Homeschooling, how much of an investment is needed, and any other advice

[JohnDaleswife]

Was thinking about starting to look and research into a home schooling program for sometime in the future, year or two at the earliest and I was wondering just how much of an investment it could be.
We live in the state of Georgia and I know I need to get a good idea of all the ins and outs of it, and that it will take some time.

I highly doubt that we would qualify for any subsidies or such for the programs, if they are any, as me and husband make way to much money. But if this is something I do pursue, I might end up quitting my job. I am just curious and want to start the researching of it here soon. Thanks!

 

[CaliTex]

There are a lot of good websites and face book groups that are set up to mentor folks through the process of deciding if homeschooling is the right choice for your family. Have you looked into getting connected with any of them in your area? I live in Texas but I home schooled in Arizona (because of my kids' sports involvement and demands, not because the schools there were not good--they actually were quite good, unlike California ) and I can tell you that the rules and laws vary widely.

I don't think it is so much a monetary investment as it is an investment of time and effort. It requires structure and discipline for the teacher (parent) and a true dedication and vision. It is possible to do, and to turn out balanced, well-educated kids, but your family must be 100% on board and 110% committed. In my case it meant living on one income, having one vehicle, and I went a few years without seeing the inside of a beauty salon. 110% committed, like I said.

At the end of the day, my kids tested out of home school and into college very well. On standardized tests they measured well ahead of their peers, and tested at a "graduate school reading comprehension level" at middle school age. They were able to transition to university (where they had won athletic scholarships) with a minimum of angst. I probably had more angst than they did.

I missed them.

I still consider them more mature than most of their peers (they are all in their 30's now) and can say for certain that their collective grasp of civics and history is FAR superior to most of their peers. The down side? They often find themselves frustrated by their peers' lack of understanding of many (of what they consider) basic, fundamental concepts.

Not really a downside.

I commend you for thinking about this--just look at it carefully and consider all the angles. Best of luck!

 

[Nayan]

I homeschooled my son all the way, K through 12th. There are no subsidy programs, you're on your own as far as costs go. I will tell you it is rewarding, challenging, hair-pulling and satisfying as you're not only mom, but the teacher. Here's a link to Georgia's requirements (actually this site is chock-full of info!):

http://a2zhomeschooling.com/laws/united_states/georgia_home_school_laws/

 

[chris31997]

I would check out HSLDA and see what the laws are in your area. I would also find local homeschool groups to chat with. They can share info on laws, curriculum, field trips, and sports. I also tell people who ask me to find the book Homeschooling for Dummies. It was a great read and at the end she gives 4 personality types that lend well to homeschooling. With the understanding not every kid fits in one. Check into the homeschool thread on the Family Forum.

As for curriculum, it can be as locked in as a DVD program or as open as pulling stuff from library and internet.

Homeschooling is what you make of it: hard to easy or simple to complicated.

We have a set of books that we work with and I add things as I think important. We also school through the year. Summer is more relaxed with field trips and library book reading.

I haven't homeschooled in GA, but in many other places. We have footed the bill completely: no subsidy from anyone. But that also forces us to be creative with school, curriculum, field trips, and sports. We know what is important and prioritize.

Do you have specific questions about homeschooling?

 

[agavegirl1]

Many states have the availability for public online education that is paid for by the school district. You need to search by zip code at k12.com (I think). This could be used and augmented by individual courses not available there (although they have many advanced options) such as private music lessons etc. plus a homeschool group in your area for year round learning, field trips and other socializing opportunities. You are just getting started so first, decide your goals and get to researching.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Was thinking about starting to look and research into a home schooling program for sometime in the future, year or two at the earliest and I was wondering just how much of an investment it could be.
We live in the state of Georgia and I know I need to get a good idea of all the ins and outs of it, and that it will take some time.

I highly doubt that we would qualify for any subsidies or such for the programs, if they are any, as me and husband make way to much money. But if this is something I do pursue, I might end up quitting my job. I am just curious and want to start the researching of it here soon. Thanks!

