Homeschoolers? How to get organized? and a few other questions

[binny]

Hi,
this is our first year homeschooling so I really need some advice.

First of all I will admit to a small addiction to office supplies so I will really have to restrain myself this year from all of the great back to school deals.


We are doing the K12 Virtual Academy as a charter, so they send all books and the computers. I dont know what else we will need though.

So my questions are

1) what else should I buy for school supplies?
2) How do I organize all of the books and supplies?
3) What is the best way to stick to a schedule? or do you just kind of go with the flow? VA is pretty strict about how much time they put in but it doesnt say 8-3 or anything.



I coudl really use some help. Our house is up for sale so I cant really do a lot of major renovations, I was thinking the breakfast nook might be a good place at least for the girls. We have drawers under the bench seats so I was thinking I could store some stuff in there.

As for the computers, I think we will look into just adding more desks to the toy room and have them do school up there.

 

[Momvic5]

Welcome to homeschooling! I started three years ago, and I remember being so excited about it and anxious to start.

And as long as we are being honest...I, too, have a small addiction to office supplies. This time of year can be very challenging.

What to buy...I usually buy spirals for my kids to use for everyday work. We always have notebook and drawing paper on hand as well as pencils, pens, markers, color pencils, and such. They also each have their own notebooks to store their projects neatly in.

Organizing...I tend to be an organization freak so I may be over the top, but I dedicated a whole room to our homeschooling experience. My DH built shelves in the school room closet so we store almost all of our supplies in containers in the closet. I bought a couple of medium-sized book shelves for the room to keep our books and workbooks organized. I have three children, and I gave each child a shelf that is strictly for their books and such. I also bought them each a basket that fits nicely into a shelf for items such as spirals, folders, rulers, and whatever else they might have. I also have a few shelves for my books and things. They each have their own desks and pencil holders. They can either keep their pencil holders on their desks or on their shelves. My younger two have a small cork/magnetic board on the wall next to their desks for flash cards and other things that they might need. On the walls, I have a large dry erase board and cork board. I also had my DH hang a curtain rod across one wall, and then I bought a few packages of curtain clips that fit on the rod to display art projects and such. Last year, we displayed our solar system from that rod. Just get creative and with time, you will find what works for you and your children.

Scheduling...My children are going into the 3rd, 5th, and 8th grades. We have to have a schedule now in order to get everything done. When they were younger, we could be more relaxed, but now, they each have more work to finish each day so we have to start by about 9:00am, and we will usually work until about 3-4:00pm. We take about an hour for lunch. Somedays are longer than others. For us, the typical 9-3 schedule works best because we love to have our evenings and weekends free. My children do their best work in the morning hours so I schedule the big subjects(math, english, literature) for that time, and all other subjects are typically done after lunch. My children learned quickly that they do not enjoy doing school work while their neighborhood friends are outside playing so finishing by 3:30pm is a big incentive around here. You will find what works for children as so go.

I am not familiar with K12 Virtual Academy so I am not sure of what you may need for that, but I know that you can not go wrong with basic school supplies.

I think homeschooling is one of the best kept secrets around. Have fun and enjoy it.

 

[lovetoscrap]

I love me some Office Supplies! I had to go to get a few copies at Office Depot the other day and I had to walk fast to avoid the rest of the store-it is a sick addiction!


I homeschooled for several years. I had a friend that used K-12 and loved it. While you don't have to have a set schedule you do want to be sure you set your priorities. It is very easy to start letting things "slip", particularly since I have read your next year or so will be hectic. Try to get into a routine. It will help you and your kids. It will be very easy on a bad day to just tell the kids "go and do your school work" but kids thrive on routine. they want to do their subjects in a specific order, they want to know what is coming next. They want to know when to expect a break, when to be working, when they can eat etc..

My kids are also very visual so it helped to have the routine posted. Figure out what subject your kids don't care for or struggle with the most. Put them first in the day when the kids are fresh and ready to go. Then if they get frustrated you can have them move on and come back to it later.

