Homeschool Chat

[Disney Mommy 3]

Little Peppers...that sounds good to me!!! 25 days should be plenty of days for sick day or trips. And if you are on a road trip and do some school, or a field trip type thing, wouldn't that count as a school day? Also, do you take a whole school day off for Halloween? We don't ...we don't take off MLK or Columbus Day either..we discuss it, but we still do our day. those days typically aren't travel days for us because EVERY body is out!! So, we use this to our advantage!!! Have you thought about a rotating schedule...like 6 weeks on 1 week off, then 2 or 3 off for T-day, Christmas, NY?
We are one of the families that school during the hot part of the year...so for us, Oct is usually nice weather...warm but not unbearable and they can play outside, or April/May. this is when our summer starts...first of April. You just gotta find what's gonna work for you! I like the 9 weeks on and a week or 2 off as well....but with your hubby being off like that, it might not work for you.

 

[littlepeppers]

Little Peppers...that sounds good to me!!! 25 days should be plenty of days for sick day or trips. And if you are on a road trip and do some school, or a field trip type thing, wouldn't that count as a school day? Also, do you take a whole school day off for Halloween? We don't ...we don't take off MLK or Columbus Day either..we discuss it, but we still do our day. those days typically aren't travel days for us because EVERY body is out!! So, we use this to our advantage!!! Have you thought about a rotating schedule...like 6 weeks on 1 week off, then 2 or 3 off for T-day, Christmas, NY?
We are one of the families that school during the hot part of the year...so for us, Oct is usually nice weather...warm but not unbearable and they can play outside, or April/May. this is when our summer starts...first of April. You just gotta find what's gonna work for you! I like the 9 weeks on and a week or 2 off as well....but with your hubby being off like that, it might not work for you.

I can't count. That is 45 days of flex. I think this will be our schedule. This way we will not feel guilty about taking a day off just b/c, to visit, for field trips, or vacation.

Thanks a million.

 

[sl_underwood]

There is no reason why you cannot count educational field trips as school days. Also, in that 180 day policy, have you actually looked to see if the public school children are attending all 180 days? In our school district, 15 of those days are teacher work days, parent teacher conferences, professional days, etc. but still counted because the teachers are there even though the students are not.

 

[Tink561]

There is no reason why you cannot count educational field trips as school days. Also, in that 180 day policy, have you actually looked to see if the public school children are attending all 180 days? In our school district, 15 of those days are teacher work days, parent teacher conferences, professional days, etc. but still counted because the teachers are there even though the students are not.

True! Schools count field trips as school time so you can too. As long as you don't have to count hours any day you do some school, even if not all, counts. Our school district has lots of half days too but they count as a day.

 

[Tink561]

How many kids are you schooling this year? What ages and grades? What are you using with them? Extracurricular activities?

This year I will have my 17 yo son who is going to be a senior. He is doing Florida Virtual School online as well as a class at a local culinary school. He is also continuing in martial arts. He also will be taking classes with other homeschoolers but I'm not sure which ones yet.

My daughter is 3.5 and she will be doing Calvert pre-K and Handwriting Without Tears pre-K Get Set for School. She will continue to watch Leapfrog Letter Factory DVD to finish learning the letter sounds. She will start the preschool martial arts class, an art class at the local rec. center and she does tumbling at a local cheer gym.

So, what do you have planned for the year?

 

[yanni2]

How many kids are you schooling this year? What ages and grades? What are you using with them? Extracurricular activities?

I am homeschooling 2 children, both girls. My oldest is in 11 and going into 6th grade, my youngest is 8 (almost 9) and is going into 4th grade.