I'm gonna echo what some people have posted...
The 1st thing to accept with homeschooling that except in extremely rare cases/states, you pay for everything.
The 2nd thing to accept is that it is not school and trying to replicate "public-school-just-at-home" is not always the optimal path. Most parents start very structured and then realize how wide and deep the learning world can be if they let it.
The 3rd thing to accept is that if you want a group thing done, you normally have to organize and do it yourself...but if you build it, they will come. Some areas have well-built support systems and group activities, but even in those areas, they may not fit your schedule/your kid/your interests/etc.
The 4th thing to accept is that it will be a much larger investment in time and loss of "alone" time for you than money. Making sure you still carve out time for you will be really important to keep the whole family happy.
The 5th thing to accept is something usually has to give - when kids are around 24-7, some "thing" has to be let go or you won't be able to do thing #4. Some homeschoolers, especially with lots of littles, don't cook a lot, some give up jobs, some accept a slightly messy house, etc, etc...but you will probably always have 1 thing (here, it's the messier house than I'd like) that you wish you had the time and energy for, but you accept that you don't for a time...that's just life...

But, the biggest thing to know - it can be an amazing experience for you and your family. You'll have bad days, and you'll have good ones, but years down the line, you won't regret any day you spent with your kids seeing them blossom both under your guidance and eventually on their own...

 

[lorijohnhill]

I'm in California and have my daughter in our school district's virtual academy. We love it! I feel that the curriculum is superior to the brick and mortar schools and takes less time. Our school uses Connections Academy for the program. It's part of the district, so it's paid for by the school. They have "live lessons" twice a week where they have online sessions with the other students in the program and their teacher. They have monthly social activities to keep that socialization aspect. We have to pay for any field trips, but I have found they are about the same or even less expensive that what we had to pay at the neighborhood school.

 

[crisi]

I did one year of homeschooling when my son was in 9th grade - he was having some disciplinary challenges.

If you plan on reintegrating them into public school - or college - at some time, you'll need to get the material covered so they reintegrate. Its fine to have a self directed path - but if fractions need to be learned, fractions need to be learned. For me, that meant I needed to teach Algebra, Physics Concepts (non math physics), and Composition. And do it to a level where he would be able to go back to high school. It had been a LONG time since I'd taken Physics - and grading a paper to what the high school expectations were the following year was tough.

You can buy a curriculum....there are all types from very Christian leaning to very free style. We bought some of our curriculum through Oak Meadow - I liked their English and Geography. We kept to the districts Math book - I bought a Math book and a Teachers edition of the same book. Or you can use an online program. We used Khan Academy to supplement Math. Or you can make it up yourself - which probably works better at younger grades or if you aren't going to reintegrate.

Cost - my time (and it was a full time job), materials (probably nearly $1000 in books - teachers editions, even used, aren't cheap).

I liked it, but modern high school is a demanding and rigorous course of study - my son wasn't a self starter.

 

[wendow]

But, the biggest thing to know - it can be an amazing experience for you and your family. You'll have bad days, and you'll have good ones, but years down the line, you won't regret any day you spent with your kids seeing them blossom both under your guidance and eventually on their own...

This. 1000%. I have homeschooled all my kids from the beginning and my oldest is a junior in high school. I have not regretted this decision EVER. I would do it over and over again.

Others have given good recommendations for finding info. Check your state requirements and go from there. The upfront costs depends in part on the ages of your kids. If they are young, the costs are minimal. If they are older (high school age), there are greater costs but I only spend about $500 or less on my high schooler per year. I use the library and homeschool swap groups. There are no subsidy programs except in very few states and Georgia is not one of those states. However, if you have older kids, check into dual enrollment or participating in the local school's classes. I am in CO and homeschoolers can partake in any classes or sports if space is available. My kids do some classes that way.

Many classes are available online or in computer format (ie, Teaching Textbooks for math) that doesn't have mom doing the teaching or grading.

I agree with the pp that if you plan to put them back into the school at some point, you will want to use similar materials. In our case, we are in homeschooling for the long haul so we use whatever we like. And to add, our schools here in CO are great. I homeschool because our family has thrived this way.

