homeschooling | ADHD Information

anyone out there homeschooling??? care to share?

kppy
good to hear! we are just starting out and are using a pretty aggressive curriculum. lot and lots of reading-which is not his favorite subject!!

my day is pretty well taken up with it at the moment. i hope this eases off when he becomes more comfortable with the format and can do a bit more on his own.

he's a good enough student but i felt he was going to slip thru the cracks this year and not get the attention he needs (more one on one) like your son, he was starting to have some difficulties and i saw no way out (no other better teachers to meet his needs) and decided to homeschool.

i'm a little scared i guess and a little overwhelmed. hoping to find others in a similar circumstance to chat with! i'm looking around other forums but thought i'd check here first seeing as i really like many of the folks who post here!
thanks,
kppy

You are both very lucky! I would love to homeschol my son. Unfortunately I don't have a choice because I have to work. Good for you guys that you are able to take that time for your kid's education! I am at a loss as to how I can help my son avoid the awful school system that doesn't want to meet the need of any child except the "perfect child"!

Yes, I have been home-schooling my son since the 6th grade through the districts independent study program. Best thing we ever did. He is a Junior in High School now. After the 3rd grade when class size went up and he could no longer get the attention he needed, he started having all kinds of problems: grades dropping, peer problems, teacher problems, self esteem problems ect. We just knew there had to be something better out there. Not to mention he could no longer take medication because of some medical issues. (very long story I'll tell another time,) Now he is an A/B student, one of the best essay writers in his grade, and past the Calif. High School Exit Exam on his first try as a Sophmore. Only about 33 percent of kids did that. We are really proud of him. I could go on and on, feel free to ask any questions.

We have home schooled our children for 8 years. Well, my wife has. One year we had all four at home. One in kinder, and the other a senior in high school.

The last 3 years we had them in a Christ based state funded charter school. They sent out a computer, all the curricula, and a teacher on a weekly basis to review their progress and assign new assignments.

Our son passed the California exit exam as a sophomore, as he was practicing for it. He didn't have to take it again, but did have to earn the necessary credits. He graduated last June.

This fall we decided to put our two youngest in public school, the first time ever. One is a sophomore, and the Tory-nado is in 5th grade. They are struggling to adjust, but we'll give it time. They love the social life, but their grades have declined sharply.

Barb, We school through the school district in a Independent learning program His work is assigned by his teacher, which he then does at home. The school has English, math,science, and computer labs with teachers to tutor the kids that choose to come in. They can come and go as they please. They take all tests at school and our required to take ALL state mandated tests. My son already passed the Calif. High School Exit Exam, which is required by the state to graduate even if he has all the credits he needs. He's 16 and can even go to the local com. college to take extra classes. I am not in charge of his grades or tests. He can work at home or in the class room if he chooses. I wish more school districts had this kind of set up. It is wonderful. It was hard to get use to at first, but we caught on fairly quickly.

yeah, the social aspect is something he misses. however, he has many friends he sees on the soccer fields and neighborhood around school hours. seems like a pretty good balance at this point.

the curriculum we use is also christian-based- many are, i am finding. it is challanging and i find that i have had to do alot of "pre teaching" to bring him up to speed. i am pleased so far and find that he can do all of his work in maybe three solid hours. (not that he does!!)

also, he's doing more in one day than he used to do in a week. i don't worry that he's not getting the academics and can see how your child manged to pass these tests at such an early age

why would you put your younger ones back in public school?
kppy!

Davidornado, My son to passed the CAHSE on his first attemp as a Sophmore. His Independent Study School passed it at a higher rate than the public school kids did! We are very proud also.

Our thoughts also Mrsghost!No kid is perfect.They are all different and have different needs. The staff need to do all necessary things to help exell all kids. If parents wanted the job they would home educate or work as a teacher. thanks poodles! my son exactly!! he too has suffered from low self esteem and requires alot of feedback and handholding. but, today he had his cursive writing, 2 digit addition, 2 digit subtraction pages all done by the time i put the 6 yr old on the bus!! none of it was difficult by any means (just a review) but still, i was really pleased to see him take the initiative! there's hope!!

barb,
the work is not a choice and i have NO intention of allowing him to not get an education. we do alot of fun things during the day as well. i use these as leverage along with other priviliges to encourage him to cooperate. he has his moments but we get it done just the same.

shame on your "teacher" friend. as a teacher myself, i can't imagine doing that to my kid.
kppy

my day is pretty well taken up with it at the moment. i hope this eases off when he becomes more comfortable with the format and can do a bit more on his own.

