My oldest is 6 and she is in afternoon kindergarden. We have kept her out of school 2 days for a few private reasons. But then she has been sick for 4 days kinda recently, she is acting sick today and I may keep her home today. She had the stomach flu and was in the ER on Friday for vommeting and she was dehidrated.
My concern is since she has been missing so much at school, plus over the last month for some reason I don't understand her teacher stopped writing things in her "homework" book for her to practice at home. The homework book is for her to learn and practice wring her letters and some short words. I think it is important for her to learn this and not be behind for the 1st grade.
I am concerned she is falling behind and will not be ready for next year 1st grade. So I started thinking I could work with her at home and on weekends. Or if I should just take ehr out of school altogeter so I can get her caught up.
I am just concerned she still is getting over the stomach flu and will be missing out on more letters for school. I am upset becasue I could be working with her at home. I don't want to overload her from what she is doing at school, she gets home and wants to relax.
I don't know, I may be overreacting but I do not want her to fall behind and I am not hapy with the fact that she is missing out on learning soem of the letters in the alphabet. I feel if I homeschooled her I could get her cought up and move her ahead.
Any advice please. I have been considering homeschooling since about October. I am wondering if I should keep her in school and do some work with her at home, or keep ehr in school. I should addshe is very smart, has been doing well and my husband doesn't want her taken out unless she falls behind.
I have decided to keep working with her at home and sending her to school. She does very well with other kids and I do not want to take her away from her friends, she is very smart so I think working with her at home with her letters and keeping her in school is the way to go. I will also contact her teacher to find out why she stopped writing letters in the "homework" book.
Christa mentioned my typing, I'm sorry I'm not good enough a typist for you. I do know how to spell. I am not concerned with typos on this message board, I don't think its a big deal. Thanks for your ignorant remark though I hope it made your day to make fun of me on a public messgae board when I am asking for other parents help with my child's education. I hope you never make a typo when asking for advice and poeple get on you for it instead of giving you advice you could use.
Did you ever think about a cyber school? SOme states have public school circulum. They send you free computer,circulum, lesson plans and teacher contact weekly they train you in their program. I'm homeschooling my son 5 1/2 and it is not bad. I think since you have the other children a cyber school may help you.
Personally I don't think home schooling is the answer. I think kids need other kids. Talk to the school. I have never had a problem with talking to my kids teachers. If there is a problem look into other schools.
One or two typos are understandable, but there were quite a few in your post. When you're asking for advice about teaching your daughter at home that involves many subjects including spelling. So it seems perfectly reasonable to me that someone would mention your spelling.
And your personal attack on the person who said something to you was uncalled for.
I think if what you want to do is homeschool, you should do it. However, if you are unhappy with her school but want to keep her in a school environment, you should deal with that. Talk to the teacher, principal, school system, whatever.
That being said...our son is also in afternoon kindergarten and has missed about 5 days for personal reasons (we were out of town). I have no problem giving him some "home schooling" in addition to what he's getting at school. I don't often feel he is very challenged at school so we do extra things at home. With only 2.5 hours being spent at school everyday I don't worry about him feeling overwhelmed with supplemental work at home. If you can make it fun (plant a seed to work on science, visit a museum, listen to different music and talk about it, etc) she won't even know she is being educated. ;-)
Joanna,
As a teacher and former homeschooler, I'm all for it! I helped my mom homeschool both my younger brothers and I homeschooled my son. I think homeschooling is great and can be a lot of fun and a terrific learning experience for you and your daughter. One of the main things to consider is how your daughter feels. Does she want to be homeschooled? My son wanted to try a year in regular school this year, but I still work with him at home in the evenings. If you daughter is willing, then you need to first check and see what the regulations are in your state regarding homschooling and withdrawing a child from school. I know in Virginia that you have to notify your school district in writing that you are going to be homeschooling you child and you have several "options" that you can choose from to show that you can provide an adequate education for her, but the requirements for homeschooling can differ from state to state. If you contact your local school board, they should be able to advise you of any regulations you may need to comply with.
If you need any advice or support, please feel free to contact me...and most of all, enjoy the extra time with your daughter!
Before you start asking this quetion, the first thing you should do is talk to your child's teacher to see if she is falling behind. It might not be as bad as what you think. Talking to the teacher on a refular basis is the best thing you can do for your child in situation.
