Please Don't Laugh About My Stupid Question...

[mathmarm]

If we were to home school, could we really teach him everything that he would need to know?

 

Is it odd that I feel like elementary school is challenging to teach, but feel that middle-school and up would be easier? What does that say about me as a prospective home schooler? My mom was a math teacher in PS, I am a teacher at the collegiate level. I have taught or tutored everything from elementary to graduate level math. But my 'expertise' is kind of limited to math (logic, physics and computer science would be close "2nds" I guess), but really I feel that I can teach math and I feel that I could teach it well, but what about other things? Math isn't the only thing that is important or that Hubby and I want Jr. to know or be exposed to in elementary.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

If we were to home school, could we really teach him everything that he would need to know?

 

Is it odd that I feel like elementary school is challenging to teach, but feel that middle-school and up would be easier? What does that say about me as a prospective home schooler? My mom was a math teacher in PS, I am a teacher at the collegiate level. I have taught or tutored everything from elementary to graduate level math. But my 'expertise' is kind of limited to math (logic, physics and computer science would be close "2nds" I guess), but really I feel that I can teach math and I feel that I could teach it well, but what about other things? Math isn't the only thing that is important or that Hubby and I want Jr. to know or be exposed to in elementary.

Well, do you think that all of us who are homeschooling are doing anything less than teaching our children everything they need to know, or that we don't care whether our children are exposed to subjects other than those that interest us?

 

In other words, does your own research lead you to believe that homeschooling can be a viable option in the first place?

[Dana]

If we were to home school, could we really teach him everything that he would need to know?

 

Of course not.

 

However, it is very possible to teach him how to learn, which will be more powerful.

 

There will be gaps. Accept it.

Of course, if he goes to a traditional school, there will be gaps as well.

 

You make the best choices with the information you have and be ready to revisit those choices as needed.

[JudoMom]

No, I can't teach them everything that they'll ever need to know.

But I can teach them how to learn everything they need to know.

[fraidycat]

Yes.

 

Everything he needs to know: he needs to learn HOW to learn.

[2_girls_mommy]

I get what OP is saying.  Elem. is hard.  YOu have to get the basics in to make sure they can learn everything they need to know.  You have to start from scratch with reading, spelling, exploring the world, and basic arithmetic before you get to the interesting topics of logic and deeper math and all of that.  Many feel that way.  In a classroom setting I would MUCH rather teach middle schoolers than young elem. kids.  They fall out of their seats.   They want to play outside.  They have short attention spans.  They have to go to the bathroom....

 

But the difference is it is just different when it is your own kids!  You can do it.  I have had to volunteer in and teach lots of elem. classes at co-op as my kids have been involved in co-op for a long time.  I am so glad to be teaching mostly upper elem and middle schoolers and high schoolers now at co-op.  It is much more relaxing and engaging to me. Others may have a gift for a classroom full of littles.  I don't know that I do.  I adore preschool, but found the young elem. grades challenging in a group setting.  So I get the concern.  But hs looks nothing like a classroom.  That is the good news.  I liked teaching my own at home for the most part.  (though on the grumpy days I would gladly send them to someone else occasionally:) )

[mathmarm]

Well, do you think that all of us who are homeschooling are doing anything less than teaching our children everything they need to know, or that we don't care whether our children are exposed to subjects other than those that interest us?

 

In other words, does your own research lead you to believe that homeschooling can be a viable option in the first place?

Well, I didn't mean that homeschool parents only teach what they want to teach. I was just asking...well, I guess I don't know how to word my question in a better way. But we would like to homeschool only if we felt that we could do it well. Hubby and I have started talking about it and we could definitely homeschool from a strictly schedule point of view. We both work full time, but there is a lot of flexibility to our schedules. We could HS in morning and evening shifts if needed.

 

It is clear to me that many people do such an amazing job at HSing, and the things that I've seen on various blogs and websites is pretty amazing--I'm convinced that HS really could work, even for folks like Hubby and I, but Hubby doens't like the Well Trained Mind, so I don't know how much of it we'd be using to HS Jr if we did, and Montessori only goes up to age 6, so by the time PreK and K ends--then what?

