Home Schooling Question - Please Help me!

[TinaLala]

Due to the incompetence of our public schools, as well as the bullies they let terrorize my DD9, I have to reteach my DD9 grades 3 & 4 this summer.

My question to you is how do you decide what you will teach and what resources do you use in order to teach them the subjects?

I know I have to work on multiplication, division, fractions as well as reading for grade 3&4. I also will be working with DD6 on her reading/comprehension, motor skills and subtractions.

I picked up writting books for DD6's writting problems and flash cards for some of the math, but I'm trying to figure out how I should go about it and I know I have to plan it out in order for it to work. I'll be working with them two days a week for an hour, so I have to plan this out!!

 

[kevschickee]

I would look online for homeschool curirculums. IMO its important to have a plan. Just as teachers need to do this parents should to here is one for example

http://www.homeschoolsupercenter.com/index1.php

 

[BuzzandAriel'smom]

My husband's niece failed 6th grade once and was set to fail again when we took custody of her last February. I bought workbooks, got a math text book from the library and printed worksheets off the internet. We had her for 12 weeks and she passed all of the requirements for 6th grade based on our local school cirriculum. It was very hard becasue she was so behind but now that she has had the one on one learning with me, she is doing great in 7th grade and living with her dad. For her, she needed someone to go back to basics and see what she wasn't getting and then build up her skills from there. Home-schooling was really the only option to give her the attention she needed.

Also, I am not a teacher. I have a BS in telelcommunications but I am a SAHM to my 2 kids. You can handle this and your child will be so much better off in the long run.

Just schedule in some fun too. Our days looked like this:
7am wake up, I took kids to school while niece ate breakfast and took shower.
8:30 go over what subjects we were doing that day. Lay out workbooks and give clear objectives.
She would then work at the kitchen table until lunch.
After lunch, if she had completed all her assignments she could take a break and do something fun.
2pm research or reading assignments until 3:30

That's it. It's like a normal school day. We got alot done in a small amount of time.

Good luck.

 

[TinaLala]

Well my schedule is tight. The girls are going to camp this year so I'm taking Tuesday and Thursday as 'learning' days and I'm going to do Language arts one day and then math the next day. I think Friday is going to be my science day because I have that day off and was planning on going to the beach all summer with them.

Looking at what's out there I think I can build on the reading lists that are out there and then come up with comprehension questions. Maybe some story writing techniques with brainstorming and story building.

Math I think I've got it with building up from addition, subtraction, times tables, division, fractions, measurement, alegbra.

It's tough because one's going into 2nd grade and one's going into 5th grade, but they both need help. So if I can build on what they know and then throw in what they will be learning next year I can give them a headstart!

 

[Tinkmom75]

http://www.aleks.com This is an online learning program that will teach your child and assess them. It goes through examples and step by step how to do problems for math. $19.95 per month. As your student masters and area the pie fills up and if they master a concept then they don't have to keep doing the problem. If they don't have it then it gives them more practice.

 

[anabelle]

Does your 4th grader only need help in math? If you only have a couple hours a week, you will not have time to do a full curriculum.

I know for the state of michigan, the state website has the specific requirements for each grade in the core subjects. I just make sure that I cover the guidelines each year.

If she needs additional help. I go to a website called themathworksheetsite.com and print out worksheets for the specific area I am targeting. The basic site is free, but you can go to the enhanced site for a fee of $2.50 per month.

For reading comprehension help/supplements, I use the Sylvan Workbooks that just came out.

Also, you might just do Summer Bridge Activities workbook. They have them at Holcombs or Barnes and Noble. These workbooks are usually a pretty comprehensive test as to what your child may be lacking. They are broken down by week and days, so it is easy to be organized. They can work on them daily and you can supplement any problem areas during your two hours ....

 

[npmommie]

Are you planning to homeschool, or are you just planning to catch them up over the summer? you will not be able to reteach 2 grades over the summer.
I would suggest workbooks that you can pick up at barnes and noble, and work on the things they most need help on. there are a lot of resources out there for bridge workbooks, or grade level workbooks covering everything.
there is a set of workbooks in barnes and noble, for each grade you can get spelling, comprehension, grammer, reading etc etc
what part of Mass are you in?

 

[DawnM]

I have the same question.....are you planning to put your child back into school in the fall? If you are not, you can breathe a little easier and slow down.

The thing I love about homeschooling is that if my child isn't really ready to learn a particular topic, I can put it aside and come back to it. Then, when they have those *light bulb* moments, you can really teach them quickly because they finally get it!

Please join us on the Homeschool chat on this same board. You will get much better advice there from actual homeschoolers and not from people who will just want to argue with you about your choice to homeschool.

Dawn

 

[taitai]

You plan on teaching two grades to one child in only 28 hours (2hr/week x 14 weeks)? Plus help another child during that time? I do not homeschool and will not even claim to be an expert but my gut tells me that is not nearly enough time. The people I know who homeschool spend quite a bit of time each day on it. I would absolutely go over to the homeschool chat and ask the experts over there. I am sure you will get some great advice. I worry that you are setting both you and your daughter up for failure by not allocating substantially more time to reteaching two entire grades.

Good luck. You have a big task ahead of you.

taitai

 

[K and K's Mommy]

I am a SAHM now but I taught elementary for 7 years. I know for tutoring to be effective it needs to be done at least twice a week, and that would be in the same subject.

Really, the kids should be reading every day. Make it fun. Reading and discussing is going to be just as beneficial as anything in regards to comprehension. The kids can read in the car, before bed, first thing in the morning, etc.

You need to figure out what level they are reading and pick books at that level or slightly higher. If the books are too easy, they will not gain anything. Too hard and they will give up.

Comprehension and vocabulary will improve if you read to them books they cannot read on their own, but ones they would enjoy. The first Harry Potter might be a good choice.

Math will need more of a time schedule. Do it every T/TH, same time, same place. If they have the concept of addition, subtraction, multiplication, make them start memorizing the facts. I am a traditionalist on this, but I think knowing your facts helps tremendously.

If the girls are going to an outdoor camp, they will probably get a lot of science. I'd stick with the three R's with your short time frame.

Good luck!

 

[DawnM]

I think she means she will concentrate only on those skills that they are struggling in rather than actually get the literal books the schools use and actually teach the entire thing again.

I agree that 2 hours a week may not be nearly enough time though.

Anyway, hope to see the OPer over on the homeschool boards.

Dawn

You plan on teaching two grades to one child in only 28 hours (2hr/week x 14 weeks)? Plus help another child during that time? I do not homeschool and will not even claim to be an expert but my gut tells me that is not nearly enough time. The people I know who homeschool spend quite a bit of time each day on it. I would absolutely go over to the homeschool chat and ask the experts over there. I am sure you will get some great advice. I worry that you are setting both you and your daughter up for failure by not allocating substantially more time to reteaching two entire grades.

Good luck. You have a big task ahead of you.

taitai