I left you hanging with a little teaser on Monday, when I told you about the school budget cuts and my concerns about the upcoming school year. I told you I was trying to decide between staying at public school, moving to a Christian school, or homeschooling. A decision has been made.
Next year we are going to homeschool our children. Both of them. We have a daughter going into 6th grade and a son going into 1st grade, so it could get interesting trying to homeschool kids with that big an age gap. I’m up for the challenge though.
What Went Into Our Decision
First let me say that a big underlying theme, so to speak, that runs through my life, is to be a good steward of what God has given me. That’s the reason I try to be frugal, and it’s also the reason I take my children’s education so seriously. As a parent, it’s my responsibility to make sure my children are getting what they need emotionally, spiritually, and educationally. So here are some of the things we considered.
Quality of Education. This consideration pretty much took public school out of the running. I suppose we could have kept them in public school and homeschooled after school, but then the lives of my kids would have been filled with school and not much else. I don’t think that’s very balanced, and I can tell you the last thing my kids want to do when they get home from school is more school.
Our local Christian school has a pretty good program going, so that was a consideration. But after looking at some curriculum online, we felt that we could also give them a quality education at home.
Socialization. This subject always comes up when you talk about homeschooling, doesn’t it? The last thing I want to do is have my family become hermits in our own little world.
However, we’re active in church, and my son is into sports. My daughter has some interests that she’d love to pursue, but hasn’t had much time because of…school. So far I’ve been limiting my kids to one activity each plus church activities. I’d be willing to loosen those standards, if we had a little more time in our day. So this year my daughter is thinking about 4-H, as well as some sort of musical endeavor.
We’re also fortunate to live in a state where public school sports are required to accept homeschoolers onto their teams, provided homeschool students pass a standardized test each year. We won’t be facing that for a while, though, as there are plenty of non-school centered sports activities for our kids.
The Personalities of Our Children. My son is an easygoing type of kid, who will probably thrive in any situation. My daughter, on the other hand, is reaching that awkward preteen, middle school girl age, where she’s starting to compare herself to other kids. And here conclusions haven’t been good.
We’ve been hearing a lot of “I’m stupid” and “I’m not pretty enough” from our daughter lately, and it’s concerning. She needs a little extra time to grasp a concept, before she gets it, and she doesn’t get that much in public school, leaving her feeling stupid.
For her, I think it will be good to pull her out of a situation where she’s comparing herself to others. Let her learn at her own pace and gain confidence in herself. Teach her who she is in God’s eyes. Then, if we ever decide to go back to school, hopefully she’ll be better equipped to stand up to the pressures that come with hanging out with other teenage girls.
Our Kids’ Feelings. We asked our kids how they would feel about each of the schooling options. My son jumped at the chance to be homeschooled. I’m not sure why, but we’re going with it.
At first my daughter was opposed to homeschooling, but open to Christian school. When she realized that we weren’t going to isolate her at home and that she wouldn’t have homework every night with homeschool, she quickly decided that homeschooling was a pretty good option.
Finances. Finances are what finally knocked Christian school out of the running, though even if finances weren’t an issue, I think we might homeschool, just because of the above issues. We’re not ruling out Christian school in the future, but for now, it’s not the right option for us.
Faith. As Christians, this was a huge part of our decision. We want to teach our children to love the Lord with all their hearts. To be able to weigh things that they’re faced with out in the big world against what the Bible says. In public school, especially starting in the middle school years, we are concerned that they will be taught things that go directly against what the Bible says, and that’s not OK with us.
That’s not to say we won’t touch on controversial issues at home. We most certainly will. (Have you ever known me to step away from a controversial issue?) But we want those issues taught in a controlled environment, where we know what’s being taught and are available to answer questions. Homeschooling is the best option for nurturing our children’s faith at this point in their lives.
I’ll Be Blogging Our Homeschool Adventures
I’m sure as with every other issue I wrestle with, I’ll be posting about our homeschool adventures here on Being Frugal.net. What you probably won’t be getting from me, at least the first year, is how to homeschool frugally. Honestly, I don’t have a clue.
