*** Homeschool List ***

[Good Ol Gal]

We had a controversy here about whether our homeschool chess team we formed was allowed to compete as a team/school at local chess tournaments!!

Some parents were so angry saying we could "stack the deck" with all the ringers and win all the trophys!!

Agh... it's like they don't want us to do ANYTHING!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We had a controversy here about whether our homeschool chess team we formed was allowed to compete as a team/school at local chess tournaments!!

Some parents were so angry saying we could "stack the deck" with all the ringers and win all the trophys!!

Agh... it's like they don't want us to do ANYTHING!!

How is that any different than moving into a district so your child can make the football time at a particular school.



I think it all stems that the naysayers want homeschooling ot stay as "illegal" as possible--the less that the are allowed to do things--the more outkast they are.

 

[TNKBELL]

I still haven't heard anything. I'm not sure what else to do?? Suggestions would be appreciated!!
I have a question? How do you teach your Dks math facts? Do you time them? In your experience what works the best for memorization?

 

[Good Ol Gal]

We use flash cards/index cards to teach math facts. We just practice everyday until they got them all. We would start with 1s, then add 2s, then 3s, etc.

I have to say we didn't do it with add. or sub. just mult and div.

We didn't time them on how long it would take them to do the flashcards, but I do sheets called "Minute Math" where there are about 50 problems on and they try to get as many done and correct as they can in one minute.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I remember in school when I went behind 4-walls...we played lots of games...my favorite was around the world...a kid would stand behind another student--and you both would solve a math fact....unfortunately me and this other girl were the best in the class--so it was constantly just us running around. But you can modify this game or any game---the key is to having it timed--but that is just my opinion. I got really good at math courtesy of math competitions that were based on speed. Didn't matter how I got the answer--just get it as quickly as possible (hence my problem with geomotry with all those theorems and other stuff!! uggh, didn't like geometry).

Perhaps try good ol' fashioned flash cards---and good ol' fashioned bribery. Charting--to measure improvement (and homeschool "observation skills).


My daughter has no concept of doing things quickly--so we are doing her word flashcards--she knows the words but reads them at 20wpm and mastery is supposed to be 30wpm (it is the scaredy cat program--geared created for those with LD but marketed to teach any child to read). Anyway--not sure if it is her possible need for glasses...but she reacts with the same speed for cleaning her room and such. I bribed her with cookies to read them faster--and she got 21 wpm. Makes it tough to decide to continue onto the next section, b/c I just don't know if she can speed up--or just doesn't care to--or just isn't ready to. If she's this way with math--I might just lose it LOL!

 

[TNKBELL]

We currently do Masterpak 1 cdrom which you print out timed math drills, just seems like ds8 and ds6 just aren't improving and we have used flashcards too, guess we'll just really have to focus more on this area! Thanks for the tips!! I think math games will be a key to success, they sure worked for reading!

 

[meandtheguys2]

Have you looked into Math-it? We picked it up after reading about it in one of the Moore's books, and the boys have done really well with it. They are mathmatically inclined, though (their father's children) but the ideas for learning the facts really are sound.

 

[TNKBELL]

My boys do really well in math, I guess I just don't know how fast one should be at their math facts. That's why I've been using MasterPak1 because it tells you to finish the drill in 2 minutes, they can do flash cards but since they aren't timed, I'm not sure if they are doing it fast enough. Does anyone time you're DKs at flash cards? If so how fast should they be? I am happy with our math program, it is Horizons and it's a little ahead of our previous math program: Saxon, the boys were a little bored and it moved a little slow for them. Thanks for the suggestions!!

 

[4girlsmom]

Lisalovespooh,

My DD played Around the World at school (3rd grade) many times last year. She would always win, and some of the kids gave her a hard time for it. I'm so excited to be HS her this year so she can be challenged and excel w/o getting any of that "Oh why do you have to be so smart" attitude around her.

 

[staci]

I just want to give you all props for what you do with your children each day! I have my teaching degree and have considered staying home with ds in the future.

Teaching is an AMAZINGLY complicated job, and to do it for children of different ages, all subjects, is something to be very proud of.

