Responses to many of you:
Whose choice was it to enroll? When it's my choice, I let them quit. When it's theirs, they have to attend through the end of the enrollment period.
-- It was DD’s choice to start this class. She rated it very highly last Fall, but the last few months really started protesting. As I stated, the new class is more game oriented so she seemed to like it – for awhile. We pay monthly so can quit the end of March.
I disagree. I think that it's not a good thing to let kids just coast. They need to learn how to deal with difficult things and how to try and fail. Those are lessons which will be very useful in life. Of course a nine year old isn't going to volunteer to do something difficult, or enjoy it, especially if she's never been asked to before.
--This is what we struggle with – she does coast. She has a rough time when faced with difficult work because everything has come easily. Her preference would be to do Minecraft, read history and science books and create websites (Wow, that actually sounds pretty amazing as I sit and type this). We have to sit on her to do homework, or she will sneak back to watching Minecraft videos.
Is this the AOPS online pre-algebra class?
--No, in person class. She really is a hands on learner and finally shared that she didn’t like the teacher talking talking talking....
I think you need to look closely at what you mean by "she needs it."
--Good question. Why does she need it at this point? She accelerated out of 4th grade class where she was miserable and learning nothing with a horrible teacher. She isn’t learning much in 5th grade math either, but she is so much happier. And, as polarbear stated, DD will be in middle school next year with the opportunity for more challenge. She has indicated some interest in taking the SSA test this Spring to see if she can get into a higher level of math.
There is a huge difference between encouraging the kid's interests (keeping the fire of curiosity lit) and a forced march. The latter can kill any sense of curiosity, making it harder to fly later.
-This is what I am worried about.
Finally, what HowlerKarma and Michelle talk about:
She has also differentiated between creative/expressive endeavors and those which are procedurally demanding-- the former, she can afford to be 'giddy' and kind of Tigger-ish (her term) about those things. Things like her latest efforts as a librettist, adaptations of plays, and designing, discussing literature, that kind of thing. She lights up from the inside and it bubbles out of her.
We DID "force" her to do math at a level that seemed reasonably like a compromise between what she'd have preferred (never learning anything new) and what we thought was technically "right" (at least another year of acceleration, probably two)-- but we never made her enter competitions, force her to work with a tutor, etc. etc.
I'd have a sincere conversation with the child in question and find out if s/he can appreciate that the decision to pursue afterschooling is one that is in his/her best interests. Or not.
DD “lights up” about her creations and is passionately loud about it. She quietly reads all her nonfiction and doesn’t scream with joy about it, just never stops. Obviously she loves it. Math, well, she is good at it, but it’s definitely lower on the totem pole. Well, gosh, I think she should quit after reading all this and do something that she would think is fun. DH just agreed. You guys are good about helping me think about all sides of an issue.