[mathmarm]

I get what OP is saying.  Elem. is hard.  YOu have to get the basics in to make sure they can learn everything they need to know.  You have to start from scratch with reading, spelling, exploring the world, and basic arithmetic before you get to the interesting topics of logic and deeper math and all of that.  Many feel that way.  In a classroom setting I would MUCH rather teach middle schoolers than young elem. kids.  They fall out of their seats.   They want to play outside.  They have short attention spans.  They have to go to the bathroom....

YES! YES! YES! Thank you so much for articulating that! My brain isn't working like it used to for some reason...(*Is this baby-brain?*)

 

[FairProspects]

I get it. I taught high school and I am completely confident that barring those difficult teen issues which I'm sure will crop up, I can either give them what they need to know  or pass them off to someone who can, but elementary?!? It terrified me at first.

 

The truth is with a little bit of reading you can get a feel for the elementary scope and sequence too and it is not as hard as you think. It is just basic skills built on top of one another and once you see the road map, you'll wonder what you worried about. Books like the WTM are great for this because they give you some big picture about what kids need to know coming out of elementary, middle, high school.

[AK_Mom4]

For the record - teaching DD12 in elementary school was MUCH harder than middle school.  Not so much because it was too hard to teach, but rather because I find most elementary level curriculum really boring.    But you just sort of buckle down and get it done - push thru step by step.  The reward comes as they get older and the material gets more interesting and they engage in discussions.  Very fun!

 

WTM was a huge help to keep us on track and help me not forget to include certain subjects (either accidently or because I dislike them personally sigh)

[Dana]

Well, I didn't mean that homeschool parents only teach what they want to teach. I was just asking...well, I guess I don't know how to word my question in a better way. But we would like to homeschool only if we felt that we could do it well. Hubby and I have started talking about it and we could definitely homeschool from a strictly schedule point of view. We both work full time, but there is a lot of flexibility to our schedules. We could HS in morning and evening shifts if needed.

 

It is clear to me that many people do such an amazing job at HSing, and the things that I've seen on various blogs and websites is pretty amazing--I'm convinced that HS really could work, even for folks like Hubby and I, but Hubby doens't like the Well Trained Mind, so I don't know how much of it we'd be using to HS Jr if we did, and Montessori only goes up to age 6, so by the time PreK and K ends--then what?

 

A lot of people on these boards homeschool eclectically, so if you homeschool, you'll find what works for you and your family.

 

I think homeschooling when you both work is tough. For us, homeschooling is effectively another job. Less time in the early years (that's when it's great to research), more time in later years. I did have some issues with my son and went on strike for part of the year last year. I was going to toss him in one of the public charter virtual schools like K12, but my husband said he'd teach for a time and he took over entirely. It was a lot of work for him - coming home from work and then teaching our son - but the break was good for everyone.

 

I think continuing to reassess is key. You find materials or an approach that you start with. You see how things work with your family and with your child and you make changes. Don't make changes for the sake of making changes - have reasons. But if you see that something isn't working, make the change. I like standardized testing for looking for gaps and checking to see if my assessment is on target. The standardized testing we've done has validated my gut feelings of where weaknesses are/were and helped me make changes.

 

I teach math at the cc. I know just what you mean about teaching higher-level being easier.

We didn't even think of homeschooling until our son was 5 and in kindergarten. That was when I started researching.

I'm quite certain he'd have ended in public school with some of our battles if it weren't that his food allergies are so severe that I was convinced that he'd die if I sent him to public school at an early age (but boy did I spend some time on their websites pondering.... we've had some tough times... both of us are incredibly stubborn).

 

Don't compare yourself to others. See what others are doing and take ideas, but meet the needs of your child and your family. Look at your local schools. What are they doing? Are you satisfied with your child attending them? If you are, then you want to think about whether homeschooling is better for you than your local schools.

 

It's definitely do-able... but it's also not for everyone... and not for every year or every child. And if you start at a traditional school, you can homeschool later. Although I think it may have been easier for us had ds not been in a preschool and K program... again, very stubborn.

[Jean in Newcastle]

In the elementary years the issue is not the content.  The content is easy.  What is hard is knowing how to break the content down or more likely to know whether the content has been broken down enough for your particular child.  What is hard is knowing what is developmental and what isn't when they have problems.

