4th grade dropouts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not really sure what it means to be honest. I'm not signing up for a homeschooling program. My husband and I both work although our hours are flexible. This afternoon we just all sort of hit the wall. My kids had epic meltdowns after school - my daughter crying endlessly about her headache - and then I got another email from FCPS pushing back distance learning and we decided we can't do it anymore.

Are you familiar with Virginia’s compulsory education laws?

Mobs rioting, looting, beating, burning and killing in the streets ... no problem, it's social justice. But they'll send armed men out to force your kids to login to FCPS distance learning at the point of a gun. Sounds legit.

These things are happening in Fairfax county? I somehow missed that. In any case, there are a few law abiding citizens left who prefer to keep their records clean, “point of a gun” or no.

[Anonymous]

We dropped out of 2nd grade in April last year after trying DL for a couple of weeks. Did not homeschool. This year for 3rd grade I am homeschooling her but I am not following a set program. Pinterest and the Brainquest books are my best friends. Make up your own program based on their interests OP so they stay interested in learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the first two posters are saying that this is a parenting issue? Perhaps you've been terribly overworked or sick, who knows. But a child's academic regression in times of distance learning is squarely dependent on his home environment and how much his parents are able/willing to supervise and manage.

My kids are fairly privileged - my husband and I both work from home, my daughter goes to one of those math tutoring services once a week and they are smart kids. But we can't sit there next to them all day - for one thing, the zoom classes give me a migraine too!

I believe you might need to shift your expectations.

Don’t sit next to them during the class, go sit after and review the material. We have to do it with my SPED kid regardless of the pandemic. It’s not hard to teach them 4th grade material. I work FT too as does my DH.

[Anonymous]

Above PP again. We did pass our homeschool review thru mcps so must be doing something right. We (parents) both work FT too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not really sure what it means to be honest. I'm not signing up for a homeschooling program. My husband and I both work although our hours are flexible. This afternoon we just all sort of hit the wall. My kids had epic meltdowns after school - my daughter crying endlessly about her headache - and then I got another email from FCPS pushing back distance learning and we decided we can't do it anymore.

Are you familiar with Virginia’s compulsory education laws?

so e-mail the principal back and say your kids are enrolled again and don't bother logging them in, or log them in and put the computer in a closet somewhere. The laws are structured around attendance and I'm guessing no one wants to test the bounds this year

[Anonymous]

I think it's important to set a schedule and come up with a plan.

You can buy some math workbooks and reading comprehension or spelling workbooks. They can get books from the library (you have to pick them up). And I mentioned this in another thread, but I really like Homeschool Spanish. They work with kids who are younger like yours as well as MS, HS and adults.

Create a schedule so that your kids know they still have some expectations to learn. Are you planning to put them in 5th grade next year? If so, it's even more reason why you should do something with them now. I know you said you don't want to homeschool, but is it really to their benefit to just do nothing all day?

Do a mixture of workbooks, reading books (set a number of minutes or a number of pages each day), perhaps some Spanish lessons, maybe some coding. Your kids are young so the content isn't that important (except for math)... what IS important is that they keep exercising their brains in some way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So the first two posters are saying that this is a parenting issue? Perhaps you've been terribly overworked or sick, who knows. But a child's academic regression in times of distance learning is squarely dependent on his home environment and how much his parents are able/willing to supervise and manage.

My kids are fairly privileged - my husband and I both work from home, my daughter goes to one of those math tutoring services once a week and they are smart kids. But we can't sit there next to them all day - for one thing, the zoom classes give me a migraine too!

I believe you might need to shift your expectations.

Don’t sit next to them during the class, go sit after and review the material. We have to do it with my SPED kid regardless of the pandemic. It’s not hard to teach them 4th grade material. I work FT too as does my DH.

The trouble is that it's twins and I simply can't keep up with both of their work. I've tried sitting with them on Mondays doing asynchronous work but it's an all day thing if I do it for both of them and their older sister.

[Anonymous]

Are you all parents of young children?

Because please realize that teaching basic math and reading comprehension to elementary schoolers is... easy. There is nothing easier, unless your child has special needs or you have a particular hardship at home.

Again, unless there is a serious issue in the home, there is no excuse for 4th graders forgetting multiplications or experiencing other forms of academic regression. This is entirely on the parents.

I homeschooled my son with special needs years ago. I know the hard work it entails. I also have a normally-functioning child and never have to supervise anything - the learning happens without me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So the first two posters are saying that this is a parenting issue? Perhaps you've been terribly overworked or sick, who knows. But a child's academic regression in times of distance learning is squarely dependent on his home environment and how much his parents are able/willing to supervise and manage.

GMAFB. A child's regression in a time of distance learning is squarely a reflection of the failure of the SCHOOLS TO EDUCATE HIM.

[Anonymous]

16:53 here again: By setting up a schedule, I think it is good to at least start the day with some structure: I.e. at 8:30 they work on X for 30 min. and then at 9:00 they work on Y. And at 10:00 they read for 30 min. or whatever.

BTW, if you are looking for math resources, the Compass downloads are very easy to understand and you wouldn't need to be there for it. They are short and go with the Saxon math books.

I know you are burned out from the DL situation, but it's only January. You are going to have to fill a lot of time between now and August. You will need to come up with something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Are you all parents of young children?

Because please realize that teaching basic math and reading comprehension to elementary schoolers is... easy. There is nothing easier, unless your child has special needs or you have a particular hardship at home.

Again, unless there is a serious issue in the home, there is no excuse for 4th graders forgetting multiplications or experiencing other forms of academic regression. This is entirely on the parents.

I homeschooled my son with special needs years ago. I know the hard work it entails. I also have a normally-functioning child and never have to supervise anything - the learning happens without me.

Did you homeschool while also working a FT job? Was that easy? This is nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Are you all parents of young children?

Because please realize that teaching basic math and reading comprehension to elementary schoolers is... easy. There is nothing easier, unless your child has special needs or you have a particular hardship at home.

Again, unless there is a serious issue in the home, there is no excuse for 4th graders forgetting multiplications or experiencing other forms of academic regression. This is entirely on the parents.

I homeschooled my son with special needs years ago. I know the hard work it entails. I also have a normally-functioning child and never have to supervise anything - the learning happens without me.

I think it's because teaching the school way is SO complicated. If it was just me teaching my way it would be "old school" but in order to pass qiuzzes and tests the kids need to learn the hard way. I don't blame OP.

[Anonymous]

But virtual learning is just as good as real school ! Teachers are working SOOOOO hard. My kid is attending class and doing all the work and he has still forgotten a TON he knew last year. Guess why? Because this is not effective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not really sure what it means to be honest. I'm not signing up for a homeschooling program. My husband and I both work although our hours are flexible. This afternoon we just all sort of hit the wall. My kids had epic meltdowns after school - my daughter crying endlessly about her headache - and then I got another email from FCPS pushing back distance learning and we decided we can't do it anymore.

Are you familiar with Virginia’s compulsory education laws?

How can it be compulsory if the state fails to provide an education? Sounds like a great defense to me. Let the county try to defend its alleged educational services this year.

This is how I feel a bit. I'm sort of shocked at myself because I strongly believe in education. But if they aren't providing an effective education to my kids, why should I force them to sit there all day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not really sure what it means to be honest. I'm not signing up for a homeschooling program. My husband and I both work although our hours are flexible. This afternoon we just all sort of hit the wall. My kids had epic meltdowns after school - my daughter crying endlessly about her headache - and then I got another email from FCPS pushing back distance learning and we decided we can't do it anymore.

Are you familiar with Virginia’s compulsory education laws?

How can it be compulsory if the state fails to provide an education? Sounds like a great defense to me. Let the county try to defend its alleged educational services this year.

This is how I feel a bit. I'm sort of shocked at myself because I strongly believe in education. But if they aren't providing an effective education to my kids, why should I force them to sit there all day?

then don't the laws all concern attendance, they don't say anything about participation. Counties have decided that being logged in is attendance, so log in and step away