Homeschool Thread---you can debate, but BE NICE!!

[danacara]

My mental block, though is all of the busy work the kids in school do. Worksheet after worksheet whether you know the info or not. a waste of good time in my book. I never meant to have my kids above grade level in anything because it really messes things up if you want re-enter the school system, but when I got rid of the busy stuff, this is what happened. I know that repetition is needed in some cases and for some kids.

Fascinating. Repetition is the #1 way to learn, if you're wired like I am. If I repeat something two or three times, I've got it for life. We sang the fifty states in alphabetical order every morning in first grade - and to this day, I can sing the 50 states in alphabetical order. It's a sexy bar trick if you play it off the right way (ha, kidding)
But I thank God for "busywork" - that's a key way to learn. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Pamlet - I'm confused. A physical disorder that prevents him from learning in the morning?

 

[meandtheguys2]

For me, I remembered everything the teacher said. Freaky. Never had to take notes in college either if I actually went to the class. Everyone is wired in their own way...who knows that may be how the third one weighs in just to make a liar out of me!

eta: you know I used my "remember everything someone said" to my benefit a few times too!

edited again: We repeat as much is necessary, and then are able to move on rather than wait for a bunch of other people.

 

[danacara]

For me, I remembered everything the teacher said. Freaky. Never had to take notes in college either if I actually went to the class.

That's freak-show smart. I'm not nearly that smart. I needed the repetition, and I didn't even know I needed it until I was taught so by teachers.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Fascinating. Repetition is the #1 way to learn, if you're wired like I am. If I repeat something two or three times, I've got it for life. We sang the fifty states in alphabetical order every morning in first grade - and to this day, I can sing the 50 states in alphabetical order. It's a sexy bar trick if you play it off the right way (ha, kidding)
But I thank God for "busywork" - that's a key way to learn. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Pamlet - I'm confused. A physical disorder that prevents him from learning in the morning?

Actually repetition works very well in K-2 which is the primary stage of learning. That's what kids enjoy doing those years....now what they repeat may be of different interests..but when I found that out....the idea that a 6 year old knows the names of all the presidents, is fascinating--but it now makes sense to me. (I'm not saying ALL children enjoy rote memorization--but it is the easiest time for it).

 

[pamlet]

Pamlet - I'm confused. A physical disorder that prevents him from learning in the morning?

Sorry I was making reference to an earlier post I made. My son has epilepsy. We pulled him out of school in the middle of 8th grade due to the fact that his seizures were increasing.. If he has a seizure it is USUALLY in the morning... for the first semester of 8th grade we found that he was having 2-3 seizures a week... usually in first or second period. After a seizure a person is generally pretty "out of it"; sometimes it's for 15 - 20 minutes... other times for hours. Also there "fuzziness that many anti-seizure meds can cause. It resulted in major gaps in his learning... we found ourselves working all evening to go over everything he missed in the morning. It was truly a vicious cycle.

By the way - repitition was always my son's learning style as well. He could memorize ANYTHING - truly his strong suit. His anti-seizure meds make memorization VERY difficult. Let me tell you finding ways around that is difficult. I've had to find other ways to "make it his". Some days he benefits from my reading aloud to him.. other days he'll read to me - or he's finally understanding that he can read aloud to himself if he needs to. (He felt silly at first - but he's found that it helps him tremendously)

Thankfully we're switching to a new med that seems to be cutting down on the "fuzzyiness" that often accompanies anti-seizure meds.

 

[meandtheguys2]

That's freak-show smart. I'm not nearly that smart. I needed the repetition, and I didn't even know I needed it until I was taught so by teachers.

Heck no! It was just the way I was wired. It actually was not a benefit in the long run, because i think that it is a lower level of learning. It was just too easy to parrot. I don't think that I said that the teacher was unimportant. That was why I originally went into teaching, was my respect for the teachers I had. I hope that I didn't sound disrespectful to the teachers. Just to those making the decisions based on fad rather than evidence.

