s/o How long WOULD you be relaxed?

[lovinmomma]

I've noticed on several of the "what would you do differently" threads that the overwhelming majority say that they would be more relaxed. So, that begs the question: How long would you be relaxed? 2nd grade? 3rd grade?

 

I'm definately a more relaxed homeschooler, so I'm just curious as to others' opinions.

 

:bigear:

[ElizabethB]

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173293

 

I am fairly relaxed, I just add a bit more each year. It looks like we do a lot of things, but some we do in a very efficient manner or in combination, so I do not spent as much time as it looks like I might. (We also do science, I just have not added thin in to my sig yet, my books are loaned out so we are doing random science now.)

[lovinmomma]

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173293

 

I am fairly relaxed, I just add a bit more each year. It looks like we do a lot of things, but some we do in a very efficient manner or in combination, so I do not spent as much time as it looks like I might. (We also do science, I just have not added thin in to my sig yet, my books are loaned out so we are doing random science now.)

That thread is probably my al time favorite thread. Thankks for reminding me.

[Sahamamama]

I've noticed on several of the "what would you do differently" threads that the overwhelming majority say that they would be more relaxed. So, that begs the question: How long would you be relaxed? 2nd grade? 3rd grade?

 

I'm definitely a more relaxed homeschooler, so I'm just curious as to others' opinions.

 

:bigear:

 

IMO, some of my "strategy" ;) depends on the student. My oldest daughter is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY happy with her nose in a book. :D So much so, in fact, that I have had to parent/teach her in the opposite direction at times -- "Okay, ________, please put the book down and come _________ with us." That's the way to balance out that one.

 

My twins are not quite so bookish, but they do enjoy "school stuff." They love to have reading lessons, they like being taught how to print, and so on. But with these two, there's something in my heart that says they need me to be, oh, 70% Mommy and 30% Teacher. That seems to be the best mixture at this point.

 

I would say that my girls will probably be ready to "kick it up a notch" towards the end of 2nd--beginning of 3rd, but we'll see. Is there a definite cut off grade/age for every child? I think that is so arbitrary, but I see it all the time with PS kids -- okay, you're in 3rd/4th grade, so it's time to get working harder. Not every child is ready!

 

Homeschool makes it possible to find the right pace for the student. HTH.

[Guest]

We did relaxed schooling all the way through elementary school; but I had a child who had many academically-related interests and a whole lot of ideas about what she wanted to do along with a whole slew of visual, fine motor, and other problems including high anxiety. So teaching her in a very relaxed fashion was really the only way to go.

 

She went to a co-op part time beginning in fourth grade, where she had more structured writing, art, and "fun" science (i.e. experiments/building stuff) -- but all still very informal and slow-moving, project and activity-based. In sixth grade a few things became more structured, because I taught science and history at a co-op that year and had to plan tightly for three hours a week. I didn't use a math textbook until 7th grade. By 8th grade my dd was doing regular old algebra and sailing through; she did physics with a textbook and labs at her request. Even now in 9th, we do much of our work through extensive reading and discussion. The only textbook we're using is for geometry (for science we have one, but it's for a supplement as my husband, a marine chemist, is doing science this year and likes having dd read from current books about science rather than a text).

[Crimson Wife]

I think it really depends on the kid. Some kids I think can do well with "unschooling" or relaxed schooling all the way through until jr. high age. Others need more structure from an earlier age.

[Rosie_0801]

Geez. My dd has needed the structure of totschool since she was two. Somehow there is a big difference between "doing school" in the morning, and doing exactly the same things randomly throughout the day. If she's feeling particularly "academic" we'll do school in the morning, and I'll catch her doing it again later in the day :)

 

Rosie

[siloam]

I've noticed on several of the "what would you do differently" threads that the overwhelming majority say that they would be more relaxed. So, that begs the question: How long would you be relaxed? 2nd grade? 3rd grade?

 

I'm definately a more relaxed homeschooler, so I'm just curious as to others' opinions.

 

:bigear:

I start out more relaxed and then ramp up in 4th, 5th and 6th. There are various ways I do this. Keeping lessons short, especially math lessons. I break them into smaller pieces as needed. I focus on handwriting and reading at first and don't move on till they are mastered, then I add in grammar, writing and such.

 

This means that right now my 2nd grader does about 1-1.5 hours of school. He still isn't reading fluently, but he will get there.

 

Then in 3rd and 4th grade I will double up on lessons if needed to catch up. Not as much with math because I think that is developmental I have my kids do 2 pages a day in 2nd, 3 in 3rd, and 4 pages a day in 4th grade and up. But for LA (WWE, FLL) I will double up as needed. Then in 5th I start adding independent studies of stuff we haven't covered yet: Art, Latin, Music, non-core topics. Somewhere along the line I add in mapping and timleine work, but not till later.

 

Heather

Edited September 8, 2010 by siloam

[Homeschooling6]

I'm teaching a K, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 7th grader. For me relaxed means if it's raining outside, put the books away and let the children have fun playing in the rain.

 

But curriculum wise, I'm pretty relaxed for K-4th grade. We don't really use a formal history or science program. Instead I invest in audio books and use what I read aloud for those subjects.

 

We are using Phonics Road with the two middle and Saxon Phonics with the younger and they both pretty much teach grammar and writing.

 

Pretty much I'd say about 5th grade is when we get serious with LA but it's introduced in their phonics program.

 

Math, we are not relaxed. My oldest struggles with math but we were never relaxed about it:glare:. This is the one subject where it would seem to play catch-up (and it is at least for my struggling ds)

[Lori D.]

Whenever I've mentioned "being more relaxed", what I mean is I wish *I* had been more relaxed -- and had not stressed and fretted SO much over:

 

- keeping up the house

- obessing on which curriculum (constantly, obsessively researching for THE one right program for each subject)

- making schedules

- thinking/planning several grades ahead (which all came to naught)

- spending so much time on homeschool boards with virtual friends that I sometimes neglected my little ones ("Not now, honey, I'm busy typing")

- worried endlessly about high school credits/transcripts/college "requirements" (hey, whose school and priorities is this, anyway?!!)

 

 

And had spent more time laying in the grass with the kids looking up at the stars, walking down to the wash to look for critters, play games, make up stories together... Missing those early years of our homeschool journey. -- Lori D.