Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Learning Environments to homeschool or not to homeschool... da da da

Mamaandmore - that's what I did - I sent DS5 to K this year and kept DS8 home. I knew I just couldn't handle all 3 of them home (I have a 20mth old DD) and get HSing off the ground quickly w/ DS8. Once I work out the kinks, hopefully DS will get out of some very bad habits he's developed, if DS5 needs to come home, it'll be a smoother transition.

Every child is different, and I agree with others who say that you need to consider all the particulars of your situation. If you have concerns about socialization, I recommend this book:
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art27055.asp

hth!

Just adding my support for whatever works for your family.

DS6 is in PS 1st grade and DS8 is home with classes at an alternative public school - that works for now!

We lost power thanks to Ike , but I'm chiming in late to ask you, ienjoysoup, would it help to talk through the pros and cons of your options? That always helps me to figure out what direction I should be heading.

Think very pragmatically: what is working now and what isn't? Not just for your child, but for you, too. I still miss the freedom I felt when I put my child on the school bus and waved goodbye for the day! That worked for me. But he is a lot more independent now, so that particular con is not as big a deal as it was last year. Sometimes cons turn out to be pros with a little time allowed for adjustment. But still, if it's going to make life harder for you, write it down. You have to put the oxygen mask on yourself first, before you assist anyone else!

Also, are there other options you might be overlooking--like 'Neato's partial homeschooling option or a private school? Don't be afraid to make your own path.

I won't ramble on, but I'm happy to help if you want to talk specifics. I can offer websites to help you consider what sort of homeschooling might work best for you, since that can change how you view HSing ENTIRELY. I could never be a school-at-home type, but an eclectic, loose-unit study approach suits us fabulously and is very comfortable.

Honestly, I suspect you're really not asking what WE'RE doing; you're really trying to figure out what YOU'RE thinking and why! I'll be happy to ask questions if that helps you muddle through it all.

I like Kriston's questions and suggestions. Even if you decide not to hs at the end thinking about it and researching different programs may give you lots of good ideas for after schooling or alternative school accommodations. Like others said finding the best possible (or the least worst whatever you want to call it) educational match is a complex decision. Every child and family has different needs and options.

It took me a while to get used to the idea of hs but once I did it seemed like a very viable option for us. We couldn't see how public school could accommodate him. We could have tried for a grade skip but honestly one grade skip would do nothing for him. We tried Montessori last year and even that didn't work too well.

We hs all the subjects (besides French and piano) but DS6 spends two afternoons in an alternative private school. Their afternoon program doesn't include any academics (think lots of playground time, cooking, music, dance, ...) and he goes there to have fun with other kids.

We will see how it goes. If we like it great, if not we will have to figure out something else.

It sure sounds good, LMom! And your situation is a great example of a different path that might be a well-matched, creative solution. Sometimes there are programs available that you wouldn't know about if you weren't looking for them. If the beaten path isn't working, you might have to try something else. And there may be a number of "something elses" out there if you know where to find them!

OH what a wonderful sounding program LMom!!!! I'm envious!

It's true... no one can answer it but the individual family.

We are sort of have a delicate pickle with DS7.

We can't afford a private school, that coupled with the fact that there are no gifted private schools in Upstate NY. So it's really out of the question.

His current public school is doing things that are pretty remarkable compared to other public schools. But it's still not enough.

He was skipped into 3rd this year.(He was in 1st last year) He said to me this morning, "...I mean whats the point? I went from first to third. I was supposed to go to second. What's the point if the work is the same. If I am going to be board, can't I do it in second?"

I replied, "I don't know how to answer that, other then to tell you that all the kids that you were friends with no longer go to the school, so even if you went back to second, it would be different kids. And the work would be boring."

He said,"It's boring in 3rd, there is just more of it."

So homeschooling is on my mind. But how could I do that and afford it?

I definately think it's what works for you.

We were initially a reluctant homeschooling family. We tried for 4 years to get the public school to work with my oldest daughter to no avail. The administration just isn't willing. Things were to a point that she was spending so much time doing "school" at home I began to wonder about the point in sending her, we toughed it out. Then my next oldest started having problems, she would be starting K. We started her and her twin on a computer based curriculum just to give her extra to interest her and she proceeded to finish K over the summer.

By then my oldest was begging to be homeschooled, she is twice exceptional and with the school doing nothing we decided to try it. I now homeschool my three oldest, my fourth child attends Early Childhood five mornings a week for speech therapy and I have a nine month old at home. For us homeschooling has allowed all of my children to work at their pace, in ways that work for them. Some do better on the computer, my youngest is a very artistic hands on learner. Now they can each be given the tools they need as individuals, rather than by their "grade".

I really love the book Genius Denied and recommend it to everyone with gifted children. It has many suggestions for all types of education. It really depends on your situation and your children. Best wishes in making your decision and feel free to ask questions.

What do you mean "afford it?" Unless you're talking about quitting work to homeschool--in which case, it might be an expensive option for you--homeschooling doesn't have to be costly. I mean, you CAN spend a fortune on curriculum, or you can raid the library and spend not one thin dime! (Our library even has an educator's card, which HSers are allowed to get, with much longer check-out times and no fines for overdue books. It's swell!)

In fact, I think it's not at all a bad idea to spend your first year just reading books that interest your child (cover fiction, nonfiction and poetry for sure!), and then talking and writing about what he's read. DS7 reads aloud to me sometimes, sometimes he reads silently and summarizes for me, and sometimes he reads silently and answers questions I've written up for him.

If math isn't something you feel comfortable winging in this manner, get Aleks or Singapore Math to start, depending upon whether you want to work online or in workbooks, and see where that takes you.

Be sure to check out Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp and/or the What Your Xth Grader Needs to Know series by E.D. Hirsch to be sure you're not letting him fall behind in any particular area. This is a nice security blanket. You can also compare what your child is doing that's ahead of schedule with grade levels to see where they're operating. That's pretty handy. The Rupp is especially nice for that since it has all grades included in one book.

This outline is what we did the first year because we pulled him out mid-year and were not at all prepped for it. It was surprisingly low-cost and low-stress, and it worked really well! DS7 made great progress and was HAPPY! Good stuff!

Admittedly, I made life easier on myself by setting the bar pretty low: I just wanted to be sure that we did at least as well as the public school had been doing with him. Well, if he's bored to misery this year and learning zilch, then it's hard to think that you're going to do a worse job, right? That's what I figured as we dove in.

We spent more money on "stuff" this year, but it was more a choice than a necessity. Plus we're not having a regular babysitter this year, so I have more money in the budget to spend on HSing.

There's lots of free stuff on the Internet, too. I'll be happy to point you toward links if you want stuff. Just ask.

Does that help at all? I fear you have the wrong idea about homeschooling...