In our area, most of the comments I hear regarding hs are negative. After working with the public school system, there are parents that I would really not trust with their children's education (or my pet fish ) However, I feel that if hs is DONE WELL, this truely is the best option. Major props to all of you for taking such an important role in your kids' lives!

Out of curiousity, for those of you who homeschool, what was the deciding factor for you to hs instead of public or private schooling?

 

[meandtheguys2]

It is much easier to teach my 3 at different levels than it was to teach 25 who were at different levels. Much more satisfying too. My kids don't move on until they have mastered the objective. Pure a simple. I strived to do that as a teacher, but as I am sure you know, you can't always do that.

Besides, it isn't exactly graduate school. I've seen several families in our area that had only a HS education Homeschool their kids into top 100 colleges (Oberlin, Marietta, Brown) as well as the state schools.

eta: The deciding factor for us was that we believe we could do a better job educating our children, and allow RL experiences that would not be possible with a reg. school schedule. I believe that the goal of education is to ready kids for "real life" not to fit in some fuddled engineered situation (the classroom, and peer based.)

 

[sprite]

Out of curiousity, for those of you who homeschool, what was the deciding factor for you to hs instead of public or private schooling?

My husband and I are both public school teachers. Well, I used to be, now I stay home and teach piano lessons. Our decision to homeshool was based on a combination of our observations of the public school system and the year my dd8 spent in kindergarten and learned nothing.

We chose not to send our children to private school, because we live on teacher's salaries and can't afford private school.

We use the Calvert School curriculum, which is academically challenging and comes with an excellent teachers guide. We cover more than what the public school covers in less then half the time. I can let my children work at their pace, not at the pace of the average student in a class of 25.

Although I have an education degree, I think any reasonably intelligent parent can homeschool, especially elementary/middle school.

 

[TNKBELL]

Sprite... I've heard a lot of good things about Calvert, I've been toying with the idea of a set curriculum, is Calvert ahead of the curve? Sounds like you could compare it to public schools based on your experience. Appreciate your input!!

 

[sprite]

Sprite... I've heard a lot of good things about Calvert, I've been toying with the idea of a set curriculum, is Calvert ahead of the curve? Sounds like you could compare it to public schools based on your experience. Appreciate your input!!

Calvert School is my favorite subject and I will happily ramble on about it

Calvert has a reputation of being one grade level ahead of most public schools. I have only used 1st and 2nd grade all the way through and have just completed the first week of K and 3rd. From my experience, the things my dd has been doing in the Calvert program require much more creative, independent thinking than the public schools. From what I have been told, the fourth grade year is a huge jump in workload. I have seen a gradual increase from 1st to 3rd.

One of the best things about the Calvert curriculum is that it stresses writing and starts teaching the writing process early. In first and second grade the writing process is taught in conjunction with cursive handwriting. Now in third grade my dd is expected to write a composition weekly and make a journal entry weekly.

The third grade curriculum includes History, Mythology, Science, Reading, Phonics, Math, Composition, Handwriting, Spelling, Critical Thinking, Geography, Art, and Technology(computer skills).

The technology curriculum is awesome and integrated into the daily lessons. Technology is new this year and is even integrated into the kindergarten lessons.

I can't say enough good things about Calvert.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Lisalovespooh,

My DD played Around the World at school (3rd grade) many times last year. She would always win, and some of the kids gave her a hard time for it. I'm so excited to be HS her this year so she can be challenged and excel w/o getting any of that "Oh why do you have to be so smart" attitude around her.

poor thing--I don't recall ever get made fun of--but probably b/c there were 2 of us guilty of this . Easy to make fun of the odd one out--tougher if there is an even two.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Out of curiousity, for those of you who homeschool, what was the deciding factor for you to hs instead of public or private schooling?

I'm not secular, It costs less money (than private) and it is flexible.

 

[4girlsmom]

Out of curiousity, for those of you who homeschool, what was the deciding factor for you to hs instead of public or private schooling?

