ThisClose to pulling DS (8th grade) and HSing - Help!

[Namaste Amma]

DS has always struggled in the public school system. Over the years I have watched his love of learning and curiosity dwindle, and the past 3 years he has struggled immensely, barely passing 6th and 7th grade. Now, partway through 8th grade he is having the same problems. DS is diagnosed with Aspergers and ADHD. Needless to say the public school system is not set up to be the best environment for him. DS is definitely intelligent and capable of learning whatever he decides to. I hate that he hates school. I want him to find pleasure in learning again. To find what he is most interested in so that he can go on to have a satisfying career someday.

The trouble? I have NO idea where to start! Does anyone have any suggestions on how to HS an 8th grader? I am definitely going to HS DD, but she is 2, and I have time to figure out how to pull that off. I don't want to slow DS's learning even more (although honestly I'm not sure that's possible).

Anyone have advice on HSing a teenager? On curriculum?

Thanks!

[4evermom]

Maybe try a cyber school for the rest of this year while you wrap your head around the possibilities and figure out what would work best for your ds?

Typically, cyber schools are public schools that you do at home via the internet. Here, they loan the student a laptop for the year. The student checks in online for assignments and does them. Sometimes they need to mail packages of samples in to the school, maybe that happens more at the lower grades so they can see handwriting and such.

I don't have any personal experience with cyber schools but we have friends that use them. They aren't all the same so you want to ask local homeschoolers their opinions (try searching for homeschool yahoo groups in your state). Some use them because they don't want to figure out a curriculum and they want to make sure their kids are staying on level. Some want to take advantage of activities and services they provide (if you live close enough to go to them).

[LilMamiBella]

My son was in a virtual school. He has ADD and hated virtual school. He needed lots of hand holding. The school required 5 hours of school time for him. Sometimes he could get it done earlier if I was there with him the whole time. If he was mostly on his own, it would take him way more than 5 hours! We are now doing a Charlotte Mason approach ( reading, writing/copywork/dictation, arithmetic, art, and lots of time outside with maybe a few science experiments thrown in).

[Annie Mac]

This isn't *exactly* the answer to your question, but my daughter also struggled with the school system. In looking for options for her, I found there was a variety of alternative programs that may speak more aptly to your son's needs. I see you are in Atlanta, which, being a huge metro area, likely has a number of these programs running. If interested, the school board usually has all the pertinent information. Another option we found was a program that offers the exact same course work as a public school (they supplied the books and curriculum), and you just do it at home and send in your assignments, and check in with a teacher every so often to monitor progress and get in-person feedback (you also got feedback with every assignment). Sort of a half-homeschooling option, with a lot less pressure on the parents to create and mark lessons. I did that myself in grade 11, and managed to finish the whole year in two months. I don't know about your son, but my daughter at that age thought I knew nothing. She wouldn't have taken instruction from me gladly, so it was nice to have a "real teacher" there. (Ironically, I am also a "real teacher.")

[4evermom]

Originally Posted by Annie Mac

Another option we found was a program that offers the exact same course work as a public school (they supplied the books and curriculum), and you just do it at home and send in your assignments, and check in with a teacher every so often to monitor progress and get in-person feedback (you also got feedback with every assignment). Sort of a half-homeschooling option, with a lot less pressure on the parents to create and mark lessons.

That's more what my friend's cyber school sounds like. They aren't spending 5 hours a day sitting in front of their computers!

[Namaste Amma]

Originally Posted by Annie Mac

Another option we found was a program that offers the exact same course work as a public school (they supplied the books and curriculum), and you just do it at home and send in your assignments, and check in with a teacher every so often to monitor progress and get in-person feedback (you also got feedback with every assignment). Sort of a half-homeschooling option, with a lot less pressure on the parents to create and mark lessons.

This seems like a good option for us to consider. Do you have any idea what this type of program would be called?

[Annie Mac]

Originally Posted by jenc7237

This seems like a good option for us to consider. Do you have any idea what this type of program would be called?

It was called the Correspondence Program. However, I'm in Canada, so you probably won't have the same name. I would start with your local school board. They administer the program here, and they should at the very least be able to point you in the right direction. We also have job centres here, gov't run places that have job listings and offer help with resumes and helping people get back to work, ie through finishing high school and/or getting post-secondary education. I have lived in the South, and am not sure you're going to find the same thing (at least not gov't run), but if you can, they are also a good resource. Good luck!