*** Homeschool List ***

[Nanu57v]

I'm glad you posted that topic...I was wondering the same things. I just became a SAHM on Wednesday, and know my DD will be missing some of the structured learning she had at "school." She learned Spanish, counting, millions of songs, and she can identify most letters and can write a few. She also can count objects, which I thought was way advanced. But now that I'm home I feel overwhelmed. I'm really good at "teachable moments" but I worry that I'll be missing something. Oh, my DD is 2.5.

 

[disneymom3]

For not wanting to miss anything--I would suggest buying or getting from your library What Your .....Grader Needs to Know. THey are by the Core Knowledge group and give a good overview of what kids should know for different grades. I tend to look at them halfway through the year and go "oh yeah. We already did that." They also have great literature selections in them. We use the poems in those books for memorization practice a lot.

 

[lori1043]

I'm glad you posted that topic...I was wondering the same things. I just became a SAHM on Wednesday, and know my DD will be missing some of the structured learning she had at "school." She learned Spanish, counting, millions of songs, and she can identify most letters and can write a few. She also can count objects, which I thought was way advanced. But now that I'm home I feel overwhelmed. I'm really good at "teachable moments" but I worry that I'll be missing something. Oh, my DD is 2.5.

My 2 cents worth for under 3 years old, is JUST enjoy the moments. Cuddle, love , read to, go to the park. How lucky you are now. Just because the preschools and day cares of the world are now teaching our children spanish and sign language at 2 years old (however good it is) does NOT mean that if they don't have it they will be behind in kindergarten.

My DD9 was on chemo for 2 and a half years in those precious preschool years and yes, I did do a very general fun curr. with her the year before kindergarten., but oh my, there is NOTHING like the time and cuddles you get with them at that age. Don't stress over it. Love it, enjoy it, don't MISS it because you are concerned about kindergarten! Life can change in a flash and they have 12 years plus some to catch up and catch on.
DD7 went to a half day preschool and she was NOT interested what they were teaching her. Her teachers just would tell me she was not ready. I already knew it, but hearing them say it just made me giggle a bit. Some kids, like her, are not ready for it anyway. I just spent the rest of our day playing and swinging and reading to her(she still doesn't enjoy reading yet!-grrrrrr!) among other mom activities to get done around the home.
I don't beleive in forcing anything, just give it to them when they are ready. Although the reading thing tries me a good bit!! She can read, just isn't her favorite thing.

Hope I did not offend, just ENJOY them when they are little!!! That is why you came home, I am sure!!

Lori

 

[disneymom3]

Lori--your post about preschool made me chuckle. When middle DS went to preschool, which I had him doing just for fun, he was really frustrated by the experience. He kept commenting that every time he was in the middle of doing something his teacher would make him start another activity. For instance, snack or group time. He was just such a little homeschooled person and so into learning at his own pace already at 3.5. We took him out in November after almost a month of abscence due to the schedule of conferences, his being sick and his brother having surgery. In that entire month he hadn't asked about school once so we decided we were wasting our money.

I am going to be starting a thread about igniting a passion for learning on the community board. Wish me luck and come give me advice if you have any.

 

[Nanu57v]

Hope I did not offend, just ENJOY them when they are little!!! That is why you came home, I am sure!!

Lori

Nope, not offended...I'm actually conflicted on the whole thing. The current research in early childhood shows you should do just that: let the kids play, do teachable moments and NEVER do any sitdown work. And then magically in Kindergarten they'll be okay. So obviously the two schools (EC and grade school) need to talk to each other or something. Our state has learning standards for 2 year olds, so I'll probably just make sure I'm covering everything in there. They have them for preschool and K as well. They are very basic at age 2, like "Plays with varying toys" and "asks why a lot".

 

[lori1043]

Nope, not offended...I'm actually conflicted on the whole thing. The current research in early childhood shows you should do just that: let the kids play, do teachable moments and NEVER do any sitdown work. And then magically in Kindergarten they'll be okay. So obviously the two schools (EC and grade school) need to talk to each other or something. Our state has learning standards for 2 year olds, so I'll probably just make sure I'm covering everything in there. They have them for preschool and K as well. They are very basic at age 2, like "Plays with varying toys" and "asks why a lot".

