Cathy and JBDad, it's really the not wanting to take away from DS's free time that makes me hesitate to afterschool. He barely has enough time to run around the backyard. But I guess I'm defining afterschool as more structured, effortful learning where he would struggle a bit, KWIM? DS challenges himself in many ways - plays chess, piano, sports, reads voraciously, does puzzles, etc. What he's missing is the academic struggle (maybe concentrated effort is a better word than struggle here). E-beth, it's helpful to get your perspective - it certainly is easier to prevent bad habits than to fix them! Do you think your DS would have benefitted from something like online learning or workbooks in 1st or 2nd grade? Can anyone see any negatives of doing a workbook or online learning once or twice/week if the kid would rather be kicking a ball around?
