Homeschool Chat Part III

[wvdislover]

Subbing! DD13 and I have been homeschooling for 2 full years and a few months now. DD9 is still in public school (she ALMOST homeschooled this year, but decided to stay in "real school" for one more year, for now). We started homeschooling b/c DD13 has Asperger's Syndrome and was getting bullied in school and was struggling academically. She's doing much better at home! This year, we will be doing the following:

Pre-algebra--Teaching Textbooks
Science--Apologia's Elementary Exploring Creation w/ Zoology 2: Swimming
Creatures
Spanish--Rosetta Stone
History--studying Ancient Rome (lapbook) and Middle Ages (some Sonlight,
some stuff I "found")
Language Arts--Classical Conversations Essentials: Institute for Excellence in
Writing (also covers Middle Ages for some history)
Reading--whatever I deem "good lit." for her to read (I was an English major
and have taught in ms, hs, and college)

So, we're gearing up for an exciting year, starting this Friday (DD9 starts Friday at ps), then taking 2 weeks off after the second week, so we can go to WDW!!!

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Originally Posted by DawnM

We are all abnormal and NOT average! We also have children who do not respond well to strangers in authority!

Just go to the "Why did you choose not to homeschool" thread and read.......

I am coming here because I really, really want to respond to that post, but am trying not to!

you are oviously a better person than I was. I'm sorry, but that thread was meant to be negative. Blessedly most people did not respond that way.

[mom2att]

Originally Posted by McDuck

I'm reading THE WELL-TRAINED MIND right now. (My daughter is nearly 10 months old, so I'm just trying to get grounded on how I want to approach homeschooling when we DO start.) There was a recommended birth to age 5 book called SLOW AND STEADY, GET ME READY. Anyone have any experience with this book?

Also, when I searched it out on Amazon, THE STORY OF THE WORLD history curriculum books popped up. Has anyone used those?

Thanks so much for any opinions/advice.

Good for you getting prepared ahead of the game! Just know that with homeschooling gaining in popularity the curriculum publishing market changes rapidly, with 2nd editions coming out just a couple of years behind the first. So don't make any curriculum purchases yet!

The Well-Trained Mind is my favorite homeschool book and I recommend it every chance I get. I tried using Slow & Steady Get Me Ready a couple of times, but it just didn't work for me. If you read, play, and just get on the floor and interact with your baby you'll pretty much have all of the Slow & Steady stuff covered.

Story of the World is a great narrative history for the elementary grades. I think that just reading the stories is enough, but there are also activity guides to go along with each book. Again, something else I tried but has not really worked for us. I do love the First Language Lessons and Writing with Ease programs by the same authors, and I love the Susan Wise Bauer's plan for homeschooling. If you haven't yet, go to the Peace Hill Press and look up the mp3 downloads they have there of Susan and Jessie's lectures. They are both great speakers and very much worth the listen.

Best of luck to you!

[DawnM]

I am just not wanting to FEED the thread! EVERY time a homeschool thread is started (other than this one!), it turns ugly.

Usually someone will start in with, "Well, I knew this ONE homeschooling family and they were weird" or what have you, and now they are EXPERTS on the subject.

Dawn

Originally Posted by Indiana Rose Lee

you are oviously a better person than I was. I'm sorry, but that thread was meant to be negative. Blessedly most people did not respond that way.

[Denine]

I guess I missed that thread!

McDuck: Just read, read and read to your child. Point out everything in her world; colors, sounds, textures, whatever you can think of. That is all you really need to do right now.


Tiana: Sounds like fun! Can we come too?

[DawnM]

How many of you are going to Homeschool days in September?

Dawn

[Indiana Rose Lee]

I wish. We are heading down in January, though.

[polkadotsuitcase]

Originally Posted by DawnM

How many of you are going to Homeschool days in September?

Dawn

I wish, too! Sounds like fun.

[graygables]

Originally Posted by DawnM

How many of you are going to Homeschool days in September?

Dawn

Not us. Too expensive for locals/Cast Members.

