I think our children will be going to school next year...

[Pat in MI]

What would you recommend a child know before entering 8th grade and 3rd grade? I'm not as worried about the 3rd grader, but ds (8th grader) is not a motivated student. I worry he will not be prepared for ps. What can I do now to prepare for next year? What do you feel a 7th grader should be doing to transition easily into public school? I am kind of at a loss as I always felt that I could let them work at their own pace, but now I feel like I have a deadline. Any help is appreciated. Thank you!:sad:
Blessings,
Pat

[threetreasurs]

Writing and Math are most important. Does your school district have a website? If so, you can look at the curriculum lists and search through classroom websites to see what the kids are studying.

[Ria]

Why not make an appt. with the public school and talk to them directly? We can guess, but they can tell you precisely. You could even ask them to give you a copy of the 7th grade books to see what the 7th graders are doing this year. I'd also talk to a 7th grade English teacher about the types of writing assignments the kids are getting this year. That information should help you prepare your child.

Good luck!

Ria

[Mandamom]

an 8th grader into public school and it went pretty well. The year before we strengthened his writing so that he could, at the very least, write a several paragraph paper on a single topic. otherwise, we worked on his math skills to make sure that he was at least on grade level (he was close).

That being said, the public school gave him a placement test to make sure they put him in the right classes and he bombed the math portion of the test and he ended up in the lowest class. After 6 weeks or so ds went to the teacher and got approval to be moved up. i was glad this happened because it really showed his maturity and willingness to make things better for him rather than depending on me.

otherwise, make sure that he knows how to do a book report, has basic study skills and knows how to do long-term assignments. Give him an assignment and tell him it is due in 2 weeks -- at first help him organize it so that he is successful and eventually let him do all of the scheduling himself himself.

Good luck. I'm sure it will go well. Ds is now a 10th grader and doing wonderfully well in a local private school. I was really worried about him going but it has turned out to be the right decision for us.

Regarding the 3rd grader -- i have a 3rd grader in public school now. They do alot more writing than some homeschoolers choose to do at early age. At the very least i would have her practice writing answers to questions in complete sentences. my daughter frequently has to write out the reason why she thinks something, even in math problems.

I would also agree with a pp about talking directly to the school and maybe finding a parent with children your age so that you can find out what to expect. We have a message board for moms in my county and if you have one of those, it might be a great way to connect with public/private schooling moms.

Good luck.

[Pat in MI]

Thank you ladies. I think you are right that I need to approach the school. I have been avoiding that, I guess, because than it becomes real, but it does look as thought this is the way we will go next year. So I just need to bite the bullet and make that appointment. Thank you for your ideas.
Blessings,
Pat

[elizam]

Personally, I would not approach the school and give them their own preconceived notions about how homeschooled kids are "always behind" etc. Believe me, I have heard enough of this kind of mentality to be wary.

You could research online thru the county's website for PSes.

My ds went into PS in 7th grade and was behind in math (we had used Saxon; they used GLencoe). He was behind in writing but still is (PS didn't remedy that; he tests high in verbal but low in written expression on the WISC and WJ)

PS was the beginning of a bizarre moral and behavioral decline for my ds. I would be very hesitant to put another dc in PS, especially at that age. The moral climate is very, very different from what most homeschoolers are used to and willing to tolerate.

My ds learned better at home, and people thought he was highly intelligent when he was homeschooled. I truly don't think that one size fits all education of PS helps all students. Sorry that's probably not what you want to hear, but I wish I had realized these things sooner, before putting him in.

[Shay]

I agree with Ria, make an appointment. As she mentioned, iIf you can get a copy of the 7th grade texts, that would be sooooo helpful to you and your ds this year. I think you are on the right track and wise to begin planning this early.

[margoargo]

I just put my daughter into public school for 7th grade. This was something I was never going to do, but it has turned out to be the right thing,whether we continue in the years to come, or not. It was also one of the hardest things I have ever done.

I would say that one major area of preparation is not so much academic (though very important), but rather worldview. Your child needs to know what he/she and his/her family believe and why. The public schools, among other things,are VERY liberal (even in conservative cities in conservative states), textbooks and all. It has been a real eye-opener to us, and my daughter came face to face with opposing views directly from some of her teachers. If your child is not strong on their positions, or if there is not a lot of discussion at home on some of these issues, a child could really get tossed about.

Being able to manage the workload and the timeline of things has been challenging and she is often up late at night doing homework. She loves school, and if she were to complain about the homework or did not want to do it, then I would not keep her in school, because it makes her day sooo long.

Academically, she is GT, and is a very good reader and writer which helps. I completed Saxon 7/6 before sending her, but she would have been better off if I had completed 8/7.

I am not sure I would spend too much time talking to the school about it. As nice as they can be, most public school teachers and administrators don't think too highly of homeschooling. The first thing they will do is test them anyway to see where to place them. Instead I would look at school websites. Teachers often have assignments right there. Talk to other parents whose kids attend. I hope this helps. I know it can be a very tough thing to do!

[Christy B]

My dd transitioned from home school to private school this year.

I agree with the comments that Math is important. Really drill those basic facts, because the pace of a classroom is much faster, they don't have time to stop and think!

Also, work on organizational and time management skills.

Note taking, outlining, testing skills, etc. A test prep book might be a good way to review basic knowledge for the year.

Best wishes!

[Julieofsardis]

We did try to be very consistent with school work last year. The list of curricula we used turned out great imho.

Lightning Lit. 7
MOH 2
Prentice Hall Science Explorer
Put That In Writing I
Saxon Algebra 1/2
Critical Thinking Book I

My dd has had absolutely no problems. She placed into all pre-AP classes and says they are easy. She has A's and B's in all of them.

We did writing in Science, History, Lit and of course Writing. It was a big help. The area that we were probably lacking in is test taking skills. It just simply wasn't a big deal to her to get a good grade at home. Now, she really is interested in getting good grades, but needs to hone those test taking - or rather study - skills.

I had previously been a very relaxed schooler. We always used currciculum, but I didn't finish very many of them. We used R&S for grammar before 7th grade.

I hope everything goes well for you.

Julie

[PiCO]

I agree with Ria- talk to the school. I put my dd back in PS in 7th grade. I went and talked to a few different schools, none of them had a bad opinion of homeschoolers. I actually felt like I was being woo-ed *because* I was a homeschooler- principals were assuming my child would help their standardized test scores. So, you never know.

As for world view issues in PS, I agree. There is a lot of variety in PS due to the sheer numbers of kids. I think it's important to instill your worldview in your children before sending them off to school, and also talk to your children about the diversity of viewpoints they will encounter at school. I'm an atheist, so I prepared my kids to be proselytized to- how to politely say "no, thanks". I'm sure glad I did- dd told me it saved her getting into needless debates.