text:
Grove Primary School
Grove Primary School
Chadwell Heath Lane
Chadwell Heath
Headteacher: Mrs D P Webb
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School holidays for Grove Primary School via Redbridge council
564 pupils
mixed gender
415 pupils capacity: 136% full
300 boys 53%
265 girls 47%
Last updated: July 21, 2014
Primary — Community School
- 102835
- Education phase
- Primary
- Establishment type
- Community School
- Establishment #
- 2057
- OSGB coordinates
- Easting: 547031, Northing: 188780
- GPS coordinates
- Latitude: 51.579, Longitude: 0.12052
- Accepting pupils
- 3—11 years old
- Census date
- Jan. 16, 2014
- Ofsted last inspection
- July 8, 2014
- Region › Const. › Ward
- London › Ilford South › Chadwell
- Area
- Urban > 10k - less sparse
- Free school meals %
- 28.30
Schools nearby
- 0.1 miles The Constance Bridgeman Centre RM64XT (26 pupils)
- 0.1 miles Redbridge College RM64XT
- 0.2 miles Ethel Davis School IG38XS
- 0.2 miles Newbridge School RM64TR (138 pupils)
- 0.3 miles St Bede's Catholic Primary School RM65RR (472 pupils)
- 0.4 miles Little Heath School RM65RX (146 pupils)
- 0.5 miles The Chadwell Heath Foundation School RM64RS
- 0.5 miles Chadwell Heath Academy RM64RS (1236 pupils)
- 0.7 miles Farnham Green Primary School IG38UY (622 pupils)
- 0.7 miles Chadwell Primary School RM64EU (535 pupils)
- 0.7 miles Barley Lane Primary School RM64RJ (741 pupils)
- 0.7 miles Barley Lane Junior School RM64RJ
- 0.7 miles Barley Lane Infant School RM64RJ
- 0.7 miles Mountain Ash School RM64JA
- 0.8 miles Marks Gate Junior School RM65NJ (333 pupils)
- 0.9 miles Marks Gate Infants' School RM65LL (328 pupils)
- 0.9 miles The Warren Comprehensive School RM66SB (1229 pupils)
- 0.9 miles William Torbitt Primary School IG27SS (682 pupils)
- 0.9 miles William Torbitt Infant School IG27SS
- 0.9 miles Eastcourt Independent School IG38UW (323 pupils)
- 0.9 miles The Warren Comprehensive School RM66SB
- 1 mile Furze Infants' School RM66ES (460 pupils)
- 1 mile Warren Junior School RM66DA (466 pupils)
- 1 mile Mayfield School RM81XE (1522 pupils)
Ofsted report: Newer report is now available. Search "102835" on ofsted.gov.uk. latest issued July 8, 2014.
Grove Primary School
|Unique Reference Number
|Local Authority
|Inspection number
|Inspection dates
|14–15 June 2010
|Reporting inspector
|Martin Beale
This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
|Type of school
|School category
|Age range of pupils
|Gender of pupils
|Number of pupils on the school roll
|Appropriate authority
|The governing body
|Arthur Leggatt
|D P Webb
|Date of previous school inspection
|26 February 2007
|School address
|Chadwell Heath Lane
|Romford RM6 4XS
|Telephone number
|020 85903611
|Fax number
|020 85973733
|Email address
|Age group
|Inspection dates
|14–15 June 2010
|Inspection number
© Crown copyright 2009
This inspection was carried out by four additional inspectors. They visited 25 lessons, observing 17 teachers at least once, and held meetings with staff, groups of pupils and two members of the governing body. Informal discussions were also held with parents as they arrived with their children at the start of the day. Inspectors observed the school's work, and scrutinised assessment information, pupils' books, records of pupils' progress and improvement plans. They analysed 70 responses to the parents' and carers' questionnaires, 105 to the pupils' survey and 27 to the staff questionnaire.
The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at the following:
- evidence to show whether the emphasis on improving writing is having an impact
- how well teachers engage pupils in learning, particularly through their questioning
- the extent to which children have opportunities for free choice and independent learning in the Nursery and Reception.
Information about the school
This large school serves a changing community that is becoming more culturally diverse. Two thirds of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds with the proportion from Bangladeshi families increasing most rapidly. The majority of pupils are from homes where English is not the first language. Free school meal eligibility is above average and considerably more pupils than in most schools join or leave other than at the usual ages. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average, as is the number with a statement of special educational needs. Their needs are mostly associated with learning difficulties related to literacy. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in the Nursery and two Reception classes. The school has received the Artsmark Silver award and has achieved Healthy Schools status. The school is undergoing an extensive rebuilding programme, which is due to be completed for September 2010.
|Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate
|Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms
Inspection judgements
Overall effectiveness: how good is the school?
The school's capacity for sustained improvement
Main findings
Grove Primary is a good school. It has the support of its parents and carers and is serving its community well. It is a happy and purposeful environment where pupils and staff work together in harmony. It has strengths in its provision, the most notable being the quality of care, support and guidance, particularly for its more vulnerable pupils such as those with acute learning difficulties. Pupils feel safe and are confident that adults will resolve quickly any problems that might arise. This view is almost unanimously shared by parents and carers.
The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils show great respect for others and for cultural differences. Pupils of all backgrounds work and play happily together, taking care to ensure that no individual is left out. They are considerate towards each other and take care to ensure that newcomers settle in and make new friends quickly. Consequently, there are almost no incidents of bullying or inappropriate behaviour.
The youngest children get off to a satisfactory but uneven start in the Nursery and Reception classes. From skill levels that are below those expected for their age on entry, they make satisfactory progress overall but better progress in Reception than in Nursery. The inconsistency between classes is largely because assessment of the children is not sufficiently robust to establish their starting points or used effectively to support their learning and challenge children enough. Pupils make good progress across the rest of the school. Their attainment is broadly average by the end of Year 6. The main reasons for their good achievement in Years 1 to 6 are:
- teaching that is frequently good and sometimes better
- a well-planned curriculum that makes the pupils' experiences interesting by linking learning across different subjects
- the enrichment of the pupils' experiences through a variety of activities, many of which are supported by productive links with other local schools
- the careful use of assessment information to identify and tailor support where individuals are falling behind their targets
- a sharp focus on supporting the learning of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
The action to improve the quality of the pupils' writing is starting to have an impact with their imaginations stimulated in a wider range of contexts than previously and across many subjects. Learning is made interesting and challenging in most lessons and teaching assistants are deployed well in support of individuals and groups of pupils. Teachers are becoming better at engaging pupils in their learning in response to the school's action to improve teachers' questioning skills. However, this is not consistent across the school and so there is room for improvement in this and in associated aspects of planning opportunities for pupils to respond to each other's ideas and to teachers' marking.
The relatively new staff team is becoming more cohesive under the headteacher's thoughtful and determined leadership. The team has coped well with the building work going on around them. One parent summed up the views of many when writing, 'The teachers work hard to provide a creative and inspiring curriculum and I believe the headteacher and leadership team are driving the school forward and striving for excellence.' There are now more opportunities for free choice of activities for the youngest children, and teachers in Years 1 to 6 are making better use of assessment information to challenge pupils. Both of these were identified as areas for attention at the previous inspection. The accuracy of self-evaluation is giving everyone a clear picture of the school's qualities and where priorities for improvement should lie. This gives the school good capacity to meet its goals and to secure further improvements.
What does the school need to do to improve further?
- Bring greater consistency to the way teachers engage pupils in their learning by:
- using more effective questioning techniques to develop their thinking
- providing more planned opportunities for pupils to discuss and share their ideas with each other
- giving time for them to respond to their teachers' marking.
- Improve assessment and its use in the Nursery and Reception by:
- undertaking and recording more frequent observations of the children, especially when involved in self-chosen activities
- ensuring that the information is used to identify more clearly the children's starting pointsproviding tasks that challenge the children further.
- providing tasks that challenge the children further.
Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils
The pupils are given a firm basis for success in the future, as one parent indicated when writing, 'As my child will be leaving this school to start a new chapter in her life, I feel that Grove has given her a very good foundation to build on.' The pupils develop their basic skills at a good pace and apply them in a wide range of contexts. They generally concentrate on activities and work hard. These qualities support their good progress and were particularly evident when Year 3 pupils prepared questions they might ask characters in a book they were studying. Pupils are starting to take greater responsibility for aspects of their learning, such as when assessing the work of their peers or trying to improve their work in the light of their teacher's comments.
Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress towards their individual targets by the careful balance between support in lessons and withdrawal for more focused activities. Although there have been no significant variations in progress by groups, a slight difference in the achievement of younger Bangladeshi pupils is starting to become evident to the school.
Pupils greatly value the diversity they see around them, by respecting differences and celebrating their shared values. They show they are very sensitive to each other's ideas, such as when given the opportunity to discuss issues and listen to others' perspectives. One consequence is that relationships are warm and friendly. Their behaviour around the school can be excellent, but varies in lessons when they lose concentration and their teachers have to remind some of them, rather too regularly, of their expectations. Pupils make a considerable contribution to school life and have a voice in its development. They take responsibilities seriously and involve themselves in local community activities. Pupils' understanding of how to stay fit and healthy is aided by links with other schools, which extend opportunities for participation in sporting activities.
These are the grades for pupils' outcomes
|Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning
Taking into account:
Pupils' attainment¹
The quality of pupils' learning and their progress
The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress
|The extent to which pupils feel safe
|Pupils' behaviour
|The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles
|The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community
|The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being
Taking into account:
Pupils' attendance¹
|The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low
How effective is the provision?
Classrooms are stimulating and calm places in which to learn, because of the helpful displays and the way most pupils respond to their teacher's expectations of their behaviour. Teachers make learning enjoyable through interesting activities such as the Year 5 report writing of a supposed crime committed at the school. By making the characters involved real and the location immediate, pupils were deeply involved and their imaginations stimulated. These features are not seen consistently because not all teachers engage pupils as successfully through their questioning or use of discussion. This means that in some classes, early learners of English have limited opportunities to develop language through talk. Marking generally helps pupils to identify how they might improve their work, but teachers do not routinely give sufficient time for them to respond to their suggestions.
Key skills are promoted well and pupils learn through a series of rich experiences on a daily basis. Content is increasingly linked between subjects to make learning more interesting. Educational visits stimulate the pupils' thinking so that they can begin to identify lines of enquiry they might wish to follow. Partnerships with local secondary schools strengthen opportunities for sport and art and provide additional activities for gifted and talented pupils.
Understanding the circumstances of pupils and their families is enabling staff to identify the precise difficulties faced by individuals and to sharply target support programmes accordingly. External agencies provide much valued support for vulnerable pupils and those in need of their specific expertise. Thorough induction arrangements when pupils join and the careful preparation when they move on to secondary school help to give a smooth transfer from one stage to the next.
These are the grades for the quality of provision
|The quality of teaching
Taking into account:
The use of assessment to support learning
|The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships
|The effectiveness of care, guidance and support
How effective are leadership and management?
The headteacher is ably supported by the deputy headteacher in making sure her ambitions for the pupils are supported by staff. Procedures for checking the performance of staff and providing support for the improvement of their teaching include other leaders. Targets are challenging, used continuously as a lever to raise achievement and progress, and are carefully checked.
Governors ensure that everyone works in a safe environment. Arrangements for safeguarding the welfare of the pupils are in place and work effectively in practice. Anyone working with children is properly vetted. Governors have adapted their practices so that they can gain a greater insight into the working of the school, but they are not sufficiently active in identifying priorities for improvement or challenging the school to overcome any shortcomings.
People feel valued in this very cohesive school. There is a clear understanding of the changing context within which the school operates and many activities are planned to promote community cohesion. However, the school has not evaluated this sufficiently in order that it can identify what should be done next, particularly in supporting the growing Bangladeshi community. Plans are in place to reintroduce more opportunities for parents and carers to develop their computer and other skills once the rebuilding is completed. Links with outside organisations give good value for money as the school would not be able to support pupils or enrich their experiences without the additional expertise these organisations bring.
The school is strongly committed to the promotion of equality of opportunity and to tackling discrimination. The headteacher and her team focus sharply on identifying and removing barriers to learning, whatever these might be. As a result, pupils from various minority ethnic groups represented in the school achieve well and action is starting to be taken in the light of the emerging gaps in the attainment of younger Bangladeshi pupils.
These are the grades for leadership and management
|The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement
Taking into account:
The leadership and management of teaching and learning
|The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the
school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met
|The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers
|The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being
|The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination
|The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures
|The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion
|The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money
Early Years Foundation Stage
Children enter the Nursery class with skills and understanding below those expected for their age, particularly in their language and social skills. Induction arrangements help them settle in to school life and relate well to each other and staff. The children are happy and show consideration towards each other. They behave in a safe and responsible manner because adults reinforce what is expected in a positive and encouraging way. Children are confident to ask for help when they need it.
Teachers use a range of teaching methods and adequate resources to engage and interest the children. There is now a better balance between activities led by adults and those initiated by the children. Consequently, children's independence is increasing and they are beginning to do more for themselves. The children make satisfactory progress across the stage, although their progress is accelerating in the Reception classes where the teachers have introduced phonic sessions which are helping the children to tackle unfamiliar words with greater confidence. Nevertheless, their attainment is still below average by the end of Reception, particularly in writing and numeracy.
Rigorous attention is paid to ensuring that the children are kept safe at all times and a close and productive partnership with home is established. The staff team works well together as a close unit, but there are some inconsistencies in practice that, while recognised, have not been eliminated. Assessments of the children's progress are gathered but opportunities are missed because they do not consistently make observations when the children are involved in self-chosen activities. In addition, the information is not monitored rigorously enough to identify clearly the children's starting points on entry to the Nursery. Tasks which really challenge and stretch the children are not provided routinely.
These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage
|Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage
Taking into account:
Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage
The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage
The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation
Views of parents and carers
Parents and carers are very much in support of the school and have no major concerns. They are almost unanimous in reporting that their children enjoy school. They are pleased with the quality of teaching, the way the school is led and managed, the success with which their individual needs are met, the efforts made to prepare their children for the future and the information they receive about their children's progress. These are areas that are endorsed by the inspection team. A few parents and carers felt that the school does not take account of their suggestions and concerns, although no evidence was found to support this view.
Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire
Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Grove Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 70 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 469 pupils registered at the school.
|My child enjoys school
|The school keeps my child safe
|My school informs me about my child's progress
|My child is making enough progress at this school
|The teaching is good at this school
|The school helps me to support my child's learning
|The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle
|The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment)
|The school meets my child's particular needs
|The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour
|The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns
|The school is led and managed effectively
|Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school
The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.
What inspection judgements mean
|Grade 1
|These features are highly effective. An oustanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs.
|Grade 2
|These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.
|Grade 3
|These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.
|Grade 4
|These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.
Overall effectiveness of schools
|Overall effectiveness judgement (percentage of schools)
|Type of school
|Nursery schools
|Primary schools
|Secondary schools
|Sixth forms
|Special schools
|Pupil referral
|All schools
The data in the table above is for the period 1 September to 31 December 2009 and is the most recently published data available (see ofsted.gov.uk). Please note that the sample of schools inspected during the autumn term 2009 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.
Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures include those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form inspection judgements.
Common terminology used by inspectors
the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.
the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.
|Capacity to improve:
the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.
|Leadership and management:
the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.
how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.
|Overall effectiveness:
inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.
the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.
This letter is provided for the school, parents and
carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's
main findings from the inspection of their school.
16 June 2010
Dear Pupils
Inspection of Grove Primary School, Chadwell Heath, RM6 4XS
You will remember that inspectors visited your school recently and I am writing to let you know what we found. Thank you for making us welcome and for being so ready to share your thoughts about your school. We had the opportunity to talk with many of you and we told your teachers you were very helpful and polite.