Because I’m not starting from kindergarten, I feel I don’t have a lot of room for error when it comes to homeschooling. My kids, especially my daughter, need to stay up to standards. Because I’m a homeschooling novice, I will most likely buy a prepackaged curriculum, which is more expensive than piecing things together. I’m leaning toward Sonlight at the moment, though no firm decisions have been made. It’s spendy, but it’s still less than private school.
We’ve made a one year commitment to homeschooling. If we decide to continue on after that, I may look at some less expensive options. But for now, I need to use something that gives me the confidence that my kids won’t fall behind. And a prepackaged curriculum that tells me exactly what to do gives me that confidence.
So that’s where we’re at. Next year is going to be quite the adventure. I’m scared, but looking forward to it at the same time.
Photo by basykes.
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I applaud your decision to homeschool. It seems you have thought things through carefully. Your situation is similar to what mine was many years ago. We began homeschooling when our daughter was starting sixth grade and our other daughter was a little younger than your son. They have both loved it and thrived. Our oldest is graduating from high school this year. I say that to encourage you that homeschooling in the upper grades can be done and done very successfully too. :-) Just be aware that there will be lots of patience needed as everyone adjusts to your new life. Our first year was pretty challenging, but we persevered. Once we got into the groove, things got easier. Don’t give up and feel like a failure if things aren’t going as you imagined. Keep working at it and being patient with each other. This will be good for everyone’s sanctification! :-)
Both of our girls missed/are currently missing all that middle-school-girl angst, and no one is one bit sorry! I don’t think you will be either. They are very confident in themselves and in who they are as God has made them. They are being pushed around by every wind of fashion and “coolness.”
Congratulations! When you mention the socialization concern, I have to add my experiences.
I am a homeschooler. Actually, right now I am in 11th grade. If you look at my Linked In profile, you will see that I do not have any socialization problems. I have started three websites, build my own (small) lawn care business, and worked as a basketball referee. I have worked with kids and adults. And I am a 16-year-old “unsocialized” homeschooler!
In addition, I have many friends in the homeschooling community (None of which, by the way, have socialization problems). True I do not have thirty friends my own age, but neither do I have as much peer pressure. Most of my friends are ages 10 to 22 – a little bit more mixed than most public school students.
Anyway, congratulations on your decision!
God bless,
Nate
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We homeschooled too, 4 kids different ages for the whole thing. We were part of a large support group which enabled the kids to make freinds and participate in group things. We even had coop classes and a debate club.
I think though, there is one thing I wish I’d understood– homeschooling is not a guarrantee that the kids will all do everything you want them to or end up believing what you believe–its a good foundation but ultimately they are their own person, which you will find out more and more as they grow older.
I’ve seen lots of hs familys go through the ‘teen years’ and there were still bumps in many of the roads. The families however seemed to be very strong and generally made the best of every situation and came out well.
When I was starting out I thought my kids would just somehow follow all I taught them without any bumps– so I learned. ;)
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@Nate – You have no idea how encouraging your comment is to me. Everyone, Nate has written a couple of guest posts here before, and we’ve emailed a bit. I never would have guessed he was in 11th grade. I figured he was in his mid-20s, because he’s so professional. Wow. Keep up the good work, Nate!
Thanks so much for sharing your decision and reasons why to came to this decision. Since I too have been thinking about homeschooling my kids, your conclusions actually helped confirm many of the same things that have been going through my mind also. I wish you the best of luck and I’m sure you will do wonderfully as your kids’ teacher.
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We also homeschool but only 1 of our 4 children. I also work at home and it can be challenging. Please while your children are in school now till the rest of the year do your research, check out a curriculum, prepare a schedule of the day (routines are very important) and prepare your house. Where will the kids study, do project, keep their books, etc. I wish I had been able to do that but with work (I do preschool/daycare), I was never able to fully do that because there are always children here. While it is quiet start preparing. In Oregon there will be a huge curriculum fair, with classes for parents and such, I believe in June, in Portland. If you are close to that or there is one close to you check it out. This will be my first one and I wish we had found something when we first did it but everything is trial and error. If you would like to talk more on this please e-mail me privately and I will help you the best I can. I love homeschooling but read things sometimes that almost sugarcoat it and then see dispair on parents faces because of things that come up that no one told them about, I think everyone should be prepared for the things that no one told them about. Make sure you have lots of support, encouragement, and never be afraid to ask questions and your journey will be one that you will never regret!
