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Old 08-31-2017, 10:16 AM
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Default Homeschool Questions!

I think I have asked about this before, but it's been a while so asking again lol

We currently use the Monarch program from Alpha and Omega. I LOVE that they can sit and do it and I can work and step in when needed. It's nice with the record keeping too which will be more important next year when I have a high schooler (WHAT?!). It has a lot of glitches at times though which bums me out so sometime they will get bad grades simply because we can't get it to work right when clicking the correct answer. I LOVE the teachers area of Monarch. It is set up so awesome! Since we are moving I thought it might be a good time to re-evaluate and find something better. Browsing around and wondering what everyone likes which brings me to a couple of questions/thoughts!

1. What curriculum is out there that are already planned out? I do not enjoy the process of putting together our own and planning it out for the year. (other than adding in Math because I love Teach Textbooks)

2. What do you use or have used and would recommend/not recommend?

3. Are there any general groups for support on FB or anything where I can ask questions like this?
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Old 08-31-2017, 01:39 PM
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As you know, I use My Father's World https://www.mfwbooks.com/. It is VERY different from Alpha & Omega, so I'm not sure you would like it if you are enjoying A&O now. MFW is very teacher involved and hands on, filled with read-alouds, lots of interesting books, projects, with an emphasis on unit studies, notebooking, nature studies, and diving into the Bible together to see what God says about all aspects of the world we live in.

I spend 4-6 hours a day actively teaching the kids (3rd and 5th grade). We start at 9 or 10 am until lunch and then after lunch we have another hour or two sometimes. Of course, it is flexible and I can do more or less depending on how busy I am with work or if we have a playdate or field trip planned for the afternoon.

MFW includes Bible, History (very wonderful rich history studies full of *living* books - here's a link to explain what living books are: https://simplycharlottemason.com/faq/livingbook/), and science with some language arts exercises mixed in. If you buy the deluxe package it includes extra literature selections, music, and art studies. You add your own math, language arts, spelling, writing, etc. They have suggestions on their website for what to add depending on the child's grade and they have some books they sell that they think are the best choices for those areas. They tend to have books that are teacher-led but also a good use of time, so they are NOT time consuming in general, and I appreciate that. I know because some people don't or can't be involved in so many subjects, many people choose more independent books for spelling, math, and grammar than MFW suggests. We do all of their suggestions and I do sometimes feel stretched thin, but I enjoy teaching and being able to be connected with what they're learning and I can respond to them better when I am involved. So, for now this works for us.

Oh! Also, MFW includes a list of awesome supplement books in the back of every Teacher Guide called the 'Book Basket'. I am a book whore, so I try to buy as many of them as we can afford for our homeschool "library". My library has some of them, but many are old classics and only available used.

In FL, you do not need to keep a record of grades, FYI. Homeschool requirements in FL: http://fpea.com/about-homeschooling/requirements You only have to keep a portfolio of work and have your child evaluated showing that they made progress. I don't worry about tests or keeping a grade. I get them evaluated by a certified teacher who tests them and shows me their grade level in each subject at the end of the year. Following MFW, they've always advanced well beyond their grade level. Oh! In the kids portfolios, I keep a list of the curriculum I did with each child that year and I also save library reciepts and pamphlets from their extracurricular activities (their homeschool PE co-op, Awana clubs, field trips, etc). MFW is nice because it includes a grid schedule in the Teacher's Guide where I write what we do. I keep that as a record of our school, also.

Is this TMI???

ETA:
I love this FB group for talking about homeschool stuff. It's for people who use My Father's World or are thinking about it: https://www.facebook.com/groups/22809728031/
There is a group like this for ever year in the MFW cycle where moms share ideas and ask questions, this is the one we are on now: https://www.facebook.com/groups/133074396785675/
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Old 08-31-2017, 01:44 PM
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I don't have anything about it to say except that: every time I have to do homework or study for some test with Brian, I respect more and more who homeschool! Srsly! You all rock for doing it! I could NEVER! And work while doing it?



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Old 08-31-2017, 01:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Rubia Padilha View Post
I don't have anything about it to say except that: every time I have to do homework or study for some test with Brian, I respect more and more who homeschool! Srsly! You all rock for doing it! I could NEVER! And work while doing it?



