Why does teaching basic stuff confuse me????

Ya know, I have homeschooled and public schooled for years.
My school agers are in public school this year.
This year my kindergartner may not pass K becuase he cannot read sentences, write sentences and subtract well with manipulatives.

Talk about feeling like a failure. He is only 6 for crying out loud-yet our school systems require the children to know more than they used to.

So here I have my toddler and babe. Looking at their innocence I DO NOT want to send them to school. Not like public school is ALL bad, but you work hard to teach them things that will help thm and their environment at school cannot support those good things, even though they try.

But honestly, I am not a good teacher. I know this is true. I do not enjoy teaching little kids.
Finances do not allow us to private school.

True confessions of a failed home school mom. Is it a gift? What does it take to really enjoy homeschooling?

I desire my children academically to thrive but I want the homeschool innocence. Besides the fact that I like them and like them around me.

with the baby and toddler so you can homeschool.

I also think a more planned curriculum would help.

If your kindergartener is struggling in reading and math why not just teach those two subjects?

{{{Hugs}}} I enrolled my oldest 2 in public school for 11 days when my fourth was born because my fourth was born with birth defects and I thought there was no way I could homeschool. I removed them because my 1st grader can read middle school level books and was getting learn-to-read instruction land spelling words like "hat" and "cat". My kindergartener's teacher called me on the very first day of school to tell me she didn't color in the lines!?!

I think with the new baby you need to take it easy; don't do too much!

Also forget that fantasy of innocent homeschooled kids!!! Mine are sheltered (according to my SIL) but they are still sassy at times! LOL!

I hope you get some good advice.

Warmly,
Debra

I am sorry-Innocent was a bad word to use in this situation.

We are dealing with soem serious issues with some of my chidlrens friends (things like sex,pregnancy, and self mutilation)
That I guess is what I meant by innocence. There must be a better word for what I mean but I can't think of it now.:)

I don't have the knack for teaching either, but would LOVE to homeschool...

Innocent was the right word, I think. Has any of your children been on a school bus? I am shocked with what my DD learns. Oral sex in fifth grade?! Penis sizes in third?!

I agree that using a curriculum could be very helpful to you. There are so many to choose from from very ridgid to less restrictive. You might want to ask what others use so you can get some ideas...

I am not sure about that.
I think the problem is me.
I have energy. I do not know how to sit still. I have tried to train myself to do it and I am miserable.

Sitting with little kids trying to work on writing, etc... is really hard for ME-I am the problem!!!

Ever tried Rescue Remedy?

There are so many ways to teach children. I think if you want to homeschool, and you obviously know yourself, you need to find a way of teaching that suits who you are and who your kids are. Maybe unschooling would be the way to go?

If I were homeschooling (as I myself was for so many years as a kid), I would let the kids lead and teach in whatever they were interested in, hands on, out of the house...the world as the teacher and myself and the kids as the humble students.

Good Luck!

We actually did work like that when I did homeschool the children, but it gets confusing to me-I have a senior, 7th grader 6th grader and kindergartner. I have to work within credit issues, uppergrade curriculum, and then teaching the basics.

WOW- some moms can do that stuff but I struggle. Part of it is I screwed around alot when I was in school and I cannot remember some of it. (for the older ones)

Yes I have tried Rescue remedy before-never really worked for me, but I do beleive it works. I am an herbalist so of course I think it is great stuff-jsut didnt react with me the way it does for others KWIM.

I think this is more of a personality make up I have. Maybe if I can learn to challenge all this busy energy, I will be successful with homeschooling in the future. I dont want to give up on the idea that is for sure.

You sound like a great person.

Wow....I have a lot of thoughts on this, but I don't know how to get them all out. Don't you think a lot of homeschooling mom's question thier ability to do it right?!? I bet you're better than you think you are. Maybe you could homeschool just the younger ones? It doesn't have to be an all or nothing kind of thing. Or set the older ones with a curriculum that was self-led, they're going to be self leading in college, there will be no instructor to hold thier hand through it then, in fact, most of the older homeschoolers I know are self-led. There's nothing greater to teach your child than how to teach themselves.

