luv2homeschool1998

I live in Ontario, Canada (where we don't have to report to anyone)
and have a 13yos who is very bright and it seems every time I buy a
science book for him it is so boring. In the past 5 years we haven't
exactly unschooled totally, but for science he just explored his
interests. This year for grade 9 we bought Apologia Biology. He is
really having a struggle with it. He is an excellent reader, but is
having a hard time remembering what the definitions mean and what
things like an autotroph, etc. is.

Can he explore his interests in high school as well as public school?
The only thing I am worried about for him is math and that he can
spell and write properly. I really don't care about the rest. Is this
the wrong attitude?

Thanks for any help you can give to me.

Julie Bogart

--- In [email protected],
"luv2homeschool1998" <fkgrawburg@e...> wrote:
In the past 5 years we haven't
> exactly unschooled totally, but for science he just explored his
> interests. This year for grade 9 we bought Apologia Biology. He
is
> really having a struggle with it.

Mine struggled with it too. It IS boring for the ones not interested.
My oldest, now, just reads (rather, devours) Popular Science and
Discovery magazines every month. Amazingly, he knows a ton
about science that I have never thought he'd retain.

I had to let go of my feeling that he must learn science in a
traditional manner. The hardest part has been thinking through
college admissions. We have discussed this a lot. He decided
to study biology in a co-op class (to do the dissections) but isn't
interested at all in chemistry and is on pins and needles to study
physics once his math is up to par.

My daughter (13, almost 14) is at this same point in her
dilemma. She isn't interested in science at all. So does she have
to do it? We're exploring the possiblities/options and I'll follow
her lead. If she decides not to do any science in high school,
then she'll make that choice and face whatever she needs to for
college.

"What About College?" by Cafi Cohen helped me relax A LOT
about admissions requirements. You might want to pick that up.


> Can he explore his interests in high school as well as public
school?

My kids are doing a combo. They like the social aspects of public
school and some of the electives. But they aren't doing any "core"
classes there. So they have the option of going part time here in
Ohio. And they do pursue their interests at home in all the other
time they have. Works well for us.

> The only thing I am worried about for him is math and that he
can
> spell and write properly. I really don't care about the rest. Is this
> the wrong attitude?

I think we all worry and each one of us worries about different
things. I've spent far too many precious hours of my life worrying
about math. I worried when I took math and now I worry for my
older kids. My dh said the other night, "Give it up." He was so
right. I went to my son (16) and told him that I'm done riding him
about math. He can take it or not, get any grade, he can have
tutoring that I'll pay for if he needs it, but I will no longer hover
over him. He was relieved. The truth is, he wants to go into
computer science. If this field really does appeal to him, the
pressure of success in that industry may depend on his math.
When he comes to that core conclusion, he'll get the math.

So I've let it go.

Writing? I teach writing online to homeschooling families. The
main thing I can say is this. Kids whose mothers worry about
their kids writing tend to produce kids who either hate to write or
lifeless, stiff writers. Mothers who back off, spend tons of time
talking with their children, read lots of good literature and where
writing that is produced is enjoyed and read tend to produce
better writers.

The keys for writing are simple: writing is about communicating
effectively in written language. That comes from relaxed,
non-pressured opportunities to write (email, IMing, sending
notes to friends, song lyrics, poems, short stories...) that kids
initiate. Kids who are comfortable expressing themselves in
written language (no matter how poor the quality of actual
writing) will be able to be taught writing forms at the time they
need them (high school or college). When they see that they are
ready to learn, teaching them is easy.

here's a link to my website for some articles that may help you to
breathe and let go of that anxiety:

http://www.bravewriter.com
>
> Thanks for any help you can give to me.

I hope this has been helpful. I really understand how you feel. I've
only converted to unschooling fully in the last eight months. It's a
big switch and it's easy to let other homeschooling families
undermine your confidence when you listen to them rattle off all
the requirements they think their kids need.

Turn a deaf ear and look at your child. Who is he? What is he
learning? Celebrate that and college will sort itself out.

Julie B