JusDelenH Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 It's the middle of the year and we have not done anything measurable. Not squat. My little one has slid an entire grade level according to an assessment we recently took. When we started she was ahead in all of her subjects. None of my plans have planned out and we haven't even finished two chapter books. I'm trying my best but I feel like quitting now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 Do you have a reason for not quitting? There's a time and place for everything, my mother says. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted January 18, 2017 Share Posted January 18, 2017 (edited) Your short post fills me with questions. How old is your daughter? What were your plans? What inspired you to homeschool? Is the derailment short-term? Can you describe a typical school day? What would motivate you to continue? What is holding you back from enrolling her in school? These questions might be more important for you to answer for yourself than for this group, but if you are looking for a sounding board so that you can sort out your thoughts, we are here for you. Edited January 18, 2017 by KathyBC 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 I remember you! You never came back to this thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/625167-getting-nowhere-with-history/ Tell us more of your story. You may be in trouble but there are lots of ways out; you just need to figure out what you want. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusDelenH Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 Do you have a reason for not quitting? There's a time and place for everything, my mother says. :) I honestly feel homeschool is the right decision. She is so happy and curious now. She is becoming a whole person again. Her anxiety has almost disappeared and she is finally comfortable. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusDelenH Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 I remember you! You never came back to this thread: http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/625167-getting-nowhere-with-history/ Tell us more of your story. You may be in trouble but there are lots of ways out; you just need to figure out what you want. Loads has happened since the beginning of the year. We had to make an emergency move. We were in a car accident. We also lost my grandfather last month. To top it all, I'm in school as well. It's like we can never find the groove. We fight constantly about reading and writing. It makes more many long days. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 How old is your daughter? Your answer is important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 (edited) Sometimes you have to do survival school. From your other post, it looks like your dd is 10 or 11. If you need to go to the 3R's right now for a season, know that's okay. It can't be forever, obviously, but it can be for a time. If you are fighting about writing, I would require perhaps some handwriting practice every day (copywork or a Reason for Handwriting) and let that be that. When she feels okay about that, after several weeks or months, then you can add in more writing, bit by bit. My dd didn't mature into writing without fighting until 7th grade, by the way. For reading, I have required (for years) 30 minutes of reading every day from a book tub filled with selections (either grade-level books or history or science related books). If you're in survival mode, and that's all that can get done for now in the reading department, then that's okay. Math should be consistently done every day, in my opinion. Try to make sure that happens. During survival school, if that's all you get to, it really is okay. A few months of it won't hurt. You said she's happy and curious. Feed that as you can. Be kind to yourself. Edited January 19, 2017 by perkybunch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanalouwho Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 I honestly feel homeschool is the right decision. She is so happy and curious now. She is becoming a whole person again. Her anxiety has almost disappeared and she is finally comfortable. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Loads has happened since the beginning of the year. We had to make an emergency move. We were in a car accident. We also lost my grandfather last month. To top it all, I'm in school as well. It's like we can never find the groove. We fight constantly about reading and writing. It makes more many long days. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk It sounds to me like you've gotten a lot accomplished. Chock these last few months up to 'deschooling.' You've reignited her love for learning, and dealt with some major life issues to boot. Start adding things in a little at a time. Find a good groove with the 3 Rs before you try to pile on anything else. Then add one subject at a time until you have a course load that you are happy with. Ask for her opinions on what she wants to learn. Maybe there will be less pushback if she has given input. Good luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 (edited) Between your various threads it sounds like you may be a bit depressed and overwhelmed. