My DS (6) seems bored.

[budeb]

He started reading early (he was still 3) and LOVED working through workbooks... now he doesn't seem thrilled about school anymore. It is like it is no challenge.

 

He LOVES to read and will do that for hours and he loves computer games. Is there something I can teach him on the computer that would not be just games? He would play all day if I let him. He needs something to challenge him but when it comes to computers I don't know what half the programs do on my computer.

 

He says he wants to grow up and make video games. He has even drawn out a character and different levels and challenges to go through.

 

Any ideas are welcome. I want to bring back his love for learning.

 

Deb

[Mommy2BeautifulGirls]

I have had to change math curriculum to keep my daughter from being bored. She was the same as your son. She read early and LOVED workbooks. I just found a math curriculum that finally seems to challenge her, and we're going to changing up our language arts program next year. She wants to do GWG because "it has writing." We will also use WWE to help her out with her SOTW narrations that she struggles with. In the meantime, we're making our way through the rest of the "boring" language arts program, but I am now letting her decide which order she wants to do her work in, and that has seemed to help for the time being. I give her all that needs to be completed before moving on, and it all has to be done before I give her more.

 

As far as computer games, I try to always find nice educational websites for her. Just the other day we found http://www.iknowthat.com and so far she has learned about Pompeii, the planets, the human body, etc. We also use http://www.spellingcity.com for her spelling when she's not in a writing mood. I make lists with the spelling words from our language arts program and she plays the games to learn them. She has even taken a few of her tests from there. Both of these sites are completely free.

 

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. In the meantime, good luck!

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

What are you using now? Does he seem to not like doing school work at all or does it just seem to easy? Maybe you could move to the next level? Singapore math has some cd-roms that go with their earlier levels. I have not used them nor heard much about them. He also might like a learning-to-type program.

[Truscifi]

Brainpop and Brainpop Jr are both good educational programs. He can view a lesson on almost any topic, then take a quiz on it. You can even print out the quiz to put in your portfolio if you want. They're not free though, you have to pay a subscription fee.

[budeb]

Good ideas, ladies! Keep them coming.

 

He is doing Horizons math and I kept him on grade level because people advised me to. At the beginning of the year he could have probably skipped most of it then already but was told he needs repetition of his math facts and to not skip that. I am scared that if I skip the repetition it will show up later somewhere... OTOH, it really seems pointless to him. We do math games and do half of the questions orally as he LOVES mental math (he hates handwriting). It's hard for me not to have all the lessons done... it seems incomplete to me. Anyone else have that problem? On the other hand for reading and phonics I have just let him read... work ahead and read to his heart's content and that works wonderful. I don't know why I am this way about math.

 

Thanks for the ideas though I will check them out.

 

Deb

[Colleen in SEVA]

My oldest DS went through this, except with reading. Once he mastered reading, he didn't want to do it anymore. He went a couple of months where he barely read at all (even when I bribed with GASP!! Captain Underpants tee hee). Then I let him try out a book I thought he wouldn't be ready for, and he took off flying and hasn't looked back. He thrives on challenge. If I want him to read a book, all I have to say is "this book is something usually only teenagers can read, do you want to see if you can try it?" and he's hooked. Perhaps something similar is happening with your son, and he wants something to challenge him even more.

 

As for computer stuff -- what about introducing programming? If he loves computers, he just might run with it.

http://www.amazon.com/Hello-World-Computer-Programming-Beginners/dp/1933988495/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242311248&sr=8-1

 

Also, my computer-loving-what-can-I-conquer-next 2nd DS enjoys Timez Attack. The download is free, but you can purchase an upgrade to add additional worlds.

 

What subjects does he really enjoy? What about just focusing on those for a couple of months (making sure he understands the others will come back soon)? Maybe shaking things up and trying a different style of homeschooling for a couple of weeks? Letting him delve very deep into an area of interest -- library research, making a model, drawing out plans for a film about it, etc?

[Mommy2BeautifulGirls]

Good ideas, ladies! Keep them coming.

 

It's hard for me not to have all the lessons done... it seems incomplete to me. Anyone else have that problem?

 

Deb

 

Me! Me! I'm that way with everything, though. I feel like if most of it is not done then we have "wasted." I'm trying to get over that, though.

[HeatherInWI]

My dc learned a great deal from computer games. In fact, we have a no-non-educational computer game rule here. When they were little, the DK Explorer series (World, British Isles, Human Body, Science, etc.), JumpStart series, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego series, Math Blaster series, and others taught them more social studies, science, and math than their schoolbooks did.

 

I found many of these as old or used versions on eBay, saving lots of money over new retail, too.

[Donna]

Maybe more hands-on learning would make school more interesting and less boring for him. Do science experiments, do hands-on history (dress up like time period, recipes, listen to music of the period, read books from the time period, etc...), make math more hands with real-life type problems, etc...