Any Homeschoolers out there?

M

momtoaaa

Guest
Hi Cathe Friends,

I was just curious if there were any homeschoolers out there. I am considering homeschooling my kids next year for K and 1st grade. Any advice would be appreciated.
Jennifer
 
Hi Jennifer,

I have no advice. I'm also new to this and planning to homeschool my 5 yo as soon as my "stuff" comes in. Good luck. I've seen lots of posts from homeschoolers so I know there's advice to be had out there. I'll be looking forward to the answers you get.

Robin.
 
I homeschooled my first two kids through 3rd grade, and I am planning on keeping my second two home next year. It will be K and 2nd. My big two are in 5th and 6th now. I loved it. I probably would have continued if I wasn't having babies at the time. If you have any specific questions about what I did, I would be happy to fill you in. The most important thing to remember is that there is no "correct" way to educate your child. What works for one family could be a disaster for another. Talking to other people can give you ideas for what you might like to try, but don't think you have to do something just because someone else says it is better, or more effective. Concentrate on what your family needs, and what works best for you. I am no expert, but I have definitely learned that there is no one perfect schooling option. We have always committed ourselves to one year at a time and we re-evalute every year. My 1st grader went to a private school this year and he will be homeschooled next year. The older two were in private school last year and will probably go to public next. I hope some of this helps. Janet
 
FYI...

I've homeschooled for 6 years now and if you consider homeschooling with a "classical" educational based curriculum, I suggest a site called www.welltrainedmind.com. It has a well run forum for parents with homeschooling questions. Also, Yahoo has something called "Yahoo Groups" where some homeschooling groups post get togethers, field trips, classes taught by former teachers for the kids. You can log on and see if there is a group local to you. It's also categorized by the type of homeschooling you are doing. (Christian based, unschooling, classical, etc.) I'm sure the more you ask around, you'll be deluged with info. Also the library and www.amazon.com will help you with books on homeschooling. Everyone seems to teach differently, so you really have to find a program, or several, that meet your needs. Have Fun! Jackie
 
HI! As a public school teacher (currently 1st grade, formally K) and an avid early childhood enthusiast, I am curious why you chose to homeschool your children. I personally have nothing against it if it's done right. My friend chose to homeschool her two children (Pre-K and K) and loves it-and from what I can tell, they are developing quite well. One word of advice, make sure your children get plenty of time to socialize with many other children. I believe that social skills are an intergral part of early childhood (or any age for that matter). Good luck. If you have any questions, let me know.
 
Why I decided to homeschool...

Hi Jaypea,

Well I decided to homeschool for several reasons. My kids have been in a great christian private school this year, I have loved it and have no complaints. I want to homeschool because I feel like I could instill our christian values better, and nothing beats one on one education. I do feel Private and Public schools expect each child to be the same. For example, sitting still for an 1hr and a half... I just don't see the point. I feel like there is alot of "filler" time in schools as well. To be honest I have always shunned Homeschooling...but God had other plans:) He has opened my eyes to many things and has softened my heart alot.
I totally agree with you on the socialization thing....that was my BIG worry at first. I do live in a town with an awesome support group and co-op and there are lots of social activities. Not only that but my children already have several close friends that are already homeschooled.
I have talked this over with my children and they are "surprisingly" excited. Both of my kids are very social at school, and they have made good friends, they have had no problems at all.....so I asked them "Won't you miss your friends at school?" They said, "No, we can still have them over on weekends and we will make new ones too". They will also go to an enrichment program on Tuesday's from 9-3, so their is potential for socialization there.
We are going to take it year by year....Oh one other thing, I am hoping to put them in a parent based school when they get into the 3rd grade. This is where they will go to school twice a week and then I will tutor them the other 3 days...this school goes through high school with sports, ect.... This is the first year it is open, so really it will be the best of both worlds.
I guess another reason I want to homeschool is because I really miss them when they are gone and I want to be the one who see's them learn, not their teacher. Thanks for reading....any comments are welcome:) Jennifer
 
Hi JamminX3,
thanks for the link, that was very interesting:)
 
RE: FYI...

Hi Jackier,
thanks for the reply I will look up that site. Have you ever heard of Five In A Row? Sounds pretty interesting. My kids are doing A BEKA at their private school, so I thought of just continuing that for now. Their is a cirriculum fair coming soon, so I sure I will be given too much info then:)
Thanks again, Jennifer
 
RE: Why I decided to homeschool...

