Off Topic Advice from other homeschooling families

[mariposa]

You are correct. I don't usually look at this forum. Did not mean to offend.

But it seems that you are awfully defensive about your "lifestyle choice". Is no one allowed to disagree? Thought that was what a "forum" was for.

Actually, you are the one coming off as defensive, popping in on a thread addressed to homeschoolers and being negative about homeschooling. Yes, people can disagree, but she was asking for advice from other homeschoolers, she didn't ask for the pros and cons of homeschooling. If you had read, you would see she is a public school teacher, so I am sure she has come to this decision after much consideration.

I find it extremely irritating when parents that choose public/private schools have to be rude to homeschoolers. The ones that are usually so rude and defensive are usually the ones that haven't researched educational choices and are uneducated about homeschooling in general. Homeschooling is a valid choice, though admittedly not for every family. Most people that choose homeschooling have done it after doing a lot of research and thought, can you say the same about the majority of public/private school parents? I doubt it (and I am not trying to bash anyone here, just stating from my personal experience). I know many that don't question it at all, which is fine, just don't bash those that do and happen to choose something else.

I am not rude to people who don't homeschool. It is their choice, just as homeschooling is mine. I don't drill my friends that send their kids to school as to why they don't homeschool. I expect the same respect that I give those that public/private school their children.

 

[mariposa]

Ellabella, we have several (now ex) teachers in our homeschooling group that have chosen to homeschool. I find them great resources! Good luck with your daughter!

 

[nevertooold]

But it seems that you are awfully defensive about your "lifestyle choice".

I am not defensive about homeschooling at all, not even a little. Been doing it a long time... very happy in our decision.

But your original post was rude and contradictory.

For some reason homeschooling is one of the social phenomena that people feel free to voice their opinions about without being asked. It's like walking up to someone with a large family and randomly saying "I'm not a fan of that"... no one asked. That is not a "defense" it's just true.

 

[ginnymac]

I have to agree that for some reason homeschooling is something that people have very strong opinions about. It has gotten heated on other boards that I have frequented in the past. Not really sure why. Not every system is right for everyone.

But this thread was not intended to debate homeschooling, but to discuss schooling programs.

I do not homeschool myself, but definitely thought that the previous comments were uncalled for.

 

[teamgirl]

homeschool

This thread has been very useful for me. I am happy to learn that so many families here at the Chalk Bucket homeschool. I understand that people homeschool for many different reasons.

My daughter goes to public school, I'm a member of the PTA and volunteer in her classroom once a week. I also have always "sort of homeschooled" her. When asked, she tells people that she goes to school and is homeschooled.

The idea that the education of children stops when they leave the school building, or that the only people who teach children are teachers is ridiculous to me.

I feel that ultimately it is my responsibility as her parent to make sure she is learning., and that I play an important role as to what it is she is learning.

 

[thnkGd4kds]

This thread could not have come at a better time for us. I know the original question was regarding starting to homeschool kindergarten. Does anyone have any advice or resources for someone starting to homeschool high school age? Or tips?... LOL...Warnings?

Annabanana, please get a copy of Teenage Liberation Handbook, which is an excellent homeschool reference for teens and their parents. Everyone who I know has read it has found it extremely helpful. Also, I recommend giving your teen ample time to sort of deprogram from school by not demanding or even heavily encouraging any sort of learning. (Some people say a month for every year of school attended.) Even if school was a positive experience for your teen, as it was for me, this time will help her to develop a true passion for learning and a deeper understanding of herself, both crucial at this age. While she is in the "deprogramming" stage, read Teenage Liberation Handbook yourself (you can leave it in an obvious spot for her to "find" and read on her own if she'd like), and check out such sites as hs2coll, an online group for homeschooled high school kids who will attend college.

I find it extremely irritating when parents that choose public/private schools have to be rude to homeschoolers. The ones that are usually so rude and defensive are usually the ones that haven't researched educational choices and are uneducated about homeschooling in general.

Me, too! I actually think that some of this is from a feeling of guilt, as well. I wish people would not feel the need to comment about things that they disagree with, but I've run into this with most of my parenting choices, from natural childbirth to nursing (and extended nursing, at that) to homeschooling, and many other more "natural" choices that we made after extensive research. Really, I don't make rude comments to them about their choices, why should they feel free to attack mine openly? Again, I go back to the guilt theory . . . But I digress, and I'll go back to the original topic . . .