We agree with you that Grove Primary is a good school. You clearly enjoy school and we agree with you that your teachers take good care of you. Your behaviour is good, and you are being very sensible about the building work going on around you. Those of you who have special jobs, like being members of the school council, carry out your duties responsibly.
You make good progress during your time in school, learning the skills you need for the future. This is because you are taught well and have interesting things to learn. Those of you who find learning more difficult or are new to learning English also make good progress because of the support you receive.
Everyone is trying hard to make the school even better. The two things we have asked the teachers and other adults to do are to:
- involve you more in lessons through better questioning and by giving you more opportunities for discussion and time for you to respond to their marking
- improve the way teachers check the progress of the youngest children and use this to plan activities that meet their needs better.
You can play your part in helping the school to get even better by continuing to work hard and showing pride in your school. I wish you well for the future.
Yours sincerely
Martin Beale
Lead inspector
|Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: ofsted.gov.uk. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 08456 404045, or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Upcoming Deadlines!
Cape Town, South Africa
Upcoming Study Abroad Deadlines!
It's that time! Are you thinking about studying abroad in the Spring? In addition to attending the Mandatory Information Session on Thursday, September 19 at 7:00PM, you also need to apply to study abroad! To study abroad at Haverford, you must first complete your Haverford College Internal Declaration of Intent to Study Abroad, which is due by October 5 for the next Spring semester. After you register and complete the Declaration of Intent, you must also complete your program's application, which often has an earlier deadline (some are due as early as the first week of September). If you are thinking about studying abroad next Spring, please look at the deadlines on the International Academic Programs' website to make sure you apply in time!
Haverford Study Abroad Deadlines
Originally posted at: http://www.haverford.edu/news/stories/73761/301

subset: commoncrawl


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August 2, 2015
Citizen complaints lead to the arrest of a Bryan convenience store clerk and his brother.
Bryan residents Rinnie and Cody Taylor were arrested in late November after police found drugs and paraphernalia in Rinnie's apartment.
According to residents, clerks were selling drugs at two Bryan convenience stores, the Exxon Express Mart on Harvey Mitchell and Villa Maria and the Shell Station across the street.
Rinnie Taylor was arrested at the Exxon, where he was employed.
A search of his apartment turned up crack cocaine, and his brother, Cody, was arrested.
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission is now going after that Exxon's alcohol permit.
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Sep 14 2010
Making Changes to Your Homeschool Curriculum
Choosing and creating a homeschool curriculum is not an exact science. You're dealing with humans, after all, and so it came as no surprise to me when I realized that one of my choices wasn't working.
No matter how many methods of evaluation and assessment you use (in my case it was a friend and Cathy Duffy's Top 100 Picks book), there's no better test to whether something will work than actually trying it out.
In my own teaching experience, both in individual and classroom settings, the best programs work for both the instructor and the student(s). Obviously, it's a bit easier to tailor something to fit these needs in an individual setting; when I taught school, I'd just make sure to use a variety of methods – didactic, experiential – to ensure that I'd speak to all the different learning styles present in the room.
I'd be much more inclined to change programs if my child was really struggling. If she was really enjoying something and flourishing academically, and it turned out that I was the problem, I'd probably try to stick it out and determine why it was causing me so much pain.
But when neither of us are reaping any benefits, then perhaps it's time for us to reevaluate. And that's just what we did after a few weeks using First Language Lessons.
While this program was recommended for both my teaching style and my daughter's learning style, I found myself a bit off-put by the teacher narratives. Interestingly enough, my mom loved homeschool programs that often provided teacher narratives. But her own teaching and learning styles are drastically different than mine, and I know that she felt less confident teaching, at least at first, than I do, so it made sense that she'd like them. But for me, the narratives, along with the repetition and progression of the lessons, made me less and less motivated to use it.
So after attempting to adapt it to our styles, I decided that it was best to go back to the drawing board. That meant emailing my friend Christina for some advice, and doing a bit of research on some other options.
I've since ended up purchasing Growing with Grammar, mostly based on recommendations, but also because I like how their Soaring with Spelling program has been working for us thus far.
I'm curious to see how this one works for us. And now I understand why homeschoolers have an overabundance of materials.
Tell me how you determine when something is not working for you, and where you go to find something better.
Kristen Chase is a mom of 3 (almost 4!), writer, and co-publisher of Cool Mom Picks, a popular shopping and trendspotting blog for moms. She's a 2nd generation homeschooler, having been taught middle and high school by her own mother back when people were still using quills and ink wells, and is now a very well-adjusted and socialized homeschool mom herself.
48 Comments and 28 Replies
Anne On Tuesday, September 14 at 6:10 am
You are so right!!! One size does NOT fit all, and as much as I like being "efficient" in my choices of curriculum (time, energy,and budget all considered), it is wonderful to give yourself permission to continue to refine your homeschool. That is true for curriculum choices as well as schedules, etc. Our school has changed greatly over the past 18 YEARS!!!! (Yes, I am screaming!!!! ) But I can testify to the fact that it much better now than it used to be. I don't worry about what people think because I KNOW what works now for our children. I am so glad there are now so many homeschoolers out there, because our curriculum choices have multiplied exponentially from the time I start, back in the Dark Ages. I can say that my oldest three, now in or graduated from college, are all very well adjusted, amazing adults and I adore them. The four we still have at home are thriving!! One of my favorite websites is Timberdoodle.com because of how thoroughly they research and explain their products. Just one more option to check out. They also have the greatest selection of games and learning toys. I buy lots of our Christmas presents from them!! Thanks for the discussion!!
kim On Tuesday, September 14 at 11:54 am
I have to second your Timberdoodle comment. I love them!
Shera S. On Tuesday, September 14 at 6:38 am
I do not homeschool, but I am a teacher. I have quite a bit of freedom with my curriculum, pretty much total freedom. I teach a PreK class at a neighborhood public elementary school. I can always tell when I need to change things up, either because it doesn't fit the needs of the kiddos or because it is stale. I always feel unmotivated and bored. That is when I know it is time for a change. Then I pretty much just do a bit of searching for new ideas, new curriculum, or listen closely to the interests of the children. It seems if I am excited and motivated then they are too.
Anne On Tuesday, September 14 at 6:45 am
I meant to mention in my other comment our favorite grammar program: http://www.winstongrammar.com/ It is a very systematic program that uses color coded cards: one color for each part of speech. Students lay out the cards to reflect the sentence they are labeling. It is very effective. Also, over the years, these are our personal favorites that work for our homeschool: http://iliveinanantbed.blogspot.com/p/homeschooling-resources.html
Kit On Tuesday, September 14 at 6:48 am
Making changes to your homeschooling curriculum is one of the greatest blessings of homeschooling. If something isn't working when a child is in traditional school, that's just too bad, "I'm sorry, but we can't adjust the entire curriculum because your child is struggling…"
Homeschooling is all about evaluating and re-evaluating a program, a series of lessons, even a curriculum. If it isn't working for your child, it isn't worth the money you paid for it, or the time you're losing by trying to force it.
I will admit, early on in our homeschooling experience, I wasn't wise enough to pull the plug on something when it quit working. Sometimes that was a good thing because it gave us all a bit of tenacity, we didn't quit just because it got a little tough.
But, when it simply IS NOT WORKING, and by this I mean tears, no progress, resistance, despite a true effort to make it work, it's time to move on. This was shown to me very clearly in our writing classes. I have always had a way with words, and I assumed that everyone had that same ability…until my son struggled to write reports for a distance learning program we started when he reached high school age.
They sent the reports back…didn't even bother grading them…This devastated both of us. As you mentioned, I talked with other homeschooling moms and evaluated the programs they suggested. We settled on the Institute for Excellence in Writing as the tool that worked for us. It completely changed our homeschooling experience.
