How much freedom do you allow your high schoolers when working?

[momee]

I have a son doing 9th grade work now which includes a LOT of reading.

 

His preference is to lay on his bed when doing this and sometimes (gasp) listen to music.:D

 

I'm having a hard time deciding if I should allow this. His comprehension is being tested by these higher level books and I feel he needs to concentrate. On the other hand, I bought this program that gives a schedule and provides the books to allow him increased ownership of his work and I also want him to enjoy the flexibility he has in being homeschooled.

 

How much freedom do you allow your 9th graders to have - and is this something they grow into with your help?

 

I'm guessing at this point he should be more than capable of deciding in what order he'll do things.

 

I know I'll just have to feel it out but I'd love to hear how those of you with big giant kids do it.

[Elisabeth in IL]

Some people actually comprehend more when listening to music. I personally don't understand it but I'm told that it is true. As long as he is doing the work and able to pass tests or do the assignments, I'd let him be.

[Sandy in Indy]

I allow my hs ds to study as he prefers. As long as he learns the material, I don't care what position he's in.

 

And I used to study with music blaring in my ears...something about it helped me block out external things and concentrate better. Weird, but it worked. (And I graduated college with honors...)

[Peek a Boo]

my 13yos is doing 8th grade work, but what you describe doesn't bother me as long as he can intelligently discuss the material later :)

 

funny aside:

 

My 13yo has a master schedule that we laid out at the beginning of the year. i offer daily reminders on most things, but only bi-weekly or weekly on others. he has a daily checklist and we are routinely going over how to take a chunk of material and schedule it over a week. I check in with him every so often and we adjust the schedule if need be [like when he was sick for almost a week].

 

I checked in w/ him Tuesday:

 

he could not find a couple books that he was supposed to have.

 

He spent Tuesday afternoon going through his room w/ me like a drill sargeant and having him turn the house upside down looking for them.

 

Wed morning I told him that if he did not have the books in hand by 2pm then he could buy replacement books at B&N while we were out.

 

Within THREE MINUTES he had Book A in hand.

 

Within another THREE MINUTES he had Book B in hand.

 

The little snot!! *sigh*

 

I'm sure that w/ more experience he'll learn to at least wait a while instead of jumping the gun, lol.

[Mrs. H.]

The background noise helped me concentrate. Now that I'm older, I can't take the noise, and I often turn the tv or the radio off just to get to clean the house in silence, lol.

 

If he can tell you all about it when he's done, or complete the exams proving he knows the material, then I say let him go for it. At least he's not fighting you to NOT do the work.

[Remudamom]

We have a lovely schoolroom with the computers and extra table set up for the kids to use, and they all do schoolwork all over the house. My 9th grader likes to be in her room and listens to classical music while she works.

[Janet in WA]

I gave our sons as much freedom as they could handle. If your son were mine, he'd be allowed to lie on his bed and listen to music while doing his work if he got the work done and well enough to suit me.

 

I found this to be a good parenting rule of thumb for any situation. Give them as much freedom as they can handle. Some can handle more freedom than others. There's no one perfect amount of freedom for every 9th grader.

[WTMindy]

most who have said that as long as he is comprehending and able to discuss the material I'd allow him to work that way.

[Jodi-FL]

I was a teenager who concentrated better to music (I think I still do, and it's helped me tune out all the littles' noises, yes plural intended, over the years).

 

I have 3 teenagers: one who only concentrates in silence (she's a junior, and the oldest, and it's tough to find silence in our home of 7 kids and 2 puppies), one who concentrates best by himself, but with steady noise in the background (like music) and one who prefers not to concentrate at all. That last one is the one that I can't let go more than a day without checking on her work and comprehension.

 

If he's comprehending well, and progressing without a problem, then I'd check weekly, and let him set his study preferences.

[Barb_]

I think it's very important to slowly turn over the reins during the high school years. Students who have created their own work habits are more likely to succeed in post secondary education for many reasons, not the least of which is they feel as if they own their own learning. This is a perfect opportunity to step back and allow some leeway. I tend to allow anything as long as the work is getting done. One of my middle schoolers starts her schoolwork at 9pm and works until midnight. She sleeps in the next day and has the whole afternoon free to spend outdoors, doing chores, etc. I instinctively recoiled at her schedule, but it's working for her right now. She's happy and productive, which means I'm happy.

 

Barb

[Storm Bay]

I allow each of my children to work however they work BEST. Sometimes that's on the floor (and no highschoolers yet.) Dh, OTH, prefers they always sit at a table, but that can be hard on the back. I do have one who does well listening to music, but I personally can't read to anything but instrumental classical, and even then, nothing too dramatic.

[mcconnellboys]

I did allow some degree of freedom, but I did not (and still don't) allow listening to music while reading. It might be one thing if it was instrumental and turned low in the background. But listening to rock on an Ipod right in one's ears and singing along does not lend itself to comprehension of what one is reading, in my opinion......

 

Regena