I didn't put times on our routine--some days we had classes in the morning or an appointment would change the times . But we would follow the actual routine no matter when we started or picked up where we left off.

You will figure out what supplies you need-- the usual things. Pens, pencils, a good quality pencil sharpener, paper, some binders, maybe crayons and markers. You probably want a good stapler, some highlighters and some index cards. Keep them close by. I bought one of those plastic sets of drawers on wheels. You want the kids to be able to quickly find exactly what they need. You don't want them (or you) to be searching the house looking for the highlighters. I also bought a bookself to keep right where we worked. Homeschooling homes don't usually look like those in Better Homes and Gardens! We actually still have the computer, bookself and supplies in our dining room since that is where the kids do their homework (they are in school now).

The biggest advice I would suggest is to BE FLEXIBLE! I started out in the basement of the house, then moved to the kitchen after a few weeks. I used one type of desk and then switched to another. Our routine was changed and fine tuned, several times throughout the years. If you set up a yearly plan build in some "catch up" days. Things will come up. Illness, unexpected plans and appointments and you don't want to be stressed out by feeling like you have to finish on the day set on the plan. Also remember that even in public schools they NEVER get to the end of the book! Don't think that you actually have to do it all. Do what is important. If their plan has you spending a week on nouns but you see your kids get it after day one, then move on. That is the great thing about homeschooling.

Most importantly have fun! And make sure that you take care of you. You will be mom and teacher 24/7 now. You WILL need a break. Make sure you take them. Leave the kids with Dad or a sitter or a friend every once in a while and get some time to yourself or with friends.

PM me if you want to talk or ask questions or just want to scream! I loved homeschooling for the years I did it, but I also love that my kids are back in school now!

 

[jme829]

We did K12 for first grade for dd10 and 7 and 8 grade for dd16. I LOVED it...they have everything you need. All you really will need is some notebooks, folders and crayons, glue, scissors, etc...just thg basics. We got a different color folder with matching notebook for each subject.

Really you won't need much. they literally provide everything-paint, paint brushes, all science experiement equipment (scales, paper, etc..) math manipulatives (blocks, etc..) books (for language arts), instrumetns and CD's for music...etc. It is an AWESOME program...

We stopped because I had to go back to work to pay for DD16 private HS (i wasn't up to trying to help her with HS) but we ended up moving that summer anyways to Wi where we have great schools (we were in Toledo, Oh and our schools were horrible) so we no longer need it. However, if we were still in a bad school district, I would go to K12 again in a heartbeat!

Good luck, it took us a month or so to find organization that worked for us and to get used to the system, but once you get it down it is great. Make sure to log EVERYTHING you do ...You can log time at the museum, the zoo, science museums, educational show, etc...

Your group may even also offer field trips, music classes (we had one that the kids met once a week to cover the music lessons) etc...

PS.. the above poster makes some great points. don't stress but don't slack either. You only have to complete like 70-90 percent in each subject to "pass" . If the struggle on a test, they can retake it a certain # of times. You don't have to be on a 9-3 schedule. We would get up and start around 10 or so, work for a couple hours, take a break/trip etc... worked on a lesson or two while dinner was cooking, did some of the reading around bedtime. It works because as long as you get your hours in, you can do it around YOUR schedule. DD16 would do 3 hours of one subject each day along with an hour or so of a "lighter" subject ..DD10 would do an hour of each subject a day. whatever works best. You only have to log like 4 hours of actual school work per day, the rest is supplemented by other activities (trips, shows, etc....)

 

[teacups]

Binny- I "think" you live near me. If you want to PM me I can give you some info on the local field trip group dist list. You'll get emails whenever anything comes up and you can decide which ones you want and dont want to do. There is someone at VA who gets it and I think she might forward it on to all of the parents but I'm not sure.

 

[binny]

Thanks everyone.

