Re: Summer of deschooling and still not there, help!
[email protected]
In a message dated 9/4/99 0:09:07 AM EST, jagwirtz@... writes:
<< Anyway, we finally decided to go for it. We felt
like if we only stuck our toe in intead of jumping in completely, we
wouldn't be able to convince our son that he really was in charge of
his education and that it was his choice from now on. >>
You know, I read this, and the rest of your response, and I think that is so
great. But I don't understand it. The bones of it. Do you just get up in
the morning and say, "what do you want to do today?" Or do you just get up in
the morning? All summer, I let the boys pretty much do what they wanted, I
asked them to practice their music everyday, and read 30 min. a day. They
did that, and then played with their Dragon Ball Z action characters the rest
of the time. Now, they don't even want to read, just play. Do I guide by
saying, you do music, reading and something that you choose, or what? I
know I am dense at this, I have been reading the list, asking questions,
getting good answers, but it isn't really going well. Given a choice, they
just want to play, and while I know that games teach some things, they have
learned what the games have to offer already, and are not moving on. My 5th
grader is learning to enjoy reading, but only because I made him read this
summer. I let him buy a book of his choice, on a subject he wanted, and we
went from there, also Harry Potter helped a lot! But, If I hadn't made him,
and believe me, they have always been read to, and see me read all the time,
he still wouldn't be reading, cause that's boring. Wait, he can read, he
just never said I am going to my room to read a book. So, to make a long
story even longer, I am reluctant to let go. Guess I have the control streak
in me from my mom.
Sorry to be so long, but geesh, I am kinda frustrated here
Teresa
<< Anyway, we finally decided to go for it. We felt
like if we only stuck our toe in intead of jumping in completely, we
wouldn't be able to convince our son that he really was in charge of
his education and that it was his choice from now on. >>
You know, I read this, and the rest of your response, and I think that is so
great. But I don't understand it. The bones of it. Do you just get up in
the morning and say, "what do you want to do today?" Or do you just get up in
the morning? All summer, I let the boys pretty much do what they wanted, I
asked them to practice their music everyday, and read 30 min. a day. They
did that, and then played with their Dragon Ball Z action characters the rest
of the time. Now, they don't even want to read, just play. Do I guide by
saying, you do music, reading and something that you choose, or what? I
know I am dense at this, I have been reading the list, asking questions,
getting good answers, but it isn't really going well. Given a choice, they
just want to play, and while I know that games teach some things, they have
learned what the games have to offer already, and are not moving on. My 5th
grader is learning to enjoy reading, but only because I made him read this
summer. I let him buy a book of his choice, on a subject he wanted, and we
went from there, also Harry Potter helped a lot! But, If I hadn't made him,
and believe me, they have always been read to, and see me read all the time,
he still wouldn't be reading, cause that's boring. Wait, he can read, he
just never said I am going to my room to read a book. So, to make a long
story even longer, I am reluctant to let go. Guess I have the control streak
in me from my mom.
Sorry to be so long, but geesh, I am kinda frustrated here
Teresa
B & T Simpson
>>is so
><<<<You know, I read this, and the rest of your response, and I think that
>great. But I don't understand it. The bones of it. Do you just get up inin
>the morning and say, "what do you want to do today?" Or do you just get up
>the morning? All summer, I let the boys pretty much do what they wanted, Irest
>asked them to practice their music everyday, and read 30 min. a day. They
>did that, and then played with their Dragon Ball Z action characters the
>of the time. Now, they don't even want to read, just play.Teresa, I am pretty new at this also, I had my oldes 13 home from Feb on
>
>Sorry to be so long, but geesh, I am kinda frustrated here
>Teresa>>>>
last year and right away adopted unschooling, and have become even more
relaxed about it since, we usually start our day with picking up then
discovery school that runs and hour or two on the discovery channel, they
usually like this because they get tokick back and relax while they watch
it, I am still trying to relax more, I do say things like here is the
deal, as long as you are doing something to expand your brain I will leave
you alone ( building with legos, reading, workpages if they like them ,
workbooks if they want, writing letters, using computer, geosafari, play a
cooperative game, puzzles, mind teaser puzzles , educational t.v. or
videos, ect..... ) If you are just laying around doing nothing or fighting
or claiming you are bored, I can fix that , you will do extra chores to help
out! (which is learning in itself!) they have found lots of creative ways to
keep them selves busy, lately it has been making envelopes out of old
calandars and pictures they find in magazines, (Mary Ellen of Ohio) taught
them to make them, so they have been going crazy writing letters to fill
them!
