homeschool anybody?

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2004
homeschool anybody?
7
Tue, 11-07-2006 - 10:01am

We are considering homeschooling our children. I am looking for anybody who currently homeschools that might be able to answer some questions for me.

Joyce

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2006
In reply to: joi68
Tue, 11-07-2006 - 11:16am

I don't homeschool (I have really considered it for my younger DS, tho) but am 99% sure there is a homeschooling board here on iVillage. You can probably find it in the Schools and Learning section at Message Board Central.

Good luck!

 

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2006
In reply to: joi68
Tue, 11-07-2006 - 12:01pm
Yes, we homeschool, so feel free to ask away! We've been homeschooling for 10 years now. Boy, it sure seems a lot longer than that :)
Peace,
Susan
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2004
In reply to: joi68
Tue, 11-07-2006 - 3:05pm
Well, I've done alot of research on our state's laws and know what I need to do to get started. And a friend has given us alot of info, but I'm still not sure how to decide on what curriculum to use. When she started homeschooling she used Abeka and really liked it. But as her kids got older they got tired of the religious references in that program. My kids are 13, 15, and 18, and we are not homeschooling for religious reasons. I am having a hard time finding non-Christian curriculum. I want to be sure we are giving them the best education we can and there is so much out there to use, how did you decide? Do you use any specific program or several? And what about online schooling? It seems so scary because they are older and I will admit high school was definitely not my strongest years.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
In reply to: joi68
Tue, 11-07-2006 - 3:57pm

Hi there! I homeschooled my 9th grader last year, spur of the moment. I don't know where you are but you should search for an "Options Program" through your local school district, if you aren't rural. By joining this group, your kids can attend classes one day a week (usually at a church but it wasn't affiliated, they just offered the space) with certified teachers PLUS you can borrow text books from the school district. This is the cheapest option if you can find one, but there are also online virtual acadamies that are free if they're through the state or school district.

You can search "homeschool curriculum" and there should be a site with links to all kinds of ones.

http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/listsf.asp?webtag=iv-pphschooling&nav=start

Here's a link to the homeschooling board, they're awesome!

Denise

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2006
In reply to: joi68
Tue, 11-07-2006 - 3:59pm
Well, the first thing I'll tell you is that there are TONS of resources out there for homeschooling. I'm assuming you're looking for something secular and for the high school level. The first thing I would suggest is American School of Correspondence. Here is the link: http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/ No religion at all! I'm very eclectic and pull resources from many different providers, but I don't suggest that to someone who is just getting started because it can be overwhelming. What state are you in? You can check out this site to find out the exact laws for your state: http://www.hslda.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1
We also use Florida Virtual School for Spanish and English. It's free for Florida residents so I couldn't turn that down! Your state may have something similar. As far as choosing curriculum, it's not easy because of the amount available, and it's almost a trial and error thing. You may want to have your kids take a "learning style" evaluation to determine how they learn best. I'll get some websites together for you. Just don't worry about anything...homeschooling is a breeze!
Peace,
Susan
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-05-2006
In reply to: joi68
Tue, 11-07-2006 - 4:04pm

Okay...here are some more sites to check out:
http://www.oakmeadow.com/ (secular curriculum provider)
http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/ (reviews by parents of homeschool materials)
http://www.teachingmom.com/ (message board)
http://www.vegsource.com/homeschool/ (message board)
If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.
Peace,
Susan

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-06-2003
In reply to: joi68
Tue, 11-07-2006 - 9:33pm

I don't post often on here but lurk all the time recently.

I am going to be homeschooling a teen this coming school year. I've got 4 girls (14, 12, 4, 1), and I used to homeschool the older two a while back but put them back in public school when I made a big move. Boy were they different. More disrespectful, mouthy, just generally not pleasant to be around. We have been talking about homeschooling next school year and my 14 year old has now done a complete turn around and has decided it's a great idea. She's actually been having a wonderful attitude since we had several long discussions about it and made this decision basically together. It helped to show her that in this school district she'll basically be doing her senior year just to get one English credit, and if she homeschools she can go ahead and take a couple of college courses in the evenings and get started. And, they will have an extra 1.5 hours since they won't have to ride a bus. My only hold out was our 12 year old, who says she doesn't want to miss her friends, then says in the next sentance that she doesn't have any. After Christmas break she's not going back to ps. I've got her curriculum all laid out and planned and it's pretty eclectic. She's going to be busy, but we'll be planning some fun things with her and will try spending some time with out local homeschool group. Our local group is doing a book club and having a meeting next Monday at the library, we're going to pull both girls from school and take them to meet everyone (first time us meeting too) and see just what other families really do. They forget what it was like when we did it before.

And, Susan, thanks for posting those sites. Several years ago when I homeschooled my oldest two (grades 1 and 4 then) I had that site and had forgotten all about it.

Sallie