*** Homeschool List ***

[disneymom3]

I also have recently rediscovered www.funschool.caboose.com It is related to the funschool site but has more stuff for littler kids.

 

[lori1043]

I really like www/readinga-z.com for reading. It offers leveled reading. It is $$$$ for one person to use, but if your homeschool organization(like a school gets it and shares with all the teachers) can get it or you split the cost with a few others and share the password, it would be good. I really don't know if that is allowed or ethical, BUT I used it through a public school teacher who told me I could use it with her password. IF I had another one to teach reading to, I would pay the $80 for it and print off as much as I could for that time and the future, if I had too. I liked it because my kids could pick the stories they were interested in. It is a printable book site. After they read it, I'd let them color it.

I also really liked "Hands on Homeschooling"-just google it. It's an all in one curriculum. It is Christian if that matters to you. I liked it for my oldest.

Lori

 

[Princess_Michelle]

I just want to say that I am so excited about homeschooling!! I recently discovered another opportunity here...there is a Spanish Language Learning Center and they start teaching kids at 4 1/2 years. We also have a Chinese School near by. (Both languages I want to teach my son.) When we get back from Disney, I'm going to get annual passes to Port Discovery, the Science Center, the Aquarium and the Zoo Then I have all the free Smithsonian museums. My son is only 3, so that along with reading is about all I do right now.....I plan on ordering the sonlight curriculum,whatever the first one is, next year. Anyways, just wanted to share Reading all these posts about kids having so much homework and stuff has really re-enforced my desire to home school.

 

[meandtheguys2]

I just want to say that I am so excited about homeschooling!! I recently discovered another opportunity here...there is a Spanish Language Learning Center and they start teaching kids at 4 1/2 years. We also have a Chinese School near by. (Both languages I want to teach my son.) When we get back from Disney, I'm going to get annual passes to Port Discovery, the Science Center, the Aquarium and the Zoo Then I have all the free Smithsonian museums. My son is only 3, so that along with reading is about all I do right now.....I plan on ordering the sonlight curriculum,whatever the first one is, next year. Anyways, just wanted to share Reading all these posts about kids having so much homework and stuff has really re-enforced my desire to home school.

Orlando has a great science museum that reciprocates with most of the other science museums. If you aren't totally scheduled out, you could get your membership for yours before you go, and visit down there for free.

 

[lexeka]

Enchantedlearning.com is a good one with worksheets and craft ideas for younger kids.....

 

[Helpmate]

"The Homeschool List"! Yeah!
What a great find!

 

[mamaloya]

OK, please tell me that I am not the only one that tweeks their curriculum as the year goes on. I am so aggravated with myself. I bought most of it well in time for our Aug 16th start date and it is going pretty well for the most part. My 1st and 2nd grader are doing great.

dd4 wanted to start K, but after our 1st day it was clear that, although she is intellectually ready, she is not socially or developmentally ready. She is not willing to sit at the desk and follow the instructions yet. She is still "coloring outside the lines" so to speak. My goal for her for this year is to sit for more than 10 minutes, follow the instructions instead of "freewheeling it", to write her name, and recognize her numbers and letters. (She already knows her shapes and colors.)

dd11 has dyslexia and central auditory processing disorder. I have been using a curriculum that is more of a unit study, but that is not working for her this year. (All that money down the drain!!!) I have begun ordering her new stuff that is more traditional. I think that is what she wants and needs now. She is supposed to be in 6th, but I am ordering her all grade 5. Last year was really rough on her as she tried public school one semester and it went horribly. That set her back a lot and then we fought for the final semester, so that year was a wash. This switching curriculum thing is going to set us back.

dd6 is doing well. She is doing just the basic 3R's plus Bible (when it comes in).

ds7 is also doing well. I will be adding Spelling though for him.

I hope I don't have to continue to tweek dd11s curriculum. Everytime something doesn't work I can hear the money being flushed. I am very frustrated with myself for not having this worked out already. I guess the beauty of homeschooling is being able to change if it is not working. I just figured that after so many years homeschooling, I would have it down by now. But she is the oldest homeschooled one, so I guess she is my guinea pig. I just don't want to screw up.

OK, I think I am done venting now. Anyone else feel this way?