 

[jrydberg]

For me, I remembered everything the teacher said. Freaky. Never had to take notes in college either if I actually went to the class. Everyone is wired in their own way...who knows that may be how the third one weighs in just to make a liar out of me!

Actually, I'm that way too. Never took any meaningful notes in high school or college. I just had to pay attention to what was being said.

Before I was a teaching assistant in grad school, I had to take a seminar on how people learn things. The basic idea was that some learn by seeing things, some learn by hearing them and some learn through physical interaction. The former need to take notes to keep seeing the material. The latter need to take notes because the physical process of scribing the material into notes is what transfers it into memory. The "hearing" group just needs to listen in the first place and it's done.

 

[danacara]

It's great that you guys are able to try new medicines that might mitigate the "fuzziness" side effect. Epilepsy is a huge challenge, I give you so much credit as a parent for managing that.

Lisa Loves Pooh - I am smiling at your post because I can do the Presidents, too! Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Mad, Mon, Quincy Adams ... I occasionally get a little lost around Polk/Taylor/Fillmore/Pierce though. I scramble them. The elementary school brain is like a sponge to repetition, at least in my experience. States, state capitals, presidents, countries on continents - if you repeat this stuff daily, she'll have it for life. Watch.

Thank god for busywork and worksheets. That's literally all the info I carry around with me anymore - memorized info.

 

[pamlet]

Actually repetition works very well in K-2 which is the primary stage of learning. That's what kids enjoy doing those years....now what they repeat may be of different interests..but when I found that out....the idea that a 6 year old knows the names of all the presidents, is fascinating--but it now makes sense to me. (I'm not saying ALL children enjoy rote memorization--but it is the easiest time for it).

It's interesting isn't it to look at different learning styles? I used to train in the travel industry and found that I kept "toys" around... little stress balls, silly putty, etc. because some could only learn if their hands were busy .. they were kinetic learners. Others could only learn if they wrote EVERY WORD I said down... still others just sat their and listened. I never wrote anyone off until the got on the job... it was phone work - and every once in a while I'd have someone in class that seemed TOTALLY clueless... couldn't work on the computer - seemingly had no idea what we were talking about .. but they'd hit the phones and suddenly they could talk, type and problem solve all at the same time..

It's the same way working with my son - finding the right way for him to absorb information.. just when I think it's hopeless... VOILA - he has it. I'm learning patience from this that's for sure!

By the way I tend to be an auditory learner with a touch of kinetic. I always have something to fiddle with as I think things through... especially if I'm reading.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Actually, I'm that way too. Never took any meaningful notes in high school or college. I just had to pay attention to what was being said.

Before I was a teaching assistant in grad school, I had to take a seminar on how people learn things. The basic idea was that some learn by seeing things, some learn by hearing them and some learn through physical interaction. The former need to take notes to keep seeing the material. The latter need to take notes because the physical process of scribing the material into notes is what transfers it into memory. The "hearing" group just needs to listen in the first place and it's done.

Is there such a thing as an experiential learner--one who learns from experience. Or maybe it is called immersion. I didn't like lectures in history...but boy did I love that Smithsonian Museum of American History.

And it seemed for some reason I was really good at learning history for a 100 year time period (1800s to the turn of the century) but before...it was too intangible and after...well, I liked seeing it in the museum versus reading it in a book.

I learn by seeing, hearing, and touching. Reading--Bleck!!! Hopefully my girls will love reading!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

It's great that you guys are able to try new medicines that might mitigate the "fuzziness" side effect. Epilepsy is a huge challenge, I give you so much credit as a parent for managing that.

Lisa Loves Pooh - I am smiling at your post because I can do the Presidents, too! Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Mad, Mon, Quincy Adams ... I occasionally get a little lost around Polk/Taylor/Fillmore/Pierce though. I scramble them. The elementary school brain is like a sponge to repetition, at least in my experience. States, state capitals, presidents, countries on continents - if you repeat this stuff daily, she'll have it for life. Watch.

