Any homeschoolers out there?

[Dakota Rose]

We've decided to homeschool our two kids and I'm looking for curriculum. DS is 8 and DD is almost 4.

What curriculums do you like? Which ones do you not like? Why?

[Janmac]

Have you searched on the internet for home school support groups in your area? That might be a good place to start for curriculum ideas as well as other help. My niece got a great form letter to send to her daughter's school when it was time to inform them of her decision to home school.

Here in Missouri there are several support groups. The state education website has home schooling information as well such as number of hours per year required.

As for curriculum, my niece's daughter does not have any. My niece has end of year (and quarterly) check lists and uses those to make sure her daughter is on track. She's actually ahead of the check lists which is one of the reasons for home schooling - her daughter was so bored at school. She's a curious, inquisitive child, which makes it easy to follow her interests, incorporating reading, writing, science, geography, and math, sometimes.

Maybe some other home schooler will reply soon.

Jan

[Kenny1113]

While my kids are not homeschooled, I have seriously looked into it. I really liked the A Beka curriculum also there is something called K12 that seems really good as well.

[Dakota Rose]

Thanks for the replies.

We do have a wonderful, big HS group up here. And I've printed off the scope/sequence from the state education website.

I"m just looking for feedback on curriculum. I have a couple favorites and just can't decide. so I'm asking everyone I "know" for opinions on curriculum.

[Disney4us2]

My daughter (12) is using the K12 system right now. It was a great way to start out. It is a charter school, so all the supplies and even a loaner computer was sent to us free of charge.

The only downside is having to send in work samples to her teacher as well as the PE logs.

For next year, I am going independant and have to find my own curriculum. Needless to say I will be following this thread.

Must say, my daughter has loved this year. She gets up does her work and it usually takes about an hour for her. She can go at her own pace and the best part is there are no classroom distractions.

[Tygger7]

We homeschooled our daughter 5th - 8th grade. The first year, we put together our own plans and materials. Our daughter didn't like it at all, we felt very isolated. For 6th-8th grade we used the Abeka Academy program and LOVED it. We went with the DVD program...they provided lesson plans, tests, and a schedule. Our daughter would watch the videos for that day, and it was just like being in class. We would administer & grade her tests, then send them to Abeka quarterly (I think) and they would record & compile her grades. We would get a report card back, which was really handy during her year-end reviews and when she went back to public school. You can purchase the materials without using the DVD's, and you don't have to send in the materials if you aren't concerned about getting a report card.

I can also say that my daughter had no problems going back to high school. The Abeka materials had prepared her well, and in fact, she felt high school was easier. She just finished her freshman year of college...my how time flies.

[magicofdisney]

It depends on the foundation you desire.

I've been homeschooling my children for 9 years now. I began with my youngest in Kindergarten and now he just completed 8th grade. I will continue to homeschool through high school. my daughters just completed 6th grade and my youngest finished 1st grade.

Since you mentioned A Beka, I'm assuming you'll be interested in other Christian curricula. I began with A Beka. My homeschool evaluator labeled me the "A Beka Queen." In the beginning I used everything they offered; math, language, writing, phonics, and the social sciences. In particular, I loved the patriotic themes woven throughout each subject.

As we grew older and wiser, I felt more confident to branch out to other providers. We're using Math-U-See for math. I use IEW for writing. Apologia is our preferred science provider. We just competed the third volume of Mystery of History. Pathway Readers are an excellent option for reading as is Sonlight. This year my eight grader began a curriculum called Starting Points which is helping to establish his world view.

Honestly, asking which curriculum to buy is like asking which cellphone to buy. There are almost too many choices which is why you need to decide what's most important to you and then go from there.

I think anyone who contemplates homeschooling can ultimately be successful. I don't think too many people go into it without thinking things through thoroughly. It's a major commitment, but our children are worth it.