I was willing to change. We found something that worked. Progress resumed. Tears stopped. No more resistance.
We know our kiddos better than anyone. We know when they've really given something appropriate effort. We know when we've given appropriate effort. When it's not working, move on. There IS something else out there. Find it and move on. Life's too short to dance with boring programs!
I Live In An Antbed On Tuesday, September 14 at 8:19 am
We use IEW, too! It is wonderful. The kids are working on the final copy of one of their stories right now. We also use their poetry curriculum!
Suzanne at Window On The Prairie On Tuesday, September 14 at 6:54 am
We have no children as yet, but I do read this regularly and it has me thinking about homeschooling when the time comes. http://windowontheprairie.com/ Suzanne
AGinTO On Tuesday, September 14 at 7:08 am
I'm not homeschooling…my little guy is only 3. I've toyed with the notion of it, but we do play with educational material at home. Some things work great, and some things don't. Trial and error have really worked for us. We also have a couple of friends who have kids a few months older, so they've been great with advice about educational toys that ended up being educational TOOLS.
Some things work and some things don't.
We have a gazillion flash cards. My son just doesn't like them. They lay in unused in our coffee table drawer. HOWEVER…our Coffee Table has a glass top over wood. So we thought "what if we laid the flash cards under the glass? What A HUGE HIT! Our son loves looking at the pictures, spelling out the letters, and pretend-playing with the characters on the cards. We change up the cards weekly to keep it fresh…but what an unconventional hit it's been.
So you never know…until you know!
Yeah, I'm real helpful today…
Bev On Tuesday, September 14 at 9:19 am
ummm-yes you are homeschooling! :))
AGinTO On Thursday, September 16 at 7:44 am
Really Bev? I thought it wasn't homeschooling until they were technically, you know, supposed to be "in school". ::big smile on my face:: yay! I'm homeschooling!
Anaise On Tuesday, September 14 at 7:13 am
I have had to learn the lesson about tossing things that don't work; it has been a hard lesson for me to learn!
The most freeing statement I ever heard was by a veteran homeschool mom at a local convention who said, ". . . we've never finished a textbook." Her kids are wonderful adults–intelligent, kind, service-minded, social, etc.. She was speaking to a crowd of type-A parents who worry too much about dotting every i and crossing every t (I should know–I'm one of them). She went on to elaborate that using planned curriculum/textbooks/school plans as a base for inspiring learning on a deeper level is okay. There's no need to fret over the last chapter of the science book if you've been reading/field-tripping/experimenting in real life already.
What a relief!
But to answer your challenge: I love attending our local homeschool convention! Two days to look over school supplies to my hearts content–that's where I get my new ideas–I buy later, after thinking and praying over my children and our homeschool. And I take whatever catalogues I can find that will deliver to my home. I can browse them at my leisure and ask questions of friends to determine what we need and when and why.
Carole & Chewy On Tuesday, September 14 at 7:20 am
Over 10 years of homeschooling we changed many things – any program that didn't engage my daughter was tossed no matter how "recommended" it was. Many times the textbooks were so much less effective than a wide choice of reading material, field trips or documentaries. Even now that she's in college, she finds textbooks dull, and seeks outside reading on material to amplify the suject matter. "Flexibility" is probably the most important word in hmeschooling.
Fatima On Tuesday, September 14 at 7:57 am
So, now I feel so much better about hating the math program that was given to us this year. My MIL gave it to us (it was taken from some old leftover promo stuff at her school) and I was so glad to save a bit of money. Four weeks in and I'm ready to scream! I don't like this public school math curriculum. It's all about teaching the kids to take a stinking test. It is very colorful and frankly a bit overstimulating. I'm ready to go back to Saxon, my one true math love…
Kristen On Tuesday, September 14 at 1:37 pm
I've got a major crush on Saxon too, though we're using Horizons now.
Ann Lowrey Forster On Tuesday, September 14 at 8:01 am
We are homeschooling our first grader. Last year, in Kindergarten, we had a very similar experience, but with Math. By October, it was clear that Saxon Math was driving us both crazy. I know that Saxon is a great program – it definitely successfully teaches Math, but the benefit of homeschooling is if success is in conflict with enjoyment, you are actually able to do something about it.
On the recommendation of the director of the 2 day a week enrichment program our little one attends, we switched to Right Start Math.
And we're both in heaven. We're using it again this year and couldn't be happier.
So, change is good! Now…what to do with all the stuff we've accumulated?
Shelly On Tuesday, September 14 at 1:43 pm
SELL IT!!!! I almost always try to find my resources used first!
We had the deal with Saxon math… totally agree it's a great, solid program, but we hated using it. Now we use MCP math for our youngers and Teaching Textbooks for the olders and I couldn't be happier!
the cottage child On Tuesday, September 14 at 8:04 am
We changed before we started – from the day I heard about it I wanted to use K12. I was a Bill Bennett groupie from his NEH days and was certain the program would be exactly what we needed. Except it wasn't, for a variety of reasons. But that's the beauty of the ever expanding method and curriculum choices, and the willingness of other families to share their experiences, progress, failures, and support. They have my undying gratitude.
Shelly On Tuesday, September 14 at 8:06 am
The times I've determined that homeschool material isn't working have been when I've noticed that I'm making a plethora of changes to it. I've never had something that we haven't tweaked a little, but when I start making more changes than I feel my money was worth I change. Over the years my response has been to do internet research for a substitute, I rarely find what I'm looking for at my local teacher supply stores and I don't venture out to curriculum fairs. (yes, I know homeschoolers swear by them, but I'm postitive they would drive me bonkers so I avoid them) My husband and I have ordered almost all of our homeschooling books via the internet both new and used and it's been infrequent that I've decided something was just not a good fit for our family. However, it does happen.
Johanna On Tuesday, September 14 at 8:09 am
Agreed! I love the flexibility of homeschooling.
I have a question though: how do you tell the difference between a curriculum that isn't working and a subject that just isn't a child's favorite? I have a 6 (almost 7) year old boy who complains about our Writing with Ease curriculum. It's mostly copy work and dictation. He's fine on dictation days, but really doesn't like the copywork. He's not a fan of writing generally, which I understand is partly just being a little boy. Honestly, writing a sentance only takes him a couple of minutes, but I could stand to do without the complaints.
He's extremely auditory in general – we actually are enjoying First Language Lessons, though we take it a few lessons at a time since it goes SO slow in the beginning. How do you teach writing verbally?!? :). Alternative writing curriculum suggestions? Or should we just grin and bear it for the 5 min, two days/week?
Kirsten On Tuesday, September 14 at 8:59 am
My 9, almost 10 year old son is still struggling with writing sentences. His brain works so much faster than his writing. He constantly makes mistakes and even still writes some letters backwards! I have started to teach him to type, and it is actually working out pretty well. Pretty sure that's an active boy thing, I've heard it from so many other moms. DH says make him write MORE, but that would be torture for both of us on something like copywork. So he got a pen pal, and I have him write anything that doesn't seem like practice (shopping lists, etc). I know it will come with time, so I am just not that worried about it.
Kari On Tuesday, September 14 at 9:13 am
Does he like to draw?
Maybe he could write a sentence and then illustrate it.
There are books,Draw,Write Now(http://www.amazon.com/Draw-Write-Now-Book-1-8/dp/0963930796/ref=sr_1_2/184-4625960-1548740?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1284473374&sr=8-2) that teach drawing simply and for a variety of subjects.
My kids really enjoyed these when they were young.
Amy On Tuesday, September 14 at 10:35 am
My daughter who is the same age has the same issue with copywork. One day I let her use markers instead of a pencil and there hasn't been a complaint since. Just an idea
Shelly On Tuesday, September 14 at 1:51 pm
I didn't do much actual writing early on, we're also big fans of FLL, so I mostly did copywork at a little older age. However my kids also enjoyed using sidewalk chalk on the driveway. (this is great for spelling lists!) Colored markers are a lot of fun too. Another thing my youngsters did would be to dictate a letter to a loved one to me, I'd write just what they said in the proper form with all the correct spelling and then they'd copy my letter in their own handwriting, it was still their very own words and my kids thought that was more fun than copying verses, poems, or random sentences. I also let them decorate the letter after it was all done correctly.