Sorry, this is long...
Wow, learning standards for 2 year olds! No wonder we are, like, in the very bottom of the academic realm . Here in "Loosiana", you don't even have to be in school until your 7-then you can quit and not be reprimanded by the state at 17. That is probably not the same institiution giving those standards though!! I hope, at least. We may have them for people with 2 year olds in school , but not enforced.
Anyway- we actually live in a GREAT public school district. One of the TOP in our state-exceptional schools that if HS'ing comes to an end for me, I would consider putting them in. Our high school in Mandeville, is a "'gold ribbon school". There are MANY doctors /lawyers/etc,etc, that send thier kids there instead of private school in our area. They think it is nutty to pay for it when it is free.
Anyway, I did not say any of that b/c the public school system here sucks(can I say that??) in general-of course, except in our area(so some northshore parent doesn't reprimand me!!).
That is part of why I homeschool though. If our state told me 2 years olds HAD to know such and such, well, that ain't thier business, is it!
That is my baby

And surprisingly, it IS magical-they DO okay in kindergarten. If you presented teachable moments, your child will do great! A friend of mine did not put her little boy in any type preschool, she did not HS him, she just used teachable moments. He is in gifted classes in 2nd grade. He is very polite and loving. I love this kid-he is super sweet. He went straight to kindergarten from home.
Yes, some kids will read by the end of kindergarten, yes there will be others way ahead and way behind yours academically. Every kid develops these abilities at a different time. You cannot compare. My DD9 read by the VERY end of kindergarten. She loves to read- she read all 7 Harry Potter books in 3 months this summer. I can't keep books in front of her fast enough. DD7 could read very little by the end of kindergarten. I blamed myself a bit until talking to others. But if you'd met DD7 at that time, you'd (or a teacher ) have known she was not mature enough or "ready" to read. She now knows HOW to read and can read pretty darn well, when she wants too. She doesn't enjoy it at all right now-YET! (I am still trying here!! ). She will read b/c i tell her it's her assignment to read for school-that is it. She is my math kid- she blows through it. I thought, again, something was wrong with me b/c I couldn't teach it to her- she just DOES it-and gets it right!!! Amazing! SOMETIMES she will ask me a word in a word problem! Usually , a name.

Don't stress over it too much. You can look up your state's education site to find out if those 2 year learning standards are truly enforced, or if you HAVE a 2 year old in a daycare/preschool, they have standards for certain institutions.

I say HAVE FUN, ENJOY, love every moment-teachable and unteachable(when you are hiding in a closet to avoid yelling or frustration b/c the beautiful God given 2 year old did something to rattle the nerves!!)-God, I loved those days!! I did, every nerve rattling BIT of it!
Lori

PS-I am talking above about most kids. I know there are children out there who do have learning blocks. This may be a reason they homeschool. God bless all of you!!

 

[Ellester]

Nope, not offended...I'm actually conflicted on the whole thing. The current research in early childhood shows you should do just that: let the kids play, do teachable moments and NEVER do any sitdown work. And then magically in Kindergarten they'll be okay. So obviously the two schools (EC and grade school) need to talk to each other or something. Our state has learning standards for 2 year olds, so I'll probably just make sure I'm covering everything in there. They have them for preschool and K as well. They are very basic at age 2, like "Plays with varying toys" and "asks why a lot".

I wouldn't put too much stock in those "learning standards". Every kid is different and I think published things like that just make more stress for parents, especially when the kids are so little. I remember stressing over the NC "requirements" for kindergarten because my then 5yo couldn't tie her shoes! After two years of preschool to boot! I was beside myself for a while. But I figured they might let her stay because she could eat sitting at a table and knew how to blow her nose (http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/resources/kinderhandbook/uponEntering.asp) among other things. When she actually went to kindergarten, there were kids in her class that had obviously never had any kind of "teachable moments" before. It was sad really. That was a big reason we went to homeschooling. There were so many kids in her classes that needed extra help that those kids that knew how to learn were ignored since they wouldn't have as much trouble passing NCLB. Eventually, my dd did learn to tie her shoes but not until she was seven I think. I was the same way though. I remember being petrified in second grade that my shoe would come untied and I'd have to ask someone to tie it. I just couldn't get it. Meanwhile, the school had wanted my mom to allow them to skip me up two grades because of my reading ability. Go figure. Thankfully, she wouldn't let them. I can't imagine how I would have fared if she had agreed. I don't think it would have been pretty for me entering high school at 12.