Sounds like you are mostly disatisfied with the school, and would probably not want to homeschool if you were happy with her teacher and the facility itself. I have a 6 year old, who I had put into kindergarten early when he was 5, he's now 6 and in first grade. I like you felt like he was missing out on learning and not being challenged enough...I started volunteering alot of my time at the school, and developed a close relationship with his kindergarten teacher and now he's first grade teacher, we both work together and I pick up where they leave off...I also homeschool him in spanish which is my mother toungue so he's now fluent speaking, reading and writing is spanish as well as english. Remeber homeschooling can be tricky because you have to do very specific thing in order for the school board to consider your daughter ready for the 1st grade...I wish you the best of luck
F.
www.fingerpaintz.com
Joanna
I will give you my thoughts on this
i do not think kids get behind when so little.
i think kids gets short changed on childhood because we try to 'educate' them from the moment they're born. perfect example is me. I never went to daycare, preschool, pre K, K whatever. I started first grade at the age of 7 and a half. But i did get an awesome childhood. I got to play, get muddy, ride my perfect red bike. Then it was time for school. I have never gotten an A-, or anything less than A throughout elementary school and high school and as an undergrad (i did get a little too self confident as a grad. student), but still did awesome for myself. Mostof my peers had started school at the age of 3, while i didn't. so, no chance you lil one will get behind.
She has been getting sick, so give her TLC and let her play at home. i would still let her go to school because of interaction with other kids. social skills are as important as learning is. perfect example, the poster Christa who bothered to comment on your typos rather than choose not to say anything.
:)
Do not worry. On the other hand if you're unhappy with the school she goes to then ask around, see what other parents recommend, you may find something better for her.
Good luck to you and your kids
vlora
She's in kindergarten. She should be coming home covered with paint. I can't believe she has homework. Maybe the problem is she's in the wrong kindergarten. Homework and the concept of "getting behind" shouldn't apply in kindergarten. I know they're moving toward teaching kindergarteners how to read, but this is silliness, and it may not be age-appropriate for her to read. A quality education for a child doesn't start by pushing them too hard too soon. That kindergarten looks to be trying to burn them out on school before they even get to first grade.
I can't see any advantage to homeschooling a child this young. At least let her develop the skills she needs to function in a classroom before you pull her out, unless you want to make it very difficult for her when it's time for her to go to college.
That being said, I don't think anyone was insulting your typing, but your spelling. And if you don't care about spelling, then it perhaps you might want to identify what it is that's bothering you about your child's school situation, since it can't possibly be academic standards.
Well I think home school is fine if that is your choice ,but I do believe that school teaches kids some things we cant like socialization skills. Im sure she will be fine though if you left her in school and would catch up in no time if she is behind. You could also talk to her teacher and find out if she is behind and if she is work on those things at home with her.
We all are unhappy with our schools at one point or another but before you make this desision you need to figure out if you are doing the for her or for you because you miss her when she is gone. I myself seriuosly concidered keeping my very bright son home for a extra yr when he was 6 it is hard to let go.
I feel that anyone that wants to homeschool should. My experience with homeschooling has showed that not only do the kids learn more but they also learn in the ways they as a child can learn. My child is a very handon learner if I put him into school I have already been told that he needs to be medicated. If I keep him home he doesn't need to be medicated and is doing 1st grade level work instead of Kindergarten. My 2 year old is being homeschooled for preschool and she is doing preschool level material now. Both of my kids are fine with their social skills and there are many homeschooling groups that I can provide you with phone numbers for. They meet for fieldtrips and play dates. Homeschooling is the way to go and the best school for your child.
K.
Homeschooling is a good ideal...I homeschooled my son in first grade and he is doing great.Go to the education building in you district and they will tell you what to do.Good luck and God Bless...
I was a first grade teacher for 7 years until I had my son, he is 5 months, almost. Missing that many days of school in a row will put your child behind slightly but not that much if she was on level and you suppliment her learning at home. Many reading programs introduce a lot of new material quickly and do not stay on it for a long time but it cycles around a few more times within the same year and again in the first grade. This is so they get many chances to master it, such as letter sounds and combinations etc. Learning time at home can be fun with songs, flash cards and books. Don't make it a struggle with your child or you could cause some problems with learning down the line. You are right to be concerned and to voice your concern. A teacher will know what your child has missed and what they will be learning in the future, they have to have a cirriculum guide. Go to the teacher. Just be sure to approach him or her professionally and they will be more likely to help. Go with a list of questions and ask for help and materials to work at home. I would not advise homeschooling unless you really have the time and energy to devote to it. Children need to learn with their peers also. I am sure you are looking out for your daughter and have lots of concerns. Kindergarten is very serious these days, they seem to pack in a lot of learning. If your daughter is reading simple words, can answer questions about a book after reading such as characters, knows all of her letters and sounds, numbers and can count groups or objects and classify them into like groups(animals vs. plants), she is about average for now. But, don't stop working with her, even when she does catch up, little ones catch up very fast. Good luck to you and remember that you know your child best.
