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fkgrawburg@... writes:

<<I live in Ontario, Canada >>

Nice to meet you! I'm Aimee, live in Chicago, IL, with one son, Alex,
9. I'll be in your neck of the woods tomorrow, and all next week! Oh
Canada....

<<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. >>

I'm not familiar with that. But is he reading from interest, or is he
reading Chapters 1-3 type thing? I find that my son recalls just fine when
he's interested, but when he pressures himself to finish or read a certain
thing, he just has no retention. I ask him questions and I get a lot of shrugs
and "I don't remember." We talk about how just reading thru something will give
you a general idea about something, and if that's all he wants, that's all we
do, and that's fine. And later on, we know where to look something up, at
least!

So, instead, we follow his interests, we read together, stop a lot,
ask each other questions, look stuff up online, and we really explore and get
into it. That makes a major difference. Context. And we don't move on until
we've exhausted the subject or he gets "soaked" with it and wants to move on.
But this doesn't happen with everything.

> <<I am worried about for him is math>>

What worries do you have? I would ask what the math is for? Again,
context. I really think that if he delved into other subjects and found a use
for math, a personalized context for learning math, that he would learn all
the skills he needs. But I think if you're having the worry that he might need
it someday, I would say try to become more comfortable with waiting for that
day, and trusting that he will learn it then.

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

If you're asking if you can unschool high school, the simple answer is
yes. I don't think that kids can explore their interests very much at all in
public school, so I don't get what you're saying exactly.

<<I really don't care about the rest. Is this
the wrong attitude?>>

For unschooling, I would say, yes. What does he care about? Does he
have a strong natural interest in math and science? Lots of people unschool,
except for math, or except for something else, and altho I don't think that's
unschooling, I understand the worry that parents have. I think the worry is
unfounded on one hand, and understandable on another. But, to be clear, I
think that if you require your child to learn things he might never need, and
doesn't want to learn, that's not unschooling. I honestly think that adds
pressure and expectations that get in the way of learning.

I don't know what else to say but that his interests *will* lead him
to the things he needs, that calculus or algebra CAN be learned unschooling.
There's no reason why it can't. For example, if he becomes interested in
Physics, and he find he needs Algebra, he'll learn it to help him understand
Physics. I like that example because I failed Algebra twice in HS, but got straight
A's in Physics, all I needed was context to help me understand it.

When I first started unschooling, I was concerned about high school,
and actually told people I would probably send him. Now, I am much more
relaxed and hopeful about it. I hope that continuing to trust his process will lead
him naturally to explore his interests and abilities, and I hope not to have
any more expectations for him at high school age than I do now, altho I still
stuggle with it a bit. What is it about high school that makes me anxious, I
don't know, it didn't prepare me very well for college or life!!

<<Thanks for any help you can give to me. >>

I gave you what I've got, I don't know what help it was!!

~Aimee


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Gerard Westenberg

B<<ut is he reading from interest, or is he
reading Chapters 1-3 type thing? I find that my son recalls just fine when he's interested, but when he pressures himself to finish or read a certain thing, he just has no retention. >.

I find the same - for me and my sons! lol!

Last year, one of my sons read through a Physics and a Chemistry text that were on our shelves. He read through them just because he was ( is) interested in science and he liked the clear explanations in these books.

He was following his interests and thus, has retained more.

When he got to parts that he felt he didn't quite grasp, he asked me questions,. I know little about science but I found that, if I asked him to read aloud the section he was pondering, then I was able to help him break the explanation down into little bits. He then *got* these little bits.

I think that unschooling is the only way this son can really get into science, on his own schedule. One of his older brothers is into manga and gaming and does the same amount of reading for his interests. They are both learning through unschooling - high school age or not...Leonie


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