Homeschooling next year, but son still in public preschool, need advice

[sweetmama3]

Hi ladies,
I need advice about my sons schooling. He is in a public preschool right now, but we have already made the decision to homeschool him from kinder on. We have many reasons, #1 being that we want him to have more choices for what he would like to learn, and how. I am very suprised at his artistic abilites, he is a fantastic painter, and loves music. I would like to foster these abilities within him as much as possible. Our first choice is a public charter, which we are waiting to hear back from 2 of them for enrollment. Next is a public traditional homeschool, which is California Virtual Academies. This is not first choice, and would like funding for enrichment classes, which only a charter provides...
What I am struggling with now is, He has stopped wanting to go to pre-k. It is the end of the year(he has been going since last august, ends in June), so I dont really want to stop taking him till then. But I dont want to force him to go, either. The problem with this, though, is 1.we live right across the street(they can see right to our front door from the classroom), the preschool is a state preschool, so there is CPS, foster and other troubled children there. (we are there because of income) and I have seen the teachers report children that stop coming. I really dont want to get a knock on my door from someone unwanted. So not sure what to do there. I wish we would have never started him there!! Any advice on that would be appreciated!!!

I also am struggling with which curriculum style to go with. I definitely feel the need to have a planned curriculum. I need to be told what to do when. I am going between 3 different styles, though,
1.Charlotte Mason- I really like the idea of a the "living Books" and fostering a love of reading in children, also we are christian, and most Charlotte mason curriculums are christian based.
2.Waldorf (oak meadow)- I like the art emphasis, basically the whole "creativity" emphasis of a waldorf style education.
3. Montessori- I like the idea of learning at your own pace, and that it is very child lead, but I cant find a set montessori curriculum, and am thinking we may need a bit more structure that what montessori can provide.

Any input, advice, information, websites, suggestions, are greatly appreciated!! Thank you so much!!

[Momma Aimee]

if you choose to have him STOP -- can you simply "unenroll him" or "formally pull him out" so that no one makes any calls on you?

WHY does he say he doesn't want to go? Has he picked up from you that you are not happy wiith it or that since you plan to homeschool don't see the point in it?

[shoefairy3]

as far as the Charlotte Mason, we loosely follow the curriculum at http://amblesideonline.org/ There are yahoo groups that have full schedules ready to be printed and followed. For example, this is one group for year one http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AO_Year01_Notebook/ although your son might be a bit young for year one.

[phathui5]

Since pre-k isn't required, can't you just go in and tell them that you've decided to keep him home?

[AKMamaof2]

Just focus on the basics. Get a math program you like. Some that are CM style are Making Math Meaningful, Right start Math, and Math-U-See. Add in Ruth Beechick's book The Three R's for learning to read. Some early readers of your choice and you are good to go for Kindergarten and first. It sounds so silly easy because it is. All the other stuff just falls into place. If he likes art then study artists and do art stuff. You can incorporate science by doing leaf rubs and history is already being taught when you talk about artists. My son loves history so we read tons of living books on history.

Truthquest, Beautiful Feet, and Greenleaf press are great for history. Greenleaf has a complete Curriculum for reading and copy work.

Just start with a little. We started with the above this last fall and my son is reading, writing, and learning all the time he loves school. We spend about 1 hour a day doing "school" and the rest of the day is play and kid/ life directed learning. All of his little friends spend half their day doing school and hate it. I know that you said you wanted it all layed out for you but no one knows you, your son and your life so what they have planned works for them but may not work for you. And we all want to give our kids an amazing education but it is so easy to overwhelm and over load. Just start with reading and math. When you are comfortable and he is feeling like a champ start adding in things slowly.

[mattemma04]

I would unenroll today.Why make him go if you can do other things together.Better to unenroll than to call him off all the time.

[linclane]

Check out the New Child Montessori guides. You can use it to tell you what to do every step of the day - or you can pick out unit studies and projects and follow it loosely. It's the best Montessori home school guide I've been able to find.