Wyndie Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 (edited) My SIL, BIL, 2 nieces and MIL moved here earlier this year after my FIL's death. Niece (10 yr old) was already struggling with reading before she moved but now has lost her minimal reading skills while in PS. She qualified for special help in TN but not here. She also has a speech delay that she does not qualify for help with here. SIL has asked me to help her figure out if homeschool is a good fit for her dd. I am happy to do so but don't know where to start. She is coming over Wednesday to look at what I have and discuss a plan for her dd. I feel brain training is important and have the curriculum to do it, but do not feel qualified to DO it with someone not my child. It's very intense and hard work and don't even remember every aspect of it as my child did it almost 4 years ago. But I'm certainly going to share what I have and see if she will be able to do it. Obviously the child needs to learn reading skills but feel that brain training would help her overcome her inability to decode and remember. But we also have to consider our legal obligations for her schooling. What curriculum can I choose that will cover all her legally necessary subjects while not being too "young" for her, yet not too hard for her? Her mom has only ever been in PS, niece has only been in PS, this is way outside their norm but mom is desperate for dd to get some help and this is her only option as far as she can see. They are quite poor so they can't get in any programs or even buy a lot of books. Basically I feel like we are building a program from scratch with only what I have in my house, but if something is not terribly expensive, I'm willing to spend some money on books that will help her. I need ideas and input, please. I want to do right by her but feel ill equipped. Thank you! Edited October 25, 2012 by Wyndie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 Did you cross post on the K-8 and special needs boards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 I didn't. I wondered if I needed to do that to get some responses. Thank you for the suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I don't have any suggestions but thought I would bump it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumto2 Posted October 23, 2012 Share Posted October 23, 2012 I would look at things Hunter has posted. Do a thread search. This is what she does sort of. I think you will find inspiration there.:grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted October 23, 2012 Author Share Posted October 23, 2012 Thank you for the bump and the suggestion of what to search. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Expensive materials are not necessary for home school, but daily discipline is. I grew up on a farm and took care of animals in the bitter eastern Oregon weather, lol, I make sure school is done every day. All this aside, if you do not know that your sister will do school for at least three hours a day with your niece I would discourage it. Home schooling is not a magic bullet, it works because it is one on one tutoring a good deal of the time when students are young and it is motivated study as they grow older. I am guessing that a 10yo who does not read well needs serious help. My dd was 10 and not reading well when when we pulled her out of public school and the reason she was not reading well was whole language reading instruction. It took four years of comprehensive memorization and vocabulary study to get her back on grade level to enter ps high school. Of course, her real trouble was that she had been completely neglected in ps and also forbidden to memorize math facts. Yes, forbidden to memorize math facts by her second grade teacher. When she was eight and her third grade teacher expected her to know them I was the only parent stupid enough not to have taught them at home and she was the only student who did not know them. I was working and had a new baby so I trusted her second grade teacher because I was busy and I wanted to. If your niece has been through a similar sort of thing it may take a lot of hard work to help an older child memorize things that they have been led to believe are not important by teachers they trusted. I am not trying to be discouraging but I am worried that this will turn into a lot of work for you if your sister gets discouraged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted October 24, 2012 Author Share Posted October 24, 2012 Thank you for sharing your experience and your warning. SIL and BIL just left and they are very committed. We have a plan but they are executing it, I will just consult and help them find books. Mostly, from what SIL and BIL say, it's failure on the school's part to recognize a child who learns differently. The school here is very rigid and does not allow a child to learn something in their own way...so when niece needs help with homework, mom isn't allowed to help her think in her own way, she has to think and answer in the method the teacher has declared as the only way to learn. Tough for a child who thinks in a right-brain dominant way. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Oh, I feel for your sis and BIL, because they are going to have a lot of makeup work to do. I was afraid that your niece had been to a really crummy school and it sure sounds like it. It can be done though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted October 25, 2012 Author Share Posted October 25, 2012 Yes, little niece got her report card today. One C, three D's and 1 F. Not a peep from the teacher in two months that she was heading that direction. Parents work with her 3 hours every night with schoolwork. I think even if with all the make-up work they have to do, niece will be so much better off out of that system. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I think even if with all the make-up work they have to do, niece will be so much better off out of that system. :tongue_smilie: I agree. Hubby said he was a slacker until 5th Grade. He caught up by end of 6th Grade. :grouphug: There is still plenty of time to catch up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyS Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I don't know anything about "brain training" (though I'm curious now and wondering if you can send me a link that would include the $.50 tour), but since you mention that it's a lot of work and this girl has a hard time reading, then I'm thinking that until her reading issue is solved what she needs is to have her other (legally required) subjects covered in the easiest way possible (ie, the least amount of reading) so that she doesn't get mentally fatigued with reading. Since she's young, she doesn't really need serious science or history study, so I would do lots of documentaries for those (I know you said they are poor, but I bet they can afford $8/month for Netflix streaming, where there are tons of documentaries). She will learn a lot, but not get fatigued from trying to read texts on the subjects. For literature, I would do lots of audio books. librivox.org has TONS of audio books for free. For English, I would skip grammar until the reading stuff is taken care of, but I would add LOTS of oral narration (ie. composition) about things that she is watching and listening to. I don't know if her reading problems cross over into math, but if they do, I would have her doing no written math, manipulatives and oral/mental math only. Skip counting songs would be great at this age if she hasn't mastered her tables yet. I hope that gives some ideas for things. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted October 25, 2012 Author Share Posted October 25, 2012 Thank you for the encouragement Arcadia. I'll be sure to pass that along. Also appreciate the ideas and suggestions, Tammy. Those are great ideas on covering the other subjects. :) I'll PM you the stuff we used for brain training. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 Curious as to why the niece does not qualify in her NEW school for remedial help -- but (if I read this correctly) she qualified for help at the old school? Her permanent file (from the old school and given to the new school) should prove the documentation for an ARD/SST/IEP/504 Plan meeting at the least. :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted October 25, 2012 Author Share Posted October 25, 2012 Curious as to why the niece does not qualify in her NEW school for remedial help -- but (if I read this correctly) she qualified for help at the old school? Her permanent file (from the old school and given to the new school) should prove the documentation for an ARD/SST/IEP/504 Plan meeting at the least. :confused: I do not know this either. I assume it's due to different state regulations. They lived in TN before but honestly, I just don't know anything about it. She came home with a very bad report card today and not anytime in the last 2 months has the teacher indicated that she wanted to meet with the parents about how to help her or anything. The school system she is in is very bad and I don't know that having an IEP would even help there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 I do not know anyone who's child has an IEP that it is actually followed by the school. Except for speech therapy I have never heard of anyone actually getting help from them. I truly would not bother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted October 26, 2012 Author Share Posted October 26, 2012 How soon after she mails the letter of intent to the school, does she need to wait to pull her dd out. She mailed it today... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex-mex Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 I do not know this either. I assume it's due to different state regulations. They lived in TN before but honestly, I just don't know anything about it. She came home with a very bad report card today and not anytime in the last 2 months has the teacher indicated that she wanted to meet with the parents about how to help her or anything. The school system she is in is very bad and I don't know that having an IEP would even help there. Regardless of how bad the school system is... the previous legal decision to render her help should have traveled in the permanent file from the previous school. Was it tutoring or actual intervention? If it was legal intervention and a school official deemed it necessary (i.e. 504 Plan or IEP/IEE) it needs to be followed up in the new state as the federal law dictates. Do not expect the teacher to get her help either. It sounds like the parents have no clue what their rights are legally? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted October 29, 2012 Author Share Posted October 29, 2012 Regardless of how bad the school system is... the previous legal decision to render her help should have traveled in the permanent file from the previous school. Was it tutoring or actual intervention? If it was legal intervention and a school official deemed it necessary (i.e. 504 Plan or IEP/IEE) it needs to be followed up in the new state as the federal law dictates. Do not expect the teacher to get her help either. It sounds like the parents have no clue what their rights are legally? I do not know the extent of the intervention she had in TN but I believe it was a personal aid. She was in ST for sure, just not sure what other help she had. Either the parents do not know their rights, or we are just not communicating well on that issue. Since she is pulling her dd out to homeschool, I don't know that she will pursue worrying about that now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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