Homeschool Information

[Cookies4me]

If you had a poor older speller what book would you recommend? No it's not me :lol

[lisaann]

If you had a poor older speller what book would you recommend? No it's not me :lol

:tape :whistle I can't say a word, I PTL that we have spellcheck. :heh

No matter what grade they are in they start with book 1. They want them to recognize word patterns starting with the easiest ones and then work their way up. The words aren't broken up according to 'grade' but are done according to word families and patterns. For instance lesson 5 in book one has the words:
thinned
thinner
sinner
spinner
fins
Mr. Skinner
winner
be
inning
beginning
ect......

In the first 5 lessons you start with the root word in. They start adding beginning letters to the root word like 'pin'. These are easy and help build confidence in the child's ability to figure it out on their own. Then they add suffixes to it (ed, ing, er...). Within a day or two my ds could automatically apply the rule for adding suffixes without thinking (double the consonant then add the suffix). Then they add another root word 'be'. So now they have two root words that they know how to spell and just need to fill in the other letters around it. The example of this is 'beginning'

You do not have a list of words that they memorize! You help them learn to spell each word. Since you are building on root words, word families and word patterns the children pick it up very quickly. They actually learn to think their way through a word logically instead of depending on memorization. They are given a chance to spell the word on their own. If they get it wrong you give them a chance to correct it on their own, if they can't then you assist them. They actually script the first 8 lessons to get you started. :thumb

Edit to add:
I think I will start dd on this next year. She will be in 3rd.

[lbeels]

I'm not understanding what you guys mean about "deschooling". I have never heard of a neurodevelopmental plan. What is that exactly? They do have a BP doctor and counselor. They are very smart kids, they just process things differently and can go into brain overload at times. Thanks for your prayers, they are much appreciated. :hug

What we mean by deschooling is that we have learned a certain way to do school through the public school system or private. And when you homeschool you realize that you don't have to do things the way we learned or the way others are learning. It's going against the grain so to speak.

I remember someone once told me that I needed to teach my son California History in 3rd grade. And I remember thinking that if I did that he would never remember what he learned about our state so I decided to wait until he was in Junior High.

The public schools teach that you learn World History in grade 10, US History in grade 11, and government in grade 12. Now each state has it's own specific regulations but generally speaking, you don't have to teach history and government in this order or in their particular way. What's neat is you can tailor history to your child's interest. Say for world history your children are interested in the Roman Empire. You could spend a good part of your time on that and skim over the Renaissance for example. Also, if you feel ill equipped to teach English for example, you could enroll them in a class and do the rest at home. That's just a peek at the variety of ways to teach.

Also, with regard to neurodevelopmental plan, this is probably not the time to talk about this with so much on your plate right now but basically they look at the symptoms of an individual and relate them to how the brain and the rest of the nervous system is organized. They address root causes of learning, attention and special needs difficulties to help the person come close to reaching their full God-given potential. They help organize the brain through exercises which then eliminate the original symptoms.

For years my son has had difficulty in school and behavior problems and I had no idea what was wrong. Only last year I ran into a neurodevelopmentalist at a homeschool convention. In one year my son has made amazing progress in academics and with his behavior. I was so impressed with the results that I signed myself up because I love to read and want my comprehension to improve as well as helping with stress, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed with life. My neurodevelpmentalist said their is a direct link between feeling overwhelmed and brain organization. I am looking forward to seeing if this helps me.

Here is a link to learn more - http://help-with-learning.com

BTW, I saw another post here that mentioned teaching textbooks for math. My son just started this and he says he likes it. That is a first, he likes math!

God Bless you being a single mother trying to handle all of this. I know that HSLDA has a special concern for single mothers. They may have resources for you that can help pay for your curriculum, I don't know for sure. But I believe they can help answer many of your concerns.

[ChayilWoman]

I'm jumping into this a little late, but I think homeschooling is going to be a great option for you Waiting2Go. You know your boys better than any teacher and can tailor their learning to their needs and wants. A public school setting is designed for one type of child with one type of learning style, and then expected to fit for all children. And I'm guessing from what you've said that your boys don't fit into that mold.

Homeschooling is an investment, physically, mentally, and financially. And it's worth every bit invested. The rewards are so high! A mother can make a difference in a child's life unlike any one else in the world can.

Remember, you don't have to have all the details worked out to get started. Sometimes it's good for your children to see you learning along with them. It helps them see that learning is a life long experience, not just something you do for a few hours at school each day and then forget when you go home. This is my 5th year of HSing, not counting preschool, and I do stuff different every year, and as my second child comes along I do everything different with her than I did with number one. There is no one right way to educate a child.

OK, I'm rambling, but one more thing. You don't have to know all the stuff yourself. That's what the curriculum is for. I'm learning all kinds of stuff in my daughter's 4th grade History class!

[lisaann]

BTW it only takes us about 10 minutes a day to do this. :thumb

[Mrsppmrxky]

I am sorry that your son is having such difficulties at school! Do you have an IEP or a 504 plan in force at this school? Since they have learning difficulties, there should be one in place.

If you choose to homeschool, you have received lots of great advice! One of the games that really helped us when we were 'deschooling' that first year and then in the vocabulary part of homeschooling, we played the game UPWORDS and Scrabble. I loved Upwords. It moves faster than Scrabble and then they gain math skills when adding scores.

