Homeschooling

Hello

2013-05-11T16:07:53Z

I'm a mother to 4 year old Rueben. I fear he maybe a bit dysgraphic or crippled by perfectionism. but results in him not really drawing and only practicing letter forms for very short time periods.
I think he'd like a pen pal, (i've asked he said yes) everyone loves getting mail right?So any takers?

121215 Looking for Articles, Studies, Etc.

2012-12-15T19:29:30Z

In reference to a post last month, I have decided to collect a little data on homeschooling. Of course, I've read quite a bit on the subject, but kept no copies of anything. After ten years, I thought the question had been settled. People have done studies, and anecdotal evidence abounds. I just want to collect a few to print and keep on hand whenever relatives and others put the pressure on me to put my ADHD teen into public school for 'social reasons', as if conformity were the answer to everything.

Thanks.

121126 Major Rant

2012-11-26T17:56:30Z

Tracking Devices

This article is a symptom, but not the cause: I'm going to rant.

Since March of 2002, I have been actively homeschooling my children. The elder had just turned 8, and the younger was 3, almost 4. My children are well behaved, articulate, and educated. The elder graduated at 16, and at last report, had a 3.8 GPA in a STEM degree program while carrying a full load. She also works about 20 hours per week and has more friends than I can count. How has homeschooling failed her!? Yet, There are three people in my life who WILL NOT relent. They are after me continually to put the younger in public school, because surely, her mind is warped and damaged by homeschooling. She also has a keen mind, many friends, and does her best to control her impulses. (ADHD and LD complicate her life.)

One of the naysayers is a relative, but the other two are in the Ministry. One of those is my fellowship coordinator. It is driving me to distraction! If I didn't love the Word so much, I would quit going to fellowship! It is THAT bad!

This is not the high school she would have to attend, but both my girls know people who go there or have already graduated from there. My elder did well. She is FINE. The younger is FINE. Why do people have to meddle?

120831-2 So Glad I Homeschool

2012-08-31T18:44:59Z

Public school started Monday. MY school starts next Friday. Someone sent me this today, and it is going on my list of reasons to homeschool!

Student Locator Program

While religious reasons do not factor into my decision to homeschool, these verses do come to mind:

Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

1Thessalonians 5:3
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Thank God no one is putting a locator tag on my children. They aren't perfect, but they do tell me what they do -- even the bad stuff! (I try not to freak TOO much.) BTW, I have a homeschool grad in college. Will this locator stuff follow students into college? Or will sense prevail and they throw out this insane notion?

How to motivate kindergartner?

2012-08-16T20:59:00Z

I have a 5 year old son who is beginning "real" home school curriculum in a week. We have been doing pre-school on our own for two and a half years. Now that we are getting to where his work needs to be done and evaluated by someone outside our home, I need some advice. He hates to work on his handwriting. He will procrastinate and dawdle for an hour, regardless of bribes of rewards for a finished lesson or threats of consequences for not doing his work. It does not matter if he is given just his name to trace or a page of words or numbers, so I do not think it is because it is either too difficult or too easy. He can write all is letters and numbers, but after not having him practice with tracing for a few days, his handwriting becomes illegible. He loves doing workbook pages, reading and flash cards, and is a very visual learner. But 80% of the time will not do his handwriting work. We do live in a small house with two younger siblings, but we do our best to keep him in a separate room where it is quiet for him. I have tried sitting with him and encouraging him along the way, I have tried leaving him in his room to do the work on his own, but what works one day does not the next. Help? This is so far the only subject we are constantly butting heads on, and I am stressing out on how to motivate him to do his work come next week.

Pacific NW Round up

2012-06-21T21:44:24Z

Wondering if members that are out in the Pacific NW area had other local groups that they are part of for events/programs/interests/even just chat/ I am on a few email groups but thought I would also reach out here to see if I can get some more info. I am Seattle area but travel quite a bit through Oregon, N. Cali and ID. Respond or add me as a friend!

Hailey

Beginning recorder

2012-06-03T18:34:34Z

Recommendations of music books for learning to play the recorder? Has anyone used Oak Meadow's book? (I've never bought anything from OM.) Other books you used and loved/hated?

This is for my 7yo as a first-time learner and also for reteaching myself to read music and play it again.

