Does anyone have some good suggestions for homeschooling a 4th grader?
2006-12-15 12:34:23 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Home Schooling
Use Wordly Wise vocabulary series. You can get them on eBay. they're great!
2006-12-17 13:38:31 · answer #1 · answered by nemo 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Stick to the basics for academic time.
Math, writing and reading are the stepping stones into every subject. Study math with a focus on mastery of the facts -- use flashcards, manipulatives and math tables for all of the basic functions; addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Saxon Math level 54 is the first text book math a 4th grade student will need after memorizing the basic facts.
Master writing by practicing a full page of penmanship every day. Copy work from excellent literature is a good way to get jump-started into creative writing. One full page essay every day is excellent practice.
Reading should take 2 hours or more every day. Read from the best available books. The older classics have a rich vocabulary and are great stories. Vocabulary should be studied along with reading to enhance comprehension and understanding.
After the basics are done for the day the 4th grade student can and should venture into any area of study that is of particular interest. You'll have time for 4-H clubs, crafts, hobbies, animals, team sports, etc.
4th grade is a wonderful age for a home-school student.
2006-12-15 22:38:04 · answer #2 · answered by Barb 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Do. Your. Research. That's my suggestion.
If you are a homeschooling mom, you should be providing a role model of learning.
What if your 4th grader asked you, "do you have good suggestions on how to build a bird feeder?" What would you do? Research of course!
So, you need to get yourself to a bookstore or library and pick up one, or a dozen, of the bazillion books on how to educate children.
From homeschooling books, to "What Every 4th Grader needs to know", to books on learning styles, to books on different methods of teaching - you gotta get out there and do research.
You and your child are unique. Nobody can suggest to you how to homeschool your son, just as nobody can tell you which clothes he should wear, what present to get him for his birthday or which classes to sign him up for.
So, do your research and figure out who you are, who he is and what's going to work best for you.
Here's my favorite website to start at. From here, you can discover all the great homeschooling websites on the net.
http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com
And also, join a homeschooling group or two, join Yahoo groups and sign up for a dozen different lists (and read them), go to homeschooling conferences, call your local contact, see if there is a resource center near you...
And most of all - spend time with your child. You can look all over the internet and in books for the answer, but the real answer is right next to you - it's your beautiful child.
So, get to work, show him how it's done. Homeschooling isn't some obscure thing that nobody knows about. Information abounds. Consider this your first homeschool assigment. And before you assign anything to your child, or require him to do any work for you, you need to finish this assignment.
Good luck! I have faith that you will find the answers you seek if you keep looking.
2006-12-16 01:25:24 · answer #3 · answered by TammyT 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I homeschool my seventh grader for the first time this year. Not knowing exactly where he was at I started with language and math test booklets I found at Border's Books (they offer a 10% discount for teachers, homeschooling, etc.) Once I found out he wasn't where he is supposed to be for a 12 year old, we went back to fifth and sixth grade basics and worked our way through the areas he was lacking. The Internet has unlimited worksheets, projects, and ideas for creative learning. It is a lot more work for you mom, but you will find it is well worth the effort. Don't let all the nay-sayer's get to you, you chose to homeschool to benefit your child. No school cares for your child more than you do.
2006-12-16 16:17:35 · answer #4 · answered by boxersgirlbunny 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Be patient, structured, and loving. If this is your first time homeschooling, yippeee!!!!!! It'll get hard, but you will NOT regret it! Your child will be more independent than others and has a slightly better chance of getting to a good college (colleges have their eyes on homeschoolers all the time!) Good luck!
PS Use Saxon (c) math, and have him/her read lots of good books. Reading promotes so much in someone's mind...people, because they've stopped reading, have allowed their brains to turn to cheese. Books are far more entertaining and rewarding than TV or video games...if you know where to look. Get a library card and hit that place once a week or more!
2006-12-16 00:30:51 · answer #5 · answered by mtngrl 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Meet your child where s/he is at. This might mean giving your child lots of choice, or lots of structure. It might mean working at a grade 3 level in reading and a grade 5 level in math. It might mean deciding what s/he will study for science or letting your child choose.
My personal recommendation would be to make sure you are working towards (or beyond) your local school standards for at least language arts and math. But don't neglect the other subjects, either! Also check out every book on homeschooling you can at your library. Lots of curriculum/planning ideas there. And get a Sonlight catalogue or look at it online: http://www.sonlight.com . Lots of inspiration and guidance in just the catalogue!
2006-12-16 08:33:55 · answer #6 · answered by glurpy 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Teach your 4th grader the basics, Reading, Writing in cursive and Math, which is times tables and division, and then American History, and I would have my student do something for fun, go on field trips, they get to pick where we go, and also to play a musical instrument. Happy Teaching!!!
2006-12-16 02:35:29 · answer #7 · answered by Janice 10 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i've been homeschooled a couple times. not much fun, sadly. right now i'm on a program called cava. it stands for california virtuel academy.
if u want to check them out, then visit them on the web at:
caliva.org
2006-12-15 20:43:07 · answer #8 · answered by MJ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ACE has a good program. Accelerated Christian Education. You get a pace it is called and take a test after that pace and have to make a certain grade to pass that pace. You can look it up on the internet. I went through this program and found it to be very good!!
2006-12-16 00:32:17 · answer #9 · answered by Shell 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Use the Classical Education: Make him/her learn Latin, Greek, Logic, etc. I know it sounds stupid, but trust me, you won't regret it. My parents taught me with the Classical Education. I can't believe all the career choices and simple overall knowledge I got. English will come SOOOO much easier if you learn Latin and Greek. Check out this website:
www.welltrainedmind.com
2006-12-15 20:43:39 · answer #10 · answered by Apple Queen 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
homeschooling is good as long as the child is exposed to other children. they might beg you to go easy on them but dont because it will be a large detriment to them when they get older. sometimes ur child might get mad but act as though u r an ACTUAL TEACHER in an ACTUAL SCHOOL because you dont want them to fall behind or make them think that they get to make major decisions in what they do becuase the more leniant u r now the more they will try 2 minipulate u later
2006-12-15 20:40:05 · answer #11 · answered by igotalltheanswers 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