I Totally Dropped the Ball

Discussion in 'Homeschooling' started by InEdensBliss, Aug 5, 2010.

  1. InEdensBliss

    InEdensBliss New Member

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    Last year was a CRAZY year...and my homeschooling, though started out awesome, definatly took a nosedive and never really recovered. As much as I would love for my brillant little 9 year old beauty to go on to "4th grade" i really don't think she's ready...with the exception of reading...she's a little above a 4th grade level there. But in history, and especially language arts (the child doesn't know a verb from a puppy), handwriting, and spelling...it's pitiful. I'm finding i'm mixing several third grade level items with fourth grade, but it's looking more like 3rd grade. In the past i've always made a huge deal about moving up to the next grade, but i don't feel like she's there..and what sucks, is, it's not her fault at all...it's mine completly. Any suggestions???
     
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  3. gizzy

    gizzy New Member

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    WORKSHEETS! They are plentiful and blissfully grade free (usually), accompanied by WORKBOOKS! Which often come in blended grades, but are also commonly topical. (ie, Addition/Subtraction, Word problems, Multiplication/Division)

    Use worksheets to drill fact families and times tables or whatever she's missing in math.
    Get a workbook for handwriting (maybe 2 of the same and have her do both books simultaneously.)

    As for Language arts. Find a Series of workbooks, I suggest Scholastic Success for Grammar and get Grades 1-4 of the same series and go through them. Burn through the lower grades as quickly as your student can and when you start running into material thats new/difficult, slow it down.

    Tell your dd that you guys are going to do a big review the first few months of 4th grade. Because the 2nd half of 4th grade and all of 5th can be very intensive and you want to be sure that SHE is prepared to do HER best, no matter what.

    When you are reading books, point out sentence types and such. Do read alouds and follow the punctuation, verbally diagram a few sentences a day to be sure she she is following and really grasping the concepts you guys are covering in the workbooks.

    Good luck.
     
  4. JosieB

    JosieB Active Member

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    So instead of making a big deal out of moving up a grade-make a big deal about the first day (or week) of school, don't mention grade.
     
  5. ForTheSon

    ForTheSon New Member

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    I agree. Don't let her in on how you feel at all. Just work on what needs to be done this year and praise her endlessly. She will eat it up and try hard to get more praise. I bet she plows right through everything. Give her and yourself a chance. You know what needs to be done. That's a great start.
     
  6. InEdensBliss

    InEdensBliss New Member

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    You rock ladies!!! Thank you so much!!!
     
  7. mom24boys!

    mom24boys! New Member

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    My 13yo is behind too, for several different reasons. We are going to try to get caught up this year before he starts high school. I just told him that we are going to do things different this year and have lots of fun doing it. Many of things we are going to do are 1-2 grade levels below him, but he doesn't know that, he just thinks he is having fun. But if this helps him get caught up he will be in his right grade level next year. I won't let her know your concerns.
     
  8. Embassy

    Embassy New Member

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    As far as I am concerned grade level is just another way to describe a child's age. She can be in fourth grade while you do work on her level. Even in public school children work at varying levels within the same grade (i.e. reading groups).
     
  9. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

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    I'm in agreement with everyone else! Grade is very arbitrary. I tried to tell that to the idiot secretary for the school. "OK, my son is doing first grade math, second grade reading, and history with his 5th and 7th grade sister. So do you want me to mark him as 1,2, 5, or 7?" My state doesn't require me to declare a grade, and I don't. Just start with where she is now in each subject, and don't worry about it. You don't want her to think she "failed" last year, especially since she didn't do anything "wrong". Life happens, so go with it.
     
  10. Lindina

    Lindina Active Member

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    I so agree with everybody else. You can call her fourth grade if you wish. You could call her any grade or no grade at all... but have her work on the level she needs at the time she needs it. That's one thing i've always hated about public school, that they insist that everybody do the same level of work in every subject and march in lockstep toward graduation. Homeschool sooooooo doesn't have to be that way!
     
  11. fairfarmhand

    fairfarmhand Member

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    Any books that have grade level numbers on them you can 1. cover the number with a huge sticker, decal or something 2. cover it with colored contact paper 3. make brown paper book covers and let her decorate them.
     
  12. mom_2_3

    mom_2_3 Active Member

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    My 12 year old is not ready to move on, either. So instead of mentioning that I'm not moving him on to 7th grade material, I said we are going to finish the books from this past year. I didn't mention anything about not being ready or not learning enough, etc, just that we should finish the books. He didn't bat an eye or question anything.
     