 

[meandtheguys2]

OK, please tell me that I am not the only one that tweeks their curriculum as the year goes on. I am so aggravated with myself. I bought most of it well in time for our Aug 16th start date and it is going pretty well for the most part. My 1st and 2nd grader are doing great.

dd4 wanted to start K, but after our 1st day it was clear that, although she is intellectually ready, she is not socially or developmentally ready. She is not willing to sit at the desk and follow the instructions yet. She is still "coloring outside the lines" so to speak. My goal for her for this year is to sit for more than 10 minutes, follow the instructions instead of "freewheeling it", to write her name, and recognize her numbers and letters. (She already knows her shapes and colors.)

dd11 has dyslexia and central auditory processing disorder. I have been using a curriculum that is more of a unit study, but that is not working for her this year. (All that money down the drain!!!) I have begun ordering her new stuff that is more traditional. I think that is what she wants and needs now. She is supposed to be in 6th, but I am ordering her all grade 5. Last year was really rough on her as she tried public school one semester and it went horribly. That set her back a lot and then we fought for the final semester, so that year was a wash. This switching curriculum thing is going to set us back.

dd6 is doing well. She is doing just the basic 3R's plus Bible (when it comes in).

ds7 is also doing well. I will be adding Spelling though for him.

I hope I don't have to continue to tweek dd11s curriculum. Everytime something doesn't work I can hear the money being flushed. I am very frustrated with myself for not having this worked out already. I guess the beauty of homeschooling is being able to change if it is not working. I just figured that after so many years homeschooling, I would have it down by now. But she is the oldest homeschooled one, so I guess she is my guinea pig. I just don't want to screw up.

OK, I think I am done venting now. Anyone else feel this way?

Tweaking is so much fun... I think that 6 weeks in, we ought to have one big trading thread. Of course, there is always that underlying thought that it might work with one of my other boys!

I hope your year improves!

 

[LegoMom3]

OK, please tell me that I am not the only one that tweeks their curriculum as the year goes on. I am so aggravated with myself. I bought most of it well in time for our Aug 16th start date and it is going pretty well for the most part. My 1st and 2nd grader are doing great.

dd4 wanted to start K, but after our 1st day it was clear that, although she is intellectually ready, she is not socially or developmentally ready. She is not willing to sit at the desk and follow the instructions yet. She is still "coloring outside the lines" so to speak. My goal for her for this year is to sit for more than 10 minutes, follow the instructions instead of "freewheeling it", to write her name, and recognize her numbers and letters. (She already knows her shapes and colors.)

dd11 has dyslexia and central auditory processing disorder. I have been using a curriculum that is more of a unit study, but that is not working for her this year. (All that money down the drain!!!) I have begun ordering her new stuff that is more traditional. I think that is what she wants and needs now. She is supposed to be in 6th, but I am ordering her all grade 5. Last year was really rough on her as she tried public school one semester and it went horribly. That set her back a lot and then we fought for the final semester, so that year was a wash. This switching curriculum thing is going to set us back.

dd6 is doing well. She is doing just the basic 3R's plus Bible (when it comes in).

ds7 is also doing well. I will be adding Spelling though for him.

I hope I don't have to continue to tweek dd11s curriculum. Everytime something doesn't work I can hear the money being flushed. I am very frustrated with myself for not having this worked out already. I guess the beauty of homeschooling is being able to change if it is not working. I just figured that after so many years homeschooling, I would have it down by now. But she is the oldest homeschooled one, so I guess she is my guinea pig. I just don't want to screw up.

OK, I think I am done venting now. Anyone else feel this way?

Oh my goodness NO!...you are not alone! I think most of us do this, at least to some degree. And of course that's the beauty of home schooling, that you can adjust and adapt to what is best for YOUR child/children. It's not a one-size-fits-all and that goes for parents as well! I've gotten some stuff in the past that I just could not stand using, as the teacher. Fortunately the kids weren't all that thrilled with it, either, so I completely switched gears and tried something else.

I like the trading thread idea made by the AP!!

 

[disneymom3]

Well, last year DD in 5th grade did 4 different math curriculums if that answers your question!

 

[lexeka]

Well, last year DD in 5th grade did 4 different math curriculums if that answers your question!

I LOVE your quote at the end! I might have to borrow it someday!

OK, please tell me that I am not the only one that tweeks their curriculum as the year goes on. I am so aggravated with myself. I bought most of it well in time for our Aug 16th start date and it is going pretty well for the most part. My 1st and 2nd grader are doing great.

dd4 wanted to start K, but after our 1st day it was clear that, although she is intellectually ready, she is not socially or developmentally ready. She is not willing to sit at the desk and follow the instructions yet. She is still "coloring outside the lines" so to speak. My goal for her for this year is to sit for more than 10 minutes, follow the instructions instead of "freewheeling it", to write her name, and recognize her numbers and letters. (She already knows her shapes and colors.)

dd11 has dyslexia and central auditory processing disorder. I have been using a curriculum that is more of a unit study, but that is not working for her this year. (All that money down the drain!!!) I have begun ordering her new stuff that is more traditional. I think that is what she wants and needs now. She is supposed to be in 6th, but I am ordering her all grade 5. Last year was really rough on her as she tried public school one semester and it went horribly. That set her back a lot and then we fought for the final semester, so that year was a wash. This switching curriculum thing is going to set us back.

dd6 is doing well. She is doing just the basic 3R's plus Bible (when it comes in).

ds7 is also doing well. I will be adding Spelling though for him.

I hope I don't have to continue to tweek dd11s curriculum. Everytime something doesn't work I can hear the money being flushed. I am very frustrated with myself for not having this worked out already. I guess the beauty of homeschooling is being able to change if it is not working. I just figured that after so many years homeschooling, I would have it down by now. But she is the oldest homeschooled one, so I guess she is my guinea pig. I just don't want to screw up.

OK, I think I am done venting now. Anyone else feel this way?

You are SO not alone! I hated the LifePacs last year and even more the Sonlight before that.... and that was MY BIGGEST EXPENSE for curriculum yet! We, too, decided to do a more traditional approach, but if that doesn't work for us (Bob Jones, btw....) we will try an unschooling approach for Science, Reading Spelling, and History..... We love Horizons Math, though!

Good Luck!

 

[lori1043]

YES, Mamaloya!!! yes, yes, yes!!
I tried to use all the same curr. for DD7 as i did for DD9 for second grade-HA! (DD9 was in public school in 1st). I thankfully learned without buying things too many times that DD7 is good with a more regimented approach such as Abeka workbooks for LA. I tried LLATL w/ her and WHOAH!!! no way; way too much play in there for her! I LOVE LLATL for DD9. This is her 3rd year with it. I switched mid year last year for DD7 in 1st grade from LLATL to Abeka's little phonics book, "Handbook for Reading" (I like the simple straightforward lists of all the phonics you need!) and used "explode the Code" and my own spelling program. I used a spelling list from a local 1st grade teacher on the schools website! Write the words on day 1, sentences with 5 words on day 2, review on day 3, quiz on day 4 or 5. It was a mix of spelling and vocabulary.
Anyway , this year, DD7 in 2nd grade now-Abeka; Letters and Sounds2, Language2, Spelling2(not crazy over but will improvise with), Arithmetic 2, Abeka readers that go with all her LA's. Co-op will add history, art, and literature(Aesops fables). Her history will also consist of reading the AG books. I THINK I have it settled for her-at least for this year!!

I can tell you I have fallen in love with the Saxon 5/4 DIVE cd-rom! She asks me questions and I check her work, administer tests-that is it and great for ME since that is my yuoookkkyyy subject. I don't want to pass down that "yuuoookkkk" to her b/c DH is an auditor!
Anyway, I'm good up till division and doing things with fractions-ha! WELL worth the $$$ for me!

Lori

 

[nuzmom]

Question for all of you that have or are using ABEKA.

My friend's DD is 7th grade. Doing a "full" ABEKA program except the science portion. The mom thinks her daughter is doing 5 subjects. The video portion of the program is taking almost 1 hour per subject and then there's the worksheet portion. In addition to all of this her DD is taking 3 subjects in our co-op group (including science). That adds about 1 hour per day. So, she's watching videos for 5 hours, doing 2-3 hours of worksheets and 1 of the co-op work. Her days are over 8 hours long and she's VERY frustrated by the amount of time involved.

The mom went with abeka this year to get have a good routine (and program) but is wondering how to deal with the amount of time it's taking. Their family does lots of outside "stuff" and usually leaves the house around 2pm every day.

They had already purchased the science portion for her and are not using it. They love the bible and history portion. The DD is a "average" 7th grader.

Should this be taking so long?