I am one of those who was a teacher before. It's one of the reasons I homeschool. Does that mean that I'm against public or private school? No (although I've found that there are so many reasons I'm glad that my children do not attend either). It's just a choice we made, and we're happy with it! I hope that you feel that you can come here for support, Ellabella, and whomever else is beginning their homeschool journey, whether you homeschool for just one year or more. This is, after all, the "off-topic" spot. (And, even it was not, many upper level gymnasts and elite hopefuls do homeschool, so I think it's more "on-topic" than off! )

 

[Linsul]

I'm really thankful for this thread and the insight to homeschooling it provides. I currently do not homeschool, but have recently been faced with an issue that warrants a look. In the interest of expressing my reason, not as a thread derailment, it has to do with the history and social studies changes in Texas that were voted in by the Texas State Board of Education on Friday. My worry is that such skewed and agenda heavy curriculum, combined with the highly obedience-centric and memorization methods already in place (at my daughters school, this is not a slight on schools statewide) will meddle rather than educate. I am genuinely scared of this, and would rather remove my daughter than have to re-educate her so heavily that school becomes pointless.

My daughter will be in 2nd grade next year. I'm going to use the links here to check out the homeschooling options. I'm worried about the social aspect and her having nobody to study with I'll be honest. I'm sure there are groups available though, I'll find something.

 

[Shelovesthebars]

Ellabella,
I have 2 friends that homeschool. One uses Abeka and loves it. The other one only homeschools one of her 5 children because she is gifted and her mom felt that her needs were not being met at her school. She was a physics teacher and now stays home.
I went to register for kindergarten last month and requested a different schedule than the school wanted my dd to be on. The administration told me basically that it was a waste of my time. I just said that I would just homeschool because that is what I want anyway. (My dd wants to go to kindergarten.) Funny thing is they actually gave me the schedule I suggested. My daughter is reading, and writing and just wants to go to be with kids. I will homeschool her most likely for first grade however.
I homeschooled her this year because she was ready and I didn't use anything but early readers, fun workbooks, dry erase boards, cooking with recipes, and whatever else she was interested in. Let your daughter be your guide.

 

[mariposa]

Linsul,

A homeschool support group has been amazing for our family. We meet once a week during the school year for park day and the kids play and the parents chat about life, homeschooling, etc. We do field trips with this group and it really provides a great place for Abby to hang out with other kids that homeschool. Some days I don't want to go to Park Day, but the girls always do, so off we go. I am sure there are many in Texas and you could find one that works for your family!

 

[annabanana]

Wow! This whole topic is fascinating to me. The more I read about homeschooling, the more excited I get. I really think it is the right choice for my dd.

Linsul,
My advice to you is to follow your gut on this. Many times over the years I have felt like you. Something was not right with curriculum, procedures etc. Yet every time I ignored my gut feeling. I now have a daughter going into high school. Looking back, I sure wish I would have looked into this a long time ago.

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

I just feel the need to put in my two cents worth here as well. Let me say that I have NOT homeschooled my children. I probably should have homeschooled my oldest who is now 23... but at that time I thought, as I think many think, it was only for those who were conservative religious groups who didn't want their children "exposed" to the bad influences in the public school system. This is what my homeschooling friends TOLD me, so that's what I thought it was all about. I think that stereotype still exists today. So I didn't even entertain the thought.... I thought my kids needed to be exposed to people from all religious backgrounds, all political points of view, etc.

Now, of course, I know better. I remember my oldest coming home from school in TEARS in 7th grade and asked to be homeschooled, and I refused. He had Tourettes syndrome and was being picked on and bullied at school. It breaks my heart and is bringing me to tears just to type this now. I can go on to say he graduated from high school and has just graduated from Virginia Tech, so at least his story has a happy ending. But I still suffer the guilt about not exploring the option.

I just didn't even know HOW to go about homeschooling, didn't think I was qualified and didn't know about all the support groups out there.

Every family is different and all the schooling options just give every family a choice about how to educate their children. It is such a personal decision. I honestly think that Gifted, learning disabled and even children who just don't seem to "go with the flow" would benefit from a home school environment.

But just to even out the discussion, my daughter has absolutely thrived in our public school system. Granted, I know every public school system is different and we do enjoy the benefit of a nationally ranked school system here in northern Virginia. I can honestly say that kindergarten is NOT subsidized day care here. Most of our children come out ready to read at the first grade level and have their basic math skills (I'm referring to the kids who came into kindergarten NOT being able to do those skills).

