Homeschooling

[paper1225]

I just wanted to thank everyone for your information. There is a ton on here already! I will definately PM some of you for some more info, I just need to go through it all! I had DH sit down and read them too, he really is very supportive about this. As for our family, not sure. His side has been so happy that we sent our children to a catholic school-not sure how they will react. My side, my sil is a k teacher (hates her job), but I think she may see this against her as a teacher. All that said-it really does not matter in our decision. We are not worried about the social aspect, and those that we know that are homeschooled are very well adjusted children. Right now the pressure is setting in because next month is when our school sends out registration forms-and of course they want $$ to register. Money is not the big issue here(even though it will be nice if we do not have to pay tuition every month), but I do not want to send in registration if they are not going back.
One mom sounded a lot like me-I am in the school at least 3 x's per week, and try to do more. I have made a lot of relationships with people there, so that will be hard to walk away from but hey, these are my kids-right?

 

[Brier Rose]

What a GREAT post jaycns!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

So, if a child is resentful and disatisfied in public or private school, they should be allowed to make the decision to homeschool? That would be interesting.

QUOTE]

I don't think that's what she was trying to say. I may be wrong but I took it that if the child is doing fine at school and thriving then it would not be in the best interest of the child to pull her to homeschool. I think homeschooling has it's place but it is not for every child. Homeschooling a child because you don't want them away from you is not a reason in my opinion to hs. I think you have to weigh all the pros and cons as well as thinking about the child itself. The same way you would decide if public or private school is the best for your child, you have to decide is hs is actually best for the child.

 

[meandtheguys2]

Of course homeschooling isn't for every child. Neither is public school or private school. The assumption or insinutation that only hsing students need to be assessed every year for academic and social issues is absurd, and biased, though. I would love to see every student dealt with in the best possible manner. Imagine the difference.

Therein lies my point...

My opinion, of course.

 

[jaycns]

I just wanted to thank everyone for your information. There is a ton on here already! I will definitely PM some of you for some more info, I just need to go through it all! I had DH sit down and read them too, he really is very supportive about this. As for our family, not sure. His side has been so happy that we sent our children to a catholic school-not sure how they will react. My side, my sil is a k teacher (hates her job), but I think she may see this against her as a teacher. All that said-it really does not matter in our decision. We are not worried about the social aspect, and those that we know that are home schooled are very well adjusted children. Right now the pressure is setting in because next month is when our school sends out registration forms-and of course they want $$ to register. Money is not the big issue here(even though it will be nice if we do not have to pay tuition every month), but I do not want to send in registration if they are not going back.
One mom sounded a lot like me-I am in the school at least 3 x's per week, and try to do more. I have made a lot of relationships with people there, so that will be hard to walk away from but hey, these are my kids-right?

I totally feel for you. My MIL is a middle school teacher. My BIL is a second grade teacher. And as I stated earlier, a lot of dear friends are teachers. Most of my friends understood and were willing to allow that we might just know what was best for our kids. Dh's family was a MUCH harder sell. It finally did happen (after a few LONG years) when our eldest was about 8 and he was talking about the book he was reading...it was one that was being used as part of the 8th grade English class at the school she teaches at. Finally, she backed off a bit. That was when she stopped being against it. I still wouldn't say she is for it. But over time she has warmed to it more and more. In watching how "normal" our kids are and in seeing that they are getting a sound education she has relieved a lot of her worst fears. And BIL? He is now a total supporter! In fact, his wife was asking us about homeschooling in relation to considering doing it for their daughter (who is still a few years away from school at this point).

My point is, anyone who loves and/or cares for you will respect your family's decisions. If they don't...well...basically, it's not your fault. What can you do? You can try and educate them. You can show them statistics. You can bounce on a ball while standing on your hands...but chances are a change of heart will not be forthcoming until they see your children actually benefiting from it.

Also, I meant to mention (but got too long winded last time) a few of my favorite home school resources.

1. Love To Learn www.lovetolearn.net Order the catalog. It's free and it's a treasure trove of product reviews. I don't agree with the family who puts it out on everything...but I have found them a very helpful and honest source for info.

2. Rainbow Resource http://www.rainbowresource.com/index.php Again, get the catalog. This catalog is more like a huge phone book! It's enormous! And can be a bit overwhelming...even for a veteran homeschooler...but once you know what you want to buy, use the catalog and go for it. They have great prices. And in time, you will come to love pouring over this thick book!