 

In the middle school years the issue starts to become the content not because it is hard, but because you have to know where you are going with this in order to get the results you want in high school.  Also what is hard is knowing how to handle kids who one day are blowing you away and the next day can't find their way out of a paper bag.

 

In the high school years the issue becomes the content because it is now hard!  And more specialized.  And it counts.  But it is also fun.  

[Rosie_0801]

Draw up a table with grade level on one axis and subject on the other, then set about filling it in. You will, of course, change your mind about 1400 times before Junior even reaches school age, but it is an exercise that will help you and your husband hone your own educational philosophies and get to know the options available.

 

Don't forget, by the time the kiddie is 5, you will have 5 years experience in working with him. :) And you'll have spent 5 years reading here, there and everywhere. That isn't a substitute for hindsight, but it is time enough for many good ideas to become part of the way you think. 

 

If you husband doesn't like WTM, perhaps buy the Charlotte Mason Original Series

[Alicia64]

I have a masters degree, but have never been a teacher at all. So homeschooling was entirely new to me. I started w/ my boys when I pulled them out of Kinder (after one red flag after another).

 

I love curricula. If I find the right one for us we're off and running. My husband is the math and science wiz and I'm a writer so between the two of us we figured we could make it.

 

But it's the curricula that has helped me so much. Plus if a particular curriculum isn't working, I'll toss it and try something new. Also the main thing in my opinion is reading aloud. If you haven't gotten a copy of Jim Treleases' book the Read Aloud Handbook, get it at the library. It's transformed how I read to my boys. My boys are ten now and have been listening to books for so long that when my husband read some physics stuff to them the other day he was surprised that they both sat and listened so intently. They are so used to listening that it's second nature for them now.

 

I'd also recommend reading Hold Onto Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More than Peers. Awesome book. I'm a library-aholic but I actually bought both of these books to read and re-read.

 

Good luck to you! This is a do-able lifestyle -- it's the school system that has convinced parents that we can't teach our own kids. I'm sorry, this isn't brain surgery, but it is a lot of fun!

 

Alley

 

 

[ErinE]

It is clear to me that many people do such an amazing job at HSing, and the things that I've seen on various blogs and websites is pretty amazing--I'm convinced that HS really could work, even for folks like Hubby and I, but Hubby doens't like the Well Trained Mind, so I don't know how much of it we'd be using to HS Jr if we did, and Montessori only goes up to age 6, so by the time PreK and K ends--then what?

Well, when I found WTM it was an epiphany. Road to Damascus, lightening bolt from the sky, revelation from a burning bush: however you name it, it was a lightbulb moment. Does this mean... I could just list the kids' subjects to study and plug in the curriculum I want to use? What???? School doesn't just come in a box. I could just... wing it?!?!

 

Your husband may not like the WTM as described in the book. I like looking at the suggestions, but I think like many posters here, I pick my own curriculum. If one kid finds a rabbit trail, down the path we go (DS has forgotten more about planes in his short life than I ever want to or care to know). Jessie Wise and SWB are careful to say that they don't have all the answers. The book even says, paraphrased, an art-focused homeschool will be different from a math/science homeschool. Find a good fit as time goes on; adapt curriculum as need be. For the younger grades, it's easier (and harder) than you'd expect.

[Tarreymere]

I have to smile....I found potty training the kids more challenging than teaching them to read. Of course, in our house it's almost always been a matter of 'duck, meet water' when it comes to reading. 

 

It's doable. Read a few books beforehand to get a feel for how you want to go about it, or trust the reviews you read and pick some curriculum that promises to hold your hand. You can figure this out. Heck, have you checked out the required courses for an elementary ed major? No heavy lifting there! 

 

I must say though, that I see myself more as a 'facilitator' than anything. That means I find the best way to educate one particular child one subject at a time. Usually in the K-6 years that has been me, but not all of the time with all of the subjects and for all of my kids. More than anything, home education means that you can customize your child's education to suit your child, not that all instruction must come from mom or dad. It's okay to be open to more options. Start looking around at the resources in your area. Sometimes you might find some great cooperative learning groups, or maybe some nearby museums might offer something cool for home educators. You'll find more and more online classes with varying degrees of interaction as well. The nontraditional education market is growing rapidly. My homeschool group is pretty small, but in the last month we've gotten solicitations from two reading tutors, an art professor, and a community music cooperative, all experienced educators, looking for private students or asking if we would be interested in small group classes. As a home educator, you get to choose what would work best for your child, and you get to change it around if it isn't working. 

