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Old 06-03-2013, 04:12 PM
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Default Homeschooling.. Where do I begin? Any Tips?

We've decided to homeschool our 2nd grader (will be in third next year). He has some developmental and behavioral issues due to being born very premature and he has also been diagnosed with ADHD.. The school years are getting harder and harder for him, and I really don't think that his school (or any of the local schools here) are for him. AT..ALL... He also has a tough time with other kids so we know that doing after school activities (sports and boy scouts) is good for him as far as making friends goes.. and I've been looking into the local homeschooling groups.
So I know my state (Vermont) is extremely supportive of homeschooling, and they often encourage it But I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed by the whole process... I know I have to apply with the state and do the legal mumbo jumbo... but where else do I begin? How do I choose a curiculum that is right for him and his needs (in school here he is on an IED)...
I know there are tons of homeschool families here.. does anyone have any suggestions for particular programs they've used/are using that you would recommend? He loves to go on the computer and it holds his attention so much more than paper/pencil and bookwork, so I'm leaning more toward online courses. (time constraints aren't an issue since I work at home)

Thanks!
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Old 06-03-2013, 04:37 PM
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First, make sure you're going to hslda.org to get exactly what you must legally do. Don't rely on an administrator to tell you. You're safer that way to follow the law in your state.

Switched on Schoolhouse and K-12 are good online school-in-the-box kind of programs. K-12 is used by many school districts for at-home care as well. SOS is another I've heard good things about (I think SharonKay used it with her boys).

We do very little pen to paper schooling at our house. I do use some worksheets to work on math and grammar exercises, but we do a ton of reading and a ton of talking and a ton of real-world / real-life learning. I let my boys type out assignments instead of writing when it's appropriate. We school everywhere in the house and rarely in a formal sit-down status except for math which we always do at the table. You can find many websites that do rundowns of the major curriculum, but you can buy a curriculum in a box or you can pick and choose and use from a bunch of different sources.

Just remember, Rachael, while you don't want to get on a curriculum junkie cycle, tossing curriculum every few months, understand that sometimes you'll choose something, and it just doesn't work and you'll have to choose something else. It's really okay. But do pick on the merits in relation to your son..not to you. You may love the idea of a ton of workbooks and textbooks but he may thrive on hands-on everything (this is a generalization, not specifically to you).

If this helps - here is a comprehensive curriculum review site of out of the box type systems for a full day

Here's a good way to read up about the different philosophies of homeschooling (let's you get an idea of what your ideal approach would be and maybe what your son's would be)

I love Well Trained Mind's forum. While Well Trained Mind is a classical approach to education that we follow loosely, the forum is for all kinds of homeschoolers - unschoolers - school at home - Christians - pagans, etc. And all types of curriculum are discussed, so it's a good place to browse what people are asking and what real-world users are saying about particular curriculums, etc.
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Old 06-04-2013, 04:55 PM
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I think Darcy said it all... LOL!

We are very analog around here, so if you need any book recommendations, I have some.
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Old 06-05-2013, 02:32 PM
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Here's a few things I can suggest.

Firstly, a great place to begin is to find a few Homeschool Support Groups or organizations in your area. Plan to attend at least 2 of their non-member upcoming summer meetings or events to make some contacts and start get plugged in with other homeschoolers in your city. Decide which group you would like to join (if any). In our area, there are several groups and I knew I couldn't afford to join them all. I chose 2 of them and rely on them heavily for co-ops, support meetings, group field trips, and helpful information about testing, evaluations, laws, etc. One group gives me a membership card that I use to get teacher discounts at Barnes & Noble and many other places. Another group includes registration with FPEA, the homeschool group for the entire state of Florida (this allows me to attend their annual convention at a deep discount).

Speaking of conventions... this is a big one for me. Not only do I love the exhibits there to get my hands on curriculum and do some shopping I ADORE the speakers and their encouragement. It's what keeps me going every year.

Look and see if there are any Homeschool Conventions in your area or state this summer. If possible, try to attend one. Look at some curriculum hands-on. In our city, there is an event called 'Curriculum Share Night' where moms bring their curriculum to a location for other moms to look at them. It's helpful for people to see what others are using and to talk about it. It's difficult to buy curriculum sight-unseen. At least for me it is.

We are using My Father's World. It's not computer-based, because I actually limit the kids from screen-time. I love it. It's a mix of Classical, Charlotte Mason (we mostly school this style), and Unit Studies. It is a complete curriculum including lesson plans with crafts, projects, and a book list to use when you visit the library. I supplement it with reading, phonics, handwriting, etc. (in case you're interested: Explode The Code, Draw. Write. Now., handwriting without tears, Rod & Staff readers). We do completely replace the MFW math with Singapore Math, also.

We don't do a ton of book work. I am a fan of finishing our table-time as quickly as possible and moving on to real-life learning through art, projects, play, and field trips. He does a fitness PE type program on Mondays and a Bible Club (Awana) on Wednesday, so even if I don't plan meet-ups or playdates that week he has plenty of peer time.

Also... You can call any curriculum company for a placement test or to get help with placement for their materials. You can also have him assessed by a local private homeschool evaluator and get advice from her to figure out what to buy, and at what levels.
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Old 06-06-2013, 02:08 AM
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I second Brook... and what Darcy said, too! If you can find somewhere to touch and feel the curriculum before you buy, please do! My first year I was all excited to get Calvert only to find that I hated it and my son was sooo bored...

