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By the way my cat just sent mail to this list by walking across my keepboard.
:)

I have a soon to be 8 year old who is not reading. It doesn't bother me
because I know he will want to learn when he is ready. My oldest didn't learn
until he was 9 and learned very quickly at that time. This is my youngest child
and he has been the youngest in many ways. He has been slower to develope all
skills, has an explosive temperament, and usually he just needs time to make
up his own mind.
My problem is this. Other neighborhood children. Unfortunately we live in a
neighborhood with many children. My youngest is also very social. They rib
him about his inability to read. He turns it inward and decides he is stupid.
I said I will help him anytime he wants me to and we have done stuff that he
wants as long as he wants. He loves animals and that is the direction we go.
Ranger Rick, National Geo, Crocodile hunter, whatever. This is what he
loves and this is what we do. He is very inquisitive and asks many profound
questions.
My other problem is we live in NY state with all their stupid requirements.
I manage to keep them happy, but sometimes I am afraid that some "well
meaning" person will decide that this is a case of educational neglect.
I know of no other unschooler in my area, I haven't funds to travel far and
while I am a Christian I find most of the Christians that are homeschoolers to
be very legalistic and very school at home type people. I am definitely not
of the Bob Jones, Abeka, or Bill Gothard persuasion which is predominant here.
Especially in this state. I also find them very afraid to challenge the
status quo. There are people who want to challenge the control of this state but
too many are afraid that they would lose freedom instead of gain it and many
believe that it is necessary to have control.
I feel alone in this state and wish it was possible to go somewhere else at
times. I used to live in Wash State years ago and our group consisted of all
types of homeschoolers. We even had John Holt as a speaker one year. I miss
that.

So if you have responses to teach my son when other children make fun of him.
Or any other advice I would appreciate it. And if any of you live in
upstate NY, I would like to know.

Cathy

Betsy

**My other problem is we live in NY state with all their stupid
requirements.
I manage to keep them happy, but sometimes I am afraid that some "well
meaning" person will decide that this is a case of educational neglect. **

Without mentioning it to your son, what about showing him repeating a
grade on whatever paperwork you file with the state?

It seems that it would be harder for anyone to pressure you to show your
son is performing at "third grade level" if you list him as being in the
second grade. (Apologies if I have calculated this wrong.)

If other parents hassle me about my son's weaker areas I toss around
phrases like "uneven development" and "customized learning" and change
the subject to areas in which he excells.

Betsy

Tia Leschke

>
>If other parents hassle me about my son's weaker areas I toss around
>phrases like "uneven development" and "customized learning" and change
>the subject to areas in which he excells.


Another thing you could do is figure out even one area where he's ahead of
his peers and point that out to him.
Tia

liza sabater

On Saturday, October 4, 2003, at 05:00 PM, C4M4@... wrote:
> My other problem is we live in NY state with all their stupid
> requirements.

I hear you, main reason to leave.

> I manage to keep them happy, but sometimes I am afraid that some "well
> meaning" person will decide that this is a case of educational neglect.
> I know of no other unschooler in my area,


Well, to get to that point there is a whole process. #1 question: Are
you filing your IHIPs?
Always have a paper trail handy. Not too explicit but with just what
you need to prove
compliance.


> I haven't funds to travel far and
> while I am a Christian I find most of the Christians that are
> homeschoolers to
> be very legalistic and very school at home type people. I am
> definitely not
> of the Bob Jones, Abeka, or Bill Gothard persuasion which is
> predominant here.
> Especially in this state.


Weird, isn't it? NY is very conservative when it comes to education.
Not just legally but culturally.

> I also find them very afraid to challenge the
> status quo. There are people who want to challenge the control of
> this state but
> too many are afraid that they would lose freedom instead of gain it
> and many
> believe that it is necessary to have control.
> I feel alone in this state and wish it was possible to go somewhere
> else at
> times. I used to live in Wash State years ago and our group consisted
> of all
> types of homeschoolers. We even had John Holt as a speaker one year.
> I miss
> that.



I have met some NY christian (and jewish and muslim and atheist)
homeschoolers who are quite relaxed.
But unschoolers are hard to find, even in a place like NYC.



> So if you have responses to teach my son when other children make fun
> of him.


There are many levels of reading and I have found that many schooled
kids are very good at memorization,
not necessarily comprehension --and this goes well into college, may I
add. There are also many different
kinds of reading --signs, expressions, colors, actions. You can talk
about all the different kinds of reading
and different levels.


> Or any other advice I would appreciate it. And if any of you live in
> upstate NY, I would like to know.
>

Upstate is very very big. Where are you?


/ l i z a, nyc
============================
http://culturekitchen.com
http://liza.typepad.com
http://typepadistas.com

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In a message dated 10/4/03 6:52:54 PM, leschke@... writes:

<< Another thing you could do is figure out even one area where he's ahead of
his peers and point that out to him. >>

I did that with my kids, and also told them stories of other people who had
learned something or other really well and early, but in the longrun weren't
particularly good at it.

And I always told them about my friend Karen, the tallest girl I had ever
known, taller than the teacher, taller than all the boys in 4th grade. We grew
up, I stopped comparing heights, boys got taller, I got taller, and I saw her
when I was in college and hadn't seen her for several years. She was 5'2".
She might have been 5'2" in 4th grade, but she certainly stayed (overall) very
short. They know kids themselves who are tall or short and then everything
changes.

At this very moment, Holly is halfway through a Judy Blume novel, and is
wishing it wasn't so exciting, so she could sleep. Her friend who is required to
read a chapter a day doesn't succeed in doing so. Holly's started the third
chapter in half an hour. But a year or so ago, Holly couldn't read a page of
print like that, with no pictures and no clues.

Growth isn't scheduled and curves aren't smooth.
Kids grow in fits and starts, spurts and rests.

Sandra