Kppy, It should get easier as time goes on. My son had such low self-esteem that I couldn't leave his side for 5 minutes to do ANY work. It felt he couldn't do ANYTHING! He works pretty much completely on his own now. He does go to school to use the labs and tutors. We have a campus he can go to when he needs the extra help. The kids come and go has they need to. It's the best thing we ever did. I think it would be hard to school him completely on my own once we got past elementary school. You forget so much once your out of school.

poodledoodles38630.7602199074

Did either of you have trouble getting your child to do homework when he was in school? We have a struggle constantly over it. I have seriously thought of it many times but am so afraid that he won't do the work.

I know someone who's son has a very high IQ who homeschooled. The kid never did any work and is now an adult without an education, in spite of the fact that his teacher (Mommy) said he graduated.

I would rather fight with the school and have him get some education than go that route. How do you get them to do the work?

mrsghost,

You could try a charter school. they are free like public school but have better curriculums usually.

[QUOTE=poodledoodles]Davidornado, My son to passed the CAHSE on his first attemp as a Sophmore. His Independent Study School passed it at a higher rate than the public school kids did! We are very proud also.

PD[/QUOTE]

Right! I couldn't believe he was even taking it, but his charter teacher had seen this before, so encouraged him to take it at least as a practice test for the following year. Then I thought the standards for graduation were set too low, which of course, wasn't the case. Finally had to admit he takes after his DadD... :) ; but his MomE did all the work...

We did the practice books before hand, and they were very helpful!

Wishing you luck, kppy. I really admire you for trying homeschooling. My aunt has LOVED every minute of it, by the way.

MrsGhost, start by doing a websearch on "charter schools" and add in your city or county. You might find one near you.

Thanks! I'll have to check into that. How did you ind out about it?

In California, at least, it's a group of people that organized together and decide on a theme for their school. Some are religious, others are career oriented. They have a principal, an office, and hired teachers. The state pays for the expense of these operations. The students belong to families who desire not to put them in a community school, whether public or not. The funds come from the taxes everyone pays, but instead of being paid to a community school on a student presence per diem basis, it goes to the charter school. The students can study at home, or gather at a building as a group. We started our charter experience with a charter school that bought an old country school and remodeled it, but we still taught our kids at home.

The real issue here is he is at a lower level than grade he is in. He hasn't mastered really past stuff in past grades. He is just not a excellerated material person for what the books do today. Till the other is done his progress will suffer. I plan to complain to school board. I still think since this is a litle town they could care less. When I am with him he says I don't get it. The directions and all reading materials. Any other suggestions to help out. The current plan stinks. No ard till his new tests are done. Dec 1 .This Se program is a Coop one. Wife is doing the best she can with him till then.Some people just don't remember that my wife has been in these kids shoes before. Private is where she exelled more. She is just fed up with dumb answers and excuses is all. We left big city cause she felt he would be hindered there more. She also is conserned cause he has told us after this year I'm done with school. Day one of school this year. I hope the board will listen and will try and try but some just don't care like we all here do. brent,
what grade is you son in? i'm wondering if they offer a "mentoring" program at your school. like an older student in the school who could work with your son a couple times a week on the subjects he struggles in?

might be a suggestion for them, the next time you talk?

what about a high school/college student? i know when i was in college, i had to acrue a certain amount of "pre-clinical" hours in my education major. i worked with several L.D. students on their schoolwork during a semester. worked out well for both of us!

just a couple suggestions....
kppy

My aunt homeschools. She has three boys, and the youngest one is still being homeschooled.

I admire anyone who does it. I wish things could be different, but I couldn't consider it for my son. He is one of the strongest willed children around when it comes to doing 20 minutes of homework! I'm afraid homeschooling him would bring about the end of our family as we know it. My aunt sailed through it, though, and she has the best kids around. I'm jealous of what she has been able to do with her boys. Her oldest is at Georgia Tech now (NOT an easy school to get in!). He became an Eagle Scout over a year ago, and her middle son is on his way to an Eagle Scout next year. The youngest is working toward the same thing. What a family! She has every reason to be a proud mom. :o)

You can also use hs coops also found thru local hs group. They do fieldtrips/classes also. I also look for people who might do this for a small fee. This way they still get a education with out you if you can't do it. There are also materials on computers.

