Interview Series-No. 2

Parent: Tracy Stevens has two young sons whom will be homeschooled this upcoming year. This decision was based on some previous school experiences for her eldest son along with some other contributing factors.

Q: Describe your transitional experience or scenario.

A: Our son went to Westerly Creek for Kindergarten.  He was one of the younger students in the class and had a hard time with Kindergarten.  Midyear we put him back into Montessori Academy of Colorado where he had been thriving earlier and he started to improve in his old setting.  With this renewed success and with teacher and Director input,  we put him in Lincoln Elementary School in the Montessori Program the following year for first grade.  The class looked like a Montessori class but did not act like one.  There was tremendous pressure put on him to read and to keep the pace with the prescribed first grade level of achievement.  Although by year end he had caught up to his grade level, it was a horrific year with daily tears.  If he was behind in his work he would be kept in from recess, which only caused more frustration for a six year old boy.  He seemed to need more time to play and run (not less!) and more art (they didn’t have an art teacher at the time).

Q: What circumstances led to this decision?

A: We toured several schools and liked Denver Waldorf School by far the best.  It had integrated art and a pace of reading that was more developmentally appropriate for our son.  It also had plenty of play time and has a great academic reputation.  After the last year and following an incredible First Grade Readiness Assessment that is done for every child about to enter that grade, we decided to repeat first grade, this time at Denver Waldorf School.

Q: What type of school did your child previously attend and what type of school do they attend now?

A: Because I got laid off this summer we are not able to afford private school for both of our sons this year.  I don’t want to repeat our experience in the public schools, so we have decided to homeschool.  I want education to be about sharing the wonders of the world together based on their interests and abilities.  I have several different curriculum styles I am drawing from, online support, and local groups with whom I can attend field trips and get together for social exchanges and ideas.  I am really looking forward to all that we have planned for the upcoming year.

Q: How do the educational experiences differ?

A: The year at Denver Waldorf School went so much better than at Lincoln Elementary or even Westerly Creek.  His pace of learning was respected and he did well with their philosophy of educating the heads, heart and hands – not just the head as Lincoln did.  Learning was story and art based, he had music and nature walks every day and a far more nurturing environment. Within a month at Denver Waldorf, it was found that he had a visual problem and we got glasses and a few months of vision therapy for a problem that turned out to be the culprit of his reading troubles.  It took awhile, but his confidence and curiosity were restored that year. I will be able to provide one on one attention this year as a homeschooler and can identify their strengths and nurture them more easily.  It will be easier to provide more balance and simplicity for my kids this way too I think.

Q: What advice can you give that will help others when going through a similar experience?

A: If large class sizes, lack of access to the arts, learning difficulties, behavior problems, excess homework, or incongruent philosophies are problematic for you, there are other alternatives.  Either advocate for your child as you can or seek other school alternatives that work better for your child and family.  There are also educational consultants who will help families in finding the right school for their children. I never, ever thought I would homeschool my children, but now that I have  explored it and prepared for it, I am confident this year will be the best yet!