Is it possible for a k-1 grade child to be able to teach themself to read and do math?? I have a friend who just gives her child a workbook and expects them to learn from it. She doesn't help them at all. She says she doesn't have "time" to teach them...
Yes, absolutely. Happens all the time. Some kids will, some won't. Now, that doesn't mean I agree with your friend. She has no business homeschooling if she doesn't have "time" to teach her children.
Agreed. She must take the time to work with her child. That is ridiculous to expect the child to read and do math independently at that age. If she doesn't have the time, then she needs to put the child in school. Now this is not to say that giving the child a worksheet here or there to do independently is wrong. That is totally ok, but what your describing sounds like neglect to me. It's sad, too.
Not my children. Neither one will do their work without me, and they certainly don't teach themselves from just the directions on the page (nor would I expect them to.) Not saying it can't happen. Just saying MY kids couldn't learn what I want them to know that way.
My oldest taught himself math and my second taught himself to read. So, yeah, possible. That being said.... I agree with the others. This woman needs a reality check. That isn't homeschooling.
My children are incredibly independent. I make a schedule for them, give them the materials and am available for help. But, they do quite a bit of their work unassisted. Even my kindergartener. But then again, my Ker is unique! LOL I'm ALWAYS available, and I try not to get too involved in anything while they're doing schoolwork so that I can drop what I'm doing to be there for them. Now...does that mean I don't TEACH them? No. I teach every new topic, I read with them, they read aloud to me, etc. etc. I plan all their work and know what they are working on, I know their strengths etc. So even though I don't sit WITH them, and teach every subject TO them doesn't mean I'm not involved, etc. I do think it's irresponsible to just drop a workbook in front of your kid and expect them to teach themselves.
Krista, I think you do like me for the most part. I go over material in the AM, correcting work done the day before, and then am mostly hands-off the rest of the day. But Faythe just came down a bit ago, with "MOM! I don't understand this!!!" So I stopped what I was doing and sat down with her. Independence is a GREAT thing! I really want my kids to be able to learn without me being around, to develop their own schedule for doing things, etc. But that's SO different from giving them the material and walking away, at least at that age. With Rachael, I do that to a much greater extent. But she's going away to college soon, and she needs to be able to do it indendently there!
I've met kids that read young, and would rather burry themselves in a book than have the back and forth teaching with adult and child. However, these kids need to be watched closely. Are they getting everything out of the lesson; are there things they should expand on; in math are they showing their work (yes even in K!). My little guy could take a math book and do 10 pages, but he'll skip drawing the pictures/diagrams and just give a final answer. I want him to think about how and why he gets the answer so that he'll be able to understand more complex math next year. We should never feel we don't have time for our kids, or they're school.
I agree that isn't homeschooling so much as expecting the child to school themselves. A unrealistic goal for so young. As they mature and have a stronger foundation they may be independent enough to go for it. But at that age there is so much groundwork to lay down. Sad. I hope she will see you do a great job and realize she could be doing better. Homeschooling is ultimately about giving your child a great educational foundation for life not just expecting them to waft through life.
That's what I thought. Her kids and mine are the only ones homeschooled in our church. She is more social than I am and most people in the church know how she homeschools. They have NO idea how I run mine so this reflects badly on me as well. We don't have a big homeschool community and most people only know the two of us as homeschoolers and nobody else. I TOTALLY disagree with her. Love her to death, and I hate that I'm writing this here, but I wanted other homeschoolers opinions before I possibly mentioned it to her. I'm afraid that someone is going to call CPS on her for the homeschooling thing. And I DO NOT want that to happen. The fact that she tells me she doesn't have time but can call me and talk on the phone with me for over an hour and she has time to be on facebook tells me that her priorities are in the wrong place.
Next time she calls and wants to talk, I'd tell her that you're too busy with school right now. "How EVER can you find time in the day to chat on the phone while school is going on? I know that my kids keep me SO busy with lessons!"
I know that my boys wouldn't do the work if I left them on their own. They would much rather be doing anything besides school work. I go over their lesson esp. if it invoves a new concept, we do a few examples together and then they do the rest independently. But I am always nearby if they have questions. I know some children can learn on their own. My DS3 taught himself to read when he was four because he loves books. I fear your friend is missing out on the closeness homeschooling brings to the parent and child. I wouldn't trade my school time with my sons for anything else.
I think some kids can pick up quite a bit from a workbook but they don't truly understand all of the concepts and will need help later on, particularly in math. two thoughts... If this is a very social and talkative person, maybe she is just making generalizations or exaggerations and not literally just handing the child a workbook while she's on FB?? And if she has multiple children, she may be handing a workbook to them so they are at least doing something and will spend more time with the child later? Not an easy situation for you to be in.....
