K
kvw
Guest
We too had a homeschooled child that was nearly 11 before learning to read who also had atrocious spelling. Interest-led learning finally worked its magic. In order to pursue the area of interest, reading and then more difficult reading became necessary, to get through some esoteric material, and everything else just fell into place, and this one got a great GRE score too.I would do nothing. My own son did not read until he was closer to 11, then he didn’t stop.Some kids aren’t ready. While I personally wouldn’t allow video games as a “reward” for not doing school work, I also wouldn’t push it with a kid if everything else was going well.
Are you sure this kid is being seriously harmed? I don’t know how close you are, or what kind of client they are. If the child isn’t doing any school work, or getting any kind of stimulation, then he may be being harmed. But just because he doesn’t read doesn’t automatically mean that he is being harmed, it could just mean he isn’t ready. Homeschooling is a complex adventure.
However, I did use video/computer games as a “bait” of sorts. I would just not read the game to him, if he wanted to know how to play, he had to read it himself.
An observation I made repeatedly as a homeschooling mother was that our children’s traditionally schooled cousins and their parents were not questioned to the degree our children were (if at all) regarding their educational progress. Family members, well-meaning (and other) acquaintances, and even strangers often questioned what we were doing. One of our parents did not throw in support until after the whole adventure was over, precisely on the college graduation day of the last child, at which point we got high praise for homeschooling. As there had been nothing but criticism for it to that point, I thought I might faint!
Just having the knowledge that this one child is a homeschooled one could be biasing your worries a bit. I only say that, because that’s what we experienced, again and again. You will be able to eliminate this bias as the culprit if you are having the same concerns for other “reading-age” children of your clients who happen to be public-schooled and are having problems.
Then there is the whole issue of “readiness,” which varies greatly from one child to the next, and which is often unaccommodated in some educational settings, public and home schools included. Traditionally schooled children’s folks and teachers have the luxury of believing that the kids who are left behind failed; there is not always a thought that maybe the system failed them, e.g. if readiness was an issue and they were pushed ahead too soon. Too often homeschooled parents don’t get this pass or support of any kind, until, sometimes, like in our case from our formerly unsupportive family member, you get it after the fact.
There is also always the possibility that some homeschoolers are truants or the parents are negligent. Unless you know the family well, it might be very hard to come to that conclusion.
You now suggested that he refer her to a professional in some way if she asked, and I agree with that. If this woman is bothered enough to mention the situation to her accountant, she might be looking for advice. Or as some suggested she might have been venting and over-exagerating about a rough day. Again, I don’t know why she shared what she did. Whatever the case, I don’t think Estesbob was trying to “meddle”.
I just feel it is not appropriate to offer advice in this situation when it is not what he was hired for, and not his area of expertise.