deemk Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 i have 2 older children that were not homeschooled from the start. and even our first year out of public school, i had not yet discovered WTM. when i did, i felt like this light turned on. it just fit. but because of public school methods, my older children (currently 6th and 7th grade) seem to have so many things missing from their basics. i feel like i'm rushing to catch them up, but at the same time, trying to build a tower on a foundation that has cracks in it. i know i need to slow down and somehow fill in the gaps. has anyone had experience trying to teach older kids the SWB/WTM methods when they didn't learn that way from the beginning? has anyone tried using FLL and WWE with older children just at a faster rate, to try and fill in the basics so they can move better with a better understanding? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted April 15, 2009 Share Posted April 15, 2009 has anyone had experience trying to teach older kids the SWB/WTM methods when they didn't learn that way from the beginning? has anyone tried using FLL and WWE with older children just at a faster rate, to try and fill in the basics so they can move better with a better understanding? A poster named Rhondabee has. If she doesn't see this, PM her. And I'm sure there are others, but she's one who comes to mind first. bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skaterbabs Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I think you could certainly move through basics more quickly with older children in order to give them a good base, then slow down when you've come to a point where you feel comfortable. I think this sounds like a very doable plan. As I recall, SWB mentions possible methods of "starting in the middle" in her book. It's been a while since I've read that portion of the book, so I don't recall details, sorry. I think you can make up for lost time by sort of combining logic and rhetoric stage work. They'll still have a better base for college or life than they would have otherwise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 I always felt behind even though my kids were younger than yours when we started. Trying to live up to TWTM is very daunting when you didnt start from the beginning. I used to rush my kids to try and catch up, when I should instead have sloooooowed dooooown. I had this panicky feeling I was going to fail them and they needed to work really hard just to tread water! After a while, I started to relax. I think it takes a while of working with your children to really know where they are at, anyway. I wouldn't really have had a clue in the beginning- I knew my son couldnt read well so I began with that. Yes, definitely fill in the gaps, build a foundation, but dont forget the joy of learning, of homeschooling, of being together, as well. Have some fun, enjoy reading together, play some games now and then, have some field trips. Build on their strengths as well as their weaknesses. One of the advantages of homeschooling I have found is the amount of reading we all do- together and separately. It is a joy to us all (although it took a while to get my younger to enjoy it). As far as language arts go, I havent seen FLL /WWE- I felt my kids were to old for them. I just kept going with copywork, dictation and narrations. I would read what they are about and use them to see where your kids are at- they are a wonderful foundation and you will learn a lot by using them with your kids. For maths, one of the reasons I used Singapore was because we could move through the books quite quickly and catch the kids up to their grade level, even starting several years below. It worked well for that. There are lots of things you could start them where they are at. I would start the history cycle at the beginning and just move forward from there, and enjoy. We are going to get through the cycle twice. You may get through 1.5 times. It doesnt matter. Enjoy, its one of the best things about TWTM. And- I woudl use SOTW rather than Kingfisher. It can be for older kids too, and it is just fantastic. You can add more to it if you choose or just enjoy as is while you spend time on other areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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