[disneymom3]

Originally Posted by Disney Mommy 3

Well,...my kids haven't asked that particular question,but we have had people smart off in front of them about me hsing. Like "Why would you WANT to be with your KIDS all day?"...and stuff like that...to which I usually respond "Oh, we LOVE IT!' I enjoy being with MY kids!" Then when we get in the car they ask me about it. They have asked if I would rather if they weren't with me---quite heartbreaking to hear...but I reassure them it's what some people would rather, but not me!!! People just don't think about what kids are feeling...or how the questions they ask hs parents make the kids feel.

My favorite was the Walmart cashier who decided to give me a lecture about how public school was free and I was crazy not to take advantage of the whole days it would give me without my kids around. While my children stood there waiting for her rant to end so she would finish ringing me up. Crazyness.

Originally Posted by DawnM

Just go to the "Why did you choose not to homeschool" thread and read.......

I am coming here because I really, really want to respond to that post, but am trying not to!

There is sersiously a thread titled that? Well, at least they didn't start on this one I guess.

[disneymom3]

Originally Posted by DawnM

I am just not wanting to FEED the thread! EVERY time a homeschool thread is started (other than this one!), it turns ugly.

Usually someone will start in with, "Well, I knew this ONE homeschooling family and they were weird" or what have you, and now they are EXPERTS on the subject.

Dawn

I personaly LOVE the assumption that no public or private school kids are weird. Kids are just weird. That's all there is to it. Some are shy, some won't shut up.

[Disney Mommy 3]

Originally Posted by disneymom3

I personaly LOVE the assumption that no public or private school kids are weird. Kids are just weird. That's all there is to it. Some are shy, some won't shut up.

AMEN!!!

[ilovepete]

Anyone on here in FL and do an umbrella school? (I am not sure if other states have those or not?)

[MissChris]

Hi everyone!

I'm so relieved there's a new homeschooling thread. I've been eying the old thread but it was so big that I felt overwhelmed.

My daughter is 4 1/2 and we've been strongly considering homeschooling for her. I think it would be good for us and I'm leery of the large urban school district we live in and the quality of the education they can provide but I'm also nervous about taking it on myself.

Up until now we've done a very casual kind of observational learning based on what we encounter on a daily basis plus working on basic math and phonics so that now she understands addition and subtraction and can read pretty fluently.

We just decided a couple of weeks ago to get a tiny bit more structure and started just 1/2 hour of "instruction time" every morning. It's good but I think I need help figuring out how to keep her excited. Workbooks and sheets aren't doing it for her. She's a very active, physical, talkative kid and I think she needs lessons that are more playful or interactive or something. Does anyone know of a curriculum which is more hands on? Something with mini projects or something? I'm not even sure what I'm looking for which is making it very hard to find iykwim .

I'm excited and nervous, but mostly excited.

[polkadotsuitcase]

Originally Posted by MissChris

Hi everyone!

I'm so relieved there's a new homeschooling thread. I've been eying the old thread but it was so big that I felt overwhelmed.

My daughter is 4 1/2 and we've been strongly considering homeschooling for her. I think it would be good for us and I'm leery of the large urban school district we live in and the quality of the education they can provide but I'm also nervous about taking it on myself.

Up until now we've done a very casual kind of observational learning based on what we encounter on a daily basis plus working on basic math and phonics so that now she understands addition and subtraction and can read pretty fluently.

We just decided a couple of weeks ago to get a tiny bit more structure and started just 1/2 hour of "instruction time" every morning. It's good but I think I need help figuring out how to keep her excited. Workbooks and sheets aren't doing it for her. She's a very active, physical, talkative kid and I think she needs lessons that are more playful or interactive or something. Does anyone know of a curriculum which is more hands on? Something with mini projects or something? I'm not even sure what I'm looking for which is making it very hard to find iykwim .

I'm excited and nervous, but mostly excited.

With my two boys, we rarely did worksheets when they were that little. (I miss teaching elementary ages! SO much fun!) There is a ton of stuff you can do without sitting down and plodding through paper at that age...for example, we made a whole pizza once shaped in the letters of their names!

But if you really want a traditional curriculum, doesn't Saxon offer manipulatives with their early elementary books? (I'm not sure, since we didn't use them. But I think I remember seeing interlocking cubes for math and little teddy bear counters?) I'd suggest poking around Rainbow Resource and looking specifically for manipulatives -- I'm sure there are plenty of options there for that age.

Good luck! (And have fun!)