I know God is going to honor this important decision you have made. Looking forward to hearing about your new endeavor. (I too was touched by Nate’s comment.)
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I admire your decision. If I had it to do all over again, I would have homeschooled our children.
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Lynnae,
Thank you for sharing your news regarding homeschooling. I imagine it wasn’t an easy decision. I’m sure you gain a lot of helpful information from homechoolers via your blog. I wish you all the luck and look forward to hearing about “Adventures in Homeschooling” in the future!
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@Dana – You’re absolutely right. I have signed up for the conference in Portland. It will be a stretch, as June is already a busy month for us, but it’s important.
I also have good friends who homeschool, and I’ve been leaning on them for information and support. And I’ve already gleaned a lot from the internet, too.
And yes, organization is at the top of my list for the things I need to accomplish by summer’s end! Great advice, and I’ll be taking all of it!
Way to go! I’m looking forward to reading about how things go.
As to the socialization aspect … being ’socialized’ by a mean group of pre-teens is not my idea of a good time.
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Well, I definitely pray that God will bless your decision. :) I’m sure you’ve lots of ideas already on curriculums – but with the age gap, you might think about Sonlight. Their first grade curriculum is a world history one and if you used the 5th grade (generally same topic studied in P.S 6th grade) you’d be on the same page for both children. :)
Looking forward to your “adventure” posts as well.
Kudos on the decision to home school. My daughter is only 13 months old, so I have a while before school, but I have considered home schooling. I have many teachers in my family, so I am not sure how their reactions will be. I don’t mean to take away from all they do for the next generation. My concern is more with what is being cut from school’s, enormous class sizes, etc. Absolutely nothing to do with the quality of teachers. I know that wasn’t your concern, but I feel I need to make clear that I have nothing but respect for teachers (well, most…there are always a few out there…) But I just feel so sad that my children will likely never get the quality public education that I received. And with so many people exploring their education options now days, there are plenty of co-ops and such that homeschooled children miss out on very little, especially when you look at what keeps getting cut from public schools.
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I have done all 3 types of education-I applaud your decision and are considering this myself. May I suggest the Calvert school? It is awesome.
Best wishes!
No one, not even the most dedicated classroom teacher, cares for and about your children as much as you and your husband do. I am confident that you will do just fine as a homeschooler. It is natural that you would feel some anxiety, because this is a big change, and the unknown is always a little scary. Take some time this summer and do some planning, and set up a schedule so that there will be some routine and structure. Check to see if there is a homeschool association in your area for support. Also, please check your e mail as soon as you can.
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Congratulations on a wonderful decision. I homeschool my daughter and we both love it. She will be seven soon, and I always asked her if she thinks she might want to go to school with her friends. She always says no and tells me that she likes going on field trips three times a month, and having a park day with other homeschooled children. I also think that she likes that her day ends pretty early and the rest of the day is for her and I to “socialize” LOL
You and your family will be in our prayers as you embark on this awesome journey. Be Blessed
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I’m excited to hear how your homeschooling turns out! My daughter is not even 3 yet but I have done enough research to decide that I will homeschool when the time comes.
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Congrats on your decision. You mentioned 4H. We live in a small town and our 4H is very strong. We live in town and don’t have cattle or anything but they have lots of activities to be involved in.
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I’m glad you were able to make a decision. If you’re worried about curriculum, it might be worth looking into the charter schools that operate as web academies. I know this is a growing trend in Oregon. My cousin (who lives in St. Helens) actually homeschools her girls this way. I’m not sure all of the details, but here’s a link to one of these web academies to get you started: http://www.gbwebacademy.org
Also, I believe there is no cost associated with it, because it operates as a charter school, so your local school district will basically just give the money allotted for your kids’ education over to the charter school. Hope this helps you in your research!
Lynnae, based on what you are saying about your daughter not grasping the concepts as quickly as needed to enjoy a school setting, I believe you have made the right choice 100%. No doubt about it.
I WISH, I SO WISH I would have realized what 6th grad was going to be like for my child who has not caught the concepts of social studies as fast as he has needed to (he’s still a straight B student, but dang, the stress!!!). One thing seems to roll into another and it’s affected every other subject. He’s lost his confidence EVERYwhere.
Maybe it’s just the age, maybe it’s the way 6th is “supposed” to be but it seems like an awfully hard way to learn the ropes of life.
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How exciting!!!! I have been homeschooling my two boys (16 and 14) for the past 5 years. I have always loved my children, well, because they were my children. However, after homeschooling them I can honestly say I not only love but like the men they are turning out to be.
I truly feel that God will bless you and your family as you start this new adventure.
I’m not sure if I’m going to agree 100% with all the reasons you listed why you’re homeschooling your children. One of your biggest reasons seems to be out of fear what they might be taught in public schools in respect to Christianity. I come from a family of teachers dating back for generations. Any of them will strongly tell you that as a teacher, it is important to teach children to think for themselves and think objectionably. Yes, it is true that in public schools kids are taught a wide gamut of subjects ranging from the religions of the world, mathematics, geography, and so on as well as scientific theories.
In my opinion it is absolutely imperative that today’s children be exposed to as many different ideas as possible so they can again- learn how to be objective members of society by having the background knowledge of diverse subjects so that they have a better comprehension of the world around them. The irony is that people who know all sides of an issue tend to be more open minded and better capable of solidly identifying their own morals and ideology. If you feel know your beliefs, then you will feel confident in them if you know all sides of the story.
We live in a world where math and science is crucial for success. So in that regard I don’t support any notion of children being taught at home for the primary reason of cherry-picking what they should/should not be learning per their parent’s wishes and ideologies. That is doing nobody any favors, and especially not the child’s.
And in regards to socializing, well I read a few comments about how mean kids are these days. Yes, that’s true. They are mean, and always have been.Lord knows I came home crying many a time. But hard lessons in life are what builds character and strength. I knew quite a few kids who were totally home schooled, then later got to college and were utterly shocked as to how people behaved. They were completely unprepared for that experience and had to catch up socially to the rest of the other kids who had already long experienced the difficulties of their youths.
I really, really hate to sound like the bad guy here. But I feel pretty strongly about this issue having come from a family of public school teachers. I have no problem whatsoever with homeschooling. But I also feel that every child deserves access to the same knowledge privy to the average American.
@ bob
You said, “I have no problem whatsoever with homeschooling. But I also feel that every child deserves access to the same knowledge privy to the average American.” I beg to differ.
First, what is the knowledge available in public schools across America? Aside from the pro-socialist agenda, the instruction level has been proven to be low. Homeschoolers have repeatedly scored higher on standardized tests than public schoolers. Understand, I am not saying that all schools are the same. Some homeschoolers do not do well in school, and some public schoolers do very well in school. However, the average home school student scores better than the average public school student.
Second, I am a living example of a homeschooler. I have been homeschooled since before 1st grade (I am now in 11th grade). The only time that I have ever set foot in a public school was for the PSAT last fall. Are my grades low? Once a year, I take the California Achievement Test, a standardized test required in Oregon, and I have scored in the 99th percentile since 3rd or 4th grade! I do not say this to boast, the honor is due entirely to the Lord; rather, I say this to emphasis my point – the average homeschooler does have access to more knowledge than the average public schooler!
I hope that this will encourage others out there who are considering homeschooling not to be discouraged by the fear that the education level will be lower.
