If you supplement your child's education, what do you do?

[Anonymous]

Do you do Score, Kumon, extra reading enrichment, home instruction? Language schools on the weekend? What do you find to be most effective? How much extra time does it take?

[Anonymous]

We found language tutoring (private) to not be very effective for one child who was a total novice to the language. Our conclusion was that to learn a language you really need several hours on different days of the week, and we couldn't fit that much into our schedule.

For a second child who had gone through Montgomery County immersion, one hour a week at the Alliance Francaise has been helpful in keeping up language skills.

[Anonymous]

Why? Are you trying to give extra support to your child in an area in which she or he is struggling? Otherwise, aren't our kids overscheduled as it is? The thing they need for creative development and problem-solving skills is time to play and explore on their own. A half hour puttering is probably time better spent than a half hour in Kumon.

[Anonymous]

Private music lessons have been invaluable to our children. Aside from the music, each has had a loving, ongoing relationship with a wonderful adult for many, many years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why? Are you trying to give extra support to your child in an area in which she or he is struggling? Otherwise, aren't our kids overscheduled as it is? The thing they need for creative development and problem-solving skills is time to play and explore on their own. A half hour puttering is probably time better spent than a half hour in Kumon.

Not the OP, but schools are not the be all and end all of education for children. Whether independent or public, no child will get everything s/he needs from school. A child doesn't have to be struggling to need (or want) something additional to what the school is providing. Parents (do or should) play a much larger role than the school in educating children, including finding enrichment and supplemental opportunities. That could mean weekly visits to a museum or zoo, music lessons, language lessons, trips to historic parts of the country, etc.

To answer OP, we have a child who is advanced in math so we provide a tutor to keep him challenged beyond what the school offers. Because language doesn't start in school until later grades, we have both kids enrolled in language classes.

[Anonymous]

We don't think our son is getting enough one-on-one reading comprehension/writing instruction, so we hired a wonderful tutor for him once a week. Plus, he does a music lesson once a week. I don't think it's all that much.

[Anonymous]

We can not afford a tutor, but I want my son to start Spanish. I have taught him what I can with little commands and pleasantries, but I am thinking of investing in Rosetta Stone home school edition.

[Anonymous]

music classes...one-on-one

[Anonymous]

Private music lessons and music theory classes.

[Anonymous]

Private in-home music lessons for both my children (4&7). Apparently they are both musically gifted (dont know where that came from...). This was recognized by their preschool teachers at a young age who found them an amazing music teacher. The section of the brain that processes music is also the section for math so the two are interrelated and excelling at one often translates to the other. Also, my 7 year old wants more math (multiplication) problems to do beyond what he is doing in school so I bought him some math Kumon books at the bookstore and my 4 year old wants to learn addition, so I got her some Kumon books as well. They work at whatever pace they want, I do not encourage or discourage it. Lastly, my 4 year old was begging to learn to read (as did my 7 yr old when he was 4) and I found the BOB books and we use those. It worked for #1 child and is also working for #2 child. Again, I let them set the pace and drive the endeavors.

[Anonymous]

OP here, I posted this to get an idea of what other parents felt was lacking in their kids education. From these posts, it seems as though the music and languages are supplemented a bit.
I know that thousands of dollars are being poured into tutors for academic subjects where parents feel that the school aren't doing a great job.
In the end, I do tackle little academic problems as they come up with my kids. If for instance, one of them has trouble with multiplication, I jump in and fix it as soon as I see the need. I do not yet hire professional services for academics since my kids are young, and (for now), they prefer my attention rather than a tutor's. I can also easily understand their work at this point.

[Anonymous]

READ, READ, READ with your children. Do crafts at home, even things like macrame challenge the brain. Play cards with your children from the time they are very young (18 months and up). The kind of interaction that card games with Mom and Dad provide, contributes to emotional intelligence, problem solving and peer skills in a way that nothing else does. They'll get enough of the rote skills in school, make them exceptional by making them confident.

[Anonymous]

I agree, pp. I have also found that in the elementary years, nearly all sports can be taught at home. I am always kicking the soccer ball around with my kids. That saves me the money for the 1/2 hour "work out" with a coach, plus I get some exercise. Also, the same is true of swimming, the lessons were a waste, I got my kids swimming on my own.
I will look into more card games, I do have nice memories of doing that with my siblings growing up.