How much time would you recommend preparing to HS?

[displace]

I'm researching if HSing would be the right fit for our family and we may end up making a decision within the next 1-2 months. I'm wondering what others who are more experienced would suggest as optimal preparation time before HSing if we decide to do that?

 

I know answers will vary, but I'm curious how much time you felt would be helpful before starting HS? I have some curriculum already from after schooling but will need some other subjects, I would like to set up some type of flexible scheduling for our family, meet HS groups in the area, buy a trampoline (!!), look for fun extracurriculars, think about fun family decompression field trips, read some about HS, find some cool HS blogs, etc (actually I have no idea what to really do to prepare).

 

Should I start looking into it casually now, really ramp up my research already, or will the time from decision made to withdrawal from school be good enough as there's no real way to prepare for HS until you start doing it? :)

[IsabelC]

I am pretty sure there is some law of the universe stating that home school planning expands to take up all of the available time. There is literally no end to the amount of research and planning you could do. And, no matter how much research and planning you do, there is a 99% guarantee that you won't end up doing everything precisely like you planned anyway.

 

Personally, I'd ramp up the research immediately, because you don't just have to make decisions, but you also have to give yourself time to mentally prepare, and on the practical side, you might want to order some extra resources, which will take time to arrive. I'd probably try to make a definite choice on whether home education is going to happen before putting too much time into finessing the curriculum and schedule, although I guess there might be some overlap, because the question of how you'd do things is probably a factor in the overall decision. 

 

 

[pitterpatter]

Every waking moment and even some while sleeping. Homeschooling is a full-time job, plus overtime.

 

It is really helpful to start early and plan out as much as possible (down to researching library books and videos you may want to check out from your local library). You will thank yourself in the long run. I do a lot of planning during the summer for the upcoming year. It will also depend on the curriculum you use, though.

[73349]

Are you looking to withdraw mid-year (assuming you're in a US Aug./Sept.-May/June calendar)? I would think you could have everything set to go by Christmas break. That's plenty of time to think about what you'd like the rest of this year to look like, and make a smooth transition. Start making notes now.

 

(On the other hand, if you have a child who is really miserable, then do it ASAP--basically, make sure you are in compliance with state law as far as registering or whatever applies for you, and go for it. That could be this weekend.)

[displace]

I am pretty sure there is some law of the universe stating that home school planning expands to take up all of the available time. There is literally no end to the amount of research and planning you could do. And, no matter how much research and planning you do, there is a 99% guarantee that you won't end up doing everything precisely like you planned anyway.

 

Personally, I'd ramp up the research immediately, because you don't just have to make decisions, but you also have to give yourself time to mentally prepare, and on the practical side, you might want to order some extra resources, which will take time to arrive. I'd probably try to make a definite choice on whether home education is going to happen before putting too much time into finessing the curriculum and schedule, although I guess there might be some overlap, because the question of how you'd do things is probably a factor in the overall decision. 

 

Unfortunately I was drinking a soda when I read your first sentence.  I almost ruined my computer (from spitting out my drink)!

 

Good advice.  I can at least start looking at finalizing different curriculums for the subjects I would still need so I could purchase when the decision is made (if necessary), maybe buy some "extras" I would have gotten anyway (we have a whole IKEA shelf filled with toys but also educational things), maybe rearrange some organization to make HS more practical, and actually re-organize a whole bunch of rooms to make our whole house work better.  Then scheduling could come later on (though I know how much time to give to some subjects) as I start to think about HS groups, play dates, extracurriculars, appts, etc.  I guess I could also look into types of HS philosophies.  I'd like to get a pre-done curriculum but I already have HWT, KWT (keyboarding), AAR, AAS, some math (which may get changed), and SOTW.  A lot of curriculums look like they would be too much overlap.   

 

[displace]

Every waking moment and even some while sleeping. Homeschooling is a full-time job, plus overtime.

 

It is really helpful to start early and plan out as much as possible (down to researching library books and videos you may want to check out from your local library). You will thank yourself in the long run. I do a lot of planning during the summer for the upcoming year. It will also depend on the curriculum you use, though.

 

Well I'm glad I asked and didn't wait!  I realize I could spend a lot of time researching, but I thought that was just my over-researching brain.  It's good to know others plan a lot of significant time figuring out this stuff.  We listen to SOTW in the car, but maybe I could research those free documentaries or whatever that corresponds with them?  DS seems to really like SOTW and I wasn't going to get too much into it but maybe if he's so into it I should get something a little more formal.  Or just re-listen to the stories.

[displace]

Are you looking to withdraw mid-year (assuming you're in a US Aug./Sept.-May/June calendar)? I would think you could have everything set to go by Christmas break. That's plenty of time to think about what you'd like the rest of this year to look like, and make a smooth transition. Start making notes now.

