Home Schooling 6 year olds?

Question

I am interested in homeschooling my twin 6 year old girls, and I am looking for feedback. My reasons are over the last 4 years (head start, pre-k, kindergarten, and now first grade) I have noticed unacceptable behavior on their behalf in school. They will visit family and friends and be okay. When they go to school I am constantly getting calls, notes, and other reports on their unacceptable behavior. Extreme tantrums, excessive crying, not following directions are the major ones that I hear about the most. I discipline in several ways time outs, loss of privaleges, spankings and nothing is catching to keep a positive behavior at school. When they are with me they are fine. Not perfect angels, but normal six year olds. I am debating on letting them do part-time homeschool with the idea that slowly easing them into public school might help them with the transition. I am really at my ropes end with ideas.

Answer 1

The behavior problems that are only happening at school should raise a huge red flag that things aren't working and that you now have the opportunity to change that for the better. I suggest trying homeschooling. Anything at this point has got to be better than traditional schooling.

My daughter is 5 1/2 years old and we do unschooling. I am sorry, but schools do a one size fits all curriculum and expect to fit every child into this one size which has proven over the years to not work. Teachers are on overload, overcrowding in schools cause class sizes to be larger and school hours to be longer, they don't get to spend quality time with their students- forget one on one these days, behavior had been dealt in a negative manner by teacher and Principals alike, the socialization is very limited and negative. I could keep adding to the list.

I say pull them and move forward with their schooling at home. I suggest seeing if there are any homeschooling groups in your area and join up to get some ideas, go to a homeschooling convention, etc.

Take some time off to Deschool your girls. Don't jump right in to a curriculum., Do your research first. Observe hoe your girls are and where their interests lie. You want to set up a love of learning and not forced like in the schools.

I say give it a good 6 months and then jump into something they are interested in. Work on reading, math, writing, and everything else is extra. Go on long nature walks together, days at the park talking about nature and the world around them, allow them to cook in the kitchen, art, art, and more art, fun games on the computer, getting messy outside, let them be children and throw in the learning along the way.

My daughter is constantly learning.

Example of simple things we do:

Reading signs and things while we are out and about

She makes my grocery list for me. I tell her how to spell and in turn she learns how to wrote proper letters and how to read, she learns the order of the items in the store and does her list according to what is in the store.

We talk about wildlife while we are out. Sometimes we stop on the side of the road and watch the workers and learn about jobs.

I read to her and we also play reading games.

She plays games on the computer with Daddy along with the xbox and Nintendo Wii- she is learning so much.

Math we do measuring and cooking in the kitchen, she learns about money when we are in the store, I show her money and we learn how to count it up.

Answer 2

We have raised five home schooling.  No fuss, no bother with the socialist government schools.  We don't have to live with bad influences, drugs, s*x, etc.  Our kids get plenty of socialization with church and orchestras they play in.  A lot of the problems you experience are a result of the bad influence of government mediocrity and policy promoted by the school system.  They are trying to raise a generation of fast food workers.

Answer 3

You have just mentioned head start, pre-K, Kindergarten , and now first grade.

Correct me if I am wrong is that a total of four years, or at least going on four years?

These little babies have been in  some sort of school system since they were 2, or 3?

Extreme tantrums, excessive crying, not following directions? Those are all signs of little girls just screaming for attention, to play, and be able to just be 6 years old.

It sounds to me like they are screaming for someone to listen, and make a change.

From the sounds of it you are not the only one at the end of their rope, so are they.

Home schooling is not something to be doing part time, it is a life style, it's about family, not just bringing academics, or the school home.

I would take them out of school, and simply do very little besides playing games, reading to them, and just getting to know them all over again.

The holidays are coming up, that is a wonderful if not busy enough time.

Bake cookies together, practice your traditions, make crafts to give away, volunteer somewhere with them, cook, shop, let them help write cards; the sky is the limit.

You'll be amazed what they learn during that time, and you cannot put a "grade" or measure the return of spending this time together.

Most important of all let them decompress, relax; you will see a change in their behavior.

Start basic academics again after the first of the year for an hour, or two each day, join 4H, go swimming, join a club, and watch them grow, and flourish.

Click on the purple box to watch a great little inspirational video.

You can watch if for free on line.

http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/

Here are some articles that may help:

http://www.familyebizmom.com/cgi-bin/arp...

Then click on part, two, and three.

Answer 4

Maybe you should check into a different teacher at their school or even putting them in different class rooms.  But I really do not think that either spanking them or trying home school is the answer.  Kids need to be around other kids their age so they can develop social skills, they also need to learn how to deal with other issues that may come their way.  I believe that home school does not give the child the social skills that they need.

Answer 5

Homeschooling would probably be a wonderful thing to do.  You could take them out now and not hurt them at all.

I would use a very unstructured approach at least through the holidays, during which time I would look through various curriculums and materials and try to decide on what approach I was going to take.

Since they are six you don't have to worry about them getting behind, many six year olds are still in Kindergarten so you could feasibly take the year off and begin first grade again next year and they wouldn't really have lost anything.

There are many approaches and methods, many books, and many programs for homeschooling.  The most important thing I could tell you is to start slowly, begin with the basics of reading and math, and once you are going smoothly with that add in whatever subject matter you want after.

Don't worry about social skills, they can't learn that from other children as immature as themselves, they need to see it modelled by an adult.  Do try to make sure they get a chance to play with other kids now and then.