Anyway, hope everyone has a great weekend. I have to get on dd9 now to finish her math and spelling so she doesn't have to do them at park day this afternoon. We can't be late because it's signups for fall co-op. If she actually wants the Ancient Egypt and Japan classes she wants, she needs to get on the stick and finish her assignments!

 

[disneymom3]

Ellester--one word for you---VELCRO! DS 7 can't tie his shoes either and velcro is a blessing!

 

[lori1043]

Disneymomof3- haha!!! I did not allow my DD9 to TOUCH shoes or anything close to the floor(especially not in my home) when she was on chemo! She wore velcro through 1st grade, easy! Her 1st grade teacher told me she really needed to learn to tie them. She learned!

Lori

 

[NATALIEBELLESmom]

I have a quick question. I have been HS my dd10 since she was 7. We pulled her out of public school and she adjusted fine. But now I seem to be at a road block. We are having issues with reading skills. She is fine in math and struggling in the other areas as reading seems to be holding her back. We have readers that we use I also have the standard state readers and we do spelling lists weekly. Any pointers in how to help her catch on to reading.

Thanks,

Theresa

 

[lori1043]

I am posting here too much lately!! And in my above post I meant OUTSIDE my home-not in my home!

NatalieBelle's mom-I would suggest readers under her "level" that she enjoys reading. So it is not stressful-makes the reading not a "chore", but easy and interesting. Have her read a few of those(my DD7 reads the Biscuit books which is under level, but she likes them and it builds her confidence) increase her love of it, the work on fluency of the "school" readers. She also likes the silliness of Amelia Bedelia books, which she struggles a bit with some words but likes it anyway b/c it is goofy. She is my reluctant reader! She doesn't pick up the book unless I make her!

Lori

 

[NATALIEBELLESmom]

I am posting here too much lately!! And in my above post I meant OUTSIDE my home-not in my home!

NatalieBelle's mom-I would suggest readers under her "level" that she enjoys reading. So it is not stressful-makes the reading not a "chore", but easy and interesting. Have her read a few of those(my DD7 reads the Biscuit books which is under level, but she likes them and it builds her confidence) increase her love of it, the work on fluency of the "school" readers. She also likes the silliness of Amelia Bedelia books, which she struggles a bit with some words but likes it anyway b/c it is goofy. She is my reluctant reader! She doesn't pick up the book unless I make her!

Lori

Thanks very much. I really didnt think of that. I will start that Tomorrow.

 

[lori1043]

Thanks very much. I really didnt think of that. I will start that Tomorrow.

Your welcome. I did want to mention, but got sidetracked, that I am NOT a teacher other than to my children. Other moms and teachers may have better ideas. This has just seemed to work for me and my DD7 so far. I got the idea from another mom! It makes sense to me though! I am trying to build her fluency and enjoyment of reading, so it was an idea-Lori

 

[antree]

Hi, we start K-Horizons tomorrow. Things weren't working out with our schools around here so we decided to home school this year.
My questions is, do you let your kids work right in the work books or are you coping the pages. I just don't know how I should do it.

Thank You, Maria

 

[Ellester]

Hi, we start K-Horizons tomorrow. Things weren't working out with our schools around here so we decided to home school this year.
My questions is, do you let your kids work right in the work books or are you coping the pages. I just don't know how I should do it.

Thank You, Maria

Well, when I started three years ago I began copying the worksheets on my home copier. To be honest, I soon figured that the amount I was saving on buying another workbook was rapidly being eaten in ink costs. Plus, it was a pain copying everyday, waiting for the printer to warm up, etc. So I gave up on that plan and started just working right on the page. Much simpler in my mind. Have fun on your first day!

