Homeschooling

[Lanolin]

You cant by law leave your children alone at home if they are under 14. in nz anyway.

 

[throughfaith]

With the pandemic that continues, I’m sure some of you have been on the fence on whether to send your child back to school or homeschooling. I know I have been. For the experienced homeschool parents, can you give me a list of pros and cons of homeschooling vs Public/private school. And what program do you recommend?

Pros for us ( we have just started)
just a few things that stand out for us .
1) Teaching about creation ,the bible and Jesus. ( of course )
2)one on one focus
3) Tailoring to individual needs
4) Being there for all their 'firsts '
5) preparing them for the world without them being pulled down. They can't be salt and light if they are not ready .
Cheaper than Christain school.
Flexibility
Cons
So far none .

 

[Renewal]

With the pandemic that continues, I’m sure some of you have been on the fence on whether to send your child back to school or homeschooling. I know I have been. For the experienced homeschool parents, can you give me a list of pros and cons of homeschooling vs Public/private school. And what program do you recommend?

I would look to see what the education system is putting in to your child's head especially from a Christian perspective. Many home schooled that I've heard about in UK do very well emotionally and educationally. More rounded, i think this is because the only agenda for home schooling is the interest of the child and not politics or PC nonsense which is what the government promotes.

 

[throughfaith]

Homeschooling is so expensive and limited that i would not advise it. The biggest positive is that there is more focus on the child, the biggest negative is that there are no friends to be made and no socialising.

We have found the opposite to be true . Its the cheapest option compared with Christian schools . The friends and ' socialising ' ' issue 'I believe sounds right until you think about it . School is about learning primarily and often the negative aspect to that is distractions , bullying ect . The socialising aspect is easily dealt with church , evenings and weekends spent with friends . Also the negative aspect is your children being ' led ' by other children who do not have a biblical world view .

 

[cyph2cor517]

Unlike stereotypical homeschooled kids, they all thrive socially. And I don't foresee them not adapting to the real world.

I just wonder what that looks like - thriving socially - for a Christian kid. It's something I'm poor at myself and my daughter is 14 and I think I failed her in that respect. Maybe there's some time to make some adjustments to myself for her sake and lead her in that direction.
I was just hoping you could elaborate with some details.
Thanks!

 

[Lanolin]

homeschooling used to be for rural kids who couldnt GET to a school. They did school by correspondence. They were used to not socialising everyday and actually some parents didnt really keep them home for their own sake they kept them home because they needed them to work on the farm.

The whole christian homeschooling thing is a bit weird as a new development because originally schools were set up BY christians so that children COULD have a christian education.

 

[Godsgirl83]

I've been homeschooling my kids for 15 years now

So, what is the age range of your kiddos? And what does a typical homeschool day for you look like?
What have you changed over the years, or kept the same?
( I'm trying to pick your brain, and draw insight from your experience )

 

[Genipher]

So, what is the age range of your kiddos? And what does a typical homeschool day for you look like?
What have you changed over the years, or kept the same?
( I'm trying to pick your brain, and draw insight from your experience )

Sorry it took me awhile to get back and respond. Easier to type on the computer and my family has been hogging it. lol.

My eldest is 16. Started homeschooling her when she was around 1. Not formal book learning, just "life". I think a lot of people forget that we're teaching our kids every day. We're "home schooling" every day. So when she was little, I brought her to the kitchen and let her help me cook/bake. She did chores next to me, etc.

Now I can send her into the kitchen and she'll make dinner. My mom, a few years back, was surprised to know that my daughter (13 at that time) could make a chicken pot pie from scratch (I'm bragging, I know. Can't help it. lol)

For actual book learning, it took me awhile to get the hang of it. I had a friend who used to be a teacher and her daughter (same age as mine) seemed to have a head start. I floundered for awhile, honestly. Eventually, though, I discovered that I could pick and choose from different curriculums and use what worked for us.
So she did a mixture of Abeka, Christian Light, Easy-Peasy (free, online), etc.