If all these things were not occuring would you still want to home-school her? If not, these things can all be addressed. You can switch her teacher if she is not doing what she should be, etc. If you really feel like you want to homeschool her then definately go for it. It is a big investment financially and timewise but you get that added time with her and you can make sure she learns some really interesting things in addition to the basic stuff. The laws vary by state so you will have to research all that. Good luck!
I think that the home schooling would not be such a good idea. Schools have a program that is called "no child left behind". She will be tested about mid year to see what she needs to work on in order to advance to first grade. If you're concerned with her teacher not sending home any homework or you want to talk to her teacher about what you can do at home, you should contact the school and talk to the principal about it. I truly feel that if you just work with her in a workbook for an hour a day after school that should be sufficient to keep her on pace with the other students. My son hasn't missed any days of Kindergarten and I still work with him at home every chance I get just to make sure he keeps on his toes. Don't give up on the school just yet. It's truly unbelievable what these children learn just by being in a classroom with other children their age. Good luck and I hope everything works out for you and your child.
I also have considered the option to home school my 5 year old kindergardener. My husband and I pay to put him in private school, and on occasion we've felt that he has struggled to keep up. That made us angry b/c we pay dearly for his education.
After many weeks of considering it, we've decided to keep him in the school and put the extra time in after school for 1 hour a day. If he still did not make better grades I will hire a tutor.
So let me tell you why I've decided against home schooling.
1) I am 4 mon pregnant right now and do not want to rob either my 5 year old of the time or a new born baby of time either.
I think it makes it harder when you have smaller children at home that may destract you when you are teaching your other. Then you run the risk of the child falling even more behind.
2) We felt that the structure the school offered and the interaction w/ other children was something we couldn't give him at home. I don't want to rob him of diversity. Even though he plays sports all year and Royal Rangers.
3) Schools offer things such as band, other sports,art, gym, field trips, etc. Even though we still could've done these things at home, again, I was afraid we couldnt offer the same.
After my son has also missed many days and had a stay in Childrens Hospital for a upper respiratory infection, my doctor said not to worry because he is school age and children are little germ sharing factories.
I always turn in doctors excuses and offer for the work to be sent home. Its a pain but he does fall behind occasionaly and I cant expect her to give attention to only my son.
What school district is your child in if you dont mind me asking?
Joanna,
Have you ever consider cyber schooling? It offers a nice blend of homeschooling with the support of a teacher. You can work with your child at your own pace, but you still have a certified teacher checking their work and offering suggestions if you can't get a topic across. Also, you do not have to worry about maintaining a portfolio of material if the state or your local district should request it. The school will do that for you. PA has several virtual charter schools. I work for one of them. I don't know about the others, but I know we do ability testing. You daughter would take a placement test in math and language arts and would be placed in the subject that she is on ability level for, not grade level. If you would like more information, let me know.
My oldest attended a private school for 5 years, my second for 2 years. We decided to cyber school this year. For my 1st grader, it is basically home schooling, I do all the teaching, but I have an advisor that I can consult and I turn in the "tests" for her to check. My 5th grader is in virtual classroom, so he has a set of teachers that actually teach him over the computer. I love it! I have had some frustration with my 1st grader, he has learning issues and we are still figuring out what will work for him. (In his old school, he was basically overlooked because traditional education practices do not work for him. He was misdiagnosed as having ADD by a public school psycologist, so that is not an option either.) My 5th grader loves it. He is ahead of the kids from his old school and the local public school, and has gotten almost all A's so far. I have seen such an improvement in him. I don't really worry about the lack of socialization either. Both boys play sports, we go to a big church, they have lots of friends, and eventually we are joining a homeschool gym and swim. They are definately not lacking on socialization.
If you are wanting to do it, go for it!
I say go for it!!!!!! I was homeschooled for 2 years
I can tell you that there are many websites and groups for kids that are home-schooled. Have you looked into those? There is a curriculum that you have to follow for each state, I believe. I don't know about where you are from but in PA kindergarten isn't required so it wouldn't hurt to school at home as long as you are up to it. I know alot of home-school moms and it isn't easy. Make sure you are well prepared, especially if you have other little ones at home. You will need to set aside hours a day to school your child. If you decide to do it I would find the support of a group. Another option that is very different from public school is Montessori. The children learn at their own pace by exploring rather than sitting at a desk all day listening to someone speak. If you decide to look into that, make sure you do your research and find a true Montessori school. Any school can call itself Montessori but a true Montessori school stands out. My son is in a Montessori program for first grade and has been since preschool. It is a fabulous program. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.
There are a few good homeschool books on whether or not homeschooling would be right for you and your child. They actually have them at the library. Some of them have a religious tone to them but the information is good. There are also some homeschool organizations here in Philadelphia. Do a search online and you might be able to talk to some homeschool parents before you decide.
Good luck.