What Book Helped You?

2012-05-26T12:40:06Z

I noticed that the beginning and the end of the school year bring more questions, so I'm going to ask one of the old timers:

What books helped you the most when you were deciding to start homeschooling?

My favorite book was Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp

With it, I designed what I was going to do from Pre-K through high school graduation. I didn't follow every yod and tittle in the book, but it helped me realized that I was doing the right thing.

Homeschooling for the first time!

2012-05-08T03:15:46Z

I have finally decided to homeschool my three boys; ages 7(2nd grade), 6(Kindergarten) and 3(PreK 3). I have done loads of research via library, internet, local groups and families that are already homeschooling. I am so excited and can't wait for this school year to be over so that I can start right away with my boys. I know its a long way away but I am wondering how the whole college thing works for kids who are homeschooled all the way through the highschool years. Are they still eligible to attend top colleges? Please advise. I know I have a long way to go but I am really curious. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Singapore Math?

2012-04-14T02:33:35Z

Does anyone have any experience with Singapore Math? My daughter is 7 and we've finished most of the first grade-level math requirements, just a few pages left in a Kumon subtraction workbook. I'm looking to try something else for grade 2 because getting her to complete the Kumon worksheets has become a huge struggle. We also use Brainquest, flashcards, and sometimes extra worksheets I print out. I've seen Singapore mentioned in forums before but never paid enough attention. Does anyone have any experience with it, good or bad? TIA.

Head Spinning

2011-11-21T20:13:57Z

As much as I love the K12 curriculum that we're doing (using a virtual academy here in California that pays for it), I'm finding myself so stressed. I'm trying not to stress and not to let my stress show. But I'm still worried.

This is the beginning of our 4th week homeschooling. Part of me really loves it. Part of me is scared half to death. I'm so afraid that my kids won't "catch up" and will fall even further behind as time goes on. There is just so much that the K12 curriculum demands of my kids and not enough time in the day to do it all. If we did everything every day then we would have to start at 7 am and finish at 5 pm. That's way more than I can reasonably expect, let alone want, my children to have to do.

I'm going to give K12 till January. If I still feel this way then I'm going to consider doing this without them. I figure by January we'll have been homeschooling for 2 months and I should have a more accurate assessment of what we're capable of under their intense curriculum.

Part of me really wants to do this on my own. There are so many things that my area, San Diego, has to offer kids. There are workshops, free museum days, clubs, and just all around fun and educational events and whatnot. I keep picturing us doing all these fun and exciting things. Instead we're pouring over books and its a struggle to get them to do any of it.

I have so many ideas. Some of it will be book based. However, I also want my children to explore things. They're both very much kinesthetic learners. There's a group I signed us up for that does nature Walks and the kids do all sorts of science stuff. The aquarium used to have workshops on the weekends for kids. There are always cultural events. We have Sea World, the Wild Animal park, the San Diego Zoo, and all sorts of other things which could really enrich their science. There are tons of libraries throughout San Diego and each one has events, workshops, and clubs geared towards children (some fun adult stuff too).

The way I see it, if I wrote my own curriculum we could utilize all of this. We could use the library's book clubs to help get the kids more into reading. We could do all sorts of hands on science (for example they could learn about eco-systems by looking at the tide pools along the cliffs at low tide). When we do history and social studies they can do projects that teach them way more than just plain old reading would. We can learn foreign languages as a family (which we are doing now and loving). The possibilities are endless.

That is what I think of when I think of homeschooling. I don't think of children locked inside their homes pouring over volumes of books only doing one or two fun (ie. hands on) lessons a week.

I don't know what I want the most. To have a charter (ie. the virtual school) tell me what to do, when to do it, and focuses more on overall progress rather than individual learning. To be fair, K12 does a lot for the kids. I just feel like we could be doing so much more, in more depth, and if it's more enjoyable then the kids will learn more.

Am I being realistic here or does it sound like I'm being more of a dreamer rather than having my head rooted in reality?

Can't sleep

2011-11-12T07:38:11Z

Sorry for the cross post. It's almost midnight and I'm exhausted.

I've been thinking a lot today about my children and their wellbeing and education. I've talked with other homeschooling parents, teachers in CAVA, and reflected on what I had learned and read back when I started wanting to homeschool.

I've decided to take a slightly different approach.

1. Who cares about progress percentage! They will catch up when they are ready.
2. I so badly want to work on their learning style. I can see that Orion is a very kenesthetic learner while Kieriana is more visual and audio. Orion needs to feel and touch what he's learning. Then he's a total sponge. Kieriana, on the other hand, seems to hold back herself a lot. But at least she's not afraid to do the work.
3. They learn best when I'm not stressed.

What I need to do is to find ways for them to do their work in a manner which is enjoyable for them yet it still gets done. The rigid structure of K12 (while it is a wonderful program) just doesn't seem to give them enough time to get frustrated, have trouble, and want to be taught separately.

So here's the thing. I've come up with a way to teach them both and have fun with it.

I'm going to use K12 as a guideline. We will do some K12 but also supplement it with other methods. So long as they can answer the questions put forth by K12 (ie. assessments that are given to see if the children are understanding the work) yet learn in a way that is totally unique and highly enjoyable as well as educational.

I have my work cut out for me.

Back at it

2011-11-11T16:18:31Z

Hi everyone. The last time I homeschooled my son was in kindergarden. Then we moved to NY which turned out to NOT be a homeschool friendly state (at least not where we lived). Now we're back in California (San Diego) and are starting again.

My son is in 5th grade and my daughter is in 1st. We're using the K12 curriculum through California Virtual Academy. I love the curriculum...though I'm having trouble getting everything done each day.

I was wondering if anyone could give some advice for homeschooling 2 kids at once. I keep on trying to get my son to do some independent work but he's reluctant to do so. They both want one on one time with me. Normally I wouldn't mind, but as I said we're having trouble getting everything done as it is.

I've decided to not worry so much about how much time we have to get work done. I figure we can work till 2 or 3 and then do whatever we missed after dinner. The kids both seem pleased with that idea. So we'll see.

Any advice, though, would be most welcome!

homeschooling @ 2011-10-29T12:20:00

2011-10-29T11:20:08Z

Seems like an interesting article - what things can go wrong with homeschooling families. Really it is 'what can go wrong with any Christian family, homeschooling or not', but still...:)

http://www.joshharris.com/2011/09/homeschool_blindspots.php

Had to chuckle at one paragraph about homemade bread...

CAT Test on its way out?

2011-09-01T22:47:54Z

I just read that Oregon no longer accepts the California Achievement Test.

The Oregon Department of Education has announced that the CAT/5 and CAT/6 (TerraNova 2nd edition) will no longer be acceptable starting with students testing in the 2010-2011 school year.

Is Washington next? Has anyone heard any more information?

Hailey

homeschooling @ 2011-08-09T19:52:00

2011-08-09T23:55:53Z

Hi all. I have six children, ages 14, 12, 9, 7, 6, and 3.

I have hated them going off to school ever since the oldest one first started. I mean hate as in HATE. I can't begin to describe how much I hate it. I feel as though my only peace during the year is the ten short weeks I get when they are off during the summer. It just causes so much anxiety for me and seems to be nothing but one problem after another... from grades to drama to illness to teacher indifference to pushing to have my son diagnosed with Asperger's (another story, but part of the issues I've had over the years...) causing endless stress for everyone.

My personal health has declined steadily over the past nine years, mostly from the stress. It's getting to the point where if I don't do something about my health soon, I'm not sure what will happen. I have tried to get healthy in the past... seeing the doctor, getting medications I need, losing weight, etc... and while I do well in the summers when I am not worried about them being in school, it all quickly falls to the wayside once they are back and the misery sets in again.

However, even though I utterly despised them going off to school, I suffered through it all those years because I didn't feel qualified to teach them myself and wouldn't know where to begin.

Then, I heard of the online public schools that are offered here in Ohio.

There are several, but the one I am considering using is VCS - Virtual Community School of Ohio. http://www.vcslearn.org

It appeals to me because it would be a guided curriculum done at home, but they would still have an actual teacher to report to, and the structured learning of the public schools they are used to (for the record, I did not have a problem with the curriculum offered at their public school.) Plus, it is free... and they provide a computer for each child and sponsor field trips, dances, and other gatherings.

It sounds perfect! The kids think it sounds pretty awesome too.