Last year we switched her over to a school that's in our district, so I'm not really homeschooling her anymore. It's all online (with the option to go in, if desired). They are a school that believes learning is more than book work, so they fall in line with how we view "school".
Anyway, they pay for her to go to our local community college. So far she's taken a few terms (and excelled!) in Trig, Statistics, World Lit, History, Writing 101, Greek Math, Physics, and Intro to Engineering. She's currently cut back on her load and is just taking Calculus. The plan, Lord willing, is for her to get a (free) associates by the time she graduates HS.

My 14, 11. and 9 year old also currently switched to this online school this last year but before that, they were using Abeka, Growing with Grammar, BJU Press, etc. Switched over because I was starting to get overwhelmed with organizing everyone. And my 14 year old son was needing more accountability. His kryptonite is writing so if I "assigned" him any kind of writing, it never got done. He's more math-minded and used to calculate how many words it would take to write a sentence one way over another, so he could get away with writing as little as possible. Even now, he tends to write his papers as concisely as possible. He hates adding "fluff".

My 7 and 5 year old are learning to read. 7 year old has been a slower learner than her older siblings. She'd rather just play. We're going through the Explode the Code series and Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I used the latter to teach all the older kids to read...works pretty well, especially with a reward system--kids get a $Tree Prize every 10 lessons completed, a "medium" prize of their choice (around $10) when they hit lesson 50 and a BIG prize (around $30-50) AND their own Bible, when they finish the last lesson.
She (7 year old) is also doing 2nd grade Abeka math.

My 5 year old is in Abeka grade 1 math (he seems to be math-minded...common theme, here, as their dad used to teach college math). He's also going through Explode the Code and Teach Your Child to Read.

The 7, 5, and 3 year old also do fun, hands-on "lessons". For example, we recently did a "study" on plants. Drew pictures of the different parts. Pulled weeds and studied the roots. Gathered leaves outside to crumble and smear on paper for "chlorophyll art".
We had fun with dinosaurs, "digging" out bones from pre-made kits. And now we're going over the human body and skeleton. There are a lot of interesting games, activities, and projects on pinterest that make it easy to meld together a quick "curriculum", of sorts.

With the littles (7-3), we're going through a series of books called "Draw and Write Through History". I got each kid a cheap sketchbook from Walmart and we practice drawing and then do some of the above mentioned projects (human body is linked to Adam and Eve's creation, etc). Doesn't take much to throw together something they find fun and it's amazing how much they learn from, like, a 5 minute lesson.

I've always been a fairly...lazy...home schooler. I used to let the kid sleep as long as they wanted, sorta meander over breakfast, and we would get to actual book learning around 11. Now I tend to wake them up a bit earlier but we still take our time eating, dressing, etc

In the past, we used to do math, english, spelling, and Bible on M/W/F and science/history/Bible on Tues/Th. Otherwise, we never got around to the science and history. Now I'll take one day a week for the science/history/extras.

We miss days, as needed. In fact, we have a tradition that a birthday is a "no school" day. If we're sick, we can easily miss a week of sit-down lessons. But, I've noticed those breaks haven't negatively impacted their learning (though long breaks sometimes makes them crabby about getting their nose back to the grindstone). In fact, the brain-breaks seem to give them a chance to process what they've been learning and grow.

Anywho, we usually start these days around 9 or 10 and often finish by 1-ish. If a child is being particularly stubborn about a project or worksheet, it can take longer. There have been times they still have work looming over them when dad gets home, so he gets to help them because by then, I'm DONE.

At the end of this year we'll evaluate if the 14-9 year old will continue the online thing. I like the accountability they have (and that it's free--homeschooling can easily cost us $1500+/year) but the school tries to keep the kids moving, so they're kinda speeding through some things that they'd like to take more time on. Or that they NEED more time to process, but can't, because they gotta get to the next "thing".
There are also things they assign that frustrate me and just seem unnecessary (a 600 word paper on nuclear reactors, for example...if my kid was interested in nuclear reactors that wouldn't be a big deal but when they're not? Ug. I hate forcing them through Every. Single. Step.).

My 11 year old has already asked to "go back to work books, like I used to"...I might take him out and switch back to regular homeschooling. Still praying about it.

Hmmm. I think that's the end of my mini-novel.
Any other questions, feel free to ask.

Long story short, home schooling changes over the years as kids grow. Needs change. Curriculum changes. Just like real life, you gotta constantly roll with it. Some days are great and the kids are fun to teach. Other days they're little monsters and you want to pull your hair out and scream. But it's totally worth it!

 

[Genipher]

So, what is the age range of your kiddos? And what does a typical homeschool day for you look like?
What have you changed over the years, or kept the same?
( I'm trying to pick your brain, and draw insight from your experience )

Oh, to add a note to my previous, ahem, novel...we tried out a homeschooling co-op in the winter of 2018. We met once a week and the parents all taught different classes. All my kids loved it...except one. The kiddo that's just like me (introverted) hated it. We didn't attend spring "term" because I was pregnant and due around that time. Then Covid hit. Now they're shut down soooo....

 

[Godsgirl83]

Sorry it took me awhile to get back and respond. Easier to type on the computer and my family has been hogging it. lol.

My eldest is 16. Started homeschooling her when she was around 1. Not formal book learning, just "life". I think a lot of people forget that we're teaching our kids every day. We're "home schooling" every day. So when she was little, I brought her to the kitchen and let her help me cook/bake. She did chores next to me, etc.

Now I can send her into the kitchen and she'll make dinner. My mom, a few years back, was surprised to know that my daughter (13 at that time) could make a chicken pot pie from scratch (I'm bragging, I know. Can't help it. lol)

For actual book learning, it took me awhile to get the hang of it. I had a friend who used to be a teacher and her daughter (same age as mine) seemed to have a head start. I floundered for awhile, honestly. Eventually, though, I discovered that I could pick and choose from different curriculums and use what worked for us.
So she did a mixture of Abeka, Christian Light, Easy-Peasy (free, online), etc.

Last year we switched her over to a school that's in our district, so I'm not really homeschooling her anymore. It's all online (with the option to go in, if desired). They are a school that believes learning is more than book work, so they fall in line with how we view "school".
Anyway, they pay for her to go to our local community college. So far she's taken a few terms (and excelled!) in Trig, Statistics, World Lit, History, Writing 101, Greek Math, Physics, and Intro to Engineering. She's currently cut back on her load and is just taking Calculus. The plan, Lord willing, is for her to get a (free) associates by the time she graduates HS.

My 14, 11. and 9 year old also currently switched to this online school this last year but before that, they were using Abeka, Growing with Grammar, BJU Press, etc. Switched over because I was starting to get overwhelmed with organizing everyone. And my 14 year old son was needing more accountability. His kryptonite is writing so if I "assigned" him any kind of writing, it never got done. He's more math-minded and used to calculate how many words it would take to write a sentence one way over another, so he could get away with writing as little as possible. Even now, he tends to write his papers as concisely as possible. He hates adding "fluff".

My 7 and 5 year old are learning to read. 7 year old has been a slower learner than her older siblings. She'd rather just play. We're going through the Explode the Code series and Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I used the latter to teach all the older kids to read...works pretty well, especially with a reward system--kids get a $Tree Prize every 10 lessons completed, a "medium" prize of their choice (around $10) when they hit lesson 50 and a BIG prize (around $30-50) AND their own Bible, when they finish the last lesson.
She (7 year old) is also doing 2nd grade Abeka math.

My 5 year old is in Abeka grade 1 math (he seems to be math-minded...common theme, here, as their dad used to teach college math). He's also going through Explode the Code and Teach Your Child to Read.

The 7, 5, and 3 year old also do fun, hands-on "lessons". For example, we recently did a "study" on plants. Drew pictures of the different parts. Pulled weeds and studied the roots. Gathered leaves outside to crumble and smear on paper for "chlorophyll art".
We had fun with dinosaurs, "digging" out bones from pre-made kits. And now we're going over the human body and skeleton. There are a lot of interesting games, activities, and projects on pinterest that make it easy to meld together a quick "curriculum", of sorts.

With the littles (7-3), we're going through a series of books called "Draw and Write Through History". I got each kid a cheap sketchbook from Walmart and we practice drawing and then do some of the above mentioned projects (human body is linked to Adam and Eve's creation, etc). Doesn't take much to throw together something they find fun and it's amazing how much they learn from, like, a 5 minute lesson.

