Love the big picture, but so many questions day to day!

[hlee]

This year is our first year homeschooling, primarily with our 7 yr. old who would be in 2nd grade in PS. I began homeschooling out of a sense of calling from the Lord, or else on my own I don't think I ever would have thought of it! But now that I've researched what homeschooling is all about, read WTM and many other books, I do feel I've come to a place where I understand and embrace all the wonderful benefits of homeschooling that most of you veterans already know so well!

 

The challenge for me is in the day-to-day and in the questions that I find myself wrestling with. For example...what I lack that a typical PS teacher would have is a frame of reference for what is acceptable/good/excellent work for someone of my son's age. I have nothing to go on but my own instincts, which I know should be considerable and enough, but I often find myself second-guessing. Should his handwriting be better? Do I expect too much, am I expecting too little, etc. I know some subjects, such as math, you want to go at the students own pace while continually nudging them forwards in their abilities. But in other things, I find myself at a loss to know if what he is doing is "good enough." I would love to hear from others how they manage these kinds of questions!

 

The concurrent question that I am wondering about is whether being at home results in my son setting lower standards for himself. Perhaps being at home is so "comfortable" that he doesn't feel compelled to work to the best of his ability, despite my seemingly constant reminders that we must always strive to do our best, whether we are in a school setting or at home, that God desires for us to give Him our best effort in all that we do. Still, I think there is something about being at home that makes him inclined not to do his best. Or maybe I'm just being too picky about his work? (See, this is related to the first question!) As much as I now have come to love the homeschooling lifestyle overall, I do wonder if my son would be more motivated to do better if he were surrounded by other students, where it might be more natural to compare and to choose to excel. And I say this not because I think he's doing poor work; it's just that I don't really know what I can expect from someone his age, and sometimes I wonder if I am pushing too hard.

 

Lastly, sometimes I feel like our daily schedule requires that I am pretty much a taskmaster all morning. If I don't keep constantly moving us along, keeping the kids on point, then we run the risk of not getting anything done in a timely fashion! I love that My Father's World/Adventures incorporates activities of a more creative nature because on my own I'm not sure I'd come up with any of those activities! But I wouldn't say our homeschooling is very relaxing, especially in the morning when I'm trying to get us through our main subjects (Math, Language Arts, History/Geo/Science). Everything calms down after lunch, when DS7 is doing his reading time and his language study while the younger brothers are asleep. (Or we also catch up on anything we didn't get to in the morning). And we're always done by 2:30 p.m., which I do love. But so far these past six weeks we've been homeschooling, it feels like we just move from assignment to assignment. I try to be flexible when necessary, but mostly we just march through the list of things to accomplish in the school day. I'm fine with this, but I'm just curious to know if this is a normal thing!

 

Anyway, these are just some things on this new homeschooler's mind, and I'd love to hear any thoughts or feedback on anything I've raised here from all you experience homeschoolers out there who know way more than I do about these issues! Thanks in advance for your feedback, which I welcome!

[Starr]

It sounds to me like you are doing a great job. I work through many of your questions from year to year. I would say relax and don't worry about it so much. He is very young. When my children were in the early elementary grades we would spend a day a week at museums, and listening to math and history and story cds in the car. My main requirement was to finish the math book before the next year. :D You will find out what works for your family. My dd 15 is now taking college classes. It happens fast!

[Kirch]

Some things are definitely less cut-and-dried than math. You might want to check out the education standards for your state (try your state's education agency website) to get an idea of what the public school expectations are for various subjects at your child's grade level. There's also a "What Your Second Grader Needs to Know" series out there (various grade levels) which might be helpful.

 

No matter where you get your standards from (the state, your curriculum--some have objectives specified), your own standards), you need to have an idea of what you're trying to accomplish by a certain activity or lesson/unit. If you don't know exactly what you're trying to master, you'll never know if he's mastered it.

 

For example, my standards in handwriting right now are

 

 

• to be able to accurately write the upper case letters
  
• to be able to accurately write the lower case letters
  
• to be able to copy a sentence (6-8 words) fluently and easily (meaning without struggling and in a reasonable amount of time, i.e. not so long that he gets frustrated)
  

 

Accurately to me means that he's making the correct strokes and forming each letter correctly and neatly (not always perfectly, though)--that's how I "know" if it's good enough. That's mostly based on his ability and where he's working right now--I'd have different neatness standards for a 4th grader, kwim? Is he doing his best? If he's not, then it's not good enough. If he is, he'll continue to improve as he practices. The sentence writing is the current long-term goal, and when we reach that, we'll move on to different goals (increasing length, adding punctuation, smaller lines for writing, etc.).