I hope this helps you out some the more you watch your kids and listen to
what they say the more you will realize that there is learning in
everything that they do!
today my daughter is calling every music store in the area and asking about
violins!
I have an online business, and the kids are talking about starting their
own page on the mall and splitting the cost of getting started and then
splitting the proffit from it, I think this would be a great math learning
for them! we shall see,
good luck to you and we would like to hear more about how you are doing!
Tanya Ohio (sorry so long, feeling pretty psyched up this morning!)
>Thank you to anyone who has checked out my online mall!Be sure to check out my online mall at
>--Tanya M Simpson
http://www.blmall.com
please enter d81371220 in the space
provided for code number
>Check it out!
>http://www.unschooling.com
>
>
Lisa Bugg
Teresa,
I am going through old mail and thought I'd ask how things are going here
in Oct? Are things any better?
Lisa
I am going through old mail and thought I'd ask how things are going here
in Oct? Are things any better?
Lisa
----- Original Message -----
From: <Hsmotgo@...>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, September 04, 1999 9:52 AM
Subject: [Unschooling-dotcom] Re: Summer of deschooling and still not there,
help!
> From: Hsmotgo@...
>
> In a message dated 9/4/99 0:09:07 AM EST, jagwirtz@... writes:
>
> << Anyway, we finally decided to go for it. We felt
> like if we only stuck our toe in intead of jumping in completely, we
> wouldn't be able to convince our son that he really was in charge of
> his education and that it was his choice from now on. >>
> You know, I read this, and the rest of your response, and I think that is
so
> great. But I don't understand it. The bones of it. Do you just get up
in
> the morning and say, "what do you want to do today?" Or do you just get up
in
> the morning? All summer, I let the boys pretty much do what they wanted,
I
> asked them to practice their music everyday, and read 30 min. a day. They
> did that, and then played with their Dragon Ball Z action characters the
rest
> of the time. Now, they don't even want to read, just play. Do I guide by
> saying, you do music, reading and something that you choose, or what? I
> know I am dense at this, I have been reading the list, asking questions,
> getting good answers, but it isn't really going well. Given a choice,
they
> just want to play, and while I know that games teach some things, they
have
> learned what the games have to offer already, and are not moving on. My
5th
> grader is learning to enjoy reading, but only because I made him read this
> summer. I let him buy a book of his choice, on a subject he wanted, and
we
> went from there, also Harry Potter helped a lot! But, If I hadn't made
him,
> and believe me, they have always been read to, and see me read all the
time,
> he still wouldn't be reading, cause that's boring. Wait, he can read, he
> just never said I am going to my room to read a book. So, to make a long
> story even longer, I am reluctant to let go. Guess I have the control
streak
> in me from my mom.
>
> Sorry to be so long, but geesh, I am kinda frustrated here
> Teresa
>
> > Check it out!
> http://www.unschooling.com
>
>
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/20/99 0:14:44 AM EST, LisaBugg@... writes:
<< Are things any better? >>
Lisa,
In all honesty, I don't know. I am trying to just let things be, and let the
boys decide what they want to do. They want to play. They want to play
dragon ball Z . Same as before. I am using scrabble, and Life, as well as
reading the book of their choice. Some things seem to go better, youngest
asked to learn to type so he is doing that and oldest decided that if
youngest cold do it, he could too, so now he is going into chat rooms and
uses that to practice, cause I told him he had to type correctly to talk, no
hunt and peck. So, as they are interested in that, they are learning. And I
see the light there, however, I still worry about the math, and just remember
that on their last evaluation, the evaluator told me that he couldn't do this
year what he did last year, and I know he could, because we had worked on it
for the month before the evaluation. In the past, he had always done Saxon,
and was way ahead of himself. Last year, we were relaxed, I didn't force
times tables, he used the key series, and it was not a good math evaluation.
