As many of you know, my daughter is attending 1/2 day kindergarten at a ps. I am also doing a hs program with her in the afternoon. This past week has been a real challenge getting her to do her work at home. I hate to back off since home is where the bulk of her learning takes place. YET, my husband refused to let me pull her from the ps. She is behind academically and I am afraid that if I ease up and get lax on the homeschooling that she will continue to fall further behind. What would you do? I don't want her to hate school at such a young age.
I can't imagine that making such a young child do lessons all day is going to help her. If she's pushing back against doing them, it's probably because she's mentally tired. I'd wait and use summers for catch-up on anything you think she's not getting at school. Also, what do you think she's behind in? Kindergarten is generally just letter recognition, sound recognition, and number recognition--- with simple words and simple addition thrown in. Is she struggling with the information that's been given or are you expecting more from a Kindergarten curriculum than the school is providing?
That is a lot of school hours for a little girl. If you can't homeschool her I think that waiting for summer is the best idea. Catch her up then when there's less pressure. Is there a reason he won't let you homeschool? Amy
I'm gonna agree with these ladies. That is way too much "school" for a K student. If you can't homeschool her then let her finish k and let her have fun and play in the afternoon. If she wasn't going to public school I bet she'd do just fine with the work you are giving her. It's just too much to do both.
Me too, Id back off, maybe have one day of "Home Tutoring" and then over the summer when she is feeling bored, pick up some stuff then off and on as it inspires you and her both to do it. she is way too young for full day of school at that age, and even though I know they are trying to do more pushing in K these days we have to remember our children need to be taught things as they grow to it. It bugs me that Kgs try to put so much on a child, some kids just are not ready to learn that much ahead. Sing songs, play music to teach the basics, and let her do something else while you do. WAtch visual things with phonics that make learning look fun!
I agree with the ladies! She has so many years of school ahead of her! Let her be a kid for now. She'll grow up soon enough, and catch up easily, especially if you start homeschooling her! Is there any way your dh is going to let you homeschool her next year? If you say, "Let's try it for one year and see how it goes. If it doesn't work out, I'll put her back in school." Or something like that, might he at least think about it? Have you showed him articles and things on how well homeschoolers do academically? Does he realize there are many homeschool groups and opportunities, and the socialization is NOT a true homeschool problem?
I agree with the above. She is probably tired of school work. In Kindergarten, a child's brain can only take so much "structured" work. This is why some Kindergarten classes only operate 1/2 day.
Thank you so much ladies. I think I may try working with her here and there, but not push getting through a full curriculum while she is going to school. I will resume in the summer as suggested. Why didn't I think of that?? DUH! Sometimes I think my brain goes dead and I fail to see all of my options. I'm a very black or white, all or nothing person, which I am trying to change. Thank you for helping me see the "grey". To answer the question about what she is behind in... the school she attends in my opinion is VERY advanced. (We enrolled her there because it offered a lower student /teacher ratio and promised to have a good SPED program.) It's no longer enough to know phonics and letter recognition. It's filled with counting by 2, 5, 10's to 100, recognizing and writing the numbers 1-50 as well as sequencing, rhyming, syllables in words, knowing the months, vowels vs consonants, knowing your coins, learning about the "main" President's and the White House and then sight words and learning to read along with whatever else. It's extremely rigorous. I don't know why DH is so against HS'ing. We know plenty of families that do it (at least 10), and while he see's the benefit, I think he just wants her to "experience" school. But, I'm with you ladies, the crime, cliche's and whatever else is out of hand, and I'd rather bring her to a safe environment where I KNOW what she's being exposed to AND learning. Thanks so much for the suggestions.
Please don't think she's behind because of this. My K5 curriculum covered the same stuff. And you know what? They turned around and covered the same stuff all over again in the first grade curriculum. I think they just throw that stuff out early to see if any sticks for the next year.
I agree with all the ladies, let her be a child. She will have enough school ahead of her when she is older. Sounds like she is doing fine to me. Work with her in the summer when things are slow and boring. Keep praying maybe DH will change his mind, and let you homeschool dd.
