Need some Homeschooling advice!

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

DH and I have been thinking about homeschooling our children. But, we don't know anyone personnally that has or does. I'm aspiring to be a stay at home mom eventually (we're 2 years away from being debt free and I get to stay home!) and am really starting to lean towards home schooling.

I'd love to hear your reasons for homeschooling or not homeschooling your kids. Also, any resources/programs/etc that you like would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

[Strmchsr]

We started homeschooling DS9 because we felt it would be easier to control his diabetes at home than letting him go to a public school. Financially it means some sacrifices as DW doesn't work, but we wouldn't trade it for anything. It's been a WONDERFUL experience. The big knock against homeschooling used to be the kids didn't get to interact with other children enough, but with so many extracurricular activities and homeschool support groups available that is no longer an issue.

As for resources, it'll depend entirely on your style and your child. I would not recommend going with any one curriculum because I don't think any one of them does everything the best. One might be great in math, but weaker on history, and vice versa, so we do our curriculum piece-meal choosing what seems best for us.

[Amy_617]

I am very interested in this as well. I'm a SAHM to our DS who will be 2 in June. So, we have a ways to go as well....but if anyone can PM me some of the informative websites you use, that would be great! We have no idea where to even start, but we know we want to homeschool our lil one. :mickey: Thanks in advance!

[DizneyRox]

You may want to check with your local schools. There are often guidelines that must be followed to get your cirruculum approved for home schooling. Using something that is already approved may make your life easier.

Be aware that many times public schools are a better option over private or homeschooling, it depends on the child. Public schools are often required by law to do things that are out of reach (financially) for the average person. Local support groups may also be able to provide better direction.

[PharmD]

Hey everybody,

There is an online public school that is free. My 9 yr old son is enrolled in it as he has aspergers syndrone and has some social issues. It is great. You have a teacher assigned as your home room teacher who assists you in everyway. You get materials, books, an online portal to submit your work. When its time for CRCT testing, or whatever testing your state does you go to a proctored site for testing. It is really amazing and did I mention it doesn't cost a cent.

[Zippy 1]

Check out your local homeschool organization. You can usually visit one or two times without joining. They usually have several different people who are willing to discuss all the aspects of homeschooling in your area. When I decided to homeschool when my dd was 9 they helped me understand the rules in our state and also helped me explore different curriculums. I did not use one curriculum exclusively. I pieced together several different ones. There is a lot of information available online about the different curriculums available. Some school districts let you do some classes in the school. (ie: PE, Art, Music, etc.). This is one way of keeping your children involved with other children. Your local homeschool group also will most likely have activities that they make available to their members. It is a huge choice to make. I would explore all your choices before commiting to it. Good luck and feel free to pm me with any specific questions. I will answer anything I can and point you in the right direction if I can't:mickey:

[medic9016]

We have homeschooled our DD through Jr high and now into high school. Look at HSLDA website to find the requirements and laws in your state. There are tons of resources out there.

[PharmD]

If either of you want some info please pm me. I posted a url to a site for online public schools that is free and it is against the rules. PM me and I will give you the address. The online public school is available in both of your states. They also have lots of opportunities for interaction with other students. The curriculum is great and very stimulating for my son.

[forever a child]

Started Homeschooling my DD in 7th grade when we relocated to Louisville. She had always been in private school and I couldn't afford it now that I was going back to grad school. I checked out a local public middle school in Louisville and got such an attitude from them "because the deadline to register was Jan 1st" and I was visiting the school on Jan 3rd. I thought...what the heck, do they never get people relocating that DONT know when registrations deadlines are!? That's when I decided we would go with homeschooling. I was terrified at first and thought maybe I would be ruining my daughters life and education!

The first year was a little difficult but mostly because we had a ton of changes with the relocation, moving to another state and moving from a home to an apartment, plus me starting school again after a "few" year out of college:secret:

In any case, I was introduced to a homeschool consortium which we used the second year in Louisville. It has worked great! My dd is a competitive swimmer and it is great to have her get all of her work done by 4pm and be able to swim from 5:30-7:30 and not come home to a ton of homework after swim practice.

I would be happy to share with you what we use for textbooks. I don't think elementary and middle school are as stringent on things. High school has more requirement for your diploma. My daughter takes tests every year like Iowa or Stanford tests to see how well she is doing and her ranking. We switched this year to PSAT, SAT and ACT testing.

I would recommend finding a good homeschool group or consortium if you can. They can make sure you have everything you need for your state and area. There is a ton of info on the internet too. I have to admit that I personally do very little with her now at this age. We did more work together in 7th & 8th grade. Now I mostly do some grading and remind her of work she needs to complete. Our consortium has an online site where I can see her grades and her homework if I need to.

PM me if you have any questions. Don't let people try to scare you out of it. If you really feel like it is a good option for you and your children then it will pay off. Many people are intimidated by non-traditional educational methods. But I can send you some info on how well these kids actually do and perform much higher than public school kids!

