Homeschool Chat Part III

[disneymom3]

I am a little concerned because I am having a hard time finding any homeschooling groups in my area (central nj)! I would reallly like to meet some folks nearby before we start...

Do yahoo groups search. Also there are bound to be some state wide organizations for NJ and many times they have contact lists for local support groups. If you go here http://www.enochnj.org/index.php/support they have a listing of counties and the support group contact info. That is a Christian site but I am sure there is a secular group too. About.com often has some state specific information and sometimes links to local support groups.

 

[mommylovesdisney]

Do yahoo groups search. Also there are bound to be some state wide organizations for NJ and many times they have contact lists for local support groups. If you go here http://www.enochnj.org/index.php/support they have a listing of counties and the support group contact info. That is a Christian site but I am sure there is a secular group too. About.com often has some state specific information and sometimes links to local support groups.

Thank you and thanks to all who gave advice!!! I am going to take a look at the library and at these sites.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

I haven't read the whole (gigantic!) thread yet, but wanted to introduce myself!

I'm a Amanda and I'm a homeschooling mom of 3. Caedmon, my 9 year old, has be homeschooled since Kindergarten and is now in the 4th grade. Presley, my 4 year old, is in the same private Christian preschool that Caedmon attended and will start Kindergarten at home next Fall. And Hendrix, my 4 month old, just nurses a lot. :lol:

I'm excited to have a place to chat about homeschooling with fellow Disney fans!

Nice to meet you! I was happy to find this group, too -- a blend of two of my favorite things!

I want to introduce myself and then I have a LOT of questions! I have 3 kids, DS - J (age 5, currently in preschool), DD1 - R (age almost 3, currently in preschool) and DD2 - N (age 5 months). DS was recently diagnosed with ADHD and had a very rough start to the year. For anyone who doesn't know there are a lot of aspects to ADHD other than hyperness and one of the biggest ones for us is the impulsiveness that is about 3 years behind. So he can act like a 2 year old in the way of acting before thinking. I really don't want to start him in the public system and have it "in his record" of everything that goes on at this young age. It is very possible that between getting older and the behavior therapy he is in he will eventually "catch up" to others his age. Until then I'm looking at homeschooling. Here comes the questions...

I have no idea how to do it, or where to start. My biggest concern is how to do it with having other younger kids around. If I start DS in K next year, I will still send DD1 to preschool several days a week because 1 - I love the school (private Christian preschool only) and 2 - she loves going and 3 - it would give me sometime to work with DS. But I still will have DD2 to deal with. I guess my biggest fear is not doing it right, or good enough, and then having that failure on myself. Does that make sense? Anyone have any resources to help me out? Thanks!

I think we all have the same fear at different times -- it's part of taking a path less traveled. As long as you keep re-assessing what's working for your family, what's not working, and stay open to change, you'll do fine! As far as logistics, that's usually something where you try different schedules until one falls into place (and then the kids get older and you have to change again!). You could do school during DD's naptime, or while you're outside and she's watching what you're doing. You can even do school stuff with your oldest while your youngest is nursing/eating -- you could be chatting with him about topics or watching an educational video together. It can work out!

 

[Nicolepa]

My goodness, we were on page 3 of the forum. You guys all must be educating your children or something.

We've been busy picking out new cirriculum. We decided a couple weeks ago that things needed to change around here. K12 is just not working for my son anymore. So I've got just about everything picked out. I just need to start ordering and planning. Never ventured out on my own before. I hope I don't sink too quickly!

 

[robinsegg]

I have no idea how to do it, or where to start. My biggest concern is how to do it with having other younger kids around. If I start DS in K next year, I will still send DD1 to preschool several days a week because 1 - I love the school (private Christian preschool only) and 2 - she loves going and 3 - it would give me sometime to work with DS. But I still will have DD2 to deal with. I guess my biggest fear is not doing it right, or good enough, and then having that failure on myself. Does that make sense? Anyone have any resources to help me out? Thanks!

Hi!
Last year, I homeschooled a 4th grader & 1st grader with an infant. It wasn't ideal, but it *did* work! At 5 months, baby is getting ready to be in an exersaucer or jumper as well as what you've already been doing. Also, don't be afraid to talk to your student about a topic while on a walk outside with baby in the stroller (or on you, if you're babywearing). A lot depends on what curriculum you use . . . but you can totally do a certain amount of school while nursing, during baby's naptime, and while baby is fairly happy on her own.
If you need any specific tips, feel free to PM me.

 

[robinsegg]

My goodness, we were on page 3 of the forum. You guys all must be educating your children or something.

We've been busy picking out new cirriculum. We decided a couple weeks ago that things needed to change around here. K12 is just not working for my son anymore. So I've got just about everything picked out. I just need to start ordering and planning. Never ventured out on my own before. I hope I don't sink too quickly!