 

[mamaloya]

Thanks for all of the responses. It is so nice to know that I am not alone. Believe it or not, this is the first time in 6 years that I have not stuck with my original decisions. Of course, looking back, I should have switched out of Abeka phonics the first year of homeschooling with my dd when she was 5. I was new and did not know what else to do. That is the curriculum that I was told to use and I did it. I assumed something was wrong with me. Turns out she just needed a tactile kinesthetic curriculum. Took me 2-3 years to get it right. After she was diagnosed with dyslexia and CAPD the speech and language pathologist told me what to do and she began reading soon thereafter. That is why I use My Father's World now. It is great for phonics.

I have always used Abeka math for all of mine. dd11 wants to try something new this year so we are using a generic "Complete Book of Math" book. I still think she will want to go back to Abeka. I am also going with Abeka for Science and HIstory. dd11 was using MFW for it, but to get the full potential from it, it requires too much of my time. I just can't do it. I love the curriculum. It is like Sonlight, full of wonderful books, but it doesn't work for me. I have already bought it, so she will follow the reading to supplement the Abeka. They are really great books. One problem was that the book "Streams of Civilization" is the main book for it this year. She came to me frustrated that it was too hard. I took the book and began to read. It is way over her head. Even if I read it out loud to her she would not keep up. It is also a great book that we will use later.

I just feel like I am wasting money. I guess we will use all of the books at some point.

Also, what do you guys do when you wind up switching after you have already started. I am only 2 wks into the year, but will be 3-4 wks in by the time we get our stuff. I don't expect them to finish the new curriculum now. I can't see having them go longer since we had to switch. For those of you that do a traditional calendar, do you just stop when you hit your 180 days? Do you go ahead and finish? If you don't finish, do you finish the next year?

Can you tell that I am OCD? I try to fit everything in a box. A friend of mine is working at breaking me out of my jail, but it is gonna take a while. I really am a lot better. I have even been known to do school in our pajamas now. Still tend toward the box though, it just bulges out a little every now and then.

 

[nuzmom]

For those of you that do a traditional calendar, do you just stop when you hit your 180 days? Do you go ahead and finish? If you don't finish, do you finish the next year?

I think you have to do whatever works for you. I'm a big stickler for finishing the curriculum. We "lose" 31 days due to attending our hs co-op. I double up (different subjects on different days) so that all curriculum is finished up AROUND 180 days. My son usually finishes spelling and grammer ahead of time, but math goes beyond 180 days. He's done when he's done. It's a great incentive for working diligently, he can finish school early!!! My opinion is that if he completes a "year's" curriculum in 165 days, he did at least 180 days worth of work, so he's done with it.

I've had "arguments" that everything at the end of a curriculum is repeated the next year, so there's no need to finish. My opinion is that it will be REVIEW the next year and it makes it easier and quicker for them to complete the courses each year.

I prefer to finish curriculum at the end of the school year, not at the begining of the next year. I feel you lose the "building upon each lesson" if you pick up where you left off. When we first started HSing, our "new year" started in December (because we pulled DS out of PS in Nov). We worked VERY hard to get back to a summer break schedule.

 

[mamaloya]

That is a good point about the review at the beginning. I like that it is review because it kind of eases us back into the school year. If the first couple of weeks start off easy with a light work load, it is not so overwhelming. If you have not finished the curriculum the year before, then it is not review. Hard to "pick up where you left off" if there has been a 2 month break.

I guess I just need to chill and know that it will all work out in the end.

 

[mamaloya]

Question for all of you that have or are using ABEKA.

My friend's DD is 7th grade. Doing a "full" ABEKA program except the science portion. The mom thinks her daughter is doing 5 subjects. The video portion of the program is taking almost 1 hour per subject and then there's the worksheet portion. In addition to all of this her DD is taking 3 subjects in our co-op group (including science). That adds about 1 hour per day. So, she's watching videos for 5 hours, doing 2-3 hours of worksheets and 1 of the co-op work. Her days are over 8 hours long and she's VERY frustrated by the amount of time involved.

The mom went with abeka this year to get have a good routine (and program) but is wondering how to deal with the amount of time it's taking. Their family does lots of outside "stuff" and usually leaves the house around 2pm every day.

They had already purchased the science portion for her and are not using it. They love the bible and history portion. The DD is a "average" 7th grader.

Should this be taking so long?

Wow, that is a lot of work. The poor thing will be burnt out. I looked into the DVD program with Abeka. I think that I would use it for the subjects that my kids are struggling with or that I would not be able to teach. My kids would hate watching DVDs for that long every day. The only plus would be the portability.

Is it possible to do the workbooks while she watches the DVDs? I have never used it myself, but it may work.