 

(On the other hand, if you have a child who is really miserable, then do it ASAP--basically, make sure you are in compliance with state law as far as registering or whatever applies for you, and go for it. That could be this weekend.)

 

We are researching this because of possible concern of LD.  I've agreed to wait for testing from all sorts of specialists before we make a decision, but I think we're close to needing a radical change within the next 1-2 months.  DS isn't "miserable", but he's not happy and sometimes unhappy, though I'm frequently more of the miserable category for DS's sake.

 

[OneStepAtATime]

One thing I didn't do that I wish I had done was lay out a specific plan on paper for overall goals for the first year of homeschooling, including not just academics but integration of chores, how to handle all the additional eating at home we would be doing, ways to help the family relationships, social activities, etc.  Lay it all out to look at and then list specific ways to accomplish those goals.  

 

By the next year I did do that and it helped.  What also really helped that next year was looking at all of the resources/curriculum we planned to use, then grabbing a calendar and starting with the date I knew we wanted to take an extended break for family vacation time/fun day camps for the kids/etc. then laid out all the lessons for each subject every week, working backwards to our intended start date, trying to keep in mind birthdays, holidays, etc.  I also tried to add in pad time, just assuming that we might run into snags or scheduling issues.  I also tried to make Fridays half-days with more game like reinforcement of whatever we were learning and to keep in mind that we might attend co-op classes part of every fall and spring.  Laying it all out helped me keep us on track and when life happened it helped me restructure things so we didn't get behind or helped me realistically adjust for areas we were struggling or flying through....

 

And I would also urge you to try and budget in time every day where you have at least an hour just to prep for the next day, and at least a bit of time every day just to do something for you.  Carve out that time into your schedule and stick to it.  Make sure you both know this is important.

 

Also, find something of interest to him that he can pursue independently, too.  For instance, DD loves art.  I got her an on-line and then a local instructor to help her improve her art and now she does a lot of art projects for her down time.  She has a cabinet she keeps her art supplies in and I buy in bulk whenever there are 80% off sales.  DS loves history.  He is doing Veritas Press self-paced history, has tons of DVDs he can pop in and he has several books on Kindle that he reads for history/literature studies he has chosen to do for fun.  I try to make certain that areas they have interest in are always supported and respected and they are provided with the materials/instruction needed to pursue those areas of interest further (not always possible but I do try).

[wapiti]

I agree w/OneStep - figure out your goals.  Prioritize.  This is a young one, correct?  I would start researching the skill subjects, math and language arts (sounds like you've already started), then wait to purchase until just before you are withdrawing from school, in case you change your mind (eta, about the curriculum choice) or you get pertinent info from your evals.  I'd put a lower priority on other subjects (science and history) and just do whatever he enjoys most for those.

 

Then, if you are like me, you will start making spreadsheets for scheduling out the skill subjects to see how far you will get by the end of the school year.  And then you will only use them for a few weeks before you need to update them to reflect reality (faster/slower) :)

[Garga]

Ramp it up. I start researching in March for the upcoming year because the curriculum fair is in May. I spend dozens of hours in March and April and early May researching what I want.

 

After researching it, then I need to buy it.

 

After it's all bought, then I spend about 80 hours making plans--how many lessons a week would I need to do to cover this science book in 36 weeks of school? how many lessons a week to cover the grammar book in 36 weeks? etc. What will our daily schedule look like? In my state I need to have a book list and a daily log, so those need to be created in excel (or whatever format you like.)

 

It goes on and on and on. I create charts, I find websites to support the curric I bought, I create folders and binders, etc, etc, etc.

 

Once school begins it takes me 5-6 hours each week to prepare for the next week: printing out some worksheets, finding the next bible memory verse and creating fill-in-the blank sheets to help with memory, printing out history coloring pages, making sure I have science experiement supplies, etc, etc, etc.

 

Bottom line: ramp it up. Better to have more time now to research than to be scrambling at the last minute.

[bluedarling]

