Just can't decide what to do.

As everybody probably knows, I homeschool my 7 and 4 year old daughters. If you want to read some of our story it's here:

LINK

My four year old flew through the preschool curriculum I bought for her. Now she's flying through the kindergarten curriculum. She's like a little sponge. She also gets speech for articulation, which we are really not seeing much progress in. We have activities out of the house almost every day for homeschooling. We participate in ice skating, choir, and a nature study group. We are around other kids all the time.

The big question is what to do with her next year. DH feels as though she should go to school, because he thinks it will help with her speech. I am really on the fence. I love our schedule. I love our calm mornings, calm evenings. How much reading we get to do. The activities we get to participate in. I could go on and on and on. I think she will excel academically in either environment... perhaps more so at home because I could go at her speed, without waiting for a class to catch up. The only sticking point is her speech.

I truly don't know what to do. Kindergarten registration is coming up, and even though I know I can register her anytime before the first day of school I know I really need to make a decision. Most people in my life are kind of useless with it, because all my homeschooling friends say "Homeschool her!" and almost everyone else I know thinks I'm crazy for homeschooling in the first place

Any words of wisdom? Advice? Anything?

Re: Just can't decide what to do.

It sounds like you are doing a great job!
Why does your DH think a traditional school setting will help with her speech?
What does her therapist say about the slow progress with articulation? Perhaps she needs a slightly different approach. Has she been seeing the same person for a while?

Just can't decide what to do.

DH thinks that she is immersed in people she is not used to speaking all day, she will improve. The speech teacher feels as though it is mostly bad habits at this point. That she is used to saying certain sounds a certain way, so she persists saying them that way, even though she CAN say them the correct way if pressured. She started with this speech therapist in September 2012, so she's been with her for awhile. She made a ton of progress the first year, and we seem to have plateaued.

Re: Just can't decide what to do.

I would send her and if it does not work out then you can always home school her again.

Re: Just can't decide what to do.

I know you like this therapist but I would maybe switch it up. Maybe that is the push she needs?

Re: Just can't decide what to do.

All due respect to your DH, but unless it was coming from the therapist that being in a formal school environment would help her speech, I would not make the change. Given how successful your home schooling has been and how much you both seem to be enjoying it, there would have to be another stronger motivating factor in making the change, IMO.
Good luck with your decision!

Re: Just can't decide what to do.

Ugh, what a tough decision.

Has your daughter indicated at all that this is something she would be interested in doing?

DS is currently in Pre-K and I've definitely noticed vast improvements in him with his learning and communication, however, I also don't homeschool him so I am thinking this is probably normal progress anyway.

I am leaning towards maybe enrolling her and see how she does........you can always pull her out.

I have always been given this advice in general about my school district (not that I could ever homeschool but the public vs. private debate).

BUT before doing anything, I would have another conversation with the ST to see what she thinks since I'm sure she sees kids in both environments.

Re: Just can't decide what to do.