I have a question for:"later start" parents

[Mommyfaithe]

Who delay formal academics until children are older.

 

I will share what I do ....later....but for now, let me say, I am not a COMPLETE later starter. I delay total formal academics until about 5th grade and focus more on reading...reading.....reading and arithmetic. I do not have a set schedule for this, but it is part of my young childrens's everyday life.

 

FTR: my oldest 2 went to PS...the first until 4th grade, the 2nd until the end of 1st.

 

Everyone else has be home schooled until High School graduation....

 

 

I'll share more later, if anyone is interested and wants to talk about the differences, positives and negatives, etc.

I have learned a lot from both approaches....and now I am starting to see the difference in the early start/later start.

 

Faithe

[Soror]

Can I listen along :) I don't think I qualify quite but then again we are always evolving around here.

[....]

Hmmm.... This is our 4th year homeschooling, so I'm not exactly an educational expert. BUT, I basically created a "public school at home" environment the first year we homeschooled and it was a disaster. I pushed my kids way too hard. That is probably my biggest parenting regret. My son still runs in the other direction when grammar books plop onto the dinner table. My daughter cried everytime I brought out our Abeka books.

 

FWIW, I can't separate delaying formal academics and interest-led learning in my mind. When I delay formal academics, my kids start getting into things that they're interested in (not sure that makes any sense).

 

My 7 yro worked thru a very light K (I think we spent 30 minutes a day on school) and for 1st grade, she's been basically unschooling. I was thinking that she's probably behind her peers who go to ps. I was checking out their schoolwork at girl scouts...nope...Kid is WAY ahead of her peers in math. WAY ahead. She's probably right on grade level for everything else. A couple of weeks ago, we started a "lite" curriculum that I wrote for her. I'm placing a huge emphasis on what she wants to work on. She loves math. She's working on Singapore, Miquon and Life of Fred (she laughs everytime she sees Kingie). We've been checking out math library books... She'll drag over the dry erase board and ask me to write problems on there to solve (while I'm cooking - LOL). Math was such a scary subject when I was a kid. It's really neat to see a kid who actually *likes* it.

 

For my 10 yro and 9 yro...I put alot of consideration into what they would like to do. They're science nerds :tongue_smilie:, so I put together 30 weeks of physics for them. They probably spent 4 hours on physics last week. It was a huge hit. My son wants to read the Iliad and Odyssey...so I bought those. We're starting that on Monday. My son is obsessed with Brazil. So, we bought a Spanish course for him. He's been working through that on his own.

 

Those are just our experiences. I don't plan to put my kids back in ps (our schools here are pretty bad). So, it doesn't bother anymore if they aren't following a ps scope and sequence. I don't think delaying academics or letting them follow their passions damages them somehow. I always feel a little weird when I hear those comments, because I can see it working in our homeschool. I posted last year about our homeschool enrichment center telling me to bump my oldest kids into their middle school science classes. ;) Nice.

 

Like I said earlier, I can't separate delaying formal academics and interest-led learning in my mind. When I start with delaying academics, it seems to lead into interest-led learning. :confused:

 

Also, we plan to use Kolbe Academy or something similar for high school. So, I'm not for delaying academics until college. :tongue_smilie:

 

Sorry for my weird rambling.

[*********]

I'm curious how you do this, Faithe.

 

So until about age 10-11, you don't do 'formal' academics?

 

How does reading work? Do the kids just 'pick up' on how to read, do they not learn to read until you start formal schooling, or do you mean by 'you do reading and math' that you do teach some sort of reading curriculum at a younger age?