Amber On Wednesday, September 15 at 9:47 pm
Another thing that my kiddos enjoy is writing on a dry erase board. Sometimes, changing it up a bit will help. But, I also am not sure I totally see the point of copy work if he hates it. Check his writing in other ways..have him write a story, or a letter to a friend or relative. It would be sad to see his dislike in this area filter into a negative opinion of writing all together.
Johanna On Thursday, September 16 at 10:52 am
Thanks everyone, for the thoughts. I think I need to really ask what we're accomplishing with the copywork. He does handwriting separately (loves learning cursive right now), he also writes letters and emails to friends and family on occasion (though I usually don't make that instructional…and many times they are written in code-not letters/words to practice capitalization or punctuation). Perhaps we would do better, for now to write "notes" a couple of times a week instead of copywork…emphasizing whatever lesson Writing with Ease is aimed at for the week… Hmmm ideas are brewing, so thanks again!!
Emily On Tuesday, September 14 at 8:31 am
We have done the same thing, tossing a curriculum that isn't working. Sometimes you just don't know until you try it out with your children. I never see this as a waste of time either, just a learning experience. We are using Growing with Grammar for my 5th and 6th graders this year, also. I really like it so far
spock & yoda On Tuesday, September 14 at 8:35 am
Figuring out something isn't working and changing it is yet another opportunity to show why homeschooling is such a good life lesson in itself.
In public education, if it doesn't work, the child is the one who if left to feel as though it is they themselves that isn't working properly. But with homeschool, you work with the child and you both learn that it just isn't the right program for that lesson or your family, and you suck up some pride, do more research, which normally for me involves talking with my peer group (other parents I know who are homeschooling), reading reviews on the net and then go from there.
I think when frustration levels are high, for both parent and child, and no progress is being made, that is the moment to reevaluate the choice!
I love hearing I'm not the only one in that dilemma boat!
Grace On Tuesday, September 14 at 8:50 am
Curriculum changes can be difficult or a breath of fresh air. When something doesn't work for us, I quickly change things about it or the book/program all together. I have more difficulty accepting what we're doing works and not changing it. I actually spent $0 at the homeschool conference this year, and I happily donated 3 boxes of stuff handed over to me from another homeschool mom. What we have is working or is at least what I and the children are used. It's challenging, engaging, and we have a groove about what we do. I actually did try to start a new Phonics/Reading program with my son because it was given to me, very expensive, and looked all jazzy & stuff. But after a week of trying to fit in the time with all you have to do with it, I went crying to my husband that I wanted the old program back. He said, "Don't worry. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" Phew…what a relief! I went back to our old program, and my son & I are much happier together when we do his reading lessons. SCORE!!
Birgitte On Tuesday, September 14 at 9:02 am
We switched to Growing with Grammar too, and it was great! That became the easiest part of the day, when my son did his grammar.No tears, no groans of frustration.
Kristin On Tuesday, September 14 at 9:05 am
Thanks so much for writing this. I think that many new homeschool parents (or those considering it) are paralyzed by the fear that they won't "get it right", as if each choice is set in stone. Flexibility is the grace of homeschool! ~K
Alice On Tuesday, September 14 at 9:19 am
We are right in the midst of trying to figure this all out! This is the first year I've tried any type of formal curriculum and although I picked a nice variety that I thought would work well I am meeting a lot of resistance on many levels. I'm not freaking out since this is first grade and I tend to be unschool leaning anyway, but it's really showing me that there's a lot that goes into finding just the right thing for each child's learning style. I'm so thankful to be able to have my kids at home so we can figure it out and get exactly what they need. I love reading all the curriculum recommendations in the comments, it's just amazing how much there is out there!
Jen K On Tuesday, September 14 at 9:21 am
I am not a 'curriculum switcher'. You those who change every 6 months to a yr… I have known several of those. I have basically used what I started with (after tons of research) for the last 8 yrs, but I have had to make occasional changes. Most of my changes were with smaller parts of our curriculum, like a writing program.
However, last year I made a huge change from unit studies to complete workbooks. It was a necessary change and even though it goes against my own educational philosophy, it was fine–the world did not stop spinning nor did my kiddos shrivel up. We had the family stress of my dad in the final stages of cancer and the need to travel easily/quickly. It was exactly what was needed then, but this yr I felt like we needed to go back to a more hands on approach.
Life is not a static event, people change, circumstances change, needs change. Go to God 1st, then friends you trust and then to the internet or a curriculum fair (sometimes putting your hands on the curriculum is a good thing!)
Grace On Tuesday, September 14 at 11:20 am
Well said, Jen. I agree that situations change so we have to adapt. We were in a homeschool coop over the last 2 years but decided to skip it this year. Another class we dropped two years ago, we decided to add again. Also, I hear you about making school "portable." We are traveling to Europe next month and will depending on a lot of different kind of learning…on-site and workbook page tear-outs. The kids will also keep a travel journal. I also side-stepped our normal history and art curriculums to tailor-make them in anticipation of our trip. This is what I love about homeschooling our children…and they seem to be enjoying it, too! BTW…the kids are excited their "field trip" to Europe will be 2 weeks as opposed to the typical one day out of class!!:)
Tammy On Tuesday, September 14 at 9:57 am
If my daughter is bored and not excited, that's my first clue. It doesn't always mean our curriculum choice is wrong, but that's where I start reevaluating.
Farm Girl Imposter On Tuesday, September 14 at 10:04 am
We've been fortunate to only come across one grammar software program that just didn't work for us. I have to admit it was my fault. I bought the software on impulse after reading the few reviews in the magazine advertisement and not researching it enough through other resources. Typically once I come across a curriculum that I am interested in purchasing I spend a great deal reading reviews from those who have used it and therefore learning why it has or hasn't worked for them. This method has really worked out well for us.
As far as the grammar software that didn't work – we dropped it and never looked back. One size does not fit all, and that's the beauty of homeschooling – we don't have to make it fit.
Monica On Tuesday, September 14 at 10:04 am
My husband and I have been talking about homeschooling before we even became pregnant. Our little one is not even a year yet but "preschool homeschooling" is something we are planning on doing. Could you, would you, please cover a topic on pre-schooling? Where/how does one come up with a lesson plan/curriculum for 3 or 4 year olds? Where are resources available for kids this young?
I Live In An Antbed On Tuesday, September 14 at 3:19 pm
In my humble opinion, the VERY best possible thing you can do for your young children is to read WONDERFUL books aloud. And talk to them about EVERYTHING. Listen to classical music, provide lots of craft and art supplies and just ENJOY everything about their age. The book Honey for a Child's Heart (http://www.amazon.com/Honey-Childs-Heart-Gladys-Hunt/dp/0310242460) has a wonderful list of books organized by ages. Also, Veritas Press (http://www.veritaspress.com/) and Timberdoodle (http://www.timberdoodle.com/) have wonderful resources. We have 7 children from 23 down to 10 and we have had such wonderful results.
Monica On Tuesday, September 14 at 3:59 pm
Thank you, that's great I Live In An Antbed. We're reading with her already before bed time. Those websites are great, I'm already fooling around on them.
Suanna On Tuesday, September 14 at 4:15 pm
I like the Little Hands to Heaven pre-school program from http://www.heartofdakota.com
I've used it several times and love that it is really easy to think of other ideas that can go along with the things we learn in it.