Jennifer, I'm with you. I want to be the one to see them learn, not a stranger. I loved your explanation of why you want to homeschool.

My son is three right now and seems to be a difficult child.;-) I want to homeschool him but the thought really scares me. My reasons for wanting to do this include that "filler time" that Jennifer mentioned. I think our kids are in danger in some of the schools in our area. I would also miss my son but I know there is a time to let go but I really want to try homeschooling. I want to be a big part of my son's life because they grow up so fast and then have their own families. The influence they receive from teachers and students alike is not usually the influence that I want him to have. No offense to all the good teachers out there. My mother's best friend is a teacher and I know there are a lot of good, dedicated teachers. Because of my son's stubborness it may not work out for us but I wanted to try anyway. It just scares me that I won't teach the right things in the right way. BUT if you think about it we teach them from birth sooooo....I don't know!!!

Kelly http://www.sgtfuzzbubble99.homestead.com/files/Smilies/De_Niro/eeyore.gif
 
The homeschool decision

I've been homeschooling since my oldest was in kindergarten. She's now in 7th grade, and I have 3 other children I'm teaching as well. In terms of instilling my morals and values, I agree with what others have said. This is my time to help prepare my children to face serious pressures, much heavier than anything we had to deal with as kids. If they have a strong foundation, they are more likely to be able to withstand those pressures. Plus if we have built a strong family relationship, they are more likely to know they can count on us if they DO get in over their heads. I'm not saying that you can't do that with your kids in a public school, but that it can be harder because so much of the time your kids aren't with you.

I also like the fact that I can tailor the program to the needs of each individual child. What worked well in history with my older daughter wasn't working at all last year for her sister. We started over trying different teaching techniques 3 times when it became clear that she wasn't "getting it," and eventually changed history programs altogether. On the other end, that same daughter was bored silly with the math we were doing because it was too easy. We began letting her "test out" of chapters by demonstrating at least 90% comprehension on the chapter tests. Then on chapters where she wasn't able to achieve 90%, she worked through the whole thing. So at the same time she was in a holding pattern with history while we tried to figure out what would work for her, she was charging ahead in math at mach speed. A public school teacher just doesn't have that freedom to tailor the program for each of the 30 kids in the class. Plus I know my child better, so I can more easily discern if a lack of achievement results from lack of motivation or lack of comprehension.

We are part of a support group, and our kids have many friends. We go on field trips, have meetings and monthly social activities, parties, etc. I don't believe that it's necessary to their social development to be in a classroom with 30 or so other youngsters all day, 5 days a week. Homeschooled kids on the whole are well-adjusted, confident, outgoing children. Sure, there are exceptions, but for the most part parents who choose to homeschool are actively seeking the very best for their children, just like the parents of public schooled children. :)

There are no absolutes in making choices for our kids. It would be so much easier if there were. :) For our family, homeschooling is the right choice. We love it, and wouldn't choose anything else. :D

Erin
 
RE: The homeschool decision

I'm glad you highlighted the ever so controversial "socialization" issue that people worry about with homeschooled kids. It makes me laugh and sometimes irritated to think that people believe because we homeschool, they won't have social skills!!!! And it seems to be an issue homeschoolers are always having to defend themselves on. As you have pointed out, Erin, there are support groups, as well as mentoring from relatives, neighbors and other adults. The homeschooling community has grown so much, I don't know if most people realize it isn't the same small movement that it was years ago. I strongly believe it is not for everyone, and I also believe if you find you can't devote the time to it, you need to stop doing it and put your kids back in some formal education. My husband wasn't sure about it, but after 2 years he was telling everyone at work they should do it, and this is from a man of few words!!!!

Jackie
p.s. Sometimes I hate to post on this issue because I'm so afraid people will be critiquing my grammar and spelling, thinking how awful it is that I'm teaching my kids grammar!! Truth is, when I post, I'M NOT REALLY PAYING ATTENTION to how I write because I'm usually rushed!!!(LOL)
 
RE: The homeschool decision

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Apr-11-02 AT 01:46PM (Est)[/font][p]Hi again, Thanks so much for all the great responses.... I also wanted to say that I am not trying to offend public school teachers either...there are some awesome teachers out there, but with class size they cannot teach one on one and it is hard to control what is being said to your children by their classmates. Just like stepping up said...I too want to bring them up on a strong foundation to get ready for the real world, and I don't want to have to retrain them when they get home from things we don't beleive. I am so excited about next year, and of course alittle scared!!! The cirriculum director at the private school we are at has helped me with cirriculum as well. What cirriculum do ya'll use? I am thinking about using the Five in a Row cirriculum and supplement that with Making Math Meaningful, ACSI spelling and Saxon Phonics. Any suggestions are VERY welcome.
Thanks Jennifer
 
