Homeschool Chat

[graygables]

I finally feel like I have found my calling and unfortuately life is getting in the way. Sorry I guess I just needed to vent.

Just to offer some encouragement...I was working 50-60 hrs/week last year, essentially as a single mom (hubby is in Ohio, I'm in FL). I did have adult daughters living with me who were some help along the way, AND, my DDs still HSing are 13 & 11. In addition, I'm a full-time grad student, although I cut my work hours back to about 30-32/week right now. It is possible to work and homeschool if you can align supervision (if needed) and agree to very flexible scheduling.

 

[sl_underwood]

I'm bringing something up that is somewhat irrelevant to me at the moment (as my kids are pretty young), but I just wanted to get people's input since I'm very new to the HS'ing world still

I was looking into taking CLEPs for myself, and I happened to stumble across a forum, accidentally, about homeschooling. Of course I was intrigued, and I learned that many HS parents will incorporate CLEPs during the high school years in order to get college credits (they are learning the material anyways, why not take the exam and get the credit, right?). I understand that "dual enrollment" is not accepted in many cases, but it seems easy enough to study, say, Biology, mark it on the child's transcript with any associated grade, and have the CLEP exam separate.

The forum I was on was biased in the sense that it was a pro-CLEP forum (not knocking that, just stating I didn't hear any negative opinions), and I got very excited about this. However, I just wanted to see if anyone has any experience with this or had any opinions about having their teens earning so many college credits at such a young age, and even in some rare cases, getting their bachelor's around the same time an average PS kid would graduate high school. I wish I would have known as a high schooler to take CLEP exams, since I probably could be avoiding taking basic college classes such as history later in life.

My daughter graduated highschool this last year and her senior finals for several subjects were to pass the clep exam. This was her choice. She is now going to cosmetology school and still working to clep a few more classes. By the time she actually heads off to college at 18, she will have clepped everything available and wont have to take some of the basic courses. She could have gotten her bachelors by 19 but as she wants to go to college in NY for fashion design, I just wasnt ready to send her that far with no one close by to go to if needed. She will go at 18 and I am not sure about that either. Would love for her to choose a college nearby. As it is she will have her bachelors by 20 without having to take more than 12 hours each semester. It will definitely save us money in the long run but the jury is still out on whether it was the best option for her or not.

 

[dis-happy]

I'm bringing something up that is somewhat irrelevant to me at the moment (as my kids are pretty young), but I just wanted to get people's input since I'm very new to the HS'ing world still

I was looking into taking CLEPs for myself, and I happened to stumble across a forum, accidentally, about homeschooling. Of course I was intrigued, and I learned that many HS parents will incorporate CLEPs during the high school years in order to get college credits (they are learning the material anyways, why not take the exam and get the credit, right?). I understand that "dual enrollment" is not accepted in many cases, but it seems easy enough to study, say, Biology, mark it on the child's transcript with any associated grade, and have the CLEP exam separate.

The forum I was on was biased in the sense that it was a pro-CLEP forum (not knocking that, just stating I didn't hear any negative opinions), and I got very excited about this. However, I just wanted to see if anyone has any experience with this or had any opinions about having their teens earning so many college credits at such a young age, and even in some rare cases, getting their bachelor's around the same time an average PS kid would graduate high school. I wish I would have known as a high schooler to take CLEP exams, since I probably could be avoiding taking basic college classes such as history later in life.

Haven't done CLEP but I do have my high school homeschooler take the SAT subject test after studying the subject. Last year was biology and he scored a 680 on it; this year it will be chemistry.

I'm a big fan of dual enrollment due to my dd's experience. At the university where she attends no one could get out of freshman writing, including those that took the AP and scored a 5. However, she was given credit for comm. college class and was exempted out.

Finally, for homeschooling, you do have to be careful about how many credits and how they are earned. A friend's child earned too many via dual enrollment and it messed up her standing as a freshman seeking financial aid and scholarships; instead they wanted to classify her as a transfer student. Her choice at that point was all or nothing in whether they declared the dual enrollment classes. It's possible to avoid this with CLEP from what I understand. I also know homeschoolers who have taken and passed AP classes. Many ways to gain college credit as a homeschooler!

 

[danjoealexis3006]

I totally understand how you feel. I went back to work last fall and enrolled my two youngest in public school. They have adapted and are doing well, but I really feel my calling is to teach them at home. Sigh....

I have been going to school part time for social work and I've been having second thoughts lately about even finishing. I currently work with deaf students, but I feel like my job is just a means to an end. As soon as we are financially able, I want to be back home with my kids. That's where my heart is.

I don't know what state you live in but you need to look closely at what the requirements are to be a social worker. I have finished my undergrad work and have found that the jobs I do see in my area that qualify as "social work jobs" could be done without a bachelor degree, however, if you want to do counseling or anything that is billed to an insurance company or done in a school you need a masters. Be prepared because the pay is low, almost a slap in the face. I wish I would have researched it a little better, then again I live in Michigan. Oh, well-you live you learn!