 

[Nanu57v]

Don't stress over it too much. You can look up your state's education site to find out if those 2 year learning standards are truly enforced, or if you HAVE a 2 year old in a daycare/preschool, they have standards for certain institutions.

Thanks for your response. Btw, the standards are definately not enforced. Just licensed facilities need to consult them when making lesson plans. That's all. I'm not stressing anymore. I looked through our "fall activity guide" and there is so much stuff to do in the surrounding counties with DD. She's fascinated with rocks, and there's actually a rock museum 20 miles away!

Anyway, hope everyone has a great weekend. I have to get on dd9 now to finish her math and spelling so she doesn't have to do them at park day this afternoon. We can't be late because it's signups for fall co-op. If she actually wants the Ancient Egypt and Japan classes she wants, she needs to get on the stick and finish her assignments!

Thanks for your response also! But, your 9 year old gets to take Ancient Egypt and Japan classes? That's amazing! Do you live in a major metropolitan area?

Hi, we start K-Horizons tomorrow. Things weren't working out with our schools around here so we decided to home school this year.
My questions is, do you let your kids work right in the work books or are you coping the pages. I just don't know how I should do it.

Thank You, Maria

We used the K4 and K3 Horizons at the daycare center I directed (preschool & toddler classes respectively). These were used for years. I dropped them though when I tried to purchase an updated curriculum and discovered the last update was 1986! (or something like that). But, to answer your question, I think the workbooks are so colorful that it would be taking away to copy them...and, I think they are only like 10 a workbook, right?

 

[Ellester]

Thanks for your response also! But, your 9 year old gets to take Ancient Egypt and Japan classes? That's amazing! Do you live in a major metropolitan area?

Nope, we're in little ole' Columbus, Georgia. We just have a rockin' support group and lots of motivated moms. She got her choices and my dd6 got her choices of Dr.Seuss and Africa. Last session my oldest took card games and beginning knitting and my younger took crafts and another Dr. Seuss. The older kids chose from classes like aviation electronics, German, driver's ed, forensics (crime scene stuff). I've been very impressed with the homeschooling support in this area.

 

[Nanu57v]

Nope, we're in little ole' Columbus, Georgia. We just have a rockin' support group and lots of motivated moms. She got her choices and my dd6 got her choices of Dr.Seuss and Africa. Last session my oldest took card games and beginning knitting and my younger took crafts and another Dr. Seuss. The older kids chose from classes like aviation electronics, German, driver's ed, forensics (crime scene stuff). I've been very impressed with the homeschooling support in this area.

I know we have a support group in this area, but haven't really looked into it much since DD is 2. But how do the classes work?

 

[lexeka]

Hi, we start K-Horizons tomorrow. Things weren't working out with our schools around here so we decided to home school this year.
My questions is, do you let your kids work right in the work books or are you coping the pages. I just don't know how I should do it.

Thank You, Maria

I would just use it; as she said, your ink cost will go crazy. Oh, we LOVE Horizons. Let me know what you think!

 

[disneymom3]

Nope, we're in little ole' Columbus, Georgia. We just have a rockin' support group and lots of motivated moms. She got her choices and my dd6 got her choices of Dr.Seuss and Africa. Last session my oldest took card games and beginning knitting and my younger took crafts and another Dr. Seuss. The older kids chose from classes like aviation electronics, German, driver's ed, forensics (crime scene stuff). I've been very impressed with the homeschooling support in this area.

I am always so blown away but what we homeschooling moms can do when we join together. We are in two co-ops this year (long story) and in one of them we will be doing physics and US geography. The other one, the boys will be doing Discovery with Oceans, Art, Music Discovery and Phy Ed. DD is taking Mechanical Engineering, Journalism, Phy Ed and Discovery Oceans (in which unbeknownst to her she will be dissecting a baby shark ) Second semester she will be taking drama and science instead of Journalism and Mech Engineering. LOVE it!

In the past we have done Ancient Civilizations, Weather, Pioneering, Genres in Literature and many others.