  13. tuzor

    tuzor New Member

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    I disagree with the other ladies. While I do agree that children can be in one grade but working above or below in certain subjects. You said that the child is not moving forward because you droped the ball and that you usually make a big deal about moving on to the next grade level. I think this is a moment for you as the parent to have an honest conversation about what happened this past year and why you need to extend the current grade. I feel that going out of your way not to mention it is being dishonest. Let her know hey I am sorry mommy dropped the ball and then make sure you have a plan for success next year.
     
  14. crazymama

    crazymama Active Member

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    Well, I'm going to say forget grade levels and celebrate the start of yet another year of learning adventure. And then just keep on forgetting grade level... even if it's written on a book, and if you can't ignore a number put some duct tape over it! Yes I am serious!!

    You have had a very crazy year or so, and so have your kids. Don't blame yourself, and don't blame your daughter, life happens, accept it all as a learning adventure and move forward.
     
  15. Lindina

    Lindina Active Member

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    I have a student with learning issues. He's 13, but will be in my "7th grade" (just a convenient number) while working on finishing some second, some third, and beginning on some fourth "grade" materials. He's well aware of what number is on each book - I haven't tried to hide it from him at all - but he isn't upset about it. He takes finishing a level as a triumph, and it is! He knows it's our policy to finish books, however long it takes us to do it. He'll be finishing second grade Bible (which is really R&S 2 Reading) and phonics, finishing second grade reading (Pathways and CLE), and finishing second grade social studies (CLASS) and R&S 3 science. He'll be starting third grade English, spelling, and fourth grade math, and I've ordered Pentime 5 for handwriting. Since we'll finish some levels in the middle of the year, we'll then take up R&S reading 3 (Bible), Pathways 3 reading, R&S 3 social studies and some basic geography units I'm getting off the internet, and Considering God's Creation for science. We'll have a second grader joining us for the geography and science, after she finishes her first grade workbooks from last year.

    This is the hardest concept for kids to get, if they come out of public school to us and I test them for placement in my materials. Like if they're in fourth grade, but they're having to work through second and third grade math, or third grade reading, while being in a fourth grade English or something else.
     
  16. TeacherMom

    TeacherMom New Member

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    Mad libs mad libs mad libs!
    They are great for learning the adverb from the adjective! Lot of fun too!
    For this year I would also do some testing, you know the kind they have to assess what level to buy a curriculuim? Thats how I found out what my kids needed still and that my ds was ready to move up in math last year.

    Iwould also suggest BJU for English, its really hard to drop the ball with thier cool work books!
    I had ds doing a page a day of it up to the end of 6th grade , once I found it that is!
    I wish I had found it before because the older two are graduated now and I would have loved to use it with them!
     
  17. InEdensBliss

    InEdensBliss New Member

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    Again ladies...thank you! oh...she is very aware we are behind. bless her heart, she has several math workbooks that she enjoys doing on her freetime. she took the ibs test last year and was right at 3rd grade level math and already at 4th grade reading. That is what we made a huge deal about! We are SO proud of her. We were super duper close to having to send her to public school this year and until we figured out that we would be able to homeschool she was holding her breath (this is a child that has never stepped foot in a public school ever)...so when we sat her down and told her we would homeschool she nearly shot off the couch and made sure we weren't kidding :) she was stressing about not seeing her friends from our co-op anymore :(( we told her we had a lot of catching up to do but we were going to be diligent and needed her to be as well, and by the end of the year we should be caught up. it wouldn't be a free ride like it was last year...she completly agreed and gave us big hugs :) what a blessing from the Father to be able to continue to teach our angel. *and mad libs is a BRILLIANT idea*
     
  18. leissa

    leissa New Member

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    Oh, I just love that she was so excited!! how great that she is so thrilled to be at home! I think you have a great shot at getting her "caught up" to where she needs to be, so try not to be so hard on yourself for getting a little behind. I am beginning to think that this is more common than I thought in hs'ing. it seems everybody has a time when they thought they were not doing enough and then it all worked out. I know I have. congrats, mom, it sounds like your on the right track!
     
  19. Jackie

    Jackie Active Member

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    Sounds like a very mature young lady!
     
  20. KrisRV

    KrisRV New Member

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    Oh that is wonderful. I know things will work out. Yes, it might take a little while to get there but it sounds like she is mature enough to know better.
     
  21. homeschooler06

    homeschooler06 Active Member

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    My dd is doing some 4th grade english and the rest is 5th grade. Well not sure how how the math goes. I like how my new stuff don't have grades on it. It's all levels or just books. I make bigger deals on the offical first day of school and the completion of workbooks/textbooks/reading books.
     

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