Ok guys, talk to me about home schooling...

[CouponSAHM]

Originally Posted by zansammommy My son will be 5 on Nov 5th. We have been homeschooling for two years because HE wanted too. Last year it was whenever he wanted too. We worked on "Sam's" workbooks, Handwritting without tears and read stories. This year we are more scheduled, trying to do something everday. He has flown through the first ten lessons of Math U See and last night he read four of the BOB books in about thirty minutes. I am not bragging just to show an example that homeschooling is about ability not age. If we waited on when the public school said to teach him, he would be six. Our schedule when my son is six he should be in first grade. I say go for and start teaching your son. We "practice" school for about six months. That got sitting still and answer questions down. We use Sonlight because it comes with a teacher manual ie read these books today and read these books tomorrow all linking. I hope I helped.

Just a quick question... If you were to enroll him in Public School, say 2 years from now (age 7 or 8), what grade would they place him in? Would it be determined by his age or his abilitly? My son will be 3 the end of September and I see the same thing happening to us. He is extremely bright and will probably want to go to school earlier than the state would allow. I however am not a patient woman and fear that I could not homeschool my child forever. He is my little "minny me" and we clash often. I'm scared that one on one teaching would accelerate him so far above his peers that he would then be bored in a traditional school. Any advice on this? I remember being bored out of my mind in school when I was in grade school, because my Mom had taught me so much. I would hate that for him. Thanks in advance!

[TheWoman]

Originally Posted by CouponSAHM Just a quick question... If you were to enroll him in Public School, say 2 years from now (age 7 or 8), what grade would they place him in? Would it be determined by his age or his abilitly? My son will be 3 the end of September and I see the same thing happening to us. He is extremely bright and will probably want to go to school earlier than the state would allow. I however am not a patient woman and fear that I could not homeschool my child forever. He is my little "minny me" and we clash often. I'm scared that one on one teaching would accelerate him so far above his peers that he would then be bored in a traditional school. Any advice on this? I remember being bored out of my mind in school when I was in grade school, because my Mom had taught me so much. I would hate that for him. Thanks in advance!

Generally schools will enroll kids based on age unles they are WAY behind their peers. You would probably have a battle on your hands to get him moved up a grade, but it will depend on the school. The easiest way to find out is to ask them.

[savaholic]

I have two boys, one 3yrs. and the other 7 mos. My oldest child has Autism. I had always hoped to be able to HS our children and b/c of his difficulties the 'professionals' were telling us it isn't a good idea. So, we went through the whole process for PPCD and he was termed eligible. My husband and I went to observe a class and were shocked. He would not receive any individual therapy for speech or occupational. And, he was w/ other kids like him without any normal developing children to model. Having appropriate peer models is essential for my child. In addition, we'd still have to somehow fit into his schedule all his therapies that schools don't offer.

This summer I have already started an intro to homeschooling. Each week I put together a very simple lesson. He's been able to learn a few shapes and colors. This week we're working on big/small and hard/soft. I don't worry about the 'socialization' that everyone thinks is an issue w/ HS kids. My child does not thrive in social environments. He shuts down and can barely function. If he can learn at hom and be a happy person that's all that matters to me.

Also, many YMCA's in our area have weekly PE for HS kids. It's very common to HS here in central TX.

[mum2hba]

I am in the minority here I think, but I love A Beka. Then again, I grew up with A Beka, learned how to teach with A Beka, so I am a little biased!
I like the structure to it. I am homeschooling a 1st and 6th grader, and the more structure I can have the better. I hate having to come up with ideas on my own, so it works great for me.

My 6th grader hates school, but that is because of some bad experiences in the ps. When I started teaching her in 4th grade she didn't even understand the concept of adding and subtracting 1! It has been a struggle to get her up to grade level, but it is slowly coming.

My first grader loves school, and loves learning what my 6th grader is learning. She often knows the answers when the other is struggling. She is going to be a challenge to keep from getting bored. We are going to start learning Spanish this year because she needs the challenge.

My 2 yr old wants to do school with her sister, so I have some worksheets for her this year. We are going to learn one letter a week and 1 number. She can't wait, she loves to look through the books to see what she is going to color.

You have to find a curriculm that fits you and your child's style of learning.