3. Vegsource homeschool discussion boards http://www.vegsource.com/homeschool/ I am a total meat eater...but these boards are easy to navigate and helpful info and suggestions abound.

4. eBay is a great source for reasonably priced materials

5. I would suggest reading The Well Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer and Jesse Wise **This shaped the course our homeschool took** http://www.welltrainedmind.com/

6. Another great book is A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver Van DeMille. http://www.tjed.org/

7. E.D. Hirsch and the Core Knowledge Foundation. I love the "What Your ____ Grader Needs To Know" series. We use them as supplemental material.
http://coreknowledge.org/CK/about/FAQ/FAQ_homeschool.htm

We use classical approach to teaching here. The publishers/curriculum that work best for our family are as follows:

Math Saxon Math It's a solid program. Not so much on the "frilly" stuff. But good solid math with a lot of repetition and it builds on itself in small increments. All of my boys have done very well with it.
http://saxonhomeschool.harcourtachi...9F97F229519DF1D3AA1DA8&UserPref=culture^en-US

History We use the Story of the World series by Jesse Wise Bauer. We love the activity books. The book lists are amazing. You can use this program and include as much or as little extra reading as you needs warrant. We tend to read most of what they suggest and then some. www.peacehillpress.com

Phonics and early reading Veritas Press's Phonics Museum program ( www.veritaspress.com ) and also an online phonics program called Headsprout Reading which can be found at www.headsprout.com

Grammar First Language Lessons (also by Peace Hill Press www.peacehillpress) for the 1 and 2 grades followed by Easy Grammar www.easygrammar.com

Writing and by that I mean handwriting. I use a Reason For Handwriting. http://www.areasonfor.com/HomeSchool/Default.aspx I also really like the Draw Write Now! series. My middle son does much better with that.

Composition I use Writing Strands http://www.writing-strands.com/curriculum.asp and I also assign a lot of writing according to what we are learning about in history, lit or science.

Speaking of Science I do it in four year rotations. I have a strong science background so I feel very comfortable going "out on my own" with this subject. Our rotations are as follows:
1. Life Sciences (biology, anatomy, zoology, botany, etc) I bridge this year and the next with paleontology.
2. Earth Sciences (geology, weather, space) Space transitions well into
3. Physics
4. Chemistry

Each time we cycle they get it at grade level. By the start of high school each of my boys will have had two years of each subject with at least one of those years being at an upper elementary or middle school level.

I have found Home Training Tools to be of great value in finding materials. http://www.hometrainingtools.com/

Another great place to try is Carolina Biological Supply Company. https://www2.carolina.com/webapp/wc...splay?storeId=10151&catalogId=10101&langId=-1

For languages we like the Rosetta Stone language programs. This one is used by many governments, companies and schools/universities. http://www.rosettastone.com

All three of the boys are working on Spanish and my eldest has added Latin (very slowly but he is getting it!!).

Literature is important in my mind...so we listen to a lot of books on tape (the kids do at bedtime and in the van and even sometimes by choice at other time during the day), I read to them as much as possible and as they become independent readers, I allow them to read for fun but I also throw in a ton of "good" classic novels. My ds who is 10 and I made a deal. He picks a book. I pick a book. That way I can sneak in titles that he "needs" while still allowing him a lot of "fun" reading time. I am sometimes surprised at the wonderful books he choses for himself. Right now he is finishing up Eldest (the second book in the Eragon trilogy)...his choice. He is sometimes surprised with how much he likes some of the books that I pick out. Oh and a little tidbit...Eragon was written by a teenage boy as a HOME SCHOOL English project!!

I know I am forgetting things I love. I am also purposely skipping some subjects that we still haven't found any programs to "crow about" in. Like spelling...we have tried a bunch and none of them have really made me say "wow" what a great program.

Geography, civics, art history...I have so many more that I would love to share...but I need to get dinner on the table.

GOOD LUCK! It does get easier!!

 

[jaycns]

Here is the last thing (I promise...it's either that or dinner burns ).
http://www.hslda.org/laws/analysis/Missouri.pdf a link to a breakdown of the law in Missouri (I saw you posted Missouri as your state).

WOO HOO for you!! You live in a very home school friendly state (at least as far as the laws go). OF COURSE...double (heck triple) check the info. I have always found it accurate.

