How To Get Started?

[lisamarie]

My ds is 5 years old and currently attends a private school that the whole family is pleased with.

But......the school only goes to the 1st grade currently and I'm not too sure about public schools.

How do you get started homeschooling? How did your kids respond to homeschooling if they went to preschool previously? Was it hard or difficult for you to do? Resources and supplies~where and how to get them? How long to you homeschool?

Basically I would love as much info. as you Homeschooling Mom's can provide me.

Thanks~

Lisa

[lilyka]

I would recomend reading "The Unschooling Handbook" it is an easy read and even if you don't plan on unschooling it gives you lots of ideas from oone end of the spectrum to the other. It talks a lot about using an ecclectic approach and coming out of the school system.

[Lucy]

The unschooling handbook is a great read. I would recommend it also.

This is our first year homeschooling, dd is almost 5, but she did have one whole year of preschool. For us, there was no convincing her to homeschool, bc she didn't want to go back to school. In fact, the last month or two of ps she pretty much didn't attend, bc she decided she didn't like it, and I wasn't about to force my child into going to preschool, I mean its suppossed to be fun, not mandatory. One of the last days I sent her, I remember I was talking to the director about my dd not wanting to come anymore, and she told me I had to look at it like ps was my child's job, and she needed to show up for work! Well, after I picked my jaw off the floor, lol!, I just shook my head and said that sorry, but I don't believe in child labor, and then left the room.

Anyway, to make a long story short, we love being home with her, and plan to do this as long as we can. This year I am using Five in a row, which is a gentle, no stress, unit study curriculum based around children's literature. So fopr instance, you read The story of Ping, and then the curriculum gives you ideas to do based on the book, in social studies, language arts, math, science, and art categories. Like for ping, one day we painted yellow ducks, another day we did social studies, and studied china, clothing, geography ect. We made a kimono for her out of a silk robe of mine, we ate at a chinese restraunt, etc. In other words, it is fun! The book gives you good ideas to implement.

We will do five in a row next year too (it goes up to age 8), and also maybe supplement with a phonics and math program. Maybe, I am still deciding.

Right now I have the books Play and Find out About Science, and Play and Find out About Math, both by Janice Vancleave. These are great. She has some for older kids too. Just fun with science and math, but the kids learn tons from it, and to them it is not work, just fun!

Hope this helped some. I dont have to notify the state untill next fall technically, but I will call them this spring to get the necessary paperwork. I dont know of them, but there is a website which will tell you what the regulations are for each state. I think if you did a homeschooling search on yahoo, or st you would come up with it.

Sorry to ramble.

[lisamarie]

Hey, thanks for all the info. i'm really excited!

Warmly~

Lisa

[anythingelse]

Where to find resources for hsing~
http://www.homeschoolconvention.com/vendorhall.htm

Where to find moms in your state that are already hsing so you can get the skinny on local school boards ~
the Homeschool Social Register:
http://www.homeschoolmedia.com/register

Where to find your state law if you live in the US~
http://www.hslda.com

Free Homeschool Schedules~
http://www.sunniebunniezz.com/educat...worksheets.htm

Free mini charts and worksheets~
http://www.tipztime.com/minicharts/f...orksheets.html

http://www.geocities.com/homeschoolforms~
Homeschool Forms on the Web

http://www.chartjungle.com/homeschoolschedules.html
Daily, weekly, yearly to print out
How to make a schedule should be focused on your child's learning style, interests, and the law in your area. I keep a binder for the family with reading logs etc.. and a portfolio for each child of their work/art/photos etc...

[SCV Vicky]

If I were to start looking into homeschooling.....I would

If I were to start looking into homeschooling.....I would

__ Find a few local homeschooling support groups--go to as many as
you can so you can meet different people and learn different ways of Homeschooling.

__ See if there is a Homeschooling Conference near you.
These usually have workshops, speakers, used and new curriculum
sales and things related to homeschooling.

__Get a copy of Home Education Magazine
HEM- Home education Magazine
< http://www.home-ed-magazine.com/index.html >

__Get a FREE subscription to The Link Homeschool Newspaper
The LINK Homeschooling Newspaper
It covers Homeschooling methods, learning techniques and more.
It also has a support group listing. It comes out 4 times a year.
It's FREE and it is CA based.
They also have a HS conference once a year.
< http://www.homeschoolnewslink.com >

__ Find a homeschooling Method that suits your needs and your child's learning style. Always remember if you are having a hard time- take a week
and do some field trips...ALWAYS be willing to try a different way.
Methods include: Classical, unschooling, Waldorf, Montessori, Campfire Method, Charlotte Mason Method, Moore Method / Malachi Movement, etc.
A popular method is the Eclectic method which means you take ideas from many methods and apply them to your family!

__Read the Book
"Family Matters: Why Homescholing Makes Sense"
by David Guterson
This is perhaps one of the best books out there that will
convince anyone to homeschool! Available at most
bookstores and online half.com has it pretty cheap.
Don't forget your local public library!

__Read the Book
"Dumbing Us Down" by John Taylor Gatto
Who is John Taylor Gatto?
Briefly, he taught school for 30 years and was named "New York
State Teacher of the Year" after being named "New York City
Teacher of the Year" on three occasions. He has a few books
worth reading "Dumbing Us Down," "A Different Kind of
Teacher," and The Underground History of American Education."
For more info on John Taylor Gatto go to:
<
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/about...ylor_gatto_bio
graphy.htm >

The Six Lesson Schoolteacher by John Taylor Gatto
< http://www.cantrip.org/gatto.html >

John Taylor Gatto's website
< http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/ >

John Taylor Gatto's writing on the web
< http://www.preservenet.com/theory/Gatto.html >


That should get anyone started!

Vicky mommy to Madison
Homeschooling In SCV
< http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HomeschoolingInSCV >

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[SCV Vicky]

This is always a question...

Thought I would bump this to the top as many have the same questions....

Vicky