Homeschoolers!

[Nishu]

Would you all mind telling me about your homeschooling experience?

Why did you decide to do it? How is it going? What's the biggest challenge?

I'd also like to know how much time you spend each day. Do you have a particular curriculum that you follow? Where do you get supplies? Do you do a regular school-type day with different subjects at different times, or do you just go with the flow?

Thanks dudes. I'm going to be joining your ranks soon.

[sdrjeolsen]

We used to homeschool, but no longer do.

We homeschooled because we lived in the Chicago area and our high school had a dropout rate of over 50% also they were teaching some pretty weird stuff. When we moved to OK and now to CO we have felt comfortable with putting them in the public schools and they have done very well. They adjusted better than we thought too.

They have homeschool conferences all across the nation. I recommend you attend they have curriculum fairs so you can check out what's out there. We just pulled what we thought to be the best from different sources. Certain companies had reputations for being really good in a certain subject as well as really weak in another.

I tried to keep a very strict schedule with the same subjects certain times & days. I thought the structure would help the kids & me, and it did.

The biggest challenge for me was that my kids were so different when it came to learning, my firstborn, a girl did everything to the letter all in order and very neat. My son would be considered the class clown, had to push my buttons, ask why he had to do stuff, toss pencils, write in random stupid answers on tests & homework, etc. Being the nerdy brainy type myself, he annoyed me to no end.

I recommend finding a friend that you can buddy with for support, it helped me so much. We could offer ideas and suggestions to one another.

Good luck, I loved being able to have that extra time with my kids.

[warramra]

I homeschool my children and have for the last 4 years. I kind of fell into when I quit my job and took my oldest out of a highly-touted, advanced preschool/daycare. I just wanted to keep on doing what they were doing as she had 18 more months before she could start school. I found a lot of resources for preschool - general and homeschool-focused online. When it came time for her to start school we asked "Why?" and kept on. Now I have a lot more reasons. But, mainly because we have a lot of fun and my children are not showing the signs of stress that the neighborhood children are showing (at 8, 9 and 10 yrs of age).

We have fallen into a very, very relaxed style. I really liked the Classical (like - "The Well-Trained Mind"), but it didn't work with my oldest's learning style. This year we are semi-following a Charlotte Mason Approach through Ambleside Online, which is free. The website has links to free sites to download/print most of the reading materials. After pushing my oldest too soon, I really like the relaxed approach in the early years.

We have a daily schedule, but it is more guideline than strictly adhered to. If a particular study catches our attention we will spend time on that until we are ready to move on. With a toddler, preschooler and kindergarten - in addition to my 2nd grader, we have a lot of shifting needs throughout the day. The only subjects that have to be done each day (for K & 2) are reading, math and writing/copywork.

I also incorporate a lot of materials, activities, games and so forth that I pick up at Target, a local school-supply store, Dollar General and so forth. There are a lot of learning/fun sites for kids online if you are comfortable with that. Enchanted Learning is great for ages 4-8, lots of printable activities and craft ideas. The $20/year is well worth it.

Find a local homeschooling group you are comfortable with -- this is sometimes easier said than done. A lot of groups are focused on particular religious beliefs or educational styles. But, if you find a good group, even with preschoolers there are a lot of benefits. Many will discuss what is working for them, let you look at their materials before purchasing, and walk with you through the first years when doubts are all over the place.

Lots of homeschooling boards on the internet. Most tend to be focused on a particular style. But Anne Zeise's A-to-Z Homeschooling is a wonderful general, inclusive site. Lots of links and articles. She also has a Yahoo Group for more interaction with other homeschoolers.

Take it slow, enjoy the early years. Research is showing more and more that children's brains are still forming connections during the elementary years and many are not ready for a lot of intensive sit-down work until ages 9 or ten, and then when left alone really grasp a lot of material that previously was a struggle. It is finally this year that I am really feeling comfortable with homeschooling and how it is going for us. It has become a lifestyle, more than a personal choice.

Enjoy the experience - you will learn as much as your children.

[zakity]

Public school just wasn't convenient for us. They also have some learning issues and homeschooling has worked out so much better for them.

We had always unschooled until this year. We have started using curriculum. They have to do an hour of math, an hour of reading, a half hour of typing, and a half hour of a workbook (usually writing, grammar, or English).

[kcsmom76]

This is our 4th year of homeschooling.

We took ds out of ps after 2nd grade. The school he went too cut out their advanced programs and he was bored out of his mind doing regular school work.

I never thought that I would be a homeschooler. I really had never heard anything about it until I started researching it online. I was amazed at how many people homeschool. Also, there are so many options for homeschooling, sometimes, it is overwhelming.

