How many Literature books do your children read in a year? Disclaimer: I do not have a 6th grader YET. Only a 6yo and a toddler. Philosophy: We read good books --for the sake of being exposed to complex ideas --to be well read on current ideas --it creates "shared history" with everyone else who has read these books --as preparation for reading adult classics/award winners We read Caldecott and other award-winning (or nominated) books: Geisel, Zolotov, Goldfinch Awards. Last school year we read 80 of them (2/week). I printed off a copy of the awards we wanted to read, and we read backwards, starting with the most recent winners. We check these books off the list, and I hope to read ~80 books/ year through 4th grade. Dd6 also evaluates the books a la IEW, with a discussion of characters, setting, problem/surprise (crisis), resolution of crisis, what happens afterwards, and a clincher sentence. ----------------------- THE PLAN (if we are still homeschooling): Newberry Award winners by 5th grade. I will expect my daughters to read a chapter a day, and to evaluate the chapter in a literary manner. (List characters, be aware of setting, record in writing 2 things that happened in each chapter, theme, and a book report at the end of at least some books). Classics beginning in 9th or 10 Grade: --70 to 100pages/week, with and extra week between books for written book evaluation. While reading, I will encourage my daughters to record 2 things from each chapter, and other notes (symbolism, striking passages by page number, theme/lessons learned, characters). --two Shakespeare plays/year. Any play. Just pick one. --guided by Cliff's Notes. This also gives me (who does not have natural Literary abilities) a one stop guide for authorship, symbols, theme, and a summary if we miss anything in the original reading. --because of the Cliff's system, my daughters will be able to choose from hundreds of books. Pick one. Pick any one. --we may also be guided by recommendations for peers on the college track. --I am open to other award winners, too. If dd proposes something that has won the Nobel prize for Literature or something on the NYT Bestseller List, we will discuss it. By writing two things that happen in each chapter, I am hoping to train my daughters how to "read literature in preparation for writing a paper." If she has a rough outline of what happens in each chapter, she will have a framework to "write a summary of the book." This is preferred to reading a 300p book, then figuring out where to start. Likewise, popular questions of high school/college lit teachers are: Quote X number of passages that show blah blah blah (symbolism, examples of rising conflict, examples of how character feels about Y or Z). "Find and discuss three passages where Amy feels ambivalence toward a character." Again, if my daughter has a written framework, she can easily find scenes she needs. Chapter 7: "Amy rides the train to Chicago. She meets Mrs. Spencer on the train." Chapter 20: "Amy attends a party at Haversfull House. Mrs. Spencer gives her a red scarf, but makes her feel mad by her comments" So, dd will have a jumpstart on what to skim to find 2 of the 3 passages. Most high school students only read 1-2 Shakespeare plays in a high school career. Imagine if yours has read 6-8. Most high school students only read a handful of classics. Imagine if yours has a list of 20-30 as they leave for college.

ETA: Sorry! This is basically a take-off on Mom2bee's idea. She should get the credit! -------------------------------------- Another crazy idea, but I would do it: I would also go to the B&M school, and talk with writing teachers of next year. I would take my child, so he can hear, too. I would ask, "What does an incoming student need to be competent to do for writing on the first day of school for grade X?" The public schoolteachers I know are very willing to direct you and your son to be where he needs to be next year. Most do it because they are good human beings and good teachers, but even the most selfish and lazy should realize that it makes more work for them to have a student that is behind or weak in a key area. Ask more than one teacher if the first one gives you guff. I know that doesn't help you decide on a curriculum, but --it may focus you and your son as you choose a curriculum --it may focus you as you decide which parts of the curriculum to touch on, and which parts to be merciless about implementing. --it may help you to know what holes need to be filled in whatever curriculum you choose. (Every curriculum has holes. No one curriculum, public school or homeschool, does it all. I don't know a single public school teacher that doesn't supplement).

Older dd is 6. We do piano together daily. I direct what needs to be practiced and when she is ready to move to move on to a new song. We have done this for two years. We use a LOT of games. Our book is My First Piano Adventures. Book B profiled Beethoven and Mozart. Book C adds Haydn, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky. When a new Composer is introduced, we --play appropriate songs from Beethoven's Wig --listen to "An Introduction to the Classics" in the car --read "Getting to Know the World's Greatest Composers" --read any other kids' books on the specific composer from the library --------------------------------------------------------------- Anyone may PM me who wants my list of piano games. The only downside is that the file is quite big, and it comes with a couple of Powerpoint documents; I would need a regular email address for that.

