Need Help/ Ideas - Resurrection- Reformation

[MelInKansas]

Can you share some of the flow or plan you have for each day? Is this the first time he's used a curriculum where a lot of independent work is expected of him? I would guess at 16 he's been doing independent work but maybe you have given him assignments to do one by one? It's understandable as an adjustment that all of the boxes laid out before him at once might be overwhelming and he might struggle to know how to begin. I think my daughter in CTC (while a lot younger) struggles this way too. I decided the problem was I was giving her a very long independent time to just "try to get all the independent work done." This leaves it totally up to her what order they get done in and she struggles to know how to approach it. Given his age, perhaps you could sit down with him and just guide him in planning out how he would like to approach the work each day. Think of a flow that makes sense and takes into consideration his strengths and weaknesses - for example I try to plan the hardest subjects right after a meal, snack, or other break so that she is fresh and maybe more determined. I plan the fun things that she likes to do for right before lunch or in the afternoon when there seems to be a lull (this would be me reading to her or some kind of creative activity, which also gives her more flexibility as to how long she takes on them, since some of them take longer than others to complete). With that kind of a plan, maybe he will find he is more easily able to approach his work and get through it. Also in order to help him plan a "check in" time in the middle of his independent work, or a time when you do something with him like storytime. This would give you 3 meeting times throughout the day to check in, look over his work, hear oral narrations, discuss, etc. Rather than him being expected to just complete everything on his own and be self-directed in all areas, it may be a lot better to have more check ins.

Just some thoughts, I hope they are helpful.

[my3sons]

In looking through this thread, I see the outpouring of encouragement here and the ingenuity of ideas, and I think you have many good ideas to ponder! The pp asked a lot of the same questions I was going to ask. The overall flow of the day makes a big difference in how school goes at our house. It has been important for me to check in with our sons periodically for meeting times, even as they are in their teenage years and are working more independently. This helps me stay on top of what they are doing, helps me have time to correct their work/answer questions/hear oral narrations/listen to written narrations, etc., and it also breaks the work into manageable segments for them. At the start of the year, even for my oldest ds, I type a schedule for him, so he can see how his day will lay out. He has input about when he wants to start his day and if he wants to do some work in the evening, but putting each box of plans in a schedule helps him see how his day will go and eliminates the need to choose the order to do the boxes in, the times to meet with me, etc. I think your ds would benefit from a schedule that includes times to do each box as well as several times to meet with you. This naturally breaks up the school day, as well as helps him have a plan that works that he can get into a routine of doing. This is a natural part of most high schools, whether public or private, as classes are scheduled at certain times, breaks are at certain intervals, lunch is at a set time, and times for teacher interaction are planned. Though we don't need to do everything at exact times at home, the kind of 'help' a schedule can give with learning time management skills is foundational in students eventually taking over the higher level skill of more 'college' type thinking by scheduling their own work times, etc., though even then, classes do have set times they must be attended. Anyway, I think your ds just needs some help with time management skills, just like my sons do!

I know you'd mentioned prayerfully choosing to do RTR with your ds, and I have the utmost respect for prayerfully making any decision! While you've placed your ds in RTR with extensions, it also seems like you've added quite a few things to his day as well. This led me to wonder if RTR with extensions wasn't quite enough, and if RevtoRev would have been a better placement, and so then I tried to look up the details of your placement for your ds. I see in this thread, Carrie suggested RevtoRev instead, and I am wondering if that may have been a better fit...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=15973&p=112477#p112477

As I said, I have much respect for prayerfully choosing what to do, and you as the mom definitely will know best, but as it seems like in reading through this thread that you have felt the need to add things to RTR to make it 'enough,' and you know whenever you add outside things you add time to the day and the balance of the guide is thrown off as well, I have to say I think it would be just a huge relief if all your son had to do was his guide with extensions. For you and for him! I think it would be a relief for him to have a set routine to follow each day, and he really could if he were just doing HOD! I can see ME feeling scattered if some days we were adding this, and adding that, and other days we weren't, and I just would feel like the day stretched on some days, and we couldn't get into a good routine not only for the days, but for the weeks. I don't think I'm alone - I think your son may be feeling that way too! There are also natural meeting times in RTR that are planned for parent and student, and those would break up the boxes so nicely. If you'd don't have specific times planned for these, I bet you'd both really enjoy setting some times and looking forward to them together! They don't have to be long, but they do make special memories happen every day with our sons - they are so worth it! So, if you feel in your heart that RTR with extensions is the proper placement still, then I would drop the rest of what has been added that is not needed for high school credit, and I'd give your son a set routine/schedule to follow using these time increments...
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7138

Or, if you are feeling that RevtoRev with Carrie's suggestions would be a better fit, I'd make the switch to that. There are many good thoughts in this thread, but ultimately you are the mom and you will know what you want to do as you are ultimately the one that is responsible for your son's education. You know him best! You are also a praying woman with a praying husband - you will know what to do. I do hope something here helps, or something someone else has shared! In the meantime, I've also just prayed for you.