 

I don't go into that much detail with everything, but that's the general thought process. Sometimes my intentional goals only cover one lesson at a time, sometimes I'm better about thinking through the big picture. I think it helps too with content-based material (history or science, vs. math which is skill-based)--identify a few key facts/ideas that you want them to take away from a lesson and it will be easier to determine how successful it was.

 

I hope that helped some--I feel like I'm talking in circles today! :glare:

[ondreeuh]

Well, I think I understand where you're coming from (does he need to "catch up" or is he fine) but where he "should" be is not really a big deal, in my opinion. If he's weak in an area, you'll find ways to encourage him, and if he's strong in an area, you'll find ways to challenge him. Just start with where he's at now, and keep gently encouraging him to do more/better/further.

 

My son is doing the writing of a first grader, the reading of a second grader and the math of a fourth grader. In each subject I am customizing his instruction to his level, which sometimes means adapting an existing curriculum or filling in "gaps" with extra games or activities.

 

I think the only time you need to worry about levels is when you are considering a new program and wondering if your child is ready. In that case, looking at the scope and sequence will tell you if your child is ready.

[nd293]

But so far these past six weeks we've been homeschooling, it feels like we just move from assignment to assignment. I try to be flexible when necessary, but mostly we just march through the list of things to accomplish in the school day.

 

Oh, that is exactly where we are at, at the moment (a good year into homeschooling), except that I am not fine with it. I am considering sending her back to school, because I just can't see the purpose of boring her to death before 4th grade. She would be learning with so much more fun at school. But I can't get her to work at a steady enough pace to ever get to "fun stuff" and when I ask for the "real" stuff to be done in a fun way, she just does her own thing, so that the end result has no relationship to what we were learning.

 

I am trying a few things now. One is to work on one subject per morning, for a longer period of time, around 2.5hrs (LA Monday, History Tues, Science Thurs, Music/Art/Logic rotating on Fri). Then we add Maths daily, and Latin twice a week, with the other 3 days being "project work and catch-up" during the Latin slot.

 

Another thing I might like to try is to work in blocks of subjects - History every day for 2-4weeks, then Science every day for 2-4weeks etc. This has some relationship to how the Waldorf schools do it (although the comparison ends there).

[Colleen in NS]

The challenge for me is in the day-to-day and in the questions that I find myself wrestling with. For example...what I lack that a typical PS teacher would have is a frame of reference for what is acceptable/good/excellent work for someone of my son's age.

 

I would love to hear from others how they manage these kinds of questions!

 

The concurrent question that I am wondering about is whether being at home results in my son setting lower standards for himself.

 

Lastly, sometimes I feel like our daily schedule requires that I am pretty much a taskmaster all morning.

 

What I have done over the years is to compare my kids' work to what is recommended in the WTM book (I love that book!!) and read here about what other kids are doing at the same age, *esp.* if they are using the same resources or methods that we use in any particular subject. This has really helped. Now - there are a few things in WTM that my kids couldn't keep up with (some of the suggested lengths of narrations in grammar stage), but after hearing more recent lectures by SWB and reading WWE, I realize that there are many kids that aren't able to actually do that much writing so early. It's just stuff I've picked up over the years of reading here.

 

Also, I've come to realize (again, just by reading lots here) that there is no *typical* - there are different philosophies about learning, so in ps, a teacher might be appalled that a 9yo can't write more than 3 sentences in a row, without realizing that those three sentences do an excellent job of summing up a chapter she just read in a classic book. But I've come to think that this *is* pretty good for a 9yo, and I know that if I follow a particular method of teaching writing, that 9yo will probably be able to write some really thoughtful longer papers at age 16. So, try not to compare yourself to a ps teacher. Figure out what your ideas of learning are based on all the reading you've done, and then make your goals. One thing from WTM that I kept in mind as my oldest went through grammar stage is that kids in grammar stage vary wildly in their abilities...but the goal was to get them, by the end of 4th grade, to certain levels in spelling, writing, grammar, reading, math. I found that very reassuring, and something concrete to move towards.