 

[hjohnson6]

Hi all! I have been homeschooling my oldest since he was 3.5. We pulled him out of preschool to move and I couldn't afford to send him to preschool after the move so that led to us homeschooling. My youngest is attending K at Public School this year but we are considering homeschooling him for 1st grade.

I have a question for all of you. What is a good hands-on science program. My oldest is a visual-spatial learner and he need something that he can work with versus just a reader like our current Abeka program is. I just went to a Book Fair in Colorado but due to the economy not all the vendors that have been there in years past were there this year.

I'm excited to find a Homeschool thread here.

 

[Denine]

Very interesting reading about CLEP. We are quite a ways from this as DD is only 7 and in 2nd grade, but always good to know what lies ahead.

You all make Teaching Textbooks sound so interesting, but we have been so happy with Calvert, I am reluctant to switch or consider switching.

 

[dis-happy]

I have a question for all of you. What is a good hands-on science program. My oldest is a visual-spatial learner and he need something that he can work with versus just a reader like our current Abeka program is. I just went to a Book Fair in Colorado but due to the economy not all the vendors that have been there in years past were there this year.

I'm excited to find a Homeschool thread here.

My younger-elementary ds just LOVES his Sonlight Science. They learn through books, cd and work pages, it's hands on, and there are experiments every week. You might want to check it out.

 

[mariezp]

My younger-elementary ds just LOVES his Sonlight Science. They learn through books, cd and work pages, it's hands on, and there are experiments every week. You might want to check it out.

Glad to here a positive plug for Sonlight. We've been schooling for 12 years but decided to try something new with my daughter since she is such a different learner than my son was. Just got my box of new Sonlight materials in today. It all looks very interesting so I am hopeful that we will spark a renewed excitement for the new year.

Going with Sonlight on everything except math. Waiting for the new 3rd grade Teaching Textbooks level to come out in April. It looks like it is going to be great. Can't wait to give it a try!

I've not posted here much but have been watching reviews for some time now. Thanks to everyone here for helping me with new ideas.

 

[SCHBR'smom]

Any unschoolers here? I've enjoyed our first year of homeschooling immensely! But, I wanted to learn more about unschooling. So much of it seems to make sense to me after experiencing a year of homeschooling, but I'd like to learn more.

 

[MarylandMom]

My daughter absolutely LOVES the Sconlight science program. She watches the science DVD over and over. She can hardly wait to do the experiments each week. In fact, I have found her doing some of them on her own before we were scheduled to complete them! (She is six years old.) I appreciate the kits that come with them that provide most of the items needed for each experiment. The only items we have had to provide are common things that we have already had in our home. It's very convenient for me and lots of fun for her! We both look forward to science and science has never been my favorite subject. Next year I will also order the math DVDs that are similar to the science one we have. I have read good reviews of thoses as well. Good luck in your homeschooling adventure!

 

[dis-happy]

Glad to here a positive plug for Sonlight. We've been schooling for 12 years but decided to try something new with my daughter since she is such a different learner than my son was. Just got my box of new Sonlight materials in today. It all looks very interesting so I am hopeful that we will spark a renewed excitement for the new year.

Going with Sonlight on everything except math. Waiting for the new 3rd grade Teaching Textbooks level to come out in April. It looks like it is going to be great. Can't wait to give it a try!

I've not posted here much but have been watching reviews for some time now. Thanks to everyone here for helping me with new ideas.

I've interspersed some years with Sonlight---those are our years for fun! Which curriculum did you order? My only piece of advice: don't try to do it all; they include a lot and sometimes you have to pick and choose a bit. The SL forums are great for advice and encouragement too.

 

[graygables]

Any unschoolers here? I've enjoyed our first year of homeschooling immensely! But, I wanted to learn more about unschooling. So much of it seems to make sense to me after experiencing a year of homeschooling, but I'd like to learn more.

We are an eclectic family. We unschooled pretty much last year due to my work schedule and DDs need to "de-school" after a poorly selected curriculum on my part. This year, we are using a curriculum, but we do not follow a stringent schedule and DDs still do a lot of interest-driven self-learning. Some people have their kids choose an area of interest, learn about it and write a paper. Some people simply learn by doing and follow the child's interest. In our case, mine would NEVER learn multiplication tables or anything above a consumer-level math if left to their own devices so that has to be pressed a bit more. I think it's important to find what works for your family and your kids.

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

Very interesting reading about CLEP. We are quite a ways from this as DD is only 7 and in 2nd grade, but always good to know what lies ahead.

You all make Teaching Textbooks sound so interesting, but we have been so happy with Calvert, I am reluctant to switch or consider switching.

If you daughter is doing well with Calvert stick with it. But if in the future it is not working as well for her ...you know that are other great options. We started out with Calvert but started switching out for other things when my DD was doing 5th grade and DS 1st.

 

[Denine]

Good to know about Sonlight Science.

We will stick with Calvert as long as it is working, but sometimes, I would like to switch. It is not about me though.

 

[hjohnson6]

I will definitely look into the Sonlight Science.

 

[mariezp]

Any unschoolers here? I've enjoyed our first year of homeschooling immensely! But, I wanted to learn more about unschooling. So much of it seems to make sense to me after experiencing a year of homeschooling, but I'd like to learn more.

