Bad MOMENT (and it's only 9.30am!!)
[email protected]
In a message dated 5/17/02 7:42:13 AM, shyrley.williams@... writes:
<< I've just spent 20 mins shouting at my kids and I feel terrible. >>
Bad moment.
Years ago, the best thing I learned from another AOL homeschooling mom was
never curse a whole day "bad day," just think "I had a bad moment; the rest
will be better."
<< He cited all the homeschoolers we know who's
kids can't read by 8 or so, said I was ruining my children's life
through sticking to a philosophy that was 'unproven' (he's a
scientist, can you tell?)>>
Tell him to read the article by Carol Rice in the library at
www.unschooling.com. I have known these kids since they were babies, and I
know them still--the three youngest are over here every week or two,
especially Renee (the older twin).
Tell him only one of my kids was reading before nine, but the two older ones
are plenty fluent AND they know they can learn something as hard as reading
just because they want to. They are NOT "teacher-trained" in any sense.
They are not, as your husband is, convinced that they cannot learn without a
teacher.
<<Then he cited all the other homeschoolers who score in national
tests, who are building rockets by the time they are 6,>>
Two of the three spelling bee champions were unschoolers, I read somewhere,
and now I've heard that homeschoolers won't be eligible for the national
spelling bee.
Read the test questions and put down the answer they say. If you don't like
the answer they say, hesitate about putting the mark down, and that will be
their clue to choose another question. It's subtle. It's real. Testing
should have a purpose, and these tests are more punitive than anything else.
In the case of schools, the composite scores are used to snub other schools,
or to get federal funding. In the case of individual scores, they're used to
put kids in special ed or gifted classes, to get federal funds.
Nobody's going to give you any federal funds.
Just get the test answer sheets sent in and forget it. God doesn't care
whose hand was on the pencil.
Sandra
<< I've just spent 20 mins shouting at my kids and I feel terrible. >>
Bad moment.
Years ago, the best thing I learned from another AOL homeschooling mom was
never curse a whole day "bad day," just think "I had a bad moment; the rest
will be better."
<< He cited all the homeschoolers we know who's
kids can't read by 8 or so, said I was ruining my children's life
through sticking to a philosophy that was 'unproven' (he's a
scientist, can you tell?)>>
Tell him to read the article by Carol Rice in the library at
www.unschooling.com. I have known these kids since they were babies, and I
know them still--the three youngest are over here every week or two,
especially Renee (the older twin).
Tell him only one of my kids was reading before nine, but the two older ones
are plenty fluent AND they know they can learn something as hard as reading
just because they want to. They are NOT "teacher-trained" in any sense.
They are not, as your husband is, convinced that they cannot learn without a
teacher.
<<Then he cited all the other homeschoolers who score in national
tests, who are building rockets by the time they are 6,>>
Two of the three spelling bee champions were unschoolers, I read somewhere,
and now I've heard that homeschoolers won't be eligible for the national
spelling bee.
Read the test questions and put down the answer they say. If you don't like
the answer they say, hesitate about putting the mark down, and that will be
their clue to choose another question. It's subtle. It's real. Testing
should have a purpose, and these tests are more punitive than anything else.
In the case of schools, the composite scores are used to snub other schools,
or to get federal funding. In the case of individual scores, they're used to
put kids in special ed or gifted classes, to get federal funds.
Nobody's going to give you any federal funds.
Just get the test answer sheets sent in and forget it. God doesn't care
whose hand was on the pencil.
Sandra
Cristina Kenski
From: SandraDodd@... [mailto:SandraDodd@...
<<God doesn't care whose hand was on the pencil.>>
Sandra,
I love that!
Cris
<<God doesn't care whose hand was on the pencil.>>
Sandra,
I love that!
Cris
Nancy Wooton
on 5/17/02 7:02 AM, SandraDodd@... at SandraDodd@... wrote:
***
(7) they must not have eschewed normal school activity in favor of
preparation for spelling bees;
<snip>.
With regard to requirement (7), normal school activity shall be defined as
adherence to the full school schedule and varied academic course load
maintained by a majority of the speller's age-mates and grade-mates.
***
The site has new rules marked in red; this is not new. I would imagine
*un*schoolers would not qualify, and most homeschoolers using a curriculum
wouldn't, either, since you wouldn't have anything like a full school
time-wasting schedule.
:-PpPpPpPp
Nancy
> Two of the three spelling bee champions were unschoolers, I read somewhere,I just had to check that out! From http://www.spellingbee.com/rulesdc.shtml
> and now I've heard that homeschoolers won't be eligible for the national
> spelling bee.
***
(7) they must not have eschewed normal school activity in favor of
preparation for spelling bees;
<snip>.
With regard to requirement (7), normal school activity shall be defined as
adherence to the full school schedule and varied academic course load
maintained by a majority of the speller's age-mates and grade-mates.
***
The site has new rules marked in red; this is not new. I would imagine
*un*schoolers would not qualify, and most homeschoolers using a curriculum
wouldn't, either, since you wouldn't have anything like a full school
time-wasting schedule.
:-PpPpPpPp
Nancy