God bless,
Nate
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Doesn’t it feel great to have a decision like that behind you instead of in front of you? Homeschooling is going to be an adventure, and as a fellow novice, the biggest piece of advice I keep getting is to RELAX, and understand that you are NOT going to screw up their education. You’re going to do just fine. :-)
((Hugs))
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I will be seeing you at the conference in Portland in June! I just started homeschooling my 1st grader this year, so I am pretty new to this as well. As another frugal mom, I will agree Sonlight is pretty expensive, but there are many other options out there- don’t count out My Father’s World which is MUCH cheaper.
We began homeschooling for many of the same reasons you are. As the wife of a public school teacher, we see many of the problems with the public school system. It was actually my husband who encouraged me to begin this process. We desire so much for our children to love learning and found the public schools didn’t foster the love we wish for.
@Bob-
It was the public school who told my academically gifted child within the first month of school that they had done “all they could do for him” that year and now we “need to wait for the other kids to catch up.” This is totally not meant to be snippy, but public school certainly didn’t want to educate my child.
Congratulations on your decision. It’s been my experience that new homeschoolers go for the boxed curriculum the first year, learning what they like and what they don’t like (or more importantly, what works for their kids and what doesn’t) and eventually creating their own curriculum, finding free resources, etc.
Good luck this next year. As a former homeschooling mom, I look forward to hearing your adventures. (My kids are both in public school, as am I, and doing well).
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As a former homeschooler, I totally support your decision. Homeschooling opens up so many opportunities that are not otherwise available to kids. I find it ironic that the common perceptions about homeschoolers are that they want to keep their children from being exposed to the world and want to enforce a particular doctrine, which is the exact OPPOSITE of why most people do it! I did attend public school for the last couple of years of high school, and it allowed me to see from both perspectives. I valued the experiences I had in public school also, but I am so grateful for the devotion my parents put into my education. I am sure your kids will feel the same way (although they may not realize it until much later).
@ Nate
Not exactly sure what you mean by: ” Pro-Socialist agenda”. Sounds like another conspiracy theory. I’m sorry, but that’s totally crazy to suggest. Again- I have many in my family who teach public school. 5 to be exact. None who inject “socialist” ideals into innocent children’s minds. I’m sure that there are many home-schooled children who do quite well. There are also people like myself who got a good ole’-fashioned public school education who also do well, right along with everyone else in my family who also went to public school and now all earn well within the upper 10-15% of the national salary bracket.
My point being was that yes- home schooling is fine. But doing so just for the parent’s religious or ideological beliefs and a distrust of the general public education system isn’t beneficial. Its not like your kids aren’t someday going to have to work with people who might have been taught about Dinosaurs, the Big Bang theory, and so on. These are things they will have to learn about at some point in order to put it into context with their own beliefs. This is my opinion. I know others disagree with me.
@ bob
Thank you for replying! I did not meant to suggest that every public school teacher is pro-socialist. Far from it! I personally know at least two public school teachers who are freedom-loving Christians. I am sure that your relatives are the same. However, I do disagree with you about exposing young children to evolution, sex ed, and other inappropriate classes that are required in public schools. Once someone is more mature and understands the truth, they can stand against it, but, if they are a blank slate, they are much more likely to believe it. However, like I said, I do not want to suggest that your relatives or even most teachers are trying to indoctrinate the students. I do not want to be offensive, but this is where I stand.
God bless,
Nate
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Well, I guess we just happen to disagree on the issue, which is fine. I’m probably a bit more liberal in my views of childhood education. As far as what and how kids are taught, I think that really depends on the teacher. For example, I was taught about sex ed when I was in 6th grade. The teacher who taught it was very serious about it and as a result, we students took the subject seriously. I also think that any good teacher would make clear statements in regards to science. I recall one of the first thing taught to me about science was that science was based on theory, and theory in itself is an educated and informed guess that has some flexibility to change, hence the world could have begun any number of ways, none of which were completely understood. But never did I hear a teacher say that something was exactly as such.
I think the background argument here is whether science and religion can co-exist. I think the answer is yes, which I understand is probably different than others feel. My own personal religious beliefs is that God gave us the power of intellect and it is out duty to learn about the world around us- including things that we don’t agree with- in order to make ourselves more rounded people. Thus I do not agree with restricting children from what’s out there.