Here are some websites to get you started.

http://www.starfall.com

http://www.rainbowresource.com  (request their print catalog)

http://www.homeschooldiscount.com

A great discussion group on homeschooling:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Support4Ho...

For legal info about homeschooling in your state:

http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/default.as...

If you have more specific questions, feel free to e-mail me.  Click on my Avatar, which will bring you to my profile, and you will see a place where it says, "E-mail Blessed3x".

Answer 6

I love homeschooling, I am 15, I have homeschooled all my life. At first my mom just bought books from Chapters and made up my curriculum, but now I use ILC. ilc.org. YOu should check it out, it has elementary school now, though its not christian, I would definetely recommend it.

Answer 7

Start by talking to them individually everyday after school to find out how their day has been.

You might find that someone is upsetting them in school.

It's hard for me to believe that they have been in a school setting for all this time and all of a sudden start going haywire.

What are they telling you?

Listen carefully

By the way I homeschooled my 3 boys for 2 1/2 years and I am not against it.

Answer 8

I wish I could go back to homeschooling 6 year olds.  I loved that time in our lives.   Now my kids are older and our schooling is a little more intense.  (My kids are 9, 11 & 14)

Five in  a Row was the main program we used at that age.  We would cuddle on the couch, read together, talk about the books, find the place on a map, make lap books together, do some science experiments, etc and have a blast doing it.  *sigh*  I miss that!!

Add in some math and you have a great curriculum!

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that hs'ing can be done, is fun and can give your girls the attention they are looking for, all the while teaching them what they obviously aren't learning in the system.  

Good luck.

Answer 9

Please, you want to have 6 year old kids to learn social skills from other 6 year olds? That is ridiculous. (This is aimed at the answerer before me.)

Home schooling has been a huge blessing in my family and my children are taught by adults that I know or trust on how to socialize. Socialization comes from real world interaction, not classroom settings.

Your girls probably have a learning style that doesn't fit the mold of a classroom. I will say, homeschooling takes a lot of commitment from the parents to work, so do your research before spending money on curriculum and make sure you have discipline in place!

I would also suggest finding a co op to meet with once in a while so your kids can practice the "social skills" they are learning from YOU in a controlled setting. My kids are far from isolated, they are involved in sports, community service, dance, church activities and clubs. My oldest even takes some classes at the local High School. It is nice to hear good feedback from the teachers and even other students. She is considered a "leader" at the school and isn't even there the full day!

Check out this article on socialization studies :

http://www.homeschool.com/articles/Socia...

Blessings!

Answer 10

Oh honey, I've been there. My son was 7 (in school for 2.5 yrs) when we finally tried homeschooling. Everything you've described was what I saw in my child and I now know (after being "out of the system" for a year) that it was the pressure to conform and the constant reprimands for just being himself that turned my son into a depressed little boy.

Schools are a false environment, trying to teach kids before they are ready or willing to learn. They take what is natural and curious and wonderous in our children and wring it all out leaving numb "math facts" for them to rattle off at a whim.

My advice would be to take them out. But I would not start any curriculum for awhile. I'd just have fun with them. Let them choose what to do with their day. That may mean watching TV as a way to decompress for awhile or it may mean playing at the park. As long as they are having fun and you are participating in whatever they choose, you're on the right road. You're first priority needs to be bringing joy back into their lives and helping them relearn the fun in life (and subsequently learning).

Bake cakes and cookies, go to musuems, find a group to play with regularly, work together to design a zoo on Zoo Tycoon, do puzzles, read stories, go to children's plays. Show them life and learning are fun and inseperable!!

While they are rediscovering fun, you can do your research. Start with researching "deschooling". Then look into "unschooling", which is the method we follow. It is carefree and natural. It uses no boring curriculum (which may just bring the school problem into your home) and let's kids learn when they are ready. It's all about fun and finding your passion in life and running with it.

But even if you choose to do a curriculum, I'd take a year just to reconnect with your kids. Even if you choose to put them back into school next year, a year off will not hurt them in the least and will do loads for your relationship and they way you both look at learning.

Good luck and have fun!!

PS. Check out the link below. It's a great article on socialization.

Answer 11

You can do full time homeschooling if it works, but you need to take them to the playgrounds and parks and let them interact.  You need to let them outside of home at a decent age to explore and meet the local kids.

First grade is WORDS and NUMBERS and PRINTING.

This means putting words up, small words.  Two and Three letter words, then four and five letter words and telling them how to say them and having them write these on paper and showing how to form a sentence with them.

See the boy run.

That kind of stuff

Numbers in base 10 that's 0 to 9

They need to learn the concept of 1, 10, 100, 1000

And then you see if they come up wtih 10,000 on their own.

Simple addition comes once they have learned numbers.

Then subtraction.

Then multiplication

Then division.

We had a mock store with objects you bought with funny money.

Art, with crayons, circles, lines and squares.

Teaching computer skills would be good too.

Wal Mart and Sams Club have cards, posters and books.

Reading to them is also nice.

Simple, nice stories.

Sit them on your lap, put the book down and put your finger over the words as you read and you read slowly.

Teach them basic skills.  Teach them about 911 and how to use it right.  If you pass out or if there is a fire you teach them to dial 911 and give precise verbal information.

Teach them not to abuse it, but to use it in right circumstances.

4 year old girls have saved their mothers life with this kind of teaching.

Teach them about not talking to strangers that are much bigger or older than them.  Same age is ok, but not vastly older or taller.

Teach them about dangers outside of the home.  About streets, cars.