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Parenting & Farm Kids:  More homeschool questions  |
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SheilaC
True Blue Farmgirl
1948 Posts
Sheila
Vermont
USA
1948 Posts |
 Posted - Oct 07 2010 : 05:52:41 AM
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To preface this. . .we are homeschooling for the first time this year (5th grade, 3rd grade, and 1st grade). We were kind of thrown into it at the last minute, so for choosing curriculum we chose a video-based series, and are using that for many of each child's subjects; other subjects we are using different curriculum. But the majority of it right now is teacher-on-video led.
Okay, I know many homeschoolers don't prefer the "school-type" "scheduled" etc. homeschooling style. But for now, I do. I'm thinking ahead to next year already and would like to do the teaching rather than the videos, mostly for $$ sake and it also seems a lot of time is wasted this way. They're learning great, but I think I'd prefer a little bit different.
Now, I understand a lot of learning happens during a normal day and our family has always done a lot of "unschooling" or flexible homeschooling just in our normal family life, even when the kids were in traditional school. So I don't need you to tell me about that. I understand that there are a lot of learning opportunities every day. But this is where we are; maybe my personality just prefers this way right now. . .all this to say I'd like to stick with using traditional curriculum and a morning schedule of "school"
All that said--I'd love to hear how YOU do it, especially with teaching kids of different grade levels. Getting them started and moving on to another? Or??? Thanks in advance for your insights!
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts |
Posted - Oct 07 2010 : 07:13:40 AM
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Sheila-just intuitively if I was homeschooling I would probably start the morning with the oldest two starting something I know that they could do on their own and start with some one-on-one time with the youngest since the youngest probably can't fully read instructions in a booklet etc yet. Then I would get the youngest started on a project like following coloring instructions or doing a little science project appropriate for learning level and go to the next oldest to help instruct for a while etc and just round robin between the 3. You could also do experiments with all three and give enough basic information that the youngest follow along and give more specific information to the oldest. Like maybe doing a yeast experiment where the oldest gets to prepare a microscope slide etc.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
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MInwife
Farmgirl in Training
42 Posts
LEA
OXFORD
NC
USA
42 Posts |
Posted - Oct 07 2010 : 10:09:55 PM
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I just graduated my 4th child this past June.... after 18 years of homeschooling I was very very sad... I worked my way out of a job!
anyhow, here are some options I learned over the last few years.
For my youngest son ( I have 4) that is very list/goal/ gratification oriented I used Life Pacs. Each subject has 10 workbooks. Finish one, go on to the next.. He loved seeing a start/ finish and accomplishing each book spurred him to the next.
For my hands on learner Switched on Schoolhouse... being able to express his learning through the keyboard helped so much ( he is 27 and now works in IT)
My oldest was a perfect fit for Well Trained Mind/ classical but being the oldest our $$$ was very tight when he was younger so we went with ambleside online, a free curriculum that was wondeful. The logic and rhetoric fit his personality to a tee... he now has his masters in statistics and still loves the thought process of his job.
My # 3 son was( is) my explorer yet very rigid... so the compartmental aspect of unit studies were a match for him... he now works as a detective..
for each of them we used Saxon math... they all did well... we did use Jacobs Geometry.., Simply Grammar, and Latina Christiana for one year of Latin for each of them along with a foreign language.
I hope this helps some... if I can answer any more questions let me know....
Lea
www.theendoftheroad.typepad.com
Farm Girl Sister # 2078 |
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levisgrammy
True Blue Farmgirl
9324 Posts
Denise
Beavercreek
Ohio
USA
9324 Posts |
Posted - Oct 08 2010 : 05:04:16 AM
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We home schooled all three of ours. When we started we stuck to a routine and morning schedule. That was my preference as I always like to get things done first thing in the morning. I used a lesson planner so I could keep track of everything and the older two did a lot on their own. I just wrote everything down. I worked with the younger one until he got to where he could work on his own. He is a list child and that worked well for us. He knew what was expected of him and he did it. Not without a push sometimes but it worked for us. We changed curriculum as we went according to what worked for us. The older two used books for algebra and the younger it was a video series. I had not taken Algebra so I learned a bit right along with him. Physics and trig were a challenge when he got to high school. It has been quite a while since we schooled. I wouldn't change having had the opportunity to teach my own children even though it had its ups and downs. The younger they are the better it works I think.
farmgirl sister#43
O, a trouble's a ton or a trouble's an ounce,
Or a trouble is what you make it!