Our Independent Study Program is through the Public School District with everything provided, including tutors and labs, and is totally free.

leigh- my son is also a strong willed child and i am hoping this doesn't end badly. i'm out on a limb here with a kid who needs what homeschooling has to offer but yet bucks it at almost every turn. it can get exhausting but i'm going to prevail! (this is my daily mantra!

)

i think once we get over the initial hump and newness of it all and then get into a routine, it'll get easier. at least this is what i pray for!

your aunt sounds like a miracle worker. can she come live with me?

i'll settle for a kid who knows he can succeed and feels good about himself along the way. if i accomlish that, i'll be very, very thankful.

wish us luck!
kppy
What exactly is a charter school and how do I find out if there is one around here? Homeschooling is out of the question because I work all day.No help mentors at our school. He is in 4thgrade this year.We are demanding tutoring from school now.unconditionaluv,

i'm with you on all counts and have done the same thing for the same reasons with my son. he's doing great and does more work with me at home in a week than he used to do in school in a month!

he has strep throat today but has already done a little reading and math. we'll take it easy and see how it goes. can't do that enrolled in public school!

we shall see how he does this year and decide for next. my son has a large group of friends he sees after school and on the soccer field. he's not missing a thing, socially.

kppy

Kppy,

your son is lucky to have a mom like you! No doubt he has an ally for life.

thanks and ditto to you!!!

kppy
Social time can be done in Sports, Marshall arts,Art classes,religious classes, and any extra activity with kids. I say this is just as a social time as any more so. Home school groups do classes and more field trips then schools do. Todays kids get little time for this to be of a concern. The pe/recess taken lessons this area also. Just some thoughts. A support group with kids may also work also. We do this with our son. He loves it. This teaches them how to handle different things at it is Free.

I homeschooled my son in 3rd grade because I felt that his teacher was stressing him out with her constant reprehends. He did well with me because he was so relieved to be out of that evironment. He went back to school in 4th grade because his therapist and my husband thought he needed the social aspect--which to me was a bunch of crock! But anyway, he is now in 5th grade and doing okay. I will give public education a chance, but will not hesitate to homeschool him if the need should arise again.

BUMP

Hs allows a child to work at their pace and do Materials that fit their style of learning. Ebay has materials cheap that are used and in good shape still. Coop classes are good also. You must Know your state laws which you can get from you state HS association. This also allows the family to do what they need to also. We no many Hs families and their child behaviors are good. They haven't been influenced by nasty mouth kids.

Social activities can come by Sports, Marshall arts,Scouts, Religious Youth groups. Some places also give hs groups discounted prices to go there for fieldtrips also. Most have 1 a month.

I am new to this forum, and thinking about homeschooling my 15 yr old with ADHD. I am concerned about my son forming a habit of giving up when things get too hard. I am afraid that he wants to homeschool as an easy way out of the demands of school. Has anyone else had that come up?sure has! my son can be the ultimate "quitter"! he's only 9 but has had so many negative experiences in school that he has learned to just not try or give up quickly if he thinks he will fail.

how i combat this is to create successes. he is able to do the work and has proved how much smarter he is than i ever thought! we started with the things he does well like math. added the more difficult work, and then, with alot of support from me, he got the hang of it and was really proud. mind you, i'm not spoon feeding or giving work that is too easy. i'm working with him, going slow and making sure he understands what he needs to do. his biggest problem is understanding the directions. he gets quickly overwhelmed if he doesn't understand how to go about the work. i think that has been his primary problem in school.

choosing to homeschool is a big commitment, one to really consider. do you have the time, patience and resources to create a solid learning environment? these are questions i had to ask myself. it's alot of fun, very rewarding for both of us but a huge comittment on my part. course i take it very serioiusly and have the intention that my son will get the very best education!

good luck and please post what you decide
kppy

good for you!! tough choice, believe me, i know.

do you plan on using a curriculum?

there are a ton of homeschooling groups that organize activities for kids. opportunities for socializing ect... i just became plugged into a local group myself and am looking at their calendar for field trips ect...

let me know how it goes. homeschoolers unite, yeah!!

kppy

I was out for awhile last night and had 21 messages. Thanks so much for your responses. We are going to use the PACES program through Midwest Christian Academy. Has anyone had any experience with them?

