[bama200447]

I have a 10 year old grand-daughter whom is being home-schooled. She is so far behind the curriculum for the home-school work it is a shame. She will study science and history for hours and still make a 20-40 on the test. Does anyone have a suggestion as how to reach this child.

[excon]

Hello bama:

Who is the teacher and what are his/her credentials? Maybe THAT'S the problem.

excon

[bama200447]

She is being taught by her mother who is also teaching 3 others which are having no problem. My grand-daughter was in public school last year is why she is so far behind.

[DoulaLC]

Have any possible learning issues been looked at? Was any sort of testing done when she was in school? How is her reading. Specifically comprehension, in general? What grade level is she working at? What is her attention like?

[excon]

Hello again, bama:

I understand she's teaching others. That's not what I asked. What I wanted to know was WHAT her credentials are?? Your refusal to answer tells me she has NONE.

Therefore, the child MUST be put into the hands of a professional teacher. It's no more difficult than that.

excon

[liz28]

Maybe the mother can hire someone to help her like a tutor or something. I would consider getting her tested also like DoulaC mention.

I had this problem with my daughter. After I get her tested for learning diablities they found nothing wrong. I worked harder with her along with her teacher and eventually hired a tutor that comes and help her 3x a week. Before that I put her in a Sylvia learning program that works with your child on her weakest subject and they give the child manys tests to see what subject they need the most help with and they caught her up with the rest of the class. They helped a lot and the tutor does too. It is and was well worth the money spend.

[bama200447]

She was in the hands of professional teachers that is why she does not know her work. My daughter is a high school graduate and is not required to have teaching credentials. I respectfully disagree with your suggestion. I would be interested in any thoughts as to how to help this child to comprehend what she is reading. She has not been tested for anything.

[HistorianChick]

I agree with excon. Home schooling can work. It can be the best thing that ever happened to a child... but it also may be the worst thing for another child. While there are many factors that contribute to a child excelling in a home school environment, one of the most important is the education of the parent who is administering the schooling and the quality of the curriculum.

If, as excon surmises, the mother is not educated (i.e. has some sort of college education, not just a high school diploma), it is only fair to the child that she be placed under the tutelage of someone who DOES have a higher education. A tutor, a study group, a class at a local high school, something that will give the child the chance to succeed in her schooling.

Another aspect is the curriculum your daughter has chosen for her child. Anyone can find "good education for cheap prices" on the internet, but a child needs the structure of a proven method of learning and education. If the child does not have quality in their education, you cannot expect quality results.

I would recommend doing some searching of curriculum and tutors in the area. Best of luck.

[bama200447]

She is using the Alpha Omega home school for the 5th grade and she is only having problems with her science and history. My daughter was able to get through to her on her math and has brought her up to date on that. I am in college at this time and am also assisting her with their schooling. We are checking into a private tutor at this time.

[HistorianChick]

Alpha Omega, from what I've heard, is a good system. Saxon Math is one of the best, but you said that she did well in Math. Good to hear.

I would recommend trying to find out if there are local college students that would be willing to tutor your granddaughter. College students are "close" to the information, but not highschoolers. There also may be classes at your local libraries in history and science.

Sounds like your granddaughter is simply lacking a bit in a couple subject matters. A little outside help may be just the ticket.

[excon]

Hello again, bama:

The following is an analysis of Alabama law concerning home schooling. I suggest if you followed it, you'll find your answer.

-------------------------------------------------

Alabama is unique among all states as it has no home school statute. The matter simply has not been addressed by the Legislature.

However, in the past two decades home educators and the county and city school districts have established a procedure for legal home schooling in Alabama that offers a minimum of government regulation. In fact, our attorneys at the Home School Legal Defense Association tell us that Alabama's system of home education is the best in the nation because it offers greater freedom and protection for home schooling families.

There are two ways to home school legally in Alabama. One is the "Tutorial Law" (Ala. Code §16-28-5). Under this statute a certified teacher may instruct a student or students privately. The tutor must submit to monitoring by the local school district officials, and hold school a minimum of 140 days a year at certain times. This option is not available to most home educators.