So I know that is what is bothering me, not that he isn't where he would be
if in school, compared to other kids, just that he wasn't advancing and I am
concerned that there may be a problem with the next evaluation causing him
not to be able to homeschool. I know he was advancing, she didn't even test
him on the fractions that he had been working on, but, he froze or something,
cause he couldn't borrow or carry, and he has been doing that for two years.
We do things so haphazard, that I feel disorganized, and that bothers me, I
can't really "see" that they are learning.
So, to answer the question, I don't know, I am still working and trying, but
I will probably have to go to some kind of outline or plan for the day,
giving them a freedom of choice of what they want to accomplish for the day
or the week or something.
Hmmmmmmm, still sounds like the original post doesn't it?
Teresa
<< Are things any better? >>
Lisa,
In all honesty, I don't know. I am trying to just let things be, and let the
boys decide what they want to do. They want to play. They want to play
dragon ball Z . Same as before. I am using scrabble, and Life, as well as
reading the book of their choice. Some things seem to go better, youngest
asked to learn to type so he is doing that and oldest decided that if
youngest cold do it, he could too, so now he is going into chat rooms and
uses that to practice, cause I told him he had to type correctly to talk, no
hunt and peck. So, as they are interested in that, they are learning. And I
see the light there, however, I still worry about the math, and just remember
that on their last evaluation, the evaluator told me that he couldn't do this
year what he did last year, and I know he could, because we had worked on it
for the month before the evaluation. In the past, he had always done Saxon,
and was way ahead of himself. Last year, we were relaxed, I didn't force
times tables, he used the key series, and it was not a good math evaluation.
So I know that is what is bothering me, not that he isn't where he would be
if in school, compared to other kids, just that he wasn't advancing and I am
concerned that there may be a problem with the next evaluation causing him
not to be able to homeschool. I know he was advancing, she didn't even test
him on the fractions that he had been working on, but, he froze or something,
cause he couldn't borrow or carry, and he has been doing that for two years.
We do things so haphazard, that I feel disorganized, and that bothers me, I
can't really "see" that they are learning.
So, to answer the question, I don't know, I am still working and trying, but
I will probably have to go to some kind of outline or plan for the day,
giving them a freedom of choice of what they want to accomplish for the day
or the week or something.
Hmmmmmmm, still sounds like the original post doesn't it?
Teresa
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/20/99 8:53:32 AM CST, Hsmotgo@... writes:
<< I still worry about the math, and just remember
that on their last evaluation, the evaluator told me that he couldn't do
this
year what he did last year, and I know he could, because we had worked on it
for the month before the evaluation. >>
After 2 years of homeschooling with textbooks and worksheets, this summer
I was ready to throw in the towel. I took the kids to the public school to
take their placement tests. The tests were held in the library, which was
full of kids from summer school classes. I was sat in the corner, away from
the kids so I wouldn't influence them. My daughter, age 6, had never been to
public school before. After all the testing was done, the principal told me
that she had not passed the state requirements for moving on to the first
grade. When I looked at the material, I realized she certainly did know this
information, we had worked on it for a year! When I went over the same test
with her at home, she aced it. But the school would not consider giving her
the test again. So, to make a long story short, because of this and the
teacher threatening my son that she would, "Whoop his ass" on the first day
of summer school (corporal punishment is legal in TX) we have moved on to
unschooling this year. The whole point of my story is to reassure you that
when "THEY" say your child does not know it and you know they do, you are
right! You, as a parent, know best! Blessings, Lori in TX
<< I still worry about the math, and just remember
that on their last evaluation, the evaluator told me that he couldn't do
this
year what he did last year, and I know he could, because we had worked on it
for the month before the evaluation. >>
After 2 years of homeschooling with textbooks and worksheets, this summer
I was ready to throw in the towel. I took the kids to the public school to
take their placement tests. The tests were held in the library, which was
full of kids from summer school classes. I was sat in the corner, away from
the kids so I wouldn't influence them. My daughter, age 6, had never been to
public school before. After all the testing was done, the principal told me
that she had not passed the state requirements for moving on to the first
grade. When I looked at the material, I realized she certainly did know this
information, we had worked on it for a year! When I went over the same test
with her at home, she aced it. But the school would not consider giving her
the test again. So, to make a long story short, because of this and the
teacher threatening my son that she would, "Whoop his ass" on the first day
of summer school (corporal punishment is legal in TX) we have moved on to
unschooling this year. The whole point of my story is to reassure you that
when "THEY" say your child does not know it and you know they do, you are
right! You, as a parent, know best! Blessings, Lori in TX
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/31/99 7:11:55 AM Pacific Standard Time,
RRAINENJ@... writes:
got into a panic and wondered whether to send my younger son to Junior High
school. He had always found math very easy, both at home and when he was in
school, so he went to take the placement test for the accelerated math group
(the other students had already taken it). I did not hear from the school
afterwards and eventually, at the end of the semester, rang the counselor
(who, I might add, had been less than friendly in our initial contact). She
disappeared for ages, but eventually returned to the phone and said that he
had not passed the test. When I asked whether she knew why, she said somewhat
curtly that she didn't know - the math teacher had simply said he did not
pass. She did not offer to let me speak to the math teacher herself.
