Just needing encouragement

[TheRosySeven]

I am continuing homeschooling with year with my almost 8 year old and my 6 year old and doing some prek stuff with my 4 year old. 

 

My oldest is a boy and we struggle with basically everything! He's much slower at learning than my six year old girl. They are both basically reading at the same level as well as doing math at the same level. My son is going into second grade and we're still getting through R&S first grade math?? Is something wrong here? I love homeschooling but I'm beginning to feel very discouraged at this point. He also loathes writing and it's hard to really get him down to write just one sentence. It just feels like he's moving at a very slow learning pace. 

 

I don't have any intentions to quit or anything I was just curious to see if there are any other ladies in the same position??

[Coco_Clark]

Your son is beginning second grade and he's partly through first grade math? So, less than a year "behind"? That wouldn't concern me, honestly. Nor would having a 6 year old at the same level. There is always a range. He is reading, correct?

 

It may be useful to switch up curriculums to see if there is anything he'd enjoy better. But then again he might just not love school. I think many kids just get thru it and move on with their day :) I wouldn't jmp to the conclusion that there is anything "wrong" with the info given.

[Mandy in TN]

A boy who doesn't like school and a girl who enjoys pleasing her momma. Yeah, with the information given I wouldn't worry at all. :) It might even make it easier on you.

Mandy

[TheRosySeven]

Your son is beginning second grade and he's partly through first grade math? So, less than a year "behind"? That wouldn't concern me, honestly. Nor would having a 6 year old at the same level. There is always a range. He is reading, correct?

 

It may be useful to switch up curriculums to see if there is anything he'd enjoy better. But then again he might just not love school. I think many kids just get thru it and move on with their day :) I wouldn't jmp to the conclusion that there is anything "wrong" with the info given.

 

His reading just recently started to take off and he enjoys reading mostly about snakes and anacondas right now :)

 

Thanks for the encouragement ladies. He is truly a joy for us. Very "manly" in many ways. He'd rather be out chopping fire wood than writing a sentence lol!

[mothergooseof4]

I have a 9yo dd and an 11yo ds that work at pretty much the same level.  He is ahead of her in math, but she often surpasses him in LA.  It is normal.  Just be sensitive about it bothering him.  I have combined them for just about everything except math without ds even noticing until this year.  He has decided that he doesn't want to be doing the same things as her.  Now, I am only combining them for spelling and IEW lessons.  We compromised because he realizes that I don't have time to do everything twice.  It helps that they are both working more independently this year, so it is easier to have them using differentt materials.

[BlsdMama]

 

I am continuing homeschooling with year with my almost 8 year old and my 6 year old and doing some prek stuff with my 4 year old. 

 

My oldest is a boy and we struggle with basically everything! He's much slower at learning than my six year old girl. They are both basically reading at the same level as well as doing math at the same level. My son is going into second grade and we're still getting through R&S first grade math?? Is something wrong here? I love homeschooling but I'm beginning to feel very discouraged at this point. He also loathes writing and it's hard to really get him down to write just one sentence. It just feels like he's moving at a very slow learning pace. 

 

I don't have any intentions to quit or anything I was just curious to see if there are any other ladies in the same position??

 

 

Have you ever been stuck in traffic?  Or better yet, it's harvest season and you're behind the combine.  It is immoveable.  You can't go over it, you can't go around it, you can't turn down another road?

 

You basically have two choies.

 

A. Be really frustrated, blare the horn, hit your forehead on your steering wheel.

B. Realize you're behind a combine and you can't go any faster than the vehicle in front of you.  Turn on the radio, do a little dance, enjoy the moment of not hurrying and scurrying.

 

I choose B.

 

I have a little boy who is 8.  I can't go faster than him.  I can't hurry him along.  He is exactly where he is.  Yelling "Move it!" from my car isn't going to help.  Smashing my hand on the horn or my head on the steering wheel?  No help.

 

But what I can do?  Build him up.  Work where we ARE, not where I'd LIKE to be. Enjoy this moment with him, where he is.