 

About your son setting lower standards...well, he will probably test you sooner or later, and that is perfectly normal. But, kids at ps test teachers and parents, too - just in different ways. They are kids! Kids do those things. Try to think of it as *you* setting the standards, not him. He should rise up to meet yours during these early years. (and run here whenever you have no clue what your standards should be - ask multiple questions - people will jump in to help you!!! These boards are wonderful)

 

Taskmaster - well, yes you are the taskmaster! :D But, really, all that means is that you are the master of all the tasks. You engineer and carry out the day. How many hours do you actually work on schoolish stuff with him? If you are going from, say, 9-2:30 with an hour break for lunch, then you might want to take a look at some of your requirements. Check for overlap, check for things that maybe could be done orally instead of having him write out (things like grammar exercises or maybe some math things that could be answered orally like math facts, or answers to questions). Of course, if some of those hours are being spent on history/science/literature reading aloud, or projects related to those, then that makes sense to me. I'm mostly thinking of skill things - those shouldn't need to take up hours every day at that age (unless he's working on an advanced level and loves doing it?).

 

Anyway, a few things I've learned.

 

hth

[Verity]

Oh, that is exactly where we are at, at the moment (a good year into homeschooling), except that I am not fine with it. I am considering sending her back to school, because I just can't see the purpose of boring her to death before 4th grade. She would be learning with so much more fun at school. But I can't get her to work at a steady enough pace to ever get to "fun stuff" and when I ask for the "real" stuff to be done in a fun way, she just does her own thing, so that the end result has no relationship to what we were learning.

 

 

I'm not sure exactly what is going on vs what your expectations are but as a recent graduate of a college of education having spent many hours in alot of classrooms in different schools and grades I can tell you that most kids *aren't* learning in a fun way - even in Kindergarten! Most of the classrooms I was in the teachers were tired, overworked, resentful and not having a fun, creative classroom. Please don't think that she would necessarily be having more "fun" in school.

 

One other thing to consider is whether learning is going to be fun for everyone. Some people are natural students and enjoy the process but for many, many others learning the things we all *have* to learn (basic reading, writing, arithmetic, history, science) can be a struggle. Because you are at home you can focus on the areas she needs to learn and then integrate times for fun activities, crafts, outdoor play, etc...whatever is a stress reliever and fun childhood activity. But please don't think that you are depriving your child of fun by schooling her at home! :D

[robsiew]

You echo a lot of my feelings too. As far as taskmaster... yup! That's what I feel like every morning! Pretty much from the time the kids get up (7:45) until we finish school (around 2) I am all business and little fun. I struggled with this at first, but have come to accept that is how it has to happen or we'd be doing school all day long (and I'm not up for this!). The beautiful thing is that at 2pm, we are done for the day! No homework, all music lessons have been practiced... just independent (fun) reading is left and the kids do this at bedtime. The afternoon is when we can have our "fun" knowing we worked hard all morning.

 

As far as expectations... I find my expectations are usually too high (but that's just me). I've learned to relax a bit. They are very young (my oldest is almost 9) and I see your oldest is 7. They have a lot of school ahead of them! Right now we try to revel in the newness of everything. It's exciting to be learning new facts and such every day! They won't remember everything, but they are being exposed to a lot! I try to keep in mind that they would never get the education I'm giving them in PS. What we've done in 4 weeks of school I know hasn't been done in PS! There is nothing better than one on one instruction and no matter how "slow" you think you might go... your child will most likely learn more than he would in a classroom of 30+ kids!

 

Our school time is a "serious" time, (I envy those who can be relaxed about school and still get it done.) Their best work is expected and because I expect this they very often deliver. As you are with your child more in a school setting you will begin to know when he is doing his "best" and when he is not. Sometimes you will push too hard and then realize you need to back off. Sometimes you will realize he could have done more. You learn right along side your child! Be okay with allowing yourself the time to learn your child! We do "march" through most of the morning... but the rest of our day is free and we love it! I think this is a style though... not how everyone works... this just works for us!

 

Sounds like you're off to a great start! Remember, your home school may look different than others... that's okay! That's the beauty of home schooling!

[hlee]

Great insights so far from everyone. Here are more specifics about my DS7:

 

--Way ahead in reading

--Not a "natural" speller but his reading has helped him here; but, he has never had phonics so we're trying to address that

--So-so in math. His PS 1st grade experience gave him very little work on math facts. Appalling little, actually!

--Seems to handle narration/dictation/copywork just fine with what is required in Classical Writing Primer

--Printing/Handwriting--about right, I think, for his age?

 

Our schedule:

 

8:30-9:15 a.m. Piano practice

9:15-9:45 a.m. Bible

9:45-11:45 a.m. Our main instruction/work time. We do handwriting, Classical Writing Primer, First Language Lessons (skipping anything that seems redundant with CWP), Singapore Math, and then whatever history/geography/science lesson goes along with MFW)

11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. Break/Lunch

12:45 p.m.-1:30 p.m. Reading Time

1:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Language Time (Latin or Chinese)

2:00 p.m. Finish leftover material from morning, tidy up, free time

 

I can't imagine spending less time on anything than what we have here. It feels like what is necessary to get everything done. And I can't imagine spending more time either! So schedule-wise, it feels like it fits us. I think I posted about this on an earlier thread. We do have "light weeks" scheduled every 3-4 weeks this year, during which we just do some math and CWP, then have lots of time for more creative endeavors and going deeper into anything that is of interest.