[the other micki]

Hi Jennifer! I homeschool my three children, ages 7,9, and 15. It's the best! I use much of the Sonlight curriculum. It is a literature or "living books" curriculum. However, I do pull from other places for math, grammar, etc. Homeschooling is not a one-size-fits-all, so it's important to research and try out different things to see what's right for your family. I live in Louisiana which is a very homeschooling-friendly state, but do check out the requirements in your state. Strangely enough, studies have shown that the less intervention by the state, the better the homeschoolers do. I love the flexibility of hsing. The school day is half the time of a regular school (especially for the younger ones), and you can make your own daily and yearly schedule. This leaves a lot of time for children to pursue what really interests them. Contact your local hsing organization to find out about opportunities to meet other hsers in your area. Our regional group has a Kindergarten Club which was a great way to meet parents who have kids the same age as yours. Now we belong to a co-op of 65 families that meet once a week. As you can see, I love hsing!!! It really nurtures the family unit and is a great way to pass on your values to your children. As for the socialization issue, my kids have so many friends in the neighborhood and through sports and church, that even without the co-op and numerous other get-togethers with hsers, they'd be just fine. ;)

Okay, my novel is complete. :D Just pm me with any specific questions.

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

Thank you everyone!!!! I didn't realize that there were that many of you hs'ers out there and were as passionate about it as my DH and I are.

While we do not watch much television, what we have been seeing in the news lately about things going on in schools is not the environment that we want to raise our 2 daughters in. The violence, materialism and value system in some schools today just isn't something we want our kids to be raised in. We are both working parents now and our kids are in daycare full time. It pains me daily to have to drop them off.

But, what pains me more is some of the behaviors and language that they are picking up from other children. We want to provide a safe, conservative, comfortable and Lord loving learning environment for them. Are we trying to shelter them? YES! They don't need to be exposed to some of the things out there and as their parents, it's our responsibility to! That seems to be our greatest struggle when we've been in discussions with other co-workers, friends about this. But, the more we discuss and pray about it, the more our hearts are guiding us to hs'ing.

Now, if we do, we won't be able to for a couple of years yet. My oldest will be in 2nd grade and my youngest will be in kindergarten. How hard would it be to transition them from a traditional classroom to hs'ing?

oh all the questions I have.... I may be pm'ing some of you when DH and I get more comfortable with our thoughts on this. THANK YOU!

[magicofdisney]

I have 4 children, 12, 9, 9 and 4. We've homeschooled them all of their schooling years. My oldest will be in 7th grade next year, my twins go into 5th and my baby will be in Kindergarten.

In the beginning I used only A Beka as a curriculum. I think it is an incredible foundation but over the years I've felt the need to branch out in other directions. We still focus on a Christian education but there are a plethora of material from which to choose.

There is a website that will tell you exactly what your state requires for you to homeschool. If you google hslda home school laws, it should be your first option. Just click on your state and choose the legal analysis. HTH :)

[Tygger7]

In the beginning I used only A Beka as a curriculum. I think it is an incredible foundation but over the years I've felt the need to branch out in other directions. We still focus on a Christian education but there are a plethora of material from which to choose.

There is a website that will tell you exactly what your state requires for you to homeschool. If you google hslda home school laws, it should be your first option. Just click on your state and choose the legal analysis. HTH :)

We homeschooled our DD (now 17) 5th thru 8th grade...and used Abeka's program. It was really nice because all she had to do was put in her DVD's for the day and watch the classes. If there was something she didn't understand, she would just rewind & rewatch. Also, they had a "teacher hot line" where the kids could call & ask questions. We absolutely LOVED homeschooling her, and it really helped throught he awkward "tween" years. My only regret was that we didn't start sooner...and that we let her go back to high school in 9th grade. We're in a pretty "rural" area, so the school district is pretty small..and, we know many of the teachers. My biggest complaint about her going back is the boys/dating distractions, and the behavior of other girls her age.

As others have suggested, get hooked up with a local homeschooling group in your area and talk with other parents. See what programs/materials they recommend, and go to homeschool displays/conventions if they come to your area. There are so many great resources out there now, and the "startup" is the hardest part...once you jump in and get started, it's awesome.

Good luck!! :thumbsup:

[trynkat]

As for resources, it'll depend entirely on your style and your child. I would not recommend going with any one curriculum because I don't think any one of them does everything the best. One might be great in math, but weaker on history, and vice versa, so we do our curriculum piece-meal choosing what seems best for us.

I totally agree! We pulled our 6th grader out of public school this past Christmas and use different curriculum for different subjects. The improvement we have seen in her schoolwork has been nothing short of amazing since we are studying based on her learning style. In fact, we are using some of our time in the Epcot WS to reinforce our geography lessons.:thumbsup: