*** Homeschool List ***

[lori1043]

hello again! I love all the different ways we are able to HS. People often ask, "well where do you find stuff to teach them?". And i LAUGH!!! It's overwhelming.
Here is what I use:
4th grader-a reason for handwriting -cursive
saxon 5/4 (DVD program-DIVE)
LLATL (finishing orange from last year)
Abeka-read and think 4 (once a week)
readers
2nd grader-a reason for handwriting-transition
abeka- arithmetic 2
Language 2
spelling and poetry 2
letters and sounds 2
readers and a handbook for reading

we will be joining a co-op for fall about which I am excited( I am teaching a literature pockets class on Aesops fables for 6-9 year olds, my kids will be taking history through that and art, etc.
I will be starting a science class at my home with my children in fall. They LOVE that kind of stuff!
In the past we have enjoyed KONOS very much, but I need a bit more regimented this year with all the extra stuff we are adding this year. We do a PE program with our HS association too.

We started school last week!

Lori

 

[SplashMtnCrew]

I'm new to the DIS but not to homeschooling. We will be starting our 8th year in a couple of weeks. This may be the best thread I've seen! I was starting to think that I might be the only homeschooling/Disney junkie around, but alas...there ARE others!

 

[adoptionmomma4]

We need an intervention. DDs were in an e-school (homeschooling with state oversight) and we just got their test scores from last year. Both of them have special needs and were on IEPs, but still had to take the tests. Reading was great, better than I expected, esp since 11yo has only been able to read for 2 years. She was proficient, 8yo was accelerated.

Math was a whole other story. 8yo was almost proficient, 11yo was "limited". I should say the 8yo's peers are 2nd graders, she's in 3rd, so I'm not too worried about her yet. 11yo just cannot get interested in math, so it is in one ear and out the other. I have to re-teach concepts over and over and over again and she still doesn't remember it the next day. She can remember what she had for breakfast the day we brought the youngest home from the hospital (when she was 2 1/2), but she can't remember "perpendicular" from yesterday's lesson/practice.

I will admit that my main focus has been the reading. I feel that once reading is fluent, the rest will eventually come. With math, I've tried to focus on consumer math and practical things. Yes, she needs to know the basics of geometry, but I'm concerned that her indifference and frustration with math are only going to grow (BTDT)

I'm planning to take an "unschooling" approach to math this year and see if I can spark a little interest, but if anyone has any suggestions for resources for kids struggling with math, I'd appreciate it!

I was also going to suggest Math-U-See. I will be using it for my DD who also struggles in math. I have heard wopnderful things about the program.

 

[adoptionmomma4]

I wanted to introduce myself and mark my spot on this thread

I am Lacy a stay home mom to 4 wonderful adopted children. I will be home schooling the older 3 this year and it is our first year. I have a wonderful support network and can not wait to get started. I will have "grades" 1, 3 and 4 as well as a busy 2 year old who thinks she is going to school.

I am going to be using several different curriculums: Rod and Staff, Abeka and math-u-see. We will be doing science and history with another family. I will teach history and she will tackle science. She is using Apologia for science. I on the other hand could use some suggestions on History. I would like to start chronologically with creation and move forward. I was looking at The Story of the World. Has anyone used this? I don’t really know where to start, it can really be overwhelming.

We are joining a home school group for things like extra classes and field trips. I think they are going to start a beginning Latin class and I would like all of my children to take it.

I always hear "home school kids do not get to socialize enough". I can honestly say there is too much available. I am so overwhelmed just looking at everything. I think it would be easy to get home schooled kids over socialized

Also what do you all do for extra classes like art? We have sports for gym (cheerleading, football, soccer and baseball). They are all taking piano lessons for music, but I am lost on art.

Sorry I have so many questions. I just want them to have all the advantages I can give them. I am sure that is part of the reason we all home school

Thank you in advance or all of the help.

 

[GreatLakes5]

Also what do you all do for extra classes like art? We have sports for gym (cheerleading, football, soccer and baseball). They are all taking piano lessons for music, but I am lost on art.

Sorry I have so many questions. I just want them to have all the advantages I can give them. I am sure that is part of the reason we all home school

Thank you in advance or all of the help.

Well, Lacy, you sound like you've got it all organized and together. Sounds great - where do I sign my kids up?

I often incorporate art with geography - we'll attempt something artistic based on a country or region that we're studying. We're approaching the Netherlands and I have simple boxes for them to paint white and then we'll do some "Delft" blue on them. They have also taken art classes from a local artist & it just so happens that I'm an artsy person as well. If you feel that you need an actual guide my sons love the Mark Kistler books on cartooning - there are plenty of series on great artists - our local art museum actually has an art room in the basement where kids can go anytime and use the supplies (& I don't have to clean up!)

Art will fall into place for you, I'm sure....

