graberamy

Lydia, my daughter, has decided to give 6th grade a try this year.
She's been going back and forth for a few years now and this year
she's decided to do it. To find out for herself what this school world
it like and meet some more kids her age. So far, it's been ok. She
finds the work boring and pointless but she likes lunch and taking the
bus home. She's noticed her handwriting quickness and neatness aren't
up to par (but we've discussed that it'll improve as she does it more)
but her typing skills are way ahead :-) . So far the monotony of it
all is worth the social stuff to her.

She took a timed math facts test on Friday (addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division) and was pretty discouraged. The kids
sitting next to her flew through it and she turned in a blank division
paper. She'd never done bracket division. She practiced this weekend
and I emailed her teacher and told her Lydia was worried that the
teacher would think she was being difficult by turning in a blank
paper. The teacher emailed me back and said that Lydia shouldn't
worry, that she thinks Lydia is a sweetie and she'll have no trouble
catching up.

Cool.

Since then Lydia has felt the she's pretty average in the class and
feels she's catching on easily. She mostly gets discouraged with the
homework and the point of actually having to do some of the boring
stuff they do.

Then today the dean of students calls me and ask me if I have any
testing from Lydia's homeschooling days. I say no, I had been her
supervising teacher and the state doesn't require testing then(the
requirement in IA is either working with a licensed teacher or
testing). She then says she would like to test Lydia because her
teachers have some concerns. Apparently she wasn't "even able" to
find the US on a world map. I have no idea how they asked her this
question cause I know she knows where the US is. We have a globe we
refer to in our living room quite often and also a US map in the hall
near her room with stars on it of all the places we travel to and a
world map in the basement where the kids hang. I do know that they've
sent homework home with totally distorted (photocopied) maps w/out
borders (like borders of states and countries) on them and the kids
are supposed to figure out what goes where. We got a map of a
themepark we were at a couple weeks ago and she was able to find the
rides she wanted to ride just fine... ;-) :-D !

Then the dean tells me they would like to do a baseline test on Lydia.
Honestly, I've got pretty negative views of testing and think they
are a horrible way to assess children. So, I said no, I prefer you
don't test her. I prefer you judge her by the work she does in school.

So, my question to you. (sorry this is getting so long) Do I ask
Lydia if she wants to do this test? AND do I even tell Lydia that the
dean called me with these concerns? If I do, she'll be bummed and
think less of herself. I don't want that.

Tuesday before school Lydia was saying she wants to quit. I don't
know how long this school experience will go on. I wouldn't be
surprised either way (staying or leaving), she is enjoying being
around all those kids. Lydia is a hardworking, organized, highly
motivated girl. I have NO worries that she'll be able to do whatever
she sets her mind to. Those personality traits will be much more
beneficial to her than writing neat or being able to multiply and
divide quickly.

I'm sorry, I know this really isn't an unschooling question but I
would really like your opinions on this. Part of me is probably just
feeling defensive of our lifestyle choices and I don't want that to
interfere with my handling of these situations.

I should also say that I wrote one of her teachers (the one the dean
mentioned) and he emailed me back. He didn't mention any concerns he
had to me (which is what I asked) just said she is delightful and he
is trying to get to know her better.

This is part of what I wrote to him:

<<<Lydia has not had a traditional approach to learning. She is a very
> intelligent, hard working, bright, sweet girl who has chosen to go to
> school herself. I would have preferred she stayed home and learned
> through real life experiences and by following her interest and
> passions. But this is something she wants to try/do and I want to be
> supportive and helpful in any way that I can for her.>>>

He thanked me for the background.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

amy g
iowa

Sandra Dodd

-=-The teacher emailed me back and said that Lydia shouldn't
worry, that she thinks Lydia is a sweetie and she'll have no trouble
catching up.
Cool.-=-

Very cool.

-=-She then says she would like to test Lydia because her teachers
have some concerns.-=-

Maybe you could say that if the teachers' concerns have to do with
"good grades," that you aren't worried about that. You could just
say that Lydia's there to learn, not to compete. (You wouldn't have
to say "to learn about cafeteria lunches and the schoolbus.")