 

So that is a fuller picture of where we are, if that helps. =)

 

Thanks, everyone! I love these boards!

[hlee]

still a newbie with these boards. is it kosher to "bump?" or bad etiquette??? :001_huh:

[Guest]

bumping your own thread is totally kosher.

[2_girls_mommy]

I know what you mean about the handwriting. Truly. I always look at other kids' whenever I get the chance to compare:001_smile: I have a very bright 7 yr old who never cared too much about her handwriting. She was an early reader/writer, and I never used a program to teach her, because she was writing well before school age. When I began to see issues with a particular letter, I had her practice it. I gave copywork or the occasional store workbook for practice writing daily, and would point out the issue. Eventually she would begin to improve the problem.

 

I never see a big jump in improvement until for some reason something meaningful to her occurs. I bought her first handwriting program this year, to get her ready for cursive. She had a lesson in it one day to correct the mistakes on the page they had written. She loved it!! She now double checks her work, and also loves to look at my papers to correct issues with spacing or letter formation that I have! Her writing is just gorgeous all of a sudden.

 

I would have never known this is what would motivate her. So the only thing you can do is keep at it!

[LadyAberlin]

Well when I was helping a math teacher in a ps the students cheered for the student who got the lowest grade and he would stand up and take a bow. So it wasn't encouraging excellence at all. It was encouraging doing poorly. The homeschoolers I knew growing up all strived to do their best. I did too. I remember in college talking to a kid about a paper we had to write and I siad something about proofing mine several times and she laughed and said that once he writes the paper he never reads it again. I was shocked that someone could care so little about what they turn in. I know that there are a lot of ps kids that strive for excellence so think I'm saying otherwise. But I know from being homeschooled and having homeschooled friends that the standard of excellence was very high. What my friends and I considered Average I found out in college that the other kids considered excellent. It really shocked me. The fact that a C is really average. I was trained to expect an occasional high B and mostly A's. The thought of a C made me shudder.

[johnandtinagilbert]

I would say you are in the natural process of working out your own home schooling style. I have found a few things to be pretty standard in my ten years of home schooling.

 

1. We often wonder if we're doing enough and upholding academic standards at least comparable to our public school counterparts. From the looks of your schedule, I'd say, yes, you are. By following the curriculum you're using, the expectations really are in front of you. Look ahead a few lessons, even ten lessons. Can you see the current path you're on getting you to that place? If so, then your moving along nicely. Try and make small step connections from point A to point B. 2nd grade is a lot of tiny steps :) I'll be you're doing just fine.

 

2. Something that is difficult for many is unschooling ourselves. I was successful in public school. I actually enjoyed it. It took me some time to find the balance between what *my* education looked like and what dc needed their education to be. Give yourself plenty of time to find the line between imitation of ps and the benefit of home schooling. You'll be surprised that some areas may look very much the same, while others completely different.

 

3. This may seem far off right now, but we've even agreed here that there is an average learning curve of three years before the confidence is kickin' and you feel like you really, truly, can pull off this home schooling thing! I was just sharing with someone this week how I'm working on round 2 of elementary school (my oldest having been through those years) and I can't believe how much easier and what a better teacher I am. Experience is currently a close friend. You'll get to know her too :)

 

4. Perhaps what you need to do the most, is take a deep breathe and try to enjoy the process. Stop worrying. Allow yourself the chance to enjoy your successes and look at any failures as opportunities to get better.

 

Many happy home schooling days to you. My ten years have been the best and greatest days of my life...not always the easiest, but certainly the best.

[Colleen in NS]

9:45-11:45 a.m. Our main instruction/work time. We do handwriting, Classical Writing Primer, First Language Lessons (skipping anything that seems redundant with CWP), Singapore Math, and then whatever history/geography/science lesson goes along with MFW)

 

 

Sounds to me like you are doing just fine, and you are able to put in piano, other languages, and Bible, too.

 

Math facts - just plug away at them - if he can do the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts by the end of 4th grade, all is well. ;)

 

Just keep checking in here whenever you have specific questions about his progress - you'll get plenty of help.

 

Perfectly fine, IMO, to bump up your thread - if you need the help, you need to bump it up! You can also bump up other threads that you are curious about, too. The boards are here to support homeschoolers.

 

Have fun!