Homeschoolers

[Leialoha]

Hi there! I'm not homeschooling... but I was homeschooled. We used Abeka mostly, and Saxon for math.

Homeschooling can be wonderful. I can see why it is attractive, but I just thought I might chime in with my "issues" with it based on my personal experience. Not criticisms, just suggestions! :)

)

It amazes me that those pioneering parents did the impossible and kept their kids home from school when it was looked on as "strange" in the best case and "illegal" in the worst!

There are so many homeschool groups, co-ops, classes, bands, sports....we actually have to pull back next year because my kids will not be home enough to do their studies.

Thanks so much for offering your suggestions. I hope that this helps you -- when I worked in the public school system I came across many kids who didn't have good social skills or know how to interact with others. Some people are just born social and some are not. I went to public and private schools and was not at all prepared for the strange social aspects of college. NOt due to shyness at all, but more how to deal with thousands of people all the same age and for the most part self-centered and immature. It's a strange world out there no matter how your raised. :ohno

[HSmomto4]

We homeschool our 8 year old. We are using MathUSee right now but we will probably switch to Saxon in the fall. He is ready for 6/5 so that is where we will start.

I am curious about something. Do you homeschool Moms keep your kid on an age/grade schedule or do you let them advance as far as they want to even if it means they are in a higher grade than they should be in for their age?

I let mine advance on

[ChayilWoman]

I started my two a year early for a couple reasons. First, their birthdays are both in Sept so they were close to the cutoff point anyway. But mainly, they were ready. My second one was already learning to read. I didn't see any point in making her wait another year when she was bored everyday and wanting to do school. I'm still amazed if we used public schools she would have had to wait another year and then be taught her colors, numbers, letters etc. She's known those things since she was two from listening to her older sister learn. Overall, I think there is no point in letting them be bored. But I also think you have to be careful not to pressure them to do more than they are able to.

[christianmom]

Son, 16 and daughter, 8. Son does the Robinson curriculum and daughter does Miquon Math and Abeka everything else.

[Green Darner]

We just started homeschooling this past fall and love it! I have a 9yo ds and a 5yo dd.

This year we've just been reading tons of books from the library, going LOTS of places, enjoying family activities and hobbies, and doing just about any experiment that sounds like fun. I wanted to take this whole year to just relax a bit and research what's out there before I started to spend any money on curriculum.

I think I've pretty much narrowed it down to what I think we'll use next year:

Bible - The Bible (of course!), Christian Liberty Press Series
Math - Saxon
History - Mystery of History (for world history), Time Travelers Series (for American history)
Science - Apologia
Language - Abeka

For dd's Reading The Bob Books

The rest will be a hodge podge of things from here and there that seem interesting to us.

I guess if I had to "categorize" us, I would put us in the "eclectic" group LOL!

[HSmomto4]

So what is everyones favorite thing about homeschooling?

[wife]

So what is everyones favorite thing about homeschooling?

sleeping late and not having to rush to get eveyone ready.....

Was that selfish:doh

ummm-- seeing the joy on my kids faces when something clicks... is that a better mom answer??LOL

[wife]

Ok seriously. I love being with my kids... for the most part. I like teaching them. I like what I am learning while I am teaching them. I love knowing that I am the one that is the main influence in their lives.

I prayed for children for 9 years and I always said that I didn't want to ship them off to school to be with someone else all day after only having them with me for 5 years....

My oldest turned 9 this year and I joked with him that it was time for him to leave...LOL He was not amused...

Anyway, I like that I can customize the curriculum for each of my children and they aren't expected to fit into a mold of what someone their age should do.

I like the freedom to drop "school" for a day and do a bit of bonding and fun stuff. To me that is just as important as book learning.

Anyway, these are just of few of my favorite things about Homeschooling

[Seemomgonuts]

Wife- I could have written that same post! :cheer

[BlessedinHim]

I homeschool, too. I have 6 and 7 year old girls. Angels :msangel , when they are asleep. :sleep

We use various things. I got hooked on phonics off ebay. That is an expensive program new, but it works. I use ed-helper.com, they have many many things on there and it doesnt cost too much for a yearly subscription. You can print off all kinds of worksheets and practice material. I currently use some old textbooks that I have from when I went to school, some science, health, reading and grammar books. You know the ones they discarded. and we use flash cards and the kitchen and grammar correction throughout the day.

The best thing I like about homeschool, if something happens, and you cant get to the sit down and teach it stuff, because some family situation has arisen, they dont get held back a year for missing too many days of school. You can always pick up where you left off and in the mean time, you can re-inforce what you were doing verbally here and there, and they even seem to retain it better.

The other really good thing about homeschooling??? there is no teacher trying to tell me to put my girls on ritalin or any other mind control drugs. :yay That is the really best part. They are very active and have a hard time sitting still. :rotate

There are some who question about their social lives, but we go to church and they socialize there with kids their age. :ring

And although I cant shield them from the world completely, and neither should I , I can limit what they learn until they are ready for it. I have a problem with kids learning things before they need to learn about, subjects like sex, and other religions and political correctness and what a family is.