 

[kimj88]

Is it possible to successfully homeschool while also working part time? I currently work 28 hours per week.

 

[wendow]

Is it possible to successfully homeschool while also working part time? I currently work 28 hours per week.

I have not worked outside the home while homeschooling. However, my teens are self-sufficient and have been for many years. They know exactly what they need to get done in a day. I grade any work that needs grading but the majority of my time is spent with my younger two kids. If I just had the two older, I could absolutely work a part time job. SO depends on your kid's ages and maturity level.

 

[lorijohnhill]

Is it possible to successfully homeschool while also working part time? I currently work 28 hours per week.

It would probably depend on your child, your program, and your job.

I do it, but I work in a small church where most of the time I'm the only one there. I bring my daughter to work with me and she does her schoolwork in my office. I work a little extra to make up for the times she needs my help. Her program is driven by an online curriculum. She has some text books and workbooks, but she can read through the lesson and do much of it with little supervision. I'm right there if she needs help though. This is our third year (she's in fifth grade now) and she is thriving in this program -earning a 97%.

I was really nervous the first year. I was afraid I was doing her more harm by pulling her out of our neighborhood school (due to a nasty bullying issue). At the end of the year the kids were required to take a nationwide assessment test and she scored in the 99th percentile in Language Arts and 92nd in Math. (She scored very high in Science, but she wasn't supposed to take that one so they didn't give us the actual percentile). I stopped worrying after that.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Is it possible to successfully homeschool while also working part time? I currently work 28 hours per week.

Yes - I know many part time moms who do it. You and your child just have to rethink "school schedule".

 

[MommaBerd]

@JohnDaleswife - Where in GA are you located? If you are in the Atlanta area, there are LOTS of homeschool groups, classes, field trips, etc.

@kimj88 - There are many people who work and homeschool. My recommendation would be to research to find articles about how others manage this, but it CAN be done. You will just have to be willing to do things in a non-traditional way - for example, school hours may not be during traditional school hours. If you work outside the home, your biggest challenge would be childcare, of course. I would think you would need a good support network of family and friends.

One of the more impressive efforts to homeschool that I've heard is about single mom in our area. She homeschools her children and supports herself through consignment sales! I think she shops garage sales on the weekends for upscale children's clothing and then sells them in large consignment sales. I seriously applaud her dedication and her creativity in her "employment".

 

[hsmamato2]

it can be very inexpensive,or very expensive, depending what you choose. Each state has it's own laws, so contact a local group to get more info. When my kids were younger we were very eclectic,and did 'our own thing' as far as curriculum. They had no problem being on par with schooled peers. For high school we chose either classes at our local community college for graduation/finishing purposes,or online boxed curriculum,which is an accredited school,with a diploma at the end of the courses. Others choose not to get a diploma. I feel it's necessary and helpful to continue onward in life and education choices. It's worked fine so far,as my kids/young adults seem to be fairly capable human beings with no problems in the job market and everyday life. They never went to 'school' FWIW,and I wouldn't trade all those crazy years of activity for anything!It was hard work, but fun!

 

[cvjw]

Georgia also has a free virtual school that anyone in the state can use. Counts just like a regular class at school. Might be another option if your child doesn't want to go to a traditional school and you decide not to homeschool.

 

[crisi]

Is it possible to successfully homeschool while also working part time? I currently work 28 hours per week.

It would not have been for my son - not 28 hours. But again, we were getting through a high school college prep curriculum with the intent to reintegrate and a kid I had home for discipline. It did go faster - rather than six hours in school and another hour worth of homework, we were generally done in four. But I usually had another two or three of prep and maybe an hour of grading. So for me it was a full time job. My son doesn't learn by reading on his own - so I had to basically pre-do the work he was doing (read the Physic's chapter, make sure I understood it so I could explain it to him), then we'd go through it together.

Our community colleges don't want to see homeschooled kids until they are sixteen. Before that, they say "you can enroll them in high school." If I were homeschooling my daughter, that would have meant I'd have had to have gotten her through three years of a foreign language and pre-calc before she'd be eligible for community college.

