Curriculum vs. Class Size

[BMG580]

Which would be more important to you? I am in a position to choose from three choices:

1) Small class size at a Christian school (12) that uses workbook based curriculum

2) Stay in public with a Kindy class size of 29 students

3) homeschool

I am not in love with the curriculum of the Christian school but the hours are better and obviously the student/teacher ratio is far better. She would be away from home from 9-1 M-F. I personally like the Christian aspect but I am Catholic and this is a Baptist based school - though clearly the nuances of theology that separate Catholics from Protestants isn't going to be addressed during Kindy, so I suppose that is really a minor issue. I have observed for an hour one of the K classes and it was really encouraging how intimate the environment was for the kids and how that impacted their interactions with their teacher and with each other.

I am stressed about the huge class size of her current class and the continual overcrowding that my child(ren) will experience in our public elementary school, though the school is rated "highly" meaning that the kids test really well on the SOLs. I also *really* like my child's current Kindy teacher, though I am not sure how effective any teacher can be with such a huge class. The day is long - she gets on the bus at 8:30 a.m. and off at 4:30 p.m. But, she is happy in public K and her teacher assures me she is really doing well.

I am not confident in my ability to homeschool, I feel it requires more discipline than I can provide right now for my K aged child, I have a toddler and an infant in the home as well and my DH travels M-F. But I am attracted to homeschooling and the flexibility it provides the children. I also have access to one of the best homeschool Catholic co-ops on the east coast, which is very encouraging b/c I know I would have support and social opportunities for my child(ren).

Which would you choose and why?

[MCsMom]

I'm in a somewhat simular situation. But my DD's kindy class is only 6 and I love the curriclum - the problem, the school currently stops at K. And I can't decide how much to push for 1 on up (the school has done this in the recent past). VS put my time and talents elsewhere with other private schools in the area VS homeschool.

Personally, I think 29 in K is insane - do they have an assistant at least? I would probably take my kid out of that situation. But just to be fair, public school is the one option we have ruled out for our kids.

[eepster]

Originally Posted by BMG580

she is happy in public K

This says a lot.

[Linda on the move]

I think that switching schools is hard on kids. If she's happy in public, then why not just leave her there for now? If at some point in the future it's no longer working, you could do something different then.

In general, I don't think that a religious school that isn't the family's religion is a good idea. Even though it might not come up in K, eventually it will. Eventually, they will tell her that you and her daddy and her church are WRONG about God and how you get to heaven.

Homeschooling is a whole nother thing. We used to homeschool, and school is working out much better both for my kids and for me. They really like learning with other kids and having more people in their lives, and I like the structure, which I was never able to bring to our lives when homeschooling. Both my kids are in school, so it's a true break for me, which I need and deserve after all these years. But every family is different, and what is best for one family at a particular time can be quite different than what is best for another family.

May be public school will work fine for your kids at lower grades, but homeschooling when they are a bit older (and you no longer have a baby and toddler but all bid kids!) will make sense for YOUR family. Just figure out this year. Don't try to figure out The Whole Educational Deal.

But back to your orignal question -- I think the TEACHER is more important than curriculum or the class size. A good teacher is really teaching the students, not just going through the curriculum. And it doesn't matter how small the class is, if the teacher isn't wonderful, it still isn't going to be wonderful class. The best thing about school for my kids has been having really wonderful teachers who know how to reach kids and are passionate about what they are doing.

[thriftyqueen]

We chose the smaller Christian school for my son. 29 kids in K is a lot especially if there is no aide. A teacher does not have enough time to meet the needs of 29 5-6 year old children. Especially with all the mainstreaming in most schools. I would personally make a switch to private or homeschool. My DS is happy and thriving in his class of 15. He is now in the 3rd grade and it was the best decision we have ever made. There is time to do special projects, not all the requirements of the public school system so there is time for art, fun activities, etc.

If you were to homeschool, you would need to decide that you for sure want to do it and are willing to put the time and effort into it. It is a lot of work to do it right, but could be a great choice. I am sure there are a lot of people on here who could give you great ideas on curriculum, if you chose to do so.

