Homeschool Chat

[Corinne Johnson]

I am SOOOO graduating my kids in Disney. 3D travel has some awesome.

Lori

I just got the email about their graduation too! Very cool!
For those who are wondering, 3D travel is partnering with Disney to do homeschool graduation in May.

 

[theduck619]

My wife and I are considering home schooling our twins starting next year. I have seen a few curriculums online and they seem pretty expensive. Do you have any you would recommend?

 

[emh1129]

I just got the email about their graduation too! Very cool!
For those who are wondering, 3D travel is partnering with Disney to do homeschool graduation in May.

That is so neat!

 

[littlepeppers]

Our daughter was just confirmed this year, and she had a class of boys that talked a lot about sports. She didn't feel like she was really understanding the faith that she was being confirmed into from the class. We worked with her at home using the catechism book. We went through the question and answer sections, referenced the corresponding Scriptures and surrounding passages, and made sure that she had a good understanding. We didn't want her to stand before God and say she believed something that she didn't truly. I would suggest using your Bible and your catechism book directly, and not worry about finding a curriculum for this. Just my opinion.

I haven't seen his cat. book yet, so I don't even know how it is set up. I think that I may check out that option before spending more $. He is very distracted by his surroundings. This is one of the many reasons that Catholic school wasn't working.

Thanks for the $ saving thought.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

My wife and I are considering home schooling our twins starting next year. I have seen a few curriculums online and they seem pretty expensive. Do you have any you would recommend?

That's pretty broad!!!! They have so many now. What are you looking for--or do you know yet? Do you want one that is a curriculum set, with everything planned and boxed for you? Or do you just want to start out slow, and cover some basics? Also, are you wanting books with a Christian viewpoint? Before I list my 1000 favorites, tell us what you are leaning toward!! And remember--at this age, you don't need tons of stuff!!! Lots of reading to them at this point is wonderful. Anything they like, Dr. Suess, Winnie-the-Pooh, Beatrix Potter, anything that ya'll have or things at the library they are interested in. They learn a lot just from being with you and playing at this stage in life. Hope we can help ya!!! And We are glad you found us!!!!

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

for all you Teaching Textbook lovers out there....start ordering!! ha!!! I ordered mine today for the boys---Alg I and 6th grade.They emailed me back saying that the 6th grade is already short. Hopefully they can ship it on June 29. I start school the end of July, so I really want it to ship then. I like to have all my stuff planned. Just thought I would pass that on--I know we just got out, but it stinks when things start getting backordered close to the start dates.

I think I have asked ya'll before, but I can't remember. What Writing programs do you like? We are not gonna do Grammar in itself this year, but focus more on writing. We (the boys!) cringe at the word "writing". I want to have a year to work on this and make it not so scary for them. They can talk and tell stories all day long, but writing ... They freeze!

 

[lori1043]

http://www.writeathome.com/Display.aspx?tabid=1

This is a writing curr I am thinking about for my 6th grader.

Lori

 

[disneymom3]

for all you Teaching Textbook lovers out there....start ordering!! ha!!! I ordered mine today for the boys---Alg I and 6th grade.They emailed me back saying that the 6th grade is already short. Hopefully they can ship it on June 29. I start school the end of July, so I really want it to ship then. I like to have all my stuff planned. Just thought I would pass that on--I know we just got out, but it stinks when things start getting backordered close to the start dates.

I think I have asked ya'll before, but I can't remember. What Writing programs do you like? We are not gonna do Grammar in itself this year, but focus more on writing. We (the boys!) cringe at the word "writing". I want to have a year to work on this and make it not so scary for them. They can talk and tell stories all day long, but writing ... They freeze!

I think Writing Strands is quite good as well as Jump In: a guide for eager and reluctant writers.

My wife and I are considering home schooling our twins starting next year. I have seen a few curriculums online and they seem pretty expensive. Do you have any you would recommend?

For Kindergarten, if you are Christian I would strongly recommend My Father's World. Wonderful K curriculum with every thing included and LOTs of hands on.

 

[disneymom3]

Has anyone used Winter Promise here? Did you like it ok? We have used Sonlight 3 & 4 and I am thinking of Quest for Ancient World Winter Promise this year. I really HAVE to have a boxed type set, that tells me what to do each day. I liked Sonlight, but it seems we only get thru half the books each year. It is way too much reading & I hate not getting thru in one year! But it did work ok. I hear Winter Promise is similar, but not as much reading.
Anyone have any experience?

