Hedgehogs4 Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 That your kid is getting a good education? There are times when I have to wonder if my kids really are getting a decent education because I have nothing to compare this to? I mean, there are people you know who are "over-the-top" homeschoolers--the kind that never sleep and seem to drive their kids to 80 activities each week. Then there are those who really give hsers a bad name because they teach their kids nothing, and then there are those of us who are committed and dedicated and yet could be way off base. It's just one of those weird, random thoughts...I don't have plans to change anything--I guess it will all reveal itself in time. You just have to freak out once in a while, I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 You have a very good question. I think that most homeschooling parents wonder the same thing, at least from time to time. I use the Core Knowledge K-8 Sequence which was made by E.D. Hirsch's organization. After reading some of his publications and his book called The Knowledge Deficit, I am a big believer in teaching core knowledge as the basis of my curriculum. If my kids know what is in that sequence (even though I may teach it is a different order than the way they list it by grade level), I know my kids will have a solid and broad education. Hirsch and his colleagues have done quite a bit of impressive research into this subject, and I think their method fo emphasizing core knowledge produces the best results. It also offers an objective standard to use in evaluating one's curriculum and children's progress. Since I have been using it, I don't often worry or freak out about whether or not I have big gaping holes or if I am forgetting something important. There is a tremendous amount of peace in having goals one can be confident in and a plan in place to accomplish them. FYI--You can download the Sequence for free here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warneral Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I take a step back and look how far my children have come. Read 8Fil's response to the OP (post 2). Remember what you're doing and why you're doing it. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=429166 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaney Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 The sheer fact that you are wondering, I think, says a lot. You use TOG which you know is sooooo deep and rich. That is what draws me back to it and has me planning to use it for HS. I am not even Christian but the discussions are so meaningful and well thought out that I find it to be my peace of mind. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I don't know. I also don't compare them to their public school peers (well try not to). I realized that we all know different things. Who determined what the standard is? Maybe I don't like their standard or I want to use a different standard. My kids are learning. They are happy and well adjusted. Only time will tell if I have completely screwed them up for life so I try not to worry about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I don't know. I also don't compare them to their public school peers (well try not to). I realized that we all know different things. Who determined what the standard is? Maybe I don't like their standard or I want to use a different standard. My kids are learning. They are happy and well adjusted. Only time will tell if I have completely screwed them up for life so I try not to worry about it. :iagree: That's pretty much how I see it too. It's impossible not to compare, but I try to avoid it. Comparisons are odious and all that. I focus on my kids as individuals. I watch them grow and develop and learn. I pay attention to progress more than outside standards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I think it's normal to wonder, regardless of your personal style, philosophy, etc. I used to believe it was self-doubt or just feeling inadequate, but now I think it is more a symptom of learning to be a teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinD Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 My daughter in particular specializes in suddenly not knowing basic facts and speaking in "umms" and "likes" when she's around my parents and other watching-like-a-hawk relatives. That's really the only time I wonder. (Can you hear me wanting to wring her neck?):banghead: The rest of the time I'm reasonably confident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaOz Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 That your kid is getting a good education? There are times when I have to wonder if my kids really are getting a decent education because I have nothing to compare this to? I mean, there are people you know who are "over-the-top" homeschoolers--the kind that never sleep and seem to drive their kids to 80 activities each week. Then there are those who really give hsers a bad name because they teach their kids nothing, and then there are those of us who are committed and dedicated and yet could be way off base. It's just one of those weird, random thoughts...I don't have plans to change anything--I guess it will all reveal itself in time. You just have to freak out once in a while, I suppose. A few months ago I had a visit from the inspector from the Board of Studies in our state. We have to have a visit every so often to gain registration for the next period of time. My eldest daughter turned 17 this year and, although she is still studying, she is no longer required to register as a homeschooler. My inspector asked me if I felt that we had been successful in her schooling. The question was unexpected so I took a minute to think about it. Then the answer seemed clear and I told him that my goal for my kids is for them to enjoy learning and to have the skills to be able to continue learning for themselves. Seeing that my dd still loves to learn and continues to pursue learning in an independent way, I said YES, I think we have been successful. The question really made me focus on what was important and how we were achieving it. So, I think that can be a good gauge of a decent education - knowing that your kids have the interest and skills to pursue whatever it is they want to pursue. Of course, at the ages that your kids are at it is a work in progress. But if you can look back over, say, a year or so and see distinct progress in various areas, then I think that you are safe to say that your child's education is going well. I don't know if that makes any sense but they're just my thoughts. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SorrelZG Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I take a step back and look how far my children have come. Read 8Fil's response to the OP (post 2). Remember what you're doing and why you're doing it. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=429166 Thank-you for sharing 8's post. I missed the original thread due to it not appearing relevant to me (not having a 5th grader). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meriwether Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I often wonder about this. Whatever I am doing, I feel I could be doing it better, doing more, or doing it more often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathy_overman Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I am a worrier by nature, so when we started our HS journey last year, I became a worrier extraordinaire. Your post made me spend some time looking over this book, and boy do I feel better! My 3rd grader who, bless his heart, is not lighting anything on fire, and really makes me wonder if I have taught him anything - knows lots of what is in the book. The year has just begun, and he knows lots of it! Yeah! This was $10 very well spent. We can spend the year staying on our current course, and know that we are in the ball park of what a 3rd grader should know. It really does feel good to validate his progress. He has to do standardized testing this year, which will be interesting, as it may be hard for him. Even if he does poorly, the book has given me reassurance that we are doing okay, and that feels great! We might even take Friday off, now that I know how well we are doing.