Homeschool Mommas...come here :)

[nun69]

ok homeschooling mommas...I am seriously considering quitting my job (CRAZY I Know) and homeschooling Peyton. Even though he is in a more one on one classroom type this year, I feel like he can learn alot better at home with me. My question is, where do I even begin? I have no clue where to start, what is involved, how it all works, etc etc.....can you girls help me out please

[YepBrook]

Oh boy! Starting is the hardest part... so, prepare yourself for doubt, resistance (from family, friends, and teachers) and lots of mixed advice. Everyone has a different way of doing things and homeschooling is one of them. The first thing I would do is get connected to some local homeschool groups for more information.

Here is the Washington State homeschool organization:
http://www.washhomeschool.org/
Skagit county is in region 5:
http://www.washhomeschool.org/homesc...g/whoReg5.html

This homeschool group sounds great:

Harmony Home School Group - South Skagit and North Snohomish areas
Harmony draws members from Everett, Arlington, Stanwood, Camano Island, Mount Vernon, Burlington and surrounding towns. We are a supportive, inclusive group whose purpose is to provide practical knowledge and support, share resources and coordinate outings among our members. We have families using a broad range of homeschooling methods.
www.harmonyhomeschoolgroup.com
Contact Tanya Lopez for more information. tanya.lopez75@yahoo.com

The first thing I did was to find a homeschool group in my area. Then, I called and emailed to find out more information. Often, a group will have several nights a year especially to educate moms about homeschooling and help out newbies. I started by going to a "so, you're thinking about homeschooling" type mom's night out. They pretty much answered our questions and presented a quick 'how-to' and had some resources for us... like the state's requirements, and how to get started. Or, if it's a smaller group in your area, they might just invite you to come to one of their regular meetings and then you can ask them questions.

My second step was attending a homeschool convention. There are lots of them in this area, but I learned the most from the one held by our state homeschool organization, FPEA. The convention had speakers who spoke about a range of things (from law, to methods of educating, to mushy-crying 'I love my kid' stuff). The convention also had a HUGE exhibition hall where many, many, companies had booths to sell their books, paper supplies, educational stuff, and curriculum. It was in the exhibition hall that I found the curriculum I felt good about using to teach Ben. I think it's nice to go see it in person, flip the pages, and talk to someone who knows it well before choosing what you will teach with.

Here's a link to your state's convention:
http://www.washhomeschool.org/conven...onvention.html

I think the key is getting connected to local homeschooling families, and finding a few who are interested in helping you get started. A support group of mom's who you can call when you feel 'stuck' or need ideas. That's a must!

[dailydwellin]

You got a great answer from Brook!

I think the first step would be to research the homeschool laws in your state to see what your requirements would be.

Finding a local homeschool group and getting involved with them as far as asking questions would be helpful, too. They will also be your main line of support once you get started.

[OneHappySahm]

Wow, great answers! The only thing I would add is don't get overwhelmed! It's easy to do because there are so many choices and opinions and websites and books, but eventually it all shakes out and you figure out what your kiddo needs.

Homeschooling is one of the best decisions I've ever made, and I am *so* glad I didn't give up in the beginning when it was hard.

PS I'm new here so I don't know if you're the praying kind, but prayer is really what got me through the hardest parts.

[Kara]

Angie, we're doing a virtual academy with Logan (age 6) this year and so far, it's been a positive experience. I have always been interested in homeschooling, but at this point, I just didn't have the time to do it independently and this has been a good hybrid solution for us.

It is through the public school system and so all of your materials are resources are provided at no charge, but the parent is the primary teacher. All teaching is at home but there are some online classes. My 1st grader has a 30 minute live lesson every Monday morning with his class, but that's it. You also have a teacher who is involved to some degree, but their involvement can be fairly minimal, or more substantial if you have specific needs.

What I LOVE about it so far is that Logan can progress at his own pace and can take breaks as needed. He can run around the table reciting his skip counting if he wants to. He can lay on the floor and do his math problems if he needs a change in position. We can cuddle up on the couch and do his reading. We can do two lessons of science at a time if he's really into it and save history for tomorrow.

I really, really like how laid-out the program is for us. Everyday, I just log into the online system and it tells me what lessons are scheduled for today and what materials are needed. It's very open-and-go and requires minimal preparation on my part. And yet it's fairly flexible, so today we did a bunch of phonics assessments because he's already reading well and were able to skip a couple of units in that course. Some of it is online, but most of it is offline. He seems to really like the online stuff and the extra attention from me.

We pulled him out of our neighborhood school because of ongoing behavior/anxiety/depression issues, and because we felt strongly that he has really been lost in the mix of all of the chaos in our family and needed some extra attention. So far, it's been a great fit for us. I'm not sure what we'll do next year, but I do know that this is working for us now.

Here's a link to the program; there are virtual academies in many states:

http://www.k12.com

The school itself offers a variety of field trips and activities for students -- they're optional, but we're planning to participate as we have time.

[nun69]

Originally Posted by Kara

We pulled him out of our neighborhood school because of ongoing behavior/anxiety/depression issues, and because we felt strongly that he has really been lost in the mix of all of the chaos in our family and needed some extra attention. So far, it's been a great fit for us. I'm not sure what we'll do next year, but I do know that this is working for us now.

omg this sounds sooooo much like Peyton!!! liek to a tee!!!!!!

[anneofalamo]

I cried, prayed and cried more the first year, but I tell you it was the BEST decision for us for my kids at that time. We became so close.
I give you my favorite site
http://guiltfreehomeschooling.org/
because I lived in guilt and condemnation until I started reading her stuff, and she helped me to laugh

[Beth Swann]

We used the k12.com online virtual academy last year as well. It's very comprehensive and provides you with so many resources. It's a great program and it was free because it connected through a local charter school. And I didn't have to plan any cirriculum, it was all laid out for you already for the entire year.

I think my best help during that year was networking with a friend from high school who had been doing it for years with her own kids. Connecting with other parents will totally help you save your sanity! The k12 program had tons of opportunities for connecting with other parents in the same program, which I thought was nice to have.

Good luck!