 

Moose is 6, and learning to read. His progress is slower that Zee's was (which is all I have to compare him to), who was reading at 3. :tongue_smilie:But Moose is coming along. He's progressing just fine, but it's just not coming 'naturally' like it did for Zee. I can see what the benefits would be of waiting until he's older, but that'd never fly around here; dh would NOT agree. :tongue_smilie:

 

So I'm just curious if you use ANY curriculum before 5th grade, or if it's all life experience learning; things like following along while mom reads aloud, and math is things like cooking and other everyday experiences. I find it an interesting approach, and one I'd be open to myself if it was JUST up to me. :D

 

ETA: I guess, after thinking about it, we do this with the non-core subjects. We have formal reading, language arts, and math instruction for both boys, but things like science, history, and social studies are kinda unschooled right now. I just take the boys to the library and let them check out books on whatever topic they're interested in this week. They've chosen things like planets, power plants, the human body, various presidents, and germs for example. I figure I have plenty of time to start formal education on those things; right now, I'm just trying to foster a love of learning about what interests them. We do read alouds for Bible and science as well.

Edited February 19, 2012 by bethanyniez

[lllll]

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Edited December 23, 2012 by ksva

[Guest submarines]

I'm on the same path and I would like to discuss this more. My oldest is 9.

[Enough]

I'm interested, too. :bigear:

 

I don't delay learning, or even curricula, or the expectation of excellence.

 

I do, however, delay (and outright reject as The Only/Best Way) hours of structured-and-chosen-and-administered-by-me type of learning, especially in the younger years.

[zookeeper]

I've really tried to follow the "bent" of each child. My first was/is a natural learner. He only has to see/hear/read something once and it's learned. I started formal stuff early with him because he was so ready and just soaked it up. Now with #2, I just assumed that's what you should do and boy was I surprised!! It was with her that I learned about the better late than early approach. Though I about hyperventilated A LOT with her, I didn't push it and now at 14 you couldn't tell that she did things at a later age.

 

The others are falling somewhere in the middle of these two and I'm good with whatever their style is.

[....]

I'm interested, too. :bigear:

 

I don't delay learning, or even curricula, or the expectation of excellence.

 

I do, however, delay (and outright reject as The Only/Best Way) hours of structured-and-chosen-and-administered-by-me type of learning, especially in the younger years.

 

I really agree with this, I'm just having trouble putting it into words.

[mafi39]

I'm interested in hearing how you make it all work! I have a dd who has struggled with reading and I have learned to just let her go at her own pace. My son is a year younger and loves to read, he reads everything! I am a stickler about math and reading but although i use my fathers world, I'm not super strict about it.

[catz]

I'm interested, too. :bigear:

 

I don't delay learning, or even curricula, or the expectation of excellence.

 

I do, however, delay (and outright reject as The Only/Best Way) hours of structured-and-chosen-and-administered-by-me type of learning, especially in the younger years.

 

This would be us too. My kids are both "natural" learners and are well ahead of grade level with the possible exceptions of my youngest in writing. I have some curriculum I use more as a resource than something we come back to day after day and use in a structured way. My oldest has a little more structure in his life now.

[mlbuchina]

I've really tried to follow the "bent" of each child. My first was/is a natural learner. He only has to see/hear/read something once and it's learned. I started formal stuff early with him because he was so ready and just soaked it up. Now with #2, I just assumed that's what you should do and boy was I surprised!! It was with her that I learned about the better late than early approach. Though I about hyperventilated A LOT with her, I didn't push it and now at 14 you couldn't tell that she did things at a later age.

 

The others are falling somewhere in the middle of these two and I'm good with whatever their style is.

 

This is where we are. Dd8 is the "natural" learner. Everything seems to come fairly easy for her. Dd6, on the other hand, is opposite in everything. I mean, they are night and day. She works hard for what she knows, IYKWIM. The problem I am seeing with mine, though, is that dd6 gets upset with herself about not being like dd8. She says she wants to be able to read like dd8, but she just can't, it's too hard. I encourage her, and tell her not to compare herself with dd8. I tell her about all the things that she is good at.

