There is a part of me that would enjoy expounding further my thoughts and feelings about school. I've had years to develop my personal theories about what is ailing in education today and ideas about possible cures. I'm sure I won't be able to resist the need to release some of this from time to time, but that is not what I want to focus on. I want to focus on my son, his education and his future.
I'm starting from the very beginning here. Wes still has a couple days left in this school quarter. He does not know yet that I plan to start teaching him at home next quarter. My husband and I plan to sit our two sons down and talk it over as a family. We have decided to wait until the end of this grading period to discuss it, not only with our kids, but with the school and Wes's teacher. We don't want this decision to color the rest of the time we are in school.
Meanwhile, I have been busy preparing myself. I have spent time researching on line and looking through bookstores. The bottom line is that there is a lot of information out there and you just have to sift through it and make choices. The great thing about it is that the choices you make are specifically with your child in mind. I'm going to share my selections with you, but please know that they are Wes specific and based on what I believe will work for us. I'm also keeping my mind open to change in case some of my initial ideas don't pan out.
One of the things I wanted was a good resource for knowing what is generally covered or recommended at the third grade level. I'm not looking for a ready made curriculum, I just want to be on top of what is taught in each subject. I like what Scholastic offers the best. It's very detailed and clearly presented. I like the idea of having this bookmarked just as a guide post reference.
The next thing I looked for was actual materials. On the web I liked looking through Amazon as much as any place else. One of the nice features Amazon offers is a look inside the books. It's the next best thing to actually flipping through them in person. As brick and mortar stores go, Barnes and Noble has a very well stocked education section. I wish I had gone there first to tell you the truth. You just can't beat the hands on and the ability to compare the materials that the different companies offer.
Looking through the workbooks in person had a profound impact on me. Sitting on the shelf under third grade math there were easily five choices. You pick up one and it looks very no frills problem solving. Another has a test prep feel to it. Right next to these you can find an option that covers the exact same material, but what? It has color, puzzles, pictures and characters. It has a personality. I take a moment to mourn the fact that if my school did something as simple as choose the book on the right instead of the one on the left, I might not be standing here.
I think my posts are tending to run a bit long, so I'm going to leave off here today, but I'll continue on with what books I have chosen and the schedule I have in mind. Whenever I feel passionately about something, I can go on and on.
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