New to unschooling...
Shannon
Hi! I have 5 kiddos- 12yo,8yo,7yo,3yo and 19m- and we are new to
hsing, but newer still to unschooling. My 2 oldest kids (boys) have
been diagnosed with ADHD. Until last year all my kids were in school,
with my 12yo in his first year of middle school. What a DISASTER!!
Long story short, I decided I couldn't possibly do any worse and
brought them all home. I'm really trying to let go of the text books
and workbooks and schedules, but find that I have to constantly keep
on myself to not nag them about getting "work" done. Any suggestions?
And how do you handle portfolio reviews if they spend a large chunk of
the year deschooling? Thanks!
Shannon
hsing, but newer still to unschooling. My 2 oldest kids (boys) have
been diagnosed with ADHD. Until last year all my kids were in school,
with my 12yo in his first year of middle school. What a DISASTER!!
Long story short, I decided I couldn't possibly do any worse and
brought them all home. I'm really trying to let go of the text books
and workbooks and schedules, but find that I have to constantly keep
on myself to not nag them about getting "work" done. Any suggestions?
And how do you handle portfolio reviews if they spend a large chunk of
the year deschooling? Thanks!
Shannon
Melissa
Well what works for me is biting my tongue, liberally. ;-)
We started homeschooling two+ years ago, and the L&L conference is
our anniversary of unschooling, two years at the first of September.
I have seven kids, 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 4 and almost two. Most of our
kids have or could have labels, so I can imagine what it must look
like in your house. It was very hard to deschool in our house, not
just because of me, but because the kids were already so brainwashed
into believing what the school said. What truly helped me was telling
myself that my kids needed me now, more than ever, to let them heal.
There have been serious injuries to their spirit and their mind, and
it took my twelve yo (who was ten when we started) almost two years
to deschool.
We don't have to do portfolios, so I'm lucky there. But I seem to
translate naturally in my head to keep my family off my back. When I
first started, I used 'notebook' on my computer. Then try to
categorize. For example, last night and today we played with lego's
most of the time. As Breanna was snapping another layer onto her
montage (she makes patterns with the blocks and colors) I was amazed
at how she was figuring ratio's, how many small blocks to fill a
space, how she was making patterns, how she was balancing color,
there were several subjects that we could define this really cool
activity under. *If* I was trying to track for my portfolio (I assume
that you have to do it for legal reasons) I would be quick to write
it down. The best thing for ME has been to stop keeping track. Of
course, it probably did help me keep my nagging under control in the
beginning, because I could see how they were engaged every day with
really cool stuff.
But I wouldn't worry about the portfolio, when do you have to show it
to someone? Is it yearly? It would be at the end of the school year,
yes? So don't worry about having masterpieces or signs of genius,
number one, keep everything, number two, and then pick out some
favorites.
Sorry, lost track of where I was going with this, really cool
construction trucks in front of our house! Have a nice day....
Melissa
We started homeschooling two+ years ago, and the L&L conference is
our anniversary of unschooling, two years at the first of September.
I have seven kids, 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 4 and almost two. Most of our
kids have or could have labels, so I can imagine what it must look
like in your house. It was very hard to deschool in our house, not
just because of me, but because the kids were already so brainwashed
into believing what the school said. What truly helped me was telling
myself that my kids needed me now, more than ever, to let them heal.
There have been serious injuries to their spirit and their mind, and
it took my twelve yo (who was ten when we started) almost two years
to deschool.
We don't have to do portfolios, so I'm lucky there. But I seem to
translate naturally in my head to keep my family off my back. When I
first started, I used 'notebook' on my computer. Then try to
categorize. For example, last night and today we played with lego's
most of the time. As Breanna was snapping another layer onto her
montage (she makes patterns with the blocks and colors) I was amazed
at how she was figuring ratio's, how many small blocks to fill a
space, how she was making patterns, how she was balancing color,
there were several subjects that we could define this really cool
activity under. *If* I was trying to track for my portfolio (I assume
that you have to do it for legal reasons) I would be quick to write
it down. The best thing for ME has been to stop keeping track. Of
course, it probably did help me keep my nagging under control in the
beginning, because I could see how they were engaged every day with
really cool stuff.