Anyhow, thanks for keeping the conversation cordial and intelligent. I know we disagree, which again is fine. I’ll leave it at that.
I’m sure your adventure into homeschooling will be just that an adventure. I don’t know if I could be as dedicated but I’m lucky to have a pretty good school to send my kids to.
Living in Ontario, Canada we haven’t been faced with school cutbacks like our neighbours to the south. I would like to think that that won’t happen but who knows.
Good luck in your new adventure. I’m sure that you will be marvelous at it. Can’t wait for the updates.
Ah, so much to say. Where to begin?
@bob – We’re going to have to disagree on some level, though I do agree with some of your points. In looking for homeschool curriculum, I’m looking for a curriculum that hits the tough subjects. I want my kids to learn about other religions and cultures. I did when I was in 6th grade (in a Christian school), and I’m better for it.
Math and science are very important, and it’s one of the reasons I’m homeschooling. My daughter failed a math test today. She just doesn’t have the one on one time she needs to grasp math concepts in a classroom setting. By homeschooling, I can slow down and teach her at a pace where she’s really getting it. And math is one of my strong subjects, so I don’t worry about being able to teach it. And science right now is a bit of a joke in school. They rotate it with social science and health. At the moment, my daughter isn’t getting any science.
@Steph – Very cool that you’ll be at the conference! I expect I’ll learn a lot! And Steph, I have come across your problem with the gifted child. My son catches on to things quickly and is reading at the end of first grade level (he’s in kindergarten). Fortunately he has a teacher that worked with him, and he goes to first grade for reading. Unfortunately, it means he’s not getting any math, because 1st grade reading is during kindergarten math. But since he’s already hit the kindergarten standards, they aren’t required to teach him anymore math. It’s a trade-off.
As far as mean kids go, I think some kids can handle it. But when I hear my daughter coming home, telling me that she’s stupid and not pretty enough, I don’t think she can handle it. I think her situation is creating a negative view of herself that might not easily be broken. I think by pulling her out of school, I can help foster a sense of confidence in her. By the time kids go to college they’re more mature and less likely to engage in name calling.
I don’t think going through the middle school cattiness stage is necessary to be successful in life. There are plenty of opportunities in life to learn how to face adversity well, without being subject to cyber-bullying, name calling, and cliques.
So those are my thoughts. I appreciate everyone’s opinion, even if I don’t agree. It’s a good conversation!
I am very sorry that Bob and Nate have turned this into an argument on YOUR blogsite. Be prepared for this though when you do tell people that you homeschool. I have people in my own church that feel what I am doing is wrong and it has caused poor feelings from me and I try to be strong but very hard. They should be supportive not condemming. Anyway for those out there, ALOT of the homeschoolers I know were either teachers before they had children, one’s husband is the principal of the school, or they have relatives who are in the schools. I personally have a lovely neice who is a teacher and she can’t believe how FAR behind the students work is compared to my daughters, (she has to teach from the school provided curriculum remember, not to stray from it). So I believe everyone needs to remember that what they may believe isn’t what the next person believe’s.
I will be going to the conference in Portland also so maybe there would be a way to meet while up there. For some reason I think we may have a mutual friend who homeschools in the Douglas County area. I think I saws a post from her on the other area of homeschooling when talking how much private costs versus homeschooling. What a small world it is if she is the one I’m thinking of.
Have a great evening and take life one step at a time!
You will love homeschooling. I know I do. As long as your kids are active in several activities they get as much socialization as other kids do. Right now in public school they can barely talk at lunch, recess has gone as well. Sconicle is in the sixth grade, it is a better year than fifth grade which was easier than fourth grade!
I really love MathUSee for a math curriculum. It is on mastery not spiraling, which means you learn everything in the order you need to know it. You cannot skip ahead till you have mastered it, but before that I did Saxon.
Every kid is different and after a few years you will figure out what you need to use for each kid!
Be encouraged, you are not alone!
