Home education

My grandson who is somewhere on the autistic spectrum would benefit so much from home schooling. He is very clever and works really hard at things he is interested in but finds school terribly stressful and dreads going now. Sadly there is no way DD could give up work to teach him so they struggle on.

My DD has joined a home ed. group in Glasgow. They all get together once a week to socialise and the children run about and play, make friends and socialise with others. They go to museums and galleries too.

My DD has found a fabulous maths teaching programme on the internet. It's called Conquer Maths. It teaches everything from times tables to long division, it is suitable for children up to age 18. When they have conquered one module they are awarded a certificate which they can print off and keep. My DGD is loving it, the younger boys, not so much!

Imperfect, I too am very, very sceptical about home education. I have a dear friend whose daughter is bipolar, and has removed her daughter from an 'outstanding' school (OFSTED) to home educate. My fear is that the little girl was removed from school for the mother's sake rather than the child's. While the daughter was at school, her mother would come to school at playtime and talk to her daughter through the railings, and tell her how much she missed her.

I know there are great resources for home schooling, but I am still very uneasy about the motives.

it is a big responsibility to teach at home and within my own family I know the decision was made for a niece to be home-schooled for less than good reasons. Her mother suffered from depression and didn't interact with the child well when she was a toddler. She was often neglected - mum used to lie in bed for much of the day apparently suffering from ME. The little girl then struggled at school because she did not know how to socialise and her mother said she was being 'bullied' - her father was very passive, not wanting to rock the boat, but the rest of the family could see that she was just very self-orientated and didn't know how to play / share well. She was withdrawn from school before the end of her reception year. Home-schooling meant having coffee round neighbours 'houses and by the time my niece was 8 she could barely read. Lots came to light when my ex SIL left and my niece has had a terrible time in life - she developed an eating disorder aged 9-11 and spent 18 months in hodpital, she never finished schooling, dropping out of school and then college, so disadvantaged because she is barely literate. I just wonder what checks are meant to be in place to prevent this sort of thing happening because she fell through the net?

I could chant my times tables incredibly well. but I never really understood multiplication. I hope your DD is teaching understanding and practical aspects of maths as well as learning by heart.

I don't know trisher, but DGD knows her times tables now. BTW she was in a small village school in Scotland. She was in a class which combined three year groups!!!

Don't know where your DGD went to school *hilda8 but it is usual to have at least 1 hour a day for numeracy in schools. Can't believe they only had 1 hour a week, I wonder if this is just a mistake in terminology- numeracy not maths?

My DD is home schooling my DGC. The youngest, who is three, is recognising letters. She hasn't started teaching him yet. He has picked it up by watching his 5 yr old brother working on Lexia on the computer. DD withdrew them from school as there wasn't sufficient support for her two boys, both have ASD's. She was also horrified to learn that DGD age 9 did not know any times tables. Are these not taught in school any more? According to DGD they only had one hour of maths per week!!

I home school my youngest son who is 9 been home teaching for 2 years there is so much support groups but she must do her homework first its not as simple as you think you want any advice all be happy to help, I also have a web sight with free homeschooling kits. I also home educated my eldest daughter who is 23 she had 5 a levels at 16 and a masters degree by 19 schools don't have time to teach these days its a worksheet slapped in front of them

I home educate our daughter who is nearly 11 and have done since she was 7. It s a wonderful way of life.
We have met so many lovely families and there are loads of activities and classes out there for home educated children.

I've just discovered the other thread - but can't work out how to delete this one!