Question about Unschooling

I have schooled my son at home since kindergarten (got kicked out because I wouldn't DRUG him). As you may have read from my posts, I've been working on his 9th grade curriculum for weeks now. Especially that home ec class has me doing a lot of research.

I'm stumped. I've had him doing basic math this week to get his mind working and he takes over an hour to do ONE page of simple division problems. He's always gotten bored easily, has a mind that can memorize anything about movies and videos and books, but can't understand math. He craves structure, but it bores him, making him very hyperactive.

And yes, he gets socialization. (I hate that question). There are lots of kids in this neighborhood. We go to the library once a week; same with the farmers market when it's open. Going to a local fair this weekend.

He's getting turned off from learning, which is something I don't want. I need help figuring out how to get him "high school credits" while unschooling. AND have fun learning again.

Any unschoolers out there willing to give a little advice?

(We're in Colorado.)

2 comments:

Sandra Dodd said...

You left a note on my blog, but I don't want to discuss these things there.

If you're building a curriculum that's not unschooling as I know it. But you can't get credit while homeschooling anyway. That's now the way it works.

Asking in Colorado might help, but there are a couple of places you could sign on with that could help you with a diploma:

Beach High School
http://www2.cruzio.com/~beachhi/home.html

or
Clonlara
http://Clonlara.org

They can help word what you're doing in the right language, and give you lots of great ideas.

Twix said...

Well I will always consider Colorado home but I live far away now in good ole Illinois. I don't know what label sticks to us as schoolers, other than that. We are just plain old schoolers. But if we were to have a label maybe it would be eclectic. Although I think we have had a good share of unschooling. Unschooling isn't an easy choice when it comes to the many ways you can homeschool. Atleast in my view because some would disagree. One thing I hate the most is all the glorified misleading info out there on the net when it comes to schooling your own kids. I also happen to think no matter where you're a teacher at, whether at home(a form of private school), a large private school, or public school, it's hard work! I wish more teachers could and would share about the frustrations and grit and grime.

My oldest is graduating from our homeschool. It took a lot of letting go on my part. He chose his own path. Of course I fretted and picked along the way. Isn't that what us moms do?!

One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give is the old saying, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." Essentially you can try and make him do things but if he doesn't see why, he won't do them. And sometimes even if he sees why, he still won't do them.

One of the biggest eye openers that I didn't fail my oldest with so much unschooling was when he came to me and said I really need to know this. Then we explored our resources and chose the material and then he learned it on his own accord. Another time he surprised me by deciding once again he needed to know something and without bothering me about it he set out by getting his own resources and learned it. I didn't know until after the fact, when he proudly showed me what he had been up to. Made me cry (!) to find out that he wasn't just wasting time doing mindless activites. That's not to say I'm not involved or I don't know what my kids are up to. But as you know or will soon when they get this age they want their space, lol.

I understand your frustration with doing what you are. I think I also have an idea about the other issues. I have 3 that have some form of adhd, 2 that are on the Autsim spectrum, and one that is dyslexic.

Anytime you want to rant or bounce off ideas, I'll be glad to .. licktwix @ gmail.com

Sandra has some good links. :D And it sounds like she might know what's going on in the schooling landscape in CO,