-=-Apparently she wasn't "even able" to find the US on a world map. I
have no idea how they asked her this question cause I know she knows
where the US is.-=-

The word (the panicked thing "they" say) is that a large percentage
of U.S. high school graduates can't find things on the map. Maybe
quiz the dean of students. Show him a word map and ask him really
quickly to show you Somalia or Finland and see how calm he is. I
don't know...

Maybe you could tell them that as far as you're concerned you'd
rather have her home, but she's there because she wants to be there,
and you don't want them doing ANY damage to her.

-=-I do know that they've

sent homework home with totally distorted (photocopied) maps w/out
borders (like borders of states and countries) on them and the kids
are supposed to figure out what goes where. -=-

Maybe you could take one of those in and point at the outside edges
and say "What's there?" or "Is this water? Space?" (I'm
fantasizing; sorry. <g>)

-=Then the dean tells me they would like to do a baseline test on
Lydia. Honestly, I've got pretty negative views of testing and think
they are a horrible way to assess children. So, I said no, I prefer
you don't test her. I prefer you judge her by the work she does in
school.-=-

Judge her in what way, though? Are they thinking of "holding her
back" or something?

Sandra

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

graberamy

> Maybe you could take one of those in and point at the outside
edges
> and say "What's there?" or "Is this water? Space?" (I'm
> fantasizing; sorry. <g>)>>>>>>


After I told a good friend about this today she sent me this! I
should send it to her geography teacher and the dean and see how well
they do!!

http://www.lufthansa-usa.com/useugame2007/html/play.html

Perhaps those of you living in Europe will do better than I!

> -=Then the dean tells me they would like to do a baseline test on
> Lydia. Honestly, I've got pretty negative views of testing and
think
> they are a horrible way to assess children. So, I said no, I
prefer
> you don't test her. I prefer you judge her by the work she does in
> school.-=-
>
> Judge her in what way, though? Are they thinking of "holding her
> back" or something?>>>

I don't think that really, but my pmsing/anxiety brain did go there
for a minute (remedial funding). But Lydia told me yesterday that
there were kids in her class that didn't do as well as she did in
math and she was pretty much in the middle.

I asked her teacher what his "concerns" were and he didn't give me an
answer. I personally just think they put a lot of stock in what
these test say and want to see what she does and doesn't know so they
can take credit for her leaps and bounds this year! She will have
learned so much....(barf!)!

Thank you, I need to hear these unschooling perspetives.


amy g
iowa

Jill Parmer

On Aug 27, 2008, at 7:43 PM, graberamy wrote:

> http://www.lufthansa-usa.com/useugame2007/html/play.html
>
> Perhaps those of you living in Europe will do better than I!

Ermmm, I sent the plane to Birmingham *AL* instead of Birmingham U.
K. I only got 25 pts for that one. :-(

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Margaret

Given her reaction to the math test and to school in general, I would
guess that even finding out that her principal wanted her to take a
test like that would cause her anxiety and negative feelings. My
inclination would be to say no to the principal and not mention it to
your daughter.

I would want the teacher to talk to me directly, and it sounds as
though that is what is happening (yay!). It could be that there are
some simple things that the other students have been exposed to (like
bracket division) and that going over with them at home might make
things at school more comfortable for her. Easy enough to do :)