 

It's hard to keep that mindset.  He's been "passed" by his 6yo sister and shortly will be passed by his 5yo sister.  I think that must be very hard for an 8yo boy who is really pretty stinkin' cool in his own right. :D  My goal is to not let this, these struggles, this pace, the knowing that others are doing better than him in academia, not run over who he IS.  That's my goal.  God help me.  He's good at many, many things.  But all things school (you know, stuff the world ELEVATES beyond belief) is hard for him, really, really hard.  Sigh.

 

Don't choose A.  I'm sure you wouldn't do it intentionally, but sometimes the frustration of being behind that combine when you really have somewhere you want to be, it eats at you.  Please, just be careful not to unwittingly choose A.

 

You *can* do this and do this well.  He was given to you, his mama, for a purpose.  You can get through this and in the end, this might have been the little scenic detour you needed.  My (now) 14yo trailed.   Reading was beyond hard for him.  He was following a very quick little girl who found all things school-ish easy peasy.  Up comes Christian and he didn't learn to *really* read until he was almost ten.  And the boy has not slowed down since then, lol.  Yesterday he completed a 54.6 mile bike ride for Scouts.  Today he will make salsa.  He is taking Algebra, Geometry, Chemistry, and Biology this year by choice and is currently reading The Iliad and Dickens. ;)   I'm so glad we didn't let his struggles define him because he's pretty awesome.  I'm hoping and praying for the same for my 8yo. :)  But, if it never happens, I'll just take his current level of awesomeness in other areas!

[KrissiK]

Don't give up. My kids are all over the board with their learning styles. I'm schooling three and all three are doing a different math curriculum. My youngest DS has struggled with math his whole life. We finally settled on MCP with him. It's something that works for him. There have been times when math has been so frustrating for him and me that we had to take a break for a couple of weeks. But then, we picked it up again. That's the beauty of homeschooling.... you can do that.

[alef]

Yep, your son sounds like a boy. I also have an 8 year old son, we're just working along at his pace and I'm not overly concerned about grade levels right now.

[Parrothead]

I agree with the others. He sounds like a typical boy. That said, don't let him snow you into thinking he can only do the minimum. Encourage him to push himself. Not overly hard, but hard enough that he continues learning.

 

Feed the reading interests. Reward math work. Try not to worry.

[Mom0012]

I have a similar scenario with a 2 year age difference and both children either working on the same level, or the younger one is working at a higher level, and they are almost 12 and 14.  My son does have some pretty significant learning disabilities, though.  R&S 1st grade math is a very simple program and may be more at the same level as K math for other programs.  How far is he from completing R&S 1 and is he mastering the material?  I used R&S math with my son and am very familiar with the program, so I "might" be a bit concerned, especially considering he is on the older end of the age range for 2nd grade.  The reading "just starting to take off" would be more on my mind if I had been working with him every day for the last few years on this skill rather than if I had been taking a more hands-off approach. Same with the math.  I agree that I would try not to worry, but I might think about getting an evaluation done if things don't start picking up for him.  

[lllll]

:grouphug:   

[texasmama]

My 10 and 12 year olds, both boys, are working at the same level and doing exactly the same curriculum on every subject except for grammar.  Not a problem at all.  Don't worry, mama.  :)

 

I fought the younger pulling ahead so much for some time due to other issues and the older's feelings about it, but once I let go of that, it was a relief.  Now I essentially have twins.  I have twins in many ways anyway so it is a pretty natural next step.

[TheRosySeven]

Thanks so much mamas! I feel so encouraged and ready to let him learn on his timeline. One day at a time. 

[ElizabethB]

I had a coop class of four 9 and 10 year old boys and one 7 year old girl. They were all at about the same reading ability and maturity level, although the 7 year old girl might actually have been reading a bit ahead of two of the boys.

 

If my childrens ages were reversed, and my daughter was 3 years younger, my daughter would be reading better than my son right now. He is slightly ahead in math, but I write most of the numbers for him, unless he needs to do regrouping.