Our DDs have been in private school for the past 4 years, and the cost was getting to be to much. Prior to that, our oldest DD attended K-2 at an award-winning California public school. We moved to another town (to buy house) when she entered 1st grade but kept her at that school through an interdistrict transfer. The school district we live in now is not as good, and the specific school in our neighborhood is the largest elem. school in the district (900 kids as opposed to the 450 we were used to). When our 2nd DD was ready to enter K, we felt she needed a full-day program. I was working F/T at that time, and I didn't want her spending 1/2 her day at the after-school daycare. We switched to a private, Christian school and were amazed at what an improvement it was over the public school that we'd thought was such a good one. We considered starting to homeschool last year, but our 1st & 3rd graders had the opportunity to have 2 of our favorite teachers. Now we're starting our 1st week of homeschool: today = a day of organization & preparation and tomorrow = 1st day of school.

 

[deba]

Count me in. We use Switched on Schoolhouse, which is Alpha Omega's computer version. Love it!!! Just have two left, both in high school.

 

[disneymom3]

I love answering the question of why do you homeschool when it is asked so nicely!

Our deciding factor came when DD was in kinderg. I started on this road to investigating hsing when the district announced it would be switching to a four day school week the next year. This meant DD would be gone from 7:20 to 4:30 4 days a week at the age of 6. I think not. They didn't end up doing this, but the damage was already done!! I was intrigued by all I had learned. THEN a month or so later, DD went to renew a library book that she hadn't had a chance to finish reading. They wouldn't let her renew it and she got in trouble for checking out a chapter book. Excuse me??? This child had known what book she wanted, gone to the chapter book section, found the author alphabetically and gotten the book. I went to talk to the librarian. No room for movement there. I was told DD wouldn't be allowed to check out books from that area until THIRD grade! (Three years away!) Okaaaayyyy, let's not allow the children to excel or work at their own level or anything.

I also spent a bit of time that year trying to convince her teacher that since DD was in fact, reading chapter books (It was Betsy, Tacy and Tib, by the way.) That perhaps it was not a real great use of her time to be learning the sounds of consonants. No budging there either. In about March, DD said to me as we were driving down the road, "You know mom, I don't understand why I go to kindergarten. I think I already know everything they are going to teach me. What am I supposed to be doing there?" This was said in all innocence and was a major wake up call for me. WHY spend 12 years of your life waiting for other people to catch up? I did that and it wasn't fun. I also spent that 12 years, pretending I wasn't as smart as I was so that other people wouldn't take offense. How dumb is that?

NOW, however, we continue to homeschool for totally different reasons. Among them, I can meet the needs and interests of my children much more easily than someone who has them amidst 30 other children. My kids love learning--in fact my 5 yo just went outside to play and said, "Don't start school without me Mom!" I love learning with my kids and there are so many opportunities for things we can do and places we can go as a family to learn more about history, science, industry, you name it! I can tailor our learning to what our interests are at the time. Last year, my then 4 yo was obsessed with volcanoes so we did every volcano experiment under the sun, we looked at maps of the most active volcanoes and compared the climates in those areas, we learned all about Pompeii and Herculaneum and then DD decided she was really into rocks and we just segued into how rocks are formed, where they come from and what they can tell us. I also love the flexibilty and freedom. We stop schooling in May because it is nice outside and we don't want to do lessons any more and we start again in August because everyone is getting a little cranky and bored by then.

I am sooo thankful that we have the freedom to do this and I also know I am blessed to live in a state that is pretty easy going overall.

We couldn't afford private school either, but at this point, I wouldn't send them anyway!

 

[TNKBELL]

I love my children. I want what's best for them. For our family that is homeschooling. I know when my children are grown, I will not regret the extra time I spent with them. Not only do my children learn to read, write, and do arithmatic, but they learn life skills as well. They see on a day to day basis how the household is run and are active participants in it. Yes, it is a total sacrifice! But the rewards are innumerable. We live in a culdesac with 20 children, some go to public school, some to private school and I notice that sometimes they have trouble playing with thier younger or older siblings and with the other neighbors of different ages. In the homeschool group we belong to, the highschool aged kids don't feel it's beneath thier dignity to get on the floor and play with a toddler.I belive Homeschooling is better preparation for real life, where else in your life are you surrounded by 20 or 30 peers your own age? Every job I've ever had I had to work with people of many different ages. I'm certainly not saying Homeschooling is for every family, you have to do what keeps you sane and makes you the best parent for your children. I have lots of friends that don't homeschool and I think they are wonderful parents! They have to do what works for thier families. It's inspirational to read about all the other Homeschooling families on this thread!!