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Homeschooling where to start?

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  • Homeschooling where to start?

    So I think I'm going to end up homeschooling when we move next time. If we go to Hawaii, (there's a 60-70% chance), we will not be able to afford private school and public schools are dangerous for mainlanders. I am a tad bit reluctant to look into homeschooling, but I think mostly because I don't know much about it. The last time I looked into it (about 11years ago) there were not many resources. Unschooling was in vogue.

    I'm wondering if any of you could point me towards a book or a website or some other good resource where I could look into this more?

    My dd17 loves her online classes so much (this is a supplement to her regular high school classes-- she needed to make up some classes and took these on line and loves how efficient it is). Her enthusiasm for on line learning coupled with a presentation I went to the other day about the future of higher Ed (bring much more on line based) really made me think more about the viability of homeschooling the upper grades.

    My middle schoolers say their real friends are on the swim team, and that the friends they have at school are ok but not like their swim friends. They have asked me to homeschool them already because they never have time for doing anything, but don't want to give up their sports (and want to add more sports to the day). The easiest way to get more hours each day would be to homeschool. They have always been envious of the "free" schedules of their homeschooled friends.

    My elementary school son has had a hard time this year, but I worry about him finding any social outlets if he were home schooled. And with his adhd, homeschooling him scares me because i know id have to wirk with him allthe time. And he Can be a bear to get to focus when he is Having a bad day. But he can be absolutely the sweetest kid at other times. Plus I'm a terrible introvert-- just off the charts introvert- so it makes me have anxiety trying to imagine putting myself into awkward social settings to find friends for ds. I'm so lame!! But I know myself. I can get over myself, but how do you find good social programs/groups of homeschoolers?

    Dd4--- will be going into 1stgrade. I could send her to a private school probably. She's a firecracker and drives me bonkers, but she's a good worker. She's pretty easy socially though I think.

    So...

    Any ideas where to start looking into this? Next year they are all going back to school.

    I also would appreciate pointers for kids participating in school sports and school music programs if they are homeschooled-- does that really happen? People say it does, but I don't know.

    Man would I love to not have to drive 3 hours a day for school drop off and pick ups!!! And I would love to be able to take vacation in off peak times.

    But give me the down and dirty please. What you hate about homeschooling etc etc.

    I don't even know how many homeschoolers are here!! VGirl and princess Fiona... But??? Anyone else?? Rapunzel?
    Peggy

    Aloha from paradise! And the other side of training!

  • #2
    Funny, because I was just researching secular homeschool programs last night. I don't know where to start either! I will be eagerly watching this thread...

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    • #3
      I can't imagine doing dance or swim team or other time-consuming activity while attending traditional school. Their friends are so tired half the time.

      Let me get on he laptop tonight and I'll find some resources.
      Veronica
      Mother of two ballerinas and one wild boy

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      • #4
        Call me a homeschooler at heart. The introvert thing is pretty much all that is holding me back. I know there are groups locally we could join if we went that way, but UGH. Meeting new people.

        I like to examine the extremes of a subject as I begin to learn about it. For me this meant reading books by John Holt (one of the fathers of unschooling) as well as The Well-Trained Mind (an incredibly rigorous prescribed course of classical tutoring, based on history/literature/Latin/logic). And pretty much poring over the relevant section of the library every time I pass it to see if there's something new to check out.

        In the end I find that unschooling theory is fairly well-founded, enough that I trust that a child with enough resources and exposure to educational activities will explore her way into a reasonable amount of education. So if I guide and provide specific tasks along the way as well, we're doubly sure to cover the bases adequately.

        Rapunzel used the Well-trained Mind method last I heard. And I think V-girl uses a comprehensive curriculum?

        You can search online for curriculum reviews from people using various methods for different subjects. There are also brick and mortar homeschool supply store. I adore browsing the "learning store" a couple of hours from my house whenever we happen to be near it. We're doing Handwriting Without Tears, Singapore Math, Life of Fred, All About Spelling, and Building Foundations of Scientific Understanding, along with long conversations about biology/physics/chemistry/evolution/history as the subjects come up. Yes, I'm a bit ambitious, LOL.
        Alison

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        • #5
          Yes, we use Catholic Heritage Curricula for elementary, and Kolbe Academy for middle and high school. I have several unschooling friends. And a bunch of friends who don't use a boxed curriculum.
          Veronica
          Mother of two ballerinas and one wild boy

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          • #6
            We use HWT for Kenny. There's even an iPad app!
            Veronica
            Mother of two ballerinas and one wild boy

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            • #7
              RainbowResource.com is a great place to browse! Homesciencetools.com sells everything you need for your science lab!
              Veronica
              Mother of two ballerinas and one wild boy

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              • #8
                Originally posted by v-girl View Post
                We use HWT for Kenny. There's even an iPad app!
                Ooh, I will check that out! DS loves the "rules" for forming letters, and it's helped him so much with letter reversals.
                Alison

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                • #9
                  Following closely, I would love to homeschool in a few years!!!!
                  Married to a Urology Attending! (that is an understated exclamation point)
                  Mama to C (Jan 2012), D (Nov 2013), and R (April 2016). Consulting and homeschooling are my day jobs.

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                  • #10
                    They introduced HWT at dd4s preK. I wish I knew about it before!! My other kids all have strange handwriting but I really didn't notice until working with the HWT at the preK.
                    Peggy

                    Aloha from paradise! And the other side of training!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Could you send your son with ADHD to a private school and homeschool the others? I think if you had to spend so much time working just with him, it would take away from it being a positive experience for the othres. I have absolutely no experience in this, just my initial thoughts.
                      Luanne
                      wife, mother, nurse practitioner

                      "You have not converted a man because you have silenced him." (John, Viscount Morely, On Compromise, 1874)

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                      • #12
                        Here's a blog I've followed a little that focuses a lot on homeschooling teenagers. She also has super cool prompts relating to historic events or people that you/the students can investigate...http://www.rebelhomeschool.com/
                        Alison

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                        • #13
                          Brigham young university has online courses for middle school/high school that are affordable.
                          ~Mom of 5, married to an ID doc
                          ~A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

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                          • #14
                            We may eventually do this. I think between the two of us, we could have it covered (fine arts and history - me, science and mathematics - dh), but we need to dedicate a space for "schooling" in the house, and set everything up.
                            Those who homeschool - how many hours a day are you in class? Do you have to "force" your children to do their work?
                            Wife to Family Medicine attending, Mom to DS1 and DS2
                            Professional Relocation Specialist &
                            "The Official IMSN Enabler"

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                            • #15
                              Class is anywhere you want it to be. For little ones, you don't need a lot of formal "school" time.

                              A full school day for my girls is probably 4-6 hours depending on their assignments. That includes religion and Bible history.
                              Veronica
                              Mother of two ballerinas and one wild boy

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