Hi Kerrie! Imagine running into you here. I recently did a little looking into unschooling myself. I was motivated by the fact that some of the most impressive things my DS-19 has done have been the things he has sought out on his own. For instance, here are a few examples...

He loves to read. He has learned more about history on his own than we ever came up with through our curriculum. If he has a question about something he will search online to find the answer. Wikipedia is generally his first stop. The internet can be such a great tool for learning. Of course, I would not recommend that for everyone without at least some adult supervision but I just wanted to pint out that the information is readily available for those interested in looking.

He is our walking talking dictionary. He knows more words than I do. Since he is also an excellent speller he is also my husband's own personal spell check. He and I have a friendly rivalry going on to see who can come up with the fastest correct response. He prides himself on being able to spell and is completely appalled by the number of his public school friends who cannot.

He has a talent for writing. On his own he has written several books. He also keeps a journal which he began by his own choosing.

He taught himself to type. Last time he tested he could do at least 70 WPM.

He loves history and has a huge interest in Germany. He began listening to German music and has taught himself to speak German.

He loves Jiu-Jitsu which is tied in it's origin to Brazil. He has studied their culture and plans to teach himself Portuguese next for when he visits one day.

He is very talented with computers and amazes me with the problems he can solve all by having found solutions on his own.

These are just some examples of some things I thought of right off the top of my head but you can see that he has had amazing results when it is something of his own choosing. He graduates this year when he finishes up a few things so my work with him will be done. Still, there is no telling what he will continue to learn on his own. As you can see the theory of allowing a child to follow their own interests can be very rewarding.

On the other hand, my DD-9, is a whole different story. I decided that totally unschooling would probably not work with her. Also, after 12 years I have lost my focus a bit so I felt that we needed to choose something for now that offers a bit more structure than unschooling so that is why we went with Sonlight. We'll see how this year goes and take it from there. Who knows unschooling may very well pop back up in our future.

I had asked a friend of mine about unschooling. She has been homeschooling even longer than I have so she offered some good opinion and suggestions. I will pm you with what she had to say in a recent letter to me.

 

[Disney Mommy 3]

Hello everybody!! I have a question....my middle child (ds10) asked me yesterday if he could study Napoleon....so, of course I said yes! But...do you know of any good books that are written on a kids level about him? All I could find at B&N was a Biography that looked college level. Our little library had nothing. I will keep checking local libraries...but I was just curious about specific titles. As far as unschooling goes....he does tend to lean that way-because he is so interested in many, many things right now. He has been intrigued with dinos since he was a little fellow, and knows more about it than I ever will....planes, dump trunck, any construction vehicle, trains....its very easy to unschool a kid with vast interests like this. My dd(6) is now wanting to study about birds, butterflies, and grass!!!! My ds14 just wants to finish!! He is into electronics...so if you can find a crack in the door for them to just find ANYTHING they like...there should be lots to learn!! Much easier on parents as far as stress too---- And for time in History, as Christians, we just say 'Oh, this happened in the world about the time that...." Whatever..Noah, Moses, Paul, Jonah.....later on they can get a better grasp.....we have time lines too. We reeeeeaally need to get those out more!!! But..there is only so much time in a day, right!!! Hope ya'll have an awesome day and enjoy this official last day of winter!!!

 

[KL1982]

Hey well all i can say is we personally use ~Time4learning ~for both of my kids DD8 and DS3....I really like both the "reg" T4l & the "preK" T4l...& so do my kids ....My son really loves the Mouse and always ask me to to turn him on lol.....My son not only enjoys the program..but he has learned so much in such a lil time...he already knows his alpahbet....he knows his colors,shapes,numbers ect could just go on and on....I wish i could give you some reviews on other programs but honestly i havnt used any others ,Once i found T4L i didnt see any point in switching.Anyways hope i have helped

 

[desparatelydisney]

Whew....got our testing done today

Because we (our homeschool group) had at least 6 to test, the administrator came to us. We did the WJ III and it was WONDERFUL. Only took an hour each for the 4 and 5 year olds and 1.5 hours for my 8 year old. We received the scores and personal feedback immediately. I whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone considering it as a testing option.

The kids did great and it was a huge load off of my shoulders. DH thinks I'm crazy, but it's good to know I'm not failing them.

 

[prittfamily98]

Whew....got our testing done today

Because we (our homeschool group) had at least 6 to test, the administrator came to us. We did the WJ III and it was WONDERFUL. Only took an hour each for the 4 and 5 year olds and 1.5 hours for my 8 year old. We received the scores and personal feedback immediately. I whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone considering it as a testing option.

The kids did great and it was a huge load off of my shoulders. DH thinks I'm crazy, but it's good to know I'm not failing them.

I AM SO AFRAID of failing my kids. They test next week. I am the only one in the family who wants my kids at home. EVERYONE, including my husband thinks they need to be in school. WHY? so they get disciplined. I love schooling my kids. I am looking forward to attending the conference in May in FLorida.
I do need a little help with curriculum. That is one reason why I am going to the conference.
I am glad your test went well.I hope ours does too!