 

I am having to learn that "better late than early" is just as "good" as "better early", and definitely better than "better late than never"! :D

[swellmomma]

I am a parent that delays formal academics though I never set out to. I always thought I would follow WTM from the start (well from the time I pulled my kids out of school). Due to their issues, we didn't do formal education when I pulled them from ps, we deschooled for a year and focused on behaviour, after that due to their issues it ust sort of flowed that we did limited formal schooling (as in seat work) and spent the rest of the time doing fieldtrips and watching documentaries, and reading, and doing cool science kits etc. When my 3rd was turning 5 I knew he was not ready for "school" If I had been a ps parent I would have held him back another year, so I decided not to push him on a full K program, we did another year of preK. As he has grown we have stuck with not really doing a formal school program with him. We do lapbooks, and theme pockets, read alouds, watch documentaries etc. As his testing is getting done I am so thankful that I never pushed the academics sooner because it would have frustrated him immensely as a student and me as a teacher. He was/is not capable of that intensity of work. At this point I have been told to continue doing exactly what I am doing with him (which equates to only about 45 minutes of formal seatwork a day and he is in the second half of grade 2 right now). He is progressing, he is learning to read, he is learning period. Just no push on formal academics. The SLP, OT and ped have been extremely pleased with his progress despite his long list of LD. With my 4th she craves school, but I have come to love approaching things the way we do now, so I still offer her opportunities for seat work (more than I ever gave the other 3) but still make her school time less structured. Instead I go with themes. So for example, we did cats. We did a preschool pack of cats (that was the bulk of her seatwork, along with some math pages), we had a cat sensory box, we read books on cats, we played with cats, we watched a movie about the cat life cycle. I did not do themed units like this with my older kids when they were small, but for dd it helps her feel like she is doing tons of school while still maintaining the delay in formal academics that I think is better for our family.

 

We are not unschoolers, we are not even completely interest or delight led, I have goals for them, I have things I want them to learn, I am just more relaxed about how and when it is learned. Before grades 5-7 (depending on the kid) I think it can all be taught/learned in a fun relaxed way. Because my kids intend to go to college I will not be relaxed/delayed right through high school. THe work and expectations start really ramping up at around age 12-13. By then however there is an ability and desire to learn about things more deeply/intensely.

[Susann]

Who delay formal academics until children are older.

 

I will share what I do ....later....but for now, let me say, I am not a COMPLETE later starter. I delay total formal academics until about 5th grade and focus more on reading...reading.....reading and arithmetic. I do not have a set schedule for this, but it is part of my young childrens's everyday life.

 

Faithe

:iagree: This is what we did but started with a little more academics in fourth grade. It's worked out well for our family and the girls have lots of happy memories of the early years. When we were ready to "settle down" to a little more formal education, they took off and quickly moved ahead of grade level. Now that we're ending our home school journey, I'm very, very happy with how it has turned out academically, personally, spiritually for the girls. FWIW dd #1 is in computer engineering at the #1 undergraduate engineering school in the US on what has now turned out to be a full ride. DD #2 is heading off this fall to a top big ten science/engineering school interested in neuroscience. DH & I have no science background to speak of and we also did very few outside classes. Basically, once they got to high school, we helped them pick out curriculum and kept a loose eye on them and they schooled themselves. Homeschooling allow DD #2 to deal with serous health issues the last three years without stressing or falling behind. I've loved our lifestyle and feel blessed for the journey we've had together.

[....]

FWIW dd #1 is in computer engineering at the #1 undergraduate engineering school in the US on what has now turned out to be a full ride. DD #2 is heading off this fall to a top big ten science/engineering school interested in neuroscience.

 

That is SO neat! :001_smile:

[Iucounu]

:bigear: I am thinking that for some topics, like history and geography, simply reading about them is the way to go for us at first. We started science by simply reading, and I wouldn't call what we've done so far very structured yet (although I did recently buy BFSU and hope to implement it in the coming year). I like the idea of reading to build up background knowledge, and being interest-led in general. In the early years I wouldn't expect a student to have regimented study skills, and don't feel like forcing them on my kids very early either.

