Starting HS in 8th grade..

[homeschoolmommaof4]

I was just curious if anyone else has started a child in homeschooling in middle school after many years of ps. I wanted to pick your brains...

 

How long did it take for your child to embrace homeschooling and learning things in a completely different way?

 

Did you have to do any "deprogramming"? Breaking of specific habits, etc?

 

Did you continue to give your child grades? report cards?

 

How have you handled testing?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Firestar Academy]

:bigear:

just pulled my daughter from ps. she would have been in middle school in september.... So interested to hear what others have to say.

 

robin in nj

[Quiver0f10]

We started homeschooling when my oldest was entering 7th. All of the kids were really excited to homeschool so we didn't have any issues with missing school. We started by using a boxed curriculum and eased into things and as time went on I changed things up a bit.

 

There were a few instances of me saying things like that is how your old teachers taught XYZ but this is how we are going to do it. The kids adapted pretty well.

 

I only do grades in high school and don't do report cards but keep a transcript for each of them.

 

We used to live where testing wasn't a requirement, but we now live where it is mandated. At first we tested through our homeschool group but now I test them myself at home.

[homeschoolmommaof4]

Thanks for the insights Jean. I know I am not the first/only to be in this situation, and I am not one to discount the wisdom of those who have gone before me!

 

We are doing the boxed curr thing too with her with several subjects. Just trying to ease her into learning things in a new way. I am hoping by her 9th grade year we can really get more into being a bit mroe creative with her learning as I already am with my boys.

[Carrie12345]

I took ds out after the 4th grade. He used a cyber charter for 5th grade, and we began homeschooling independently with 6th grade.

 

That smoothed a few of the bumps, like letting us focus on the family aspect before I became the "ultimate" academic authority.

 

The biggest hurdle for us was encouraging ds to THINK. It was no longer worksheet after worksheet, few textbooks that simply spat out the facts, and we did not do grades (other than math and latin tests). He was expected to TALK ABOUT the information and encouraged to follow rabbit holes. It took him quite a few months to acclimate to that.

 

In our house, we don't really use a time schedule. There's a list of things to be done that day, but no set schedule for accomplishing it. It kind of drove him crazy for a while, but he's enjoying that flexibility now.

[Quiver0f10]

Thanks for the insights Jean. I know I am not the first/only to be in this situation, and I am not one to discount the wisdom of those who have gone before me!

 

We are doing the boxed curr thing too with her with several subjects. Just trying to ease her into learning things in a new way. I am hoping by her 9th grade year we can really get more into being a bit mroe creative with her learning as I already am with my boys.

 

I am really glad we did a boxed first. I knew that everything was getting done and done well without having to worry about piecing it all together. By the following fall we were following WTM and from there I have tweaked until I found what works best for us.

[TXMary2]

I pulled my son out in 9th grade. It was difficult because he didn't want to go with all the "fluffy" homeschool ideas I had. He wanted me to lecture him from a whiteboard, give him a textbook and give him a test. I did that for him once in a while, but finally he accepted we didn't have to do it that way. We used SL and lots of literature Jr and Sr. year - which he still disliked for the most part because he hates reading. That broke my heart because I have modeled reading to him all his life and so has my husband and my mother. He'd rather skateboard, cook or hang out with friends than pick up a book.

 

If I could do it over with him, I wouldlet him de-school before jumping in and I would try to incorporate his passions into a regular school day. I'd also let him choose what books to read even though there were several books I assigned to him that he ended up immensely enjoying.

[gingersmom]

Last year was my daughters first year homeschooling (She was 12/13).

 

I discussed with her the books we would be using and let her look at them to help me make a final decision. I discussed books she would be reading and writing assignments she would have.

 

She had no problem transitioning to homeschool. The biggest shock for me was how much I thought she knew that she did not know. The second biggest shock was how fast she caught up and went beyond what I thought she would learn.