I knew that if he was not in the accelerated math group he would probably get
bored and lose interest in math. And that tipped the balance for me, as far
as continuing to homeschool was concerned. Homeschooling is definitely right
for him. But I've often wondered whether that counselor couldn't find the
math teacher, or didn't want homeschooling to have been successful and simply
made up the tale that he'd failed.......
Mattie
RRAINENJ@... writes:
> After all the testing was done, the principal told methis
> that she had not passed the state requirements for moving on to the first
> grade. When I looked at the material, I realized she certainly did know
>This is very interesting. Did you see your daughter's test script? I once
> information, we had worked on it for a year! When I went over the same test
> with her at home, she aced it.
got into a panic and wondered whether to send my younger son to Junior High
school. He had always found math very easy, both at home and when he was in
school, so he went to take the placement test for the accelerated math group
(the other students had already taken it). I did not hear from the school
afterwards and eventually, at the end of the semester, rang the counselor
(who, I might add, had been less than friendly in our initial contact). She
disappeared for ages, but eventually returned to the phone and said that he
had not passed the test. When I asked whether she knew why, she said somewhat
curtly that she didn't know - the math teacher had simply said he did not
pass. She did not offer to let me speak to the math teacher herself.
I knew that if he was not in the accelerated math group he would probably get
bored and lose interest in math. And that tipped the balance for me, as far
as continuing to homeschool was concerned. Homeschooling is definitely right
for him. But I've often wondered whether that counselor couldn't find the
math teacher, or didn't want homeschooling to have been successful and simply
made up the tale that he'd failed.......
Mattie
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/31/99 5:36:44 PM CST, MrsMattie@... writes:
<< This is very interesting. Did you see your daughter's test script? >>
Actually, the Principal was very friendly and accomidating, at least until
the teacher threatened my son! They sent the actual test home with us and
were quite willing to work with us on acclimating the kids with the setup of
public school. The problem was that my daughter was in a library full of
kids, is quite shy and had never before taken a test. So, in this case
anyway, it was "performance anxiety" I believe.
Blessings, Lori in TX
<< This is very interesting. Did you see your daughter's test script? >>
Actually, the Principal was very friendly and accomidating, at least until
the teacher threatened my son! They sent the actual test home with us and
were quite willing to work with us on acclimating the kids with the setup of
public school. The problem was that my daughter was in a library full of
kids, is quite shy and had never before taken a test. So, in this case
anyway, it was "performance anxiety" I believe.
Blessings, Lori in TX
[email protected]
In a message dated 10/31/99 10:11:45 AM EST, RRAINENJ@... writes:
<< The whole point of my story is to reassure you that
when "THEY" say your child does not know it and you know they do, you are
right! You, as a parent, know best! Blessings, Lori in TX >>
Lori,
Thanks, it always helps to have some encouragement!
<< The whole point of my story is to reassure you that
when "THEY" say your child does not know it and you know they do, you are
right! You, as a parent, know best! Blessings, Lori in TX >>
Lori,
Thanks, it always helps to have some encouragement!