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Parenting & Farm Kids:  Thinking of Homeschooling...HELP!  |
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Yogifarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
297 Posts
Jenn
Swiftwater
PA
USA
297 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 23 2005 : 06:50:36 AM
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Hi Farmgirls. I have to sell my home and move in with the folks for a bit until work picks up for my husband (who is self employed) We built this home in PA with a former NYC salary that hasn't existed since 9/11. I have been wanting to downsize for awhile and this area of the Poconos is building up to much so we are thinking of moving a bit further North to a farmhouse or log home. As a result of this my son will be pulled from a good school system and the school district near my Moms house is terrible. I am considering home-schooling for the rest of the school year to help my son adjust but don't know what to do. Have heard of cyber school? Any guidance or suggestions would be much appreciated. This is a scary but exciting time. Thanks
"Breathe in the Sunshine" |
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KJD
True Blue Farmgirl
402 Posts
402 Posts |
Posted - Dec 01 2005 : 3:16:24 PM
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| We use Abeka for our high-schooler; I use much of their materials for my younger child. The DVD's are like distance-learning. I highly recommend. As my younger son ages, I will change to the DVDs for him, as well. I'm only qualified to teach so much! |
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cajungal
True Blue Farmgirl
2349 Posts
Catherine Farmgirl Sister #76
Houston Area
Texas
2349 Posts |
Posted - Dec 14 2005 : 4:48:41 PM
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Hi Jenn,
I hope all goes well with the move and everyone adjusts smoothly.
Okay, I'll try to put a lot of info. in a few words....
We've been homeschooling for 10 years. We actually made it to high school! I've been there, done that, and done it again. There are so many choices and all homeschooling Moms will be talk your ear off about how they homeschool. I'm going to try to list out the most popular options for you and send you to some sites. Just remember, you're his mom. You love him and will do him no harm no matter how bad of a school day you think you've had. Plus, what you do this year you may not do next year.
TEXTBOOKS
Many publishers put out textbooks with workbooks. You pretty much buy the grade level you need for each subject. Abeka, Bob Jones, Alpha Omega are some of the most popular. Cost varies.
Alpha Omega also puts out "Life Pacs" You purchase the subject for the grade and the text information and the practice and test information are all inclusive together in books. I used these for a year while I cared for my grandmother. They really were easy to maintain and very portable...my girls could go to the hospital and get their work done.
A box of Life Pacs is around $50. So, for example, you buy for 4 basic subjects (Math, Lang. Arts, Science, History/Geography)for the grade level. Each subject box contains 10 packets/workbooks. Essentially, the student works 1 to 1 1/2 books per month to accomplish the whole school year. Each packet has the teaching information, glossary, vocab., study notes, practice work and test. This is also pretty affordable compared to some curriculums that could cost you close to $1000. You're also able to buy just the books you need....only the half of the year remaining. It's okay if your child finishes a book in one week....just means he knows his stuff!
DVD, Satellite, Cyber school,
Abeka does a system of borrowing videos or dvds. You get them, use them and send them back. You have to also purchase the text and reading materials.
Bob Jones has a satellite system that you purchase the text materials for (same ones you can use on your own) and you hook up to their system and are able to either watch live classes or record a weeks worth of classes. All the classes from Kdg. to High School will be able to be viewed. If you want study notes and communication with the teacher you'll need to pay a registration fee per class. I have several friends that use this. The downside for me would be portability. I can't be required to stay home in front of the tv....I travel to see family too often to do that.
There are several companies that have computer schools. In fact, some school districts have the public education available online. Texas has one called K12. I haven't used it and know only 1 person that uses it. You'll find that most homeschoolers don't want to have any connection to the public system.
For $200 you can purchase a cd library curriculum that has everything for K - 12....and I mean everything! All the books that have to be read, the extra projects, dictionary, writing guide, etc.... I think the man's name is Robinson or Robertson....He and his wife homeschooled their dozen children, she passed away and he created this to be able to still homeschool his children.
The downside might be that you use a lot of paper if you print out books like "Moby Dick" and "War and Peace".
Alpha Omega also sells cd curriculum by subject, Switched On Schoolhouse. The system even keeps track of the grades for you.
So, a lot depends on what you want and what your son wants. Book, pen and paper? Don't mind sitting at the computer or tv for long periods of time?
First, you need to contact a group called HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) I think their site is hslda.org They will have information about your state and its requirements. For example, here in TX I don't have to register my children with anyone, nor do I have to test them or have our curriculum reviewed. Each state is different. Once you know what your boundries and freedoms are you can make a better decision.
There are even more choices from Classical Training, Unit Studies, Accelerated Learning, Unschooling, apprenticeships, dual credit.. oh yeah, dual credit....if you have a high schooler you may have a local college that offers this....basically, your son takes biology and gets credit for his high school transcript and for his first year of college at the same time and usually for less money.
Please feel free to email me with any questions. I will do my best to help.
Blessings!