Jenn On Wednesday, September 15 at 1:36 am
I absolutely LOVED using the book "Picture Book Activities" with my son when he was 3 and 4. It was so much fun! I think it's out of print but I found a used copy on Amazon or Half.com. There would be a book listed for each week and activities we could choose from to go along with it that would include things like counting, matching, sorting, cooking, singing, painting, drawing, acting, etc., as well as ideas about other books to read, field trips to take, etc. For example, if the book for the week was "Curious George", we would read it each day and then might act out a portion, answer some comprehension questions about it, draw a picture of a monkey, make monkey cookies, paint a balloon picture, read a non-fiction book about monkeys, count all of the people on each page, and visit the monkeys at the zoo. It was a great "program" that we both enjoyed.
Debby/MI On Wednesday, September 15 at 4:21 am
One more idea – we used "Before Five in a Row" with our twins when they were much younger. It is a wonderful way to use lovely picture books to teach all sorts of lessons. They do the best job describing what they're all about, so I'll let you check them out here: http://fiarhq.com/fiveinarow.info/beforefiveinarow.html
My twins are now in 9th grade; I credit the FIAR programs with giving my kids a love for good literature. While we have grown out of FIAR, we used it with great success for quite a few years (Before FIAR, FIAR, and Beyond FIAR). We all have very fond memories of our "rowing" years, and all of those books still hold a loving spot on our book-cases. Even my voracious readers still come in and pull them off the shelves to enjoy.
I Live in an Antbed On Friday, September 17 at 6:32 pm
Found this wonderful post on another blog and thought of your comment. http://simplehomeschool.net/mindful-homeschooling/
Sarah B. On Tuesday, September 14 at 10:17 am
The only thing that has really, truly not worked for us has been… nothing! Honestly, I tried to make really good picks the first time, and I think I did all right. We're in our second year now, and I haven't had to change any major curricula. I *HAVE* had to tweak how we do it, though. For spelling, for instance, he hated that I was making him do every page. I made a formula that created a way for him to not do every page if he knew enough words, and he's happy. With math, he likes the program and undertands it, but has trouble focusing. If I did need to change, though, I'd head over to my favorite homeschooling forum, check Cathy Duffy again, and go from there. I'm just glad we haven't had to do that yet.
Clayvessel On Tuesday, September 14 at 10:58 am
One of the first tests is whether it engages *me*. If it doesn't engage me, then I'll have trouble engaging the kids with it too. Dry and stale= boring. Too much busy work= mindless. Too much prep required of the teacher= forget it!
Fogspinner On Tuesday, September 14 at 11:08 am
While this may not be the best approach to deciding if a program is failing, we go by the fail method. Is he (my son)failing (or flailing) and/or am I failing? If one of both of us isn't "getting it", whether its the style of teaching or the subject being taught, we move on. We are lucky to be in a charter school were there are many options to choose from. I gather ideas from the internet, I see what you are all talking about, and if something you have seems better than what the school is offering, we go with it instead. I found Teaching Textbooks online, no one at our school was using it when I found it, and since it's gaining in popularity at our school.
This year I'm not sure I'm thrilled with our science choice. The subject is fine, but the curriculum seems much to easy for my 15 year old. I'm debating totally changing it (my son loves it= too easy)or just adding a supplement to it.
Two years ago we had the same problem with math. It was with me. The curriculum and I didn't mesh. I didn't feel there were enough examples to properly teach the subject (algebra) completely and I was spending too much time working out problems to find the answer, before I could show my son how to even do the problem. We solved that with a more interactive teaching program (Teaching Textbooks) and we were all much happier.
Laura K. On Tuesday, September 14 at 11:09 am
I get bored pretty quick, and have learned over time that I do not adhere well to a schedule that has been laid out for me. If I stick with something for an entire year, then I'm totally sold – and sticking with it for that length of time would require the kids enjoying it, too.
That said, there have been curriculum choices I've purchased because the are Great and Everyone Loves Them. And we try them, and I struggle with them, and they feel forced as I teach, and I put them away. Then sometimes I'll come back to them… and sometimes they'll click, and sometimes they don't. As I've been hs'ing longer, and learned what works for us, this happens less frequently. I made some pretty major purchases in the early years that ended up bombing for us.
My recent struggle has been with having a few resources that have worked great for me and dd, but now that younger brother is in the hs'ing pictured, they aren't necessarily working for him. When I am in need of a new resource, I snuggle up with the Rainbow Resource Catalog, and then take anything I'm interested and search for them on HomeschoolReviews.com – it's a strategy that has worked fairly well.
Anna Lewis On Tuesday, September 14 at 11:13 am
My son is only 7 months old, but I am intrigued by the idea of home schooling. Not sure if it will be an option financially (whether or not I can me a SAHM) but I'm excited to see what God has in store! I'm praying he will work on my husband's heart because he is pretty resistant to even considering it. (I'm usually the non-traditional one in our household.) Both our moms work in the public school system and aren't big fans, either. I appreciate that you let us share in and learn from your journey!
Lori On Tuesday, September 14 at 11:31 am
My husband is a public school teacher and loves his job. We do homeschool however. You have to make the decision based on what is best for your child-not based on what your parents will think. Trust me, it is hard. My father despises the fact that we homeschool.
But, keep praying and trust in God and your husband.
Nicole On Tuesday, September 14 at 2:11 pm
A friend of mine gave me a book The First Year of Homeschooling, by L. Dobson and in it there are several families who have two working parents. I'm sure it's not the ideal way to homeschool, but it can be done!
I'd definitely suggest this book – there are lots and lots of reasons why homeschooling is a good idea – maybe you can share some of the reasons with your public schooling family members so they don't take such offense.
I Live In An Antbed On Tuesday, September 14 at 4:04 pm
If the Lord put it on your heart, then all you have to do is pray. He will move anything that needs to be moved and then no one will feel coerced because you "talked them into it." Have seen it happen over and over. As long as I let Him lead, He will. When I stick my nose in it and try to persuade, prod, push, it ends up backfiring in my face.
LaurenR On Tuesday, September 14 at 8:41 pm
Also check out The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jesse Wise. This is a great "all-in-one" book with information at the beginning that explains the benefits of homeschooling along with the typical fears stereotypes that from non-homeschoolers. Plus, you might gently ask your husband to research homeschooling before forming an opinion, and you could offer to do the same for the reverse. Then come to the table with a pros/cons list. Of course, convincing mom-in-law and mother might be a whole 'nother thing all together. Naturally, they're going to defend their professions and its "benefits".
Lokahi On Saturday, September 18 at 7:00 pm
I am a public school teacher and my husband( who is self-employed) is homeschooling our 5 year- old daughter. I bought the Abeka curriculum which has all the lesson plans laid out. He says he follows the sequence of lessons but does not do all the activities. So far, so good- he is still sticking with homeschooling and not giving up. After a long day at work I don't want to teach my daughter but I do read to her and that is wonderful bonding experience for her and for me. I personally don't sweat about her learning at this age. She has a good vocabulary, expresses herself well verbally, healthy, and active. I like the fact she can go at her own pace, she has biblical instruction, and that she spends a lot of time with her dad. I had an absentee father and this is my gift to my daughter- time with her dad. We plan to evaluate year by year and we're flexible- I may take leave for a year and homeschool. I just don't get public school teachers who think learning needs to take place in a classroom and children need to be "socialized" by other kids(other than that I find my colleagues to be dedicated and caring). If you can't afford to stay home and homeschool- there's still a lot to do. Reading to your child, reviewing Sunday school materials, bible memorization etc. I recommend Martha Peace and her materials for women – Raising Kids Without Raising Cain. Hope this helps!
Lori On Tuesday, September 14 at 11:28 am
Homeschooling is a learning experience not only for the child but for also for the parent. I know that for K-1 I had very set ideas on the way that my daughter needed to learn. I also thought that I knew how to achieve our yearly goals and researched and bought curriculums to match my ideas.
But I was wrong.
We have changed publishers/curriculums several times in the last four years. This year we are trying Abeka and really like it so far. My daughter's learning styles have changed over the last couple of years and I have had to have the willingness and flexibility to change with her. Even if that means hours spent looking at reviews of curriculums to find one that will be a good fit-hopefully!