My son is smart, but he doesn't have ANY confidence that he is smart. His reason for wanting to homeschool is that "it is easier and he hates the way the teachers are". At 15 it is very hard to read him because he doesn't tell us anything, so I really can't get out of him exactly why he hates the way the teachers are. Every time we have a conference we are told that he talks too much and isn't paying attention (DUH, he has ATTENTION DEFICIT!!!) and because of that he isn't learning. My question is WHY are they not able to hold his attention and will homeschool solve that problem? I don't want him to think this is the easy way out and opt for that road in the future on jobs, etc.

tambo,

i can totally relate to what you say. my son too suffers from lack of confidence and i don't want him to think this is a way to "cop out" of responsibilities.

to make sure that does not happen, he does a tremendous amount of work!! i know this because i see the work that the kids in his grade are doing-what's coming home in their backpacks. i also talk with other parents of kids in his grade/class and ask what their kids are working on. i know already that he is ahead in terms of skills!

we use the a beka books program primarily. these are very aggressive in terms of academics and i had to (and still periodically) back up a bit to bring my son up to the skill level required by this curriculum. it seems most homeschool curriculums available are christian-based. i have no problem with it as they tend not to be too "preachy" and their message is soild, ethical and pretty up to date.

why the school is not able to hold your son's attention, i don't know. i think that alot has to do with the teacher. there are many fantastic teachers out there so i won't make a blanket statement and say it is all of them as far as who is at fault.

i myself am a teacher, special ed too and know how hard it is to work with kids who struggle. i know what it is like to have a classroom of kids with mixed abilities and needs. not an easy task even for the most dedicated and hard working!

let us know how it's going and hang in there! i would suggest you start off slow, introduce a couple of subjects a week. work out a good schedule that you can both live with and stick with it!

kppy
[QUOTE=kppy]anyone out there homeschooling??? care to share?

Hello, My son was diagnosed with ADHD and this is our first official year of homeschooling and I work part time as well. It seems to me to be the only option. I had to take him out of Kindergarten last year and this year we are speeding through K-1 curriculum. He is learning really well. There are some familys who do not take a serious approach to their homeschooling so their kids are left uneducated but I know alot of people who home school and the kids are learning better than they would have in public or private schools. If you can do it. I think for kids who have issues it is the absolutely best education you can provide. My son gets as many breaks as he wants and we do school at any time of the day. He was reading a book before bed last night and answered the work sheet questions when he got up today. He can be silly and move around all over while learning to read. I am finding out that he is a very smart kid. He is doing better than some of the first graders I know that have been in school 2 years. And he is not expected to sit all day in a class. deana,

yeah, the schedule can be a lot more flexible when teaching at home. like today for an example. my youngest was home with the flu and needed me. my homeschooler did more independent work than usual and less work than a 'normal' day. he will of course, have to play catch up tomorrow but it won't be a problem.

i too am amazed at how smart my kid is! he is also working ahead at this point and boy, did he need it! more specifically, his self confidence really needed it.

i realized that my son was going to need alot more one on one this year than his teacher was going to be able to provide. the other two third grade teachers were not (imho) a good match for him. so yeah, homeschooling was the best option. we will play it by ear as far as continuing on next year.

my son had a great year last year. it's all on the teacher- she is one terrific lady! i think for many kids, having a good teacher-student match makes all the difference in the world. this year, well, not alot of options for him.

one thing that i think is important and something i make sure to include is independent work. the one on one is great and easy to do, but i want him to be able to function on his own without always having me to re direct, re read, re say the instructions ect.... it's a rut that i can see would be difficult to dig out of!

glad to hear your son is doing well. how do you handle getting everything else done?!

kppy

Hope hw goes well. I can relate our son gets more behind each year. Our son is now 2 1/2 yrs.behind others.

I finally made the decision to homeschool my son again. Well, I should say, my son made the choice for himself today by being sent to the Pricipal's office, AGAIN

This has been the 5th time since school started. He is doing so well with school work, and he has little problems in class; his problem is with the unstructured activities like p.e and recess. He has a very hard time making good decisions when his fellow classmates do something to him whether it is accidental or on purpose. This has been a hard choice because he finally has a teacher that he can relate to, plus he recently got into the gifted program. Honestly though, I just cannot take any more calls from the school.

I am hoping that we can use this time to address his behavioral issues by seeing a neuropsych and possibly a therapist. Homeschoolers unite

Our son learns hands on best what would be a good curriculum for him. We are look in to Hs for next year if we can't the school to do more.

Paces are a good system cause you redo til real mastery then go on. This allows go at your speed. These are just a textbook broken into smaller pieces. We know people who use paces and do welll. Some dislike the pace system. Assign a lesson day per subject.This works well. Some say it doesn't teach enough in other areas. Thinking/problem solving. Let us know how it's working.

