I have been blessed with three wonderful little munchkins.
- Nicholas, age 6 1/2
- Benjamin, age 5
- Penelope, a week shy of 4 months
They are my world, my pride & joy, my everything!
Nick and Ben are currently attending a local private school. We have concerns about the public school system not teaching things that are consistent with our moral and religious values, and made the decision that Christian school would be a better option for them. Furthermore, they attended school in Texas last year, a more advanced school system (overall) than the one here in Washington, which is just not able to keep up with what they have already learned.
I have spoken with Nick's teacher on multiple occasions this year, with concerns that the classwork being sent home, as well as the homework (or should I say, lack thereof?), is FAR below his capabilities at this point. He is bored in class and not being challenged in the least. In fact, his teacher was unable to think of any single area in which he needed improvement. He is a sponge and soaks up information, rising to any challenge asked of him. Her only advice to me has been to continue working with him at home, to reinforce what he has already learned and advance his skills at a pace more suitable for him.
Nick is a fantastic reader (more on this in another post). He is also excellent at math. I spoke with his teacher about classwork and homework I've seen in those two areas, because they are both far below his ability level. She has agreed to bump him up to the next reading level (...eventually...), but there's really nothing she can do about the math issue. I can teach him at home, no problem, but for what we've paid for tuition, I don't feel like I should have to. I promised myself I'd wait until the end of next week, and if I still haven't seen an improvement in the difficulty level, I will have to have a sit-down with the principal. I don't know what options we have, but it's certainly something that needs to be discussed at this point. Benjamin is also bored in school (and doesn't like it, but he's a homebody and very timid around others so school is well outside of his 'comfort zone')... he comes home begging me to let him work in his Kindergarten workbook (that I purchased at a local bookstore) because he never has homework. Ever. None. At all.
The decision to homeschool the boys next year (and supplement their education this year) was an easy one. It's very clear that they are just not being challenged (quite the opposite, in fact). The public school system is even worse, so that is not an option either. I have spoken with my family regarding this, including the boys, and we all seem to be on the same page and are looking forward to this new adventure. I'm not saying it will be easy. Far from it. I have my own health concerns to deal with, but I do also think that HS'ing is within the realm of possibility for me at this time and in the (near, anyway) future. It's their best shot, so why not?
I've spent a lot of time in the local libraries (yes, plural, lol) looking for and checking out books related to homeschooling. Many of them are very basic - introductions to homeschooling, how-to's, etc. I have plenty of time to get all the in-depth information I'm looking for. But I want to make sure all my bases are covered, that I know exactly what I'm getting into, and I want to have as many reliable resources for support and information as possible. The more prepared I am, the more successful this will all be.
And the countdown begins...
Nick and Ben are currently attending a local private school. We have concerns about the public school system not teaching things that are consistent with our moral and religious values, and made the decision that Christian school would be a better option for them. Furthermore, they attended school in Texas last year, a more advanced school system (overall) than the one here in Washington, which is just not able to keep up with what they have already learned.
I have spoken with Nick's teacher on multiple occasions this year, with concerns that the classwork being sent home, as well as the homework (or should I say, lack thereof?), is FAR below his capabilities at this point. He is bored in class and not being challenged in the least. In fact, his teacher was unable to think of any single area in which he needed improvement. He is a sponge and soaks up information, rising to any challenge asked of him. Her only advice to me has been to continue working with him at home, to reinforce what he has already learned and advance his skills at a pace more suitable for him.
Nick is a fantastic reader (more on this in another post). He is also excellent at math. I spoke with his teacher about classwork and homework I've seen in those two areas, because they are both far below his ability level. She has agreed to bump him up to the next reading level (...eventually...), but there's really nothing she can do about the math issue. I can teach him at home, no problem, but for what we've paid for tuition, I don't feel like I should have to. I promised myself I'd wait until the end of next week, and if I still haven't seen an improvement in the difficulty level, I will have to have a sit-down with the principal. I don't know what options we have, but it's certainly something that needs to be discussed at this point. Benjamin is also bored in school (and doesn't like it, but he's a homebody and very timid around others so school is well outside of his 'comfort zone')... he comes home begging me to let him work in his Kindergarten workbook (that I purchased at a local bookstore) because he never has homework. Ever. None. At all.
The decision to homeschool the boys next year (and supplement their education this year) was an easy one. It's very clear that they are just not being challenged (quite the opposite, in fact). The public school system is even worse, so that is not an option either. I have spoken with my family regarding this, including the boys, and we all seem to be on the same page and are looking forward to this new adventure. I'm not saying it will be easy. Far from it. I have my own health concerns to deal with, but I do also think that HS'ing is within the realm of possibility for me at this time and in the (near, anyway) future. It's their best shot, so why not?
I've spent a lot of time in the local libraries (yes, plural, lol) looking for and checking out books related to homeschooling. Many of them are very basic - introductions to homeschooling, how-to's, etc. I have plenty of time to get all the in-depth information I'm looking for. But I want to make sure all my bases are covered, that I know exactly what I'm getting into, and I want to have as many reliable resources for support and information as possible. The more prepared I am, the more successful this will all be.
So far, I've checked out the following books from the local libraries:
- Christian Home Educators' Curriculum Manual (Elementary Grades) by Cathy Duffy
- The Homeschooler's Guide To... by Vicki Caruana
- Homeschooling: Take a Deep Breath - You Can Do This by Terrie Lynn Bittner
- The Homeschooler's Book of Lists by Sonya Haskins
- The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child by Linda Dobson
- Homeschooling Step-By-Step by LauraMaery Gold & Joan M. Zielinski
- Homeschool Your Child For Free by LauraMaery Gold & Joan M. Zielinski
- 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum by Cathy Duffy
- The Homeschool Manual by Theodore E. Wade, Jr.
- Absolute Beginner's Guide to Homeschooling by Brad Miser
And the countdown begins...
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