Home school resources and where to start ?

[Conscious Midwife]

My thoughts on VIDEO/DVD education programs is:

Surely I can get the same benefits from PBS, record the segments I like etc... and maybe even check out videos from the library for studying world cultures, geography, history etc...

My point in homeschooling is for wholistic learning. Finding teachable moments in all that we do. Between the computer and the radio I feel we stay "plugged in plenty". Kinesthetic activities, reading and writing are fundamental and very necessary activities.

Hmmm.

I like some aspects of the Waldorf approach.

My 14 year old is pretty brilliant. I feel I have nothing to lose. She's already been her own best bench mark in every area. Besides she'salmost old enouh for me to allow a local community college class to augment what we are doing, for maybe topics in astronomy, physics and the arts.

Hmmmmm....
We'll see

[Denise Nicole]

I did those back when they were on tape, not DVD. There's some "interactive" stuff, but mainly it's just being lectured at. If your girls are auditory learners, they'll probably do fine, but if they're kinesthetic, go with something else. And this might've changed now that they're using DVDs, but you used to HAVE to use everything from the same grade level, which doesn't work well if your daughters are stronger in some subject areas than others.

Thank-you, that was very helpful!

[Finding Me]

.

Our public schools are not an option for our children, I would move before sending them there. they currently attend a nice small catholic school that is under threat of being closed by the Archdioces, we got a chance to appeal but we don't get an answer until the 24th, I have been looking at other catholic schools in the area and am not impressed. Also, being a Phys Ed teacher and in school often I feel so much time is wasted on ridiculous things! But again, i'm afraid I won't be able to teach them properly but will of course learn as much as I can and make a decision from there.

I will look into my state guidlines but I am honestly feeling overwhelmed at this point ! I had no idea there was so much out there on home schooling!

Thanks again !

Mara

Mara,

If you are interested in a Catholic Home school approach:

The Catholic Home School Network of America (www.chsna.org) and the National Association of Catholic Home Educators (www.nache.org) provide extensive information on Catholic home education programs. Seton School (www.setonhome.org) and Kolbe Academy (www.kolbe.org) both offer a full curriculum for K-12. Catholic books, games, and other supplemental materials are available through Heritage Catholic Curricula. (www.chcweb.com)

Reference:
Linsenbach, S. (2003). The Everything Homeschooling Book. Adams Media Corporation. Avon, MA.

Another great source: http://www.everythinghomeschooling.com/

[Naturallynice]

We use Sonlight, a literature-rich curriculum with a Christian approach.

Mind you, my children are really preschool age, so we do some stuff from the internet too, using montessori inspired resources.

http://www.montessorimaterials.org

http://www.wiki.montessorimom.com/in..._20Word_20List


http://blog.montessorimom.com

Esther

[mbf]

Thank FM, i'll check into those.

We just got news yesterday that my childrens school will be staying open for grades pre-k thru 5. My son is going into 4th and my other into 1st. I think my plan will be to set a home school goal for the summer, order some material and see how it goes over the summer and decide from there.

You see my children are not good students, they struggle for every passing grade. My son was "diagnosed" with ADD 2 years ago and clearly has retention and processing trouble.My daughter I can tell has the same problems, after 2 years of quality pre-k learning and almost done with her year of K, she is still not recognizing her numbers and letters while almost all of the class is well into letter sounds and putting words together. So I don't know what we will do. Unfortunatley NY has pretty strict rules about testing and I will feel very pressured about them learning all that is needed and them passing these tests.

Thank You all so much for the great information.

Mara

[Conscious Midwife]

Hmmmm

When I was in Highschool I hadn't heard of ADD or ADHD. Thre was one little "short yellow bus" at my school for the differentially abled and one "behavior classroom" at the end of the hall. My school had @ 4k students.

I wonder if all these attention related diagnosis are due to electronic over stimulation and lack of or reduced human intereaction. You know HIGH TECH vs, HIGH TOUCH!!!

