OT- Home school info needed

[mask_w03]

Ok I can't find the post about home school that I usually see on here and am just looking for info. We have talked about it before, but with all the shootings recently it got us thinking about it again and looking for more info. DD is only 1.5 so we have some time to figure things out, but wanted info on where to start and where to look.

I know some of our family will give us a hard time for doing it if we decided to, but it is our choice and for the safety of our child and allowing her to get an education.

Any tips or info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[dis-happy]

We homeschool. When my dd was the age of your dc, I went to the library and checked out some books (had heard about homeschooling and was just sort of thinking about it). Two great books are: "Better Late Than Early" by Moore, and "How to Homeschool" by Gayle Graham. Both will give you an overview about homeschooling and some of the why's behind it.

Also, find out what homeschool support groups are in your area. Where I live you can get involved with kids (even toddlers) of any age, go on field trips, attend support meetings, get to know people in your area who homeschool and find out more about it. You can go to the HSLDA website and find the contacts for your state and area.

It's worked out great for our family. The oldest is applying to colleges this fall, the youngest is learning phonics for the first time. I always took homeschooling one year at a time...never thought we'd homeschool this long, but every day I am so glad we did. Kids grow up fast, and I truly value the bond with them and the time we've all spent together.

 

[fromscratchmom]

We homeschool, and I too did some reading through the library before I took the plunge. There are many many good books that could be recommended to you, but I'll just name one for now. The one that helped me the most with deciding to take the plunge was written by Debra Bell and had a good section about what considerations apply when deciding whether or not to homeschool a child with special needs, which was what I was considering. The title is The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling.

Other good places to look for info include HSLDA and their website, which this board won't let me post, but you can find through google, and whatever statewide organizations exist where you live. I live in Ohio and am a member of CHEO. But what you want to do is either google the name of your state with the word homeschooling or try that plus some other words like organization, conference, "support group". Or check around locally for support groups, you could ask neighbors or librarians, or you could check any local internet discussion boards in the same way that you asked for info on this one.

 

[barkley]

check out what the legal requirements are in your state/school district. some of the districts in california have come down hard on homeschooling (because sadly there are parents who claim to be but are not-they just don't want to 'hassle' with the public schools). some have rules about minimum number of daily instructional hours, mandatory subject matter... and maintaining an actual attendance log (i know one district that does unannounced drop in visits to see if the kids are actualy 'in attendance' and check the 'log'-if they find evidence that the parents arent following the requirements they pursue withdrawing the right to homeschool from the parents).

you can also check with your local school district-the one near us has some realy good publications on associations and support groups (and they tell what public education resources/services are available to homeschoolers in their district-and they offer some pretty cool stuff!).