Children returning/going to school - have them ahead or just right?

[Laura Corin]

We are planning on the boys going to school in two years. I've talked to the school about their curriculum and have a rough idea of where their peers will be by that time.

 

If you were preparing your children, would you prefer them to be a little ahead or as close as possible to exactly where their peers are? I'm talking about linear subjects, such as maths and languages. I'm thinking that if they are a little ahead, that might help them to cope with the unfamiliarity of school. However, I'm a little afraid that if they perceive the work to be too easy they might switch off.

 

What do you think? Calvin is bright and academically inclined, but assumes that learning should come easily and doesn't like to have to work hard; he also has a slow writing speed due to mild LD. He went to school for a bit, but will have been home educated for eight years by then. Hobbes is bright but easily distracted, with a perfectionist streak. He has never been to school.

 

Thanks

 

Laura

[snickelfritz]

If you are using the exact same curriculum, I might plan for a little ahead....but not too much. And if you were going to be getting too much ahead, I would probably switch programs or switch focus. You could focus on some weak areas to get those boosted up. Or use a different program that covers things a different way.

 

I wouldn't have wanted to go through the exact same work twice.

 

 

I'm familiar with the curriculum for our likely future private school, so that's what I'm planning on doing. We are currently using the same math program as them and proceeding at our own pace. But when it's time to enroll, I won't go ahead with a level that they would be repeating the next year in school.

[StephanieF]

I am in the same position as you (in the UK too) although ds is only 6 yrs. I plan for ds to be slightly ahead as I think it will take him time to adjust and I don't want the work to be an issue for him to start with. I have found for example that he has not learnt to "tune out" background noise as he is used to working alone at home.

Stephanie

[Chris in VA]

Dd went to 3rd grade this year, first time in school. Although she was ahead in math skills, they used a different curriculum, so the way the math was presented varied, and some of it threw her for a loop! I had a mixed reaction. I was proud that she had been ahead, but humbled by the couple of gaps I saw. It was interesting to watch her struggle a little bit--and tempting to make school "the bad guy." She ended up wanting to go back to our math (and homeschool). She wasn't used to deadlines, projects that had to be a certain way (there's somehow a world of difference between doing a SOTW history project to explore and discover, and doing a school project to evaluate what you've learned), and just...so much, I guess. Look for yours to be pretty tired.

 

I am glad she was ahead, tho, because we had a lot of family change and trauma this year, so academics were not in the way while she adjusted to school. That is definitely one thing to consider. She did think most of her school time was a waste, as we had already done Ancients and, as I said, her math was mostly review.

 

One thing I wish is that they'd just take a kid where he's at, and adapt. She would have benefited from harder assigned reading. I don't think the teacher believed what she had already read. She laughed off my idea of bringing in books for dd and for others that may have been able to handle them.

 

I guess you should just work with your kids the way they are, and maybe try not to have the year right before school be what they will be studying, esp in history and science, because that can get so boring.

[abbeyej]

...However, I'm a little afraid that if they perceive the work to be too easy they might switch off....

 

That was more my experience when it came to making the switch to traditional school (9th grade/age 13)... I still manage to coast through high school and go to university on scholarship, but the long-term results of learning that I didn't have to do much to get excellent grades (at supposedly very good schools) were dreadful. I became a truly lazy student.

 

That said, I'm not sure that there was much that could have been done differently in the two years before I started school. Maybe the real difference would have been a closer focus on the real quality of the work I was turning in, rather than simply the resultant grades. At home, I had been expected to do the best work I could at all times. At school, I quickly found that mediocre work was just fine, as long as I met the minimum requirements for high grades.

[Melinda in VT]

What do you think? Calvin is bright and academically inclined, but assumes that learning should come easily and doesn't like to have to work hard; he also has a slow writing speed due to mild LD. He went to school for a bit, but will have been home educated for eight years by then. Hobbes is bright but easily distracted, with a perfectionist streak. He has never been to school.

 

Given what you say in this paragraph above, I think I'd aim for a little ahead. Calvin's slow writing speed might be a bigger issue at school than at home, and being familiar with the material might ease him in. By the time he sees new material and has to work harder, he'll be more used to school and better able to handle the challenge.

 

Likewise, if Hobbes is easily distracted, that might be a struggle at the beginning, when there are so many new people and places to be distracted by. If he's slightly ahead, he'll be better able to catch back up when he gets distracted. And knowing the material already will enable him to come closer to his perfectionist goals while he's getting used to receiving grades from someone other than mom.

 

I know you said you are worried they will disengage if the work is easy, but from what you've shared here (assumes work should come easy and a perfectionist) that doesn't seem to necessarily be their issue. Granted, I'm trying to extract a lot of personality info from one paragraph, so I could be way off base.:tongue_smilie:

 

(On the issue of slow writing speed, I finally figured out why my public schooled twins who are in the same class have different goals they have to meet in order to pass each set of math fact speed drills. At the beginning, they had the kids do a speed test where they simply had to copy numbers and see how many they could write in a minute. Based on that, they figured out what their writing speed is and set their math fact goals accordingly. So one twin has to get 32 problems right in one minute in order to move to the next level and the other twin, who has some issues with writing speed, only has to get 27 correct. There might be similar accommodations at you sons' school.)

[katilac]

If I had only 2 years left to home school, I would most want to teach topics and skills that will not be covered in school, along with the skills needed to succeed in school.

 

For example, I'd continue with Latin and work on increasing writing speed. If you know where they will be attending, it's a good idea to find out if they use certain methods, so you can get them up to speed as far as possible.

 

I'm sure it's an American thing to a great extent, but some schools put a great deal of emphasis on researching and writing in a particular way, and not knowing the process and jargon hurts your grades. We Yanks love us some jargon, ;).

 

Edited to add that I'd want them to be rock solid on core skills, but not signifigantly ahead in core subjects. I'd only want them ahead in math, for example, if we had the choice of placing them in either pre-algebra or algebra (wouldn't want them way ahead in the class they're in, wouldn't want a full grade skip).

Edited May 7, 2009 by katilac

[Tammyla]

I'd focus on any weak areas and subjects that might allow them to fall behind as they adjust like the writing & math, deadlines, organizing homework schedules and such. Trying out the schools schedule at home would allow them to get used to the times, bells etc. and day visit would be very helpful.

Discussing the adjustment phase with them and getting their opinions on what would be difficult might be a very good idea. Each kid is different and what stresses one might inspire the other. Your boys sound very well rounded, bright and able to adjust to life in different cultures, I'm sure they'll be just fine.