[redsquirrel]

Montessori only goes up to age 6, so by the time PreK and K ends--then what?

 

I just want to add that Montessori does not stop at age 6. We have a private Montessori school here that continues up to 8th grade. It has been teaching through middle school with Montessori methods, for quite a long time now. I think they might be considering opening up a high school.

 

So if you are drawn to Montessori methodology, you might want to investigate it more. It does not stop at age 6. I personally think the bigger challenge with Montessori is adapting it to a home setting. But, I know people do.

[PachiSusan]

It's funny - I wonder if I didn't have enough fears starting out. I knew I could do it, and I wasn't scared of teaching her to read or anything else...

 

It's NOW that the attitude has come in and the tween foggy brain that I have started to feel that twinge of "Can I do it?"

[La Texican]

I'm going to say something, but it doesn't mean I'm recommending these programs. Look up your local homeschooling requirements. For example, the State of Texas requires five subjects, reading, grammer, math, civics, and spelling. I can't believe they don't consider World History or Science as basic necessities, or the two years of foreign languages. Second I recommend googling the Common Core website and looking at what basic skills many educators feel are benchmark for which grades. Third I recomend looking at K-12 virtual public schools. They teach to the public school standards.

 

I can't tell you first hand because I'm teaching my kids elementary school math the same way that I was taught, but I have read that the Right Start math curriculum inspired by a Montessori philosophy. I have used the Handwriting Without Tears program and I am satisfied with the results. There are many programs to choose from, but the Reading Eggs program taught my son to read. It's a video game on the computer and they can guess and make mistakes and still learn. I felt like it was easy and worked well.

 

Here's two bits of advice. If your child is frusterated just know it's not cheating to do their work while they watch. In a classroom setting they have the benefit of not answering every question. The other kids will answer some so it's the same if you do several problems for them if they get stuck. The second helpful advice I can give you is to direct you to this thread, which explains why TWTM approach works well for the language arts:

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/255839-why-you-should-work-on-twtm-skills-copywork-narration-dictation-outlining-etc/

[Jayne J]

Am I correct that Jr. is your only child, and is less than a month old?

 

When I left the hospital with my first born son, I was shocked that they let me take him--after all, I knew nothing about caring for an infant! By the time I was ready to begin homeschooling, it felt like a simple extension of parenting my children. I taught them to eat, sit, stand and walk. I thought them numbers, colors, and letters. I taught them to talk, to dress themselves and to pick up their toys. Now, that is not to say that elementary school is easy to teach, only that it is a role you grow into when you homeschool, not one you just suddenly begin doing one day.

By the time Jr. is ready to homeschool, you will have done more hard things, found more resourcefulness, and learned more about dealing with a (insert age here) year-old than you can imagine. Likely, by the time Jr. is 1st grade age, you won't be so worried about if you can teach him, because you *will* have taught him so many other things. Elementary level subjects are not complex, and it seems for me to be more about the relationship with the child than the complexity of the material. Read history and science books together. Get a solid phonics program and work it together. Math you have covered.

Until then, you have lots of time to research, collect materials and learn how to do this homeschooling thing.

[KrissiK]

If we were to home school, could we really teach him everything that he would need to know?

 

Is it odd that I feel like elementary school is challenging to teach, but feel that middle-school and up would be easier? What does that say about me as a prospective home schooler? My mom was a math teacher in PS, I am a teacher at the collegiate level. I have taught or tutored everything from elementary to graduate level math. But my 'expertise' is kind of limited to math (logic, physics and computer science would be close "2nds" I guess), but really I feel that I can teach math and I feel that I could teach it well, but what about other things? Math isn't the only thing that is important or that Hubby and I want Jr. to know or be exposed to in elementary.