Hi!
Don't let yourself get too nervous! Remember that you're the teacher, so it's up to you to make the choices. However, you also know your students better than anyone else in the world! Therefore, you're much more likely to make the best choices than anyone else would be. You're also going to be right there with them, and able to evaluate how things are working, so you can "tweak" it if you need to.
Don't get too discouraged, just give the new stuff some time for you to "work out the kinks" in it.

 

[Nicolepa]

Hi!
Don't let yourself get too nervous! Remember that you're the teacher, so it's up to you to make the choices. However, you also know your students better than anyone else in the world! Therefore, you're much more likely to make the best choices than anyone else would be. You're also going to be right there with them, and able to evaluate how things are working, so you can "tweak" it if you need to.
Don't get too discouraged, just give the new stuff some time for you to "work out the kinks" in it.

Thank you. I know it will all work out. My husband isn't very encouraging though. Supportive yes, encouraging no. He doesn't want to leave the "safety" of the Virtual Academy. He is worried about not having the a teacher to turn to. Although the teachers haven't been much help up to this point. He is also worried because the cirriculum I picked is just a small company. He wants me to go w/a bigger company so I'll have more support. I get what he is saying but I really feel God has led me to this cirriculum for a reason. Even my long time homeschool friend who was determined to get me to use her cirriculm (so we could do a co-op) took one look at the other one and said, if I were you that's what I'd do.

 

[disneymom3]

My goodness, we were on page 3 of the forum. You guys all must be educating your children or something.

We've been busy picking out new cirriculum. We decided a couple weeks ago that things needed to change around here. K12 is just not working for my son anymore. So I've got just about everything picked out. I just need to start ordering and planning. Never ventured out on my own before. I hope I don't sink too quickly!

So don't leave us hanging! What did you pick? I bet you will be much happier with doing it on your own. Everyone I know who has switched from a virtual academy to their own plan whatever it is, has been thrilled.

 

[Nicolepa]

So don't leave us hanging! What did you pick? I bet you will be much happier with doing it on your own. Everyone I know who has switched from a virtual academy to their own plan whatever it is, has been thrilled.

I am going to use a cirriulum from a company called Learning Adventures (www.learning-adventures.org). The cirriculum is called A New World of Adventure. It is a year long history based Unit Study. It goes from 1600-1800. It is all inclusive except for math, although I am going to supplement some grammar and maybe phonics as he is really weak in those areas.

I'm glad I did the VA for a year. It gave me time to learn what he needed and how he operated, but it's just not working for us anymore. It is too much sit at your desk and do worksheets. He really needs more hands on activites/reading etc.

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

I am sure you will love it but if it doesn't work for your son...that is the joy...you can change to meet his needs.

I know when I taught in public school for ten years I never taught two classes the same. I would add this or eliminate that to meet the needs of that class. I am sure I am not the only teacher to do that. So no two children going through school will receive the exact same education. We only hope they get what they need to become lifelong lovers of learning.

The joy of homeschooling is that while I had to tailor things to meet the needs of a "class", I can now tailor things to meet the needs of my individual children. While I am sure most teachers try to met the needs of their individual students, it is hard, if not impossible to figure out what each one needs and apply that knowledge to so many.

I understand your husband's point of view. We started out with Calvert because my husband wanted something that had withstood the test of time. However, we have adjusted to meet the needs of our children. Does my husband still have worries? Sure but he is supportive. I am sure once they are successfully enrolled in college (or once my son patents his first million dollar idea or my daughter publishes her first book) he will finally stop worrying if we covered it all (Which by the way...we won't) But if they are LIFELONG LOVERS OF LEARNING that is all they will need to succeed!

 

[mom2boys77]

Has anyone here homeschooled a high school student? My ds is a freshman. He has struggled in school forever. I am seriously considering this for him but I'm nervous that I wouldn't be able to do it. We live in Bayville, NJ..anyone know of any homeschool groups in this area by any chance?

 

[NHWX]

Has anyone here homeschooled a high school student? My ds is a freshman. He has struggled in school forever. I am seriously considering this for him but I'm nervous that I wouldn't be able to do it. We live in Bayville, NJ..anyone know of any homeschool groups in this area by any chance?

I have two homeschooled high school boys. Our oldest tried the public high school for a semester and after he had finished those classes, he came back home. They've done a mix of online, distance learning and Mom-supplied courses. They've done group labs also.

I'd think of it as buffet-learning or as being a facilitator. People have asked me "but what about hard classes like calculus?" Well, that's what other people can teach my sons. Just as I wouldn't try to re-wire my house, I'm not going to try to teach calculus. I have had it but it was a long, long time ago. Some things I'm perfectly happy to teach - US History, for example.

There are tons of resources out there if you want to homeschool high school. One of the cool parts is that your son would get a individualized educational plan.

