Homeschooling

Kaleb has a tough time answering the question, “What grade are you in?”  His usual response is, “I’m homeschooled, so it all depends on which subject you are talking about.” 

He’s always been a bit ahead of the game, except in English.  He trailed behind miserably, I thought, so I was happy this year when he took high school English from Hillcreek Christian Academy – a one day a week school for college bound homeschooled kids.  He needed someone else to motivate him as I’d lost my ability to get anything good out of him.  He kept insisting I was the writer, not him, and even making him write his own name was like pulling teeth. 

He surprised the heck out of me this year by finishing up in his English class with the 2^nd highest grade – a solid A.  He was the youngest one in the class, with several kids in their senior year.  It was a shocker, to say the least.  And to read the things he wrote was even more shocking.  Poetry with depth and creativity, investigative journalism that was informative and insightful, and creative writing that I swore he just copied from something he’d read from the library.  I was amazed.  (The above photo is him with his classmate getting their 2nd place award for the investigative journalism piece "McDonalds - I'm NOT lovin' it," about how unhealthy the food is there.)  He said when I told him I felt English was his weakest subject, he was happy to prove me wrong.  I hate that he is so motivated by negativity.

Because all the classes he took this year were at the high school level, Hillcreek suggested I get a high school diploma going for him.  So I’m not sure if I’m happy to report that he just finished his freshman year of high school.  He’s only 13.

Normally, high school requires 5 credits per year and he just completed 6.5 credits with straight As.  Many of them were A-‘s however, but still, I was pretty proud of him.  While he was doing Physics, which was a killer class for him but one he desperately wanted to take, he was also doing English with many writing and reading assignments, Honors Algebra, Honors Geometry, Piano, Norwegian, shop/art, typing and PE.  He had a full load to say the least.  He got an A- in every class but English – which he earned a solid A.  Go figure. (The above photo is him getting 2nd place in the Science Fair.)

I “outsourced” all his learning this year.  He took English and Physics from Hillcreek, Algebra and Geometry from the online source for Johns Hopkins.  I facilitated his Norwegian, but I certainly couldn’t teach him anything.  I just had him document the fact that he’s already fluent.  Kory did teach him art and wood shop (above).  They also did some metalworking and technical drawing as he designed and built his own sword.  His counselor at Hillcreek described him as “amazing” and said she’d never met a student like him.  She was also his Physics teacher and she said many parents asked if it was difficult for her to teach such a young child (he started when he was 12), but she said she didn’t even know the difference because he was intellectually equal to or above the other students in the class and they respected him.  Emotionally however, he’s still very immature, but there was never a reason for that side of him to come out in class.  He held his own and helped the other kids during the lab time just like he was a pro.  Honestly, that’s hard for me to believe.

He’s certainly a unique kid, still playing with toys that eight year olds would enjoy, but carrying on conversations with adults on advanced scientific principles.  At youth group, he doesn’t understand most of what the kids are even talking about.  He had to ask me what “petting” was and “what’s a French kiss?”  They had several weeks of lessons on what was appropriate Christian behavior in the dating  years and Kaleb just sat and daydreamed.  He was so not clued in and he’s just not ready for that kind of stuff yet. I couldn’t be happier.  He’s a late bloomer and it suits me just fine.  There’s plenty of time to grow up and I’m so thankful he’s still pure and innocent and a little bit overprotected.  I’m not sure what will happen when his hormones start raging but I’m trusting God we’ll get through just fine.  I’m so thankful we’ve been able to have him at home with us each step of the way, but I know the day will come when parting will be more than sweet sorrow.   

He’s a good kid and I just had to brag a little.