Pulling Child Out of School (1St Grade) - Please Advise on Requirements/testing

While it's okay to ask others for their personal experiences what you REALLY need to do is call the district and ask them these questions. Requirements vary widely from town to town and state to state so any info you get here isn't going to be that useful.

I pulled my son out of kindergarten when we were preparing to move to Italy for several years. We were not going to be assigned to an American military base, but rather my husband was being assigned to an Italian Air Force base as part of a NATO squadron. We would be living in a village in a rented apartment.

I homeschooled him for a couple of years in Italy, but quite loosely. I knew he was a proficient reader, so that wasn't a concern. For math (which I am not comfortable with) I bought a homeschool book and curriculum and followed the lessons exactly. We studied the life of Vivaldi and traveled to the church/orphanage he worked at, since we were right in Venice. Same with Marco Polo. Just going to the grocery store was a lesson in so many things: languages, math, history, etc. My son and I figured out together what the unfamiliar foods were, how to pronounce them correctly, how to figure out costs, etc. I kept him involved in shopping, taking the bus, etc.

When we returned, I enrolled him in public school. Yes, they tested him to determine the grade he should be in. He tested far above the norm in reading, comprehension, writing, etc. Math, ok, he was behind. But the school administration simply advised me to get a tutor just for a short period of time to catch him up, and I did. After a couple of weeks he was right on track. He was placed in the grade he was expected to be in - maybe he could have skipped a grade but we felt it was best to be in the grade that kids his age were in.

I am glad we homeschooled in Italy, because it enabled us to have so many experiences, traveling, sightseeing, visiting museums, etc. Those experiences were and are still invaluable.

However, I thought it was important to make sure that we still kept an attitude of "this is learning", not "this is vacation". For example, when we studied Marco Polo, I made sure that my son wrote a report about his life (proper grammar and spelling were requirements). We learned a lot about him before going to see the house he lived in. I made sure to keep the school day (on days when we'd be doing math, writing a book report, etc) as much like a school day as possible. No lying in bed in pajamas. Get dressed, be on time for class even if it was just doing math at the kitchen table. Raising hand when answering a question. No TV or music on during class time. When taking a test, I structured it just like taking a test in a classroom. No eating lunch during learning time - lunch was separate. I didn't want my son to get back to the US and public school not knowing how a classroom functioned. I think that really helped because he easily assimilated to public school when we returned.

home schooling requirements vary from state to state.

here are yours.
http://homeschoolers.org/homeschooling-info/mn-homeschool...

i would write to the school and keep a record of it. some school districts are more hysterical than others. the chance that your daughter might get reported as truant is small, but worth the effort to avoid.

re-entry into american public school again differs from state to state. you don't need to report as you go to the schools, obviously. but yes, she'll probably be tested when she returns. it's no biggie. don't get hyper-focused on her 'keeping up.' you never know what area of study is being emphasized in which district, and no kid can learn *everything*. it's more important that you work on her with the basics, and she'll be going to school overseas, right? they may well have better schools there.

don't get stuck on her having to repeat a grade. it's unlikely. and if it does happen, it's not the end of the world. what's more important is that your kid is going to have a cool and unique opportunity, and if you're paying attention (and it sounds as if you are) she'll be fine.

don't let your worry over what might happen when you get back interfere with both her new adventure and her overall love of learning. this will be awesome.

btw, when i moved to the states at 15 they didn't test, just counted how many years i'd been in school and bumped me up a grade. but i think they routinely test now. it's no biggie.

khairete
S.

ETA: YOUR WORDS WERE "say I report to the school that I am home schooling)? <<<< **THAT** IS A LIE - you are leaving the country. I'm sorry you don't get that.