And, yes, I do worry. But I'd worry if my boys were in our public school. For those college bound kids attending that school, you can apply to a maximum of six schools - two reach, two reasonable and two safeties. They won't process the paperwork for more. My older son knows exactly what he wants to do and thankfully the community college requires minimal paperwork on my part but if he wanted to apply to a bunch of schools, he *could* do it as a homeschooler. I don't worry about drug deals at lunch, fights in the hallway or endless amounts of busywork. (20 hours of coloring maps over Labor Day weekend his freshman year - no kidding.)

Good luck and ask this forum for advice. There are a lot of really helpful parents on this thread.

NHWX

 

[mom2boys77]

Thank you so much. That helps a lot. There is so much information out there and it gets confusing. I did a google search on homeschooling a high school student and just did not even know where to start.

I have two homeschooled high school boys. Our oldest tried the public high school for a semester and after he had finished those classes, he came back home. They've done a mix of online, distance learning and Mom-supplied courses. They've done group labs also.

I'd think of it as buffet-learning or as being a facilitator. People have asked me "but what about hard classes like calculus?" Well, that's what other people can teach my sons. Just as I wouldn't try to re-wire my house, I'm not going to try to teach calculus. I have had it but it was a long, long time ago. Some things I'm perfectly happy to teach - US History, for example.

There are tons of resources out there if you want to homeschool high school. One of the cool parts is that your son would get a individualized educational plan.

And, yes, I do worry. But I'd worry if my boys were in our public school. For those college bound kids attending that school, you can apply to a maximum of six schools - two reach, two reasonable and two safeties. They won't process the paperwork for more. My older son knows exactly what he wants to do and thankfully the community college requires minimal paperwork on my part but if he wanted to apply to a bunch of schools, he *could* do it as a homeschooler. I don't worry about drug deals at lunch, fights in the hallway or endless amounts of busywork. (20 hours of coloring maps over Labor Day weekend his freshman year - no kidding.)

Good luck and ask this forum for advice. There are a lot of really helpful parents on this thread.

NHWX

 

[dis-happy]

I homeschooled my oldest straight into college, where she graduates this year as an honors bio major. In the process of preparing my 2nd child--he's a junior in high school this year.

There are lots of resources out there. If your child plans to be college bound, start with the graduation requirements of your state university. We plan on 4 yrs. of English, 4 years of math (but he is planning to major in science), science including a lab, history including Amer. history and Gov't, 2-3 yrs. of a foreign language, etc. What we don't do at home we do other places: co-ops, on-line, community college dual enrollment, etc.

Keep a transcript and a list of what you've done each year of high school, including the extra-curriculas. My friend copied the title page of every single book her ds used during high school and had a list to submit with his college application to show what they covered.

Plan on taking the SAT and ACT. If you do a specific subject, consider taking the SAT subject test for that right after he finishes the course. My ds has taken the bio and chem ones now. Some schools require a subject test or two.

There are books with titles like "How to Homeschool Through High School" that can help give you ideas for planning too.

It's not as hard as it sounds.

 

[mom2boys77]

Thank you

 

[ADisneyQueen]

I also thinking about homeschooling my oldest ( 8th grade). I wanted to do it a long time ago, but my DH really didn't want me to. What I worry about is that she is taking all accelerated and gifted classes that are offered at her school, and I hope that we could keep this up at home. My DH can teach her math and some science ( he is a professor). Another worry of mine is socialization. What kinds of things do your older kids do? Can they still do things through the school?

 

[Trevor57]

My names trevor, im from california and im going to disneyland, anaheim with my family at the end of nov. Im homeschooled, through visions in education, and am really wanting to meet someone on here that my be going to disneyland around the same time as me.

Im 14, have blue eyes, blonde hair, and am facebook or skype.
Please, anybody, my last trip there was just as boring as all heck because I had to roam the park with my parents. Anybody at all...lol.
Thanks for reading!!!!!

 

[DawnM]

Awe....hope you can find a buddy. I have an almost 13 year old that I would send your way if we still lived in SoCal!

Best wishes.

Dawn

My names trevor, im from california and im going to disneyland, anaheim with my family at the end of nov. Im homeschooled, through visions in education, and am really wanting to meet someone on here that my be going to disneyland around the same time as me.

Im 14, have blue eyes, blonde hair, and am facebook or skype.
Please, anybody, my last trip there was just as boring as all heck because I had to roam the park with my parents. Anybody at all...lol.
Thanks for reading!!!!!

 

[DawnM]

Just bumping and checking in to say hello!

We are here at Disney this week and it is FANTASTIC! Walking right on 90% of the rides and getting fast passes or single rider for the rest.

I love vacationing in October and not worrying about missing school!

Peace out to all my homeschool buds!,

Dawn

 

[MiniGirl]

Just bumping and checking in to say hello!

We are here at Disney this week and it is FANTASTIC! Walking right on 90% of the rides and getting fast passes or single rider for the rest.

I love vacationing in October and not worrying about missing school!

Peace out to all my homeschool buds!,

Dawn

Not to mention the weather we've been having. It has been absolutely perfect over here on the beach anyway.

Glad you're having a great time.