Homeschooling

[Arif]

Has anyone homeschooled their child? Our son is going into kindergarden and we are planning on homeshcooling him. Looking for pointers and lessons learned by those that have been down the same road. We looked at the Abeka curriculum but can't imagine what they can provide that would be worth $700 per year they are charging. Is there a less expensive option?

[farmerEd]

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Originally Posted by Arif Has anyone home schooled their child? Our son is going into kindergarten and we are planning on homeschooling him. Looking for pointers and lessons learned by those that have been down the same road. We looked at the Abeka curriculum but can't imagine what they can provide that would be worth $700 per year they are charging. Is there a less expensive option?

We (mostly my wife this year) home school our 4 kids (all under 11), I'd need to check with the DW to see if she is following a specific curriculum (I don't think so), but picks and chooses the best (or most suitable) for each topic as opposed to a one-stop shopping.

If you choose to home school, the good news is that the amount of resources available nowadays (as opposed to 20 years ago) is phenomenal...its a big industry now so there is lots to choose from. Its not for everyone, but we have a great community of home schoolers in our area, and being er'ed it makes it possible to do a lot of things we couldn't do otherwise (i.e. being locked into a set schedule) Llast year we traveled for 2 months of the year, for example. Most schools don't like/allow that amount of absences

Good luck...its a life changing experience. Search the web, join some forums, get on some mailing lists and read, read read...there is lots of info out there.

BTW: We probably spend $100 or so per month on books, workbooks, study guides etc for all 4 kids, so $700 per year for just one kids sounds a bit high. We also get a lot from ebay (unused) as lots of HS families don't write in the workbooks (or textbooks) and keep them in saleable condition, so there is a secondary market for this stuff. Worth investigating...

[Webzter]

I was homeschooled all the way through. I started college when I was 14 and managed to graduate without any problem. When people are amazed at how young I was when I started, I just point out that the main issue with a larger class is that the teacher has to go as slow as the slowest student in class. So, since I was able to go at my own pace, I was able to cover more ground more quickly.

One benefit of homeschooling, at least in my situation, that I think is often overlooked is how closely it mirrors college study habits. I was expected to do a lot of my own coursework and homework in high school. This dovetailed very nicely into the expectations my professors had in college. From that standpoint, I think I was better equipped than many of my classmates.

We (my brother and sister were also homeschooled) had a licensed teacher administer state placement exams every year to ensure that we were at least at our expected age/grade level. We were also part of a local group of homeschoolers, which let us do the normal field trip / science fair / social stuff.

Even while I was in school, things definately went from the fringe to mainstream. In fact, the main reason for the administered tests at first was to ensure we were better covered if the state (Nevada) elected to take legal action.

The other obstacle that I faced, which may be less of an issue now, is that I needed financial aid when I went to college. My dad and I had to closely with the registrar to get them to actually change admittance criteria. In the end, they still needed a high school diploma and transcript, but they decided that it was ok for us to just produce both of those documents.

[Arif]

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Llast year we traveled for 2 months of the year, for example. Most schools don't like/allow that amount of absences

That's one of the perks we hope to realize. I would rather visit a town instead of just reading about it in text books. Since we don't pay property taxes here in Panama we plan to use that money to travel with our son and teach him at the same time.

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I was homeschooled all the way through. I started college when I was 14 and managed to graduate without any problem. When people are amazed at how young I was when I started, I just point out that the main issue with a larger class is that the teacher has to go as slow as the slowest student in class. So, since I was able to go at my own pace, I was able to cover more ground more quickly.

That is one of things we are realizing now. Our son is a really fast study even at 4 yo. We are teaching him addition and subtraction but we make it fun. He even runs around in celebration after he learns something new. Can't imagine a teacher letting him doing a victory dance in school.
There are so many resources that it's a bit of a challenge to decide on the best program to use. I like the idea of picking and choosing from different programs instead of just one. Kids learn differently and to just assume one way works for all kids is wrong. Thanks

BTW- FarmerEd, Do you have to register with your state or local education board? Are there any tests that are requred which need to be submitted to your local school. I ask because we always want to keep the option of returning to the US and enrolling our son in a regular school if we need/want to.

[farmerEd]

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Originally Posted by Arif BTW- FarmerEd, Do you have to register with your state or local education board? Are there any tests that are requred which need to be submitted to your local school. I ask because we always want to keep the option of returning to the US and enrolling our son in a regular school if we need/want to.

We are supposed to notify the local school district...we never have officially, but they know us and know we are homeschooling...zero paperwork, no tests, no involvement at all...it could change with new people over time, but I doubt it unless the state (Mass) mandates a statewide change. Currently local school committees make the rules...ours has none, and quite frankly realize that they have there hands full already with the kids they are already charged with educating. They still get our tax dollars, and don't have to educate our kids...everybody is happy.

I know everyone on the school committee personally, as well as most administrators at the school (small town). I don't anticipate any problems, but we may choose to do things more "officially" once the kids hit high school if we continue thru (i.e. make sure any paperwork is in order).

[Brat]

In the US many public schools permit homeschoolers to participate in sports programs, maybe even music programs (like band). These activities are great for kids as they develop social networks across your community. It is important for a child to understand that his/her life experience may not be the same as others and to appreciate the diversity of human experience.