I am feed up with having to explain myself!!! I homeschool because i want to, and feel it is the right approch for our children. Not because I couldn't get her into the school we wanted, or bullying etc..just because. And what is so bloody important with reading!!?? "So is she reading yet?" "so she's not reading books yet?" "how manys books is she reading?". I AM SURE it's NOT a problem that my barely six year old is not reading more than say four letter words. I AM SURE she will STILL become a well rounded, well educated adult. I AM SORRY i am not teaching her to read like the 'schools'. I AM SORRY i am not forceing her to attempt or memorise words that are beyond her current teaching. No i do not think it means homeschool is failing. And i am sorry i can not tell you how much of the day is learning. AND MOSTLY i am sorry i want a slower, more relaxed, more playfull childhood for my children BUT
I WILL NOT TRY TO BE THE NORM!
But then...I don't know if i really have the support to be anything but the norm.
posted by mummynat @ 6:20 pm
8 comments
8 Comments:
YIKES!
I really hope that you wrote this before our IM chat coz I'd hate to think I made you feel worse :(
She'd be in Year 1 right? Have you seen the "guidelines" for what kids "should" be reading at that age? I've looked and I'll bet you'd find she's not that far off anyway. I've got a copy of them if you want me to email them to you. Then you can wave them under the unbelievers noses and then (politely of course!) tell them where they can shove it!
Grrrr! sorry...going off on one now but these people make me VERY ANGRY. Anyway honey, let me know if you want the fabulous government guidance notes and i'll send them to you.
Esther!!! What do you mean they don't sit in front of the TV all their non-school hours????? cebeebies is educational you know ;-)
oh, and yah boo sucks to peeps who measure "learning" by arbitary things like how many books a child reads....
AFAIK in some countries children don't start school until their 7 - Steiner/Waldorf ed. phil. says that children should wait until their 7th year to start learning to read. So balls. :0)
In Denmark children are not expected to even start recognizing letters until they are 7 years old. The fact that your child is reading even small words would be impressive over here.
Well, dont appologise reading at the age of 6 is a total non-issue, many countries just dont do it til they are at least seven, I would bet anything your children are doing just fine.
Quite frankly who cares anyway. You do things your own way, at least you can't do any worse than the school system!
Jade and i spent a long time just looking at phonetical sounds, even watching 'Words and pictures' on BBC2. It's only been in the last year (7th year) that she suddenly turned into a really lovely reader. She started off reading everything around her, her 7th birthday was the first time she slowly read out her cards. Now at nearly 8yrs she reads probably better than her school age because she did it when she was ready. Even if Viv isn't the same don't worry it will come when she's ready and a lot easier and way less stressful. Enjoy her imagination now. xxxx Annette
Your child is happy - she will be learning! We wasted 7 years sending our children to school to have them damaged in countless ways (and not learn much either) - they are learning SO much now. People like that are just backing up their own narrow world view or educational choices for their kids.
You are doing a great job - it is really hard not to get upset by people though, I know.
Lucy
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