Elementary classrooms today are even to large for some of the brightest of students. I don't believe that children have all the deficites that schools and standardized test say they have. I believe they are just unique individuals who learn differently. You know, as individual as our vary own DNA and fingerprints.


How to raise an Indigo Child by Barbara Condron may be a good resource for some.

Anyway, just some out loud thoughts, no experience or facts here! Really just wondering what the deal is with these diagnosis.

[Green Life]

I previewed these. How did you like learning through the dvd's? I was worried my girls would be bored with them.

I'm sorry, I meant to say videos, LOL!! Heavens, in those days we never even heard of DVD's. Sorry about the misunderstanding. I was thinking about the DVD's for my children.

[Spectatrix]

Heavens, in those days we never even heard of DVD's.

Haha, same here! It might not have been quite as long ago as for you, but DVDs certainly weren't around yet!

[Green Life]

We have used a variety of methods, including some A Beka. The internet is a great tool for homeschooling teachers as well as their students. Ask Jeeves is a good site. For Geography, Google has a great thing where you type in an address and there is a satelite picture of the address. That is just the neatest thing.

Heck, I used to recommend the library, but now I recommend the internet, LOL. How times have changed .


Life

[Green Life]

We don't call it necessarily "Homeschool" because we aren't always home. We travel as a family. We learn as a family, and wherever we go, we are learning, growing and experiancing life to the fullest. Not stuck between four walls surrounded with plaster. We are out and learning about our World like the Pioneers did .Naturally exploring our Mountain side and reading aloud in the evening to each other for entertainment.


Life

[robertandenith]

you don't have to enroll them with the gov, but you can find an umbrella/private school and sign them up in there. Here is a great link for the basics it's a blog! http://homeschoolbasics.blogspot.com/

I will be homeschooling soon through the private school system :)

[robertandenith]

after 2 years of quality pre-k learning and almost done with her year of K, she is still not recognizing her numbers and letters while almost all of the class is well into letter sounds and putting words together. So I don't know what we will do. Unfortunatley NY has pretty strict rules about testing and I will feel very pressured about them learning all that is needed and them passing these tests.

Mara`YOU DON'T HAVE TO enroll them through the board system!!! A private/umbrella school will give you the security and the sanity of not having to test your children so many times!!! Find a support group on yahoo and ask away! There should be a group near where you live and they can give you a recommendation of a private school that does this. Also, I took my daughter out of preschool because of similar reasons, what happens is that I found out that she just don't get the individual instruction so she was falling behind! The teacher has so many kids at once and she was not teaching each kid at the time. For example: Cutting with scissors. The teacher was telling me for many days that my daughter was not cutting right that she was twisting the scissors. Until one day I bought her a good pair of kid friendly scissors, sat down with her and told her how to do it. And guess what? she did it!!! This was just a tiny example, this teacher had only 10 kids in her class. I can't imagine my daughter been in bigger classes which I think is going to happen if I let her attend a public or private school.

Anyways, you are making a great decision and good luck, you'll be fine!!!

p.s. btw, I will be following a curriculum but not to the T. I will not do a structured curriculum I will let her go in her own pace. The more relax the better my daughter will learn. Field trips, trips to libraries, etc. ALSO COUNT!!!!!

[mbf]

Thank You R&D. Ijust got some info in the mail from the Calvert school.

Thanks again.

Mara

[Pailani]

My wife has been homeschooling our kids from the beginning (our oldest is almost 9) and I know she aligns mostly with the Charlotte Mason methodologies.

I thought I was the only CM'er here! ;)

[Lay-Lay]

In the US there is a new type of home school that I was looking into that sounds wonderful. It is free and still connected to public school. They provide students with a free computer and adjust the curriculm to meet each students needs. It is K-12. The website is

www.connectionsacademy.com

you can look up whether it is availble in your state and many states are currently pending it starting there.