn't require me to read it to keep up, but that wasn't our typical style. In literature, I could have read their papers and known if they were making solid points without reading the books, but I think I read all the books. I like to read, so having this excuse to read was not a negative for me. I usually read along with oldest and when the next got there, skimmed as necessary to review. 

 

Note - I only have 2 kids. I don't know that I could have done this with a large family, but we would not have had the same style homeschool in many ways with a big family. Maybe I'd have found enough ways to combine kids then to keep up. With 2 we combined very little.

[RootAnn]

I admit to "cheating" with oldest. DH has read stuff I haven't, so I assign dd to discuss certain thing a with him.

 

If I am not willing to read something, I generally won't assign a paper on it. If it is lit and easy, I usually read it. If not, DH is on the hook. It has worked so far.

(Dd loved Three Musketeers or Count of Monte Cristo or some such. DH had a great discussion. I couldn't get through anything by that author (Dumas?).

Edited September 23, 2017 by RootAnn

[regentrude]

(Dd loved Three Musketeers or Count of Monte Cristo or some such. DH had a great discussion. I couldn't get through anything by that author (Dumas?).

 

No? Those are such wonderful page turners - my favorite books as a kid. So fond memories.

Edited September 23, 2017 by regentrude

[RootAnn]

No? Those are such wonderful page turners - my favorite books as a kid. So fond memories.

 

Nope. DD#1 loved Dumas. I'd like to blame it on the fact that I read a bad translation, but I don't know if that is really the problem. I should probably try it in French. I don't think I'll have time for that for several years, though! 

 

I had trouble getting through Les Misérables (unabr. in English) and thought the translation was terrible. It turns out that the translation I read is considered the best.  :crying: The selections I read in French in school had such beautiful imagery.  :drool:

[Liza Q]

I have read about 90% of the literature I have assigned over the years and maybe 25% of the the extra books I have assigned for history - I have my kids tell me about the interesting - or awful - bits. I skim the History textbooks or read the summaries I have found in TMs or study guides so I am familiar enough with the material. Grading the essays is not difficult as I only assign essays in English/History on the books/topics I am most familiar with. I don't have them write about every book/play/poem/textbook chapter they read.

 

I only give tests for History (never English) if they come with the textbook and answer key. Even with those, I am sure to pull out some of the questions to do orally. If I assign some Great Courses videos I rarely watch them - I prefer to ask my child to tell me about them! But I will definitely watch a video with my kids for English - we try to watch all the plays we read.

 

Right now I am re-reading Moby Dick. I read it with my oldest about 12 years ago and it was still fresh enough in my mind a few years later when I assigned it to my 2nd. Now that my son is about to read it....I realized that I really need to read it again if I want to get into it with him!

 

Science - if I can't totally outsource I make sure there are videos they can use on top of their texts, as I can't honestly manage anything past Biology! I rely heavily on a well organized text with reviews and tests for Science.

[Penelope]

Reading, yes. Watching, no, though I do like to watch/listen with them when I can.

 

I have to say that before eighth grade or so, no, I haven't read everything I have assigned, though I have read most even if it was in childhood. But for high school, I do make sure my reading is fresher and I read or re-read shortly before or along with my student.

[....]

So assuming your child is is learning via classes at home with you as teacher/facilitator, if you don't do all the same "work" they're doing, how do you assess essays, exams, etc. that you assign them? How can you determine whether their assertions are accurate or justifiable if you don't have the same level of knowledge of the material that they have? 

 

Google, Cliffnotes, answer keys if the curriculum has them, my memory if I read it in high school, etc.  And I always give them a ton of feedback on their writing, but their ideas are theirs. If they can back up an argument, I leave it alone.

 

With 5 kids who read constantly - and my teens generally have several books going at once, there's no way I could read every one of the books they read.  

 

 

Edited to add: I just returned a stack of library books this afternoon that was about 3 feet tall.   :tongue_smilie:  (I wouldn't be able to read all those.)

Edited September 23, 2017 by Evanthe

[Donna]

I read/watch everything dd does for classes I am "teaching" her. I do not do everything she does for online college classes or classes she has with a tutor (except Irish lessons which we both take with the tutor at the same time).

[J-rap]

Also didn't read everything, but most of it.  I'm pretty sure I always read and watched every literature assignments though, partly because it was my favorite subject.  :)

 

 

[frogger]

Yes, for the classes I'm actually teaching. This is why I'm only teaching 1.5 classes to my two high schoolers this year. That would be the same 1.5 classes for both of them, not individually. They sometimes self teach but they mostly have classes, tutors, or online work because I couldn't keep up with both of them and teach my younger kids.

 

They both read stuff on their own and tend to watch Great Courses on their own but that isn't assigned or graded.

Edited September 24, 2017 by frogger