[melissel]

I'm :bigear:, because I've been thinking about this a lot too. What do you do if your kids aren't really independent learners though? I used to try to encourage them to or help them follow up if there was an interest expressed, and they would both roll their eyes at me, and that was the end of the interest. They don't care to read nonfiction, they like field trips because we go with friends, they don't express much interest in anything we can really pursue... I'm a bit frustrated about it right now, actually *sigh*

Edited February 19, 2012 by melissel

[higginszoo]

With my younger two, formal academics have been/will be optional until age 10 or so. There are materials available, and because they often want to be like their older siblings, they have been used fairly regularly ... but until my third child turned 10, I didn't require him to do anything, school-wise. He was welcome to listen in when he wanted to what the older dc were doing. He had workbooks and such that he could use. We have many science and history books (he's my non-fiction reader, most fiction suggestions have historically been panned). Really, a year into having him have some kind of agenda (I'm still pretty loose with him), he is at or past the point that his sister was at his age -- I started workbooks, etc. on a schedule with her at 4 ... Sonlight cores, Ambleside for a couple of years, ps gifted magnet for a year, followed by most of a year in Catholic school (by then, she was almost 10, and their plans were pretty similar from then on). They're similar learners with mild challenges (her mild ADD, him mild dyslexia).

My oldest and youngest have a different style. They're much more intense and driven when it comes to academics. I responded to oldest ds by going straight into structured school at age 4, pushing him as far as he could go, and he had burned out by 7. He spent 2 years in a ps magnet, then has been home since, at a still-accelerated pace, but not as intense. With my little one, I only give her as much as she demands, no more. She is not as far along as her brother was at her age (but almost), but she is much more enthusiastic about learning than he was at her age. She also has the advantage of having more advanced materials in her environment all the time, being 4 years younger than her closest sibling, she does a decent job sometimes in keeping up with them (at least trying the same materials -- like last year, which should have been K, she learned to do Key Word Outlines because she insisted on watching IEW's SWI-A with her brother and sister).

[Greenmama2]

I'm interested, too. :bigear:

 

I don't delay learning, or even curricula, or the expectation of excellence.

 

I do, however, delay (and outright reject as The Only/Best Way) hours of structured-and-chosen-and-administered-by-me type of learning, especially in the younger years.

 

:iagree: This sums is up pretty well for me too. We are actually unschoolers, my eldest is quite intense and a somewhat driven learner and I find I need formal curricula to help me meet her needs.

 

OP, I'm not sure I really understood your question?

 

I have a question too...those you who delay formal academic expectations until age 9 or 10 - what do your children actually do all day until then? Perhaps it sounds silly, but the list in my sig takes DD very little time. On days we don't have to travel to activities she has lots of time to get bored. She does play for hours, that isn't enough for her.

[MIch elle]

My older ds learned his alphabet at age 6. Before that we did nothing but play & read books aloud to him. Back then I was a John Holt & Ray Moore fan. K-3 was slowly learning to read (100EZ & Phonics Pathways for gr. 1-3) and basic math with Structural Arithmetic. I ramped up homeschool slowly from grades 4-8. He's now 18yo and graduating from a private high school this May.

 

Second ds was a little more formal a bit younger but that was because he wanted to do "school" like older brother. He's now 15yo and attending high school (homeschooled K-7).

[Rosie_0801]

:bigear: too.

 

I've definitely not been in this camp with my eldest. It's not quite so pronounced now, but she generally doesn't learn things I haven't deliberately introduced. Now the little guy is growing up a little, I can see quite how different he's going to be. Dd sort of studies life, ds goes in for immersion! (Especially in ponds :rolleyes:) I've been starting to think about how one can deal with a mini-autodidact without his father thinking I'm neglecting him. I think it mightn't be so bad in a year or so when he can be trusted not to run onto roads, climb over cliffs, or paint the house. :001_huh:

 

Rosie

[Soror]

I've been thinking of this, well of what my own education philosophy is for many weeks now. Like anyone else I started with a certain idea in mind of the process and of our goals. What I cannot seem to decide though is what process will produce the goals I want. I've always stated that one of the big goals of our schooling was I want learning to be life and just pursued for the enjoyment of it. I also want the children to have a rigorous education(whatever that means :)).