But I wouldn't worry about the portfolio, when do you have to show it
to someone? Is it yearly? It would be at the end of the school year,
yes? So don't worry about having masterpieces or signs of genius,
number one, keep everything, number two, and then pick out some
favorites.
Sorry, lost track of where I was going with this, really cool
construction trucks in front of our house! Have a nice day....
Melissa
On Sep 24, 2007, at 9:04 AM, Shannon wrote:
> Hi! I have 5 kiddos- 12yo,8yo,7yo,3yo and 19m- and we are new to
> hsing, but newer still to unschooling. My 2 oldest kids (boys) have
> been diagnosed with ADHD. Until last year all my kids were in school,
> with my 12yo in his first year of middle school. What a DISASTER!!
> Long story short, I decided I couldn't possibly do any worse and
> brought them all home. I'm really trying to let go of the text books
> and workbooks and schedules, but find that I have to constantly keep
> on myself to not nag them about getting "work" done. Any suggestions?
> And how do you handle portfolio reviews if they spend a large chunk of
> the year deschooling? Thanks!
> Shannon
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Deb
First thing is check out what *exactly* is required in a portfolio
by law where you are. For instance, here in CT, IF someone chooses
to do a portfolio, all it has to show is that the requisite subjects
were *presented* - they cannot comment on grade level of materials
or anything, just Yes, there's math, reading, history, etc... If you
have to "show progress" or some such wording, keep something from
September (a book title they read perhaps) and something from May or
June (whenever your 'school year' ends). It need not be a lot,
generally the less the better and it's up to them to request
additional information if there's a thin spot. Also, see if it's
required that it be handed in or if you just bring it and leave with
it and just 'show' them the materials. And, too, see if there's an
outside reviewer type option where you find a local homeschooler who
can review it and sign a thing saying "I checked it. Okey dokey.
signed Certified Teacher Person" (okay well they'd have to put it
in "educationese" lol) See if there's a Narrative Option to the law -
where you write out a summary of what has been going on "Jr has
spent this last year exploring wildebeests through sources including
but not limited to books and magazines (such as nat geog), videos
(What Gnu? video nat geog), field excursions (trip to Zoo B and game
reserve M). Jr has continued to progress in numeracy through use of
arithmetic and mathematical materials including but not limited
to ..." (and list off some number related games like Smath or
whatever). Basically, this is stuff that you'd note in a dayplanner
or calendar page without intervening in their day to day activities.
Don't try right off to figure out "what is it?" just jot down "spent
2 hours playing Guitar Hero with cousins and neighbor kids" (that'd
count as music/fine arts and, from what I've seen of the game, phys
ed! plus it's got that 'social' aspect as well).
--Deb
by law where you are. For instance, here in CT, IF someone chooses
to do a portfolio, all it has to show is that the requisite subjects
were *presented* - they cannot comment on grade level of materials
or anything, just Yes, there's math, reading, history, etc... If you
have to "show progress" or some such wording, keep something from
September (a book title they read perhaps) and something from May or
June (whenever your 'school year' ends). It need not be a lot,
generally the less the better and it's up to them to request
additional information if there's a thin spot. Also, see if it's
required that it be handed in or if you just bring it and leave with
it and just 'show' them the materials. And, too, see if there's an
outside reviewer type option where you find a local homeschooler who
can review it and sign a thing saying "I checked it. Okey dokey.
signed Certified Teacher Person" (okay well they'd have to put it
in "educationese" lol) See if there's a Narrative Option to the law -
where you write out a summary of what has been going on "Jr has
spent this last year exploring wildebeests through sources including
but not limited to books and magazines (such as nat geog), videos
(What Gnu? video nat geog), field excursions (trip to Zoo B and game
reserve M). Jr has continued to progress in numeracy through use of
arithmetic and mathematical materials including but not limited
to ..." (and list off some number related games like Smath or
whatever). Basically, this is stuff that you'd note in a dayplanner
or calendar page without intervening in their day to day activities.
Don't try right off to figure out "what is it?" just jot down "spent
2 hours playing Guitar Hero with cousins and neighbor kids" (that'd
count as music/fine arts and, from what I've seen of the game, phys
ed! plus it's got that 'social' aspect as well).
--Deb