The second and preferred way is known as the "Church School Law" (Ala. Code §16-28-3). Under this statute students between the ages of 7 and 16 are exempt from the state's compulsory school attendance law if they are enrolled in schools operated by a church or association of churches.

To facilitate home schooling, a church may form a school in which parents are enrolled as teachers and students are assigned to classes taught by their parents at home. Church schools are exempt from all state accreditation, teacher certification, and regulatory requirements. The only requirement is that the parent must submit a church school enrollment form to the local school district office indicating the church school in which the student is enrolled.

In the nearly two decades that this has been done, the system has proven to be effective in making home education legal in Alabama with minimal government control and intervention.
Legal Resources. For additional resources on the legal aspects of home schooling in Alabama please visit the following:

Excerpts from the Code of Alabama. Here we have provided excerpts from the Code of Alabama specifically affecting home schooling in this state. We included the "Tutorial Law," the "Church School Law," and the requirement to file a Church School Enrollment Form.

Attorney General's Opinion. In 1996 a state legislator sought clarification of home schooling in Alabama from Attorney General Bill Pryor. We have provided the complete text from his opinion, which comments on the "Church School Law."

-------------------

excon

[liz28]

She was in the hands of professional teachers that is why she does not know her work. My daughter is a high school graduate and is not required to have teaching credentials. I respectfully disagree with your suggestion. I would be interested in any thoughts as to how to help this child to comprehend what she is reading. She has not been tested for anything.

My comment about getting her tested wasn't as an insult but was only an option since you didn't give much information regarding the matter.

However, I did recommend your daughter getting a tutor because they do help and maybe they can help your granddaughter. Otherwise, I really don't see any other option. I graduated from college and the tutor helps out a lot and it is money well spent.

[DoulaLC]

If she is studying science and history for hours and not showing much progress there are a number of issues that are possible for this, or perhaps a combination of a few.

1) she isn't reading well enough for comprehension... she may read just fine when she reads orally, but that does not mean she fully understands what she is reading... fluency and comprehension are two different areas of possible concern 2) the material is above her level and perhaps looking at third or fourth grade curriculum would benefit her (she does not have to be in one grade level for all subject areas... meet her needs even if it varies). 3) the method of presenting, exploring, discussing, and reviewing the information is not sufficient for her to have a good understanding of the material. 4) she has a learning difficulty that has not been addressed.

Did she struggle while in public school? Did she struggle just last year or has it been on going? What have her report cards, progress reports, standardized test scores, conference notes, etc. been like?

A few things that can be done to build comprehension: Read a few pages together and then have her retell what she just read... discuss details, unfamiliar words, etc.. If need be, break it down into even smaller chunks. Pose some questions that she has to find the answers to... have her "prove" her answer by locating it in the text. Also ask some inferring questions... sometimes the answers won't be there in black and white and she will need to be able to determine the best answer from what was going on in the story. Be sure she understands the importance of reading not just the text but also any graphs, charts, captions, maps, etc.. Be sure she understands what they all represent. Have as many hands-on activities as possible, especially in Science so that the material will make more sense to her. Science is boring if just reading about it out of a book! If possible, have field trips that will bring some of the Social Studies and Science material to life... real life experiences. Maybe museum trips for example, ones that offer special areas for kids to explore are great.

Get outside help if it obviously isn't working. Some teachers will provide tutoring outside of school so you could ask at the school, there are programs like Sylvan that was mentioned, if there is a local college near by.. ask at the education department, perhaps a student in training to be a teacher will offer support.

[bama200447]

I want to thank you all for your good advice. I did not take offense in you asking me if she had been tested. And she was having difficulty in school. Her grades in those to subjects have always been lower, although not failing. We are aware of the Alabama laws for home-schooling and are following them to the letter. I will discuss your suggestions with my daughter and again thank you very much. DoulaLC I think she will be very interested in some of the suggestions you have made.

[Fr_Chuck]

Part of the issue is "program" home school often has to be set for the child, if they are too far behind in lets say 5th grade math, you move them back to 4th grade math and let them catch up. You then perhaps add extra study for that course, so they will finish the 4th grade course in 6 months and then move on to the 5th grade.

Home school is suppose to be tailored for the student,