In Christ,
Julie

[kidsforHim]

I do appreciate all the replies of encouragement, ideas, and thoughts you've shared. I don't have much time right now nor energy to try and put my thoughts out in a post. But here is a bit that I can share right off. He has been very independent in his school work, get the next thing out and get it done kid. Does not want to have to rely on mom or give me more to do because he knows, what all 4 of my children are aware of, is that mom is very limited energy wise and I just can not handle it. It is plenty right now to work with the 3rd grader. It's not that I am not available. When they are stuck, I try to help. I feel no end of guilt that some boxes where I am to work with him.. well it just doesn't get done that way. OK, now I've said THAT I fear for what comments will come... so be it. He is not used to me working with him, not that it wouldn't be good nor that he wouldn't like it but again I have a lot of things I work through just in the physical which afects the mental, and emotions. THESE boxes are the reason I was afraid to use HOD.
I added 3 things to the guide. He needs lit credit. I thought for his age, grade, we would need to beef up the history. ? thats where the Companion comes in.
Is it not necessary after all???
Maybe having a set time would help..I don't know. I am not a planner. I cannot even begin to think to plan out times for everything it boggles my brain. I really do get almost sick with too much of that sort of planning. It's more of routine around here. I've thought serious of putting them in our church school just for this reason but we would have to move several states away.
Yes, Carrie did recommend REv to rev. It was with MUCH thought and prayer that we chose to put him in RtR. I did not want to disregard her advice, which was much appreciated knowing too how very busy she is with her own children and writing curriculum.
I have to go now. I already took longer just trying to put my thoughts into words. I will check out the thread, Julie, for time increments. I did print off how long the boxes were to take and he has put it right the shelf where he can see it.
I have been interupted several times.. I hope this all made sense and I don't mean to offent anyone if I said something a little "off" I am tired!!
Thanks for the prayers!!!

[Little Women]

I haven't used HOD very long, but I have graduated 2 from high school. In reading your last post, I have a couple of thoughts:

1. I do think you are right to beef up the literature, though HOD doesn't really give specific literature assignments. Are you doing DITHOR? I think using the 6/7 of that with challenging books would be enough, or if you aren't using that, then whatever you have added. That's not really adding to the program, though, it's making a straight exchange. Then the extension readers (I can't remember if you said you are doing them) can be lighter readers to intersperse with the more challenging ones. If I recall correctly, there are some good suggestions for books for older kids in the Mystery of History TM.

2. I'm not sure that the history needs to be increased. You might increase the length of the assignments in the student book, a bit, such as requiring 2-3 paragraphs on the postcard, where a 6th or 7th grader might only write one. The Story of the Middle Ages, at least, is pretty thorough, and the fact that he is going through a lot of resources will also greatly add to the depth.

3. Is it possible for HIM to do the planning? Perhaps if you sat down with him for an hour or so on Monday mornings or Friday afternoons, you could go over the assignments for the next week and help him make notes for himself. Then when he gets there, he will know what to do. Or, you could use a student planner and help him see how to fill it out. A third alternative might be to use some post-it-note tape (available at office supply stores) and cover the assignments you are changing. This worked fairly well for us for awhile, but eventually we felt the student planner was a better idea for us. When I was a teen using correspondence school, my dad taught us how to write our own schedules by at least 11th grade, maybe sooner. If he likes the independence, perhaps this would be a good option.

[Jennymommy]

Oh yes...prayers and encouragement! Let me share that I also leave my oldest to do most of his work alone, with great sadness and guilt. He is doing well, and I am making effort to check his work when I can, however, I have a very dependant 6th grader and many health challenges that just wear me down. I totally understand. I also agree with pp that you could maybe increase the length of responses for assignments and drop the extra spine. Anyway, praying...