Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments 12yo homeschooling curriculum

Thank you, thank you.

Hi --I'm new to this forum and also to Davidson. My DS9 was just accepted to DYS in August of this year. I can really relate to the discussion here regarding the 12 year old--including the weight gain and stress level.

My DS has been gradually accelerated in our public school system about 4 grades. He is now age nine and in 7th grade, 8th grade honors math (which he complains is too easy--science is too easy as well) and 4th grade PE. We have been working dilegently with the school to try to provide him more challenge, but are getting some very strong pushback and complete lack of understanding at this point. On top of that DS is very stressed in the middle school environment. To make a very long story short, we are now strongly investigating homeschooling (I am there, my husband is still getting there). I understand the deschooling concept and we plan to do that initially. However, our state/school district requires that you fill out a form that outlines what curriculum you plan to use for each subject area. How do you fill out this form and still "look around" for curriculum?

Also, I should mention that we already have some areas covered because my DS wanted more in certain areas. We are already doing the following:

Math - Art of Problem Solving (Intro to Algebra)
Music - private choir and piano
PE - Swim team
Spanish - private class
French - Rosetta Stone

So, I'm really looking for ideas in Science, English, Social Studies and Latin. My DS loves being in a class and interacting with others, so I would if possible like to provide him this at home. He is very out-going. Also, we have taken classes through Cty and they have been excellent, however, I'm not sure I want to pile on more on-line learning right away. Any suggestions would be very welcome.

Thanks!

Do you know how strictly your district actually expects you to follow your curriculum plan?

I ask because while our area asks for a plan, they do not ever check up to see if you're following it unless your child fails the proficiency exam (badly--like 28th percentile or something like that) -or- is failed by the homeschooling-friendly evaluator who examines your portfolio. (And which route you go is the parent's choice, not the district's.) For an HG+ child, failure seems like a REALLY remote possibility. We went the testing route, and the test seemed almost embarrassingly easy for DS7.

Some people in my area use the curriculum plan to plan their year. However, I'm very child-led/loosey-goosey about what we do, so I make up the plan at the last minute by naming the first book I find on our local library's website that looks relevant. The whole thing takes an hour. <shrug>

So I guess the first thing I'd find out from local homeschoolers is just how serious is the district about your having to stick to the plan and what you have to do to prove compliance. You may be worrying more than you need to.

If not, then I guess you a) start making curriculum decisions, and b) find out how hard it is to change a curriculum if you don't like what you started with.

Hi Kriston! Glad to see you chiming in! How does one go about finding local home-schoolers? I'm not sure that I know many (or any!) people in our school district that homeschool. And do you have to pay particular attention to your district's rules? (as opposed to the school district that is just down the road a bit.) There are many, many school districts in my neck of the woods. I might have to go outside of my school district to find another homeschooler?

An online search is a good start. Another way is to go where homeschoolers go--look for homeschool gym classes offered at local gyms or art classes for 10yos in the middle of the day.

As for which rules to follow, it's usually the school district you are in. Just your district's rules apply to you, I think. (But I am SOOOOOO not a legal expert on this!) An Internet search should help you here, too.

Oh, and also check out these:

http://www.homeschooldiner.com/index.html
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/eric/e543.html
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/on-line_support.htm
http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/homeschool_curricula.htm
http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp

They give help with curriculum, laws, and support groups. HTH.

Do you have a local college or community college that your son could audit a class in the above areas?

You may have a local homeschool co-op. Or want to start one.

I strongly reccomend you joing the YSP homeschool email listserve if you haven't already. I used to be on it, but it got too active, and eventually my DS12 got better and better served by his school system.

Smiles and Welcomes,
Grinity

This brings up another question I have been wondering about. When a younger student takes college level courses, do they have to audit them or can they get a grade? We have a community college near us as well as a a couple of state universities and a private university. Do I need to contact them to see what there policy is or is there a general way this is handled?

I saw in our local paper about a year ago that there was an 8 year old boy who took an Arabic language at the community college and recieved a "B". His mother took the course with him.

Is there a typical scenerio for this?

Julie

I think it's a school policy issue.

If you get problems from them with his going for credit, you might have the child audit one class to get a foot in the door. Then get the professor's buy-in. Lots more can happen if you have a member of the university (or two) going to bat for you, I think.

Policy can vary widely. One cc in my state has welcomed homeschoolers as young as ten with open arms. Another has had a strict age 16 only policy (unwritten, but "everyone" knows about it) which they enforce by making the younger candidates jump through hoops- an interview, a placement test, another interview, bizarre questions about how they will "make" older students feel comfortable with their presence and how they will deal with returning war vets who may have flashbacks in the classroom. All in all, it's a maze designed to encourage kids to give up and go home until they are 16.

Informal mentorship with a prof is a good way to establish relations with a school and allow your child to show his stuff. Then you have an advocate who will go to bat for him.