I've always thought I could never home school Leah, because she doesn't believe anything I say, even when I try to help her with homework. But as she continues to struggle to keep up, and with all the drama that seems to follow her around, I've been seriously considering it lately.
She's such a bright, funny kid, but she obviously has a unique learning style, which has been a constant source of frustration for all of us. I've never known a kid who could come up with so many excuses for a missing assignment. I cannot believe all the incompetent teachers who keep losing her papers!
So, with her grades continuing to go down, and the drama getting steadily worse, I'm starting to research the idea. Working full time obviously will make it more difficult, but, since I work at home, I can be somewhat flexible. If anyone has any advice, I'd love to hear it!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Home School?
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9 comments:
about John Holt:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Caldwell_Holt
I considered it. For a short time. And then I realized that I really did not have the patience to teach my own kids....well not the challenging ones that I thought may have benefited from a one-on-one... but just not one-on-one with mom. *sigh* So I decided it was not the right decision for us.
um... research, research, research! remember that it's totally doable. decide what would be better for Leah (I think you know my opinion on that one).
there is a wealth of information out there. Great books, tons of websites dedicated to this topic. Make sure to check out the hslda for homeschool laws and info for your state. I beleive CA is one of the most relaxed states in this area.
also remember that when you are homeschooling, everything becomes a learning opportunity. you are not forced to stick to a textbook (though you can go that route if you choose to). you can learn what she wants to learn. if she loves something, learn about it. you can figure out ways to incorporate the things she's most passionate about into many areas of learning.
also there are many different approaches to homeschooling. i take a more liberal and relaxed approach, choosing to lean toward what is called "unschooling" by using more focused approaches with the fundamentals of math and reading/writing but allowing for a more "choose your own area of study" in the other areas of learning such as science, geography, social studies, etc.
also you can use literature to learn so much more than what a text book can teach. when you read a story, because you are learning about those characters, you tend to retain so much more information. I know that, just as an example, I have learned and retained so much more from reading historical fiction such as the little house books, american girl books, and other short chapter books from my childhood than I ever learned from school. when you think about that... how much you can remember from those books you read versus how much you can recall from your school learning, well it really starts to show you just how much more you can learn at home. this is my opinion anyway.
don't let anyone tell you that your child will not learn how to be social. and though I know Leah will probably be upset about not seeing her friends at school all the time, I think that learning from home will teach her to love learning AND she will still be able to see her friends, but without it distracting her from learning.
you can still be involved with the public school system if you'd like. she can still participate in extracurriculars there as well. and you can tell her she'll spend less time on school work and therefore have more time to spend with friends after they are done with their school day.
i could go on and on. but anyway, just start doing your research. that is what really helped me to see just how great this could be! :)
and those photos are so cute!
http://www.holtgws.com/whatisunschoolin.html
I gave your email to my pastor's wife. I hope you don't mind. She is a human library for home schooling. I hope she gets in touch with you. And I'm totally supporting you in your quest and will totally support you in your decision! Good job for caring enough to consider what's best for Leah!
Deb, as you already know, Mary home-Schooled both Clayton and Jacqui for a few of their early years. This made them more ready for public school. In your case, it's kinda in a different order, but still legitimate. The keys of course are things like accountability, discipline (yours and hers), milestones, structure, and of course, curriculum. States have different laws as well (truancy, etc.). You'll need to make sure you are legitimate and compliant. Ashley is right. Research! Talk to Mary if you wanna know her experiences.
I totally believe in it, and it seems it would be good in your case. Leah is brilliant, but needs to learn in a way that motivates her. Public schools are not good about customizing learning, as you know.
Sometimes God allows situations to become hard and unbearable to get His Will accomplished. I know you know this. He may be shutting the public school door because He wants you to homeschool. If things were great with Leah, you wouldn't be considering homeschooling which is what He wants you to do. That wasn't the case with Grace. It was the complete opposite. Everything was absolutely wonderful. But, it was the case when He wanted us to switch churches. The enemy will tell you everything to get you not to do the Lord's Will. I love you and I'm praying for you.
You need to post more often
You do a good job when you do post. It is almost like a short visit.
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