Special Needs Education

» Greg Cruey - A question...

In response to Fed. Help for Homeschoolers? posted by ReneeBlixt:

Hi Renee,

Before we go on I have a question. I don't really want it to be a personal question because we're just talking in abstracts and theory about what could benefit the home school community - not about individuals (and certainly not about each other). So let me see if I can phrase this abstractly, so that it is not about any particular child...

Do you know of a family whose home schooled child doesn't always "get it" on all of the major academic skills they need to learn? Maybe it's a fifth grader and they just don't get probability (what percentage of the time a pair of dice is likely to come up with two sixes). Or maybe it's a fourth grader and nothing the parent (or instructor) does seems to bring the child to the point where they can "analyze the factors that shaped the economy of the early colonies in the Americas" (a content standard for fourth grade social student in my state). Or maybe the child is the age of an average third grader and alphabetizing to the third letter (a third grade standard in my state that means being able to put oak before oat and bee after bed in alphabetical order) just seems impossible for the child.

Or maybe you can imaging such a child if you don't actually know one - and in imaging such a child see that the problem, a problem in just one academic area, is not out of the question.

Do you know such a child? Or does it at least seem reasonable to you that such children exist? Children who mostly do well but have difficulty in one particular academic area?

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» Greg Cruey - homeschool

In response to homeschool posted by Lynn1969:

Hi Lynn,

I'm asking if the problem ever occurs in the home school setting, not if it every precedes the home school setting...

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» Lynn1969 - Homeschooling and do they "get it"

I've experienced no situations in which a student was not able to meet the educational goals set by the parent facilitator. As the parent facilitator is teaching (or coordinating instruction if using other sources) to the student's needs, not to a schools/districts, the parent facilitator is better able to insure that the student does indeed achieve the goals he/she needs to achieve as he/she needs to achieve them.

Thankfully, 22 of the 50 states have very low or no regulations regarding homeschooling (see http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp) and parents are quite able to modify their educational goals in order to meet the needs of the child.

-- posted by Lynn1969

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» Greg Cruey - Homeschooling and do they "get it"

In response to Homeschooling and do they "get it" posted by Lynn1969:

I'm not sure I understand.

You said, "I've experienced no situations in which a student was not able to meet the educational goals set by the parent facilitator... the parent facilitator is better able to insure that the student does indeed achieve the goals he/she needs to achieve as he/she needs to achieve them... and parents are quite able to modify their educational goals in order to meet the needs of the child."

What I'm assuming is this:

• By the end of second grade a child is suppose to be able to read, write, order, and compare numbers to 1,000.
  
• By the end of third grade a child is suppose to be able to memorize basic multiplication facts 0-5 and the corresponding division facts.
  
• By the end of fourth grade a child is suppose to be able to multiply 2-and 3-digit numbers by 1- and 2-digit numbers.
  
• By the end of fifth grade a child is suppose to be able to add and subtract fractions and mixed numbers.
  
• By the end of sixth grade a child is suppose to be able to interpret data using mean, median, mode, and range.
  
• By the end of seventh grade a child is suppose to be able to use and apply formulas in problem solving situations involving perimeter, circumference, area, surface area, distance and temperature (Celsius, Fahrenheit).
  
• By the end of eighth grade a child is suppose to be able to add and subtract polynomials limited to two variables and positive exponents.

Those individual grade level standards are admittedly from my state, but they vary only slightly from state to state.

I spent a few years working in both the private and the public college setting with responsibilities that touched on both admissions and on financial aid. I realize that most home schooled kids do well and score up among the cream of the crop on the SAT and ACT. I'm not questioning the trend, just asking about the exception.

What do you mean by "modify their educational goals?" Are you saying that

• A.) if a fifth grader in home school has problems understanding how to subtract one and four-fifths from nine and eleven-fifteenths that the parents decide not to teach him that yet (and that you sure are grateful for the 22 states that don't care about that)?

Or are you saying that

• B.) home school parents are so good at instruction that all home schooled fifth graders understand the subtraction of mixed numbers by the end of the year?

You seem to be saying that kids never have problems "getting it" in home school because you're allowed to move the goal posts. They'd fire me for that...