But as I'm looking over the enrollment forms, I still find myself hesitating. Why? Why am I so afraid to do this?

Well... part of it is because my three year old is extremely active and it takes a lot of my energy to keep him focused and settled. I worry that 1) he will disrupt the older children, and 2) interfere with me trying to guide the younger children. I know he won't be like that forever, though... I've had a few three-year-olds in my time so I know they do grow out of this "wild man" phase.

Still, though... it's a concern.

Also, there's the fact that I will still have a ton of normal work to get accomplished during the day, and I'm not sure if there's time enough to add homeschooling... even if it is just more or less guidance... into the mix. Some days I feel as though I'm barely able to keep up with it all as it is. I'm talking about the laundry, cooking, and cleaning of course... but also the books and paperwork for our farm business which I do all myself, including the taxes.

I'm by myself a good portion of the day. My husband works 12 to 14 hours, seven days a week... unless it's storming or below zero outside. That's not a huge issue; however, I will have little help from him in all this. He's not 100% in favor of it, but he's not against it either. Mostly he worries about how I will be able to handle it along with everything else that I do and with the three year old bouncing off the walls like he does all day. And he's made it clear that while he won't stop me from doing it if I want to do it, it will be "my thing" and he doesn't feel he should be expected to help with it.

So all of those things make me doubt if this is the right way to go, even as much as I hate them going away to school and know it will sentence us to months of unrelenting stress, sleeplessness, bickering, and hard feelings.

However, I tell myself there are mothers out there who have MORE children than I do and who also not only guide their kids through homeschooling... but who develop the entire curriculum themselves too! How do they do it? Do they have help? Is their laundry more piled up than mine (not being snarky... just trying to figure out how they fit it all in.)

So... advice? Is this just a pipe dream? Is it possible that I can do this, or should I just send them off to school again and have us all be miserable for another ten months?

Recommendations for a recent transplant to Pacific NW?

2011-07-21T20:13:43Z

I just moved to Seattle, and am looking for information on any activity groups out here or in portland, OR area. Any advice is welcome, I have no connections out here! Thanks!

Homeschooled multiples yahoo group

2011-07-21T13:18:06Z

I just found this yahoo group for parents homeschooling twins, triplets, etc. It hasn't been very active lately, but I'm trying to spread the word in hopes of changing that, because I need help!

Anyway, I know there are some other multiple mommies on here, so here it is: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/homeschooledmultiples

online schools?

2011-06-30T18:34:13Z

Do any of you use online school options for your children?

I'm seriously consdering doing ECOT for my kids. I'm just wary... because to me, it seems almost too good to be true, and I don't know anyone who has had any firsthand experience with it.

What are your opinions on online schools?

"Children Teach Themselves to Read" by Peter Gray

2011-04-18T20:33:38Z

Interesting article about children teaching themselves to read. www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201002/children-teach-themselves-read

Of interest to homeschoolers of all stripes

2011-03-16T23:30:38Z

New research on how teaching more and more at earlier ages may actually be harmful rather than helpful.

"Knowing this, it's more important than ever to give children's remarkable, spontaneous learning abilities free rein. That means a rich, stable, and safe world, with affectionate and supportive grown-ups, and lots of opportunities for exploration and play. Not school for babies."

New Educational Blog

2011-03-15T17:07:27Z

Hey everybody! I'm new here. I'm posting to let you know about a blog I've created to help students of drama & theatre studies. On it I talk about plays and practitioners, explain words and phrases, give essay tips and comment on recent drama-related news and topics. The difference is that I welcome requests for topics to write about. Essentially, I want readers to tell me what they need help with, and I'll try my hardest to write about it in a way that answers their questions. My main aim is to help in any way I can!

This is a fairly new blog and I'm just trying to find people who may be interested in it. If you are, please 'follow' me, bookmark it or leave a comment. If you have your own blog, send me the link! :)

I hope it's alright to post the link here (click on the photo to take you to the blog). If not, please delete this post!

Thanks, I hope you find this useful. :)

A new early childhood activities community!

2011-03-14T05:34:44Z

Hi homeschoolers,

I created schoolish for parents of children toddlers through early elementary to share learning activities and experiences. It is a community to provide and find inspiration and ideas for things to do with your young children. It is not exclusively homeschoolers but a mix of homeschoolers, stay at home parents, and parents who want creative ideas to entertain and teach their young children.

