Starting to homeschool?

[Aliviasmom]

Currently, Alivia goes to morning preschool in a fantastic publicly-funded Montessori school. However, we moved out of state (we're about 15 minutes from the school now), and if they find out, she will be unable to continue going there. Also, we're all night owls, and getting ready and getting her to school by 8:15 is difficult. Then, I either need to find something to do for 2.5 hours, or drive all the way home, and then return to pick her up at 10:45.

DF and I have discussed that this just isn't working. We're not getting her to school every day, and it's kind of a waste.

While I LOVE the Montessori philosophy, we're strongly considering starting to homeschool her instead.

I see that there's a board here for homeschool program reviews, but it is all so overwhelming, I don't really know where to start. Any ideas?

[Shellie]

My suggestion would be to find some homeschool groups or co-ops in your area and check them out, spend time with the families/kids, see what they're doing, etc. I think at this point, interaction with others is going to be more important than what program you choose...if that makes sense. I know people who homeschool preschool and Kindergarten with a $12 workbook from Costco...but their lives and activities are much richer than that because of co-op activities, field trips, etc.

[zjande]

I don't actually know anything about Montessori, but, there have been lots & lots of awesome & helpful threads in this forum on preschoolers homeschooling. Just keep reading back for pages and/or do a search. You'll find lots of good info! And I double what the PP said about finding your local support & activity groups.

[onyxravnos]

i like the book: the first year of homeschooling
totally made me feel i could do it and how others do it. i recommend it for everyone first looking into homeschooling. somewhere around here is a montessori homeschooler thread i would hit up.... she is young so you have lots of time to plan and try stuff out.

[Lillian J]

Since she's still young enough to just be in preschool, that means you have years to take your time and leisurely examine the homeschooling possibilities. If you pulled her out of preschool right now and did nothing more for the next few years than provide a fun and creative setting for her to play and explore, have friends over to play with, read wonderful little books to her, and provide fun and interesting little learning activities and outings having to do with her immediate world and life, she wouldn't/couldn't get behind in anything that's important or crucial.

The way I'd look at getting started is to step back and ask yourself what she really will need to know by the time she's a teenager. Think about your own schooling and what you remember knowing by the time you were...oh, let's say 12... It's not really as daunting as if may seem at this point. The fact that there are lots of ways people go about providing a platform for the education of their children (or the fact that there are lots of commercial interest$ providing book$, material$, and program$ for it) is not a true indicator that it's really all that complicated. I think it's human nature to often make things more complicated than they need to be - especially when there are longstanding public systems (the schools and all the educational bureaucracy) and commercial interests that perpetuate the problem. You'll actually be able to leisurely incorporate one thing at a time as you go along, without really needing to commit to any one overall "method" for helping her learn all she'll need to know, most of all helping her develop a love of learning that's the real vehicle for her lifelong education.

Here are a few things to take a look at:
Home Education Magazine's little, free and downloadable, Introduction to Homeschooling booklet.
The book onyxravnos suggested, The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child, by Linda Dobson, is a great one to start with. It has contributions from lots of seasoned homeschoolers, and it's very calming and reassuring. Another good one is Homeschooling, the Early Years: Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 3- to 8- Year-Old Child , also by Linda Dobson - and also in the same format of contributions from many homeschooling parents.
Some MDC threads:

• What is a good preschool curriculum?
• DS is 2 - what would you recommend I do/research at this point?
• Please tell me about preschool
• How/when do I start?
• Oh, I could go on and on and on with links to good preschool discussions - just do a search here in MDC with the word "preschool," and even the word "Montessori," if that's something that especially appeals to you, and you'll find lots! But don't worry about taking it all in - just kick back and enjoy, and you'll get all the input you need for now.

Lillian

[elizawill]

Originally Posted by Shellie

My suggestion would be to find some homeschool groups or co-ops in your area and check them out, spend time with the families/kids, see what they're doing, etc. I think at this point, interaction with others is going to be more important than what program you choose...if that makes sense. I know people who homeschool preschool and Kindergarten with a $12 workbook from Costco...but their lives and activities are much richer than that because of co-op activities, field trips, etc.

yep, agreed.