How much do you middle school students do on their own?

[DawnM]

Right now the middle school boys can do the following on their own:

 

Math

Reading

Vocabulary

 

But I still am doing these subjects with them:

 

Science

History

Spelling

Language Arts

 

I am really wanting to at least get the oldest to do more on his own, but I also know he has some learning disabilities so I am not wanting to push him either.

 

Just curious

 

Poll coming and I know it is nowhere near inclusive of all subjects, but I wanted to cover the major ones.

[kewb]

I voted other. There are aspects of all their subjects that they do independently but there are also aspects where I am involved.

 

We are probably closest to they do it all their own and I monitor but I don't feel like that is 100% accurate.

[8filltheheart]

I voted other. While my middle schoolers do their assignments independently, they don't really "do" their subjects independently. Typically, I instruct them or discuss w/them all of their subjects in some manner. For example, dd will read science or history on her own, but we still discuss what she is reading and I will assign essays from those topics. The closest to "independence" would be science.

[Matryoshka]

They do a lot independently, but I also work with them regularly on bits of almost all subjects, so it's hard to answer in poll form.

 

Math - dd1 reads/does problem sets, dh corrects/goes over problems sets with her 1-2x per week, explains/assigns more problems if necessary

dd2 - usually lesson with me, then does problem sets, but the beginning of this book has had so much review that she's been doing it independently. I'm sure we'll go back to the other way when she hits new stuff.

 

Science- they read/take notes and do the assessment and extra skill sheets independently. I correct/go over and give further explanation and clarify any conceptual difficulties. We have biweekly labs with hands-on and further explanation.

 

History - I do almost daily read-alouds from our spine text or another supplementary book, which also gives time for discussion. But most of their time on history is doing their own reading and watching documentaries.

 

Foreign language - weekly classes of 2-3 hours, then homework.

 

LA - I go over something with them almost every day - grammar/writing/vocab/literature - it alternates, though, and they do independent work inbetween.

[abbeyej]

Like others, I didn't really know how to answer. Ds does a *lot* of his daily work independently. But I don't leave almost any of his subjects entirely up to him. (Actually, I do sort of leave art history and civics to him alone this year -- I simply assigned some reading to be done each week.) I wouldn't *want* a middle school or even high school student to be completely "independent". Though I do appreciate that ds can do an awful lot of reading, writing, thinking, and problem-solving without my hands-on direction.

 

Oh, and if we're saying "logic stage" instead of "middle school", I guess dd counts as well. She does most of her subjects with direction. I send her off to do individual assignments, but she gets a lot more hands-on direction. I consider it an investment, since her ability to read critically and write well will allow her to be more independent in another couple of years.

[Daisy]

I voted other.

 

There are many days when she does all of her math and English independently and others when she needs instruction.

 

We do history and science as a family but then she does additional independent reading and writing in order to bring those subjects up to Junior High level.

 

I'd say she does more than 60% of her work independently and does it well. I still supervise and check work immediately though.

[elegantlion]

My ds does reading and his elective, which is computer editing, on his own. Aside from that we do most subjects together. He may read an assignment on his own, but we discuss most subjects daily. We have a very conversational style of schooling and probably always will.

[redsquirrel]

It is such a spectrum that it is hard to give a definitive answer. Like many others, I discuss, assign, correct, discuss many subjects.

 

It feels like he is very independent, but when I try to measure it I realize I am very involved. He makes his weekly schedule, he determines the daily order of work. I tell him what the assignments are. I still do some instruction or lead discussion in subjects like science or history. I often go over assignments in subjects like Latin before he does them. I have been know to highlight directions, lol. With something like WWS, that is written to the student, I still tend to do a quick overview of the assignment with him and remind him to read the directions etc.

 

It doesn't feel like a lot though. I guess compared to my first year it isn't.

[Cosmos]

I voted other. There are aspects of all their subjects that they do independently but there are also aspects where I am involved.

 

We are probably closest to they do it all their own and I monitor but I don't feel like that is 100% accurate.

 

Same here.

 

I work together with ds for an hour every morning. I cycle through lots of different things in that time, though memory work is included every day. Yesterday during our together time, we did: memory work, some sentence diagramming, some Latin translating, spelling, and a couple of math problems.

 

Then he has independent work for the bulk of his day. I'm right there for when he has questions, but he directs himself during that time and works off an assignment sheet. This is about 3-4 hours of work. I do a few household chores and then my own studying during this time.

 

Then after lunch, we do read alouds (literature plus a few other things) together for another 40-60 minutes.

 

So altogether we work together for 1.5-2 hours, and he works independently for 3-4 hours. That's a good division right now, but it's not divided by subject.

[missmoe]

I voted other as well.