Every child is diffferent and it's great that we have all of these educational choices today.

 

[emorymom]

OK. Around here the typical well-educated family doing secular home schooling will do this for kindergarten:

Explode the Code, and / or guided reading (child reads to tutor / tutor helps with any mistakes), or free reading if the child is far enough along

Singapore math, or another math curriculum, at the child's level

Handwriting drill print-outs off the internet etc. You could print these out over the weekend for your mother, if you want to drill handwriting this year. I'm personally not a big fan of spending a lot of time on handwriting at age 5 unless the child has a lot to say in writing. Mine don't yet.

Rosetta Stone in target second language. Big investment but I highly recommend; my 5 and 6 year olds have been using it for a couple of months.

Don't buy curriculum from a box. It defeats one of the main advantages of home schooling: child can work at his level! My 5 year old, who would be age eligible for K this year, reads at a 3rd grade level, writes at a K level, and does math at a 1st grade level. Given that he just started spending a significant amount of time reading to himself, I would assume by the time the school year rolls around he might read more on a 4th or 5th grade level. This is not to brag but I see, and hear over and over, that many people have buyer's remorse for spending so much on boxed curriculum when they only used .3-.5 of it.

The above should take one child and tutor approximately 1 hour a day. Any more and you will just suck the life out of a typical child. Leave 'em wanting more.

Electives:
team sports / pre-sport (e.g. gymnastics class if not on team yet)
dance class
art class
music class and/or instrument study and/or choir
Scouting
church

Activities:
visit pool / playground / skating rink
hikes
getting out the paints and paintbrushes, crayons, etc. free-art
volunteer work
cooking, cleaning

My daughter did K the year she was turning 5 in October. She had LOTS of activities because that is the kind of kid she is. She was probably in class / practice / etc. about 12 hours a week.

My son did K the year he was turning 5 in January. He did not have many activities as he prefers to be "in charge," willing to submit to me but doesn't want too many bosses. At my insistence he went to gym 2x a week and swim team 2x a week (but most months I coached him in privates during those swim times). He strongly dislikes activities. He likes: playing with boys, particularly naughty boys if he can find them. He likes holing up in a room with a book in his lap and a different audiobook going on the cd player. He likes exploring and inventing. I mentioned to him that I was thinking of putting him in choir (has a great voice) and he explained at length that he was capable of being self-taught in that area and really developing himself without choir. Plus I am supposed to be doing more guitar with him. Sigh. Daughter was easier.

We are really busy this summer and on school days (we go year round) we are doing Rosetta Stone, and a comprehensive grade-level workbook. The workbook is not the best for skill acquisition and it jumps all over the place but we are more laid back in the summer and if they are reading the instructions, doing some math pages and some language game pages involving writing, that's enough for me. They have to read, which they enjoy. DD needs to at least not backtrack in violin. She needs to spend some time on music play (at the keyboard, or the recorder, or singing). Gym and swim continue and dance has an intensive for 3 weeks in July. Now that she has bridged to Brownies as a rising 2nd grader, we work on a try-it activity several days a week.

I hope this helps.

 

[gymnut1]

That sounds so amazing. If I didn't have to work I would be right there!

 

[LMV]

This thread could not have come at a better time for us. I know the original question was regarding starting to homeschool kindergarten. Does anyone have any advice or resources for someone starting to homeschool high school age? Or tips?... LOL...Warnings?

How old are your daughters?

If you are wary about homeschooling you may also want to look into online virtual academies [if they are acceptable in your state]. Some of them also work with local schools for labs and allow kids to participate in some school activities.

 

[lilgymmie7]

This thread has been very useful for me. I am happy to learn that so many families here at the Chalk Bucket homeschool. I understand that people homeschool for many different reasons.

My daughter goes to public school, I'm a member of the PTA and volunteer in her classroom once a week. I also have always "sort of homeschooled" her. When asked, she tells people that she goes to school and is homeschooled.

The idea that the education of children stops when they leave the school building, or that the only people who teach children are teachers is ridiculous to me.

I feel that ultimately it is my responsibility as her parent to make sure she is learning., and that I play an important role as to what it is she is learning.

As a teacher, these words are music to my ears. If I could find a way and really, the COURAGE to homeschool my three children I ceratinly would do it. Currently our school system throughout the U.S. is a mess. Homeschooling seems like a viable and responsible reality for us all.