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Teaching your children at homebrahmaSprout Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 14 Location: east anglia Posted: 31 Mar 2006 09:56 pm Post subject: teaching your children at home -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- does anyone else teach their children at home? thought it might be nice to discuss different ideas Back to top Jesse Site Admin Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 2188 Location: West Sussex Posted: 31 Mar 2006 10:11 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I don't although I have considered it on and off for a couple of years, I'm just not convinced I'd have the patience and confidence to do it. My 4 yr old needs extra support because of language and speech delays so it would be added responsibility to get it right. However I do try to top up their schooling with educational experiences at home. Last year we ordered in some caterpillars (Peacock and Tortoiseshell), we fed them nettle leaves and watched as they transformed themselves eventually emerging as butterflies, which we then released into the garden. The kids loved that project and learnt so much, we looked up information on the internet and they drew lifecycles etc. We do a lot of growing of seeds and they learn so much from what we do at the allotment. And I encourage them to help with the cooking, baking etc. They know where most of their food comes from and how it's made. This week we're trialling an internet site which they have use of at school, it's www.educationcity.com and I'm thinking of paying the subscription to it once the free trial period is finished. Because of J's language and speech delays I find she learns a lot more through practical experience rather than only talking about things as she doesn't always understand what is being said so these experiences are so important to her and something the school can't always practically provide. Back to top brahma Sprout Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 14 Location: east anglia Posted: 31 Mar 2006 10:24 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have one with dyslexia(samuel) and one that when at school aged 11 was doing g.c.s.e aligbra(harry) neither really got on at school so we took the decision to teach them at home.samuel has come on leaps and bounds in the 4 years he has been at home , he started 2 days a week at agricultural college aged 14 doing his diploma in mixed farming, praticals suit him much better .His confidence has grown and all the other work has just all fallen into place. serving people in the farm shop has helped so much with his maths. Harry just soaks up everything he his told, hears from people and can hold his own in any conversation about anything, nanny often rings him to find out things. they love it being on the farm , lessons are 8 until 10.30 , then they either do jobs here or go out with nanny and grandad or out on livestock deliveries with david , as we do nationwide deliveries they get to go to so many places. it's lovely to see them so happy Back to top Jesse Site Admin Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 2188 Location: West Sussex Posted: 31 Mar 2006 10:39 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- that's the key isn't it, if your children are happy they learn so well. S loves maths (along with a whole host of other subjects) but at around christmas time they moved him into a maths group with another teacher where they challenge them more, we haven't been able to pinpoint the problem yet, not sure if it's the teacher, pushing too hard or what, but S isn't happy and as a result he says he doesn't like maths and is being stubborn about doing the tasks set for him, and as a result not learning. His usual class teacher and I talked about it yesterday and they'll be making some changes which will hopefully make S happy again and re-ignite his enthusiasm for maths. Back to top Kathy Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 1008 Posted: 31 Mar 2006 10:46 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'll also be interested in an exchange of ideas! This is something I didn't do with my own 4 (who are grown now) as I really didn't know very much in my younger days!! I tended to do things because the health visitor/government/GP etc told me to. My grandaughter is 5 in May and won't be enrolling in a state school. Hopefully my daughter will be able to afford to send her 2 mornings per week at Steiner kindergarten and the rest of the time she will be home schooled. As my daughter will be working fulltime most of the homeschooling will be my responsibility. Do you homeschool at the moment Brahma? _________________ Take care Kathy Back to top brahma Sprout Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 14 Location: east anglia Posted: 31 Mar 2006 10:48 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- yes happiness is the key , they seem to soak it up on good day's, when they are upset about anything you might as well leave it until they feel better , because it just goes over their heads . i do not mean for silly little issues but for issues that are quite clearly bothering them, it is far better to sort it out and then they will get stuck back into work. i find they have learnt so much watching and assisting with piglets being born, helping at lambing time, hatching chicks, growing their own food somethings they certainly would not of learnt at school Back to top brahma Sprout Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 14 Location: east anglia Posted: 31 Mar 2006 11:45 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi kathy, yes i do the boys are 14 and 15 now ,apart from agri college 2 days a week the rest is down to david and i, it's great fun having them here ,seeing them grow and learn. it's a good thing to do as long as you make sure they mix with other children, the boys have friends at college and in the village which is good, in our situation living on a farm in the middle of the fens it was important they got out and met boys (and girls) their own age . they have found it easy to make friends in the village which is nice ,as we have only lived here for 2 years. mind you for some reason they usually always end up here about 8 or 10 of them, for dinner and staying over at weekends. i think it's the landrovers and tractors that pull them in at weekends BOY'S AND THEIR TOY'S Back to top Greenlady Evergreen Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 549 Location: Scotland! Posted: 01 Apr 2006 09:33 am Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Brahma, I think home-schooling is a fantastic idea, I was never home-schooled