 

Our first year was near perfect except for my unrealistic expectations and lack of understanding of his maturity level and learning style. My insecurity and ignorance led to some moments in which I really freaked out, thankfully not often, but I wish it had been never. The second year I ended up a bit engrossed in running towards a much more formal curriculum and doing so ended up not doing the things I loved the most about our schooling. This year, our third, I tried to strike a better balance. In some ways I succeeded and other ways I did not. As I did last year by mid-year I had dropped some things, mostly formal history and science. (which were fairly informal to start).

 

Anyway, I've been thinking about family goals and values and school goals and values and the degree to which I've let others influence me, either directly or through guilt or my own competitiveness. I really liked the WTM and something about it resonated with me but I realize now that I dont' agree with a fair amount of it. Personally SWB seems like a wonderfully nice person but I finally realize that I am not in any way shape or form like her. Educationally I agree with the goals but her process is not mine and there is not much about the specifics that I see working for my own teaching style and that of my children. Too many details, too much emphasis on things that matter little (IMO- dodging tomatoes).

 

CM seems great and wonderful and well but doing 20 million subjects each for 15 min, again not my cup of tea. It drives my brain absolutely bonkers. I liked The Core as well but as much as I tried I cannot get behind all the random memorization. So far I have felt the most at home when reading LCC. I love that there isn't so much focus on details. I love that he has Math as a big focus.

 

Last year I had thought and was convinced that if I scheduled in more "fun stuff" we'd get more done, there would be an order and all that jazz and I could check things off. So, I made this lovely schedule for my 4 yo pulling from 20 different sites all different things- songs, activities and all sorts of things. We didn't make it a week, literally. I even scheduled out my minutes and such. I have now came back to the routine I used the first year, slightly modified. So, next year my 5 yr is starting k and I'm trying to keep focused on simple things- I'm aiming to do about 15 min a day writing and 15 min a day phonics- reading lots of books and math through life.

 

I'm trying to follow a LCC schedule for ds for next year. Latin, Math and LA (spelling- writing and grammar) using curriculum but everything else learning through life. It seemed the more I tried to schedule fun and make sure we learned more the less we did of either. I have to have things organized in such a way or *I* cannot work and it really does seem to work the best for the kids that way as well. With dd I'm wondering what path to take and what path would be best. When do I want to introduce formal math? With ds I'm wondering when do I want to make science and history more formal. I do find it heartening to read the various paths other hs'ers take towards success which makes me more and more inclined to believe that the path isn't as narrow as some seem to think.

[Mommyfaithe]

:iagree: This is what we did but started with a little more academics in fourth grade. It's worked out well for our family and the girls have lots of happy memories of the early years. When we were ready to "settle down" to a little more formal education, they took off and quickly moved ahead of grade level. Now that we're ending our home school journey, I'm very, very happy with how it has turned out academically, personally, spiritually for the girls. FWIW dd #1 is in computer engineering at the #1 undergraduate engineering school in the US on what has now turned out to be a full ride. DD #2 is heading off this fall to a top big ten science/engineering school interested in neuroscience. DH & I have no science background to speak of and we also did very few outside classes. Basically, once they got to high school, we helped them pick out curriculum and kept a loose eye on them and they schooled themselves. Homeschooling allow DD #2 to deal with serous health issues the last three years without stressing or falling behind. I've loved our lifestyle and feel blessed for the journey we've had together.

 

 

 

This is so cool!! Congrats Mamma!!

[milovany]

This is so cool!! Congrats Mamma!!

 

:iagree:It IS cool! And neat to see that kids educated this way can accomplish the same advanced things, if they want to, as those educated more rigorously. It's also cool, though, I think, if our kids apprentice to become locksmiths, or go to community college to get their AA, or go to college to become PR majors without earning any kind of scholarships, or go into business with their father, or even aren't sure at 18 which direction they want to go for further training/career, right? Each child and each future is different. I'm probably reacting personally as this is where our 18yo son is (not sure what he's wanting to do, yet, while still developing those things he's extremely interested in), so forgive me if I seem to be taking away from the accomplishments of these two young ladies; that's not my intent!