I don't work much lately. It takes so much time, especially with 2 kids in 3rd and 5th grade! Ask Libby, we never see her anymore. She fell into the homeschool hole. Bye bye extra money! haha I work after school some days, and nights. It's hard.
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Old 08-31-2017, 01:55 PM
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I can only imagine it! Since Saturday studying with the kid and I am soooooooooo tired!!! hahah I could never do it. Well the good side is that I wouldn't have to spend lots of $ on school, but, stil... I couldn't. heheh
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Old 08-31-2017, 02:38 PM
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Ru, is school expensive in Brazil? Here, homeschooling is much more expensive than public school. Aside from supplies and sports/activities (which are optional), public school is basically free here. But homeschooling is usually MUCH less than private school, it just depends on how many groups you join, how many books you buy and any extra classes you pay for. Sometimes I feel like we spend so much money and then I look into what it would cost for private school and I feel better. LOL
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Old 08-31-2017, 02:47 PM
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We can't go for public school. I mean, we could, but things here are not good in public school... It is, actually, really bad. Like kids stealing things from other kids (cell phone included!) and things like that. :/

Today I spend around $350.00 at school with Brian. He goes to school from 7:45 to 12:15 every day. He can make an extra activity for free (he does taekwondo 2 times/week). But after last year and all problems we had, we went and look for a cheaper because "who cares", kwim? Last year we were paying around $450.00...

I read the other day São Paulo has a new school that is charging around $2.500! That is crazy!!! And they have a waiting list! That shows how things here are bad about schools! :/
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Old 08-31-2017, 03:25 PM
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$350 per month??? Yikes. That is expensive.
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Old 08-31-2017, 03:27 PM
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I know!

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Old 08-31-2017, 03:29 PM
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LOL Your GIFS are are best!!!
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Old 08-31-2017, 03:33 PM
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If i lived in the states and homeschooled i'd be broke because i'd need to be on expensive drugs too.. hahahahaha
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Old 08-31-2017, 03:39 PM
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hahahahahahaha

[Crystal is probably not happy with us messing her thread... sorry, gorgeous! ♥]
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Old 08-31-2017, 03:41 PM
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Originally Posted by KristinCB View Post
If i lived in the states and homeschooled i'd be broke because i'd need to be on expensive drugs too.. hahahahaha
Hehehe

I love teaching my kids and being with them. I like to be around people pretty much always. So, it works for me. But there's STILL days I wish I had drugs and I hide in my room with the door locked. LOL
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Old 09-01-2017, 12:20 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by YepBrook View Post
I don't work much lately. It takes so much time, especially with 2 kids in 3rd and 5th grade! Ask Libby, we never see her anymore. She fell into the homeschool hole. Bye bye extra money! haha I work after school some days, and nights. It's hard.
Amen! It is such a time suck... haha. Now I agreed to be a tutor for Jake's homeschooling class... OMG! Pray for me... this whole stick in the sand (keeping it easy and simple) is not me... I want pretty. I want pretty printables made from digi supplies... haha. We do Classical Conversations, which is enough - but as Libby knows from my rambling texts with her - nothing is "enough"... I have a full curriculum built around it only to feed Jake's requests to learn things more in-depth.

This year it seems I've done a shift to Charlotte Mason approach - almost everything I purchased follows this method. But we are staying in CC because of middle/high school time... it's pretty popular around here that if you don't stay with your community, you won't get back in. But it makes me so nervous - when Jake is in 7th grade, and in CC Challenge - there is no time for anything extra to be added... there is so much I want to learn with him... and I only have two years left. But so much is taught in CC Challenge that I know I can't replicate that at home... I wish my SILs would have kids and want them homeschooling... after watching Libby and Chloe - I would love to have a do over at those years!
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Old 09-01-2017, 12:31 PM
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You guys are so awesome! haha! There are a couple of my kids I could teach very well and love doing it but there are a couple more that I struggle with SO MUCH. I won't name names (starts with E and ends in a zra)...haha but a few of them are much more difficult in general! :/ I LOVE reading and projects and things but it is very hard to do with the strong willed child.

Brook, what does a portfolio of work consist of? This is where I am super confused. In Indiana we don't have to do anything. Nothing at all. I don't have to tell anyone I am homeschooling. I don't have to do any kind of testing or evaluations. Seriously nothing. So though you keep saying FL is super laid back, It feels complicated to me lol!

I feel like we are bleeding money right now with this stupid move (Do I sound jaded and unexcited yet? lol) and so I am freaking the freak out. *sigh* I even thought about k12 and supplementing Bible and things (We read together daily and things anyways..but I would like something for school and also something like Understand the Times for Gabe especially). I just don't know.

I am excited to start doing whatever I want with Jasper when he starts. That will be nice, but the older three are already so set in their ways in some areas and it's hard.
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