When I first started thinking about homeschooling, one of our first things we did was the conference... mine has many sessions on "how to get started" and different ways you can homeschool. One thing to keep in mind is that what works for another family, may not be right for you. And that is what is awesome about homeschooling, totally tailoring it for your child.

I also checked out some homeschooling books from the library... here are a couple that I liked...
Top 100 curriculum
Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum
The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home
What Your [insert grade] needs to know (some use this as their curriculum).

I also joined a few facebook/blog groups... there are so many... I know there are many more that I belong too... really need to weed it down...
Hip homeschool moms
Homeschool Diaries
Practical Homeschooling
how to homeschool my child

I am very eclectic when it comes to my homeschooling... haha... We do a little traditional workbooks (my son LOVES workbooks), unit studies, lapbooks, computer, and even some unschooling thrown in for good measure. I really don't follow a set curriculum... however this year my "base" (and I use that really loosely) will be Saxon's homeschooling line for science, social studies, and language arts which will all be supplemented with hands on projects found on pinterest and a ton of reading... Math in Focus (Signapore) and Life of Fred... handwriting is Draw Write Now... Spelling is All about Spelling... Bible studies will come from Jellytelly.com weekly devotionals... Intro to History made up by me using Usbourne books.... sign language classes by Signing Time... etc. We are doing Classical Conversations this year... and this is our only "social" group we will be joining until I get a feel of how much work is going to be with CC. Our local paper museum hold a science class once a month just for homeschoolers... and our local performing art centers also open their school programs to homeschoolers to attend. There is just sooo much to do and so many museums, libraries, and YMCAs have programs for homeschoolers... the hardest is limiting down on what fits in the schedule...
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Old 06-07-2013, 10:54 PM
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Great thread! My husband and I recently attended the NCHE (North Carolinians for Home Education) conference. This was an awesome experience! I highly recommend checking out your state's conference...which will probably include a book fair where curriculum makers showcase their materials. Some of the vendors also gave separate seminars on their curriculums. You might want to check the NCHE website...they make their seminars available for MP3 download ($4/seminar). I was impressed by all of the talks led by Jeannie Fulbright (she also writes the Apologia Science curriculum). Our daughter is 3 (turning 4 in August) so we were mainly there on an information gathering mission. My DH and I split up...to get maximize the number of seminars we could take in. We learned about everything from education approaches, to choosing curriculum, to making freezer meals (to help save time).

I have started several interest boards to track resources, ideas, etc for schooling. We aren't going to use a curriculum this year but plan on doing unit studies that we make. Then the following year we are leaning toward My Father's World. We are not 100% sold on it...but we were impressed with what we saw at the conference.

There are also lots of online resources for those of use just getting started. One I really like that is tied into curriculum choices is HomeSchoolReviews.com. Also if your state has a division of non-public education their website should give lots of information for you.

I'll be watching this thread so I can learn too! Good luck getting started!
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Old 02-11-2022, 11:10 PM
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Homeschooling is great for kids who don't fit into the typical "box" of school. We were able to adapt curriculum, requirements and even testing. For example, my son who has dysgraphia (extreme difficulty writing) could type his assignments at an early age or I'd quiz him orally.

So much good information here. I'd definitely try to find other local families, it helps to have a community to bounce ideas off of and get together with.

We graduated 2 from homeschool (can't believe we're a former homeschooling family).

There's a lot of great info here. The only other things I'd add is to not be afraid to scrap a curriculum and try something else if something doesn't work for you. No matter how much research you do sometimes things are just not what you thought they'd be. Check out Amazon, eBay and homeschool group curriculum sales for used curriculum - you can save a ton of money that way. When my kids got older I enrolled in a homeschool co-op for science and english. That way someone else was the "bad guy" giving them due dates and tests!

It can be rewarding but also very hard. Give yourself some slack and if you have a really, really bad day, try again tomorrow!
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Old 02-12-2022, 12:09 AM
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You've received a lot of the great nuts & bolts of it all.

I'm here to tell you to breathe and relax a bit. It IS all very overwhelming when you first begin, but you and your child will find your footing and your own rhythm.

Be prepared to change your game plan as you get into it. There's how we think it should go, how we hope it will go ... then how you actually flow. I began with a single full curriculum, but within 6 months, found that she learned best with a. for English/Literature, b. for math, c. for science, etc.

That's part of the beauty of homeschooling to me, the ability to immediately adapt to how your child best learns. Are they visual or tactile? Do they prefer to read about it? Watch videos? Get out and get their 'hands on it'? All kids learn differently. Within a single family, all with the same environment & genes, yet everyone learns best in different ways.

Everything becomes homeschooling opportunities - in a fun way, not in a making everything a lecture kind of way. For example, when she was really young, learning multiples, when we would go for walks, we would make songs for them as we walked. Find an interesting bug/snake/reptile in your house/yard ... great time for some science/biology. So often, my girl was being 'schooled' without realizing it. Fostering that curiosity.

Also, there were days that it felt like pulling teeth to get her going with her studies, but then there were times that she was a sponge, starving to learn more... where I was the one begging to go to bed, because she had gone for hours and hours absorbing so much, not wanting to stop. It balanced out.

I promise, you're in the most overwhelming part of the whole thing right now - trying to figure "it all out". You're going to do great! Be patient with yourself and with your student! You got this!
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