My biggest piece of advice is to be honest with yourself. About your kid(s). About yourself. About your reasons for doing it. I have a friend who is a teacher who thought about it for her kids. She's qualified. Her kids are intelligent. She figured out they'd drive each other nuts. She wanted to like her kids She's sent them to various charter schools rather than through the regular public school system.

 

[dreiwhit]

My wife has a BS in education and taught in a classroom for three years before staying home when my son was born. She has homeschooled him since 4th grade, and my daughter since Kindergarten. Since she was a stay at home mom, and a teacher, homeschooling was a natural choice for us.

When it comes to the costs, you're pretty much on your own. I wish there were credits or deductions for the material we end up purchasing and the other expenses.

For cirriculum, there are many boxed sets as well as computer based. My wife likes Heart of Dakota and Trail Guide for Learning. We've also used Easy Grammar and Easy Math. My son is a computer geek like his Dad, so he prefers computer based material. However, my daughter right now likes the material where she interacts with my wife. The beauty of homeschooling is that you can tailor the material to your child's learning style. We also try to teach our children to be creative and be out of the box thinkers.

It does take time. Even though my son uses computer based materials, my wife still has to check on him and review his grades and help him where he needs help. Typically, the school day starts at 8am for my son, and he is finished or nearly finished by lunch time. My daughter will start before lunch and end in the afternoon. After school is done, they will go for a long walk for their PE time. So, you may want to look at quitting your job to have the time required.

Homeschooling laws are different in each state, so research your local laws but don't ask the local or state board of education what they are. Our experience is that many (but not all) people at the administration / board level aren't necessarily in favor of homeschooling. I also recommend becoming a member of HSLDA.

Also, there are many choices for your cover or umbrella organization. This is the organization that you belong to and will handle the necessary reporting or other requirements. There are many ranging from pay your money and send us your grades, to requiring you teach certain subjects and following all their rules. It depends on which one you want to go with. For us, we are members of one umbrella organization where we pay $10 a year and send them the grades at the end of the school year. Also, some umbrella organizations will have defined start of classes and end of classes. For us, we set our own schedule where we start after the 4th of July and end in May with more frequent breaks during the year.

One of the things that I like is to be able to take a Friday off from work and go on a family "field trip" with my wife and kids. We can tailor our field trips around what one or both of them are studying. And like regular school, those days count for educational instruction!

If you decide to homeschool, please, please do not fall into the trap of "give the kids a workbook and tell them to go away." We know people like that, and it really seems to make the children unhappy since they lose their parental interaction. Also, don't try to replicate the daily school schedule with your children. Homeschooling means flexibility, so be flexible!

 

[Jaime4004]

Georgia also has a free virtual school that anyone in the state can use. Counts just like a regular class at school. Might be another option if your child doesn't want to go to a traditional school and you decide not to homeschool.

This is what we started doing in NH. DD started with one class in the summer to try it out and added 3 more a few weeks ago. I'm impressed so far. She finds it more interesting because it's pretty interactive. She also learns other things not through the virtual school (spanish, reading, spelling). We're still trying to figure out the pace for her. We started working pretty much school hours (8-2, didn't want her to be a slacker) but that's really too much. She ends up way ahead. It just doesn't take as long to get through things when it's only one kid vs a class. So we're tweaking things as we go along

 

[crisi]

Also, if you homeschool when they are young, either make a commitment to do it until they leave high school, or take steps to give them the skills they will need in high school. My teacher friends and kids all have horror stories about the homeschooled kid who doesn't realize they need to sit through a lecture, or that an assignment is not individually negotiable. Or the one who didn't like math, so their homeschooling parent just didn't teach it (Minnesota has loose laws regarding homeschooling - so unschooling is a thing here - a dogmatic "kids learn better through play and when they follow their own interests" usually doesn't bode well for multiplying fractions).

The VAST majority of homeschool kids who end up back in regular school (or go to college) do fine. Its just easier if you make sure you keep "I might not do this forever" in the back of your head.