I haven't seen anyone mention, yet, that typically they recommend 1 month of "deschooling" for every year in school.  That means once you bring him home you will just do fun learning things for awhile...visit museums, watch documentaries, try some art, lego challenges, etc.  During this time is when you do all your planning.   Given this philosophy, you could pull him whenever you are ready (which it sounds like as soon as testing comes back.)  If LDs are involved, there is probably some discouragement and so I would highly recommend taking this time.  Then, add in subjects slowly, one at a time.  Science and history don't even have to happen until middle school, if LDs are making learning stressful (unless he enjoys SOTW cds...then by all means keep listening!)  Spend some time recovering from the trauma school has caused.  The only planning you might want to do while waiting for test results is start listing all the fun things he could do during this time.  Maybe buy some dvds you think would keep his interest...start precuring zoo passes, etc.  Would your son like horseback riding?  It can be very therapeutic, and would be a good activity during this time.   Make yourself a list, and plan to spend around 2-3 hours each day doing those kinds of things if you can.  Then gradually add in academics in small chunks..."we're going to do 15 minutes of reading now before we do xyz (favorite activity)."   If you have not had a developmental optometrist visit to rule out visual perception issues do that now...if vision therapy is warranted this transition time would be a good time! (because the therapy is taxing and requires less schoolwork anyway.)  Probably goes for any other therapies needed, as well (OT?)  So I guess I'm saying relax...you don't need all your ducks in a row to pull him.

[displace]

Thanks for all the insights!  I guess I will be posting a lot more curriculum and general questions after getting so much encouragement to start thinking about this now.  And I was considering a zoo membership... seems like good timing! 

[Guest]

All you need is a library card and love.

 

Those young whippersnappers always tack on "and an internet connection" because they're kids, not because you really need one.

[Pen]

Unfortunately I was drinking a soda when I read your first sentence.  I almost ruined my computer (from spitting out my drink)!

 

Good advice.  I can at least start looking at finalizing different curriculums for the subjects I would still need so I could purchase when the decision is made (if necessary), maybe buy some "extras" I would have gotten anyway (we have a whole IKEA shelf filled with toys but also educational things), maybe rearrange some organization to make HS more practical, and actually re-organize a whole bunch of rooms to make our whole house work better.  Then scheduling could come later on (though I know how much time to give to some subjects) as I start to think about HS groups, play dates, extracurriculars, appts, etc.  I guess I could also look into types of HS philosophies.  I'd like to get a pre-done curriculum but I already have HWT, KWT (keyboarding), AAR, AAS, some math (which may get changed), and SOTW.  A lot of curriculums look like they would be too much overlap.   

 

 

 

That's all you need to get started!

 

And starting with that and then changing as needed to better fit your dc's needs, or to have some new things to be added as you go (both curriculum and extracurriculars etc.) would probably be a better gentle, gradual introduction than trying to do too much, use too much, all at once.

 

Adding a science after you get going with the other things would be a fun thing to look forward to. (look at BFSU for content )

 

The chances of finding a pre-done curriculum that will fit a 2e child are slim to nil.

[cintinative]

There is some real wisdom in this thread. My experience is that we started talking about it and learning about homeschool philosophies in January, committed ourselves to it in April, but didn't begin homeschooling until the following August. As mentioned I used every bit of that time.  I am a planner so I wanted to be sure I had my bases covered.  

 

At a minimum, right now I would start learning about the different homeschool philosophies (Classical, Charlotte Mason, etc.) and figure out what "camp" fits your desires best. Worst case, you can go to the homeschool convention and hear the talk from Cathy Duffy on the different curriculum styles. It would be _much_ better if you could get your hands on it before convention, because your approach will totally affect your curriculum choices.  She also has a really good talk on learning styles that was very helpful to me. She specifically talks about how certain math curriculum fit with certain learning styles.  

 

Other than that I did spend a lot of time talking to different homeschoolers about what they use and why they liked it, disliked it, etc.  Once I was sure I was going with Classical, I went and looked at different curriculum people recommended to see what I thought of it.  I think 8 out of every 10 people on here would say a lot of their curriculum "mistakes" revolve around buying a curriculum without seeing it first. Try your very best to avoid this!!  There were some things where I looked at them for literally 30 seconds and said no and walked away. And some of those things were things other people loved!  Some of this is very personal and family-dependent. It make take awhile to figure out what that sweet spot is for your family curriculum-wise. Just don't assume that it will be the same as someone else you know.  =)

[FairProspects]

With a possible LD, I'm going to disagree about deschooling. While you definitely need to work some time in to do subjects where he excels and encourage these, you also need to begin remediating immediately. That process can take so long and you really don't want to delay any longer than necessary. The brain is more plastic at younger ages and it is easier to form new connections.

 

I'd say your amount of time depends on whether you are using do-the-next thing materials or making your own. Creating your own will take a lot more time. I also agree with OneStep, get good plans and routines in place for household tasks, errands, meal plans, grocery shopping, etc. You need to focus on schooling during the day and that is a lot easier to accomplish if you know dinner is planned into the day and the laundry is going.