 

It's not a stupid question.  And yes, most govt. schools try to convince parents that they are the only ones capable of educating children. Like it's some secret knowledge that only they have.  But, really... I would say 99% of the people on these boards have had some guidance as far as putting together their curriculum - whether it's reading TWTM or a book like "What your ____ grader needs to know!" or just purchasing a curriculum in a box, or something else. Few of us, if any, went into homeschooling knowing exactly what our kid needed to know and when.  If you buy a pre-made curriculum package for.... say phonics, you just have to follow the directions and chances are, your kid will learn to read. Same with math, and really, every other subject. As you go, and get to know your kid's learning style, you'll choose curriculum to enhance their learning experience, which is one of the beauties of homeschooling. I have 3 kids, each with a different math curriculum, suited to their learning style. If they were in govt. school, they'd all be on the same one. But  you have a long time to research and figure this thing out, so.... don't worry about it.

[HS Mom in NC]

If we were to home school, could we really teach him everything that he would need to know?

 

Do you honestly believe it's possible a parent can't and therefore parents who are homeschooling may categorically be failing their children because of it, or is this question a springboard for conversation to reassure you about your insecurities? 

 

Is it odd that I feel like elementary school is challenging to teach, but feel that middle-school and up would be easier?

 

Are you worried about teaching a child to read?  Are you uncomfortable with younger children?  Are you having trouble with managing young children in general and you worry how it will affect teaching academics?

 

You will need to, over the years, teach your children to be more academically independent.  Until they're independent , you'll need to build the skill sets that make them so. Outside of math they'll need to be able to read well which means very thorough phonics, to have an excellent vocabulary which is gained by lots of quality read aloud in the early years followed by voracious independent quality reading in the older years in addition to Latin and Greek word roots, research skills on how to find information from various sources, formal logic starting in the early years and going through the high school years, a broad base of general knowledge that curriculum like SOTW and a solid science plan can provide, the ability to articulate and clearly write thoughts which can be easily taught through narration and a solid writing curriculum, and basic accountability and time management increasingly handed over to the child in the higher years.

 

 

What does that say about me as a prospective home schooler? My mom was a math teacher in PS, I am a teacher at the collegiate level. I have taught or tutored everything from elementary to graduate level math. But my 'expertise' is kind of limited to math (logic, physics and computer science would be close "2nds" I guess), but really I feel that I can teach math and I feel that I could teach it well, but what about other things? Math isn't the only thing that is important or that Hubby and I want Jr. to know or be exposed to in elementary.

 

K-12 education is general education.  There's no need to specialize until the college years. You may end up joinging the masses of former certified teachers who find yout teaching education (geared to institutional settings nad not focused on being customized and individualized) a hindrance to be overcome rather than a asset. I personally know half a dozen homeschoolers who have been in this situation you have articulated these thoughts. You need to understand (and so does your mother if she's prone to giving unsolicited advice) that homeschooling is a different animal entirely than an institutional school setting. Be mentally prepared to do things very very differently of necessary.

 

Some curriculum can be more parent dependent than others.  If you simply aren't a solid writer or you don't want to come up with your own writing assignments, there are plenty of curricula out there that are basically "teaching textbook" type things.  (I'm using that term generally, not promoting the math curriculum that uses that name.) Writing With Skill by Bauer is the perfect example.  The book assumes the parent is only checking assignments later.  The author addresses the student directly, teaching the student.  The Instructor Guide that goes with it tells the parent what to say each step of the way if the child is stuck and what to look for in the child's assignment.  You may want to keep an eye out for this type of thing in subjects you feel particularly insecure about.

 

Remember, while you certainly can write your own curriculum, you don't have to.  There are plenty of them to choose from.  This is The Well Trained Mind Boards. I suggest reading that book by Susan Wise Bauer for an idea of what a Classical Trivium Education can look like 1st-12th in detail.  Then do you homework-it's is extremely unlikely your teaching education taught you the huge variety of education philosophies out there.  You're probably only familiar with Traditional School and you should familiarize yourself with the different forms of Classical, Unit Study, Different types of Unschooling and Living Books/Charlotte Mason options. 

 

Going camping this weekend.  Back early in the week to follow up.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mama Geek]

Mathmarm, I came across this website a couple of years ago and found it to really be a useful high level planning tool.  I took it and changed it into what we want for dd.  Maybe if you and your dh sat down to discuss these things it would make things a little more clear for you.  I hope this helps.  http://www.design-your-homeschool.com/Educational-Goals.html