myself (my mum is kathy ) but my mum like jesse was always teaching us new things. I'll be taking par in the home-schooling of my neice that my mum mentioned in the earlier post and basically I was interested in what your experience has been of the authorities and home-schooling? I have no experience and wondered if there would be any problems on that front? _________________ Don't eat fruit and nuts. You are what you eat... Back to top D Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 528 Location: North Yorkshire Posted: 01 Apr 2006 10:02 am Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well if there is anything I can do to help just give me a shout. Have done everything in my time from being Foundation Stage Co-ordinator to leader of Key Stage 2, just shout up! Dx _________________ my new blog is here...early days yet! http://www.manicfish.com/myblog.php?bbn=mrsnesbitt Back to top Greenlady Evergreen Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 549 Location: Scotland! Posted: 01 Apr 2006 10:09 am Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is there no end to your talents D? _________________ Don't eat fruit and nuts. You are what you eat... Back to top Lottie Evergreen Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 740 Posted: 01 Apr 2006 10:23 am Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- None - but D did post this on April Fools Day Only joking D - but you I am on Fools Alert today even though I said White Rabbit - and Iknow that you were and are teaching etc. A very talented lady. Have a great bike ride. _________________ I am at that purple age! Back to top brahma Sprout Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 14 Location: east anglia Posted: 01 Apr 2006 10:27 am Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When we first took them out of school it was fairly straight forward, after 3 months we had a visit with the education welfare officer for suffolk (where we lived at the time), she was quite happy with what we were doing with the boy's,mon=maths tues=english wed = reading=thurs=geog and fri=history , of course by teaching at home you are not required to teach religous studies or p.e . she spent 30 mins with both boy's on their own asking them what they wanted,what they did ,did they have freindse.t.c and said she was pleased that the boys liked being taught at home and thought it was the best way forward for both of them as they wanted to farm. now they do agri college 2 days a week and have support lessons in essential skills if they were to need it. computer wise they taught me how to use it so no worries there. i have not had any more visits from them since. there is a website called education otherwise which was very helpfull at the begining worth a look living on a farm also teaches them so much. we also do cooking,woodwork (they help make goat sheds and chicken coops), they both have restored their own tractors. the one thing i will say is please get your neice a card (it states that the child is educated otherwise than at school)to carry with you at all times during school hours if you take her out anywhere,available from the educated otherwise website, we had huge problems when taking the boys out during so called school time ,being stopped in the street. on 1 occasion at the livestock market david and i wanted to buy some calves and the boy's had their eyes on some old spot pigs , so we split up. 30 mins later a farmer freind came and found us and said that he had seen the boys in a police car but was too late to stop them. we went to the police station to get them back, they had taken away their phones , bank cards and their cash, questioning them as to where they got their cash from(so so not allowed at 13 and 14 without a parent present), i was furious.the boys had given them my mobile but they choose to take them to the police station and question them first, when we arrived they still had not rang me. I know they had a lot of cash on them for buying the pigs, but it was theirs that they had earned. not nice for the boy's at all so we got the cards straight away so this did not happen again Back to top Becki Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 1106 Location: Over here and not there. Posted: 01 Apr 2006 10:28 am Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lottie wrote: None - but D did post this on April Fools Day ROFL _________________ www.thecardbee.com Back to top Greenlady Evergreen Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 549 Location: Scotland! Posted: 01 Apr 2006 10:40 am Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thats really good advice brahma, i'll have a look at the website, and my mum'll see this post as well _________________ Don't eat fruit and nuts. You are what you eat... Back to top Kathy Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 1008 Posted: 01 Apr 2006 12:46 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just read it, thanks brahma! People are now say "it's no long till ye start the school noo is it," get some right funny looks when you say she's not going. How did you deal with that side of things brahma, or are the people around you a bit more open minded? _________________ Take care Kathy Back to top D Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 528 Location: North Yorkshire Posted: 01 Apr 2006 05:09 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All true Lottie chuckxxxx _________________ my new blog is here...early days yet! http://www.manicfish.com/myblog.php?bbn=mrsnesbitt Back to top brahma Sprout Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Posts: 14 Location: east anglia Posted: 02 Apr 2006 08:10 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We had a lot of stange comments like are you sure it is good for them? what about exams? it can not be good staying at home all day but once they meet the boys and see how happy they are nothing else is said. if your family support you and think you are doing the right thing then really thats all i worry about. even all their mates who go to school accept the fact that they do not. customers at the farm are always commenting on how knowledgeable they are and mainly how polite and helpfull they are Back to top Kathy Moderator Joined: 15 Feb 2006 Posts: 1008 Posted: 02 Apr 2006 09:11 pm Post subject: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, so I suppose really, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. Let them scoff, when they are dealing with bullying, and tyranical menopausal teachers (not you D or all the nice teachers out there. ). I'm looking forward to this and I know Greenlady and Coco are too. _________________ Take care Kathy Back to top |