 

[graygables]

Also what do you all do for extra classes like art? We have sports for gym (cheerleading, football, soccer and baseball). They are all taking piano lessons for music, but I am lost on art.

You might check around and see if there is an art studio that offers homeschool classes. Also, if it's feasible, you might see if there is an art teacher who would be willing to teach your kids or a coop with your homeschool group.

 

[momimouse27]

I don't know if you guys have this but we have a classes for homeschoolers called Masters Academy. It is one day a week and they recieve instruction in art, drama, music, history and expression. They also have an option(which we are using this year with my 14 year old) where you can take a few more "college prep" classes like science, math and literature and go for three days a week. It is almost too much like school but there are some things, especially math, that are getting a little over my head with her.

Masters I think has branches in several different states, too.

 

[adoptionmomma4]

Well, Lacy, you sound like you've got it all organized and together. Sounds great - where do I sign my kids up?

I often incorporate art with geography - we'll attempt something artistic based on a country or region that we're studying. We're approaching the Netherlands and I have simple boxes for them to paint white and then we'll do some "Delft" blue on them. They have also taken art classes from a local artist & it just so happens that I'm an artsy person as well. If you feel that you need an actual guide my sons love the Mark Kistler books on cartooning - there are plenty of series on great artists - our local art museum actually has an art room in the basement where kids can go anytime and use the supplies (& I don't have to clean up!)

Art will fall into place for you, I'm sure....

Ohhhh.... I only have it figured out on paper. In reality I am a mess and nothing is ready We are not starting until the end of August, so I do have a little time. I am also using all of the pre planned lessons this year. I have a friend who actually makes her own lesson plans and it seems so hard to me.

Thanks for all of the tips. I am not an artsy person so that has me worried. I just do not like crafts and I know kids do. I am going to call our art museum and see what they have.

 

[lori1043]

BUMPIN' don't let it die!!!

We are 2 weeks into school so far and it has been good!!!
So far, I love Saxon 5/4 with the CD-rom!

Lori

 

[sha_lyn]

We are trying to find a good LA curriculum
Anyone have experience with Shurley English or Easy Grammar for 4th grade?
We use First Language Lessons 1-2 grade, then the English/grammar workbooks from Singapore math in 3 grade. DD does not like the copy work of FLL. The Singapore Grammar was hard to teach because they use British spellings and terminology. I'm leaning toward Easy Grammar at this point.

 

[LegoMom3]

I was also going to suggest Math-U-See. I will be using it for my DD who also struggles in math. I have heard wopnderful things about the program.

I am trying that this year for my oldest son, who had a heck of a time in the public school with their math program. He watched the MUS demo DVD with me and his face lit up and he said, "Now THAT I get!" He struggles most in that subject so I'm hopeful that this program will benefit him. He's also very much a hands-on learner, which is another nice aspect to MUS.

 

[Tink561]

We are trying to find a good LA curriculum
Anyone have experience with Shurley English or Easy Grammar for 4th grade?
We use First Language Lessons 1-2 grade, then the English/grammar workbooks from Singapore math in 3 grade. DD does not like the copy work of FLL. The Singapore Grammar was hard to teach because they use British spellings and terminology. I'm leaning toward Easy Grammar at this point.

We used Shurley English one year and loved it! My sons still remember jingles and grammar rules from Shurley.

 

[lori1043]

I thought about MUS and watched the DVD from the company. We are doing well now with Abeka for my 2nd grader and Saxon 5/4 for our 4th grader. I am hoping and praying Saxon helps her get over her hump with math. She is on target with it but aftr a rough year last year, I just feel she needs a little nudge forward. I have used cuisenierre rods as manipulatives for learning "borrowing". I really helped her visualize it since it was a spot she was stuck on. I even got a video from the library that teaches it for her to watch when i was at my wits end with explaining it. I thought, well maybe I should have tried MUS out for her!! DH was thinking the kids get dependent on the manipulatives MUS uses so far up in grade levels. BUT the instruction on the DIVE CDroms are wonderful and math is my weak subject so it is loads of relief for me too.
DD7 gets Stanford tested at the end of this year- little nervous about it like I was when DD9 first started taking them in 2nd grade. But she has done better than expected. I am hopin' and prayin' for that too! DD7 is a bit more LA challenged!
Lori

 

[Lisa Hale]

We are all set to start on Monday morning! This is our 5th total year of homeschooling (third year in a row and a couple of years some time before then), but our first year of high school (my 13 year old son) and we'll have a newbie starting kindergarten (technically K-4, but it's some of the k-4 program mixed with elements of k-5) for our 4 year old daughter. It's gonna be interesting swinging back and forth so much!