Catherine
cajungal
One of the best compliments from one of my daughters: "Moma, you smell good...like dirt." |
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HorseyNut
True Blue Farmgirl
78 Posts
Allena
MO
USA
78 Posts |
Posted - Mar 22 2006 : 05:37:36 AM
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You are so lucky to have found such a good resource to start with! I had to start by the hair of my teeth, and it was hard. For younger kids I used a lot of the little workbooks by spectrum that sell in borders for about $3.00, and those worked great. They cover math, reading, spelling and writing. They are nice because they have lots of color and pictures and are a cheap easy way to "get your hands dirty" and try homeschooling out. I found that this sort of thing was nice too because I could get grade 3 spelling and grade 5 reading for example to meet my sons needs. When you buy a full curriculum it's for one grade and if the child excels in one area and lacks in another, well too bad. We have home schooled for about 3 years now and he covered 5! These are also great if your between books or going on a trip because they are so portable and take up little space. When we lived in Indiana I would bring these along to visit my folks and he could just keep on with his studies, it was easy.
He is now taking 8th grade classes, and he just worked at his own pace I never pushed. He has learned to self teach, I mostly just answer questions though out the day and help him refocus when he day dreams. The books I try to find are clear, concise and easy to understand, which enables the child to learn on their own much of the time. . That is really good for their self esteem, and it builds independence and self reliance!
I really like the Saxon Math books and these are a good example of what I was talking about in a good text if you can get a look at one. They are very structured and easy to use, they have optional tests and easy to follow lessons. Some families don't like them because they are so structured and thats OK too. You have to look at yourself and say can I organize this stuff enough to feel comfortable with whats going on? What do I think my child will respond to best? Structured activities with a schedule or a more relaxed type of atmosphere. Each family and child is different. I only school one of my kids actively (he's 12) and we've tried both. He does better with the structure, everything the same everyday, knowing what to expect and what to do with little interference from me. He gets to choose when he does what and in what order and things but it's all spelled out what he should do and how long it should take.
Now he is enrolled in what I call a school at home school. They gave him a placement test, and sent an entire curriculum based on his abilities. It is fully accredited and he receives transcripts and everything, this takes care of a lot of legal stuff for us here in Missouri. This is great for us because I know that he's learning everything he needs for college, that way if he wants to go, he can. No legal problems, no hassle, no record keeping, and we still get to be mostly in charge of how we school and what not. They do some testing throughout the year which isn't for everyone, but my son thrives on it. He likes to get the grade on a test. For high school they offer lots of courses that I couldn't teach like Latin and Physics, and it's all just like attending a private school at home. They have online classes and online tests as well as tons of supplementary exercises for extra practice which can be a real God-send. They have teachers on call from early morning until late evening to answer questions, and the work is truly challenging. This particular school is a Catholic school, and teaches a lot of Catholic doctrine, so if you aren't Catholic you probably wouldn't want to enroll, but there are others out there like this.http://www.setonhome.org Also they offer some really excellent texts here: http://www.setonbooks.com/index.php
I have really enjoyed doing this because there are less worries for me, but it isn't for everyone, and honestly probably not worth the expense for younger children (about $600). I spend close to half of that anyway, so for me it's worth it because my dog is more organized than I am, and I really struggled with grading and record keeping. It helps me a lot to have everything set up for me, then I can change what I want. They offer so many extra services it really is worth it for an older child, or someone starting out. Here in Missouri we have to track the hours spent in school on each subject, and they have to meet a minimum, my son always finished early and we couldn't log enough hours, so we had to fill them up or fudge our records. With this I don't need to do any of that stuff, but we essentially are doing the same things, it's very flexible. Check your state to see what's required, if you have to do a bunch of stupid crap like this then thats another benefit to a “cyber” type school. Anyway I hope this gives you an idea of what is available. |
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JennyWren
True Blue Farmgirl
201 Posts
USA
201 Posts |
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Juliekay
True Blue Farmgirl
237 Posts
237 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2006 : 11:53:03 AM
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There's also a book called "The Classically Trained Mind", I believe. It makes an argument for a classical education that focuses on reading, writing, oral debate and mathematics/science. It lays out the curriculum for you and provides resources.
Julie |
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_Rebecca_
True Blue Farmgirl
568 Posts
Rebecca
OK
USA
568 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2006 : 12:08:15 PM
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{Julie, I think you are thinking The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise}
We use Veritas Press. It is a classical education curriculum provider.
http://www.veritaspress.com/store/home.asp
And you might try to find a classical school nearby that would help you out.
Hoping you have good success,
.·:*¨¨* :·.Rebecca.·:*¨¨* :·.
Wife of Jonathan, Mother of Joel, Caitlyn, Elia |
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Juliekay
True Blue Farmgirl
237 Posts
237 Posts |
Posted - May 01 2006 : 1:37:20 PM
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Yes, Rebecca,
That is the book I was thinking of, thanks. |
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Parenting & Farm Kids: Thinking of Homeschooling...HELP! |
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Thinking of Homeschooling...HELP!
