Re: Re: Homeschooling and getting a break

[Guest guest]

When you home school with a curriculum like this, any suggestion on what to do if your child has scattered skills. My son is advanced in some areas and way behind in others.

I agree with alot of things you said Tammy.We homeschool and use Sonlight cirriculum.My son loves it so much he goes and gets some of the workbooks on his own and does them during "nonschool" time.It only takes us 2 hours each day and allows plenty of time for therapy,field trips and other outings.I love it and so does he.We tried public school and he regressed into the worst shape I have ever seen him in.As far as socialization,he just wasnt interested until the last 4 or 5 months since we have been doing homeopathy.His SLP is teaching him how to introduce himself to others and carry on conversations and now he seems to make friends every where we go.Plus, although he is young, he is learning life skills being at home,he loves to help me cook,run errands,grocery shop,do laundry,etc.It also allows me to have a part time job and my husband works full time.We have a lot of choices for homeschoolers in our area as well so that helps.Not sure what the original post was but best of luck to the person if they are trying to decide.And BTW,its not all roses some days are challenging but I love that me and my boy work through it together.Melinda

[Guest guest]

My son's skills are so scattered, I couldn't use a set curriculum. Everything is hand-picked. I use the curriculum outlined by the school dept then find my own materials and modify it to my son's needs/abilities. For instance, he's supposed to study electricity this year and build a circuit board -- we will do this because it will be awesome occupational therapy, but it is doubtful he will grasp the science behind it. We will also spend more meaningful time studying the human body, weather, volcanoes, and the planets. Those are the things he can actually grasp and finds interesting enough that what he learns will be retained. If you do decide to go with a set curriculum and choose a quality company, they

might be willing to work with you to mix and match according to your kiddo's needs. Some of them will even test your child to see where they're at. It can get pricey and you could do just as well (if not better) on your own. Most texts have the "look inside" feature on amazon and other websites so you are able to get the gist of the content and whether or not it suits your child's needs. My outlook on education is a bit off the beaten path. I believe in teaching the basics: reading, grammar, math, writing, a general over-view of history and general social studies (current events when they get older). The rest, as I see it, should be tailored to a child's individual interests. Once these guys have the basics down, it is my intention to just let them explore everything around them and provide them with the tools they need to dive in and learn. A child

will learn in earnest what is interesting to them and will not retain what is not . For instance, if my son wants to be an architect, he will be more willing to learn the math required to make that happen. If he wants to become a writer for a food and wine magazine, it is unlikely he'd be so willing to learn (and retain) physics. Gone are the days of sitting behind a desk and memorizing limited information out of a handful of text books. Our children have an amazing opportunity to learn at levels far beyond anything we could have imagined at their age. They have access to people and information that takes learning to a whole new level. It is an AWESOME time to home school. I just watched a fantastic presentation on you-tube discussing how the conventional classroom is quickly becoming outdated. I agree whole-heartedly. It can be stifling to those who desire so much more and can, at the same time, leave kids

like ours in the dust. The beauty in homeschooling is you are not confined to the same limitations his classroom teacher is. You may have to meet certain requirements, but you can take your child far beyond anything his school could ever offer. Good luck! It time well-invested! -Tammy To: mb12valtrex Sent: Thursday, January 5, 2012 11:29 PM Subject: Re: Re: Homeschooling and getting a break

When you home school with a curriculum like this, any suggestion on what to do if your child has scattered skills. My son is advanced in some areas and way behind in others.

I agree with alot of things you said Tammy.We homeschool and use Sonlight cirriculum.My son loves it so much he goes and gets some of the workbooks on his own and does them during "nonschool" time.It only takes us 2 hours each day and allows plenty of time for therapy,field trips and other outings.I love it and so does he.We tried public school and he regressed into the worst shape I have ever seen him in.As far as socialization,he just wasnt interested until the last 4 or 5 months since we have been doing homeopathy.His SLP is teaching him how to introduce himself to others and carry on conversations and now he seems to make friends every where we go.Plus, although he is young, he is learning life skills being at home,he loves to help me cook,run errands,grocery shop,do laundry,etc.It also allows me to have a part time job and my husband works full time.We have a lot of choices for homeschoolers in our area as well so that helps.Not sure what the original post was but best of luck to the person if they are trying to decide.And BTW,its not all roses some days are challenging but I love that me and my boy work through it together.Melinda