Our first week homeschooling...

We welcomed our newest family member this week. J is almost 8 years old and has lived with my parents since he was 9 months old. He is in 2nd grade and since he entered public school, he has struggled. Last summer, they wanted to him to repeat 1st grade. My parents met with my hubby and I and we discussed J moving in with us with the intention of adoption. 

So last semester, while we were filling out all the paperwork to try to make it happen, J was tested at his public school for special education services. For those unfamiliar with the process, there are 13 categories to determine eligibility.  Those categories are: 

1. Autism
2. Deaf-blindness
3. Deafness
4. Emotional disturbance
5. Hearing impairment
6. Intellectual disability*
7. Multiple disabilities
8. Orthopedic impairment
9. Other health impairment
10. Specific learning disability
11. Speech or language impairment
12. Traumatic brain injury
13. Visual impairment

He qualified for an IEP and special education services under the Specific Learning Disability. He testsed on a kindergarten level for all areas tested, but was closer to 1st grade level for math. My parents have been working multiple jobs for a few years now and haven't been able to spend the time with him that he needs. 

So...he moved in five days ago and we're starting to homeschool him. It's been a good week, as we're going through the Deschooling period. This step is CRUCIAL for a child newly withdrawn from school. 

When we first started homeschooling our two girls in 2016, we took six months to deschool. We reviewed the previous grade that they'd finished in public school and played games, watched documentaries and YouTube channels like Crash Course, focused a lot on reading, and got to know each other better. 

The first six months were rough! But we found a groove by the end of the school year and have never looked back. My girls have flourished homeschooling. They've let go of their anxieties, depression, and negative attitudes. I pray the same happens with J! For now, we deschool and adjust. 

How about you? How did your first week look?