We are part of a local homeschool school, but choose all our own curriculum. Our choices are:
Math = Teaching Textbooks
Language Arts/History/Art = Sonlight
Science = Exploration Education
Spanish = Rosetta Stone

As for extra curricular activities, both girls are in competitive gymnastics and practice between 10-12 hours a week. We also do a homeschool choir in the Spring and church activities

 

[sl_underwood]

I have 2 homeschooling this year. My oldest graduated this past spring and will be attending cosmetology school part time and taking one college course at the community college. I am homeschooling my daughter, grade 6/7 and my son grade K this year.
For our daughter we are using
Math U See Epsilon
Easy Grammar Plus
Essay Writing for Middle School
I made my own science and history curriculum using the Usborne Internet Linked Encylopedias along with living books, netflix, and other various resources. She will also go to our science centers weekly science adventure club and homeschool art classes.
We are doing sign language and Greek mythology for her electives, plus Dance, Swim Team and Horseback riding for extracurriculars.

With our son, I am still not 100% sure what we are doing. So far I have purchased Math U See Primer and Handwriting without Tears Kindergarten set. We also have the leappad phonics program, tons of books like Dick and Jane, educational toys, dvds, computer games, board games etc. He will also do sign language with us. So far, he has no extracurricular activities but he does have PT, OT, and Speech therapy and will start equestrian therapy hopefully this fall so he doesnt have alot of time after school for activities.

 

[sl_underwood]

This will be my first year homeschooling 2 children so far apart in age and I am not sure what to do with ym son while I am working with my daughter. I figure my 12 yo will need a minimum of 15-30 minutes instruction for each subject and I am trying to find activities that will entertain my 6 yo (has a very limited attention span and is delayed developmentally) Any suggestions?

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

How many kids are you schooling this year? What ages and grades? What are you using with them? Extracurricular activities?

So, what do you have planned for the year?

Two children- DD(10) Time4learning and Teaching Textbooks- grade 7 and DS(7) Time4learning- grade 3. We do our own history/geography curriculum. We are learning about all the countries in Epcot with a field trip schedule for January. We also will have monthly trips to D.C. We will be trying Apologia science for first time this year. Still checking out writing programs for feedback on DD writing. (She sometimes has to get out of bed and write her stories down so she can fall asleep)

P.E.- martial arts, swimming, ice skating, roller blading, basketball (DD), track (DS), bowling, biking, (DD wants to do HS horseback riding again-)
Music- piano and children's choir
Art/Computer Animation- HS classes through local community college
Family memberships science center and children's museum
Participate with HS group were we rent nature center at local park one day a week.
Church activites/dramas
Weekly library trips (we love listening to books/stories on CD in car since we seem to be there a lot)

I take pictures and video clips(reading,etc) throughout the year and make and end of year Power Point slideshow. It is cool to see the progress.

DS strength is math and challenge is reading but this summer he started reading once a week to his martial arts instructor. He is so excited to practice a new book each week. I am so thankful. My DD strength is language arts and challenge math. So I give her math objectives to teach DS and she plans and teaches him lessons.

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

This will be my first year homeschooling 2 children so far apart in age and I am not sure what to do with ym son while I am working with my daughter. I figure my 12 yo will need a minimum of 15-30 minutes instruction for each subject and I am trying to find activities that will entertain my 6 yo (has a very limited attention span and is delayed developmentally) Any suggestions?

Your age range is about the same as ours. Have you ever checked out time4learning.com? You can choose any grade level you want. Example, if you choose grade one for son, he has access to K, 1, and 2 lessons all on his home screen. They are very engaging. You can use part or all or as a supplement. The record keeping is awesome. I recommend checking it out.

 

[littlepeppers]

There is no reason why you cannot count educational field trips as school days. Also, in that 180 day policy, have you actually looked to see if the public school children are attending all 180 days? In our school district, 15 of those days are teacher work days, parent teacher conferences, professional days, etc. but still counted because the teachers are there even though the students are not.

I taught out here for 11 yrs. Teaching contracts were for 183 days & the students had 2 semesters 90 days each. Believe me, we counted down every one of them. We used to change students every 90 days.