[sapphire_chan]

My first thought is how good can a teacher be if they have to use workbooks when they only have 12 students in the class? I'd want to question the Christian school VERY closely about what happens if a student doesn't respond well to workbooks.

Honestly, given your hesitations about structure in homeschooling, what I'd do is talk with the homeschool co-op and find out what curriculum is popular with them and buy that one. That way you'd not only have step by step instructions to help you, but you'd have people who had used the instructions to give you advice on using them.

[BMG580]

Originally Posted by thriftyqueen

29 kids in K is a lot especially if there is no aide.

There is a full time aide in her public Kindy class. But next year in 1st grade, class size will remain the same but no aide.

[Emmeline II]

If she is doing well now, I'd take time to think about it. Perhaps you could stick with the school for K and try the co-op later when your babe is older. I've seen a lot of hs moms say that they can accomplish a lot with 2-3hrs instruction per day.

Also, I found ds' charter by accident. I was looking at a drama studio for him and saw that they picked up from a charter school at the end of the day; that led to me finding the sister school that ds attends now. So there may be options you are not aware of.

[pregnant@40]

I would not like a workbook based curriculum for my child, especially if the teacher is uncertified. Since she's happy in her current situation, I would keep her there.

[emilysmama]

Originally Posted by BMG580

There is a full time aide in her public Kindy class. But next year in 1st grade, class size will remain the same but no aide.

My dd is in 1st right now in a class of 27 public school students and no aide. I have no complaints at all, and all admiration.

The teacher is organized, structured, and sets up clear rules that she enforces, so that the classroom runs like a well-oiled engine. The teacher organized the routines of her classroom in order to encourage much more independence from the children than was expected from the kindergarteners. As a result, she spends less time with disciplining and behavior issues, and more time interacting with the children. I am satisfied by the amount of personal attention that my dd is getting from the teacher.

So, near the end of K, it is well within your rights that you might like to tell the K teacher and principal that you would like your child assigned to a teacher who can provide a structured orderly learning environment, rather than a teacher that is more laid-back.

[One_Girl]

I would not go with a workbook based Christian school unless I observed them a lot and they also did a lot of inquiry based work. My dd attends a charter school that does the International Baccalaureate program and they use worksheets for math and grammer, but they also do a ton of inquiry based learning in all of their subjects so I feel like the fact that worksheets are there isn't an issue like it was in her old school where they did worksheets and no inquiry based learning. I think that a workbook can be a good tool if it isn't overused, it gives the teacher the ability to have kids practice a skill in the short amount of time they have to cover the material they have to cover. There is a totally different feel to this school and my dd is learning things in a deeper way than she was at her old school. If you see that the school uses the workbooks in a way that doesn't inhibit creativity and inquiry, then I think that you should go for it.

Homeschooling can also be fun. I really wish that I could homeschool my dd again but that isn't reality right now and she is doing so well in her school that I would be reluctant to pull her out if I could because they are really wonderful. It took me a long time to adjust and really find a good balance of activities for dd, time alone for me, and an effective way to teach my dd. Once I got that balance I really enjoyed it. The homeschooling forum has awesome support.

[MrsJewelsRae]

Personally, I'd look more into homeschooling. Check out some books from the library, ask some questions on the message board here. HS is really a lot less daunting than it seems once you dive in, plus with your oldest still being so young there is a loooot of wiggle room and flexibility to get used to it and get your feet under you, and if you feel like it's not working out she's still young you can put her back in school.

If I had to choose between the public and Christian schools you described, I'd pick the Christian- that 1pm home time would be my final sell, plus that small class size I really like. I wouldn't worry as much about a school's test scores being super high as much as I would my child being gone for such a long day at so young and in a huge class, but that's just me. I think when it comes down to it, your child's test scores are going to be highly affected by parental involvement, so I'd try to work with the Christian school curriculum and see how your dd likes it, maybe talk to some other parents that have kids in that school, get some feedback. GL!