 

[Brier Rose]

Question for all of you that have or are using ABEKA.

My friend's DD is 7th grade. Doing a "full" ABEKA program except the science portion. The mom thinks her daughter is doing 5 subjects. The video portion of the program is taking almost 1 hour per subject and then there's the worksheet portion. In addition to all of this her DD is taking 3 subjects in our co-op group (including science). That adds about 1 hour per day. So, she's watching videos for 5 hours, doing 2-3 hours of worksheets and 1 of the co-op work. Her days are over 8 hours long and she's VERY frustrated by the amount of time involved.

The mom went with abeka this year to get have a good routine (and program) but is wondering how to deal with the amount of time it's taking. Their family does lots of outside "stuff" and usually leaves the house around 2pm every day.

They had already purchased the science portion for her and are not using it. They love the bible and history portion. The DD is a "average" 7th grader.

Should this be taking so long?

YES!!

That is the main reason we quit using the Abeka DVD Program! By the time I finally figured out we were doing WAY too much, DS was totally sick of it, and would practically cry every time he saw me get the DVD out.

I would maybe consider doing it again one year though once he's had time to "get over it". It is a very good program if you realize how to use it.

We were new homeschoolers at the time, and I didn't have enough confidence in myself to just decide what we could do/not do. I felt like I had to do EVERYTHING listed EVERYDAY which led to disaster!!

In the end I started fast forwarding what he didn't need, and ONLY doing worksheets that focused on what he needed to work on rather than just busy work.

If I wanted him to just sit there and do hours of busy work, I'd put him in school right!

Anyway..like I said, I did/do like the program. It's just very important to be in tune with what your child needs and act accordingly rather than just follow the list of things to do in the book.

If not then yes, you will indeed spend MANY hours a day to get it all done!

 

[BabyPiglet]

Hi, I'm obviously not new to the DIS but I just found this thread and thought I'd stop in to say hi. I've been homeschooling since April 07, and am 15 years old. I'm not an un-social person, just the PS curiculum was wayyy to slow for me, I needed to speed things up. So I enrolled in this cyber program called Ashworth High School and it sends me books and exams, I take the exams after reading each chapter then tranfer the answers on to the internet. It immediately gives me my grade which I love BTW.

Like I said, when I switched over to HS I was in 9th grade, and now I'm already up to Junior level things. But the thing is, I'm learning tons more than I did in PS. We actually got past the civil war in American History [which NEVER happened in PS] and since I'm learning things myself and not being rushed or slowed down my brain is processing it a lot better.

Both parents have a full time job so at first I was wondering if I could be responsible enough to stick to it and actually do the work, well I am. Every week I just set out which lessons I'm going to do, then plan a daily schedule and before I know it I'm already done.

I really do love homeschooling, and I think it benefits me.

Well just had to stop in and say a little story. Good luck to all you mom's [and dads] out there who are homeschooling your little ones.

-- Jenny.

 

[lori1043]

what wonderful self motivation you have. You parents are probably THRILLED!
It gives me hope for our future. I need to work at least PRN(on call) and was thinking that when HS comes, I would put them in school. You give me reason to think that it can be done,even if I work part time. I DO work with a nurse pratctioner who HS's her teenage DD. The mom works 8-1 every day. DD does her own work, goes to a nearby college for some courses and is musically inclined and goes to NOCCA (new orleans center? creative arts?) for half day a few times a week too.
I know now, there are options!

ABEKA- I use it for math and LA for DD7-I do NOT use the teacher curr. to the tee b/c it is a LOT. I use it as a guide. My friend just quit ABEKA b/c it was making her life miserable. She used it for 5 years. She now uses a mix, but LOVES Lifepac. I do like ABEKA, it is used by many good expensive Christian schools, it has a good name, BUT it is a LOT. I talked to a HS mom yesterday at our kickoff, and she uses it (the whole shebang) for her 1 child and it takes them 6 hours a day!! If you have more than 1 kid to teach, ABEKA gets overwhelming. The friend mentioned above has 4.
On average, for everything except science and history, we take about 3 hours-2 children. I am trying to incorporate a love for learning in my DD7(DD9 already does) so I am striving for them to be self motivated by giving them cards with thier weekly goals. They have to finsh all of it. THIS week was good, b/c thye were done by Thursday! Today, DD9 is making a mobile of the solar system, DD7 is catching up on handwriting(only subject she is a day behind in). This is why I am on the Dis at noon!!

Lori