 

I have a question too...those you who delay formal academic expectations until age 9 or 10 - what do your children actually do all day until then?

 

I think at these young ages, play is an important part of the process. But you can also implement "productive free time" as they grow, too. Time when they have to be producing something -- writing a story, building something in the shop, knitting a blanket, making a collage, actively making cookies or dinner with you, etc. For some of these, you'll have to be involved depending on age. For example, in writing a story you may have to be the one printing the words for the child -- I like doing this before they're writing quite fluently so that they don't get discouraged by all the effort it takes to listen to how a word is spelled and print the letters. Another good project is booklet-making. Have them make a booklet that you can staple together about an area of interest that they have. One of my daughter had an American Dolls booklet (she cut dolls out of the catalog, then wrote info. under each picture that she glued into a booklet); my son made a booklet of K'Nex creations he'd made (I printed photos for him).

 

Just some ideas for you!

Edited February 20, 2012 by milovaný

[Mynyel]

Here I thought I was a bad teacher!

 

Dd14 has always been smart. That one can remember everything. I swear she has a bit of a photographic memory. Ds9 on the other hand, not so much (bless his heart:D). I delayed with him, thought not by design, it was accidental. He just didn't absorb things so I waited until I think he could.

 

For instance he is almost 10 but in Gamma for MUS. It is about a year behind what he would be in ps. However he is understanding and flying though. We tried Latin with ds9.. nope. Have to wait until later. Another year or so. He is finally mature (I won't say old enough) enough to get through science and history and remember.

 

Now ds3.5 is wanting to do "schoolwork". He asks for it. I have some things for him but doing it very informally and basically just giving him craft time. I will do the same with him as I do with ds9. I will introduce something, but if he is glazing or just not absorbing I will wait.

 

Not a big deal to me. They are getting what they need when they need it. Which is why I love homeschooling! :)

[SorrelZG]

I've been taking more and more interest in delayed formal academics of late and am very interested in reading about what others have done.

 

I'll be back to read later.

[swellmomma]

Here is an example of 2 days in our home, we are not unschoolers, these 2 days were over a weekend but are similar to many days in our home, particularily with the younger 2 with whom I am delaying formal academics.

 

Saturday: Field trip day (if the kids are home we almot always have a fieldtrip on saturday) we spent the day at the science center. After getting there decided the titanic display was not going to happen. Instead we watched 2 science demonstrations (one on the properties of fire, 1 on how pop gets fizzy) and 2 movies (one on molecules & atoms, 1 on constellations) and of course went through each of the exhibits. In the gift shop I bought a pile of science kits to do over the next 12 months. Once home we watched Dolphin tale, then went to Winter's website to view the webcams, discussed the different kinds of dolphins and what can be done to prevent injuries to them like what happened to Winter. We also discussed prosthetics and amputees.

 

Sunday: dd12, ds8 and dd4 put together a short play of the frog prince. DD12 was narrator, dd4 and ds8 played all the other characters, dd4 was 3 different characters, ds8 was 2. They did an excellent job of it. DS8 then announced that he wanted to reinact the 3 musketeers and went off to create a story board for it (he can't read or write so he was story boarding it instead of writing a script). The kids also did some badgework for guides/cubs/scouts and the bigs did some LoF. We watched Mr. Popper's penguins and then discussed the different kinds of penguins. We discussed whether someone could really turn their apartment into a penguin wonderland or not, and whether or not it iwas possible to fill a bathroom with water to the top. They have requested that we do a unit on penguins. So after they were in bed I pulled my penguin books of my bookshelf (yes I own 3 titles), and my penguin lapbook off my flash drive and when they want to work on it it is here, but it is not expected that they have to do it on a set schedule. The bigs already have schoolwork to do each day so this is a bonus lapbook for them, the littles are the ones that want it most and I will help them with the reading and writing to get it assembled if they want. We also assembled our triops kit that we bought at the science center.