What I worked out with my husband was that I would try out hs'ing over last summer.... well summer turned into the year... and now it is going into year 2. I listened to all his issues after this year and during it. Honestly - that was the hardest thing for me to do because I believe sometimes that I know it all But I did listen and after awhile some of it set it and now we are doing a different curriculum to match HIS wants for HIS kids. Believe me - my husband is not 100% for it at all. But ask for a chance next year to see if it works for your and your family Oh - and for now.... yep let her be a kid They grow up so fast!!
I agree with Chicamarun, Ask him to give you a trial period. It won't hurt anything to try it for a year. My husband did that for me this year and we are going to do it again next year.
I've been working with her since January with the hs'ing and he can't argue the progress. I even heard him on the phone to one of his friends saying that he knows that I'm right wanting to hs'ing her, but that it's him standing in the way and then he gave the reason of socialization on a daily basis and so on and so forth. It's one of these things that I think it's the right thing to do for her, but I don't want to make such a bold move without him being in agreement. And he keeps putting me off on it. At the beginning of the year when our dd was having issues at school, I was ready to pull her and he was dead set against hs'ing. Then MONTHS later, same issues and once he saw what I have to go through with the school (lack of them wanting to do their jobs) and the fear that they were going to fail her in kindergarten (this is already her 2nd year more or less), he said that it wouldn't matter if I was planning to hs her in 1st grade anyway. Well, now the school year is almost over and I made it through~ well, barring nothing happens between now and June, but now he's wanting me to take her back there next year. I'll be honest, the selfish part of me would love for her to go next year. I could find a job while she's at school and have some me time. BUT, I don't feel that's what's best for her. I think emotionally, she will always need that extra one on one time to succeed. Ok, I'm babbling.... why are some men so stubborn, when they really have NO idea what they are talking about?!
Mine was the same way. Every day I get REALLY frustrated now - "send them back" And yes - I want to be selfish a LOT - LOL But at the same time I told him that there are a lot of things that I will not stand up for between us - not worth arguing about silly stuff but this was one thing I was REALLY going to take a stand with. He told me I was growing up (there is a 9 year difference between us) There are so many ways to socialize the kids - we do a few activities outside the house but don't overdo it. Living on a farm restricts us a lot as to what we can do and when we can do it and kids aren't abundant around here. Socialization and the "experience" are his main arguments. Ask him for a serious trial period. Mark the date on the calander that you are required to submit your Notice of Intent (if your state does something like that). I told him if it was working I was filing in July before our 4-H fair. So that gave me a month to show that we could do it and live I've already filed for next year - sent in my NOI and my testing results from this past year. He couldn't argue since they tested just fine (dead center actually).... but now says he wants them to be geniuses - LOL
Oh our husbands sound so much alike Dana. I have had countless meetings with the school and my dh would just say, "let it go in one ear and out the other"(easier said than done). Then when HE went to a couple meetings with me, he finally started to see what I was saying. Like someone else told me, it's easy to sit on the sidelines and call the shots, it's another thing to play the game. I was the one dealing with all this and knowing that my dd wasn't learning wasn't sitting well with me either. To me, the whole "experience" of school wasn't that great. And to add all of the exposure to drugs and violence now days, I just don't want that for her. You should have to fear for your child's life when you leave them at school.
You know I was thinking the same thing! This stuff is all 'required' for both grades now days as they want to make suer kids have that solid foundation,,, but they repeat it through the next year as well! The last thing I would do is worry about being behind in Kgarden. No worries!:love:
Yep - they sound very much alike He couldn't understand that my frustration level was higher with my son coming home at 3:30 and having to do homework forever!! For middle school he would have been home at 4:30!! When the heck would he ever be ABLE to be a kid?? Fighting late night schoolwork is awful.
I know I wouldn't want to come home from school to do more school. lol. I sure hope things work out for you.
That's definitely a concern. Right now she's 1/2 day and we're struggling. Next year she's a full 7.5 hr day, then we'd have the school's homework, along with me trying to catch her up. I'm tired just thinking about it.
7.5 hours? wow, is that what it is? We do 830-2-3 what is that in hours? lol- 6-7 hours a day? Wow, but of course that includes lunch and recess so its not all work time eh?
