What’s So Wrong with Common Core?

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are a hot topic in the education world: public, private and homeschool. Basically, CCSS are a list of what students should be able to master by grade and subject. They have been adopted as the standards used by a large majority of states in exchange for those states being eligible for federal funds.

There are questions and problems with CCSS that won’t affect homeschool families, such as getting all children up to speed, transitioning standardized tests for multiple grades, and training teachers. The questions that apply to homeschool families are:

1.       Do these standards encompass what we want our children to learn?
2.       If we don’t following these standards, will our children be at a disadvantage later?

Wrapping up 7th grade

Looking back on our first year of homeschool, there were ups and downs. Most were expected. What I didn’t expect was how much my son would mature. Some of that could be due to his age. But, I think most of it came from his learning about himself: how he learns, what he likes to learn about, and where that might take him in the future. It made total sense to build on that and homeschool him for 8^th grade.

Why did we choose home school?

Why?

So many people, many of them complete strangers, have asked me why we’re home schooling. I really don’t have a good short answer. Especially since my son is usually standing right there.

Welcome!

This blog used to be about little odds and ends – things that made me crazy or ways that I stayed sane. We’re heading in a new direction now, so I’m starting with a clean slate.

My son has always struggled in public school. The noise, other kids and chaos have always been a struggle. He has trouble fitting in with his peers and is often the target for bullies. He also has a learning disability called “Disability of Written Expression.” That means, in part, that he struggles with getting his thoughts into words to put on paper.

A few months ago, we made the decision to pull him out and provide intensive home instruction in a safe environment.  This blog will now become a journal of our year of home schooling. So far, its been exciting, hard, tiring, illuminating and exhilarating all at the same time. I can’t wait to start sharing it with you and hearing from others in the same situation!