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I agree with Erin. I have one 6 yr. old who is writing well, but another who can't write even the letters well, yet. He just isn't ready. No big deal. Developmental level makes all the difference in the world. Children are ready for different skills and concepts at different times. Readiness makes a huge difference in their attitude and ability to learn. Some children are advanced in some areas, "normal" in others (whatever that means), and what we might consider behind in other areas. Your child is perfectly normal for him.
On the writing, you might want to put it aside, for the most part, for a while. If he likes art, let him do lots of coloring, gluing, painting and cutting. My boys love making collages, and it really helps their fine motor skills. I have them draw something (or sometimes I'll draw it), and then they follow the lines with scissors. That has been a great help to them --- much better than me fussing over their writing. They're only 6. There's plenty of time for them to improve their writing --- in THEIR time. One of my sons really wants to write well at this point, so little by little, I make corrections and help him work on one problem area at a time. He is only six, but he writes very well. If I tried that with my other son, he would absolutely hate it. So, for now writing is just a game for him. He's not at the level I think he should be right now, but he LOVES school, and is making steady progress --- which, I'm finding is much faster when I go at his pace, and do it his way.
You say he's bored with school. That doesn't necessarily mean he needs a greater challenge with harder work. It could mean that you need to focus more on his learning style. Find what excites him. What floats his boat, or turns him on? What does he LOVE? Does he prefer having you read an exciting story to him, or does he love curling up at the table with a workbook? I can tell you right away which my boys prefer. At this point, I'm not at all worried about how much or little my children do or know, academically. My primary goal for them is to love learning. They are in a stage of exploring. They will develop the discipline to sit down and write and read and study. Right now they need to develop their brains. I don't want them to be bored or hate school. If they are bored with something I'm trying to teach them, or the way I teach it, then I look at it not as a problem with THEM, but a problem with ME. I'm the one doing something wrong.
They LOVE having me read good books to them, so I do that a LOT. They love helping me in the kitchen, so we use that for lots of our math. They love playing games, so we make up lots, make file folder games and more, and use them for math and other things. I thought we should do history by starting with the ancients. That's what almost everyone else does, so I thought it was best. My boys were bored. They sat quietly while I read the stories in the book, but didn't really know or care what I'd read. They lived for the activities. I finally got rid of that book, even though it was the most popular history program out there. Then I got some good children's biographies of men like Daniel Boone, Miles Standish, Buffalo Bill and many others from the "Childhood of Famous Americans" series. What a change in my boys. They suddenly began to LOVE history. I hit on what got them excited, so now they love learning about history. (BTW, we're using TruthQuest history, which is perfect for my family). I started out math with a very popular workbook/dvd program. I like it to use as a supplement, but overall, it's a flop to use everyday with my boys. Instead, we're using Math On The Level ---- a perfect program for us that uses real life to teach math. Instead of being bored, my boys can't wait to do math each day. It's always our last subject because it's so much fun for us. I just had to hit on what got my boys excited.
One of my boys learned to read using "Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons". I have never forgotten something the authors said in the introduction about how they developed the program. They tested it extensively, and re-wrote it many times. Their belief was that if the children could not learn to read with their method, then something was wrong with the method, not the child. They realized that they must be the ones to make the changes, not the child. I'm not saying this to be critical of you. I'm just saying that what worked for you in homeschool may not be what works best for your children. I don't believe any 6 year old should ever be bored. There is just SOOOOOO much for them to get excited about. Throw away your ideas of what and how you *should* teach. Make it fun for your child and he will learn, almost without effort. You'll find that it ends up being so much easier for you and him. As your child gets older, he will keep that passion for learning as he develops the discipline to study.
If you are not familiar with Charlotte Mason and her writings, you might really enjoy it. You may not find it perfect for you, but I'm sure you will glean some great insights that will help you. There are several websites well worth visiting --- Ambleside Online and Simply Charlotte Mason are two of my favorites. I gained so much insight from those two sites, and was able to clarify what I really wanted for my children.
The most wonderful book I've ever read on education was "A Thomas Jefferson Education" by Oliver DeMille. It is absolutely fantastic. I will keep in on the shelf and read it many times as my children enter the various stages of life. Every parent should read it. The author is incredibly insightful. Part of the book explains the various stages of a child's life and what they need, regarding education, at each stage. Part of the book explains how children learn, and he discusses the history of education. It really opened my eyes. I was already on that path and had the same philosophy of education, but this book greatly refined it. I hope you will read it.
Best wishes,
Jenny
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The Last Frontier - My blog about Life in the Alaska Bush, Homesteading and Homeschooling.
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~*~Erin~*~