We used Abeka for the first three years for everything. This year we are only using Abeka for Language Arts and Math. For everything else we use Old Fashioned Education. There are so many books copied online that you don't have to spend a fortune buying them.

My biggest challenge with homeschooling is trying to teach my 6 year old daughter. She is so strong-willed and I often think about putting her in public school, but God gives me the strength and grace to get through another day. So we keep moving forward.

With dd, being 6 and in 1st grade, we are usually done in an hour. That does not include PE or other outside activities. With ds, being 11 and in 6th grade, we are usually done in 4 - 5 hours. That also does not include outside activities.

We don't have a strict schedule everyday. Some days we get going later and some days earlier. Some days we have appointments and some days we are home all day. It changes everyday. Also, with dd being so strong-willed, I let her pick the order in which she wants to do things. Example: On most days we start with Bible, then Math, then Reading and Language Arts, History, and Science. Today she wanted to get Math done first, then History and Science and then Reading and Language Arts.

[Nishu]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to answer.

Amy, it only takes you an hour to get through all those subjects with your first grader? My daughter is a first grader as well, so I'm trying to figure out how much time I should be spending on her book-type schooling a day.

So what types of things do you do for art? Do you study art and/or make projects? How do you handle PE? Do you just let them play outside or do you try to do some kind of structured activity?

Do you all keep track of grades, and how do you keep tabs on their progress? Do you ever compare your child's progress to state standards? Half of me is thinking that with a little effort we can do better than what's she's picking up in school, but at the same time I'm a little anxious that I'll just not cut it as a teacher and she's going to fall behind. :p

[bamber]

ooooh wow, something I know something about....

I homeschooled my whole life. I sometimes wished I did go to school, but not really. My sister and I were two years apart, and we actually did alot of things together. When we were younger, we had more of a set schedule. We said the pledge of alligence every morning, I believe we started at 9. Usually we had our school done by lunchtime. I enjoyed my schoolwork (I even taught myself to read!), it was all fun to learn. We used alot of Abeka curriculum when I was young.

As we got into jr.high and my sister got into high school, of course we were on different levels. Work was started later in the day (10:30 or 11...which we loved) and took more time (we were usually done by the time dad got home at 4:30, but we took lots of breaks). It was not hard and alot of the work became self done, and not taught. In high school, we had instructional videos for algebra and geometry and all those fun subjects.

Do I feel I got a good education? oh yes. I believe my standard test scores (ACT, SAT, PSAT) showed that, my academic scholarship, and my grades since being in college. I had a 3.8 GPA my first semester, and a 4.0 my second. I'm still currently well over 3.5 and can't wait to see my semester end GPA this year.

[monkeywrangler71]

We are going to be homeschooling soon - just kind of 'practicing' right now. Bamber, I think your's is the first post I've read anywhere from a homeschooled student (as opposed to a parent), and I found it very encouraging. Especially knowing that you are in college and doing well, since the primary concern of my entire family is that my kids won't be allowed to go to college if they are homeschooled.

[Neeley]

Especially knowing that you are in college and doing well, since the primary concern of my entire family is that my kids won't be allowed to go to college if they are homeschooled.

Colleges are actually seeking out the home schooled students more and more. DD is 14 and has already begun taking college courses from a major university. She goes on campus and takes her class just like the full-time students. She gets credit for both high school and college for the classes she takes. By the time she graduates high school she will have credits for at least 6 college classes.

As long as the student scores well on the ACT or SAT and can pass the entrance exam, they will be accepted to the vast majority of colleges and universities.

When DD was 11 we had her sit for the ACT. She scored a 25, and was accepted to the university on the basis of that score alone.

We love home schooling. It fits our lifestyle perfectly.

[warramra]

Amy, it only takes you an hour to get through all those subjects with your first grader? My daughter is a first grader as well, so I'm trying to figure out how much time I should be spending on her book-type schooling a day.

So what types of things do you do for art? Do you study art and/or make projects? How do you handle PE? Do you just let them play outside or do you try to do some kind of structured activity?

Do you all keep track of grades, and how do you keep tabs on their progress? Do you ever compare your child's progress to state standards? Half of me is thinking that with a little effort we can do better than what's she's picking up in school, but at the same time I'm a little anxious that I'll just not cut it as a teacher and she's going to fall behind. :p

I concur with the other Amy that it doesn't take long to move through the basics in early elementary school. This year we are trying out a 15 minute rule. They spend 15 minutes on a phonics activity, then 15 minutes listening to me do a read-aloud, then 15 minutes on math....and so forth during the day. We take breaks after two or three activities. And not every activity is covered everyday. We can normally finish all our 'school' in less than 3 hours spread out during the day and their recall has improved so much.