One year I bought the Whole Calvert Grade 5 set and only got to use it about a week before I tossed that aside. It was too much textbook. Costly
mistake. So I don't want to do that again. BTW, if anyone wants the Calvert Grade 5, PM me. I will let it go cheap!

I bought Oak Meadow once, but was able to send it back. Did not like it at all.

I so know what you mean. I used WinterPromise a couple of years ago for the American Crossing (something like that.) It was the first year it was available and I was REALLY disappointed in it. They said there was lots of hands on activities but they all came out of books that you had to buy with the teacher guide. AND they were almost all paper based things like making mini books and three D maps. I had two little boys who did not consider a 3D map of Jamestown to be hands on OR fun. At all! I ended up dropping it too. However, I am still really drawn to the whole idea of many of their curriculums. I am intrigued by the middle ages one and I am almost certain I am going to try the Adventures in the Sea and Sky for my boys in a year or two. So, that is a mixed review for you! I have heard that they hvae gotten better over the last couple of years. The year I used them was the first year they really took off.

 

[danjoealexis3006]

I am thinking of homeschooling my boys next year. They are 10 & 7. My ten year old has stuggled in school for entire time. He has been diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and ADHD (inattentive). He is reading at a beginning 3rd grade level and cannot keep up in math ( this is usually his best subject) and can not spell very well. He recieves services from the school and has an IEP. The school has informed me that he will no longer be able to provide group instuction (4 kids to a group) because of staffing cuts. I am very tired of fighting with the school. All I have gotten is a kid who thinks he's stupid ( he is very bright) and I am sick of it! So I have a few questions:

1. How do you teach two grades at the same time? My youngest is reading a higher level than my oldest ( this will be a problem) and he demands my attention when both my DS's sit down to do homework. This is VERY distracting to my DS10 who will get mad and yell at him. And then it is difficult to get my DS10 on task again.

2. How do you know if what you are teaching is what your suppose to be for that grade level ( my 10 year old has a lot of catching up to do)?

3. How do you keep the kids entertained all the time?

4. How do I tell my husband I want to put graduate school off for a year.?

Sorry this is so long! I just want my son to be happy like he was before I put him on that bus for the first day in preschool.

 

[wvdislover]

Yes, you can just order the tickets separately (I'm a Cast Member, so our admission is already covered ) The YES programs are $25 per person, with a limit of one adult ticket for each child ticket (both parents can't attend with one child). Each attendee must have his own ticket. I did not attend w/ my DDs, so I just bought them tickets. As for the programs, yes, those are the only ones offered during the homeschool days. I was a bit disappointed with the choices myself.

So, how much would just the homeschool days tickets cost? And, would the YES program tickets cost us $100 (2 kids, 2 adults)? I don't know if my kids would enjoy these programs THAT much. Thanks! BTW, are you still going to be down working in September? It might be neat to get our Sarahs together to meet in person (I still need to get my Sarah to e-mail your Sarah I keep forgetting!)

 

[3princesses+aprince]

I am thinking of homeschooling my boys next year. They are 10 & 7. My ten year old has stuggled in school for entire time. He has been diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and ADHD (inattentive). He is reading at a beginning 3rd grade level and cannot keep up in math ( this is usually his best subject) and can not spell very well. He recieves services from the school and has an IEP. The school has informed me that he will no longer be able to provide group instuction (4 kids to a group) because of staffing cuts. I am very tired of fighting with the school. All I have gotten is a kid who thinks he's stupid ( he is very bright) and I am sick of it! So I have a few questions:

1. How do you teach two grades at the same time? My youngest is reading a higher level than my oldest ( this will be a problem) and he demands my attention when both my DS's sit down to do homework. This is VERY distracting to my DS10 who will get mad and yell at him. And then it is difficult to get my DS10 on task again.

2. How do you know if what you are teaching is what your suppose to be for that grade level ( my 10 year old has a lot of catching up to do)?

3. How do you keep the kids entertained all the time?

4. How do I tell my husband I want to put graduate school off for a year.?

Sorry this is so long! I just want my son to be happy like he was before I put him on that bus for the first day in preschool.

Ok, i'm sure you'll get more advice than I can give, because I am starting out this year too!! But your story made me feel bad because that's what I feel about my dd9(almost 10) She HATES going to school, she actually has anxiety issues. She is very smart but does not do well on tests and with homework. She is reading below level and struggles in math too.