I've always been a fairly...lazy...home schooler. I used to let the kid sleep as long as they wanted, sorta meander over breakfast, and we would get to actual book learning around 11. Now I tend to wake them up a bit earlier but we still take our time eating, dressing, etc

In the past, we used to do math, english, spelling, and Bible on M/W/F and science/history/Bible on Tues/Th. Otherwise, we never got around to the science and history. Now I'll take one day a week for the science/history/extras.

We miss days, as needed. In fact, we have a tradition that a birthday is a "no school" day. If we're sick, we can easily miss a week of sit-down lessons. But, I've noticed those breaks haven't negatively impacted their learning (though long breaks sometimes makes them crabby about getting their nose back to the grindstone). In fact, the brain-breaks seem to give them a chance to process what they've been learning and grow.

Anywho, we usually start these days around 9 or 10 and often finish by 1-ish. If a child is being particularly stubborn about a project or worksheet, it can take longer. There have been times they still have work looming over them when dad gets home, so he gets to help them because by then, I'm DONE.

At the end of this year we'll evaluate if the 14-9 year old will continue the online thing. I like the accountability they have (and that it's free--homeschooling can easily cost us $1500+/year) but the school tries to keep the kids moving, so they're kinda speeding through some things that they'd like to take more time on. Or that they NEED more time to process, but can't, because they gotta get to the next "thing".
There are also things they assign that frustrate me and just seem unnecessary (a 600 word paper on nuclear reactors, for example...if my kid was interested in nuclear reactors that wouldn't be a big deal but when they're not? Ug. I hate forcing them through Every. Single. Step.).

My 11 year old has already asked to "go back to work books, like I used to"...I might take him out and switch back to regular homeschooling. Still praying about it.

Hmmm. I think that's the end of my mini-novel.
Any other questions, feel free to ask.

Long story short, home schooling changes over the years as kids grow. Needs change. Curriculum changes. Just like real life, you gotta constantly roll with it. Some days are great and the kids are fun to teach. Other days they're little monsters and you want to pull your hair out and scream. But it's totally worth it!

hey, thanks for taking the time to share all the above I'm looking up some of the resources you mentioned.

I've been homeschooling one kiddo since just before covid shut downs due to the troubles she was having in public school (she's special needs and the assistance from the school was just a joke) Well, it's been just about a year and is like having a whole new child. A struggeling reader who never went near a book is now (still struggeling with reading but making attempts and growth ) now hardly able to keep her away from books (especially animal books, she is a HUGE animal lover).

Now my others continued in public school, though because of covid they lost a good half year +. And when school did reopen this year, they picked up where they would've had there not been shutdowns, so my kids are really feeling behind now, stuggeling to keep up. Long story short, we're making the switch to homeschool (or more likely going to be "unschooled") with them as well.

As we've discussed pros and cons and have made this decission, I took a deep breath and am still waiting to let it out.
I hated school growing up, but mostly because I really felt lost as subjects were taught and right away moved on to the next page of the book tomorrow, before mastering what was taught today. I asked my 10 year old if he feels that way and he looked shocked, like "how do you know that's what I feel?"

My parents eventually signed me up for an independent learning program through the school district, but all that accomplished was making sure I completed crdits to graduate. Read, take test, repeat..... complete. Never really learned anything, nothing stuck. To this day I could not tell you about the ciriculum. Another situation my 10 year old is surprised I can relate to.

I think my biggest concern is high school stuff. Though we still have years before we get there. THings like crdits, and transcripts and all that fun legal stuff. But I figure we'll deal with that if and when we get there. By then, who knows, we may end up switching back to public school, or use it part time.

All I know for sure is that when the kids were real little, starting school was like "YES! FINALLY a few hours during the day alone" and now, I just cringe at the thought of continuing to send them off.

 

[Lanolin]

hey question....do you get paid to homeschool? I mean how exactly do you fund it.
does your husband ever teach or is it just down to you alone.

When all your children leave home what will you do, just wondering. Will you homeschool children who arent yours? How big is your home...do you have a separate 'classroom' or teaching area or is it everyone just learns where ever they are, or do you drive or take them places off your own property? are you out in the country or city or suburbs? When you go past any schools do your children make friends with anyone there or do they just hang out with other homeschool kids.

