Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments What does your homeschooling look like?

I wouldn't say it's at all important in our household, just because an 8yo doesn't really need to know too much about the presidents. And if it wasn't that chart, it would be something else capturing her interest. You can't stop this kid from being curious about something.

Now that you're making me think about this, I suppose if there was something that I wanted her to be curious about, putting up some media would be a good way to go about it.

I'll add that prior to Kindergarten age we don't do any kind of schooling. Our kids can just play and do what they want, but they learn anyway, e.g. teaching themselves to read. But starting at Kindergarten age we are using a (free, public) virtual school using the k12.com curriculum. So we can go at our own pace and schedule, but we can be sure that the standard material is being covered.

We tried that exact same series-- the grade 1 through 4 versions, anyway. I kind of have some PTSD over that series. LOL.

It was maddening, because she would be in the sweet spot, where it felt (to me, anyway) like she was learning and engaged and I'd think; Great! I finally found the right level!! Yay, me!!


But then within a few more weeks (or really, days) things would.... er... change. She'd begin refusing to do ANY of it. I think I've noted just how superhuman her refusal skills can be. Let's just say that I tried arguing on the basis of "but if you know it, then showing me ought to be simple" and "you just HAVE to" and even restricting pretty much everything else until she gave us compliance... all this did was turn my home into a war zone.

THEN, finally (I'm slow this way) I'd offer the end of course evaluation to her, which she'd ace. At light speed.

I don't know HOW she was making those kinds of jumps... but she certainly was. We'd go from fine-fine-fine to "DONE" overnight-- she'd be months ahead of where she had apparently been happy enough doing work.

As far as I've ever been able to tell, there are no gaps from this practice. Was she skimming ahead in the curriculum? Possible-- she has always read her textbooks cover-to-cover within a few weeks.

Anyway. That's my story with packaged curriculum. It drove my DH nearly round the bend, because about ever 4 months (when you include the month and a half of DD being "punished" for her refusal to cooperate with ANY school-based directives, I mean) we'd be buying "new school stuff" for homeschooling. Rinse and repeat.

Actually, the Learn at Home series was the best of those experiences. At least these weren't hideously expensive, unlike the Cuisinaire rods and math curriculum that she barely touched...

Any general curriculum was a disaster, because DD's literacy was so out of synch with her readiness in some areas, and certainly with what curriculum designers intend. You know you're in trouble when your 5yo is reading the directions on the worksheet-- upside down-- before you even hand it over to her, and frostily inquiring about the need to "waste my time coloring that thing when I already KNOW my letter sounds/math facts/parts of speech."


Anyway. Thought I'd add that anecdote since a general curriculum did NOT work for us, ironically, for the same basic reasons that someone else has liked it.


RE: how to get kids steered into that informal learning process, we've discovered a couple of things that seem to work for my DD, but they may not work for other kids. We've found that for HER, conversation and access to print materials is the key to anything we want her to think/learn about. This is because that is her natural/preferred learning mode. So if we want her to learn about, say, gun control? We talk about it. Leave TIME on the coffee table, mention a Bill in committee. She'll jump on board in no time... because she loves to participate and she actually loves contentious/hot issues.

Print media like the chart technique Dude's family uses isn't as effective-- for her. Make it funny, make it emotionally charged, make it a current trending topic on SNL/Jon Stewart, though, and she's all over it.

Science topics, we had to be more deliberate about-- but again, that was just sort of the scientific method in action: a) observation, b) curiosity (Why... what... I wonder if...) c) I wonder how I could see if... d) experimental design, and e) reflection/analysis. You can explore a LOT with that process. But be prepared for things to get burned, broken, scuffed, dirty, and basically for your home to turn into the Mythbusters set.

This kind of learning is about knowing your child(ren)'s learning style and playing to those strengths.

What I found the single coolest thing about having an HG+ preschooler?

Being able to teach a child statistics and graphical methods of analysis using a handmade "journal" and a bunch of dollar-store ladybug stickers... and walks around our neighborhood playing "spot the item."

That kind of thing just isn't possible for most kids who would be excited by how many "blue cars" they saw... or enthralled by carefully stopping to put a ladybug sticker into a journal as "data." Or repeating the "experience" as a means of increasing the "N" for those data sets.

Yes, I talked about what error bars mean, and about the 'best' graphical model for a particular set of data-- with my 4-6yo.

So while I have found it very challenging to use intentional materials created by others while teaching HG+ kids at their level... if you let go of what you "should" teach them, and go with their interests and enthusiasm and what seems okay for them at the moment, some of what happens is MAGICAL.

I know that what I experienced in those moments was truly a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon.

HowlerKarma - I had to laugh with what happened with the general curriculum series as I definitely can relate. Well, DS will be done with the series within a month or so. We're definitely not using it next year .

I just mentioned it because a parent may need to document for DYS or for some school district and may not want to go through the expense or ordeal with other curriculums. I wouldn't rely solely on these curriculums; use them for a means to an end and then be done with them.

I also have to laugh about the talk and then print part. This may be somewhat an assumption, but I think the desire to talk is due: 1) your daughter being a girl and 2) the fact that some girls prefer to process information by talking. Some girls like to talk; it's just their MO. Generally speaking, boys, on the other hand, are different species or planet, I think. They just don't seem to talk things out like some girls do. I really wish they did some days; it would make life so much easier.

I do think the overall argument about curriculum materials created by others for PG kids is true. Curriculums and textbooks are written for the norm and this means NT kids. Our kids aren't NT though. This is one of the reasons PG kids tend to start eyeing up college material so soon. It seems the only way for them to delve into more content and come close to satisfying their insatiable curiosity and need for intellectual stimulation.

HK, I love the stats journal!! I can see that being a great way to occupy time on road trips, too. I'm tucking that idea away.

We have a total mix here although I think we lean towards an unschooling approach on the scale.

Monday and Friday we have an unschooling group that meets together. We have activity areas set up and we have a fabulous young lady who runs organised activities and topics for those who want to join in. This is on average 11 kids aged 2 - 11yrs.

Tuesday Aiden (6) attends a very small local homeschool group for HG+ kids. There are 3 boys in the group and they do a mixture of activities in reading, maths, English, art and an assortment of other fun things.

While he is out Nathan (4.5 yrs) and Dylan (2yrs)do loads of fun play games. Nathan usually chooses to bake something, do some maths and write an essay of some sort.

Wednesday is our quiet at home day. We have work times scattered throughout the day and we play games, and do some stuff related to our theme. Never more than 20 minutes at a time followed by at least an hour of playing. Sometimes we go out on Wed too - to a park or museum or to do the shopping if we need to.

Thursday we do some stuff in the morning and SEMAS maths late morning for all three boys with more at home stuff - mostly continuation of anything they want to work on - in the afternoon.

Tues and Thurs evenings they go to tae kwon do.

Each day they practice music (violin and Nathan does Piano as well) and have PC time - Dreambox learning, Reading Eggs, Timez Attack, Wizard 101, typing games etc.

I am rambling a bit I guess. For us the big thing is that we do some work at their own levels and then loads of happy time activities to build self esteem, work on life skills and emotional stuff, spend time together as a family and lots of chill and kids play time. They are always climbing trees, jumping on the trampoline or in their club house or jungle gym.

If I have to average it I'd say that that we do at most 1.5 hours of "work" where I am guiding them with set learning directives, and this is always always based on their expressed desires and interests. It's normally around 40 - 60 minutes actually. We get through so much stuff and I keep trying to cut back, esp for Nathan... He is so little and flies through stuff so we do a lot of meandering and discovering things that interest him.

If my thoughts are hazy my apologies. Its 2am here now.