So, for teaching 2 grades at the same time. I'll be doing that too, my dd7 has an IEP in school right now and I know will need a lot of help from me. I know someone who currently does this can answer the question, but I don't have experience in it yet but I'm just going to jump into it and see how it goes. I'm thinking if there's a subject that they both need my help in, like math, maybe i'll have them do it at different times this way I can sit down with both of them. So i'll do math with dd9 while dd7 colors or anything else that she can do on her own. There are subjects like History and Science that are for various ages, we're doing Apologia Science and we're all going to be able to do that together, along with Truthquest, for history, same thing.

As for knowing what level they are on and what curriculum to get, look around and view some sample pages. We are going mostly with Abeka, and on their website you can view sample pages to see if that book will be good for your child. My dd7 is going into 2nd grade this fall, but after viewing the sample pages I realized their 2nd grade math would be too hard for her, she is behind in math, and i'm going to use the 1st grade math book along with the 2nd grade Language, and writing. You can pick and chose. Trust me I just started looking and curriculums recently and it is very overwhelming, but keep at it and you'll figure it all out. And i got most of my help right here from these wonderful homeschoolers.

How to keep the kids entertained? I'm still thinking about that too, but most of the people that I know that homeschool say that is never a problem, so I think that's something that we'll have to figure out when we start

 

[lori1043]

My wife and I are considering home schooling our twins starting next year. I have seen a few curriculums online and they seem pretty expensive. Do you have any you would recommend?

Ok, so there are way too many choices, so, I suggest starting with Cathy Duffy...

http://www.cathyduffyreviews.com/

If you buy that book off to the right, there are some of those "tests" that the parent can take to figure out what type of curriculums/ways of teaching you will tend toward, and some questions about your children's learning styles. I wish I had this resource 5 years ago, then maybe not so much money spent on curriculum that I hated but finished b/c I had bought it already(on a budget here!). I took it a few months back, and although I was already going in the direction of the categories I fit into, it confirmed it for me that I was going in the right direction for my family, my kids.

I wish you luck on your search and hope you find something that fits you. There are always transitiions and such, but they are mostly for the better!

Lori

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

I am thinking of homeschooling my boys next year. They are 10 & 7. My ten year old has stuggled in school for entire time. He has been diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and ADHD (inattentive). He is reading at a beginning 3rd grade level and cannot keep up in math ( this is usually his best subject) and can not spell very well. He recieves services from the school and has an IEP. The school has informed me that he will no longer be able to provide group instuction (4 kids to a group) because of staffing cuts. I am very tired of fighting with the school. All I have gotten is a kid who thinks he's stupid ( he is very bright) and I am sick of it! So I have a few questions:

1. How do you teach two grades at the same time? My youngest is reading a higher level than my oldest ( this will be a problem) and he demands my attention when both my DS's sit down to do homework. This is VERY distracting to my DS10 who will get mad and yell at him. And then it is difficult to get my DS10 on task again.

2. How do you know if what you are teaching is what your suppose to be for that grade level ( my 10 year old has a lot of catching up to do)?

3. How do you keep the kids entertained all the time?

4. How do I tell my husband I want to put graduate school off for a year.?

Sorry this is so long! I just want my son to be happy like he was before I put him on that bus for the first day in preschool.

First of all , we are glad you came over!!! I think you are making a great choice. Let me answer #4 first. You are a mom!! You are putting your son first at a time when he needs you. That's how you tell him This is what mommies do! You have tried school for quite some time, and it's obvious he doesn't respond there and needs a change. Now is the time.

#3--Entertainment--Well, for a while it might take quite a few days for you to get into the rhythm you need and some days might need to be just sitting around with you reading books to them and letting them work on a few math problems. If things start to get hairy, send them to play. Imagination is a wonderful thing. Your 10 yo will probably benefit from it since school has gotten so emotional for him. Just relax for a while!!

#1&2- Different states require different things, so if you are in a place where they should be tested, that might help you keep on track. If not, you can buy scope & sequence books, or What Your Child Should Know in the _ grade books. In hs, you don't have to keep it on grade level---once something is mastered, move on. If one kid reads at a high school level, and is in 6th grade, you wouldn't make him only check out 6th g.level books at the library! If he found a really thick book he liked at a higher level, you would let him have it. Same way with school at home. Grade levels are just grouping kids and keeping them together by age. Some might always be at g.l. others won't. Teaching 2 at a time isn't as hard as you think. You will get in the groove once you get going. work on 2 diff. things at a time. for example, while you do math with one, have the other work in handwriting. Lang with one while the other copies his spelling words. Juggle them this way and when you see what subject they really need you the most with, start the day with that. For your 10yo, start with him on his hardest thing in the morning, when he's fresh. Have the other one read to himself and then rotate.