If you have a youngster, please join, share your ideas and experiences with us, and invite anyone who may be benefit.

Thank you to buttercup22 for allowing me to get the word out here.

Newbie

2011-02-28T18:15:57Z

Hi! I'm SO excited to be in this group! I have ZERO support IRL to do this homeschooling thing, but I feel in my gut it's the right thing to do! I've been looking for some books to read about homeschooling and would absolutely LOVE any recommendations. I checked the tags and didn't find anything, so any suggestions would be great! :) Thank you!

Also...how do you 'deal' with people in real life saying RIDICULOUS things? Someone told me that because I was homeschooling my daughter, she would automatically be a "slut", because I'd be sheltering her so much. I was aghast and appalled and lost it so to speak with this person but I've gotten everything from that, to you don't want her to be socialized, to she's going to 'hate me' for it. Meanwhile, my 5 year old is PUMPED to be homeschooled!!

Hello and Looking for Advice

2011-01-23T00:04:30Z

Hello. My name is Heather and I am homeschooling my son Jeremy who is 2 years and 5 months old. There seems to be a lot out there for homeschooling older children, but I haven't found much for homeschooling children who in main stream society are typically attending daycare and preschool. Lots of websites have resources for parents to do this craft or that activity with their preschool aged child, but these usually operate on the assumption that the children are in some sort of official early childhood education program, and as many are commercially sponcered or governmentally sponcered, it is hard to assess their motivations and their adgenda. There are "milestones" charts all over the place that vary a bit from one to another, that get highly vague and sparse as children reach and pass 24 months, and I'm looking for assessment tools that early childhood educators would actually use, for the guide lines that social workers and early intervention workers use. I'm looking for activity and craft ideas that are not Holiday based ciriculum, that are not commercially based if possible and that are not purely visual or busy work.

Things I do not want:
flash cards,
dot-to-dots,
word searchs,
piles of work sheets,
colouring book images you fill in,

Things I'd Love:
activities involving all 5 senses,
activities spanning at least 2 major areas of education, math skkills and literacy skills, literacy skills and social awareness, etc,
ciriculum that is not gender biased and that is not politically motivated,

I'm having a great deal of difficulty finding a good fit for a community where I can get good ideas and feedback. I've tried communities for parents of blind children, but the vast majority of them are sighted, expect too little and set their children up for surviving, not thriving, or expect their children to be super blind children, and push them beyond belief without having the faintest idea of what it's really like to be blind. That and none of them I have spoken to are attachment parents or homeschooling families. I tried a community for green living, but most of those women, while wonderfully kind were not very realistic, buying their children wool sleepers that cost $80.00 a piece, that they would out-grow in less than 4 months, wooden toys that cost upwards of $15.00 for even one figure in a play set, who were very heavily into Waldorf education and we have no Waldorf schools anywhere near us, who lived on achers and achers of land and did extensive nature walks, and who couldn't contimplate the fact that I must live in or near a city to maintain my independence. I've tried communities for blind parents, but most of them are so concerned with "fitting in" and doing "the right thing" that all of them have their kids popped promptly into the first early intervention program they can find, and it's public school all the way.

Jeremy is a really bright little boy, but he's definitly a high needs child with a lot of potential, I just need some support and ideas from homeschooling parents.

I am not homeschooling for religious reasons, but for the reason that I am studying to become an educator and I've seen the state of our public schools, and have suffered the incompitance of public schools and TVIs, Teachers of the Visually Impared, and do not intend to subject Jeremy to that trial. I am an attachment parent, but pretty middle of the road. I believe in extended breastfeeding, but want Jeremy completely weened by age 3, and he is night weened now. I don't believe in the cry it out method, but I also do not give into toddler tantrums. I believe in the benifits of babywearing, but also in giving children opertunities to explore on their own, with supervision. I believe in the importance of both free play and structured learning. I try to be as green as possible, but I recognize that having the basics of food, shelter and clothing come first, and that making green choices within one's means is important. So, yeah, pretty middle of the road. I hope that's enough information for you all to get to know us and to perhaps offer up some resources or ideas. Have a great rest of your week end.