I woudl love the info teacups thank you

 

[lovetoscrap]

You might do a search on "yahoogroups" for your area and the area you are moving to for local Homeschooling groups. I found quite a few when I started homeschooling and when I was moving.

 

[binny]

Thanks
I will check into more groups and see what is available. I know on eof the moms at my church does this too, she is going to call me when she gets back from vacation

 

[SCHBR'smom]

I just had to stop and say thanks to binny for starting this thread and to all the PPs. This will be my first year of homeschooling, too, and I'm looking for all the info I can get.

 

[bumbershoot]

I just had to stop and say thanks to binny for starting this thread and to all the PPs. This will be my first year of homeschooling, too, and I'm looking for all the info I can get.

Have you seen this thread?

Ha ha, I guess you have! Just saw your post in there.

 

[horseshowmom]

Hmmm...

I also homeschooled my daughter up until college (she just finished her B.S. degree), and I also must admit to a small addiction to office supplies. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

 

[quasar4legs]

One of the best things that I purchased when we were homeschooling were two second had filing cabinets. It made it easy for me to keep everything organised and it elimanted great 'piles of stuff' which is my usual method of filing.


Good luck with the homeschooling, we had a ball and it was a wonderful option for our family.

Cheers.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Hi,
this is our first year homeschooling so I really need some advice.

First of all I will admit to a small addiction to office supplies so I will really have to restrain myself this year from all of the great back to school deals.


We are doing the K12 Virtual Academy as a charter, so they send all books and the computers. I dont know what else we will need though.

So my questions are

1) what else should I buy for school supplies?
2) How do I organize all of the books and supplies?
3) What is the best way to stick to a schedule? or do you just kind of go with the flow? VA is pretty strict about how much time they put in but it doesnt say 8-3 or anything.

Congratulations on your 1st year of homeschooling!

We're about to begin our seventh year of homeschooling, though I'm not familiar with K12 so I don't know what you may need to go with their program.

The only thing I need to buy every year besides our curriculum itself are notebooks and loose leaf paper. We have plenty of folders/pens/pencils, etc. on hand. Each kid has a pencil box with supplies that we set out every day and we're ready to roll. We have plenty of calculators, rulers, maps, reference books, etc. on hand and that is convenient to have.

As for organizing books and materials, I have stickers for the spine of books that label the books for each level/subject. I keep the subjects together on the shelves. We can find what we need to find in a matter of seconds.

Our schedule varies depending upon outside activities, but in general we do the same subjects in the same order every day. We always start off with the four "heavy duty" subjects that we complete every day. Reading and language arts (spelling, grammar, writing, vocabulary) is first, followed by math. After that, we'll do history and science.

Our other subjects (art, music, health, religion, PE, German) will follow the four "core" (reading/LA, math, history, and science) subjects in the late afternoon. PE is completed in a group setting every Friday afternoon, and the other afternoon subjects may rotate throughout the week. German and religion are completed several days each week, with art and music generally once each week--sometimes a couple days per week depending upon what we're studying. Health varies depending upon which materials I'm using for a particular year.

I don't assign a timeframe for each subject. On some days, we might finish writing quickly if we're doing something like haikus. On other days, we may be working on research papers and our writing projects could consume a good chunk of the morning. Rather than focusing on timeframes (for example, math from 10:00 to 10:45), we do our work in one subject until we're finished with that subject for the day and then we move on to the next subject. I think that having a schedule and structure in your school day would be a positive experience for both you and your kids.

All the best to you!

 

[SCHBR'smom]

Have you seen this thread?

Ha ha, I guess you have! Just saw your post in there.

yeah, I've seen it. Thanks, it's so long, though, that I've not made it all the way through.

 

[binny]

wow that is a huge thread thanks~!

 

[binny]

I had gone to a yard sale at a teachers house a few weeks ago, before I knew I would be homeschooling, I happened to pick up a bunch of plastic boxes that were already labeled "pens, pencils, markers" etc. in both English and Spanish. I relabeled 2 of them to suit our needs. Then the the girls and I went on a scavenger hunt around the house the fill them all up. Amazingly we were able too! I found a bunch of scissors (that mysteriously disappear around here usually)

So we have 10 boxes filled with school supplies, glue sticks, pens, you name it.