 

[littlepeppers]

Your age range is about the same as ours. Have you ever checked out time4learning.com? You can choose any grade level you want. Example, if you choose grade one for son, he has access to K, 1, and 2 lessons all on his home screen. They are very engaging. You can use part or all or as a supplement. The record keeping is awesome. I recommend checking it out.

We are using it as a supp. DS needs more reinforcement. The lessons aren't engaging enough & he hates reprtition. He has had it w/ the little DJ puppet already.

 

[NHWX]

I've got two sons, one will be a 9th grader and the other an 11th grader.

The younger guy is more settled on courses:

PE - hiking, snowshoeing, whatever strikes us
Health - state charter school
World History - state charter school
Biology - Biology Concepts and Connections (textbook) and I just figured out labs yesterday
Foreign Language - Rosetta Stone looks good but he doesn't know which language he want yet
Math - Geometry by Jacobs
Algebra II - Algebra II book by Foerster
Art - probably origami

Older son:

AP Stats through PA Homechoolers
AP Comp Sci through state charter school
Physics through state charter school
US History - Unfinished Nation by Brinkley, various websites, assorted books bought on the book table at Costco
Classical Lit - Three Teaching Company lecture series plus many of the reading list books, bought used
And then he's undecided...

I took him to an open house at a community college and instead of saying "Yeah!" about fun courses, he sort of grumbled. He was OK with the free food.

NHWX

 

[chicagoshannon]

I'm teaching my 2.5 year old. We have Horizons preschool curriculum but probably won't start it right away. We're working on fine motor skills like cutting and tracing for now.

She is also going taking ballet, reading time at the library, music class at the library, and an imagination class.

We will also be working on reading. She knows her letters and sounds so she's ready.

 

[DisneyMom5]

This is our 10th year homeschooling. I have 6 students this year, one unofficially doing preschool (age 3), and one on the way --due in January.

My dd15 (10th gr) is still working on Sonlight Core 100 (Amer. Hist.), with the hopes of moving on to 200 (Church/World History). She is doing the poetry and vocab. portion of Core 530 - which is a Brit. Lit. core.
She will be starting Ros. Stone German, uses Teach. Txtbks for Algebra, Apologia Phys. Sci., and doing a lot of Home Ec with me. She and I go to Curves for part of her PE.

DS 13 (8th gr) - SL Core 100, TT Pre alg., Queen LA, Wordly Wise, and Apologia Gen. Sci. Other stuff thrown in as necessary.

DS 10 (5th gr) - SL Core 3/4 (Am. Hist) but sitting in on the older kids history. Queen LA, Reason for Handwriting, Singapore Math, and Apologia Astronomy.

DS 8 (2nd gr) - SL Core 1 (W. Hist.), Horizon Math, R for HW, Queen LA, lots of OT, PT, and Speech for his TBI.

DD 6 (1st. gr) - SL Core 1, Singapore Math, R for HW, Queen LA.

DD5 (K) - Lots of fun reading, Teach your child to read in 100 Easy Lessons, Singapore Math, R for HW, Queen LA.

We also have a gym day once a month with our homeschool group, plus other monthly activities, and 3 will be doing soccer.

Whew. We've sort of started our year back up, but are also in the midst of a kitchen repaint and getting ready for WDW, so things are a bit hit or miss. But that's why we go year round!

 

[sl_underwood]

Your age range is about the same as ours. Have you ever checked out time4learning.com? You can choose any grade level you want. Example, if you choose grade one for son, he has access to K, 1, and 2 lessons all on his home screen. They are very engaging. You can use part or all or as a supplement. The record keeping is awesome. I recommend checking it out.

I have used it in the past with older children as a supplement but never with our son. Will check it out. Thanks

 

[DisneyDizzy]

Alright, I have a question. My son is 7 and this is our 3rd year of homeschooling.

He's becoming quite the homebody lately. Well, that's not true. He loves going places and doing things but he's totally not interested in doing them in a group setting. We have a park day today and he just said to me "Can't we just go get this over with."