Thank god for busywork and worksheets. That's literally all the info I carry around with me anymore - memorized info.

Too many elementary schools---I must have missed some key memory moments b/c I don't know all the presidents or states by heart (but I do recognize them when I see them of course). Same thing in middle/high school. I missed out on a lot of literature--b/c it was taught in 10th grade hear, but when I moved it was taught in 9th grade. Same deal in middle school. I should have been homeschooled

 

[Crankyshank]

I seldom have to keep notes in class as well, as long as I make sure to pay attention. At least in the classes I am interested in.
I think I can still recite parts of Macbeth and list the major emperors of the Roman Empire.
My husband says I have a scary capacity for remembering inane things

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

By the way I tend to be an auditory learner with a touch of kinetic. I always have something to fiddle with as I think things through... especially if I'm reading.

My husband has to learn with music or the tv on--drives me bonkers. I am still not convinced it is possible to learn that way. LOL! Of course it is--but I would sit and watch the tv instead of doing my work if I did that. He writes his software programs on with headphones so that I'll believe he really is working. LOL.

 

[meandtheguys2]

I seldom have to keep notes in class as well, as long as I make sure to pay attention. At least in the classes I am interested in.
I think I can still recite parts of Macbeth and list the major emperors of the Roman Empire.
My husband says I have a scary capacity for remembering inane things

That is only because you can quote everything he has said in the past! DH hates this, and I try not to do it to him!

 

[JennyMominRI]

That is only because you can quote everything he has said in the past! DH hates this, and I try not to do it to him!

I can't do the Roman Emperors but I can list all the rulers of England from 1066 to the present

 

[Crankyshank]

That is only because you can quote everything he has said in the past! DH hates this, and I try not to do it to him!

Not only that, but I can tune him out and yet process enough of what he's saying so that when accused of not listening I can quote him back enough of what he's saying so that he can't accuse me of not listening.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Not only that, but I can tune him out and yet process enough of what he's saying so that when accused of not listening I can quote him back enough of what he's saying so that he can't accuse me of not listening.

So true!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I can't do the Roman Emperors but I can list all the rulers of England from 1066 to the present

That's impressive--I did one report on Alexander the Great for my World History class---sooo proud of myself for finding so much information on him and learning something for once (it was a magnet high school). Now for the life of me I cannot remember what he was so "great" for. One day I will google it...but I worked hard on that paper and can't remember!!!! I can't be getting old, yet!

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I have never understood the HS debate. There is nothing wrong with it. I could never homeschool my kids. heck, just helping with their homework has me pulling out my hair. If you homeschool your kids, that is your decision, and your business, IMO.

This year, a homeschooled boy joined my son's Cub scout den. His mom hs's him and his 6 yo sister. I love listening to her tell me about their day. It is fascinating! She also has them in an art program, and a gym program, outside the home. With her son in cubscouts, he is certainly not missing out on socializing with other kids.

 

[pamlet]

It's great that you guys are able to try new medicines that might mitigate the "fuzziness" side effect. Epilepsy is a huge challenge, I give you so much credit as a parent for managing that.

.. snip..

Thank god for busywork and worksheets. That's literally all the info I carry around with me anymore - memorized info.

Thanks! It's been a challenge that's being met with MUCH prayer! As we decrease the one med that's been the latest cause of fuzziness.. as well as hasn't controlled the seizures as much as we'd hoped .. it's absolutely amazing how much more "clear headed" he is... even a buddy of his mentioned it the other day. That shocked me! How many 15 year olds notice those kind of things?!?! laugh.. He's been blessed with wonderful friends that take his condition in stride!

Your comment about carrying all your memorized info in your head made me laugh. One of my former coworkers memorized all phone numbers. One day I was on the road and had forgotten my organizer I gave her a call - and she was able to rattle of the phone numbers for 5 different customers... including alternate numbers and points of contact... laugh... I have to have all that stuff written down!