Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments Afterschool Questions

In a way I wonder if it would be easier to decide if DS was bored all day, knowing he wasn't learning anything in school. But he has such asynchronous achievement, and is most knowledgeable about subjects I don't see emphasized in school (science-based), which makes me pause.

Just correct his handwriting occasionally, not each time he makes a mistake. Or just have him do a tiny bit of writing, that you correct if necessary. But I know what you mean about mixing work with fun; it can be a delicate balance!

What's best is surely the things that keep our kids optimally enjoying the adventure of life and lifelong learning. If it's not happening in school and it's within your ability to provide this, then I'm pretty sure I cannot see how choosing to NOT do so is a good choice. Sometimes it's really hard to accept that we need to step outside of the norm. We are conditioned from young to colour within the lines (so to speak) and it is even suggested to us that we owe it to the greater good to fight the good fight.

And while I am happy to be an advocate for more appropriate education for ALL kids, I only owe it to my kids to ensure that they absolutely have access to what keeps them happy, healthy (emotionally and mentally as well) and enjoying their lives as they learn what keeps them happy.

It also makes my life easier without a doubt!

Amen to that!

And BTW, displaced, there is no other magical way to teach reading! 30 years of reading research says kids either learn to read using a phonological approach (which includes but is not limited to phonics), or they learn to read in spite of the other approach.

I think asynchronous achievement was definitely a major part of our decision to homeschool #2. Plus how stressed out #2 was by spending a whole year in preschool "not learning" (quote from four year old).

We don't even really "after school", we "after dinner", because I'm a FT working single mother and consequently, DD is at the afterschool program at her school until about 6pm every day. And they don't really do any academics, unless you count learning the basic rules of chess. Homeschooling is not even a possibility, and since DD is also 2E, private school isn't either (even if we could get financial aid, but likely not).

We are moving to a new district next year, and I'm hoping all their talk pans out and they're really more flexible and accommodating than the current district. That's really about all I can do, at this point. Though I'm getting an au pair next year, too, and hopefully can find one with an interest in science and/or math.

In answer to the question "if you are after schooling because the school isn't doing the job why not just homes hook (paraphrased)". The answer is money. I am a single mother who doesn't earn much and am unable to change that due to health and day are issues. If I don't work there is no income (well there is benefit but I would be expected to have the kids in school and look for work full time). My income does not stretch to care now subsidised pre school care has ended and I have no-one who will care for them for free/cheap. The kids go to school so I can work. When they are 14 and allowed to be left by themselves things may be different but that is 7 years away.

Afterschooling was our gateway to homeschooling, although we never intended to homeschool. We assumed that dc should and would be in school. But our frustration with the limited enrichment and teach-to-the-middle vibe in public school led to more and more afterschooling. Eventualy, afterschooling took over!

For us, afterschooling and extracurricular activities are the main mode of learning. My kids are used to it. We certainly wish that they could learn what they need to learn at school, and do other things at home, but this hasn't worked. My DS had a reasonable K and 1st grade (the teachers were really good at differentiation). But since we moved to a new district (supposedly a very good one, too) things just never worked out in public schools. We have no gifted program and in-class enrichment is way below my kids' real levels. The local gifted, private schools are also not at my kids' levels. So it kind of just evolved into the situation where the kids go and have some fun with friends at school, try not to get in trouble with the teachers, and the majority of learning happens at home.

This will change soon, though. Our district finally started allowing students to take above-grade-level courses online for acceleration. I think DD will sign up as soon as she is old enough. DS will go to a HS with a strong academic focus and there will be lots of choices within and outside of school.

Afterschooling is not ideal for us but we just didn't have better choices.

This is exactly how it worked for us. Afterschooling and weekend schooling became what Aiden lived for, until he got so tired of doing busy work and then coming home and doing more that it all fell apart. Shortly thereafter we switched to homeschooling.