 

[tjmw2727]

Before I jump in I want to say thank you OP for posting your question - lots of great information on this thread and I am going back to re-read and take notes.

We are on the fence about next year, August 05 we moved from an awesome PS district in MA to a "superior" district in DE. Last year was terrific, both dd's in elementary, great teachers and wonderful education. This year - not so good, especially for my 6th grader who moved on to middle school. I won't go into huge detail and steal the thread but we put the kids into the lottery for two great charter schools and no luck this year.

I have been doing lots of research and soul searching and am considering something I never thought I would. I work p/t from home so I think I can make the logistics work and I think my dd's would thrive and learn soooo much more. Just elminiating the 40 minute bus ride for my 12 yo would put so much time back in her day.

Luckily it looks like DE is a good state for HS!

So thanks to the posters who have advice and thanks again to the OP. I am off to re-read the thread and probably be back with more ????'s if the OP dosen't mind.

TJ

 

[disneymom3]

As for curriculumn your first stop should be the state department of education or your local school districts board. They will have the mandated goals for every school year and those are the ones you'll need to match. Some states have pretty strict laws about giveing credit to homeschoolers if you are not meeting the goals that the state requires for certain grades.

I disagree with this statement in that one of the reasons I homeschool is because I think the way the state is doing it is not working. Honestly, I could not care less what the school district thinks my child should be learning. They are the ones who wasted her entire kindergarten year and would not let her check out chapter books because she wasn't in third grade yet. In MN, the learner outcomes vary from district to district. I think it is most important that she finds out what the laws are in her particular state as they do vary significantly from state to state. For instance, in MN we do not have a required number of days, but we do have to test annually. Some states have min hours/days adn some don't test at all.

OP, as far as extended family goes, you really can't let that weigh on your decision. I have 6 sisters--4 of them teach and one works in a school office. Of those 4, two of them have been awesome and a great resource and two of them, to this day think I am insane and cannot figure out WHY I would make this choice. The one in the office I thought figured I was nuts until this last year when she told me she hopes her own DD will be able to homeschool when her little ones get to be school age. I almost fell over in shock! As for the in laws, well, MIL loves me dearly but I think she thinks I am nuts too. We are lucky in that we both come from families that pretty much keep their opinions to themselves.

jacyns has pretty much covered anything else I would tell you. My only thing to add is that for a boy, if he struggles at all with small motor stuff, my boys have made amazing strides using Handwriting Without Tears. I am even considering making DD go back and start over again because her writing is a mess.

 

[brymolmom]

So, if a child is resentful and disatisfied in public or private school, they should be allowed to make the decision to homeschool? That would be interesting.

QUOTE]

I don't think that's what she was trying to say. I may be wrong but I took it that if the child is doing fine at school and thriving then it would not be in the best interest of the child to pull her to homeschool. I think homeschooling has it's place but it is not for every child. Homeschooling a child because you don't want them away from you is not a reason in my opinion to hs. I think you have to weigh all the pros and cons as well as thinking about the child itself. The same way you would decide if public or private school is the best for your child, you have to decide is hs is actually best for the child.

I agree - I too think it was a point that it should be seriously considered. As the OP stated that they think homeschooling would be a great fit for their youngest child it does not necessarily mean it is the best fit for all their children.

I have a next door neighbor whose dd had trouble with the public school fit when she was in K, so they opted to homeschool - and it has been a great fit. However, I was somewhat disappointed (not my business, they can make their own decisions, but it makes me sad when I see it) - to see they also opted for hs for their younger boy - who is 5 this year. This boy longs for and yearns for interaction to the point where whenever we pull into our driveway - he runs over to see if my ds can play. AND, he craves social interaction so much that even when he came over to try to play and I explain that my kids aren't at home - he wanted to hang out with me (which should be boring for a 5 year old but he was willing to take whoever he could get at that point). It made me sad - this boy's personality just thrives around other people. I just wish they had tried public or private with him to see if it would indeed be the best fit for him. He is so lonely and it makes me sad - I picture him smiling ear to ear if he had lots of kids around him every day. I know his learning and academics are thriving at home - but I think he is still missing out for himself in other areas based on his actions.

SO...I just have a thing against thinking it has to be best for all or none of a person's children...different children might thrive in different learning environments.

