Homeschool Chat

[KibbyCat]

Hello everybody! I haven't had much school stuff to discuss lately, so I haven't ventured over here!!!! How are you all doing? I am winding down our first semester. We start earlier in summer ( I don't know if you remember-we start around mid-July) and stop with Thanksgiving. So, we actually have 8 days of schooling left!! We are ready for a much needed break-time!! How are your days shaping up? I know we had some on here new to HSing and I was curious how you have held up!!! It takes a bit to get into the swing of it, then you are off like a racehorse!!!

I am not sure what I can post about this-I know we can't buy/ sale, but with one semester coming to a close, I know some of us will start with new curriculum in January. I am getting some of our stuff out to make room for new books and things and wondered if any of you would be interested in my curriculum we aren't using anymore. Does anyone know if I can at least list the sub/grade I have and then you could pm me if interested in any of it? Just curious!! I am not sure where the mod's draw the line with too much info.!!! If I can't do that -just pm if you are wanting more info on what I have and I 'll let you know what I have!!

Well, only 10 days left till Thanksgiving!!! I can't believe we are so close to the end of the year!!!! Hope you all get as much done this week as possible so you can enjoy all your family next week!!!

I also started in July, and we are also almost done. I am in the same boat as you...needing to unload my 3rd grade curriculum and get 4th.

I haven't been on here in months, but I did notice that they STILL have not honored our request for our own forum.

However, I'm so excited that my husband's vacation requests were approved today, so we will be going to WDW Jan. 10th - 20th. Can't wait to call and reserve a pkg using that super-cheap new discount.

 

[emh1129]

There is a website that I'm trying to find.. it has reviews of the different curriculums and compares/contrasts them. Do any of you know what I'm talking about? Could you post a link? Thanks!

 

[GlendaO]

I also started in July, and we are also almost done. I am in the same boat as you...needing to unload my 3rd grade curriculum and get 4th.

I haven't been on here in months, but I did notice that they STILL have not honored our request for our own forum.

However, I'm so excited that my husband's vacation requests were approved today, so we will be going to WDW Jan. 10th - 20th. Can't wait to call and reserve a pkg using that super-cheap new discount.

For both those that start in July and finish at Thanksgiving, please tell me how?!

We have to do 180 days, do you guys not have requirements like that?

TIA!!

 

[Laura.bora]

There is a website that I'm trying to find.. it has reviews of the different curriculums and compares/contrasts them. Do any of you know what I'm talking about? Could you post a link? Thanks!

would that be www.homeschoolreviews.com
IT might be review not reviews.

For both those that start in July and finish at Thanksgiving, please tell me how?!

We have to do 180 days, do you guys not have requirements like that?

TIA!!

I believe that she meant she coming up to a break, not she's finished for the year. That's what we do too. We school year round. We start in July, take a week off for thanksgiving, do a light load of schoolwork from after Thanksgiving till Christmas and then we have afew more breaks as the year continues. We don't take 3 months off in the summer like the public schools and a lot of other homeschoolers.

I'm in NY - so we have requirements - we need to have 900 hours of learning in per year. (like the public schools have 900 hours of learning! HA!)

 

[teacups]

delete

 

[sha_lyn]

There is a website that I'm trying to find.. it has reviews of the different curriculums and compares/contrasts them. Do any of you know what I'm talking about? Could you post a link? Thanks!

there are lots of reviews at


http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

There is a website that I'm trying to find.. it has reviews of the different curriculums and compares/contrasts them. Do any of you know what I'm talking about? Could you post a link? Thanks!

Are you talking about Cathy Duffys 100 Top Picks for HomeschoolCurriculum? She does give her opinion about the most used curr. and kind of matches it with learning types. It has websites for all the stuff in her book--very handy! One of my favorites!!

For both those that start in July and finish at Thanksgiving, please tell me how?!

We have to do 180 days, do you guys not have requirements like that?

TIA!!

Well, I know the days of the year you have to have vary from state to state-but when you get those days is not regulated. We don't have a certain # that we have to follow, but I keep it pretty close to our local ps. We have 18 weeks the first semester and 16-18 the second--depending on our curriculum. We do take a summer break-we usually need it!!! I start mid to end of July because it's sooooo very hot and humid here in Texas!! Middle of the day your not fit to kill, and they can't play outside really-we have heat waves!! So, I decided a few years back that I would use that time to our advantage!!We work 9 weeks and if we need a week off, we take it. Usually we use it during hurricane season. Then we resume for the next 9 weeks and end at Thanksgiving-we are then out till Jan when the ps goes back. We do still do reading over the holidays-but we have family birthdays and that use to be our Disney vacation time. We don't take days off that the ps has, so we probably actually have more school days than they do! For example, no teacher workdays, Columbus day and things like that we discuss and talk about why it is a holiday, but we still do our work--I have to keep on schedule! We usually finish mid-end of April, have May and June out and part of July.Then we start all over again!!! Hope this answers your question!!!

 

[mykidsintow]

http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/

 

[sha_lyn]

For both those that start in July and finish at Thanksgiving, please tell me how?!

We have to do 180 days, do you guys not have requirements like that?

TIA!!

I believe they meant they finished the first 1/2 of the year not the entire yr.

 

[Ashley Kees]

For both those that start in July and finish at Thanksgiving, please tell me how?!

We have to do 180 days, do you guys not have requirements like that?

TIA!!

Not in Texas, we don't. Yay for the best homeschool state in the Union!! (Well, pretty close to no. 1, anyway!)