 

[Genipher]

hey question....do you get paid to homeschool? I mean how exactly do you fund it.
does your husband ever teach or is it just down to you alone.

When all your children leave home what will you do, just wondering. Will you homeschool children who arent yours? How big is your home...do you have a separate 'classroom' or teaching area or is it everyone just learns where ever they are, or do you drive or take them places off your own property? are you out in the country or city or suburbs? When you go past any schools do your children make friends with anyone there or do they just hang out with other homeschool kids.

No, we don't get paid to homeschool. It actually costs us somewhere around $1200 a year to get the workbooks, etc. needed for all the kiddos. Less this year because some of the kids are doing online schooling. My husband is the only one bringing in an income. Homeschooling is something we've always prioritized and budgeted for.

My husband teaches the kids math as they surpass my abilities. He taught college math, so he's the go-to math tutor in the family. My older kids (16 and 14) are also beyond me in math skills (never was my forte...eldest child is in calculus, now, and I never got past basic Algebra).
My husband will also help whoever needs it, when he gets home from work, if they (and I--lol) are struggling with a certain topic. For the most part, though, I'm the teacher.

Though there are a lot of online resources that can help parents who are...behind...in those subjects. Like Khan Academy. It's free and has a lot of videos on "how to" do different maths (also computer programming). My kids love that site. Nowadays I think homeschooling is a lot easier, as well, because a person can easily find free youtube videos that also explains certain subjects.

Hmm. When all my kids leave home... Well, the youngest is currently under 1 year old so that's going to be awhile. lol. Even so, I might end up homeschooling my grandkids, if I'm blessed with them and my kids want/need me to. Otherwise, when the youngest is done, I'm DONE.
I do have a friend, however, who is almost done homeschooling her kiddo and she's planning on opening a little homeschool for parents who want that for their kids, but can't necessarily do it themselves.

Nope, I don't have a homeschooling room. We have a 4 bedroom house and 10 people living in it soooo...no extra space for that luxury. My eldest works in her room. The rest work at the kitchen table or, for those doing online lessons, at the computer. It can make it difficult, sometimes, with the noise level, all being in one area. When that happens, I'll move the person I'm trying to help to a quieter spot (usually my bedroom).

We're in town. Right next door to a public school, in fact.

Most of my kids' friends are from our home church and they're all homeschooled. They are also friends with the neighbor kid (he happens to be home schooled). In the past, before we moved here, they were friends with neighbor kids who went to public school. My 2 older kids go to a youth group that's made up mostly of public schooled kids. And when my eldest was able to go to the college campus to take her classes, she was making friends with other girls/ladies there. So I'd say they have both public schooled and homeschooled friends.

For the most part, my kids are happy with homeschooling. They like that they can sleep in, go to the bathroom without permission, and get their lessons done as quickly or slowly as they want. The only thing I remember anyone ever complaining about was that they wanted to ride the yellow bus.

 

[Genipher]

hey, thanks for taking the time to share all the above I'm looking up some of the resources you mentioned.

I've been homeschooling one kiddo since just before covid shut downs due to the troubles she was having in public school (she's special needs and the assistance from the school was just a joke) Well, it's been just about a year and is like having a whole new child. A struggeling reader who never went near a book is now (still struggeling with reading but making attempts and growth ) now hardly able to keep her away from books (especially animal books, she is a HUGE animal lover).

Now my others continued in public school, though because of covid they lost a good half year +. And when school did reopen this year, they picked up where they would've had there not been shutdowns, so my kids are really feeling behind now, stuggeling to keep up. Long story short, we're making the switch to homeschool (or more likely going to be "unschooled") with them as well.

As we've discussed pros and cons and have made this decission, I took a deep breath and am still waiting to let it out.
I hated school growing up, but mostly because I really felt lost as subjects were taught and right away moved on to the next page of the book tomorrow, before mastering what was taught today. I asked my 10 year old if he feels that way and he looked shocked, like "how do you know that's what I feel?"

My parents eventually signed me up for an independent learning program through the school district, but all that accomplished was making sure I completed crdits to graduate. Read, take test, repeat..... complete. Never really learned anything, nothing stuck. To this day I could not tell you about the ciriculum. Another situation my 10 year old is surprised I can relate to.