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: From your history thread I suspect that besides all the events that have made this school year difficult in general I also think you may be shooting for the academic moon and putting massive pressure on yourself, then when you hit short of the mark you beat yourself up about it, then pull so far back that you feel you aren't doing anything worthwhile then beat yourself up over that, too. It sounds like you have had a REALLY tough year, too. My suggestion is to not try for any academics at all tomorrow. Nothing. Play with your child. Tell her you are both taking a fun break. Over the weekend write down your overall goals for homeschooling in general and then your goals for this year. Keep them realistic. Your child is only 10, right? You say that reading and writing are a struggle. How much reading and writing are you expecting from your child? What are you using? When you say reading is a struggle, do you mean lessons in how to read or in getting her to read books on her own or...? Honestly there are a lot of wonderful people here who might be able to give you some solid advice and a way to get through your days right now. It would work better, though, if we had more information. Can you share what materials you are using and what sort of expectations you have for your child? Edited January 19, 2017 by OneStepAtATime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Writing is mostly about thinking and you don't have to be writing to practice thinking. Reading and talking provide foundation here. ElizabethB's phonics vids are worth a run through and are available for free: http://www.thephonicspage.org/Phonics%20Lsns/phonicslsnslinks.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 It may also help to recognize that this time of year is when a lot of homeschoolers feel discouraged and unmotivated. It's the middle of winter and there are months of school still ahead and it is easy to feel a bit depressed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Sometimes 'reverse engineering' can help you find your groove. If you could jot down a brief list each day of what you get done (no need to overthink this, blank piece of paper with the date will work), over time you might see what's working and what's not. It can also a) keep you accountable and b) keep you grounded when you feel that nothing is being accomplished. Finding your daily routine is always a work in progress. Try hinging the three most important things in your day to other activities. Hypothetical example: after breakfast, maybe read together, then she can do some silent reading while you get some schoolwork or housework done. Meet up again after a snack for math. After lunch, tackle writing. If your reading and writing are on a history or science topic, so much the better. Are there homeschool groups in your area? Maybe you could get science or art done in a group setting once a week? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusDelenH Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 Between your various threads it sounds like you may be a bit depressed and overwhelmed. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: From your history thread I suspect that besides all the events that have made this school year difficult in general I also think you may be shooting for the academic moon and putting massive pressure on yourself, then when you hit short of the mark you beat yourself up about it, then pull so far back that you feel you aren't doing anything worthwhile then beat yourself up over that, too. It sounds like you have had a REALLY tough year, too. My suggestion is to not try for any academics at all tomorrow. Nothing. Play with your child. Tell her you are both taking a fun break. Over the weekend write down your overall goals for homeschooling in general and then your goals for this year. Keep them realistic. Your child is only 10, right? You say that reading and writing are a struggle. How much reading and writing are you expecting from your child? What are you using? When you say reading is a struggle, do you mean lessons in how to read or in getting her to read books on her own or...? Honestly there are a lot of wonderful people here who might be able to give you some solid advice and a way to get through your days right now. It would work better, though, if we had more information. Can you share what materials you are using and what sort of expectations you have for your child? We are using: CAP Writing and Rhetoric Book 3 Analytical Grammar Jr English from the Roots Up BJU 5/ Saxon 5/ Khan Academy SOTW 3 and lots of supplements Mapping the World by Heart Science is a hodgepodge of things Random chapter books Everything is supplemented by things found on Pinterest and TPT. It all looks orderly but we have barely touched anything. We have changed curriculums multiple times. I am really trying to use WTM but I don't understand how to do certain things. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusDelenH Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 Sometimes 'reverse engineering' can help you find your groove. If you could jot down a brief list each day of what you get done (no need to overthink this, blank piece of paper with the date will work), over time you might see what's working and what's not. It can also a) keep you accountable and b) keep you grounded when you feel that nothing is being accomplished. Finding your daily routine is always a work in progress. Try hinging the three most important things in your day to other activities. Hypothetical example: after breakfast, maybe read together, then she can do some silent reading while you get some schoolwork or housework done. Meet up again after a snack for math. After lunch, tackle writing. If your reading and writing are on a history or science topic, so much the better. Are there homeschool groups in your area? Maybe you could get science or art done in a group setting once a week? That is what I have been doing. I print out daily to do list sometimes and just let her move through things but I need to figure out how to actually teach her. What I basically ask of her is to figure it out. I don't think she has retained much and the math assessment She took has her at a 4th grade level when she was nearly 6 at the beginning of summer. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 (edited) We are using: CAP Writing and Rhetoric Book 3 Analytical Grammar Jr English from the Roots Up BJU 5/ Saxon 5/ Khan Academy SOTW 3 and lots of supplements Mapping the World by Heart Science is a hodgepodge of things Random chapter books Everything is supplemented by things found on Pinterest and TPT. It all looks orderly but we have barely touched anything. We have changed curriculums multiple times. I am really trying to use WTM but I don't understand how to do certain things. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk O.k. my next question is what exactly is your child balking at? You said she is resisting reading and writing. Could you share more details of what she is resisting? In what context? Also, are you trying to get through all of these subjects daily? ETA: Trying to get a clearer picture before making recommendations... Edited January 19, 2017 by OneStepAtATime 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusDelenH Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 O.k. my next question is what exactly is your child balking at? You said she is resisting reading and writing. Could you share more details of what she is resisting? In what context? Also, are you trying to get through all of these subjects daily? ETA: Trying to get a clearer picture before making recommendations... She struggles putting words together verbally and on paper. Her reading comprehension suffers a bit too with fiction. She just hates reading. I've picked the books myself all catered to her interest. I've let her choose books herself and nothing consistent comes about unless I sit on top of her and scream read constantly. Writing falls right in line with reading. We are still struggling to do so narratives verbally and on paper. No, we could never get through all of those. I know she has in the past in traditional school, I'm just not able to focus that long. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 She struggles putting words together verbally and on paper. Her reading comprehension suffers a bit too with fiction. She just hates reading. I've picked the books myself all catered to her interest. I've let her choose books herself and nothing consistent comes about unless I sit on top of her and scream read constantly. Writing falls right in line with reading. We are still struggling to do so narratives verbally and on paper. No, we could never get through all of those. I know she has in the past in traditional school, I'm just not able to focus that long. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Do you have any school options available, other than returning to the school where she had so much anxiety? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusDelenH Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 Do you have any school options available, other than returning to the school where she had so much anxiety? Honestly, no. All the schools around me are crap. The ones I would consider are all audition or testing mandatory for the next year. Or they cost much more than we comfortably can budget for. I know we can homeschool. It's what she and I both want. I know it's the best option for her. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Honestly, no. All the schools around me are crap. The ones I would consider are all audition or testing mandatory for the next year. Or they cost much more than we comfortably can budget for. I know we can homeschool. It's what she and I both want. I know it's the best option for her. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk OK, I'm liking what some other people are saying in this thread about starting slower...it sounds like you need to ramp up more slowly before expecting a full day out of either your dd or yourself. Don't take that as a huge criticism; lots of hs'ers have needed to do the same! Also, not knowing how to teach in some areas is another challenge, but we can help you with that! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 She struggles putting words together verbally and on paper. Her reading comprehension suffers a bit too with fiction. She just hates reading. I've picked the books myself all catered to her interest. I've let her choose books herself and nothing consistent comes about unless I sit on top of her and scream read constantly. Writing falls right in line with reading. We are still struggling to do so narratives verbally and on paper. No, we could never get through all of those. I know she has in the past in traditional school, I'm just not able to focus that long. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Are you certain that her decoding and fluency are strong enough to do a lot of reading on her own? If she reads out loud to you, how well does she do? Does she skip a lot of little words? Mis-decode words? Is there any chance she might have dyslexia or some other language based learning challenge (I ask because my own kids are both dyslexic but I didn't understand why they were struggling for years). As for struggling to put words together, do you mean in everyday conversation or trying to regurgitate some sort of reading assignment where you are asking her to summarize what she read or...? FWIW, if you are having to sit on her and scream at her to read then all you are doing is increasing her hatred of reading and causing yourself a whole lot of stress. Maybe you both need to walk away completely from formal reading/writing lessons for the next few weeks. You may need a big ole reset button. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lang Syne Boardie Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Concerning ramping up more slowly -- how do you feel about just going back to the 3Rs (on a simple plan), and then reading to your daughter while she plays with small toys, or draws or colors, for a little bit each day? Get to where you're both succeeding at that, and then come back and talk about adding science, history or social studies, fine arts... I recommend simplifying the 3Rs a lot. Look for materials that tell you HOW to teach. I like Rod and Staff for English, spelling, and math. The teacher's manual will tell you how to present the lesson. Another option is CLE, which is directed to the student, but you could also read the instructions and help her understand them if needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faithful_Steward Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 (edited) Nevermind! Edited January 19, 2017 by Faithful_Steward 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faithful_Steward Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Haha, I see Tibbie just posted the same thing! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusDelenH Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 Are you certain that her decoding and fluency are strong enough to do a lot of reading on her own? If she reads out loud to you, how well does she do? Does she skip a lot of little words? Mis-decode words? Is there any chance she might have dyslexia or some other language based learning challenge (I ask because my own kids are both dyslexic but I didn't understand why they were struggling for years). As for struggling to put words together, do you mean in everyday conversation or trying to regurgitate some sort of reading assignment where you are asking her to summarize what she read or...? FWIW, if you are having to sit on her and scream at her to read then all you are doing is increasing her hatred of reading and causing yourself a whole lot of stress. Maybe you both need to walk away completely from formal reading/writing lessons for the next few weeks. You may need a big ole reset button. Her decoding and fluency are fine. That is the plus side to it. She reads nonfiction and mythology very well and can tell me about them. I know her reading comprehension suffers from her SPD. She cannot make the picture in her head but we are slowly progressing there. She can manage as long as the text is there to answer questions. She thinks much faster than she speaks and when she tries to verbalized what she is think sometimes she gets stuck. We have put all of that to the side for months. When I do try and teach her something she usually gets it the first time and we move along. If left to do independent work, she has to be constant redirected. She does have ADHD and is being treated for it. I do as well. So it's to be expected that she wanders. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 (edited) Agreeing with Tibbie. I think starting over with something very pared down for now might help you both. 1. Since you both deal with ADHD, have you read Smart But Scattered? Maybe something like that might help you get some sort of daily routine in place that is easier to maintain. I don't get anything done consistently if I don't have a routine in place but the hardest part is actually crafting the routine and then doing it enough times, staying on task consistently until it actually becomes the routine. 2. Consider switching to materials that are more clearly laid out for you AND materials that break down the process of things more clearly for your child. 3. Keep things simple for now. Start over and just begin with 2-3 things, maybe just math and reading, but just interest led on the reading for now. In case you are interested in switching to materials that are easier for a parent to implement and easier for your child to function with more independently, and easier to keep to a schedule that is not overwhelming, here are some recommendations I have: A. CLE Math has a TM that breaks it all down for you but the workbooks (called Light Units) actually have great explanations written directly to the child as well. The light units have a schedule you can follow. Do the new material each day together on a white board, then sit near her working on your own things while she moves through the rest of the assignment. If she runs into trouble you are there to support her but she should be able to do most of the review stuff independently. If there are too many problems (not all kids need the mountain of review CLE provides) feel free to cross out some of the review material. My kids loved it when some stuff got crossed out. :) You could just buy a couple of light units to see if it would work for her before committing to the entire program (I do recommend if you go with CLE that you buy their flash cards. They are set up very specifically for this program and honestly I think are one of its strengths.). CLE sometimes runs ahead of other programs in certain areas so give the placement test. Don't worry if she places at a lower level than you anticipated. That's common. The first light unit of every level is review of previous levels so that isn't a good judge of the program over all but it is a good way to review and short up any gaps. If you want to give yourselves a break each week then skip the Friday quizzes. https://www.clp.org/store/by_subject/4 (math light units) https://www.clp.org/store/by_grade/21 (diagnostic tests) B. Or for now you could switch to something like CTC math or Khan Academy so someone else is the instructor. CTC is more user friendly than Khan but Khan is free. DD loves CTC because the student has access to every area of math. She can move into higher areas of math in sections she is strong and can review going all the way back to Kinder if she needs to for solidifying areas she is struggling. Also, she can repeat lessons as many times as she wants because the program generates new problems each time. There are also lesson explanation pages you can print out to keep in a math notebook. Both of my kids now have a math notebook they keep explanations and quad paper and math reference charts in, etc. https://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/ctc-math/?c=1 C. For grammar, you might look at Fix-It Grammar. :15 min a day, 4 days a week. Gently ramps up. Almost no prep at all from you once the notebook is set up. Spend 5 minutes walking her through the new material (TM will show you how) then let her work through her one sentence a day. Even my grammar hating son likes this program because it gets done quickly and he understands what they are saying. D. For writing then you might look at IEW's Student writing Intensive program where the student watches the video and does the writing assignment. You facilitate instead of having to teach the material yourself. IEW breaks things down into tiny pieces. Kids who hate writing sometimes do better if they have been given a framework to hang their hat on so to speak. If you were using CLE (skipping Friday quizzes)/Fix-It/IEW you would be covering math, writing, and grammar 4 days a week, with material that clearly lays out exactly what you need to do each day and with a structure that you might find easier to follow and actually implement. That would leave Fridays free for whatever else you want to do. E. For reading, I would back off right now and just do read alouds together or let her listen to audio books, maybe with headsets, for the moment. Eventually you might look at using something like Reading Detective to help her with pulling information out of what she is reading (IEW will also help with that). http://www.criticalthinking.com/reading-detective.html I'm sorry things have been so hard. I've had those days/weeks/months/years, too. Hang in there. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Edited January 19, 2017 by OneStepAtATime 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 We are using: CAP Writing and Rhetoric Book 3 Analytical Grammar Jr English from the Roots Up BJU 5/ Saxon 5/ Khan Academy SOTW 3 and lots of supplements Mapping the World by Heart Science is a hodgepodge of things Random chapter books Everything is supplemented by things found on Pinterest and TPT. It all looks orderly but we have barely touched anything. We have changed curriculums multiple times. I am really trying to use WTM but I don't understand how to do certain things. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I agree with taking a step back, starting with one or two things and slowly increasing. This seems like a lot, and if I'm remembering correctly most of it is fairly teacher intensive. I'd pick one math program (the one that is the easiest to set up and requires the least out of me honestly) and do just that each day. Read books even if you take a step back in level. Get a notebook and find some fun writing prompts on Pinterest and let her write whatever she wants each day - acrostic poems, writing in shapes (like words to describe a haunted house in the shape of a house) - with no pressure for a little while, just getting words on paper. I also find that if I start looking at Pinterest and TPT and all the books I have lying around the house and try to supplement too much, I end up never getting anything done. I had to take a step back, pick a program and just do that without a bunch of extras, for a little while. (We're doing History Odyssey 2). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 We are using: CAP Writing and Rhetoric Book 3 Analytical Grammar Jr English from the Roots Up BJU 5/ Saxon 5/ Khan Academy SOTW 3 and lots of supplements Mapping the World by Heart Science is a hodgepodge of things Random chapter books Everything is supplemented by things found on Pinterest and TPT. It all looks orderly but we have barely touched anything. We have changed curriculums multiple times. I am really trying to use WTM but I don't understand how to do certain things. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I like what OneStepAtATime says, but if you want to keep working with the material you have, I would begin with a very streamlined version until you find success then add in slowly from there. I would pitch AG and EFTRU for now. Pick either BJU or Saxon and use Khan as needed. Mapping the World by Heart is also something that could be put aside for now. This would leave you with Writing and Rhetoric, Math, History, and Science, which is plenty. I think you do need to tackle the reading issue differently. If she can answer the SOTW questions, and enjoys reading non-fiction and mythology, I would leave it there. The method that worked for us was for me to sit next to my child and get them started on each task. Read the lesson with them, make sure it was making sense, then let them get started with me close at hand. I could be folding laundry or balancing the chequebook or whatever in the chair next to them, available if needed, but still moving forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusDelenH Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 I agree with taking a step back, starting with one or two things and slowly increasing. This seems like a lot, and if I'm remembering correctly most of it is fairly teacher intensive. I'd pick one math program (the one that is the easiest to set up and requires the least out of me honestly) and do just that each day. Read books even if you take a step back in level. Get a notebook and find some fun writing prompts on Pinterest and let her write whatever she wants each day - acrostic poems, writing in shapes (like words to describe a haunted house in the shape of a house) - with no pressure for a little while, just getting words on paper. I also find that if I start looking at Pinterest and TPT and all the books I have lying around the house and try to supplement too much, I end up never getting anything done. I had to take a step back, pick a program and just do that without a bunch of extras, for a little while. (We're doing History Odyssey 2). I have gathered that about Pinterest and TpT. I'm overwhelmed by all the projects that I've seen and pinned that look like great ideas in theory. I often catch myself trying to find something day of and fall even more behind my schedule trying to start something that will not get done and really isn't that important. Or I fall down rabbit trails because new pops up and looks even better. That's why science never gets done and I'm trying to follow the new method in WTM that I honestly don't understand. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusDelenH Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 (edited) I like what OneStepAtATime says, but if you want to keep working with the material you have, I would begin with a very streamlined version until you find success then add in slowly from there. I would pitch AG and EFTRU for now. Pick either BJU or Saxon and use Khan as needed. Mapping the World by Heart is also something that could be put aside for now. This would leave you with Writing and Rhetoric, Math, History, and Science, which is plenty. I think you do need to tackle the reading issue differently. If she can answer the SOTW questions, and enjoys reading non-fiction and mythology, I would leave it there. The method that worked for us was for me to sit next to my child and get them started on each task. Read the lesson with them, make sure it was making sense, then let them get started with me close at hand. I could be folding laundry or balancing the chequebook or whatever in the chair next to them, available if needed, but still moving forward. Grammar is the one thing we aren't truly behind on. She hates diagramming but gets it done quickly. English from the Roots Up has been a bit more consistent as well. She loves deciphering words and actually wants to do it. I oscillate between the three because BJU presents it rather simply and she gets it immediately that day but the next day it's like she has never seen it. Saxon is a bit more thorough but is really dry. Khan Academy is a bit new for us because of the assessment. I'm using it as a daily review. She is moving through it and being refreshed on topics that were covered last year and new stuff I didn't realize she didn't know. I've learned that although she had an A in math last year, they did not complete the book. So things like fractions were never covered. She also does not know much about geography. It was not a priority at her old school outside of the SOTW maps. I'm also struggling with the fact she has to test this year. So I've been trying to monitor the state standards against my plans. Historically, she has tested extremely well in math, history, and science. She was above level in reading and bible as well. Now, I'm worried. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited January 19, 2017 by JusDelenH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyBC Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Grammar is the one thing we aren't truly behind on. She hates diagramming but gets it done quickly. English from the Roots Up has been a bit more consistent as well. She loves deciphering words and actually wants to do it. I oscillate between the three because BJU presents it rather simply and she gets it immediately that day but the next day it's like she has never seen it. Saxon is a bit more thorough but is really dry. Khan Academy is a bit new for us because of the assessment. I'm using it as a daily review. She is moving through it and being refreshed on topics that were covered last year and new stuff I didn't realize she didn't know. I've learned that although she had an A in math last year, they did not complete the book. So things like fractions were never covered. She also does not know much about geography. It was not a priority at her old school outside of the SOTW maps. I'm also struggling with the fact she has to test this year. So I've been trying to monitor the state standards against my plans. Historically, she has tested extremely well in math, history, and science. She was above level in reading and bible as well. Now, I'm worried. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk So it sounds like BJU plus Khan for daily review might be the best combination for now. I'm not sure about most 10 year olds, but if she continues with SOTW maps, that seems like an appropriate level of geography for now. I can understand your testing worry. I would not put too much stock in whatever testing was done last year. It seems strange her results put her at a grade 6 level when they had not covered fractions yet. She received an A for material they did cover, and maybe could do that work as proficiently as an older child. I would deal with the child in front of me today and go from there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusDelenH Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 So it sounds like BJU plus Khan for daily review might be the best combination for now. I'm not sure about most 10 year olds, but if she continues with SOTW maps, that seems like an appropriate level of geography for now. I can understand your testing worry. I would not put too much stock in whatever testing was done last year. It seems strange her results put her at a grade 6 level when they had not covered fractions yet. She received an A for material they did cover, and maybe could do that work as proficiently as an older child. I would deal with the child in front of me today and go from there. That is the lesson that keep reteaching itself this year. I came in so confidently this year based on last year's information. I started the beginning of the year, digging for weaknesses. I found them and allowed the weaknesses to cripple our experience. I always knew she had asynchronous development but never took stock of what that meant for a teacher. I always took the fact that she understood some upper level math and could explain some processes to mean there would never be a struggle with basics. Coming into homeschooling I thought this would be a breeze. That is really what landed me in this spot. I don't know why I didn't realize it earlier when I got done freaking out for the day. Thank you ladies for helping me see this! I guess I need to get back to my planning book and actually make a plan and stick with it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 Good luck. I hope you find a process that works for both of you. This is a journey. It takes time. Learning is usually not one smooth glide forward but happens in fits and starts and pauses and stalls and surges forward and sometimes steps back, too. Best wishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted January 19, 2017 Share Posted January 19, 2017 I always took the fact that she understood some upper level math and could explain some processes to mean there would never be a struggle with basics. That's a red flag for dyscalculia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JusDelenH Posted January 19, 2017 Author Share Posted January 19, 2017 That's a red flag for dyscalculia. I never heard that before. I will have to look into it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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