I talk a big talk about letting kids learn at their own pace. My oldest's pace is that of molasses. I never cared at all about him taking his time as long as he wasn't just stalling. Quin, my second, started 1st this year. He's a different story entirely. When I planned our year, I split the year into 10 sections and planned 1 LifePac per section. That seemed to make sense. Which means he's scheduled to finish LP 1 in all four subjects for which he's using them around the end of September. All week long I had to listen to him BEG, I mean, all-out-fit-throwing beg, to do more work than I had planned. Book work, that is. When we'd finish book stuff and work on projects, he'd ask when he could do more 'real' school work. And he didn't agree when I tried to explain that we were doing 'real' school work. So yesterday he was furious that we didn't do school work on Saturday. DH thought I was crazy for telling him 'no.' So he told DS he could do as much schoolwork as he wanted to. He finished all the LP 1s in all four subjects (LA, History/Geography, Science, and Bible) with all projects done and tests taken and not a single question wrong. Now, I realize that the first section is always the easiest. So I'm sure he'll slow down at some point, right? But what the heck am I supposed to do with this?! Do I risk burn-out by letting him continue to tear through the books at whatever break-neck speed he wants? I can't slow him down with extra stuff because he doesn't want it. Well, I can, but he's miserable while we're doing it. Well ladies, wwyd?
I'd let him tear through it as long as he's getting results like he did with the first unit, unless you have any doubts about whether he really learned anything! If he finishes first grade in one semester, then start him on second.... as long as he chooses. if he does burn out, he'll know it's time to take a break, and he'll probably return to it when he's ready, at a bit slower speed.
I have this problem with my boys in math. I let them go as fast as they want as long as they are getting the correct answers and I know they understand it. Then when we have a day they tell me they don't want to do math I allow it, if they finish the workbooks before the year then I'll get the next level, there will come a point I am sure that they need to slow down and it's possible that I'll need to supplement in a problem area which may take longer. So the way I see it it'll all even out in time. I also allow them to get ahead in areas so that if they are behind in others I can take some time to catch them up without getting them behind in other areas...
my kids did the same thing, the first like, five lps will be that way then he will slow down a bit for a book or two, this is good, you will be able to not worry about him getting behind during thewinter months when kids tend to get tired of schooling.
What is the point of child-lead/ child-paced if you're not willing to go at his pace? I think your DH was correct in letting him go through as much work as he wanted. You can read over/review his work orally to be sure he really did understand what he read. Just give him the 2nd set, let him go through as many as he can. Find creative ways to let him present the info he's learned. Maybe telling you a story/giving a presentation on Health or "teaching" you a math problem. This is where you find more free resources if keeping up monetarially is a problem. Khan Academy is free and excellent for Math. A library card could also be a God Send. Require he read for xx-minutes a day outside of school, OR 1 book a day also. Look at his upcoming units and have him read or watch movies that kind of align with what he'll be learning and report to you about them. Movies are great because you cant make them go any faster. Give him an elective (learning to draw or a 2nd language) Of course, I was like Quin not too many years ago. I HATED "busywork projects" they were a waste. I wanted to just get to the doggone point! I'm in College now and I still hate them.
What they said but just remember when the time comes that he burns himself out that he can have a break. Some people work better in spurts.
If he's really into Math, maybe you should consider Verbal Math as a supplement? Or get a book on Mental Math and let him learn new/alternative ways to do Math things? Also, yes, Burn out is real, but its not the end of the world. Give him access to as much as he wants and then step back. When he stops, let him take a break. If he races ahead, he can afford to frollic on the way side for a bit when he really cant get into his work like Normal.
Let him continue! Seriously.... let him work ahead - it's ok. Then once he's finished with 1st grade - move him into the 2nd grade books. There will come a time when he will stall - be prepared for him to be upset when that happens - but then he will probably get over that and move on. Of course - it took Jake 2 years to get over that But he's older.
My son did this with LP Math last year...just wanted to keep going & going. It was normal for him to do 14 pages of Math in a day.
