I posted this here because it didnt seem to fit anywhere else and my chidlre are my heart and soul so it seemed like it fit....

My daughter is due to start school in the fall and I have been doing a lot of reading and reseacrhing on homeschooling. NO ONE does it here where I live in a small rural town BUT deep down I feel strongly that it woul dbe in her best interest - to atleast try it.....

But she is excited to go to school in the fall and I don't want her to be unhappy. Part of me wishes that she didnt want to go so we could try it. Then another part of me doesnt feel like I am organized enough to do it right. She will be 5 in novemeber and her brother will be 3 in sept. I could even include some work with him....

Does anyone homeschool and have any advice or thoughts? I'd really aprpeciate it.

Hi fit_mommy, I've homeschooled my daughter since she was 5. There are literally thousands of homeschool curriculums out there. I love it and have tried several curriculums over the years (tweeking it based on her strengthens, weaknesses and learning style). If you want to e-mail me I can give you some really great websites and info! I say try it now! It's so exciting to be the person teaching your child to read, watch them get a concept, and encourage them to learn more about a special interest (and you can spend more time if you want on a subject).
Omalley

Hey there!
I know Sharen is a homeschooling mommy & we actually have a group here on the forum. Here is a link:

http://www.transformation.com/forum/...homeschoolers/

I have homeschooled my children for six years now, both older girls will be sixth grade in the fall.

The very first thing you should do is find out the law in your state for homeschooling. Go to HSLDA.com and find the link to your state....if you need help, let me know what state you live in and I can find the info quickly.

If you are unsure of yourself at first (I was) there are ready-made, accredited curriculums out there. One of my favorites is Calvert School in Maryland. They have an awesome program.

Email me any questions you may have and I'd be happy to answer! I truly believe that WE are our children's BEST teachers!!!!!

I have homeschooled for over 16 years. It has been a blessing :-) My two oldest went to public high school, but the third is coming back in the fall. He is a freshman. My baby will be in 5th grade and wants to spread her wings, so she is going to ps in the fall.

I am with momto6...lots of excellent programs out there... look into www.k12.com EXCELLENT curriculum...i have used it for the past 5 years....

I am in canada, I do have a friend who sent me the links on teh canadaian HSLDA which I will take a look thru tonight. any difference between canada and US with reagrds to curriculum I wonder? Is my hesitance normal? It keeps coming abck to me over and over again.... i know that she would thrive and I also know she ouwld do ok in school as well. My biggest fear is organization - i need structure! I get so excited and overwhelmed but in the end everything ends up a big mess. I do FABULOUS with things when I plan and have a clear black and white organized plan in front of me.

I was jittery when I pulled our oldest out of PS. I was drowning in curriculum choices and very confused where to start. My biggest help was a friend who brought me catalogs and her experience. As the years go by, you figure out what works, what doesn't, and what works for this child is not likely to work with another. There is a good series of books I used to get my feet wet called "What your __ grader should know".

First order of business is to be in compliance with the law. HSLDA is a great resource there.

What province are you in?

I am sure curriculum will be very, very similar if not the exact same. You are not alone, I was very nervous to actually teach my children too. So what I did the first year is I bought a complete curriculum (Calvert School), bought the accredited course so I actually had teachers checking the children's work. It had a complete Teachers Manual and was VERY easy to follow.

As my confidence in teaching my own children grew, I started piecing my own curriculum together according the each children's learning style and abilites.

It is not easy but give it one year and see how you do. And don't worry, it won't "ruin" your child....hahaha....

I am actually allowing my four year old to attend a public Kindergarten this year because I know the teacher and have for years, she can read already and she is REALLY looking forward to going to school for a few hours a day.

I am so glad to see so much homeschool support here!!! I am looking at a charter school that is linked to public school but the parents teach. Seems to be great idea. I just don't know if I will start this year or next. Matt will be 5 in Oct, but is very active and concentration can be an issue. They said it is really easy to repeat kindergarten, but what do you guys think???? Cindy

Hi -

I, too, am thinking of homeschooling my son - he's 13, tho and going into the 8th grade next year. He's not really participating at all in school, and I think it's just going to get more difficult for him in the years to come. Does anyone homeschool their teen or know anyone who does? Any ideas or resources?

Thanks!
Oh, I did post on the group, but saw this thread and thought I'd post here, too!

Liz

Lots of resources out there. We have been homeschooling both our kids; Jacob is 14 and Jenna is 10. We use "My Father's World" ciriculum. Most towns will also have a tutorial program where your high school kids can go one day a week for college style lectures, etc to supplement what you do at home.

Our kids have excelled and their standarized test scores, which we do NOT prep for are off the charts.

For next year, we have decided to put Jacob in the local high school because he wants to play football. Here in TN, they will not let homeschool students play sports unless they go to the school.

Anyway, lots of resourses...just start doing searches on the Internet, you will be surprised what you might find.