Good luck with finding what's best for yours!

 

[meandtheguys2]

Perhaps being homeschooled is the only thing that is keeping that little boy on the learning track, and not on the social butterfly/class clown/delinquent track.

My youngest would be a class clown were he in school. That is his personality. Instead, he is learning during the learning hours, and playing during the playing hours. Most hsers are not isolated. my son plays with his best friend for 6 hours every monday, plays with the neighbors after school, goes to awana, boy scouts, 4-H, SS, and co-op meetings.

It is very easy to sit outside a situation and make a judgement about the lives of other's.

Just because a kid likes a situation best, doesn't mean it is best. My boys would love to watch movies, and play computer games all day...they would be happy and content to do so. That isn't the best circumstance for them however. I know that because I am the adult in the situation.

 

[mommyceratops]

Thanks for this thread. We are looking at homeschooling next year my DS6 and I have a DS3, I think I will keep him in preschool until he enters first grade.

Thanks for all the wonderful info! I have just started my research.

 

[brymolmom]

Perhaps being homeschooled is the only thing that is keeping that little boy on the learning track, and not on the social butterfly/class clown/delinquent track.

My youngest would be a class clown were he in school. That is his personality. Instead, he is learning during the learning hours, and playing during the playing hours. Most hsers are not isolated. my son plays with his best friend for 6 hours every monday, plays with the neighbors after school, goes to awana, boy scouts, 4-H, SS, and co-op meetings.

It is very easy to sit outside a situation and make a judgement about the lives of other's.

Just because a kid likes a situation best, doesn't mean it is best. My boys would love to watch movies, and play computer games all day...they would be happy and content to do so. That isn't the best circumstance for them however. I know that because I am the adult in the situation.

I totally agree - that's why I stated that I wished they would TRY it for him, not necessarily that public or private would be definitely the best for him. But, if he wasn't the class clown (which, by the way - as long as you're learning and growing, isn't really a bad thing - we all enjoy funny and outgoing people) or some other situation didn't turn out negative for him in that setting, who is to say that his academic AND social needs wouldn't be better met outside the home, at least until it has been tried.

And I know my neighbor involves her kids in lots of activities, but he just craves more of it and ends up bored a lot of the time. That's what a lot of parents are afraid of -their kids being in an outside the home environment - bored, but I can tell you that hs can create that as well.

And, obviously, his parents need to make that choice and have...I can still be sad when I see his sad face at my door.

Just wanted to give a different perspective to someone considering every angle...and who thinks that one of her children might resist the change...

 

[ohiominnie]

But, if he wasn't the class clown (which, by the way - as long as you're learning and growing, isn't really a bad thing - we all enjoy funny and outgoing people)

I'm going to disagree here. Just because that child can maintain learning and growing all while being the class clown doesn't mean it's fair to the other 20 kids in the class who find that behavior very distracting causing THEM not to learn and grow.

 

[meandtheguys2]

I'm going to disagree here. Just because that child can maintain learning and growing all while being the class clown doesn't mean it's fair to the other 20 kids in the class who find that behavior very distracting causing THEM not to learn and grow.

Lord knows mine distracts me...

He is loved by all who meet him. Always good natured, and makes people laugh. But he needs to learn to control those behaviors (and he is, slowly, by being in scouts, etc.) because they are not always appropriate. It is a matter of learning to respect the needs of other's rather than focussing on what makes him happy...gets attention for him. At 7 that is pretty darn tough!

In all honesty, he would be that kid in the class that the teachers love, but want to strangle on any given day! When I was consulting in the classroom, these were the kids that made the teachers smile...and shake their heads. Not ADHD, ADD, or ODD, just...class clowns!

 

[Mo-Yo]

I find home-schooling to be such a puzzle.

I've read lots of success stories on homeschooling that I find to be impressive...and I know that if nourished, kid's innate sense of learning will lead them down many interesting paths. Look at all the self-taught historical figures like Ben Franklin, and I think Winston Churchill.

I am sure many home school parents do an impressive job, and at fleeting moments in my children's education, I've considered it...often for reasons sighted here like the homogenized curriculum and standardized testing.

That said, I have had several experiences with home school families that I find disturbing. Once, when looking for daycare for my one year old son, I happened upon a daycare provider, who was homeschooling her kids. The number of misspellings and grammar errors in her lessons was very disturbing to the English teacher in me. If this mom, who obviously loved her kids and wanted what was best for them, could not read and write English properly, how was she going to teach her kids literacy.