Original post in case she changes her words:
Hello, so I am thinking of not sending my daughter to a public school for 1st grade. As to why - we might be living in another country for a while and she's not old enough for 1st grade there. She will be getting other educational opportunities though, but enough on that. Question is, since she attended K at an American public school and is enrolled to start school end of August, how do I pull her out? Is it just as simple as calling the school or will they require more info? And the biggest question for those who know, how do I re-enroll her a year later? Will she go to 2nd grade? Will she be tested for grade level? Are there reports I must provide periodically (say I report to the school that I am home schooling)? Those of you who've been there, done that, please share the info. I am mostly concerned about her being able to return and not have to repeat the year, since I am not sure how strict the testing is for 1st grade. By the way, by being able to explore other cultures like that, my daughter can read/write in 2 languages already, so there's definitely benefit. Thank you for advice.
Edit: My other fear is the language proficiency. I speak another language at home and the kids are fluent in it, which is further reinforced when we go abroad. However, she forgets the English she knows. When she entered K last year, she knew virtually 0 English. She caught up in a few months, but it was hard on her to not be able to make friends or participate. So we enrolled her in ESL then and it helped. I kind of worry about them sending her a year back, then she'll be by far the oldest in the class and not knowing much English again. We'll try to reinforce it, but when everyone around you speaks something else, kind of hard. And yes, she does take classes here in a foreign country. She has a tutor she works with on elementary school stuff, in a foreign language of course.

S.

Welcome to mamapedia!

You don't take her out until you know you are leaving for your home country. You tell the school when her last day will be and then you are done. DO NOT LIE to the school. That's just wrong. WHY would you LIE to them about homeschooling when you are leaving the country?? What are you trying to teach your child about morals and values? Sweet Mother - DO NOT FREAKING LIE TO THE SCHOOL!

While you are in your home country? Speak English to her as well. It's important for kids to be able to speak more than one language. Keep all the records for her, so when you return to the USA, you can present the records to her school. They can determine testing, etc.

I would call your school district's placement office and explain your situation. Consider when you would be moving. I'm not sure why you wouldn't enroll her right up until that time, unless it's definitely on the calendar for you to be leaving in less than a month or so. As long as you plan to keep enriching her and supporting learning at home and in your new community (either at home or within a school system) I'd not worry about what grade she is placed in when you return. It's more important that it's the best grade match for her individual learning needs, not if it's the same grade as if you would never have left. I bet it likely will be right in line with her peers though. Go with whatever testing they want and see what the district advises. They might give a recommendation, but also give you as parents, the final say, especially at the early elementary level.

Definitely check with the school where she attended Kinder if that’s where she would attend 1st. For Texas I had to write a letter stating I was pulling my daughter to homeschool. We homeschooled through high school graduation because we travel extensively and I wanted my family together (her dad was gone 300 nights out of her kindergarten year).

If you know where you’re likely to return to when finished overseas, check what their learning objectives are.

I went from 7th-11th in Madrid, Spain. I had a list of requirements for graduating at the school I would attend if sent back stateside. I returned my senior year and graduated with my class. The only thing I lacked was one year of PE. In Spain they counted music for PE, so that’s what I took. They were trying to make it a big deal and that I might not graduate. I discussed with the Principal my thoughts around that and he made the decision to let me slide.

Of course that was before all this standardized testing BS. Elementary shouldn’t be a big deal, if she needs to catch up a little when she returns, it won’t be hard. Keep her reading, writing and math skills up. I bet she’ll come back fine.

I totally agree with Suz t! It all depends on your states laws on homeschool of how much of a hassle it will be. We didn't have any problems pulling my son out of public school but TX doesn't regulate homeschooling much. But if we were to put him back in public school (Which will never happen) they would test to see what his grade lvl is. That is very exciting that she will be able to experience another countries culture. If you put her back the following year in the states if they test her and she doesn't meet standards it's not a big deal especially in the lower grades plus non of the other kids will know she is "repeating" the grade as she was not there before. Good luck homeschooling can be an adventure.

You have to find out your state's requirements regarding home schooling. You can't just pull her out and do casual things in case you might move at some point down the line. Unless you are all set with learning materials and an understanding of curriculum requirements, and you are the sort of person who would find home schooling fulfilling, don't pull her out. Have her start, and if you move, she'll be placed at an appropriate level in the new country. I agree that a bicultural and bilingual experience would be wonderful, and I would worry a lot less about what grade she'd be in if you move than I would about her making friends and being part of the new country's culture with other kids there. I wouldn't worry at all about what grade she would be in when she comes back. I really don't think that matters so much now, with so many things up in the air. You have no idea what her experiences will be after a period of home schooling by you and then an international experience. She's young and will adapt.

Sounds like a great enrichment opportunity. As long as you have an educational plan in your location. She’ll catch up in English.