Is this O.K for now ???

[mummyloveslucy]

Hi, my daughter is nearly 6 and has been home educated since Christmas, so we are very new to it.
At first, I thought we'd do 1 hour a day of maths and english, well phonics. This hasn't really worked out as Lucy only enjoys doing maths work sheets or sums that I've written down. She's not really interested in phonics as she struggles to hear and say all the sounds. She will be starting another course of speech therapy soon and she'll be starting the Johansen sound therapy programe. Do you think it's o.k not to push the phonics learning too much for now and to concentrate on her therapies? I think that way, it'll make phonics easier for her as she'll hopefully have improved enough to hear the sounds properly. I don't want her to loose the skills she has though, so every day, or most days she'll write a little account of what she did that day. I'll ask her what she wants to write and I'll do a line and she'll coppy underneith. I say the letter sounds as she's writing. She'll then draw a picture underneith.

It just seems such a small amount of work though. She'll usually do some maths in the morning for 30 mins and her writing takes about the same time in the afternoon/evening. In between, we go out shopping, she'll scan the items etc, we play Orchard toy games, I read to her,we go out together meet up with other HE families, we play lego and she's just become interested in puzzles, so she'll do them with a lot of help. She also does stagecoach once a week, she's starting Suzuki piano soon too.
She does love her DVD's and she is watching one a day. I know this isn't good, but it helps to relax her before bed and gives me chance to cook the dinner or tidy the house for a bit. She does memorise the words and acts out little plays from her films so it's not all bad. (I hope)

What do you think? Are we doing enough to see a steady improvement or sheould she be doing more?

I am very new to he myself, but believe me, you're doing loads more work than us!!! I'm pretty sure other more experienced he'ers will come along and reassure you. Bear in mind that in some countries, kids don't start school til nearer 7, so you really don't need to worry.

Fwiw, I wouldn't stress about the 1 dvd, either. We don't have tv, but we do watch dvds and cbeebies on i player, and ds has learned loads from it. Deadly 60, Nina and the Neurons, Numberjacks all really educational, and don't underestimate relationship building progs, such as Big and Small, Arthur, or Charlie and Lola.

And finally, I predict that the most learning happens during the 'down' times, i.e. not when you're sitting at a table with her but when you are shopping together, or a walk in the park etc.

One last thing - Chillax and Enjoy!

Thank you. I will.

I am actually really enjoying it. My daughter is so much happier and less stressed an anxious. It's improved the qquality of life for all of us. I think because it's all new and it's now compleatly down to me, it can be a bit daunting. So far though, I think it's brilliant.

An hour of formal work a day is LOADS for a 6 year old. Loads and loads. Relax, lady!!!!!!!

Oh, O.K then.

I was telling my mum how much happier she is now and she said "Of corse she is, she's not doing much work." I told her to have another .

That's plenty of "sitting down work" for her to be doing at 6. The other things you mention like lego and puzzles, and you reading to her, are all very good things for her education too. And she's getting to do creative things and meet up with other children. I think that covers eveything a 6 yo needs, so please don't fret that it doesn;t seem enough.

And I think its a good idea to leave the phonics till after the speech therapy - she'll do much better at it once she can hear and say the sounds right, and it is better for her not to get discouraged by thinking she "can't do it", when there's a very good reason why she isn't able to yet.

When my son was at school he'd come home and I'd say 'Did you have a good day, what did you do?' the reply was 'not much, can't really remember'. Now though he tells everyone about the home ed work he has done, and the new things he has learnt. He is 6, and SEN, and home ed has been the making of him in every aspect, and I have loved it too. We work around his physio and OT and the hospital appts. Before Christmas he had an appt with his pain consultant at GOSH - he scored 1 on the anxiety test that he scored 25 on when he was at school. I'm so glad that this is having a similar effect on your child, it works, our children and the rest of the family benefit, its just that other people expect us to 'explain' or 'justify' our reasons. Its a brave step, that maybe others who critise should have the balls to try!! Well done you xx

Thank you both, that's really encouraging.

The comments I've had from people have been very mixed. Some people who know Lucy well have said that it'll be great for her and she'll do really well. Others have said "are you mad??" etc. We get a lot of people saying will you follow the national curriculum? How many hours a day will she work for and but you're not a teacher.

It's true, I do feel as though I have to justify my decision. They should have the balls to try it.

Have you tried Youtube for phonics videos? There are loads of funny little songs and videos that DS1 loved watching. She might absorb a lot without realising it is learning iykwim :) Also, phonics are not the be all and end all of learning to read. If you are reading books with her she will pick up a lot from that alone.

An hour a day is much more than I spent on formal work with my dd when she was six. I can only think of one person I've known who did more than that... and she was busily hothousing her son to win a scholarship at eight!

I'm sure there must be other parents who do lots of formal work with six year olds, but it definitely isn't universally done. As I say, among the people I know it is almost unheard of.

Does your daughter like being read to? If so, that is an enjoyable and highly effective way of working on literacy. Jim Trelease will convince you of the numerous benefits if you are in any doubt; see his excellent book "The Read-Aloud Handbook." Audiobooks are good too, especially when you need a break. We pay no library hire charges on audiobooks since my little one has learning difficulties.

Well, I'm certainly not trying to hot house her to win a scholarship. We've only just had enough balls to take her out of the prep school she was struggling in. I'm so glad we did.

We do read to her a lot and she does love it. I also make up my own stories for her, and she seems to prefere my stories.

She does enjoy writing stories, I just have to help her by reminding her what the letters look like and how to spell the words. Sometimes, she'll just write a whole page of random letters and call that her story. She does like maths work sheets as she knows she's good at them.

I think she likes formal work as it's a way of her getting loads of praise. It also helps to fill the day a bit. There's only so much of "you be the dragon and I'll be the princess" I can take.