I think my biggest concern is high school stuff. Though we still have years before we get there. THings like crdits, and transcripts and all that fun legal stuff. But I figure we'll deal with that if and when we get there. By then, who knows, we may end up switching back to public school, or use it part time.

All I know for sure is that when the kids were real little, starting school was like "YES! FINALLY a few hours during the day alone" and now, I just cringe at the thought of continuing to send them off.

When I first started homeschooling my husband pitched the idea of sending the kids to High School when they got that far. I was like, "No, way!" But now that they're actually older...well, they're not going to HS, but my eldest is taking college classes. And it's been fine. She's strong in her faith and there haven't been any issues that make me want to yank her out.
I think the right HS could be great, depending on the kid. Especially if it's a Christian school (though I know that doesn't always mean much anymore). I have a couple of kids that would love going to HS, eventually (or, in our situation, college classes). And one who would utterly despise it, just like I did.

Anyway, I think HSLDA (Home Schooling Legal Defense) has a transcript program and information on how to keep track of credits.
https://hslda.org/

I used to beg my mom to homeschool me but she said she didn't know how (and I suspect just didn't wanna), so I had to continue that course. I remember there were some classes I had NO clue what I was doing, and there didn't seem to be much instruction (Biology. Horticulture). There were classes I felt uncomfortable participating in (P.E. dance).

Anyway, one nice thing about homeschooling is that the kids learn so fast. Anything they missed out on the last 6 months, they'll pick up lickety-split...and then some! There were times we missed huge chunks of learning for one reason or another but the kids never fell behind. In fact, the breaks seemed to give their brains a chance to process everything and they made leaps and bounds in what they learned.

Unschooling, I have no clue how to do. There are some things my kids learn just because they are interested but if I didn't give them a math worksheet or require they read "x" in History, they would NEVER choose to do so. They would rather play with toys or be on the computer, playing Minecraft. I know some states have no requirements for "proof of learning" but here in Oregon, homeschooled kids have to take a state test in 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 10th grade so I tend to stress about them knowing their math facts in time. I'm already a bit worried about my 7-year-old, who is taking muuuuch longer than her older siblings to learn to read. She HAS to know how to read before her 3rd grade test, next year.

Anyway, I would love to know how the unschooling goes. I find it an interesting idea but I have no idea how it's really supposed to work.

It's definitely not easy. Some days the kids are stubborn about stuff. They cry over lessons. I cry over lessons. The baby cries and nobody can hear instructions. Other days everything runs smoothly and perfectly. I wish more homeschoolers would share the hard parts, rather than making it all out to be sunshine and roses.

Ha! That reminds me of VeggieTales! On that note...

 

[Lanolin]

That's cool just wondering...I think education is so important whether homeschool or public or private so its good to read theres a variety of ways to approach it.
I think what would bother/concern me was if parents just thought they could homeschool when they don't really have patience or gift for teaching and thus shortchange their children... or if girls had less of an education than boys would because of gender bias.

But that is the same concern in public and private schools really - the quality of the education. I think it can depend as much on the teacher's approach than the particular school or environment.

 

[Godsgirl83]

Anyway, I think HSLDA (Home Schooling Legal Defense) has a transcript program and information on how to keep track of credits.

Yes, BIG fan of HSLDA. We joined them right away when we pulled our special needs kiddo from public school. When the district was giving me run around for stuff, just mentioning that I had a homeschool legal team was enough to make them zip it
but I have found so many helpful articles and resources through them.

It is interesting how some subjects my kids have never shown an interest in or twards, but if you can just find one or two things to make it relateable all of a sudden it's interesting, and fun, and becomes "tell me more!"

I've also decided we're going to spend at least one day a week at our local library.
Computers, desks, UNLIMITED resources

We're finishing this last week of the quarter up at public school. They're getting up to get ready now. I am so not going to miss morning routines of packing bags, and lunch, and making sure EVERYTHING is ready to go........ driving 5 minutes only to hear "I forgot......."

 

[Godsgirl83]

I'm already a bit worried about my 7-year-old, who is taking muuuuch longer than her older siblings to learn to read. She HAS to know how to read before her 3rd grade test, next year.

This can get overwhelming to help with. There are so many products out there that claim to help "learn to read".... how does one know what's going to work best for there child???