Another lady at my church, told me she was homeschooling..."well, actually non-schooling," she said. "I can't get them to do anything. But they read a lot."

Also, looking back at my teachers so many stand out in my mind for both good and bad reasons. I learned SO MUCH from them, in addition to the many wonderful things I learned from my parents. I can't help but wonder about the many valuable experiences my kids would miss by being removed from being in a learning community.

Not to mention the fact that I can barely get through my 3rd grader's math and science homework sometimes. How could I possibly assist with 8th grade work on those levels?

 

[disneymom3]

I totally agree - that's why I stated that I wished they would TRY it for him, not necessarily that public or private would be definitely the best for him. But, if he wasn't the class clown (which, by the way - as long as you're learning and growing, isn't really a bad thing - we all enjoy funny and outgoing people) or some other situation didn't turn out negative for him in that setting, who is to say that his academic AND social needs wouldn't be better met outside the home, at least until it has been tried.

And I know my neighbor involves her kids in lots of activities, but he just craves more of it and ends up bored a lot of the time. That's what a lot of parents are afraid of -their kids being in an outside the home environment - bored, but I can tell you that hs can create that as well.

And, obviously, his parents need to make that choice and have...I can still be sad when I see his sad face at my door.

Just wanted to give a different perspective to someone considering every angle...and who thinks that one of her children might resist the change...

I think you have a very good point about the giving different options a try but I also thought I would give yet another side of the story. DD is 10 and has had this incessant social need for forever. No matter how much interaction she gets she still wants more. She is mellowing a lot now but for years I thought it would drive me insane! She actually did go into the school system for a bit last year. It was her choice to go and it was her choice to quit. She went because she thought she was missing out on the whole social thing. She came home because she discovered that there is not that much to the whole playing thing--they are supposed to be working afterall--and she was bored. Now, to other people she may look like she is longing for more social outlets. BUT this child loves being homeschooled! A good friend of hers is going to middle school next year. They have been in co-op together for years and when she found out he was going, she gasped and said, "Why do you want to do that?" and then turned to me and said, "I'm not going right?" The other thing is that she would still be looking for people to play with even if she were in school.

 

[ilovejack02]

Not to mention the fact that I can barely get through my 3rd grader's math and science homework sometimes. How could I possibly assist with 8th grade work on those levels?

I have often wondered the same thing lol. I am not currently homeschooling, but looking into it for DS4. I am really bad at math and feel like it would be a bad idea for me to try and teach him math, except for the lower elementary grades. I read an article recently that said in times like this then you get a tutor. I live near LSU and there are always math classes for children in the summer and I could send him there for classes. The article basically said that you don't have to be the one to teach the child every single thing. If there are some areas you don't excel at then explore other avenues of learning.

 

[Denine]

Hi! We are homeschooling our 4 yo dd. She is currently doing the Calvert pre-k program. We should finish in March. I will use them again for K and then we will decide from there.
I like that the curriculum is all laid out for me.

 

[perdidochas]

I hope this is the right place for this. I have been stalking the entire DIS board about the topic, and see that quite a few DISers are homeschooling so here goes.........We have 3 children-DD12, DD11, DS5. There are a lot of reasons we want to do this. I could go on and on about that. DH is 100% supportive. Right now I am in school, so I will just study around them and at nights. My classes are online except for my clinicals and labs-which is only 1 day/week. DS5 is fine with it, he is a big part of the reason we want to do this. I hate them all being gone and he hates leaving all day. This year our school(catholic) started full day k. Too long for him. He comes home and is exhausted. Any advice is welcome, not looking for specific info. Would like info on cirriculums, what to do what not to do. I know DD11 will fight us on it, she is a social butterfly-but that is not always good. Just not sure about all the girls in her grade. It will be hard to break away, as I work at the cafeteria 3 days/week-but I need to do what is best for our family!

I don't know if it will be the best thing for your DD11. Can you imagine the isolation she will feel?

 

[meandtheguys2]

I don't know if it will be the best thing for your DD11. Can you imagine the isolation she will feel?

I'm thinkin' the OP isn't planning on locking her in a closet, or anything... There are more places than school to spend quality time with people.