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children, curriculum, education, home, homeschool, kids, learning, McRuffy Press, sarah robinson, school, teach
I started homeschooling last year shortly after we moved into our new house. We had enrolled R in the local public school around the corner and had been optimistic that she would thrive and so well. She did make friends, but we realized quickly that she was falling behind in most subjects. As a teacher’s conference we asked that her teacher keep us updated with R’s progress and less us know if she continued to fall behind. Her teacher reassured us that she would keep in contact and we felt confident that R’s grades would be better. A progress report came 3 months after our discussion with R’s teacher and she was behind in every subject and had been failing tests, all unknown to us because the teacher never let us know.
The teacher had our e-mail, I frequently got e-mails asking for phone numbers and address to pass along to kids and parents so that play dates could be arranged. Really? You can take time out of your day to e-mail parent’s about play dates but not to inform me that my child is struggling? No, this wouldn’t do. I know what happens to kids who start being pulled along with their peers, being pushed into subject matter that they aren’t ready for. I knew that I would either have to fight with the school or take my daughter’s education into my own hands.
My husband and I had been talking for some time about homeschooling. I was nervous about being 100% accountable for all of my children’s education. I’m educated. I have graduated college. It came down to what was best for my kids. R had some to me around Christmas time last year and told me that she was going to ask Santa for a new brain because she was stupid. So, what was best was to just dive right in, sink or swim. But, when it comes to your kids, you have to swim, you don’t have a choice. So, when I got that progress report I told R that she could finish out the school week, get phone numbers from the friends that she would like to keep talking to and that would be it, she would not be returning after that.
We finished out the 1st grade at home though Horizon Charter School. They are amazing! They provide a budget for everything you need to teach your child from home with lots of support and opportunities for social time with others. I learned quickly that R needs lots of one-on-one which was impossible to get in a public school. She needs someone helping her to keep on task and catching her when she takes the lazy was around things or skips words she doesn’t know. I’m still having to remind her that it’s ok to ask for help.
One to today! Today starts our first entire school year homeschooling. I teach three subjects a day, except Friday’s we only need to do two. Today we did math ( I use McRuffy Press curriculum), Reading/Phonics/Writing (again, I use McRuffy Press curriculum), and our finial subject is Social Science/History (Houghton Mifflin book). It went smoothly for the most part. R gets really frustrated and breaks down and cries, a lot, which is distressing for me. We’re working on patience for both of us. Most everything today was a review, but it does seem that there were a few things lost over the summer, which I’m sure triggered a bit of frustration from both of us. I’m sure we’ll get through all the bumps and have a great year. I have so much pride watching my daughter absorb the things that I’m teaching her.
When she “gets” something I get so excited! I, ME, taught my daughter that! She learned what she knows from me! It’s an amazing feeling! She is slowly gaining back the confidence in learning that was taken from her in public school, she says she feels smart!
I hope everyone else had a great start to the school year!
Posted by monstersandmommy | Filed under Homeschool, The Monsters