Posted by Amy on December 28 2009 at 12:13:38:
Hello Everyone,
I have a bit of a dilemma this year. I wanted to get my youngest child reading well this year, so my older kids, grades 6 and 8, have been fairly independent with their work. They read a lot of books on various subjects. (They have a math curriculum that has worksheets that they complete.) I still teach grammar, history, and the main topic of whatever we´re learning in science, but then they read books to expand what I taught them. We discuss their books, but I don´t have any worksheets or anything to go along with what they´ve learned. We do some labs in science every once in awhile. I have them write reports here and there, but I don´t think they should have to write a report to go along with every book and every topic. I don´t have them answering comprehension questions either. They are really enjoying this style, and are retaining quite a bit of information. However, I feel like they should be proving what they´ve learned, or is that just my public school education and mentality talking? I guess what I´m saying is that there really isn´t a whole lot for the portfolio. How can I demonstrate what they´re learning this year without just showing some reports and a book list? I don´t know if my style has changed or if this is the norm that everyone goes through making the transition from elementary to high school. I feel like we should be doing more, but I don´t really know how to accomplish that without taking away their enjoyment and making myself nuts in the process. I´d hate to admit this, but teaching 3 kids at 3 different levels in all subject areas is beyond my capabilities. And at the same time, I want my kids to have the best education that I can give them. I am really doubting myself at this point on whether or not I´m enough. In years past, I kept up with what they were learning. I read the same books to ask them the right questions. I was very much hands on in their educations. It was always difficult, but managable. Now I just can´t keep up with them due to my own responsibilites, which include working a part time job and teaching a kindergartener.
Any suggestions or comments from those who have gone before would be greatly appreciated at this point. Thank you.
Amy