Thanks for the info. I will let you know how it goes. We found out yesterday we won't be able to withdraw him until the end of the semester because he will not complete drivers ed and will have to return his permit. That's not really all that bad since I really don't want him driving anyway, but he's almost done and would have to start over which would be a waste of time and $...so his comment was I'll just sleep in the other classes since the grade doesn't matter. He just doesn't get it, which is soooo frustrating for us as parents.i hear ya unconditional!! i waited 6 months for my son's evals to come in (a couple years ago)and then more to implement a program for him. what a waste of time!

the following mid year, they deemed him no longer eligible for services, had excelled enough and he was discharged from services. however, they recommended that he repeat second grade. how could he have "excelled" and still need to repeat?

this year, i saw what was happening and acted immediately by withdrawing him from school. i'm not wasting anymore of his valuable learning time waiting for these people to figure out what the h@ll to do with him. no way, never again.

i aslo have a multitude of websites i could post. i'd suggest tho that you google his grade level and look over what's there. you know best what stuff he needs. you have probably already done this tho- your'e so on the ball!

kppy
Lets be realistic though. How can teachers meet the needs of every child when they don't have the resources to do so. Our schools are getting their budgets cut almost yearly, all the while the class sizes increase. I know that schools can not handle this responsibility unfortunately, so as parents we have to step in and assume the primary role as educators.

helpful imformation

AtoZ home's homeschooling cite

Do it tammy!What do you plan to use. Try a go at your own pace one. Same issue in our 9 year old with yours. Our issue is there system is not how our son learns best. These kids I see need lot of repatition in stuff which todays stuff doesn't always have. I homeschooled my son for the first time when he was in 3rd grade. He was so relieved to be home that I did not have any problems getting him to do the work that I gave him. Today is his last day at school and boy, this was the first morning that he did not wake up a grouch! I think he is happy about this decision. I already went to the library and got PBS documentaries and some great science and geography books. I am going to have him study Asia next week, the people, places and other interesting facts. I am hoping to start music appreciation with him too. Our local library has a great music collection. As for math, I will probably purchase a book geared toward his grade level. My husband has an English and Journalism degree, so I will leave the grammar lessons to him. I am tired of trying to force my square peg into a round hole--his wiring is geared toward the unconventional--I am slowly learning to accept that. If I have to homeschool him until he graduates then so be it--though I may look like this

when all is said and done.I agree that is why we should be able to have a child educated the way they learn not how educators think it should be done.

Lack of resources not the parents problems. The law says a school must do what ever it takes to educate kids. This is federal law. If I wanted be the primary roal why send them at all. This means you are doing more than they are.

You give the lesson than ask who gets it. Those who don't the teacher helps in a smaller group while others work on their stuff. This is my solution. Things need to be explained easy than everyone get's it. Here's my solution.

Yes, that would be great, in an ideal society. My son did the work fine, it was his behavior that was the issue. Teachers can't teach children, even in small groups if they have to constantly monitor a child's behavior. My son needed a counselor at school to talk to which we had but was cut due to budget cuts. Our school doesn't even have a full time Special Ed teacher. My children's school has wonderful teachers that have, for the most part, been real patient with my son, but they can only do so much with the resources they are given. I could fight the school and demand that they give my son the services he has the right to get under Federal law, but I would rather put my energies into helping my son myself.

My son can't wait for the school to comply with Federal laws, he needs help now. So that is what I must do. Thanks for the website, I appreciate it--I will check it out.

I have never homeschooled my son with Adhd thank God he is personable but I had to do it with my son who has O.D.D It was the hardest thing I ever did but so worth it. He was not being given the level of work he could do at school because of his behaviour. he was in gread six doing pre school work. Now he is back at a new school reg class and reg lessons. Why is it that schools think that if i child is different they can't learn?

lilas38665.3475115741

Thanks for your input. My son's biggest problem seems to be that while the teacher is explaining, he is trying to understand but before he does she moves on to the next thing. Then when he asks for clarification she says you should have been listening the first time. This happens even though he has accomodations for re-explanation. We have been battling the schools ever since he was 6. They think he is not paying attention or being disruptive so they write him off instead of trying to find out why he is acting out. I have finally come to the realization that it is never going to change and it is easier on me to home school rather than to constantly fight to get the school to provide what he needs. I have found a curriculum that I think is going to work great for him because the diagnostic testing determines where the holes are in his knowledge and corrects them first. I may need moral support from this board. You will probably be seeing alot of posts from me int he future

Tammye