 

[LisaMommy]

Hello all you other home-schooling moms. I'm a newbie here, and only verrry recently started home-schooling my son. Well, I love it, and I'm so happy that I can modify the curriculum to suit us! Huzzah! Even my DD has been doing bits and pieces of work. I always heard people talking about the joys of home-schooling but you never really know it 'til you try it, do you? Anyway, just saying hi.

 

[tethermagee]

Hi all! Is the room for another Disney loving homeschool mama? I've 3 kids, ages 14, 11 and 9. We've homeschooled since the beginning, and use an eclectic curriculum of my own favorites.

 

[Denine]

Haven't been on in a while. DD is over 1/2 way done with 1st grade math and we are 20 lessons away from being 1/2 way done with 1st grade.
We will take 3 days off next week for Thanksgiving. We only have school 4 days a week since I work on Fridays.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Hello all you other home-schooling moms. I'm a newbie here, and only verrry recently started home-schooling my son. Well, I love it, and I'm so happy that I can modify the curriculum to suit us! Huzzah! Even my DD has been doing bits and pieces of work. I always heard people talking about the joys of home-schooling but you never really know it 'til you try it, do you? Anyway, just saying hi.

Hi all! Is the room for another Disney loving homeschool mama? I've 3 kids, ages 14, 11 and 9. We've homeschooled since the beginning, and use an eclectic curriculum of my own favorites.

Welcome to you both!! We are glad you are here with us! Yes, it is a blessing and anyone who doesn't homeschool will never understand that!!! I am so very thankful that I followed the Lord and made this decision-one of the best I ever made! I too use an eclectic mix!!! What a blast!!!

 

[DawnM]

Well, sort of. We have to check off the days that they are present. Um, yeah, they are with me 365 days a year, so they are HERE!

The 180 days of instruction does not have to be rigorous instruction. Learning anything is instruction.

I was a teacher for over 16 years. I can assure you that there are many, many wasted days within those 180. Field trips, assemblies, field day, parties, fire drills, you name it. But those are counted by your state as instructional days.....so you can count them too.

Here is where I stand on homeschooling.....if my children are performing at grade level, they are doing just fine. I am not going to stress out about it.

Also, in traditional schools, teachers do not cover all 200 pages (or whatever) in each subject of each book. They also don't always do all the numbers of questions or problems on every assignment. Many times the teachers will ask students to answer numbers 1-10 only, or odd numbers only, or whatever.

Homeschool parents tend to stress about things that schools don't even get concerned about.

Dawn

For both those that start in July and finish at Thanksgiving, please tell me how?!

We have to do 180 days, do you guys not have requirements like that?

TIA!!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Yes, Dawn-that's how I feel as well! I do try to finish our books-but not every problem on every page! Especially if we have mastered it & mastered it well!!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Not in Texas, we don't. Yay for the best homeschool state in the Union!! (Well, pretty close to no. 1, anyway!)

3 cheers for Texas!!! One of the main reasons I would be flippin' out if we moved to another state!! I do regulate the lessons, keep up with days and stick to our schedule- but for me, not because I have to do it~!

 

[Ellester]

Well, sort of. We have to check off the days that they are present. Um, yeah, they are with me 365 days a year, so they are HERE!

The 180 days of instruction does not have to be rigorous instruction. Learning anything is instruction.

I was a teacher for over 16 years. I can assure you that there are many, many wasted days within those 180. Field trips, assemblies, field day, parties, fire drills, you name it. But those are counted by your state as instructional days.....so you can count them too.

Here is where I stand on homeschooling.....if my children are performing at grade level, they are doing just fine. I am not going to stress out about it.

Also, in traditional schools, teachers do not cover all 200 pages (or whatever) in each subject of each book. They also don't always do all the numbers of questions or problems on every assignment. Many times the teachers will ask students to answer numbers 1-10 only, or odd numbers only, or whatever.

Homeschool parents tend to stress about things that schools don't even get concerned about.

Dawn

When we lived in NC, the wording to me was such that you could have school one day a month for 9 months and meet their legal requirements! It simply says you are good: "so long as the school operates on a regular schedule, excluding reasonable holidays and vacations, during at least nine calendar months of the year". Of course, they highly "recommend" a 180 day schedule. Here in GA, we are supposed to have 180 days of 4-1/2 hours of instruction. I know my dd never had 4 1/2 hours of instruction during a normal day of PS! Like you said, fire drills, waiting in line for the bathroom, parties, walking to the lunch room, etc. took up much of the day. But, whatever, I'll fill out my little form and e-mail it in by the 10th of the next month to keep us legal.

 

[Ashley Kees]

3 cheers for Texas!!! One of the main reasons I would be flippin' out if we moved to another state!! I do regulate the lessons, keep up with days and stick to our schedule- but for me, not because I have to do it~!

I agree, I was so happy when DH got a new job with a large company that has 5 branches, all of which are in the lonestar state. Even if he gets transferred, we're still homeschool-friendly!

Oh, I keep good records, just in case some screwball tries to overturn Arlington in the next seventeen years or so.

Incindentally, we don't really keep DDs on "grade level". we let them learn at their own pace. Right now, Layla is in Kindergarten math (1/2 done) and 1st grade reading and grammar (1/4 done). The other subjects (science, social studies, Spanish, fine arts) are piecemealed curriculums that don't have exact grade levels (i.e.: science is for grades K-2, social studies is grades 1-3, etc.). Binx isn't 5 yet, so she isn't required to be enrolled in any school, so I let her pick what she wants to do. Once she's 5, she'll be in the same situation as Layla.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Ashley Kees~
I just noticed your countdown---3 days till Yeah for you!!!!!