Mary On Tuesday, September 14 at 11:31 am
I found your comments about First Language Lessons very interesting. We are using this with my five year old son and it has taken him a few weeks to really seem interested. I printed out the poems (just the first 2 so far) and he has them memorized. It makes him so happy to recite them, and my nine year old has them memorized, too. I have had to adjust the teacher narration and change things a little bit, but all in all I have enjoyed it.
I change something if I feel like we have given it a fair shake and it just isn't "clicking" or inspiriing my children or myself. That is the beauty of homeschooling, and probably its best advantage. No traditional school can offer this customization.
Thank you for a great post!
Emily On Tuesday, September 14 at 12:04 pm
I am trying this again….my comments didn't post last time. We stopped a curriculum 6 weeks into it last year. It just was not working for my children or for me. I think that is one of the blessings of homeschooling, you have a freedom to do what works for you and your children. We are doing Growing with Grammar this year for our 5th and 6th graders. I really like it so far. Thanks for sharing.
Julie Size On Tuesday, September 14 at 12:26 pm
This has little to do with this post – other than I thought it might be good to know if someone is home schooling an older child…
When I was a teen – I read the Diary of Anne Frank. It really impressed my heart about taking a stand for what is right. Anyway – there is a web sight that has a virtural tour of the Anne Frank house.. something I would have loved to have seen when I studied that book. http://www.annefrank.org/en/Subsites/Home/
Shelly On Tuesday, September 14 at 2:38 pm
Julie, thanks for the link! My oldest daughter (almost 13) is reading The Diary of Anne Frank right now!
Julie Size On Wednesday, September 15 at 10:53 am
Oh Good – I am glad you saw that. I enjoyed the web sight.. even though it has been (ahem..) 30 something years since I read the book!
the domestic fringe On Tuesday, September 14 at 12:57 pm
Well, this is only our third week of school, but I've already made some minor adjustments. Our writing program is Writing With Ease and while I like, it can be a bit boring. I believe my children need to learn the skills learned from summary, dictation, and narration, but I know that we cannot do the same things every day and every week. Yesterday I threw out this weeks lesson and had my kids create their own story book. They loved it and worked on it long after our school day had officially ended. I kinda think variety is the spice of life and the school day!
Thanks for letting us know that it's ok to make a change!
homeclynn On Tuesday, September 14 at 1:03 pm
When to change curriculum – when the student can't talk about the subject knowingly away from "school". For example, while sitting at a restaurant, can your child figure out what the bill will be based on the prices on the menu? Can she figure the tip? When your child asks "Can I go over and feed the ducks?" and you say sure, just tell me which word in that question was the verb, noun, etc. Also, each May our local Christian school offers the Stanford Achievement Test which we found very confirming. Based on my daughters scores in grammar and inability to answer some basic question, I switched her grammar curriculum. She was using ABEKA and making 85% or better on each worksheet, but really was not "learning" the material. We switched to Winston Grammar and have been very pleased. Thanks for all of the great posts, they are very encouraging.
Danielle On Tuesday, September 14 at 1:49 pm
This is our first year and I'm only using curriculum for mathematics, although I've considered using for others. Using workbooks makes me feel like I'm recreating public school at home and I don't want that. Other curriculum (that I've seen) seems hard to connect across subjects; to bring a richer understanding of materials. How do you connect everything together?
I'm also torn between making them do work that they don't want to in order to cover it and letting them choose what they learn. I'm afraid if I force them to write everyday, when they don't want to, that they will end up disliking it. How closely do you follow the curriculum? If they aren't interested do you just go back to it at a later time?
Kristen On Tuesday, September 14 at 2:17 pm
I'm sure there will be lots of opinions about this danielle, but I think it really depends on your kids' personality as well as what you're asking them to do.
We're settling into a pattern for sure, and have found that if I'm having my daughter write letters or a field trip report, then we'll often skip grammar and handwriting that day because she's getting it that way. Maybe infusing it in a variety of creative ways too.
Johanna On Tuesday, September 14 at 3:45 pm
Sounds like you might be interested in unit studies. I've heard great things about Moving Beyond the Page, if that's the case. Basically everything tied together except that you'd need a separate math course, and possibly reading.
nancypants On Tuesday, September 14 at 2:21 pm
That is the same reason we stopped using FLL after about 40 lessons. I wanted to shoot myself after a certain number (like I think 1,575 was my breaking point) of repetitions of "a noun is a person, place, thing or idea." However, I am using it again right now until I can find something better. I left it off for over a year and just picked it back up in a different spot (since the kids still remember everything from the first go round!) I'm thinking of looking into Easy Grammar. My older son has used Daily Grams and enjoys the no-frills approach. I want something that is just a tad more self-directed… or not self-directed so much as hands on (workbook type). I made the mistake of purchasing Shurley Grammar for each of my kids this year because I'd heard lots of good things about it. What a horrible mistake. Those books are positively dreadful to navigate. I almost cried as I sat going through them for the first time. Needless to say they all got shipped right back to the company from whence they came and we are exploring better options now.
Desi On Tuesday, September 14 at 3:38 pm
This is so true. I went through four curricula last year with my under-5-year-olds, until we found a mix that worked for us. Like so many things with parenting, there is a lot more trial-and-error with homeschooling than I expected!
Jennifer On Tuesday, September 14 at 3:39 pm
I still struggle with making changes in our homeschool curriculum and we've been homeschooling since 2003!
I had the exact same experience as you did, though, with First Language Lessons. After that didn't work for us, I tried to make the curriculum myself. Last year we found Growing with Grammar and we loved it. We're using it again this year.
Now I just need to figure out if I need to change our math. :cP It's fine for me and my oldest, but my next two seem to really dislike math. I don't know if it's the curriculum or if they are just going to hate math no matter what. :cD We've used Saxon this year and last. I've tried several others over the years(Singapore, Miquon, Abeka). I don't think I want to use one program for one child and a different one for another, because I have 5 children and want to pass the books down. We'll see!!
Auntie On Tuesday, September 14 at 4:54 pm
I determine that something is not working when I see that the curriculum is not keeping the child's attention. My nephew has a hard time concentrating so we have find fun, interactive ways to teach him. Simply reading out of a book will not work. We have just started to use ClickN READ Phonics and ClickN SPELL http://www.clicknkids.com. These are online learning lessons that teach the entire K-3rd grade phonics curriculum taught in US schools. The lessons are taught in a classroom setting with a cartoon teacher that talks right to the child. My nephew actually asks me if he can play is ClickN KIDS reading game. Anything interactive is the way to go for our little guy.
mumuv3 On Tuesday, September 14 at 5:00 pm
I know a curriculum is not working when we hate it. (Sometimes, we is just Mum!) I have learned to not always throw out the baby with the bathwater though. I pick and use parts of curriculum. This step has taken me many years. I use what works. By works, we like it AND we are learning! I skip or edit the parts I don't like or that might not be on level with my children. I find so often curriculum is filled with what I consider "busy work". For us I tend to like a curriculum that is packaged and organized for me. Then I can promptly take it apart and edit it to suit our needs.
Laree On Tuesday, September 14 at 5:45 pm
I have been homeschooling for 4 years now. Wow, I didn't realize its been that long.
I change curriculum when I can't understand how to explain it, I know how to do the work, yet explaining the rules and steps is something I have a hard time conveying to my children, so I search online and find something that will help us, if that series of books or an online program helps then we do it and skip that section of our workbooks. I have an apple box full of books that we started the first couple lessons in.
I found that each one of my children learns in such different ways that books that didn't work for the first 2 children will usually fit right in my third child's understanding. I have 3 different curriculum paths for my 3 children, then I have 3 pre-schoolers.
I found if I schedule everything between what each child can do on their own vs. what they need help on, we can cover everyones bases, Even the preschoolers, they usually play in the toy room next to the school room and can come find me whenever they need.