(Still looking forward to Renee's response to what is basically just a "yes, I've seen that" or "no, it never happens" question...)

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» Lynn1969 - Not getting it

What I'm saying is that in the 22 states where there is no actual state control of the homeschool environment (other than perhaps a parent may have to notify a district that they intend to homeschool), the parent facilitator may opt (and most do from my experience) to use self-paced, individualized instruction (parent designed, tutor designed or other). Children may move forward, remain static, or move backward through their studies as needed to insure that the child "gets it." Progress in a year would be measured against the child's starting point. At the "end of the year" (not that there really is such a thing in a homeschool setting), the point the child finishes would be the beginning point for the start of the next year.

Thus, if a parent facilitator recognizes a problem they may opt to remain on that topic for two or three weeks (or longer, or change materials/methods, or find a tutor, etc.) until the child grasps the material. Conversely, if the child flies through the materials, the parent facilitator may opt to move the child ahead into an entirely new set of materials. In this manner, there is no "failure". The parent is facilitating instruction to meet the child's needs and operates on the premise that their child will reach the terminal point at his/her own pace.

In a traditional school environment, instruction is typically given to meet the needs of an "average" student. Those that are ahead are bored to tears (many states have phased out GT programs due to costs). Those that are behind remain behind (teachers don't have time for individual remediation in the classroom... the child would have to earn some sort of "label" in order to access remediation). There is a high probability that a percent of students won't "get it" and will then be labeled forever after for their poor performance.

Many charter schools, alternative schools and private schools, including Montessori, use self-paced, individualized instruction as opposed to the typical "grade level" instruction. The needs of the child are assessed at the beginning of the instructional period (standardized testing is available through various commercial resources for homeschooling families) and reassessed periodically. Modification to educational goals is made at each assessment point as needed. Self-paced learning is not a new concept by any means.

The very fact that a school would fire a teacher for recognizing a child's specific educational needs and taking positive action to meet those needs... I have no kind words for that. And yes, I am absolutely thankful that parents in the 22 states where there is no or low control over homeschooling have the freedom to act in the best interests of their child. If it takes an extra semester or year for a child to learn what they need to learn, so be it. Or if a child can breeze through a year's worth of materials in six weeks, more power to him/her.

-- posted by Lynn1969

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» jllucci - Homeschooling and do they "get it"

In response to Homeschooling and do they "get it" posted by gregcruey:

Speaking as a homeschool mom of children who learn differently. I'm not Renee but "yes, I've seen that". I choose option A.) if a fifth grader in home school has problems understanding how to subtract one and four-fifths from nine and eleven-fifteenths that the parents decide not to teach him that yet (and that you sure are grateful for the 22 states that don't care about that)?

My kids don't learn per the time table our district schools use. Some thing's they get more quickly, other's much more slowly. Eventually there is a cognitive leap and what had seemed impossible is now easy peasy. This doesn't mean that mom takes things for granted, hence I land in your forum. ;-)

I think Lynn's last post was very well put.

Warmly, Jodie

-- posted by jllucci

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» ReneeBlixt - A question...

In response to A question... posted by gregcruey:

Hello Greg--

Sorry I didn't get back sooner, but you know how that goes...

Of course children like you described exist--they exist in homeschool settings as well as the public school setting. It's as simple as that.

-- posted by ReneeBlixt

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» ReneeBlixt - Vouchers

In response to Vouchers posted by Lynn1969:

Hi Lynn--agreed, 100%--completely. Thanks for your extended posts. Renée

-- posted by ReneeBlixt

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» ReneeBlixt - Homeschooling and do they "get it"

In response to Homeschooling and do they "get it" posted by Lynn1969:

That's exactly what I said in one of my posts. Sometimes, it's worth moving to avoid difficult areas.

-- posted by ReneeBlixt

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» ReneeBlixt - Homeschooling and do they "get it"

In response to Homeschooling and do they "get it" posted by jllucci:

Hello Jodie: I wanted to welcome you to stop by at my section on Homeschooling here at Suite. I sure could use some input from a veteran mom. THANKS!!

Renée

http://homeschooling.suite101.com/

-- posted by ReneeBlixt

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