Homeschool Chat

[Kimberly Hill]

Hello all,
We are leaving for Disney in about 4 weeks I wanted to teach my elementary homeschooled children a little bit about each country in Epcot. Does anyone have any fun activities they have done to help bring a countries culture more memorable for the kids? Thanks in advance for the ideas!

Definitely make a stop here so they can learn to greet the CMs in each country in their language: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=358010

Oh, and once you get to the park, the Kim Possible missions are fun too! My 7-year-old loves them and so does her daddy.

 

[love__goofy]

Definitely make a stop here so they can learn to greet the CMs in each country in their language: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=358010

Oh, and once you get to the park, the Kim Possible missions are fun too! My 7-year-old loves them and so does her daddy.

Oh, I love it! Thanks so much. I have written them all down..the kids will love this.

 

[love__goofy]

Well.. first off watch all the disney movies about each area you have! Then they will know where to look for characters to meet & greet!! We love Aristocats, so France is exciting for us to hopefully run into Marie...and of course Belle!!! I know we havejust gotten a small book at the library with lots of pix for each country and talk about the weather and food they would experience if they lived there.My kids really latch onto the Disney movies tho--the details are so true to the area that is depicted they recognize that..... My favorite(other than meeting characters in France!) is the UK area! It is just so quaint and tidy!! and of course, for us to see Alice or Mary Poppins is a special treat! OH!! Duh...the globe!! I have one who loooves to find everything on the globe, so he is the locater! ha!! Have a wonderful time...I have only been in May once and it was really great!!!

Great idea, I am going to dig through the movies! We have a 9.5 hour drive, so we can definitely watch some on the way down! I am so excited and can't wait to go. Planning is 1/2 the fun.

 

[MiniGirl]

Hi,
I'm hoping some of you can help me. I've recently been homeschooling my preschooler and next year I will be co-oping with my 1st grader. He's still in a private K this year.
Anyway - I'm interested in registering him for the homeschool day in January next year, but am extremely confused. Is registration open for that yet? We're AP holders, do we still have to purchase tickets to gain access? I'm not sure how soon I need to register before classes fill up.

If someone can forward me in the right direction I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks so much!

I don't think registration has opened up yet. Unfortunately, Disney Homeschool Days may not work for ya'll just yet. My girls are in 4th and 2nd, and we have passed up the program since we started homeschooling. (I was really looking forward to it, too.) Most of the programs are geared towards older kids. Also, IIRC, the tickets prices include park admission which you don't need as a pass holder, and there are no discounts for pass holders.

Someone else may remember the details better than I do.

 

[Nicolepa]

thanks for this info!!! I'm adding this to both kids itouch's today!

I was looking at my son's touch today. The name of the program is Math Drills, not Math Facts. Sorry! You can download Math Drills light for free but it doens't do the tracking of how well they know their tables. It has been totally worth the $2 I spent on it.

 

[graygables]

I don't think registration has opened up yet. Unfortunately, Disney Homeschool Days may not work for ya'll just yet. My girls are in 4th and 2nd, and we have passed up the program since we started homeschooling. (I was really looking forward to it, too.) Most of the programs are geared towards older kids. Also, IIRC, the tickets prices include park admission which you don't need as a pass holder, and there are no discounts for pass holders.

Someone else may remember the details better than I do.

We did it in 2009 when my DDs were 12 and 10. They both enjoyed it. There are separate tickets for passholders (I think it was about $15 ea) for the actual homeschool presentation (which generally includes a goody bag for the family), then the cost of any YES programs ($25 pp?), so, no, you don't need to buy the admission. My girls did something at the Studios where they learned about production. It was quite interesting and the facilitators did a good job of getting everyone involved, regardless of age.

 

[adisneymama]

Just wanted to say thanks for the Itouch tip! I have downloaded a few games on there and she is enjoying playing them. So far we have had a good week. Now both kids are sick though, so there goes the weekend!

 

[Nicolepa]

Just wanted to say thanks for the Itouch tip! I have downloaded a few games on there and she is enjoying playing them. So far we have had a good week. Now both kids are sick though, so there goes the weekend!

You are welcome!

If your kids are into the brainquest cards you can also get those for the DS. Not sure which ones are there but I know I've downloaded 2nd & 5th. My kids aren't allowed electronics during the week except for school. If we are going to an appointment or something I will let them play the brainquest. They think they are getting a pass on the video games but I know better.

 

[Sweetpeamd]

Yes, we are using sonlight p4/5. Honestly, I wouldn't buy it again. We have used sonlight for 2 years (for my DS8 for 1st and 2nd) and DD4 for p4/5. The first year we homeschooled, I did like the sonlight. I loved having everything planned out and a set curriculum to follow. I was so worried about not doing everything right. LOL! It was really a safety net, so it was good in that respect. It let me get my "feet wet" in the homeschooling world. But now I see subjects that I would like to explore more and find myself supplementing and changing things quite a bit. Sonlight is pretty expensive also. Next year we are using SOS for DS and a mix of stuff for DD.

FWIW, my DD4 loves the hooked on phonics programs. We are working on hooked on handwriting, hooked on numbers and hooked on phonics preschool. (there was a great deal on the hop website and I ended up with all these sets for around $30) I am just adding in stories from the sonlight stuff, art and crafts and Bible.

Do you prefer the Hooked on Phonics program over the Sonlight readers for learning to read? I was thinking about just getting the K level readers set and the Developing the Early Learner workbooks for my child instead of the entire program.

 

[LUV2BNWDW]

We did it in 2009 when my DDs were 12 and 10. They both enjoyed it. There are separate tickets for passholders (I think it was about $15 ea) for the actual homeschool presentation (which generally includes a goody bag for the family), then the cost of any YES programs ($25 pp?), so, no, you don't need to buy the admission. My girls did something at the Studios where they learned about production. It was quite interesting and the facilitators did a good job of getting everyone involved, regardless of age.

Just wanted to pass along .... I took my dd's this past January to Homeschool Days and they no longer have the passholder ticket. You have to buy one of their tickets to get access to the YES programs.

 

[bumbershoot]

Does anyone do the K12 program as homeschoolers?

I have no interest in doing it through WAVA, even though it would be lovely to get the program for free.

But it seems to be the ONLY full curriculum that is not religious...I know I could pick and choose or buy and ditch some books from sonlight, calvert, etc etc, but gosh I'd prefer to not do that...and I think that DS would really prefer to get one big curriculum or I'm going to have a revolution on my hands.

So does anyone do it? Worth it? Good program? What the heck is the total cost for 1st grade? Their website is just awful, IMO...

Any other ideas for a truly secular curriculum? (isn't that funny, I had to look that up...today my brain thought secular = religious, but it's the opposite)

 

[Nicolepa]

Does anyone do the K12 program as homeschoolers?

I have no interest in doing it through WAVA, even though it would be lovely to get the program for free.

But it seems to be the ONLY full curriculum that is not religious...I know I could pick and choose or buy and ditch some books from sonlight, calvert, etc etc, but gosh I'd prefer to not do that...and I think that DS would really prefer to get one big curriculum or I'm going to have a revolution on my hands.

So does anyone do it? Worth it? Good program? What the heck is the total cost for 1st grade? Their website is just awful, IMO...

Any other ideas for a truly secular curriculum? (isn't that funny, I had to look that up...today my brain thought secular = religious, but it's the opposite)

I use the cirriculum thru WAVA. When I priced it out to do independently it was around $1000 a year. I potentially have 3 kids that would use it so it's not feasable. (One is still in B&M, the other is 2.) We just finished 2nd grade. Personally I hate their math and will be switching to Saxon next year. I can't speak for secular cirriculum because if I didn't use WAVA I would use a Christian cirriculum. For me the savings of $1000 is worth having to email the teacher once a week and talk to her once a month. Other than that there is no required interaction with the teacher. If you enroll as a part time student then you are a homeschool student and don't have to participate in state testing either.

My Son LOVES their history and art. But be forewarned, the person who wrote 1st & 2nd grade history is the writer of the Story of the World Series, which is a Christian cirriculum, and the first 2 years are almost word for word the same as her books. 2nd grade a huge portion of the year was about Christianity. I was actually surprised that a "public" school would allow so much because I know in a B&M it wouldn't be allowed.

2nd grade LA was VERY easy for my son, if it hadn't been for spelling we could have finished it much sooner than we did. (Dang kid can't spell to save his life.) We are a week into 3rd grade and there is a HUGE jump. I was prepared because everyone on the message boards talks about it but it was still surprising.

Science I could take it or leave it. Again 2nd grade he already knew most of what was taught, but he is a science wiz. He loves the Magic Schoolbus books and has every one of them memorized.

The one thing I really like is that it keeps track for me. If we do extra or we miss a day it automatically adjusts and at any given day I can see if we are on track or not. The one thing I really dislike is being tied to the computer. 3rd grade doesn't seem to be as bad but for 2nd grade there wasn't much we could do on a given day w/o a computer.

You can request a demo account and see all the online content for all the grades.

 

[gerberdaisy1234]

Does anyone do the K12 program as homeschoolers?

I have no interest in doing it through WAVA, even though it would be lovely to get the program for free.

But it seems to be the ONLY full curriculum that is not religious...I know I could pick and choose or buy and ditch some books from sonlight, calvert, etc etc, but gosh I'd prefer to not do that...and I think that DS would really prefer to get one big curriculum or I'm going to have a revolution on my hands.

So does anyone do it? Worth it? Good program? What the heck is the total cost for 1st grade? Their website is just awful, IMO...

Any other ideas for a truly secular curriculum? (isn't that funny, I had to look that up...today my brain thought secular = religious, but it's the opposite)

You mention Calvert. It is not religious. Time4Learning.com is not religious. Teaching Textbooks (math) is not religious. All of these have their strengths and weaknesses. Cost varies. When using both Calvert and Time4Learning we did different curriculum for history and science but those would not help you because we chose curriculums that you would probably not consider secular.

That is the great thing about homeschooling. There are so many choices. You can find what matches your needs. Good luck.

 

[EnchantedTales]

I never thought I post on a thread like this, but here I am. First, let me say that I'm not the biggest fanatic of homeschooling. However, I don't see many solutions for our problem. Second I apologize for not reading the entire thread.

I guess that our problem is that our assigned high school is horrible and when I mean horrible think of the worst. We tried to give it a chance by going to a welcoming night and my daughter came out crying. She won't be able to make it there, the stress alone will destroy her. We are hoping that a transfer to another school is approved, but I'm not holding my breath. If the transfer is not approved then my only choice is to homeschool, because I don't want to put my kid in a school I know she won't be able to handle.

We talked to a few people which kids are subscribed to the Florida Virtual School and said they loved it. In fact when she started looking at the classes available she realized that there are a few classes she would like to take even if the transfer is approved. Anyone had any experience with it? Can anyone give recommendations?

What do you do for socialization? My DD is one of those people that needs to socialize and connect with people her own age.

 

[MiniGirl]

I never thought I post on a thread like this, but here I am. First, let me say that I'm not the biggest fanatic of homeschooling. However, I don't see many solutions for our problem. Second I apologize for not reading the entire thread.

I guess that our problem is that our assigned high school is horrible and when I mean horrible think of the worst. We tried to give it a chance by going to a welcoming night and my daughter came out crying. She won't be able to make it there, the stress alone will destroy her. We are hoping that a transfer to another school is approved, but I'm not holding my breath. If the transfer is not approved then my only choice is to homeschool, because I don't want to put my kid in a school I know she won't be able to handle.

We talked to a few people which kids are subscribed to the Florida Virtual School and said they loved it. In fact when she started looking at the classes available she realized that there are a few classes she would like to take even if the transfer is approved. Anyone had any experience with it? Can anyone give recommendations?

What do you do for socialization? My DD is one of those people that needs to socialize and connect with people her own age.

No apologies necessary. Anyone is welcome to jump in where we're at.

People begin their homeschooling journey for many diffrent reasons, and many start out as reluctant homeschoolers. I think even the most reluctant ones, though, eventually come to enjoy many aspects of this lifestyle of learning.

I have heard many good things about FLVS. In fact, I know many public school kids who enroll as a means to help them in their classes or help them get a jump on subjects during the summer. I, personally, have no experience with it since my girls are too young. I have heard less than great things about Connections and the K12 Florida virtual schools though. Now, understand this is just from the limited people I have spoken to. I'm sure there are others who love the programs.

For socialization, I would recommend you find a Yahoo group for your local area. I think most areas can be found on Yahoo. I know ours has a very active teen group, and there are many postings for outings, sporting events, etc. Another option might be a co-op. We are in Classical Conversations, but I'm sure there are others. Anyway, these are great because the students meet once a week in a classroom setting to do their work, and then often stay through lunch and visit with other families. Your dd can also, of course, continue with any other extracurricula activities she does now. There are tons of opportunities out there. In fact, you can get so busy with the socializing that you realize you have no time to do the school work. LOL!!!! Eventually, it all works out and you find a nice balance though.

Another great thing about homeschooling in Florida is it makes it very easy to dual enroll in your local community college. I know many homeschoolers who graduate from high school with 2 years of college already under their belt. Of course, some tradiationally schooled students do as well, but it is just easier for the homeschooler.