 

We go over lessons together, and I assign work. They work independently on that work for the most part. I am there to answer questions or help them work through anything they need help with. After the work is completed, we go over the work and discuss it.

 

They complete reading and writing assignments on their own for the most part at this stage, but I am there discussing and reviewing it with them.

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I voted other. I think semi-independently would best describe my middle schooler.

 

Math, grammar, vocab, Greek, and writing - We do a short lesson. She works independently, and I check her work.

History and literature - She reads, and we discuss.

Science - She reads. We discuss. Some labs are independent, and others we do together.

Latin - She does this mainly on her own with the DVD. I check the work, review grammar and vocab with her, and work with her on anything that she doesn't understand.

 

Overall, we work together about 2 1/2 hours a day. The rest of the time is independent.

[Canadianmumof5]

Mr R. does pretty much everything independently.......they all have their weekly schedule which outlines each subject by day and then tells them exactly what they have to do. As he completes it, I check his work and then it gets checked off as complete in his book.

 

But I should add that there is still a fair bit of nagging, reminding, and threatening that still happens in order to get him to actually stay focused. This is the first year we are having him work more independently so I guess the nagging....er, encouragement to stay on task is to be expected.

 

Makes me wonder how he got any work done in a classroom of 25 when he is so easily distracted by his brothers & sister :glare:

[DawnM]

Is this a curriculum that lists things or do you write it all out?

 

Dawn

 

Mr R. does pretty much everything independently.......they all have their weekly schedule which outlines each subject by day and then tells them exactly what they have to do. As he completes it, I check his work and then it gets checked off as complete in his book.

 

But I should add that there is still a fair bit of nagging, reminding, and threatening that still happens in order to get him to actually stay focused. This is the first year we are having him work more independently so I guess the nagging....er, encouragement to stay on task is to be expected.

 

Makes me wonder how he got any work done in a classroom of 25 when he is so easily distracted by his brothers & sister :glare:

[5 Hikers]

My 6th grade son is doing everything independent this year. I wrote out lesson plans for him and he checks them off each day. His math has a DVD teacher. I do check all his work and make him redo things in the evening.

[Homeschooling6]

My 8th grader ds does all but Latin on his own. If he is stuck in math or anything else I sit with him but for the most part he does it all.

 

My 6th grade dd does all her school work on her own, except for WWE.

 

5th grade ds doesn't do much on his own:tongue_smilie:he can do:

math for the most part,

MCP Plaid Phonics (yes he is still reviewing)

Simply Spelling-copies and studies the passage 3xweek/dictation on Fri.

Copywork

 

We do together:

Shurley English

AAS

WWE

History

Science

Latin

Logic

 

He is not a strong reader yet, so this is why we do a lot together still.

[HSMom2One]

I voted other. There are aspects of all their subjects that they do independently but there are also aspects where I am involved.

 

We are probably closest to they do it all their own and I monitor but I don't feel like that is 100% accurate.

 

:iagree:

 

Same here. We have many discussions in all subjects - especially history and science, but dd does the work independently. I help her whenever she needs input or has a question, and in some subjects we read together. I'm learning French with her, and sometimes she teaches me. :D

 

At this stage, we're working towards independence bit by bit, and getting closer. But oh, I'm going to feel sad when she reaches rhetoric. We're planning for her to go to private school and obviously I won't be involved even more. Even if we hs through rhetoric, it would be mostly all independent with check in points. But hey, it's a mom's job to let go, right?

 

Waaaaah!

 

Blessings,

Lucinda

[Verity]

Mr R. does pretty much everything independently.......they all have their weekly schedule which outlines each subject by day and then tells them exactly what they have to do. As he completes it, I check his work and then it gets checked off as complete in his book.

 

Makes me wonder how he got any work done in a classroom of 25 when he is so easily distracted by his brothers & sister :glare:

 

I use a similar system, a weekly checklist that I write out. Having the visual seems to help the two older boys.

[Verity]

This is the first year of feeling like my oldest is doing his work (semi)independently. I'm right there in the room 95% of the time but this year (7th) he is doing Writing With Skill, History Odyssey, & MUS independently - only occasionally do I have to make him refocus and do the next thing - it's rare for me to have to explain an assignment unless he's just being difficult.

 

Science we do as a family, he and I are learning Latin and Greek together (he corrects my pronunciation sometimes!) and we are doing Logic together - I need to know this stuff so I can fight back when he tries to logic me out of something.

 

This is a big change from even last year, when he relied on me to assist in almost every subject, I was his "secretary" much of the time both because of his attention issues and fine motor problems. Even with Asperger's I feel like he's really a middle schooler now.

 

Moving into highschool I'm hopeful that he will be able to do science independently (he and my middle son are at such different levels) along with more independence on his music study and languages.

