how to motivate

[blackdove]

So, I am home schooling my son this year.  (I will save the rant on why for the General Chat area... lol)  He is in grade six and HATES anything to do with English or writing.  But, the route we went with is through an online school here in Alberta, and the cirriculum is intense to say the least. I should have explored other options when deciding on schooling last summer... but too late now.  

So I guess my question to other homeschoolers out there is... how do I get my 12 year old motivated to do the work?  Or is a big stick my only option?  lol  

It is the creative writing side that he refuses to do.  With all the horror in the world, will it matter if he writes poems and stories?      My theory is - spelling and grammar and the basics are what's important, focus on that.  But, since we signed up for this schooling method, we have to finish the cirriculum that was given to us.  UGH.

At this point, I am wondering if my fight should be with the school, not my son...

HELP!!   

[Fowler]

Don't home school but our youngest also hated writing. We finally figured out that he thought he was bound by the boring examples they were offered at school. We had to get him to understand that he could write about his interests. Nobody will do well writing if it isn't something that excites them. Heck, he wrote a paper on how much he disliked writing papers.   

[blackdove]

Don't home school but our youngest also hated writing.  We finally figured out that he thought he was bound by the boring examples they were offered at school.  We had to get him to understand that he could write about his interests.  Nobody will do well writing if it isn't something that excites them.  Heck, he wrote a paper on how much he disliked writing papers.   

And that is the problem right there!  They pick the topics.  I spent a month last fall just trying to get him to write a poem about the ocean, because that was the topic he HAD to write about.  

This is genius, he can write on how much he hates writing!     He will love that.

[Fowler]

Does it say the poem about the ocean has to be serious? Make it fun.

I do love to swim in the ocean!
I do love to swim in the sea!
I don't really care for the motion
but it's the place that I most like to pee.

[blackdove]

Does it say the poem about the ocean has to be serious?  Make it fun.

I do love to swim in the ocean!
I do love to swim in the sea!
I don't really care for the motion
but it's the place that I most like to pee.

  

[niglefritz]

Agreed.   Ew.

[Davinci]

I agree with Fowler, the serious seeming nature of some of this stuff is daunting for kids. Get him to use dirty words (snicker, snicker).

I once spent the day at the ocean
Slathered in SPF lotion
The gulls sure did swoop
And oh all the poop
Made a yucky, seaweedy potion.

Your 'teachers' should be flexible, that's the whole point of homeschooling, to be an influence in your kids learning and to suit it to his needs, not to stuff him into someone else's box. But get dirty, like Fowler said.

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