For our 9th grader, we are doing:
Language Arts/Literature - Glencoe (integrated LA and Lit. with spelling, vocabulary & writing courses)
Math - Heath Integrated Algebra 1
Geography/Civics - Abeka World Geography w/Political & Cultural Profiles
Science - Abeka Science of Physical Creation
Health - Abeka Health in Christian Perspective
Art History - Short Lessons in Art History w/Phyllis Clausen Barker
Spanish - Alpha Omega Life Pac
Computer Programming - Thomson Course Tech. 3D Game Programming for Teens
Various activities for phys. ed. (his favorite being laser tag, LOL)

For our Kinder, we are doing:
Abeka Phonics Program
Little Pilgrims History
Abeka Numbers, etc.
Fun with Music
Various art programs, reading and phonics workbooks .

I guess that's the gist of where we are at right now. We're starting now so that we aren't behind when we break in September for Disney

I just finished setting up all their lessons plans for the year - I so love Homeschool Tracker!!! So, we are set to go.

Anyone else teaching spanning grades (like K & 9th or greater) with any advice, please know it's welcome! I am a little concerned about getting overwhelmed, but I think it's just the idea of high school and tracking everything for a transcript that's done me in. Hopefully, after we get started and set in a routine rotfl2: ), that will ease up.

You wouldn't think that after a few years of homeschooling that it could still be so overwhelming, but it still happens. Ah well, such is life.

Good luck everyone - happy schooling for the year!

 

[meandtheguys2]

We are trying to find a good LA curriculum
Anyone have experience with Shurley English or Easy Grammar for 4th grade?
We use First Language Lessons 1-2 grade, then the English/grammar workbooks from Singapore math in 3 grade. DD does not like the copy work of FLL. The Singapore Grammar was hard to teach because they use British spellings and terminology. I'm leaning toward Easy Grammar at this point.

We used Easy Grammar this past year. It is very thorough. Not overly exciting, but they came out the other end knowing their grammar rules. This year we will focus on spelling and creative writing, because they are well grounded in the grammar area.

If she works well on her own, it is even easier, because it does give a good explanation for each lesson.

 

[TNKBELL]

Hey everyone!!! Seems we are all charging up for the school year!!!

I just wanted to say that for art, I try to do this very affordably,

at Home Depot the 1st Saturday of every month starting at 9 am they have FREE building lessons for kids, last month my DKS made a treasure box using wood, a hammer and nails, they are very nice, also each child receives an orange Home Depot apron to keep and a certificate of completion along with an achievement pin. All for free!!

Our Art Museum is free on Saturdays and they have a children's LIVING ROOM where they can do art projects...they love this.

Michaels craft stores also have very inexpensive art classes for children @$2 per child.

Don't underestimate the nature that surrounds you(even in the city) one idea I love is to make a "Nature Notebook" where everyday your child draws something from the outdoors and writes about it in his/her sketchbook. You can even take a Nature Walk incorporating excercise, science and art!

Drawing with Children is an excellent book that will teach the whole family how to draw!! We did this a few years back and even DH really got into it!!

Don't forget about Pizza Hut's Book It Program, where HS students earn free pizza for reading books!!!

We are starting in 2 weeks!!!

 

[disneymom3]

We are part way through using Easy Grammar 5/6. DD likes it quite well actually. Like Michelle says, nothing really exciting but it gets the message across well. I like it because while they are learning the parts of a sentence, etc, they are not doing all that insane diagramming. I never did catch on to what I was doing when we worked on that in jr high!

Did I tell you guys we had a homeschool store open right here in my city??? I am so excited I can hardly stand it. It is run by a family that has homeschooled for years and years and they are familiar with everything in their store. I think I have found the curric. we are using for writing this next few years. (Should cover middle school.) Can't remember the name but when I get it I will tell you guys about it.

 

[disneymom3]

Oops I also wanted to say that Discovering Great Artists is a great book that is fairly inexpensive and is easy to teach.

I also love the Nature Notebooks. My kids adore doing that and can all do it at their own level.

 

[FinallyBoughtDVC]

We started our school year this past Monday. We're having a blast! We're using all different types of learning tools.

One fabulous resource I am using is www.home-school-inc.com. You can set up a whole school online - and it's free.

I have set up our entire school year - it's hard to describe - you really have to check it out.

It's perfect for me becuase I work full-time and it's essential that we be uber-organized. In addition, the fact that it keeps attendance and grade records is just invaluable to me. It will print off quarterly and final eval reports, which are mandatory in NYS.

We're heading into NYC tomorrow to go the AMNH to complete our New York Indian Unit. I love being so close to NYC - it's like having the whole world at my fingertips.

Just one more thing - I am using a wide variety of teaching tools, and as we go through them, I will post my opinions on each.

Good luck to everyone else!!

 

[HomeschoolMama]

I'm interested too! How did I not see this thread before?
We just started our 3rd year homeschooling this week. I have a 5th grade DD, a 1st grade DD, and a Kinder DS.