new to this group-help-long
Susan
Hello, my name is Susan. I have two children, a daughter age 15, and
a son age 12. I practice attachment parenting, I breast fed both kids
until they were over three. We have always homeschooled, neither has
ever had a curriculum. Lately my dd has been looking forward to
college. She wants to go soon, and wants to start using some sort of
curriculum. I have asked her why she feels she needs this, and she
feels she lacks some of the math knowledge needed. I am confused as
to where this has all come from. She can do calculations in her head.
She has helped me with budgets and other things for years and knows
things like percentages, place values, how to multiply and divide.
What more does she need to know, that she can't learn once she gets
there? She is worried about a transcript, which most of the colleges
she wants to go to require. I showed her all the journals I have kept
over the years, I told her how we can sit down together and put a
transcript together. We can put down all of the theater productions
she has been involved in, samples of her art work, she can write a
paper in German to show her ability there. (we did buy a German
language program when she was ten, and she loves it.) We can have a
wonderful, creative, well rounded transcript. She states that most of
the colleges she is looking at require at least two to three years of
high school math and she is afraid she does not have it. I have
assured her we will come up with a great way to translate what she
has done into some sort of schoolease jargon. All of this and she
still isn't reassured. She sent away to some companies and has poured
over catalogs and says she has found the program she wants to work
through. I have looked at it, it isn't too expensive, it seems
comprehensive. I have no doubt she will be able to work through it.
That isn't my problem. I am having as much trouble with my
philosophical values, as she is with hers. I have embarrassed the
unschooling, child-led lifestyle since before my kids were born. I am
having conflicting emotions. On one hand I should get this for her
because she has initiated it, it is child-led because she wants this,
not me. On the other hand I reject prepackaged curriculum and all
that comes from that. Do any of you have experiences with this?
Susan
a son age 12. I practice attachment parenting, I breast fed both kids
until they were over three. We have always homeschooled, neither has
ever had a curriculum. Lately my dd has been looking forward to
college. She wants to go soon, and wants to start using some sort of
curriculum. I have asked her why she feels she needs this, and she
feels she lacks some of the math knowledge needed. I am confused as
to where this has all come from. She can do calculations in her head.
She has helped me with budgets and other things for years and knows
things like percentages, place values, how to multiply and divide.
What more does she need to know, that she can't learn once she gets
there? She is worried about a transcript, which most of the colleges
she wants to go to require. I showed her all the journals I have kept
over the years, I told her how we can sit down together and put a
transcript together. We can put down all of the theater productions
she has been involved in, samples of her art work, she can write a
paper in German to show her ability there. (we did buy a German
language program when she was ten, and she loves it.) We can have a
wonderful, creative, well rounded transcript. She states that most of
the colleges she is looking at require at least two to three years of
high school math and she is afraid she does not have it. I have
assured her we will come up with a great way to translate what she
has done into some sort of schoolease jargon. All of this and she
still isn't reassured. She sent away to some companies and has poured
over catalogs and says she has found the program she wants to work
through. I have looked at it, it isn't too expensive, it seems
comprehensive. I have no doubt she will be able to work through it.
That isn't my problem. I am having as much trouble with my
philosophical values, as she is with hers. I have embarrassed the
unschooling, child-led lifestyle since before my kids were born. I am
having conflicting emotions. On one hand I should get this for her
because she has initiated it, it is child-led because she wants this,
not me. On the other hand I reject prepackaged curriculum and all
that comes from that. Do any of you have experiences with this?
Susan
Susan
>I have embarrassed theI did mean to say I embraced the unschooling, child-led lifestyle...
>unschooling, child-led lifestyle since before my kids were born.
not I embarrassed the unschooling, child-led lifestyle! Although I am
sure that is true too! :)
Susan
nellebelle
Why not contact the colleges she is considering and ask for an application package to determine exactly what each requires?
Our local library carries many test prep books for GED, SATs, etc. Perhaps working through some of those on her own would help her to see how much she does know, and what she *might* need to study for college admission.
Mary Ellen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Our local library carries many test prep books for GED, SATs, etc. Perhaps working through some of those on her own would help her to see how much she does know, and what she *might* need to study for college admission.
Mary Ellen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
joanna514
On the other hand I reject prepackaged curriculum and all
you conflict? I have never seen unschooling as rejecting all school
like things. In fact, my dd just expressed to me that she would
like to learn a little more math. Stuff kids in school are learning,
just so she knows what it is. So now I'm on a search for a good math
program.
So what did your dd finally choose?
Carly (almost 13) has never been one to care about school or what
they were doing there. She's been the ultimate unschooler,
completely rejecting their notions. This new attitude suprised me,
but does not concern me. If we start learning more math and she
decides, "oh never mind, this isn't fun/interesting/what I thought it
would be....", then that's a learning experience. If she finds she
likes it, sees it as a puzzle to figure out....whatever, that's cool
too. I'm not going to question her motives or try to dissuade her.
I'm going to trust her in knowing what she wants, and help her
achieve her goals and accept her decisions, whatever the outcome.
That's unschooling.
Joanna
> that comes from that. Do any of you have experiences with this?Why was it okay to get the German program, but the math is causing
> Susan
you conflict? I have never seen unschooling as rejecting all school
like things. In fact, my dd just expressed to me that she would
like to learn a little more math. Stuff kids in school are learning,
just so she knows what it is. So now I'm on a search for a good math
program.
So what did your dd finally choose?
Carly (almost 13) has never been one to care about school or what
they were doing there. She's been the ultimate unschooler,
completely rejecting their notions. This new attitude suprised me,
but does not concern me. If we start learning more math and she
decides, "oh never mind, this isn't fun/interesting/what I thought it
would be....", then that's a learning experience. If she finds she
likes it, sees it as a puzzle to figure out....whatever, that's cool
too. I'm not going to question her motives or try to dissuade her.
I'm going to trust her in knowing what she wants, and help her
achieve her goals and accept her decisions, whatever the outcome.
That's unschooling.
Joanna