I don't worry about her falling behind the local schools, because I can't compare our 'school' with the public schools. We study different things. my educational goals are different than the school district's. My children play with other public schooled kids and honestly there are things right now that the public school children are further ahead in and there are things that my children are able to do better. It all comes out in the wash. If you compare two children from different school districts you would have the same results.

If you are pulling your child out because school isn't working for you, don't try to recreate that same environment in your home. Take time to deschool, figure out what works for you schedule-wise and material-wise.

We study famous artists - 4 per year and just do all sorts of different art projects for holidays, special study related or just for fun. As far as studying art my children are not drawn too greatly in that direction. Around middle-school or so I will have them take an art class so they can learn basic drawing skills.

PE we do both structured activities with a hs gymnastics class, rec soccer and swimming lessons (not all at the same time). The girls also get unstructured playtime each day. We go on walks often - to the store, nature hikes, to the library and I count this time as PE as we walk at least a mile.

I don't keep grades, but do keep a detailed journal for my own use. I can keep track of what we have covered each day and whether or not there were any noteworthy successes or if it seemed that they didn't comprehend something. I don't have to keep this for my state - and you will need to find out what records your state asks you to keep.

Good Luck

[bamber]

I had absolutely no trouble being accepted to college, the only hold up was my immunization records (or lack thereof) but a few trips to the DHHS straightened that out.

I have heard that homeschooled students do well in college because they are used to studying on their own time, and therefore have no trouble studying. I just know things come easy and I'm not 'burnt out' on the classroom environment.

The only time I ever wished I went to school, I suppose would be in my first two years of high school. Although I participated in homeschool sports (we had plenty) and had plenty of social interaction that way, I still feel like I could have had more social experience. Although I feel now that I didn't miss anything important, just alot of drama, sex and drugs....so I think I am better for being homeschooled. By my junior and senior year, I was working and I enjoyed being able to do extra school work on some days so I could do less on work days. Most of the people I worked with went to school at 8 in the morning, came to work at 5, usually straight from school, and then didn't get home til after 10. I would have hated that. I am glad that I was homeschooled, and though I wished to go to public school for a short time, I know homeschooling was the best for me in the long run.

[Nishu]

Our family is moving in about a week and during the next few months we'll have the oppurtunity to spend time with family before moving again all the way across the country, so we're going to be traveling. Homeschooling is something that I've always wanted to do, so I just thought it was a really good time to start.

I wouldn't say that public school isn't working out for us. Her teacher is great and the school system isn't terrible. Honestly, it's mostly me. I hate the structure, I hate not seeing her and separating my two girls for most of the day, and I just feel entitled to be doing these things with her rather than giving her up to the school.

I always, always hated school, so I'll admit I'm biased. There are little things that irk me though. The red ribbon thing, as I've mentioned. No matter how happy, huggy and noncontroversial these things are that they're teaching her, I don't feel it's their place to do so. For example, my daughter goes to a 'counseling' class every day where they basically teach the children how to be kind and how to treat other children... She already knows how to behave and she's the sweetest kid you'll ever meet, so how about they just send her home for that half hour and we can do something productive like eating oreos while we watch Spongebob?

She also informed me the other day that some of her classmates know what sex is. I know kids are going to talk, but c'mon. It was just another reminder of how little I know about what goes on during her day.

[kcsmom76]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to answer.

Amy, it only takes you an hour to get through all those subjects with your first grader? My daughter is a first grader as well, so I'm trying to figure out how much time I should be spending on her book-type schooling a day.

So what types of things do you do for art? Do you study art and/or make projects? How do you handle PE? Do you just let them play outside or do you try to do some kind of structured activity?

Do you all keep track of grades, and how do you keep tabs on their progress? Do you ever compare your child's progress to state standards? Half of me is thinking that with a little effort we can do better than what's she's picking up in school, but at the same time I'm a little anxious that I'll just not cut it as a teacher and she's going to fall behind. :p

I'm sorry I haven't replied sooner, my internet has been acting up.

The subjects we do everyday take only a few minutes per subject. We don't set times. She will do her reading for the day and most times she gets through it in 5 - 7 minutes.

We don't do alot of formal arts. A few years ago ds took a art class at an art museum.

The kids have time outside each day and this year our homeschool group has hired a pe teacher to teach our kids. They are doing the presidental fitness and you could get the info online.

We use homeschool tracker, you can download this from the internet for free.

Sometimes I compare to the states standards, but so far my kids are fine. In NC we have to take achievement tests just like the rest of the schools, and by that they are on track.

I hope some of this information helps.

Good luck.

[Nishu]

Yes, you all have been a lot of help. Thanks.