So apparently I need to buy some rulers and a few notebooks and maybe some more looseleaf paper.


Oh and for anyone else who needed a little office supply fix Staples sneak peek ad
http://staples.shoplocal.com/staple..._-weekly ad right rail-_-weekly ad right rail

 

[Buckalew11]

Both DD and I like office supplies. I have to be very careful.

Binny, I think you said you are only homeschooling for a short period of time until you move, although you do not know when that will be. I am sure this virtual school keeps records but please keep good records too. I'm just starting yr.#2 of homeschooling but we love it. Absolutely love it!

I'm very structured and more or less a rule follower and so is my 15yo DD. So, we keep to a school schedule (we are starating HS this coming week, in fact) and do regular days. I have her set her alarm and get up and eat and ready to go by 8-8:30. Depending on her day, she finishes between 2:30-4:30. She takes about 30 mins. for lunch. Now, basically when she is done school, she is done for the day. Homework is just part of the daily work. So, if she stays on task, she's done. if she decides to stop earlier, she may have some problems to finsih, something to write, something to read etc. later on in the evening. I am very flexible with all that.

A lot of people are more flexible, let their kids sleep late, etc. and that is fine. I just can't seem to let go of tradition to do that. If she is out extra late one night, I am likely to let her sleep in. I mean, why not, right? LOL

I do let her HS in her PJs if she wants. In the winter months, she'll curl up in front of the fireplace and do her work. I let her do it whereever she is comfortable. She does better w/ less interruptions though. We have a great room and if I'm in the kitchen and she's in the LR, we both can easily get sidetracked and I'll interrupt her by talking too much. LOL


Good luck with all this. It is a big undertaking but a wonderful experience esp. if your kids want to homeschool. To me, it is one of the best kept secrets out there!

 

[Beca]

We are also really flexible on schedule. My dd takes four of her classes thru a homeschool "school" (art, history, zoology, and Spanish), so at home we only do math, English, penmanship, Spanish (brush up), and French. However, fitting all those outside classes in means that our schedule cannot be the same every day. I have found that it is easy to fall behind. So, what I do now is tear out the pages of her books, and put everything together in a binder with lots of dividers labeled with each day's date. She knows she is to do everything under the dated page.....no questions asked. This system also makes it easy for others (dad, grandparents) to step in and help when I am not available. I will be having a baby this fall via c-section, so I will be unavailable for a couple of weeks, and I do not want her to fall behind. I am hoping the binders will make it easier for my husband or mom to help her.

I also make it VERY clear at the beginning of the year that the amount of work on the table (I show her the binders) is what we will do for the year. I let her know that SHE has complete control over how long her school year goes, and when her summer starts. I have friends have used this tactic for years (they homeschooled 3 boys), and now have boys who do ANYTHING to finish the year early....they double-up on school work, and they even school 7 days a week if they have to...they just want to finish early. Mine's not quite there, yet.

 

[jmskinner]

I'm subscribing and going to subscribe to the other thread posted. Have decided to place my DS10 in school another year, but am leaning towards homeschooling for middle school. Need to start preparing myself now. Thanks everyone for all the great info!

 

[binny]

I have committed to doing a semester then we will see how it goes. I went in yesterday to the office and met our SPED coordinator she was wonderful!
She has already assigned the girls' SPED teacher and told me all about her. They will get more one on one time than they did with the teachers at school. Which amazes me considering how many kids they have to deal with.
Part of the problem I had with last year was that there were 31 kids in each class. Kate didnt have any Aids at all. Karissa had one that was split between 3 kids, the other 2 were much more needy than she was so she really got the short end of the stick.


I feel better about this decision every day. Cam gets home today and he has to choose his elective right away. I am anxious to see what he chooses.