I agree unschooling is a great option, especially for the younger ones. I didn't really ever truly believe in unschooling until recently, and I watched a really great unschooling mom in action, and I was truly impressed. She too couldn't sit still long enough for the whole sitting and writing.

After watching her, I've decided myself to take a more relaxed approach to homeschooling - because my ds Devin is having a really hard time focusing again, and getting his paperwork done is almost impossible these days. We're relying on other ways to educate him now. More hands on activities, and yes, things that interest him he learns better, so why not teach things that we are interested in?

I also can't imagine failing a kindergartener for not being able to read. In our school district they don't even begin teaching reading until 1st grade, and in fact Devin's ps teacher was quite put out because I taught Devin to read over the summer - he was begging to be taught how to read. It blows me away to see kids being forced to do something they aren't ready for, or being held back from something because it's not time yet.

I don't know, I have so many thoughts, mainly because I often doubt my own ability to homeschool, but then I see what is offered for my son in ps and I know he doesn't fit there and cannot succeed. I'm so thankful that I can stay with him and teach him now while he's still so tender and young. I still haven't completely decided if I'll homeschool my youngest, in fact, I put him on a waiting list for a really great preschool in our area, but I do think he will be homeschooled as well.

And you know what, I agree with the term innocence is the right word. It's unbelievable what they learn in school. In kindergarten Devin got in trouble for telling another kid to "kiss his weenie".....um, I can guarantee he didn't pick that up at home. He could have picked up lots of other things don't get me wrong, but that would not have come from here.

I guess what I really want to say though is Follow your Heart, if you truly think that you won't do as well as ps, then only you know that for sure. But I bet you're a better teacher than you give yourself credit for. Good luck!

I really don't think kindergarteners should know how to read, write & do math. I think they are too young unless (and sometimes even if) they show a strong interest and desire to learn it.

My kindergartener's teacher called me on the very first day of school to tell me she didn't color in the lines!?!

Yeah, we had the same problem with Katie. UGH! Why the heck is that such a great skill??? I will never understand. Katie *can* color in the lines, but the worksheets were totally boring to her, so she just scribbled over them in frustration. Instead of addressing that, the teacher made her feel badly for not coloring "properly." She was barely 5 at the time -- her birthday is almost at the cut-off.

I think society is nuts for expecting 5- and 6-year-olds to read, write and do arithmetic. IMO that should start at six or seven. *Start.* Kristerae, I think you're doing a fine job.

My highly gifted, unschooled 5.5 yo is just starting to read, still has no desire to write much (writes an invented spelling greeting card once or twice a week), and yes, can add & subtract and more, but that's one of her strongest gifts.

Organicmama,

I hope you understand my previous post. You sound like such a good mom to be concerned about your ability to give you children the best!

Just a quick couple of thoughts...
The older ones should be able to work independently. You tell them what to read/do/watch and they do it. You can check on them intermittently and make sure they understand. The younger ones you can do the same with. I school my 6 year old at work a lot of the time. I have to get up and wait on customers, but I'll tell her how to do a problem/group of problems and come back when I'm done with the customer to check it. If its correct we move on to the next set. I don't sit with her the whole time. I also homeschooled an 11 year old for a while and used the same method.
Secondly, I've discovered with her that I'm a much better teacher when I don't try to teach/structure her. She learns things incredibly easily when I let her learn on her own time. I tried to teach her to read using 100 easy lessons, yes it did give her the basics, but she didn't really start reading until about 6 months after we stopped the lessons. Then it just clicked into place and she took off by herself. She's reading chapter books now, and she seems to comprehend.
For your younger children, I highly recommend just letting them play with manipulatives. They learn so much that way, more than you could teach them even.
Finally, I want to mention that since you have a hard time dealing with your energy, one or more of your children may have the same learning style as you. That could make structured school torture for them.