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Congratulations on your family’s decision, Lynnae! When you mentioned your daughter–I couldn’t help but be interested, especially in your mentioning that she doesn’t get enough one-on-one time, and so you will be able slow down and teach her at a pace where she really gets it.
I know you want the best for your child, and I know your head is probably spinning with the various curriculum packages and supplements available for homeschooling–but I want to add one more thing.
If I were you–I’d observe your daughter learning. You’re probably thinking, “duh!” Seriously though–observe behaviors and observe the type of learner she tends to be, and what materials she really understands and responds to.
When kids don’t “get it,” a common misperception is to go slower–when instead, the reality is just that the student is just not understanding the teaching style–which is confounding her ability to perform to mastery. (Additionally, going slower can lead to other issues–lack of focus, boredom, frustration, etc.) Keeping a rapid pace, but lowering the cognitive demand of the task presented each time an error is produced may enable you to determine exactly where she’s exhibiting difficulties (because you’re controlling the lack of “lag” time). Common research areas/search terms are individual differences, direct instruction, non-directive instruction/tutoring, etc. By experimenting with the teaching style and the manipulatives available at home, you may be able to give your daughter the confidence she deserves in academics–it’s not that she’s dumb, or doesn’t get it. It’s just that the material isn’t being taught in the way the she needs to learn. Education is not one-size-fits-all!
Blessings your way–congratulations as you and your family embark on this journey together!
Good decision . . . besides the extra work, three benefits will arise:
1) You will know that your kids are learning from direct one-on-one attention
2) You will probably have a closer relatonship with them
3) You will have more flexibity in scheduling
Good luck with it!
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@ Dana I don’t think Bob and Nate had an argument they had a very civilised discussion, which I, for one, found interesting.
I’m quite intrigued by homeschooling, it is very rare where I am from.
My greatest concern would be the ability of the parent to teach subjects the the required level, my parents are well educated medical professionals but I’m not convinced that they could have taught me applied mathematics, and organic chemistry to the same degree that a professional chemistry or maths teacher would.
I’m also wondering if all homeschooling organisations are Christian? Most, if not all, references I’ve read here so far suggest they are. Do people of other or no religion tend not to homeschool in the US?
This is a fairly new concept for me and I found Nate and Bob’s contributions helpful, and I’ll be intrigued to read about Lynnae’s foray into the world of homeschooling.
That is cool. I have a son going into 6th, and a son going into 1st. I wonder how I will juggle the age gap as well.
God is good, it will work out. -Becky in NJ
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I also enjoyed the discussion between bob & Nate. No worries there.
@Looby – There’s a lot of homeschooling that goes on where I live. There are a lot of Christian families that homeschool, but there are also a lot of non-Christian families that homeschool, and there are support groups for both.
As far as a parent being able to teach, many times the parent learns along with the child. There are all kinds of packaged curriculum that work with different learning styles. There’s also the option of hiring a tutor or having high school students take online classes or classes at the community college. Homeschooling is really flexible in that there are a seemingly limitless number of ways to teach. You just need to find what works best for you and your child. I think that’s why many people find it more effective than public school.
Congrats on your decision. I’m sure your knees are knocking!
The best advice I could give and the best thing I did when I took the plunge was to find a seasoned mentor with several years and kids homeschooled under her belt. You just can’t beat it to have that voice of experience. If you find the right one they present several suggestions to the problems you might run up against and are very helpful and supportive as you figure your children out.
Hope you find one of these.
Homeschool was by far the hardest thing I ever did. Wouldn’t change a thing for that specific child.