I currently teach a K/1 multi age class. My advice would be to make sure you are properly informed/trained in early literacy techniques. Kindergarten and First grade are CRUCIAL years for setting your child on the path toward becoming a successful reader. I had a student come to me this year whose mother homeschooled him using a charter program for kindergarten. He was extremely bright, but only knew the names of the letters and not the sounds and therefore could not even begin to write anything. He also had no concept of the difference between a word and a letter. These concepts are not built in to children's brains, they have to be taught and the program this mother used was not adequate. Reading is a complex process with many equally important components. If you can find a program that encompasses all the aspects of a balanced literacy program and provides training, then I'm sure homeschooling can be a wonderful experience. Please let me know if you have questions or need advice, I'd be glad to help.

Lauren :)
 
Robin,

We have been homeschooling for 2 years now. My oldest is 7 We use five in a row{awesome}and math u see. One word of caution: The first year is the hardest!! Go easy on yourself. A Kindergartener only needs about 1-1.5 hours of "instruction" a day with plenty of fun playtime.Don't go crazy {like me} and frustrate yourself and your child!


GOOD LUCK
Jessica
 
Hi Jennifer,

Just saying hello from another homeschooler. I've got four children from ages 7 to 19 and have (so far) homeschooled them all from Kindergarten on. The 19 year old we graduated from high school last year. One of the things I love about the experience is learning along with my children. Lately we've used a lot of the materials from Sonlight curriculum and we've "lived through" so many fascinating experiences together through many of those books. By the way, if you end up being one who, like myself, reads aloud a lot to the kids, after exercise can be a great time to do some of it--I do my cardio and then read to them while doing a long stretch session. Plenty of time to hold the stretch--my kids are very used to seeing Mom read in quite odd positions! It's been a joyous, scary, frustrating, rewarding experience and I wish you all the best in your own homeschooling journey. --Karen
 
We homeschool, too! I have been exercising in the late afternoon lately because our school is in the morning. At the moment our school age kids are in 5th grade, 4th grade, 2nd grade, and kindergarten. We have two littler ones, a 3 year old and a 10 month old. Homeschooling has been great for our family!
 
[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Apr-12-02 AT 05:25PM (Est)[/font][p]Hi momof6,
What kind of cirriculum do you use? How do you schedule your day with everyone? How long does your usual "school" day last? Sorry for all the questions, I am alittle nervous about this, I am scared they will want to go back to their Private Christian school after we start. Thanks Jennifer
 
Hi Jennifer

I thought I'd give you some great links to check out!! I homeschool on and off. Right now my kids are in public school (they despise it). Next year I'm going to homeschool the younger one again, and the older one has not decided if he wants to try middle school or not.

http://www.vegsource.com/homeschool/
http://clpress.hpwebhost.com/
http://www.sonlight.com/
http://www.home-school.com/
http://www.hslda.org/
http://expage.com/page/folclegal
http://www.homeschool.com/

Well, this should be a good start! Enjoy! And let us know how things come along for you. :)

Hollie
 
momtoaaa,

I am another homeschooler. I have been homeschooling for 10 years. We have ten children, but only eight are at home. The other two are 28 and 25.

I have taught five of my children how to read so far. I just make sure to give them plenty of phonics (through grade five). They are all good readers, so I must be doing something right.

The children I am teaching now are in the 9th, 7th, 5th, 1st and kdg. and I also have a 3 year old and a 14month old (climber - he gets into everything while I am homeschooling).

I do have a 5th grader who is ADD to the max. Homeschooling him is harder than doing the other four together. He has a very hard time focusing on any one thing for more than one minute and with all the kids at home and a new puppy, there is alot to distract him.

As long as you do the basics and as others say do not be too hard on yourself. I know what I was like my first year - I made myself a wreck worrying if they were learning or not. Well, I worried for nothing, they have learned well.

Sometimes going with a structured curriculum the first few years helps. I did that for the first four years. Once I got the experience I needed and some good websites to order from I went on my own.

Oh yeah, sometimes your house cleaning is not the best, but, oh well, things eventually get done.

Good Luck

cmoroney
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top