Now, when I was a kid I wasn't big into groups either. I had one or two friends but much preferred just hanging out and home with my family. My husband was the same way. But we both had siblings. Our son is an only child.

I don't want him to be a social butterfly but at the same time I don't want him to be lonely.

Long explanation! Anyway, do I push the issue? Do I keep scheduling trips and park days or just let it slide for a while? We did just move across the country away from all our family. But he's always been this way. He's not socially inept or even shy. He'll talk your ear off given half a chance whether he knows you or not. He's not nervous about going on the group outings! And I can't say I don't get it, because I do. My husband and I are not social butterflies. We don't really need anyone but each other and our little family here but I don't want to deny my son friends and a social life.

What would you do? I mean, given the choice I'd skip the group activities but my son has no idea. I always act like I'm totally excited. Do we just lay low for a while or do I MAKE us get out?

 

[chicagoshannon]

Alright, I have a question. My son is 7 and this is our 3rd year of homeschooling.

He's becoming quite the homebody lately. Well, that's not true. He loves going places and doing things but he's totally not interested in doing them in a group setting. We have a park day today and he just said to me "Can't we just go get this over with."

Now, when I was a kid I wasn't big into groups either. I had one or two friends but much preferred just hanging out and home with my family. My husband was the same way. But we both had siblings. Our son is an only child.

I don't want him to be a social butterfly but at the same time I don't want him to be lonely.

Long explanation! Anyway, do I push the issue? Do I keep scheduling trips and park days or just let it slide for a while? We did just move across the country away from all our family. But he's always been this way. He's not socially inept or even shy. He'll talk your ear off given half a chance whether he knows you or not. He's not nervous about going on the group outings! And I can't say I don't get it, because I do. My husband and I are not social butterflies. We don't really need anyone but each other and our little family here but I don't want to deny my son friends and a social life.

What would you do? I mean, given the choice I'd skip the group activities but my son has no idea. I always act like I'm totally excited. Do we just lay low for a while or do I MAKE us get out?

I'd keep going until you can find someone he clicks with. Then just try for small outings with just you and his friend.

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

Alright, I have a question. My son is 7 and this is our 3rd year of homeschooling.

He's becoming quite the homebody lately. Well, that's not true. He loves going places and doing things but he's totally not interested in doing them in a group setting. We have a park day today and he just said to me "Can't we just go get this over with."

I don't want him to be a social butterfly but at the same time I don't want him to be lonely.

What would you do? I mean, given the choice I'd skip the group activities but my son has no idea. I always act like I'm totally excited. Do we just lay low for a while or do I MAKE us get out?

Is it the unstructured "playdate" type activites with lots of children that he doesn't like?

I have found that in structured groups (sports, art,etc) my 2 have made connections and then we plan unstructured activities with one or two friends at a time. Thankfully the friends they make connections with are children of moms that I make connections with while waiting for them. (Hmmm... I wonder if we moms nudge them together...)

It seems too many "friends" on "park days" allows for more "challenges." However, we are going to try a group this year that does "park days" with a larger group. I am still not sure about it but hope it will be a learning experience for us all. Since it will be the same group on a weekly basis they will have to problem solve to work through those challenges.

It reminds me of how I would prefer to have one or two friends over and actually to talk to them instead of a party where you can only engage in surface chit-chat.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

disneydizzy...my middle child (boy #2) is just like that. He does have a handful of friends from church ---they are hsers also----, but he is also the kid who can entertain himself for hours on end!!! He is sweet and likes his friends, but too much overwhelms him. I am like that also....his dad is a different story....he thrives on people. It is hard for me, because just being with us is enough for me.... but not dh. He could have invented the phrase " people person"....so, while he is little, keep exposing him to people. He may just not have found a friend that he clicks with yet. He will. Just don't totally overwhelm him with outings and too much.