[FriedClams]

I think it's like "when is the right time to have a baby". Just have a baby. You'll wonder what your life was ever like before it. Homeschooling is pretty similar. Just jump in. You'll never read enough, research enough, pray enough... And pretty soon, you'll wonder what life was like before homeschooling. In a good way. :-)

[Dramorellis]

 I spent months planning before we pulled him at the end of the year. Much of that time was spent more on philosophy and defining what our home culture and ultimate objectives were. It's hard to pick a curriculum or pull together a plan if I can't define what it is I even hope to accomplish. Husband and I spent many, many hours discussing what type of schooling would be ideal and how to implement and what is out there in terms of resources to accomplish it. Only after a few months of that ,when I had a firm grasp on our goals and philosophy, did I start ordering stuff and attempt to schedule. We did spend about 2 months of doing pretty much nothing except for reading, legos and playing. That was absolutely crucial for all of us. I'm quite sure I could have just jumped in and we would have found our way but I am so glad we did it the way we did. It helped me buy with purpose and choose opportunities very carefully, which I am sure saved us a bunch of money. 

[displace]

With a possible LD, I'm going to disagree about deschooling. While you definitely need to work some time in to do subjects where he excels and encourage these, you also need to begin remediating immediately. That process can take so long and you really don't want to delay any longer than necessary. The brain is more plastic at younger ages and it is easier to form new connections.

 

I'd say your amount of time depends on whether you are using do-the-next thing materials or making your own. Creating your own will take a lot more time. I also agree with OneStep, get good plans and routines in place for household tasks, errands, meal plans, grocery shopping, etc. You need to focus on schooling during the day and that is a lot easier to accomplish if you know dinner is planned into the day and the laundry is going.

Yes, because of remediation we wouldn't stop all schooling. I'd still continue at least our after schooling, plus to destress I'll start some extracurriculars which we rarely have time for. And add in more physical play time daily since that is lacking too. Plus a lot of read alouds which I love, making me think I'd just go with a Charlotte mason approach.

[Pen]

Isn't he something like a 6 or 7 yo? If so, he needs his remediation, math, reading, something for an area where he has high interest level and can enjoy it (which could be accomplished via read alouds, projects, etc.), physical play, and one extracurricular. And lifeskills like helping you cook and so on. 

 

Later on (next year or when it seems like what you are doing has gotten easy and there is room for more sooner), you could add something for visual arts area and or music, history, science, maybe some language (but that could be hard if he has dyslexia), etc. 

 

Just as no pre-made curriculum is likely to fit 2e, many "philosophies" of education may also not fit. With 2e dealing with the exact individual child before you, and meeting him where he is in each area is paramount. 

 

You could spend years and years researching and have what in theory sounds perfect, but it may not work for your child. If you start working with your child, trying things out, you are likely to figure out what works for him well.

[PeterPan]

We are researching this because of possible concern of LD.  I've agreed to wait for testing from all sorts of specialists before we make a decision, but I think we're close to needing a radical change within the next 1-2 months.  DS isn't "miserable", but he's not happy and sometimes unhappy, though I'm frequently more of the miserable category for DS's sake.

 

If you're planning on doing evals, you could bring him home today (or whatever your law allows for withdrawal from ps), read aloud a couple hours a day, do some of your HWT, AAS, etc. together a bit each day, rearrange your space *together* (heavy lifting! fun!), and grow into it together.  It doesn't have to be this perfect thing you do TO him, like he's your new pet project.  You can pull him out and work through the process together, imperfectly.  You couldn't do more harm in that than what they're doing keeping him trapped in school unwell, miserable, and unhappy.  It's perfectly normal, valid homeschooling.  Just because you aren't ready to do EVERYTHING you might want to do doesn't mean you can't do SOMETHING now.

 

Btw, you asked in another thread about curriculum.  If you do pull him out and grow together a bit, it will give you more data to interpret what you're reading.  It will save you curriculum mistakes.  If he really is 6 or 7, you already have enough curriculum from what you've listed, mercy.  Everything else is library books, read alouds, gravy.  Finding an approach might make you feel confident (a FEELING you're looking for), but it won't matter when he shatters it and makes you realize NOBODY's theory is going to fit him.  My dd's IQ is only bright, and I've NEVER found an approach that entirely fits her.  My ds' IQ *seems* to be higher, and there's NO way anyone's approach fits him.  Well unless you wanna talk Cindy Gaddis' Right Side of Normal and do your own thing and throw inhibitions and grade levels and standards out the window, lol.  

 

I'm just saying you can work really hard to be perfectionist about this (something gifted people do) only to realize it's going to be all about him, what he wants to do, and learning with him how he learns.  And you do that by jumping in.  You don't have to have it all perfect, and in fact you're wise NOT to.  You're wise to WAIT on any major expenditures.  You don't need anything more than what you have and a library card to get started.  :D

 

Btw, if you're going for the psych eval, don't bother with testing before that.  The psych will want to repeat it and he'll probably do the WJIII or (more likely) the WIAT.