thinking about middle school

[Anonymous]

I'm thinking of switching from public elementary to homeschool middle school. I'm just starting to think about this and trying to think of options for in person or online classes and other activities (continuing sports or music lessons). How much time are you with your middle schooler and how much do you let them work/take classes on their own? Is it possible for them to go about their day without you? Obviously kid dependent, but curious to get some ideas. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Colleagues who did this reported that one parent needed to engage with each student to setup and keep a written schoolwork plan for the semester / month / week / day with the student. Those colleagues all home schooled for academic reasons, not religious reasons, btw.

Parent also periodically needed to get their student back on academics after a distraction.

Some students need more parental guidance and others less - very child dependent.

[Anonymous]

In-person classes, sports classes, and music classes should not require active supervision for the duration of the class. Online classes might require a bit, to make sure they are not goofing off.

However, unless your kid is blessed in the executive function, motivation, and responsibility departments, you will probably have to remind them to get going in the morning, log in to their classes, stay on top of their homework, and study for exams. Basically, function as their executive assistant slash tutor. Add driving, cooking, and cleaning to the mix, and it can easily be a full-time (unpaid) occupation.

My kid is upper elementary and doing about 20 hours of home-based education per week. I expect this to be bumped up to around 40 hours in middle school. I really hope that my kid will be able to manage all of homeschooling stuff independently in a couple of years, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Anonymous]

Oh, and don't forget planning. Research and strategy are a constant.

[Anonymous]

Kid can’t be home all day doing schoolwork independently. Where roughly are you located? There are places like Compass that have classes during the day, and there are all kinds of weekly activities and classes for homeschoolers. Trips to museums and other area resources are part of what make homeschooling in the area so amazing.

There are great Facebook groups for homeschoolers, including DC Metro groups. Check them out and ask questions. People are really helpful.

[Anonymous]

Maybe a better question would be what does a typical day/week look like for your middle school homeschooler? Our public elementary is great, middle is hard socially and academically, more choices for high school. I would love an opportunity to explore the area while keeping strong academics a priority. would designating a day a week for museums/trips be too much?

[Anonymous]

A day a week for museums and trips is great. You can make homeschool whatever you want, as long as you're in compliance with your state's laws.

[Anonymous]

If this is your first your homeschooling, I’d plan to spend a lot of time 1:1 with them: going over their work, teaching, making sure they are staying on task if doing online work/classes. There will be a lot of trial and error and as figure out what level for various subjects your child needs to working, where their deficiencies are, what learning style works best for them, etc. In order to figure this out and get a good grasps of what he needs and what you have to provide, you will need to be actively involved