Jenn On Tuesday, September 14 at 9:45 pm
I love Critical thinking co. for Grammar… and this year… Evan Moore curriculum is educating my son! Evan Moore materials are well rounded, cover all subjects and have clean clear pages to work with in the workbooks! I am excited to dive into all the Evan Moore books… I think they are going to be a fabulous fit for our family and my son… who has low vision … finding eye friendly curriculum is not an easy task… God Blessed me with Evan Moore!! =)
The Social Homeschooler On Wednesday, September 15 at 10:12 am
I rely largely on my home school support group and the home school curriculum fairs to help me to know the different curriculum out there. Christianbook.com is also a great resource to see other curriculum samples online, but there is nothing like the advice of friends, and seeing it in your hand.
When Horizons Math caused too much distraction (lots of illustration) for my hyperactive son, and too much review for my older son, I already knew about Math U See from my friends. We went online, watched their video, and downloaded the tests to determine where the boys were in their program. I knew after watching the video with the boys that they would like it. It was an hour long, and they were glued to the computer screen the entire time! Now they are thriving.
Kim On Wednesday, September 15 at 2:29 pm
I never really liked math. It was ok, but it never appealed to me, until I was introduced to waldorf math gnomes! As a former teacher and home schooling mom, I was disappointed that approach wasn't available in a mainstream curriculum. I looked everywhere for lesson plans, but couldn't find them. I finally created the stories myself for my daughters and called it ¨Arithmetic Village¨ . Now I have a site with games to play etc,, if anyone is interested..http://www.arithmeticvillage.com
Fairly Odd Mother On Friday, September 17 at 11:57 am
This is an interesting topic, since I consider myself somewhat of an expert on the "jump ship" method of homeschooling. My oldest has always struggled with math, so we started with Math U See, moved to Right Start, shuffled over to A Beka for a bit, did a generic math workbook and then back to Math U See. All in 3 years. This year, we're using Time4Learning for our math (and grammar) curriculum.
I do like the flexibility we've had to move around but at some point, I hit the wall and say "listen, we've tried 4 different math programs and you've hated them all; maybe you will just always hate math". That's how I feel right now. I don't care what grade level she does, she just needs to suck it up and do SOMETHING. I'm mean like that.
Stephanie On Saturday, September 18 at 10:08 pm
I have found that what worked for my first child often doesn't work for my oldest. We have loved First Language Lessons. I like that there isn't a ton of writing at the first grade level. We whiz through the first grade section because it does move slowly and is very repetitive. I love the built-in recitation and dictation, things that were not happening when I needed to add them in with our previous program.
Xa Lynn On Monday, September 20 at 8:53 am
This is the fourth year of homeschooling for me and my 9 & 7 year olds. The biggest fiasco we've had in terms of my curriculum choice not working for my children has been One Hundred Easy Lessons. The kids hated it. Therefore, I didn't want to do it. So, I put it away for a year… during which my eldest started reading independently, and in two months was up to reading Nancy Drew. The youngest claims she still cannot read, but somehow manages to write me notes that say, for example, "I, Lydia, has ficst my atitude" (sic). This drives my husband through the roof (he is under the impression that since he was reading at age 4, his children, should have been reading at that age, too).
We tried the program again, but it was still a non-starter for the youngest. So we have switched to the "I'm making this up as I go along" routine, using Dr Seuess books that the 7 year old likes (often the science ones, sometimes the silly ones). We'll stick with that until the lightbulb goes on over her head, I suspect. I'll add some sight-word flashcards, and some word-family exercises over the next few months.
Generally, curriculum that doesn't work for us is defined by tears, whining, poor quality work, and/or simply not meeting my learning objectives. Usually, I put it away for awhile. In the meantime, I will try to find cheap or borrowed alternatives. I'll read the Rainbow Resources' catalog for ideas. We'll try other options, generally after avoiding the subject entirely for a few weeks. One of the reasons I homeschool is because it allows me the option of tailoring the curriculum to my children individually. Another reason is that it allows me to design my own when I can't find something store-bought that works for us. This is actually one of MY favorite parts of homeschooling, and I'm sorry I don't have the time to do it for more subjects.
Cara On Monday, September 20 at 10:15 pm
Wow, 2nd generation homeschooler! I taught first grade and am now a stay-at-home mom with two little girls. It is amazing how we all teach and learn in different ways. When I visit the teaching supply stores, I really try to take my time and evaluate what types of curriculum will work best for us at the time. I am coming to realize that the teaching method that works for activities at age three might not be the same at age five. We are all constantly learning and changing.


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Is the TPT2 "Boot Locked"?
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We've won the Nobel Peace Prize! Isn't it great! Whoever could have expected such a thing? It will look fantastic on the CV; "Joint Nobel laureate and GCSE woodwork".
But reflect for a moment. Is the average Greek or German thinking "we've won" or "they've won"? And when the EU heads of government meet later this week in Brussels will it be "we" or "you" who have to do the impossible and create growth from austerity? As far as German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble is concerned, "we" are helping "you" to sort yourselves out". At the weekend he reiterated the message his boss had taken to Athens earlier in the week. He told an audience in Singapore that "Greece has to take a lot of very serious reforms" and "everyone is trusting that the Greek government is doing what is necessary". His use of the word "trusting" instead of "praying" was a rare terminological in-exactitude from the usually precise politician.
Herr Schäuble believes the only way is austerity. What a pity, then, that the IMF has reconsidered its previously unwavering support for it. The economists at the IMF have had another look at the "fiscal multiplier", the number which predicts by how much an economy will shrink in response to a certain degree of fiscal tightening. Until now it was generally understood that the fiscal multiplier was 0.5. In other words, 1% of tightening would result in a 0.5% economic shrinkage. And that factor might still work for a single troubled country in an otherwise buoyant global economy. But with everybody in the same waterlogged boat it now seems that it doesn't. The IMF can't be sure what today's fiscal multiplier really is but they put it somewhere between 0.9 and 1.7.
Pick a number in the middle, let's say 1.5. Now look at the 3% of fiscal tightening that Spain must achieve next year. Multiply 3% by 1.5 and you get a prediction that the Spanish economy will shrink by -4.5% and not the -0.5% blithely assumed by Madrid. Having seen what has already been achieved in Greece and Spain this revelation cannot come as a total surprise but it is not good news for Euroland or the single currency.
However, support for the euro remains reasonably robust even though, for the nth time, the rumour that Spain would apply for a bailout over the weekend proved to be unfounded. There weren't many economic data to help the euro on Friday but the unexpected 0.6% monthly increase in industrial production was better than nothing. Give or take a dozen ticks, the euro starts this morning unchanged against the major currencies from Friday's opening. The only notable movement was the rand's -1.8% decline after Standard and Poor's lowered South Africa's credit rating to BBB, just one grade above Spain.
Figures from the Far East this morning showed Chinese exports rising three times as quickly as imports. Consumer inflation there slowed incrementally to 1.9%. Home loans in Australia rebounded with a 1.8% monthly increase. Japanese industrial production fell by -1.6% in the same month. The only figures from Europe today are Swiss producer and import prices. US data are restricted to retail sales and the New York Fed's manufacturing index. The ecostat pipeline will start pumping tomorrow but nothing on today's schedule is likely to get currencies moving.
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Hands on: Acer Liquid M220 reviewNot yet rated
UpdatedWindows Phone is the strangest thing on an Acer device, here's what the Liquid M220 feels like
UpdatedWindows Phone is the strangest thing on an Acer device, here's what the Liquid M220 feels like
MWC 2015Acer has created a cheaper version of the Liquid Jade S but does it still pack a big enough punch?
If you're not prepared to queue for hours outside an Apple Store, and are looking for reasonable specs at a reasonable price, then the Liquid Jade is for you.
A mid-ranger with some nifty features and a decent price, Acer's G2-inspired handset is worth a look-in.
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Despite being a known name, Acer is still a relatively small player in the smartphone market. Will its cloud phone win us over?
The Acer Liquid Mini is a mid-range Android 2.2 handset with nothing really new on offer


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