homeschool nightmare

United States
March 6, 2008 3:54pm CST
Well I am about ready to pull my hair out. I recently was forced to pull my 8 year old out of public school. Lots of reasons, one he was being taught by a 9 year old girl all about s_x and two he was being sent home with all the work he didn't do in class every day (like 4 hours of schoolwork) He is in 3rd grade and has a 1st grade reading level. He was just evaluated for special needs and will be recieving thru the Spokane Valley Learning Acadamy I guesse extra help(Were having a meeting in 2 weeks with the school phys and his teachers) he goese to the acadamy one day a week and seems to be doing ok in all his classes except spanish. I just can not get him to commit at home. I get about an hour of serious work and then we fight the rest of the day. I feel like pulling out my hair. I keep telling him that if he just gets it down then he can spend the rest of the day playing without me on his back. Any suggestions as to getting him excited about learning. OH he is also being evaluated for adhd... if he is diagnosed I will probabley not do drugs I am really against them. I want to deal with this without drug therapy. HELP HELP HELP!!!!
3 people like this
3 responses
• United States
6 Mar 08
Well if he has ADHD he cannot control the fact that he cannot pay attention. I know it is difficult but becoming angry and frustrated with him is only going to worsen the problem. You have to be calm and assertive. If you are homeschooling I assume you have control over what and how you teach him. Maybe the way the lessons are set up just are not interesting for him. Make sure the work you are doing with him is fun. Of course the activities need to be educational too. For example, let him pick out a book to read to you. Or have him color a map of the united states. I am not sure what his interests are but try to combine the things he enjoys in with the lesson plans. good luck!
• United States
6 Mar 08
Oh ya I understand he has a problem paying attention. When he was evaluated we found out that his IQ is above average. I try really hard not to let him know that I am getting frustrated and I do try to keep things interested. He loves the computer and we have multiple learning games. I am hoping that someone who homeschools a child or children with special needs or adhd will have some ideas that will help me to help him. I don't want him to only do computer game learning. I read alot to him and challenge him to read with me. We just recently started the Star Wars series but it is a higher level reading so I do most of the reading and then give him a verble test as to what the chapter was about and then have him type a sentence or two about the chapter.
@manalove (65)
28 Mar 08
Starfall.com is a free phonic program online thats what helped my son to read. Very fun an interactive.
• United States
28 Mar 08
Thankyou for the site info. I checked it out and it look very promising. I think chase will enjoy it. He really likes playing games and anything on the computer so if I working on the computer and learning is what we need to do then I am all for it. Thanks again.
@barehugs (8973)
• Canada
7 Mar 08
Relax and enjoy your little boy, he's only 8 years old! No wonder he won't learn his Mother is Hyper! Get some children's story books and read to him every day. (or at night when he goes to bed) read in Spanish too. One hour "of serious work" is plenty for an 8 yr old. I know because I raised 4 boys and they all turned out well! You should be ashamed of fighting with an 8 yr old. Do believe you are helping him with this nonsense? So get off his back and begin treating him like the the Immature Adult that he is!
• United States
7 Mar 08
OMG, I don't fight with my son literaly, and I am not hyper. I do read to him everyday and we spend alot of time playing games and spending time outside playing catch (weather permiting) I'm not asking for critisism I'm looking for advise from parents who homeschool children with special needs. Are your children special needs? Did you homeschool? Parents that don't have a child with special needs or attention and focusing problems don't know what its like dealing with these issues everyday. If Chase doesn't want to do schoolwork he doesn't do it. I am not going to tie him to the chair and force feed him schoolwork. He does get his learning in and I have been told by the director of the acadamy that I am doing a great job with him, I guess I just wish it was eaisier. Since I realize that is never going to happen with my son then I need to find other ways to get him inspired, help him stay focused. He is very smart his IQ is above average, and we are very close, sometimes my frustration may come out but I always talk to him about it and appologize for my behavior. I am not an insensitive mother and show my anger or frustration however I am human and sometimes it does slip out. When I said we fight I ment I ask him to finish his work and he refuses, I try to find something else to interest him and he refuses, this will go on for a while and I don't want to give in cause then he will do it again and again.