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Looby-What I have found so wonderful with teaching my daughter is that things I learned throughout my educational years and forgot I’m relearning and with a better understanding. It almost makes more sense to me now that I am an adult and doing it then when I was in school. Math is making so much mors sense and I actually find it fun to do. What saddens me is that I have two older children who go to public school and alot of times I can’t help them with their homework because I don’t understand it but I do know that when my youngest child who is also in school will be getting older and having harder homework I will be able to help him with it. One complaint and frustration from alot of parents that have children in public school is that they have changed the way everything is taught that most cannot help their children with their work. Like I said in an early post is how many teachers leave teaching to teach their children at home. This has to tell you something about either the schools or the how things are being taught. I do enjoy discussing subjects like this and see everyone’s points, what I do not enjoy though is when it feels that it is becoming argumenative and someone has to win. On our homeschool forum someone posted some very well known people who were homeschooled. The following people were listed-Agatha Christie, Pearl S. Buck, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Ansel Adams, Robert Frost, Woodrow Wilson (didn’t learn to read till age 12), Mozart, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Louisa May Alcott. Remember that there were actually schools available to all these people but they didn’t attend. Not all were homeschooled their entire school years but for some reason their families chose to homeschool them for some time for some reason. Also there wasn’t available curriculum like we have today but each one of these people learned enough that we have heard or had an impact on our lives from them. Sorry so long-everyone have a great day!
Congratulations! From what I’ve read over the last couple of posts, you’ve really put a lot of time and consideration into this decision, which is the best way to do it. Not being a homeschooler myself, (although we did consider it at one point, but realized it wouldn’t be right for us) I have a lot of respect for the people who really think and weigh all of their options before making such a big decision. Good luck with it. I’m sure you’ll be great at it.
@ Dana and Lynnae- thanks for the responses. Like I say homeschooling is very rare where I am from and I wonder if maybe in part it is due to the extreme differences in the school systems between our countries.
I’m very glad that you have found what works best for your families, which ultimately is the most important thing.
Yea! Looking forward to your homeschooling posts!
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I read all of your posts with bated breath, and anticipated jumping in with my own two cents’ worth, only to find that you’ve managed to create the most well-balanced and informational blog about homeschooling that I have ever read – without my help, thank you very much. In ten years of schooling my own kids, the biggest frustration has been well-meaning but uninformed comments from outside the homeschool spectrum. Unconditional support would have been nice, but running into opposition has only strengthened my resolve (or, stubborn streak). While most folks are encouraging, some will be downright insulting. If I can add anything to the conversation, let it be this: You can do this. It is not difficult; it is rewarding and fun. The only prerequisite is patience.
Good luck – glad to hear you’re taking the plunge.
If your daughter is struggling in math, I’d highly suggest Math U See (as will many other homeschooling parents!) The manipulatives and non-spiral approach mean the kids actually understand the concepts – as opposed to learning how to solve the problem And I’d probably have her start a couple of years before her level and whiz through the lessons so you can catch any places where she missed something she needed – math is very dependent on learning in order.
I also recommend having both your kids learn to count by 1’s through 15’s (there are song cd’s out there to help). It sounds silly, but by doing that when multiplication and division come around they don’t even blink.
I just came across your site from HomeEc 101. I was reading this post about homeschooling and wanted to leave you an encouraging note. We chose to start homeschooling our daughter in the 7th grade. We knew we had a cross country move coming and didn’t want to pull her out of school once she had started. Plus, the community that we moved to does not have a private Christian school that goes through the 12th grade. She is currently in 10th grade and I’m thrilled. We’ve had a few adjustments over the past 3 1/2 years but sitting where I’m at right now, I’m thrilled that we made this decision. Our daughter is bright, articulate and has started taking responsibility for her education! She has her own reading program aside from her school curriculum and is currently reading through the classics. There will be many bumps and bruises along the way, but, you as the parents know your children the best and have their best interests at heart. God Bless you as you embark on this wonderful, fearful, and exhilarating journey!
I’m also keeping my daughter (who will be going into 1st grade) home next year, providing that nothing life altering happens. The only difference is that I’ll be schooling her through an online public school. I feel much more comfortable (on a personal level) doing that, because I’m not very organized, so I like the idea of having the curriculum already there, 100% free. The school I’m going to be using also does 5-6 field trips a month all around the state (not mandatory), and they make sure that the children take the tests that they are required to by our state.
My husband and I still haven’t told his mother that we’re doing it yet, though :-P… she won’t like it.