Looks like I am out of luck on this one, Hubby says no, absolutly not, only reason being the socialization issue, if I try to talk about i he gets angry. Pray about it for me please, that God will guide me (and Hubby) to make the best choice for our children. They will be 3 and 5 this coming fall. We do have a great school here and are in a VERY small community and the children are much more "innocent" here I guess, but still in all I am not anti school but very pro- homsechool, he is not however....

Quote:

Originally Posted by tahoemom I am so glad to see so much homeschool support here!!! I am looking at a charter school that is linked to public school but the parents teach. Seems to be great idea. I just don't know if I will start this year or next. Matt will be 5 in Oct, but is very active and concentration can be an issue. They said it is really easy to repeat kindergarten, but what do you guys think???? Cindy

Turning 5 in Oct. will be young for K. My son will be 5 in Nov and we are going to wait another year. I'm a part time teacher and I've seen that the older kids seem to do better, but of course, there are exceptions. I'm also looking into homeschooling or there might be a waldorf based charter kinder class starting next year. If that works out, then I'll put my son in K for 2 years there because kids can be in K in that program until 6 and start 1st at age 7. A waldorf program might do well for your son too since their emphasis is learning through music and motion and not seat work like traditional schools.

Does anyone else have experience, good or bad, with waldorf schools? I'm not interested in the private waldorf program because I don't agree with their religious/spiritual views, but in a charter program, it is my understanding, they are still bound by the state. Any thoughts would be great. ~Amy

Boilingpoint, thank you for your suggestions. I have heard of Waldorf program, but I do not know about the religious issues. The charter school I am looking at will not purchase anything religious. I do know that Calvert is on their approved list and many things through Rainbow Resources. I probably will do 2 yrs of K, that was advised by the teachers. Cindy

Quote:

Originally Posted by fit_mommy Looks like I am out of luck on this one, Hubby says no, absolutly not, only reason being the socialization issue, if I try to talk about i he gets angry. Pray about it for me please, that God will guide me (and Hubby) to make the best choice for our children. They will be 3 and 5 this coming fall. We do have a great school here and are in a VERY small community and the children are much more "innocent" here I guess, but still in all I am not anti school but very pro- homsechool, he is not however....

Hubby wasn't on board either, at first. Said let's wait for a problem. Problem turned up in first grade. Over 1.5 million students are HS'd in the US, and the number is growing annually. The socialization stereotype is something most of us HS'ers will face. I am very concerned with our children's socialization which is part of why we do HS. Our children can socialize fine with any level from babies to seniors, from the kids at the gym daycare to the man behind the counter at the post office, the teens teaching swimming lessons, and strangers asking them questions in Wendy's, without hesitation. As parents, we just make it part of our lesson plans.

I started my daughter out at age 3-4 with little fun activities. She turned 5 in October and we started Kindergarten level work then, because she was ready. I agree, you kiddoes are young. If hubby isn't open, give the PS a try and keep your eyes and ears wide open, stay involved.

Hi,

I homeschool my two children in Vancouver, WA and have been for 9 years now. My son is 16 and my daughter is 7. I love it and wouldn't change a thing. I asked my son awhile back if he is disappointed that he was homeschooled and he (happily for me) said he is so glad. He has so many good friends who I really trust and get along with.

About socialization ~ Children who are homeschooled have much more socialization then public schooled children. They are around kids of all ages, not just the same age. They also seem to be able to have conversations with adults with ease and aren't afraid to hug their mom in public. No matter what anyone says, homeschoolers participate in 'real' life, which public schooled children don't.

About the alternative schools ~ Be careful when signing up for these schools because they are all public schools from different districts. If you just want a different way for your kids to learn, other than sitting in a class all day, then this might work for you. But if you are having your children participate full time then they really aren't legally homeschooled. I'm not saying people shouldn't do it because everyone should be able to decide what way they want their children to learn, but if you still want your homeschool freedom than check out the school close and find out what full time would be.

I homeschooled for five years up until my divorce. My children miss it dearly and are asking for it back. I am getting remarried and we are seriously considering it again.

I have mentored many homeschool families across the world and would love to help. What are your questions?

I am off to the homeschool conference in Denver for three days. Lots of classes!! I'll let you know if I find out anything interesting!

I just had to pop in on this thread. Sharen so where did you get the ideas for the age of 3-4 ? was this a pre-school type curriculum?Thank you writing about socializing, my little 3 yr old girl is an only child with no real play friends yet so it is nice to hear you speak of the diff ways of social activity-Liz

Homeschooling has lots of socialization. Look for local support groups in your area. You have field trip and supplemental class options. Trips to the library and other local places. Volunteer opportunities. And don't forget the usual things kids do like scouts, sunday school, and sports.

Preschool Curriculum... there is a wide variety available out there. Letter of the week is a free curriculum. Five in A Row. Sonlight Curriculum has a partnership with focus on the family for preschool. Or at least they did at one time. Peek with Books. Do a google search for homeschool preschool curriculum and you will come up wiht a ton of ideas!

I haven't been on my website in a while. I started to update it with new information but have been side tracked with my wedding. It has some great resources that I have collected over the years. Maybe they will help you out as well.

http://life-take-2.blogspot.com/