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Well, I look at it this way. I'm covering all the subjects. I'm at grade level for each of my kids. They seem to understand what is being taught and move on. And they're getting things that a lot of public school kids aren't - a good history education, art, Latin, geography (yes, they cancelled geography in our district this year because they still need more hours of LA). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ByGrace3 Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I take a step back and look how far my children have come. Read 8Fil's response to the OP (post 2). Remember what you're doing and why you're doing it. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=429166 Thank you so much for sharing that, so so good! (And thanks 8 for the input!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PenKase Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 My 7th grader is back in school (her request and on a trial period) after being home for 5/6th grade. We were VERY relaxed at home last year and she was allowed pursue her interests. At school, the only thing she has had to adjust to is the math due to the fact that we didn't follow the ps s&s and that she's rather poke her eyes out than do math. She is exceeding expectations in everything else, both academic and extra curricular. Among the things we did in our homeschool last year: lots of audiobooks and classic read alouds (dd was into everything Jane Austen), watched movie versions of classics, made her own audiobooks, performed in both of our coop's theatre productions, creative writing projects, STOW, TC lectures, documentaries, cooking, sewing, crocheting, knitting, museum visits, field trips to historic sites, poetry tea time, local theater productions, piano lessons, Khan Academy, LoF, interest-led projects, fashion drawing and art, and other things I just can't think of right now. Today, DD had play practice (the highlight of her day) after school today and is still trying to get homework done, which IMHO is a complete waste of time! She has yet to practice on the piano, that to which last year she devoted countless hours! FYI-I did begin to doubt and freak out about my ability to provide her with access to an adequate education at home. I can undoubtedly now say, after only three full weeks of school, that the grass is definitely not greener and that yes, I can definitely provide much more than what she's getting there, custom tailored to her individual needs and interests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 You have a very good question. I think that most homeschooling parents wonder the same thing, at least from time to time. I use the Core Knowledge K-8 Sequence which was made by E.D. Hirsch's organization. After reading some of his publications and his book called The Knowledge Deficit, I am a big believer in teaching core knowledge as the basis of my curriculum. If my kids know what is in that sequence (even though I may teach it is a different order than the way they list it by grade level), I know my kids will have a solid and broad education. Hirsch and his colleagues have done quite a bit of impressive research into this subject, and I think their method fo emphasizing core knowledge produces the best results. It also offers an objective standard to use in evaluating one's curriculum and children's progress. Since I have been using it, I don't often worry or freak out about whether or not I have big gaping holes or if I am forgetting something important. There is a tremendous amount of peace in having goals one can be confident in and a plan in place to accomplish them. FYI--You can download the Sequence for free here. This is helpful if you want to keep up with the s&s of ps kids. however... I take a step back and look how far my children have come. Read 8Fil's response to the OP (post 2). Remember what you're doing and why you're doing it. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/showthread.php?t=429166 I think her response here is much more my philosophy of education. I want to give my kids a great education without necessarily looking like the ps's. If that is what I wanted, I would send them to school, I guess. I had hopes that the core standards would look different than they do, but there seem to be a lot of really unreasonable writing standards at very early grades for kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 This is helpful if you want to keep up with the s&s of ps kids. however... I think her response here is much more my philosophy of education. I want to give my kids a great education without necessarily looking like the ps's. If that is what I wanted, I would send them to school, I guess. I had hopes that the core standards would look different than they do, but there seem to be a lot of really unreasonable writing standards at very early grades for kids. My point is not to keep up with the scope and sequence of public schools. My goal is well educated children. I strongly recommend reading The Knowledge Deficit. That was the single most helpful book for me to understand educational philosophies and which course to take in order to maximize success. The public schools are doing the antithesis of what I am doing, and I think the public schools' results have been showing it over decades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassy Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 We've always had a very structured routine, and I've always tried to cover everything, but I've also been fairly relaxed about schoolwork. While I've worked very hard doing a lot of one-to-one work with the boys, they've had quite a lot of free time which they've spent playing various imaginative games, playing outside and generally just being kids. I've always felt that I've made their education a priority, and couldn't really do anymore. I never worried about 'where' they were compared to others. DS11 moved on to a B&M school a month ago, and apart from atrocious handwriting (which I did work on, but never solved :glare:), he has excelled in every subject. It is a selective school (based on IQ tests), so he has plenty of stiff competition. Only last night, though, DS11 commented to me that he felt he learned more in homeschool than he does at his new school. I guess we must have been doing something right :001_smile:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 My point is not to keep up with the scope and sequence of public schools. My goal is well educated children. I strongly recommend reading The Knowledge Deficit. That was the single most helpful book for me to understand educational philosophies and which course to take in order to maximize success. The public schools are doing the antithesis of what I am doing, and I think the public schools' results have been showing it over decades. I will definitely check that out. It sounds like a book I would enjoy. I agree--I just want well-educated children. To me, it seems you would have to go above and beyond what the ps's are doing in order to have well-educated kids. A pp commented something to the effect that they keep such a frenetic pace of covering so much, that nothing is really mastered. I will read over the common core standards from time to time, I am sure. That night when I first read through them, though, I got a weird, inexplicable pressure feeling in my stomach, even though I could say that my kids were able to do all of what was on them. weird. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I had hopes that the core standards would look different than they do, but there seem to be a lot of really unreasonable writing standards at very early grades for kids. Well, just reject that part then...;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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