 

[graygables]

Does anyone do the K12 program as homeschoolers?

I have no interest in doing it through WAVA, even though it would be lovely to get the program for free.

But it seems to be the ONLY full curriculum that is not religious...I know I could pick and choose or buy and ditch some books from sonlight, calvert, etc etc, but gosh I'd prefer to not do that...and I think that DS would really prefer to get one big curriculum or I'm going to have a revolution on my hands.

So does anyone do it? Worth it? Good program? What the heck is the total cost for 1st grade? Their website is just awful, IMO...

Any other ideas for a truly secular curriculum? (isn't that funny, I had to look that up...today my brain thought secular = religious, but it's the opposite)

You might look into Oak Meadow. We are using that this year and I really like it. It is literature-based and integrated. We are using Teaching Textbooks for math, however, so I can't speak to OM on that subject.

K12 is rigorous and was not a good fit for my girls, although we did go through a virtual school. I don't think I'd pay OOP for it.

 

[bumbershoot]

I had a bad interaction with a K12/WAVA person (at an ice cream social where I nearly had to pry the info booklets from her) where she told me that parents are "like TAs" for their children when using the virtual academy.

I found out at the Y's homeschool PE class that a woman there was told that they simply would NOT be able to use K12/WAVA, as they generally go to Brazil for the month of September, and they HAD TO follow the program EXACTLY, and since she would be out of the country she couldn't use it.

Not very positive!

Interesting about the history book!


I don't *want* to pick and choose, at least for one year. That's what we're doing this year, and it's driving DS crazy. I have to find a way to meet his needs, and 'curriculum in a box' is what I can think of as the next step.


I have gotten the Calvert catalogs for 2 years now (though I recently recycled them), and I would have sworn that there was religious material in it...I want to believe the poster here...can anyone back that up, that there isn't religious material? It's totally possible I'm going by the name, and how religious it *sounds* to my ears.

Oak Meadow, I'll look into it again, thank you.



Thanks for all the responses!!!!!!!!!! I really appreciate it. If I can't find a way to meet DS's needs (which he started communicating at only 3, when he demanded workbooks to do) in the next year, you'll find me trying to get him enrolled in the unique *public* Montessori school here in town, which goes from K-8...not a horrible choice at all, but NOT what I've dreamed about for 15 years.

 

[Nicolepa]

I had a bad interaction with a K12/WAVA person (at an ice cream social where I nearly had to pry the info booklets from her) where she told me that parents are "like TAs" for their children when using the virtual academy.

I found out at the Y's homeschool PE class that a woman there was told that they simply would NOT be able to use K12/WAVA, as they generally go to Brazil for the month of September, and they HAD TO follow the program EXACTLY, and since she would be out of the country she couldn't use it.

Not very positive!

Interesting about the history book!
.

As long as you have access to a computer and are willing to do the work while away, yes you can travel etc. If you want to take a month off of school in the middle of the year, no you can't do that. It is a public school and they have to follow attendance laws. My husband took my son to Florida for a week in November. They did math and LA while they were gone, spent maybe 30-40 minutes a day on school. We took almost 2 weeks off for Spring break. We had finished 2nd and I didn't want to start 3rd for a couple of days and then take a break. As long as you meet your monthly goals they don't care where you do it. As for the monthly phone call, I've had our teacher call me on our cell phone while driving to an appointment. It's very easy going.

And if you really wanted to take a month off there are ways to "fudge" the attendance and WAVA would never really know. Also you can pick which days you have off, you don't have to follow their schedule. My daughters school calendar and WAVA's don't match up so I just switch the days around online so they do. Again, not a big deal as long as you meet the monthly progress goals. Even if you don't every now and then it's not a big deal either.

What I would suggest is for you to go to the homeschool Cirriulum fair in June. It's at the Puyallup fairgrounds. I'm not sure the exact dates but it's usually the middle of June. I personally have never been, but you can go and touch and feel a lot of the different cirriculums and see what you like.

 

[Nicolepa]

Bumpershoot -

Here is the info on the fair. It looks like it's the 18th & 19th of June.

http://washhomeschool.org/

Like I said I've never personally gone. I have tons of friends who homeschool so when I want to look at a particular cirriculum usually someone I know is using it and and can look at it.

 

[graygables]

As long as you have access to a computer and are willing to do the work while away, yes you can travel etc. It is a public school and they have to follow attendance laws.

We didn't do well with K12 as we travelled a lot and they frowned upon that, even if we did the work. It is a PUBLIC school and they act like it.