 

Of course being the weekend there was a lot more downtime than there is during the week. But when it comes to the younger ones it is pretty typical. The younger 2 often create plays about what they have learned. Now that they know the story of the 3 musketeers (well the Barbie version lol) they act it out, they have acted out the water cycle before, they act out many stories that we read or hear, I would not be surprised to hear them acting out Mr. Popper's penguins today. I use sonlight with them but only the readalouds, they love to hear good stories and learn a lot just by listening to me read without doing any formal work.

 

I still introduce them to new things and ideas, and read books on topics of my chosing. With my 8 yr old he still does AAS when I say, and they all play math board games that I have purchased to work on specific skills. Delaying formal academics does not need to mean you are not being intentional with their learning, or that you are unschooling or even doing interest led learning. It just means you are not forcing seatwork or assignments etc at a younger age. It does not mean that you are not teaching them specific skills, it is just done in a different way. Delayed formal academics does not mean an absence of any academics. Formal academics to me is the seatwork the kids do, set assignments kwim. SO the x number of pages they must do in math, the y writing they must do, the z lab report they must complete. SO to me all I am doing is holding off on those things, instead we do the science projects with no lab report, they do math in their books until they want to stop (which for my younger 2 could be 0-20 pages per sitting), reading is taught but I am relaxed about it. Both of my younger kids have school books and such but I do not focus on the books unless they want them, I focus on experiences. To me that is what delaying formal academics is, focusing just on the experiences and building from there, without pressures of expectations of being able to sit and focus and do pages and pages of reading and writing etc at a young age. Because I have no expectations of them being able to complete xlevel of work at y age I am able to be more relaxed about following their pace. I am thankful that that is the case as their Dx have become more clear and I think about the heartache I could have caused for both of us if I had been pushing harder in the younger years for things that were outside of their control, and ability.

[justamouse]

This is so cool!! Congrats Mamma!!

:iagree:

[....]

For instance he is almost 10 but in Gamma for MUS. It is about a year behind what he would be in ps. However he is understanding and flying though.

 

My 9 yro is WAY behind my 10 yro in math. My husband was very irritated by that. I told him that the WORST thing I could do to my son academically would be to push him through math to the point where he does not understand what he's doing. That's basically how we were taught math in ps and it was so counter-productive. You have to meet them where they are. There's not going to be someone there to hold his hand while he takes the SAT. :D

 

I really need to get off the computer so I can torture, I mean teach. (insert evil laugh)

[CourtneyBrooke]

I very much appreciate this conversation and I would LOVE to hear more experiences with this. I know more than one family (some in PS, some homeschooling) that are pushing their 4, 5, and 6 year olds way beyond what they are created to do. Full-day kindergartens with no naptime. 8 hours of book work despite tears. It makes me sad.

 

My eldest is now 11. When I was on bedrest, pregnant with twins, when she was 4, she wanted to "do school". She learned how to read and write then. She blossomed early and constantly wanted workbooks to do. Even now she's 3 grade levels ahead.

 

My boys are 6. They are great kids, but don't have the same passion for formal learning that my eldest did, so I don't force it. We do SOTW together as a family, which they love (they beg me to do it on days when I wasn't planning on it). They do ALEKS math and love to see their pies filling up. (Last night we were watching a family movie and one of my boys begged me to let him do his math instead :D). They work on handwriting practice, which isn't their favorite, but I do want them to form their letters correctly. Everything else is informal learning. We read TONS together, and they read a lot on their own as well. They love nature hikes, science experiments and museums. They also spend hours playing Legos, educational board games, and more education disguised as fun.

 

So while we don't do formal science or history or reading or spelling, they're on target with other children their age and the best part- they ENJOY what they're doing.

 

Learning as I go... I hope I'm doing the best thing for them!