I always think the answer to most hs stuff is lots of reading. They learn sooooo much from good literature. Spelling, grammar, how it should sound. Then when they hear it incorrectly they know something isn't quite as it should be. You reading a lot to them even over the summer will help your older son. Start with anything. Whatever ya'll like and you will enjoy reading. One good book you should get is Honey For a Childs Heart by Gladys Hunt. She has book lists for different ages with great lit. by list. I love this book---lots of great classic little stories. Just keep it easy for a while and not too much pressure--ease into it. That's gonna keep you all from being anxious and thinking someone isn't very smart. Start with lots of lower level math and letters and reading--build up at whatever pace they work well with. This will keep them from feeling that they are going backward!
Hope this helps ya!!

 

[theduck619]

I think we want something slow to cover the basics and to get us acquainted with teaching them formally. I don't think the "canned" curriculums would work well for us. I am not over religious but I do want my daughters to learn and know God so I would eventually like to include some religous education in. Thanks for all of your advice. We have loved reading through all of the posts.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Theduck~ Lori or someone mentioned My Father's World, that is a good basic starting Curriculum. Also, something like Explode the Code for phonics beginning would be good. For math Singapore at the lower level is good. ABeka is very good at those levels-they are definitely Christian in their view--good solid math base and phonics.

 

[Corinne Johnson]

I think I have asked ya'll before, but I can't remember. What Writing programs do you like? We are not gonna do Grammar in itself this year, but focus more on writing. We (the boys!) cringe at the word "writing". I want to have a year to work on this and make it not so scary for them. They can talk and tell stories all day long, but writing ... They freeze!

A local co-op did IEW last year, and said of the 15 kids who participated (we didn't), only one kid didn't like it. All the moms said they loved it.

It is expensive, but they do allow you to go in together and use it as a group, just buying one workbook per child. I think they paid around $25 per family?

 

[Corinne Johnson]

I am thinking of homeschooling my boys next year.

1. How do you teach two grades at the same time? My youngest is reading a higher level than my oldest ( this will be a problem) and he demands my attention when both my DS's sit down to do homework. This is VERY distracting to my DS10 who will get mad and yell at him. And then it is difficult to get my DS10 on task again.

2. How do you know if what you are teaching is what your suppose to be for that grade level ( my 10 year old has a lot of catching up to do)?

3. How do you keep the kids entertained all the time?

4. How do I tell my husband I want to put graduate school off for a year.?

Sorry this is so long! I just want my son to be happy like he was before I put him on that bus for the first day in preschool.

Just one opinion here
1.Give them different schedules. My oldest helps me out all day, and I give her personal one on one time in the evening when little ones are sleeping.
2.There is a series called, "what your X grader needs to know" goes k-6. It is secular, but easy to use and I sometimes look over it just to see if there is anything we missed. Mostly, to put my own mind at ease.
3.I don't entertain my children. I have six, so they pretty much entertain each other, but I do read out loud to them a lot. I try to choose books with lots of action and fast moving stories. We loved the Narnia series.
4.I wouldn't be able to homeschool at all if it wasn't for my wonderful husband, so I would suggest getting him on board with your plans.
Lastly, from my experience (we did 1.5 years in PS, then homeschooled for the last eight years), I believe that you could do a little of this and a little of that, do a lot of nothing and your kids would still be better off at home with you.

 

[graygables]

Ultimate Field Trip disappointment.

Just for kicks I requested a quote so I could get an idea of the schedule, cost for YES programs, etc. I got a quote, BUT they are not offering any of the YES programs due to lack of interest! Also, the group dining is full, which didn't particularly interest me, anyway. I don't need the package, being a CM and all, but would have booked it for a mini-vacation if it meant getting to do the YES programs.

I'm very bummed about it as there are several my DDs would like to do, but none are offered during Disney's Homeschool Days.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

A local co-op did IEW last year, and said of the 15 kids who participated (we didn't), only one kid didn't like it. All the moms said they loved it.

It is expensive, but they do allow you to go in together and use it as a group, just buying one workbook per child. I think they paid around $25 per family?

What is IEW?