And it isn't the fact that you're hurt that counts,
But only--how did you take it?
--Edmund C. Vance.
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Mama Jewel
True Blue Farmgirl
435 Posts
Jewel
Sweet Peas Farmette,
Bend, OR
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - Oct 09 2010 : 09:57:15 AM
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We home school. Currently: pre-k (4 yo), 3rd, 7th, & 11th grade. The 11th grader is doing most of her work now at the jr. college (called "concurrently-enrolled student." The 7th grader is doing most of her work independently. As Alee said above, as the student gets older, it's easier to task them with their daily assignment & check in with their work on an as-needed basis, as most of the foundational work has been done. My 4 yo is fine playing with toys, getting to play with his brother during breaks & doing play dough, coloring, etc. My 3rd grader is very high needs. He has ADHD, SPD & a learning disability. We've done a combo of Charlotte Mason (great book written by Karen Andreola) & The Well-Trained Mind (by Susan Bauer). We use a lot of literature to teach history and science. For math, we use Saxon. For spelling, we use Spelling Workout which is a consumable workbook. I like it because it encompasses reading, vocab, spelling rules, games, proofreading & writing. For science labs, we use books from the library. The library is out greatest resource. Also, I would google your area for home school support groups in your area, because then your children & you will be plugged into field trip options, support, sharing books, co-ops, etc. as well as learning about your state's rules for compliance. Good luck on your home schooling adventures!
Farm Girl Sister #1683 Living Simply & Naturally on our lil Sweet Peas Farmette
"Do Everything in Love." 1 Cor 14
http://www.piecemama.etsy.com |
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Rejena
True Blue Farmgirl
149 Posts
Rejena
WY
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - Oct 10 2010 : 7:39:28 PM
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Welcome to the Land of Homeschooling!
It sounds like you are all exactly where you need to be. That is the first thing I needed to learn last year (my first year of homeschooling my ds 13 yrs and dd 9 yrs.
We are using for the second year, Calvert Homeschooling Curr. I was a Calvert kid in 6th grade, so it was something I considered...a known entity. Well, that was so
long ago and I had no idea what had happened in the land of Homeschooling that I was surprised that it wasn't a "correspondence course" anymore, but was so much more.
My kids "hated" Calvert last year, but by this year asked for it back and are really digging in. It is a financial investment, but I'll tell you my time is worth a lot of
$ as well and all the time I invested in learning about all the different style and curr.choices, requirements, farming, portfolio building, and general taxi driving for the kids I
felt that it was money worth spending. The curr. is strong, the kids add to it to the upteenth degree (blacksmithing, soccer, sewing classes, art classes, etc.) so we are
doing a bunch of stuff every day.. They provide a great schedule and lesson manual, but we really go at our own speed this year, it was making me a bit crazy last year working to the
lesson plan with both a 3rd and 7th grader. We definitely split the kids "Mom teaching time" up, but it worked out really well b/c my daughter is an early bird and son is a night owl, so
I can do her teaching early and then do his after lunch and all the chores even get done!
Ok, rambling...anyhow...enjoy your time with the kids and the material. I've been learning a lot that my local ps education didn't get to sink in the first time around. ALGEBRA I for instance is like a new and exciting beast for me to grapple with. I am enjoying it completely this time around.
In friendship,
Rejena
www.violetacresfarm.com
"Kid Run Boer Goat Farm" |
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Parenting & Farm Kids: More homeschool questions |
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