My son is 10. He entered kindergarten in an arts-based charter school just before he turned 5 (I had intended to wait but he was very, very ready). He attended that school until midway through 3rd grade when we moved. I moved him into a Montessori-based charter school in the same district. That school was, well, pretty awful. So I took him out and put him into the homeschool charter in the same district. That was last year.
At the time when I took him out, he was in 4th grade but he was not doing well in math and they wanted to put him back into 3rd. I explained this to the homeschool charter teacher and she said that's fine, and she brought both 3rd and 4th grade math books.
I had always felt strongly that the math problems were school-related, that he didn't 'have trouble' as much as it was a reflection of a lot of issues at that school.
As part of the homeschool charter program, we had to log at least four hours of work per day, five days per week. They were flexible in that they counted things like caring for a pet or helping cook dinner as school work.
Starting at the beginning of this year (5th grade), we have been homeschooling on our own, not registered with anyone.
I feel insecure in that we lack a certain amount of structure. I write out plans for the whole week, but then we, um, don't really follow them.
But he is doing great. He reads at an adult level, he is doing very well in Saxon 7/6 and when he does work on math lessons that are geared toward 5th grade he comments on how very easy it is. He's amazing with his geography, great with science. He writes wonderful, detailed stories. Etc.
He needs some work on spelling and handwriting though.
Do I really need to sit him down for four hours five days a week? When he doesn't do four hours I get pretty anxious. I'm terrified that he's going to fall behind and be basically a fourth grade dropout. But really, I don't think it has to be that way. Some days he gets up and just sits down and works for 4 or 5 hours but other days I have to not just remind him but really make him do it.
At the time when I took him out, he was in 4th grade but he was not doing well in math and they wanted to put him back into 3rd. I explained this to the homeschool charter teacher and she said that's fine, and she brought both 3rd and 4th grade math books.
I had always felt strongly that the math problems were school-related, that he didn't 'have trouble' as much as it was a reflection of a lot of issues at that school.
As part of the homeschool charter program, we had to log at least four hours of work per day, five days per week. They were flexible in that they counted things like caring for a pet or helping cook dinner as school work.
Starting at the beginning of this year (5th grade), we have been homeschooling on our own, not registered with anyone.
I feel insecure in that we lack a certain amount of structure. I write out plans for the whole week, but then we, um, don't really follow them.
But he is doing great. He reads at an adult level, he is doing very well in Saxon 7/6 and when he does work on math lessons that are geared toward 5th grade he comments on how very easy it is. He's amazing with his geography, great with science. He writes wonderful, detailed stories. Etc.
He needs some work on spelling and handwriting though.
Do I really need to sit him down for four hours five days a week? When he doesn't do four hours I get pretty anxious. I'm terrified that he's going to fall behind and be basically a fourth grade dropout. But really, I don't think it has to be that way. Some days he gets up and just sits down and works for 4 or 5 hours but other days I have to not just remind him but really make him do it.
