I'm sitting here trying to help Philip with his math. It is the very last page of homework this school year. It is really like pulling teeth to get him to do it. He could never figure it out alone. He needs far too much help. He can not memorize the math tables. If you ask him what 6+3= is, he would still need to use his fingers. Now they start with multiplication. He can not keep up. I also spend an hour every day trying to teach him to read. We see slow painful progress. The teachers and doctors say let him take the vacation off, do not try to work him too hard! Great advice, but I don't agree. He needs to get as close to his class as he can. He only has 6 weeks...and it's not enough time to catch up. I feel I'm only prolonging the inevitable. He is going to drown in normal school. What choice do I have? If I send him to the slow school, he will finish with a 5Th grade level education. He would be lucky to get a job as a window washer...and he could not even do his own book keeping! A brain keeps growing until a person is about 12 years old. If I push him now, he at least has a chance to overcome some of his learning problems. They say, "don't make it too hard for him now", but if I don't make it hard for him now, he is looking at a life time of hardship. I simply can not agree with their advice! For me slow is not the answer! The correct answer is more personalized learning. I wish I could home school!
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