 

It's hard to know when to let him move forward on his own and when I need to be learning alongside getting my classical education. With two younger sons following along I feel like I'm still forging the path for the whole family to move up the ladder in terms of education. :001_smile:

[Closeacademy]

For 5th grade, I would explain to my dd what she needed to do. I would teach her any concepts she didn't know such as grammar and/or math. Then I would give her the work and let her go. She would take about 3 hours to do all the reading and worksheets and come to me for questions.

 

For 6th grade, we are doing the online thing and she basically does all her work on the computer or reading in her text on her own and the little online assessments let her know how she is doing. I am usually there to answer questions and encouragement. :001_smile:

[Canadianmumof5]

Is this a curriculum that lists things or do you write it all out?

 

Dawn

 

I spend a couple of hours over the weekend getting their schedules prepped for the week ahead. I put it together myself.

 

I tried to post the file here but it isn't letting me?? Weird.

 

I'm going to see if it will post on my blog......

[cschnee]

We do almost everything together! My dd is a real extrovert, so I am her team, her group of other kids, her sounding board.

[Canadianmumof5]

I spend a couple of hours over the weekend getting their schedules prepped for the week ahead. I put it together myself.

 

I tried to post the file here but it isn't letting me?? Weird.

 

I'm going to see if it will post on my blog......

 

OK I managed to post it on my blog for anyone who is interested.

[Parrothead]

Dd does math and lit on her own regularly. The rest it depends on the day. Some days she does almost everything on her own. Others I have to be there to help. Always Latin is done together.

[AngieW in Texas]

My two older girls did everything except history and readaloud on their own by middle school. We did history and readaloud all together.

 

My youngest only does her reading on her own. Everything else is with me.

[nukeswife]

I voted math and other. Math is because he uses TT so he can do it independently, but will occasionally ask me to review something with him if he gets it wrong twice and can't see where he went wrong.

 

He also does penmanship and part of his writing independently. For writing we use IEW so other than proofreading he does it on his own. I didn't mark reading because for us that means he read a book at some point that day, so that's independent, for others I know it means a comprehension type workbook which we don't do.

[anissa]

I voted science, reading, and electives. There are days that I help if my ds is confused or if he is studying for a test. History is about 50/50 so I did not vote for that one.

[mcconnellboys]

My 13 year old eighth grader sits and completes most of his written work on his own, but that doesn't mean that I don't still do parts of most subjects with him, at least on some days.

 

He has a math tutor one day a week and then he does that homework on his own. Most weeks, he has a couple of extra days and we do drill work at home by working through Videotext. I am trying to sit through and at least half listen to most lessons because I want to make sure that I can help with the written work if he has a question when he starts doing it.

 

He has an outside class with a native Spanish speaker once a week and he completes the homework for that class on his own. When he's not in class or has extra time, I have some things he works on at home and I check that work, help out with it, etc.

 

He has an outside writing through lit class and he completes that homework on his own, but he talks to me about a lot of it and I generally go through his writing after he has completed it and talk to him about any obvious mistakes I see, etc.

 

He does vocab and grammar work at home and there are days when I'm going over some of that orally with him, introducing new topics, grading and going over any problems, etc. Other days he's pretty much on his own to "do the next thing."

 

In addition to the reading he does for his outside class each week, he's reading something at home for me. We talk about these books, but not in a formal way at a certain time each day or anything like that....

 

He is doing a variety of things for religion studies this year and I introduce new topics, but right now he's just reading through a book at a few pages per day. He does come to me with comments at times and we talk about his area of interest, but not on a daily basis....

 

His Latin lessons are still on video, although he's almost finished with those, and he completes them pretty much on his own. I do go over vocab and chants with him periodically, check work and go over that with him, etc.

 

He's working through a geography workbook on his own right now and I just check that work.

 

I don't really use textbooks for history or science, so he's reading more in both subjects on his own this year, but I also read some, go over things online with him, watch videos with him, and discuss. I'm doing a small class for science with he and a friend and we're mostly working through various projects in that right now, related to simple machines. We'll be working on experiments related to force and motion shortly. He also is involved in some outside science classes and he does the work for those on his own.

 

With my older son, because he absorbed more when he read it himself, and because I was working with the little one who had just come home to school, he was doing almost everything on his own at this same age. I regret, however, that I did not have more group experiences available for him and did not work with him more....

[Robyn]

I voted history, reading, and language arts, but that is only partially true.

 

He does do most of his history on his own, but we do discuss it at least once a week.

 

In language arts he does vocab and writing(for the most part) himself, but we do grammar together.

 

Right now we aren't doing any particular literature study. He is reading Dracula for fun. I do have a list of books that we will actively discuss together, which will be spread throughout the year.

 

He is also doing math on his own. I will be teaching him as we get further into the book or if he hits any snags along the way. This year has been mostly review so far.

