Those with kids who were "late bloomers" -

[rafiki]

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[Hedgehog]

What did elementary school look like for them?

 

Any advice or things you would have done differently?

 

My older two were advanced and motivated from the get go. My youngest has just completely thrown me for a loop. We do have a nuerological eval scheduled.

 

He's 7, tracing letters (HWOT brought him to tears), reading simple phonetic level 1 readers (Nora Gaydos and doing Funnix), and can do simple addition using blocks (MUS alpha he's at the mid-way point). He's a very active child with no interest in doing more. We have focused on the three-R's daily and lot's of games. How much longer can I continue this route though?

 

I'd almost say as long as he needs.. but my own nerves wouldn't stand that!!

 

DD9 was my slow starter. Elementary school looked like unschooling in our home - for everyone - so I didn't worry about what she was and wasn't doing. She taught herself to read starting at around 7yo, without any intervention from me, and was reading fluently at 8yo. The ONLY problem with that was that she had (has) limited phonics knowledge, so we've done a lot of remedial work since. That's not necessarily a problem, however; just requires more of my time, which I'm in a better place to give her as compared to two years ago.

 

My personal opinion is that all you need to do is to continue to surround your ds with language and practical math. If a child isn't developmentally ready to learn something, no amount of time and effort spent teaching it will make any difference at all.

 

If you're both enjoying what you're doing, then keep going. History, Geography and Science can be practical; languages can be sung and danced to. (My 5yo DS makes up "moves" to Song School Latin; it's hilarious! But he knows all the words!) Have fun with it!

[Faithr]

My kids didn't read until 9. He's only 7. Play lots of games, insist on a little bit of stuff for your own comfort level and just step back and let him bloom in his own time. He'll get there.

[Sue G in PA]

I have had some early learners and some average and some "late". They are all different in the pace at which they learn. For example, I have a 5yo dd who is extremely bright and inquisitive and raring to go. She learns things VERY EASILY. Super-sharp memory. She'd be the ps teacher's dream. :D Her older brother, my ds8, is not quite as "quick to learn". He has a difficult time reading even simple cvc words and doesn't remember concepts previously taught as easily as dd5 does. But, he is very bright in math and also very curious and inquisitive. My ds9 has never been "ready" for formal work. He learned to read on his own very early but seems to have "lost" a bunch of his motivation since being "forced" to do school. School for him looks a lot like unschooling. But he is bright and he does learn. My advice? Don't push him. Read TO him a lot, do math GAMES, play with maniuplatives, build, create, explore, draw, color (strengthens those hand muscles for handwriting!). FWIW, my ds8 is just now beginning to print legibly and w/out having to trace. I'm glad we homeschool...b/c he would be labeled "behind" in ps and set up for a future of "failure".

[wapiti]

I have a couple of late bloomers. My two cents - generally, I would (1) not assume that there are no LDs if you haven't considered it (especially something as simple to rule out as vision/eyes working together), (2) separate content from skills and support weaknesses in any way possible (via therapy, accommodations, etc.) so that they can continue to learn content while working on skills, and (3) seek to develop strengths in spite of weaknesses, especially to help self-confidence. As an example of what this might look like, one of my late bloomers was very good at math but could barely write his name in uppercase only, let alone numbers (fine motor issue/SPD). So, we got him some number stamps - the dotted lines that can be traced - so he could still do the math that he loved. Helping him develop a strength in spite of his weaknesses made a huge difference in his happiness - he could finally do something he felt good about.

[Jane Elliot]

I have had a few that seem like late bloomers. It has seemed that short term memory issues have been a factor for them. This has meant that consistency is paramount, short lessons every single weekday and Saturdays, too, when we've been able to manage it.