On Wed, Aug 27, 2008 at 5:48 PM, graberamy <graber@...> wrote:
> Lydia, my daughter, has decided to give 6th grade a try this year.
> She's been going back and forth for a few years now and this year
> she's decided to do it. To find out for herself what this school world
> it like and meet some more kids her age. So far, it's been ok. She
> finds the work boring and pointless but she likes lunch and taking the
> bus home. She's noticed her handwriting quickness and neatness aren't
> up to par (but we've discussed that it'll improve as she does it more)
> but her typing skills are way ahead :-) . So far the monotony of it
> all is worth the social stuff to her.
>
> She took a timed math facts test on Friday (addition, subtraction,
> multiplication and division) and was pretty discouraged. The kids
> sitting next to her flew through it and she turned in a blank division
> paper. She'd never done bracket division. She practiced this weekend
> and I emailed her teacher and told her Lydia was worried that the
> teacher would think she was being difficult by turning in a blank
> paper. The teacher emailed me back and said that Lydia shouldn't
> worry, that she thinks Lydia is a sweetie and she'll have no trouble
> catching up.
>
> Cool.
>
> Since then Lydia has felt the she's pretty average in the class and
> feels she's catching on easily. She mostly gets discouraged with the
> homework and the point of actually having to do some of the boring
> stuff they do.
>
> Then today the dean of students calls me and ask me if I have any
> testing from Lydia's homeschooling days. I say no, I had been her
> supervising teacher and the state doesn't require testing then(the
> requirement in IA is either working with a licensed teacher or
> testing). She then says she would like to test Lydia because her
> teachers have some concerns. Apparently she wasn't "even able" to
> find the US on a world map. I have no idea how they asked her this
> question cause I know she knows where the US is. We have a globe we
> refer to in our living room quite often and also a US map in the hall
> near her room with stars on it of all the places we travel to and a
> world map in the basement where the kids hang. I do know that they've
> sent homework home with totally distorted (photocopied) maps w/out
> borders (like borders of states and countries) on them and the kids
> are supposed to figure out what goes where. We got a map of a
> themepark we were at a couple weeks ago and she was able to find the
> rides she wanted to ride just fine... ;-) :-D !
>
> Then the dean tells me they would like to do a baseline test on Lydia.
> Honestly, I've got pretty negative views of testing and think they
> are a horrible way to assess children. So, I said no, I prefer you
> don't test her. I prefer you judge her by the work she does in school.
>
> So, my question to you. (sorry this is getting so long) Do I ask
> Lydia if she wants to do this test? AND do I even tell Lydia that the
> dean called me with these concerns? If I do, she'll be bummed and
> think less of herself. I don't want that.
>
> Tuesday before school Lydia was saying she wants to quit. I don't
> know how long this school experience will go on. I wouldn't be
> surprised either way (staying or leaving), she is enjoying being
> around all those kids. Lydia is a hardworking, organized, highly
> motivated girl. I have NO worries that she'll be able to do whatever
> she sets her mind to. Those personality traits will be much more
> beneficial to her than writing neat or being able to multiply and
> divide quickly.
>
> I'm sorry, I know this really isn't an unschooling question but I
> would really like your opinions on this. Part of me is probably just
> feeling defensive of our lifestyle choices and I don't want that to
> interfere with my handling of these situations.
>
> I should also say that I wrote one of her teachers (the one the dean
> mentioned) and he emailed me back. He didn't mention any concerns he
> had to me (which is what I asked) just said she is delightful and he
> is trying to get to know her better.
>
> This is part of what I wrote to him:
>
> <<<Lydia has not had a traditional approach to learning. She is a very
>> intelligent, hard working, bright, sweet girl who has chosen to go to
>> school herself. I would have preferred she stayed home and learned
>> through real life experiences and by following her interest and
>> passions. But this is something she wants to try/do and I want to be
>> supportive and helpful in any way that I can for her.>>>
>
> He thanked me for the background.
>
> Thanks in advance for any advice.
>
> amy g
> iowa
>
>

Joanna Wilkinson

Part of me thinks you should protect your daughter as much as possible
while she is in school, but another part thinks she should understand
everything that school is about, crap and all. Testing is HUGE here.
It's all about $$$. They probably want to know where she needs the
most help, so they can work on that, so she won't screw up test scores
for them. Who knows though. It might just be some anti homeschooler
who wants to prove to others just how little she has learned while
homeschooling.
My daughter went to school in 9th grade. I felt she was ready
emotionally to handle all the crap that comes and make choices
accordingly. She was, and I had very little involvement with the
school.
I'm very glad she didn't show any sign of wanting school til then. I
know it would have been much more challenging for both of us had she
gone any earlier.
You might want to talk to her about staying just long enough to make
some good friends, then make a lot of effort to get them together.

Joanna W.