[RCaruthers1]

I was homeschooled until the age of 14 and then attended three years of HS and graduated at 17. I am a college graduate and have been successful in life thus far, but honestly, I think homeschooling is a HUGE mistake in most cases. IMO, school is (and should be) about a lot more than education. It takes more that a few field trips and soccer games for a child to learn the social skills they will need to eventually join the real world. If you are primarily concerned with the level of education your child is receiving, I suggest leaving her in school and getting a tutor or spending extra time with her each evening. If you are concerned with social aspects of PS, removing the child from society is unlikely to make them more socially adept in the future. If these don't work after a reasonable trial period, you can always start homeschooling at that point.

Best wishes - I'm sure you'll make the right decision for your situation.

[sphayes2331]

There are so many cirriculums out there. My oldest is in the 8th grade and youngest is in the 3rd.. I can tell some of the books that they will be using or ones that are very popular around here.

Science---Apologia by Dr Jay Wile (7th and up)
the ones By Fulbright are awesome for elementary grades (astronomy, zoology, etc. they are based on the 7 days God created)

English---Easy Grammar and Shurley Grammar

Math---- So many different ones. My youngest likes abeka and math u see. My oldest likes Saxon.

History---The Mystery of History and Abeka (Abeka is very thorough)

Vocab----Wordly Wise (for all grades)

An awesome place to get books is Vegsource. I have bought and sold books on there for several years. I have never had a problem with anyone there. Here is the link....

VegSource.com Talk and Swap

Also, for elementary grades you can find almost everyhting you need online so that you don't have to buy so many books. Esp if you are on a limited budget. Yes they do come with the answer keys....

But like everyone else has said know your state laws. Each state is so different with what they expect from you. In SC they are not so bad but still not as HS friendly as other states.

[sphayes2331]

I also wanted to add that I have been HSing for 7 yrs. I was also HSed for a short while when I was in highschool. I loved it. My aunt has HSed all 5 of her kids. 4 have graduated and are doing awesome with their lives. One of them actually works at the whitehouse ina high position.
Socialization can be problem for some. Just get involved. Find a support group to join and do things with them. They may even have a co-op you can join. We are lucky to have one. We do field trip and my oldest also volunteers.
I do tell everyone this. HSing in not for everyone, but if it has been laid on your heart then please follow that. The 1st year is going to be the hardest for you and the kids. If you are pulling your child out of PS then your kids may need to detox.

[sphayes2331]

Originally Posted by Shopaholic1 Wow! This is information overload! Do the kids have to be a certain age before they start homeschooling? My son is 4 (will be 5 in Nov.) and he is dying to start school! I know he would just love to start this year instead of next! Could I start him this year?

yes you can

[teach2]

I started HSing last year for my 9 and 11 year old. We live in PA. We use a virtual charter school that has a teacher for my children if there is anything we don't understand or have questions. The teacher checks in with us once or twice a month. They sent us the computers, printers and all the materials we needed for the year. They set up the testing sites at the end of the year for the standardized tests. They also reimbuse us for our internet provider.
My children were straight A students in the brick and mortar schools. I found when we started the HSing my children didn't know as much as I thought they did and I was always checking on their school work to make sure they knew what they were doing. It was a big eye opener as to what is not taught to the children. As for HSing I can spend one on one time to make sure they understand the lesson. The material and lessons are all laid out on the computer everyday and you take whatever time you need to get the lessons done, if your child grasps the lesson quickly you can move on to the next lesson and if you need more time you can take it. The public schools seem to focus on math and english and forget about history and science and the arts. HSing we make sure all subjects are important. Provides for a more well rounded student.
I looked up the virtual charter schools on the internet and was surprised to find out how many there are out there. Our school also has field trip get togethers for the kids which are alot of fun. In October we went to a corn maze/pumpkin patch/farm had a great time and it even turned into a lesson for the farmer talked to the kids about all the things corn was used for and about farming in a very fun way. I was surprised how much my children remember about what the farmer told them. I also learned alot. Another outing was to hear our local symphony play which was also wonderful. Our school has 2 outings every month and you can choose to go or not.
I will say that the first month and a half we started was stressful but once we got into a routine it was very nice. I wish you the best.

[OzarksGal]

Just wanted to say good luck! I'll be homeschooling my children.