We're using this one (click for link) It's called "ALL ABOUT READING" the placement test/guides they provide online are very helpful.
A lot of the reviews I read were parents who said that their struggeling readers/resistant readers loved it and were improving.
Which was one reason we decided to try it, and are having success with it.
There is also a spelling program by this company. Haven't tried it yet, but we are getting ready to order that as well.

One of the biggest deciding factors for me was their guarantee (copied from their sight):
If you purchase from us and decide it's not for you, simply send the package back (in any condition), and we'll refund your purchase price. No questions asked.

I could go on, but I think their site speaks for itself.

Oh! I also like THIS READING MAMA (here) I have learned a lot from reading her blog and she provides TONS of practical freebies that my kids really enjoy.

 

[Blackpowderduelist]

We homeschooled all 4 of ours. It takes work but it works so well. You can provide a so much better education. You can cater their education to their aptitude and interest. You can also fold in weak subjects into their strong subjects to strengthen the weak subjects.

My question is why let babylon "educate" your children?

 

[Genipher]

Yes, BIG fan of HSLDA. We joined them right away when we pulled our special needs kiddo from public school. When the district was giving me run around for stuff, just mentioning that I had a homeschool legal team was enough to make them zip it
but I have found so many helpful articles and resources through them.

It is interesting how some subjects my kids have never shown an interest in or twards, but if you can just find one or two things to make it relateable all of a sudden it's interesting, and fun, and becomes "tell me more!"

I've also decided we're going to spend at least one day a week at our local library.
Computers, desks, UNLIMITED resources

We're finishing this last week of the quarter up at public school. They're getting up to get ready now. I am so not going to miss morning routines of packing bags, and lunch, and making sure EVERYTHING is ready to go........ driving 5 minutes only to hear "I forgot......."

Aw, you're lucky your library is open. Ours allows for pick ups at the door and that's it. We've all been missing being able to check out stacks of books!

Yes, your mornings should be much more relaxed!

Funny how the school backs off once they hear HSLDA is on your side. They are definitely a great resource to have.

 

[Genipher]

This can get overwhelming to help with. There are so many products out there that claim to help "learn to read".... how does one know what's going to work best for there child???

We're using this one (click for link) It's called "ALL ABOUT READING" the placement test/guides they provide online are very helpful.
A lot of the reviews I read were parents who said that their struggeling readers/resistant readers loved it and were improving.
Which was one reason we decided to try it, and are having success with it.
There is also a spelling program by this company. Haven't tried it yet, but we are getting ready to order that as well.

One of the biggest deciding factors for me was their guarantee (copied from their sight):
If you purchase from us and decide it's not for you, simply send the package back (in any condition), and we'll refund your purchase price. No questions asked.

I could go on, but I think their site speaks for itself.

Oh! I also like THIS READING MAMA (here) I have learned a lot from reading her blog and she provides TONS of practical freebies that my kids really enjoy.

I love finding new curriculum/resources. Thank you! I've got them up and ready so I can take a gander.

 

[Genipher]

That's cool just wondering...I think education is so important whether homeschool or public or private so its good to read theres a variety of ways to approach it.
I think what would bother/concern me was if parents just thought they could homeschool when they don't really have patience or gift for teaching and thus shortchange their children... or if girls had less of an education than boys would because of gender bias.

But that is the same concern in public and private schools really - the quality of the education. I think it can depend as much on the teacher's approach than the particular school or environment.

Well, I do get impatient sometimes. When that happens, I usually just stop for the day and my husband picks up when he gets home. Sometimes we ALL just need a little break before diving back into it.

Yeah, I've never understood giving girls less of an education. Or not teaching boys to do dishes or sew on a button or cook a meal. ALL my kids are learning to cook (they have an assigned dinner night to either help or, if old enough, just do it on their own). I need to get back to sewing lessons. That's something that I feel is important: knowing how to patch your clothes, etc.

As to the formal education, it's kinda funny but my boys are the ones that (so far) just want to get GEDs and jobs and be done, while (most of) my girls want to get a degree. Overall, we pray and see where Yahweh is leading them. Apprenticeships may be the course for most of them (with less debt than a college education!). Not everyone needs to go to college.