I know. I know! It's just, when you're actually facing it, and thinking out the logical conclusions, it's...um..intimidating. lol We don't do "busy work" projects. For instance, his H&G unit was on why he and everyone else was special. We made a 'me' book about him. I don't think it's busy work. It's art and writing and critical thinking and all sorts of other useful skills. That he doesn't care at all about.
This is exactly how my 5 yr old daughter is too. We also use the Lifepacs and she is half way through Lifepac one, and we just started last Monday! I am letting her do as much as she wants, although this year I am sticking to my two days off a week. Our school work revolves around our life so if we are busy on a Tuesday, we will do school on Saturday. Last year it got to the point where EVERY.SINGLE.DAY she wanted to do 4 hours of school work. So this year I made it a point to her that we are working 5 days, not 7. I showed her my planner which is based on 5 days per page, when the page is filled that means its a day off. When mom says no, its no. I need a break too! If daddy wants to do school work, go for it.. but mom is off!
Oh.. yeah. I guess I should have said that we just started Monday. So it took him six days to finish the LP1s. It would have taken less if I'd have let him go from the start.
you know with the LPS you just make sure he gets an A on his LP Test and then yes I would let him go on, We had one ds who wanted to continue with his History one day so he started and finished with History, did the whole book in one day because he was really into it! The lower grades are so easy let them have fun with them!
I would just sit back and enjoy it. Maybe if you can he can have a more challenging type or curriculum next year. Although at one point, he may naturally slow down. Or maybe when he is older, he will have a lot more time to pursue a passion of his. If worse comes to worse, he can come help my son. By the way he is going, he sounds like he will be ready to help my high schooler in a short while.
I agree that kids learn in spurts. I also know from experience that telling a child "no" will ruin self-esteem and kill the spark for learning. I say let him learn anything he wants to at the pace he wants. If he decides he's had enough, he'll take a break. If he starts running up the hill and gets out of breath, he'll walk the rest of the way at a normal pace, but be a little ahead of the pack. We did that last year. I may as well have been teaching a paper shredder, because he devoured everything I handed him and begged (BEGGED!) for more. This year we've finally found a challenge. He's finally learning a normal pace and finally figuring out what it's like to have to put effort into something. He's way ahead of his peers, but he has finally slowed down. (Better on the wallet, too!!) Perhaps what you're giving him is a little too easy? That's ok. Just keep letting him tear through it until he figures out what level he should be on. I don't know if Missouri requires testing or not, but think of it this way... the farther ahead you allow him to get, the less you have to worry about teaching a test, and the more you can work on teaching subject matter that's outside the box. There will come a point when he decides he wants to learn something a little off the wall, and you'll have the luxery of time to pursue it.
Thank you ladies. This is one of those times where I knew the answer but didn't really like it. lol. Missouri doesn't require testing, 2littleboys, just 1,000 hours each calendar year. That's the crummy part. Because if he tears through stuff quickly, I can't reward him for it by ending school early. (This doesn't apply this year, because we don't have to track hours till their 7 and he's just turned 6) That's funny, CabsMom! I don't think he's quite HS material yet. lol.
I'm sympathetic (to you), Amie. It can still he hard for me to let things go with my boys' rhythms (as opposed to their whims, LOL). But I will say, we're closing our third year, and it's getting easier to go with the flow - whether that's "faster" than I planned or "slower."
Don't worry about ending it early gals just think of it this way, he is progressing with dd I just let her start the next years work when it came in. yes she graduated two years before her peers but she is doing fine with that! When I asked her should I have slowed you down she said.. that would have been mean! So keep him going at his own pace, the destiny of your child is in the way things end up, not how it is at the moment. What I mean is dd is a self starter and has plans for her life that match her quick learning style. God has a plan for her, it will require her to be a quick study.
He may be tearing through stuff quickly, but unless he has a super like really super memory, he isn't learning it. He is just remembering it to pass the test because it is fresh on his mind. Keep in mind too that passing a test and 'memorizing' the answers, doesn't mean he understands it or can apply it to anything. Wait 2 weeks and toss the alternate test at him, betcha he bombs it. Sounds like something my oldest would do, whiz through a LP in less than a week, making a decent grade, but then didn't learn it.