Lots of stuff going on here in the public schools and at home. So we have really started to think about homeschooling.

We've tried to get the kids excited about learning and WANTING to learn more.

Harrison (age 8.5 / 3rd grade) just wants to do the minimum and that's it. Thing is: He is so stinking smart. This kid remembers facts and information for YEARS. Once he gets it, he's GOT IT. But, getting him to just go beyond that basic mentality of "meeting expectations" is frustrating. When I do research (and when I used to do it for school too), I research the crap out of it. I read EVERYTHING about it. Sometimes, that's why I feel wishy-washy because I have read so much and understand the different wavelengths. The only thing that gets his attention these days are sports and TV (and video games). We are putting our foot down and trying to change that as well.

Maddie (almost 5, not in k-garten yet) just gets so frustrated. SHe wants perfection and will not accept anything less. She won't learn her alphabet because she can't "get" the letter U, L, and Y. So, she has given up on the others. SHe won't color in coloring books because she can't stay in the lines (can't=won't? I dunno). She is just now starting to enjoy being read to.

I want them to get excited and WANT to learn about things. I want my kids to have interests, things they can really get into, things to dig deep and really gain knowledge about. I realize they aren't old enough to do much, but they just don't want to. Thus, I don't feel qualified to teach them. Harrison and Maddie respond so well to their teachers and thrive while at school. But, when I try to talk with them about things, they just shut down.

HELP!

I have found that my kids don't neccesarily like being "taught" stuff, especially when "I" initiate it. If "I" initiate doing a subject or doing "schoolwork", all of a sudden it becomes boring and uninteresting to them. If I put out books or toys having to do with the subjects I want them to learn, and then leave them within the kids reach, I find them picking things up, initiating questions and trying to figure out how things work. They just want to be the ones to initiate that learning process, rather than be told what to learn about.

For your situation with Maddie, I would just leave alphabet books in her reach, alphabet puzzles in her reach, computer games that deal with letter recognition out where she can get it out and put it in when she feels like playing with it, a writing tablet that she can pick up and try whenever her heart desires, I would get coloring books of her favorite characters and some new markers and leave those out where she can get to them when she wants. You will find if you give her time to wander the house looking for something to do, she may pick up the alphabet puzzle and try it on her own, or maybe she will attempt to do a coloring page when no one is looking and the pressure to succeed is off. This is how we had to do things with my ds, and he has learned everything he needs to know just from putting learning things in his environment and then letting him decide when to use them. My ds is also a perfectionist and if I was with him and he was coloring, and couldn't do it, he'd get mad and not want to try (this went for MANY things we tried to learn). I found that it was when I walked away and got interested in other things, that he would pick it back up and try again, eventually leading to him running into me to show me how he figured out how to color in the lines.

For your ds, I think he is acting normal. Most kids don't want to do more than expected when it comes to subjects they didn't necessarily want to learn about in the first place. I would guess, if given a lot of free time, that in his boredom he would find something that interests him and really seek out more information about it. Kids in public school don't get much free time in a week, and won't want to do more than expected because it takes away from what little down-time they get. If he was homeschooled and had a whole day to play as well as learn, he might want to get more interested in things knowing he had enough time to do it all.

Besides making their environment full of educational games, and toys, you could also find fun ways to learn the boring stuff they need to learn. For instance, If you want to teach them about Thanksgiving, throw a thanksgiving feast party and invte their friends. Have them play games that pilgrim children might have played, have them make hats that pilgrims used to wear, make foods that pilgrims used to eat. While they eat, read them a story about the first Thanksgiving.

If you want to have them practice addition, subtraction or multiplication, make math hopscotches and see how far they can get on the hopscotch.

Have them play games to win prizes, like sit them down and quiz them on stuff that is age appropriate. (for instance hold up a letter flashcard and ask your youngest what letter it is, same with numbers, hold up an addition or subtraction flashcard for your ds, ask them how to spell an age appropriate word, to practice reading hold up a word and ask them what it says, etc...)
They both are on the same team and when they get so many questions right, they win and get a prize (candy bar, movie rental, trip to the park, etc...).

Quiz them both on stuff during car trips and grocery store runs. Say "This is hard, but, Who can name all 12 months?". Your little one may not be ready for it but ask them both anyways. Your oldest will pipe up quickly trying to beat his sister and you will get to have them practice what they know, and your youngest will pick up by hearing it.

Board games are great for practicing math and reading too.
Games like Sorry, Life, Monopoly, Letter or Number Bingo, etc... My youngest learned her numbers by sight by playing number bingo with me every day. When I held up the number card, I'd say the number. She eventually remembered them. We did the same with a word-bingo game and a letter bingo game. My ds has gotten really well at making change by playing monopoly.

Play grocery store with them and have them put tags on their favorite toys and practice buying stuff. For your littlest, price things at under 10 cents and give her pennies. When she has mastered that move onto to bigger prices and more coins. For your oldest you could price things higher and give him a mixture of coins and see if he can buy multiple items. Have him also be store keeper a few times and teach him how to make change.

Ask the kids if they want to bake cookies, and then make a double batch. Have them read the ingredients on the recipe sheet and find the right measuring cups for the job. Point out how you are doubling the recipe and that each ingredient will need to multiplied by 2 to get the right amount. Help with each step. When you are done, pop in a movie and have a picninc on the floor with a plate full of warm cookies.

He might need to deschool for a while. After being told what to do in school for several years, Harrison might need to let all of that experience seep out of his system before he can really dig deep on his own. He probably isn't used to directing his own learning in a meaningful way (or having you direct it), because in school, it's the teacher who directs deep learning. kwim?

About Maddie, I have the perfectionism thing going on with Sam as well. He took a long time to feel relaxed enough to make mistakes, especially with things like writing letters and numbers. Whenever I notice this happening, I try to let him know that it's no big deal if he makes a mistake, and I sort of let him explore it on his own - if I'm hovering too much he'll just walk away.

We all go through things like this, and I know that parents of children who have been in school do go through a deschooling process with their kids. I hope the journey is smooth for you. I think you can do it, for sure, but it sounds like you're in a transition spot right now.

Much love!
Tara