Jaye Hearthenwood

Hi everyone,

I just got my first digest from this group today. Looks good. I've been
homeschooling my kids from the start. Logan is 14 and Caspian is 8. We've been
unschooling all along, but this year the Alberta government has tightened up the
regulations for homeschoolers, and we have to submit to 2 x a year assessments and
standardized testing in grades 3, 6 & 9. Bummer.

Anyway, my older son and I are both challenged with bipolar disorder (manic
depression), and this has been a very difficult year health-wise for me. My mother
has been helping out by providing 'Grandma School' for the boys, which has been
basically helping them memorise their times-tables, and get the basics of
multiplying, dividing, basic geography, etc. They already read very well, but we
don't want trouble from the powers that be about them not being at grade level.

I'm wondering how others have managed to have teens meet the 'required standards',
when their interests do not lie in those directions; ie: grade 8 or 9 math, etc.
Logan is very oppositional, and ends up depressed when he can't or won't do what
is asked of him, and then decides he is just not 'good enough', no matter how much
I try to assure him otherwise. Any suggestions or experiences to share? Thanks in
advance, and I look forward to hearing from all of you.

Jaye, single mom to Logan, 14, and Caspian, 8
Alberta, Canada

Anita Bower

Jaye:

Welcome!

My experience is with my 11 year old son. We periodicaly do required-type
math, usually when we have to prepare for a standardized test. It helps us
to work on it only for a certain period of time--say 4 to 6 weeks--then law
off. My son has yet to master all the multiplication tables, but does know
them up to 5. Yet, he can figure out many math problems that come up in
daily life. He uses math for carpentry and managing his money.

Anita
Homeschooling Mom
Nottingham, PA

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate,
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."
Nelson Mandela Inaugural Speech, 1994

Sonia Ulan

Hey, HI!!!

Another Canadian!

I'm in Saskatoon. We came from Alberta before moving here. You're
scaring me with this assessment and standardized testing stuff...How
exactly DO unschoolers get around that? We may soon be facing a move
again, and I'd like to know how we'd manage in a stricter environment.

Here, the school board offers everything as an option to those who so
choose, ie, curriculum, standardized tests etc. Otherwise, we meet with
a liason from the school board once a year, (usually in June) and hand
over: a summative record of the year's experience, some sample works
(just about anything counts: my son made a homemade fishing rod last
year and we usually take some drawings the kids have done.), and a
periodic log. Not unlike some of the "day in the life of" essays I've
been reading on this list lately.

I have no idea what is expected in the U. S. of A., or elsewhere in
Canada but I guess comparatively speaking Saskatchewan is reasonably
progressive with its schooling...or "un"...

I wouldn't mind knowing what the expectations are regarding
homeschooling in Massachusetts if anyone out there knows...A move to
Boston may be in our future...

Sonia
Jaye Hearthenwood wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I just got my first digest from this group today. Looks good. I've been
> homeschooling my kids from the start. Logan is 14 and Caspian is 8. We've been
> unschooling all along, but this year the Alberta government has tightened up the
> regulations for homeschoolers, and we have to submit to 2 x a year assessments and
> standardized testing in grades 3, 6 & 9. Bummer.
>
> Anyway, my older son and I are both challenged with bipolar disorder (manic
> depression), and this has been a very difficult year health-wise for me. My mother
> has been helping out by providing 'Grandma School' for the boys, which has been
> basically helping them memorise their times-tables, and get the basics of
> multiplying, dividing, basic geography, etc. They already read very well, but we
> don't want trouble from the powers that be about them not being at grade level.
>
> I'm wondering how others have managed to have teens meet the 'required standards',
> when their interests do not lie in those directions; ie: grade 8 or 9 math, etc.
> Logan is very oppositional, and ends up depressed when he can't or won't do what
> is asked of him, and then decides he is just not 'good enough', no matter how much
> I try to assure him otherwise. Any suggestions or experiences to share? Thanks in
> advance, and I look forward to hearing from all of you.
>
> Jaye, single mom to Logan, 14, and Caspian, 8
> Alberta, Canada
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Make new friends, find the old at Classmates.com:
> http://click.egroups.com/1/4052/7/_/448294/_/958682221/
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message boards, timely articles, a free newsletter and more!
> Check it all out at: http://www.unschooling.com
>
> To Unsubscribe: mailto:[email protected]