[LisaKinVA]

I facilitate all subjects (meaning, introduce, assign, discuss and check). I lead Grammar/Writing (meaning, instruct).

 

Oldest ds is doing well with this (overall).

[Princess Peach]

The only things I do with oldest DS are grammar & writing, science labs, and vocab. Everything else he does on his own and I check it after and we go over it, if necessary.

[In The Great White North]

Depended on the child. One was completely on her own; the other was completely with me; and the third was half and half. Each child is different.

[Aquinas Academy]

Another person voting other. :)

DD 13 works independently in the morning and we work together in the afternoon. The mix of independent work and together time varies from week to week depending on DD's needs.

[Jyniffrec]

I send dd12 an email on Mondays with everything I want her to complete for the week. She writes the information down and schedules it herself on a student agenda sheet we print off from the internet. We have had to do some tweaking with the way she schedules herself but I think it is a very good learning experience for her and I am mostly happy about the way things are going.

 

She has an online class for Greek that I try to stay heavily involved in since she hasn't taken a language before and doesn't get what is important sometimes. She does half her science independently and half with me (she reads Hakim and we do BFSU together). All her reading is independent - she no longer likes me to do read-alouds because we don't move fast enough. Writing and math are done independently but I always check and mark her work for correction. I know I am missing some stuff but I can't pull it out of my puny morning brain right now.

 

She has been doing schoolwork on weekends because she hasn't learned to manage her time very efficiently yet. I wouldn't mind terribly much except that she doesn't seem to mind letting work go over. And sometimes she doesn't complete subjects for the same reasons. I see this as part of the learning experience for the year.

[Testimony]

My middle schoolers do the following on their own:

1. Math

2. Reading

 

Blessings,

Karen

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/testimony

[Melanie]

I have a 7th grader this year.

 

Math: She does this on her own; all I do is check her work and answer the very occasional question.

 

Latin: She does this mostly on her own; she reads the lessons and works the exercises herself. I grade her papers, answer questions, and hear recitations.

 

Greek: She does this on her own, with a little help from her older brother.

 

Logic: She does this on her own; I grade her work and help puzzle out the occasional problem.

 

English: She reads her grammar lessons by herself, but anything she can do orally she does with me. I grade writing and diagramming exercises. She reads literature on her own and discusses the books with me. Teaching writing takes a lot of my time.

 

Science: She does this on her own. I mostly just hand her books and critique any writing.

 

History: See above.

[Hedgehog]

A bit difficult to answer - but I voted for the ones which Rabbit and Pooh do almost independently.

 

Rabbit does Math independently in the sense that she will only come to me if she doesn't understand something, and that's very unusual. Pooh is currently doing the Math lesson with me because she hit a bit of a brick wall over the summer, and I needed to get more involved to get her moving again. We're working on her doing this independently again. I grade all of their work.

 

They do Latin and French independently - the only thing I do is grade their work and test their vocabulary.

 

Both of them have assigned books to read, which they are expected to get through in their spare time. We discuss these whenever it's convenient - usually over supper.

 

Most other subjects are done partially independently. For History, I'll explain the work, and let them get on with it; Rabbit is using History Odyssey level 2 so this is written to the student anyway. It's a new choice for us so I hope that in time she'll be able to get on with it without any hand-holding. I'm in the trying to get Pooh to write her SOTW narrations down on her own, but it feels a little like pulling teeth at the moment. :glare:

 

Language Arts - Spelling and Phonics/Word Study is completely independent; Pooh's penmanship is independent (Rabbit doesn't do it any more); writing (WWE) is becoming partially independent, Rabbit more so than Pooh; and memory work is learned independently and tested by me on Mondays.

 

Logic is an area where Pooh is actually more independent than Rabbit, because she's doing Mind Benders and simple logic puzzles and she finds it super easy. I'm trying to find something more challenging for her. Rabbit has recently begun the Art of Argument and she's really struggling. We're working through it together, very slowly.

 

Science is probably the only subject we do all together, but even with that both Rabbit and Pooh do have a lot of autonomy over what they write in their notebooks. I feel that their work is theirs, not mine, so to a certain extent I encourage them to write down what they want to remember.

 

This all works as independently as it does, because I write them a schedule/list for each day of the week, which they tick off as they go through it. For the first time, Rabbit was involved in devising her schedule this year.

 

Generally speaking, they do their more independent work first thing in the morning when I'm working with Tigger and Roo, and the other work later when I'm freer to give them some help. But broadly speaking, it's my intention that they should be almost entirely self-teaching by the time they reach 10th grade. The ability to find information for oneself and learn independently is NOT something I see evident in many young people even as they enter university, and I feel this is to their great disadvantage.

Edited October 15, 2011 by Hedgehog