change from homeschool to public school

[ecoteat]

I'm a 3rd/4th grade teacher who will have a 3rd grader this year who has never been in school. I've known her outside of school for a few years, so I think that will help her a lot, but I was wondering if anyone has advice for me on helping her with the transition. She has basically been UNschooled so far, and although I think she is very intelligent, she isn't really reading much yet. I'm really excited to have her in my class and I want it to be a good experience for everyone! I know it was a very hard decision for her and her mother.

[elizam]

Interesting You SHould Ask This!

and very caring, too, I should add!

My second grader just started PS this morning. It was truly bittersweet for me as his mother. He was excited to go, but a little apprehensive. He came home exhaused and a bit troubled. He told me they had to get a book and read to themselves...but he couldn't read it at ALL and he just sat there pretending.

The book he brought home for at home reading also had a LOT of words he didn't know.

Of course we did reading last year, and in K, too. It isn't his "thing" at all, although he does enjoy my reading TO him. We are almost finished with Call it Courage and are also reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for the second time. For whatever reason, reading alone hasn't "clicked" for him yet. My older ds was in first grade and barely reading the first week or two, but jumped several levels by Christmas and was soon the most advanced one in his class, reading full chapter books by second grade.

A friend of ours has a 7yo in CS and he is reading The Boxcar Children. Mine can barely make it through an Easy Reader like Frog and Toad, and that's WITH my prompts. In my heart, I do believe that it will all come in due time, but I am anxious about it. I also started thinking, what if the teacher says he should have been put in FIRST grade????

So, I think it is great that, as a teacher, you care and respect this family and this child. I'd say just keep working with the child when you can, and trust that the parents will as well. Perhaps a volunteer can work a little extra with the students who need a little more help.

I really believe that everyone has their own timetable for reading (not to mention other subjects). School these days seems tough. I learned to read before I ever entered school, but that's different. Not all kids do that! Also, people tend to judge based on whether or not kids are reading, how intelligent they are overall. But my ds creates amazing lego cars and loves anything with an engine or that flies. He is very good in math and even loves it. I personally always felt SICK over math the way he does over reading!