You can also get school computer games to put on a computer for them to use to give them a change of pace. Such as a reward for good work during the work day or the work week depending upon their skills to 'wait' for encouragement.

ONe thing that I can say about being qualified to do this. "IF God leads you to a certain calling, He equips you for that service." God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

[Waiting2go]

I am sorry that your son is having such difficulties at school! Do you have an IEP or a 504 plan in force at this school? Since they have learning difficulties, there should be one in place.

If you choose to homeschool, you have received lots of great advice! One of the games that really helped us when we were 'deschooling' that first year and then in the vocabulary part of homeschooling, we played the game UPWORDS and Scrabble. I loved Upwords. It moves faster than Scrabble and then they gain math skills when adding scores.

You can also get school computer games to put on a computer for them to use to give them a change of pace. Such as a reward for good work during the work day or the work week depending upon their skills to 'wait' for encouragement.

ONe thing that I can say about being qualified to do this. "IF God leads you to a certain calling, He equips you for that service." God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Thank you! :hug Yes, both of the boys are under a 504. The thing is, they are really very smart and are in advanced programs. They just process and learn some things differently, which is a struggle at times. Not only are they BP, they are also ADHD, therefore keeping their attention is diffult sometimes.

I agree, I have been given so much wonderful advice and encouragement. I have to admit, I am scared to death to undertake this and am still praying that this is what God is leading me to do. I am really leaning to it more and more. I discovered yesterday, 2 people I know (one is an Elementary teacher) have major connections with this and are going to help me.

I have to tell you this quote of yours, really touched my heart:
ONe thing that I can say about being qualified to do this. "IF God leads you to a certain calling, He equips you for that service." God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

[Buzzardhut]

:scripture

[NewWorldOrder]

Thank you for adding the forum, Buzzardhut. This will be a blessing to so many.

:yeah

[NewWorldOrder]

Homeschool Legal Organizations


Homeschool Legal Defense Association http://www.hslda.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1

Texas Homeschool Coalition http://www.thsc.org/defaultpage.asp


Homeschool Curriculum Resources: All of these place allow online ordering.

Abeka http://www.abeka.com/

Bob Jones http://www.bjupress.com/webapp/wcs/s...atalogId=10001

Beginnings Publishing - This is a good science program. I have never used it, but have heard from others who have, and they really like it. http://www.beginningspublishing.com/

Cadron Creek - I have never used them, but they have some good resouces http://www.cadroncreek.com/Merchant2...vc?Screen=SFNT

Christian Book Distributors - They have an enormous selection of homeschool materials. You have to click on homeschool at the top of the homepage. http://www.christianbook.com/html/specialty/1016.html

Common Sense Press - They have a very good language curriculum. I use the yellow book for my 3rd grader. I like them, because the lessons are short, and easy to use. http://www.cspress.com/

Apologia Science - They have an excellent science curriculum. I have used them for the past several years. http://www.highschoolscience.com/

Home Science Tools http://www.hometrainingtools.com/index.php

Progeny Press - Literature study guides. They have excellent literature guides for all age groups. http://www.progenypress.com/

Rosetta Stone - This is an excellent foreign language software. It's a bit pricey, but very worth the money. I bought mine on ebay for a bit less from an ebay dealer. http://www.rosettastone.com/index/

Teaching Textbooks - This is a math program written to the student. It is a self teaching program. My 11th grader is using their geometry this year. http://www.teachingtextbooks.com/Default.asp

Calculadder - They have very good math drill sheets. They have apparently changed their name to The Providence Project. http://www.calculadder.com/intro/default.htm

Truthquest History - They have very good history guides. Each guide has an inexhaustive list of books to read for learning history. It is designed to be very flexible for both teacher and student. I am using this with my youngest for American History. http://www.truthquesthistory.com/store/products.php

Saxon Math - This is the most popular math program among homeschoolers. I don't recommend beginning Saxon until the 4th grade, because before 4th grade, it's very expensive and time consuming. They also have a phonics program, but it is very expensive and not as good as other cheaper programs out there. http://saxonpublishers.harcourtachie...publishers.htm

Winter Promise Publishing http://www.winterpromise.com/

Drive Through History http://www.dthamerica.com/home/index.cfm?flash=1

Vegsource - This is homeschool swap board. You buy or sell directly from or to individuals who need to sell what they have. http://www.vegsource.com/homeschool/


UNIT STUDIES

Diana Waring History http://www.dianawaring.com/catalog/index.html

Learning Adventures - This is an excellent unit study which covers all subjects except for math. It is recommended for 4th through 8th grades. I used this with my oldest to learn ancient history and we loved it. I shall be using it with my youngest when she is in 4th grade. http://www.learning-adventures.org/index.html

My Father's World http://www.mfwbooks.com/index.htm

Tapestry of Grace http://www.tapestryofgrace.com/tog_fast/

Five in a Row - A unit study program for preschoolers and early elementary. http://www.fiarhq.com/


HOMESCHOOL STORES IN THE D/FW AREA: Both these stores ship around the country.

The Book Cover - This store only sells used homeschool materials that are on consignment. You can sell your used materials through them, I have several items on consignment there. They also offer math tutoring and math classes. Both my children receive their math instruction here. http://www.the-book-cover.com/

Home Educators Resource - They also sell mostly used homeschool materials, also on consignment, but they also have some new. http://www.homeeducatorsresource.com/
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