Are you enjoying the book? If you are, then it's a no-brainer: finish the book. If you are not, then this is a good opportunity to get rid of it and read something else. As for the library (and fines): Our library is awesome awesome awesome. If a book is overdue and has been renewed the maximum number of times, I can ask the librarian to check the book in and check the book out again to me. They will do this if no one else has requested the book. You won't know if you don't ask, but don't show up with the book. They may demand it back and keep it. :glare:

After trying many systems and games, this worked the best for us. 1) Cut up two index cards into at least twelve little cards. (Usually you can get 16 little squares, so you'll have extra). 2) Tell your child to write the multiples on them: 6,12,18,24,28,35,42,48,54,60,66,72. 3 ) Tell your child to put the numbers in order, laid out so they can see them all on the table. 4) Tell your child to read the numbers aloud to you. 5) Turn over the first two. Tell your child to read the numbers to you again, including the ones he cannot see. Touch each number (or upside-down card) as he says it. 6) Ask you child to turn over one more card --ANY card -- whichever one they will remember. Have your child recite the numbers again. 7) Repeat step 6 until your child has memorized a few numbers. Don't worry about learning them all in one day. You'll repeat this process over as many days as it takes until your child can recite them all. 8) Once your child can recite them all, move directly to whatever game you have for basic multiplication facts. Do not pass go; do not collect $200. Help your child skipcount the answers (you hold up fingers and he counts) so he can see the value of knowing these skipcount series. We have two apps on the Nook, a Flashmaster, and extended Starfall. You've gotta have something in the house.

Gullible's Troubles The Experiments of Dr. Vermin -- or, How to be a Brave Pig!

I don't know if it's the best cursive workbook, but it's the best one for us. Handwriting: Cursive There are: --26 pages of learning each letter (one page/letter) --26 pages words starting with each letter an, and, animals, April big, boy, babble, baboon can, candy, cool, countw --26 pages of alliterative sentences. Arctic animals act amusingly. Big baboons break balloons. Cool crocodiles count coconuts. Other things we do: 1) Before writing in the book, we write on the whiteboard to practice the letters 3-5 times before writing in the book. 2) We are doing the letters out of order. We are starting with the easier letters. So far we have done: a, n, d, p, r, o g, t. 3) We have done a few of the words (not pages) in section 2. We have done: an, and, but not animals, April do, dog, but not dandelions, donuts. pan, but not pet, pick, paper. I have no trouble assigning just a part of a page to be done. 4) I have a post-it in the front of the book to map out the next several lessons: t, rat, e, eat, near, pet, rear, s, see. I cross them off as dd6 completes them. 5)Once we complete this book, I have these two next: Cursive Writing: Jokes and Riddles Cursive Writing: Inspirational Quotes

Bravo! ETA: This is turning into a critical thinking workshop.

The numbers may be right on the money, but bad science is bad science. Coming up with the right answer with a poor method is not something we want to take seriously. I could look at the innards of the dead bunny up the street to predict tomorrow's weather That doesn't mean that rabbit entrails is a good method for determining the weather temp. The SYSTEM is flawed. I also want to be clear that I have not read the "methods" part of the study. It is quite possible that professional (and non-homeschooling so they don't have an ethical-conflict-of-interest) statisticians compiled the research and numbers in a manner that accounted for those who were not tested.

Probably the same way they compile any similar statistic- by studying a set of homeschoolers who do report. I don't want to be negative. Just a critical thinker. In our state, we do have to report: by test OR portfolio OR visiting teacher. If my child goes to public school, they are automatically tested with the ITBS at 3rd grade. This is whether she is a good tester or not. If my child homeschools, and she is a good tester, we would of course take the ITBS. If she is not a good tester, there would be temptation to choose to do portfolio or visiting teacher...and artificially drive up the ITBS scores because my poor tester's score would not be included. (FTR, we are going to test either way. I want to know how dd6 compares to others on grade level). It is flattering to think of homeschoolers as a group doing so well, but we need to be critical thinkers and ask questions like this. Sorry to rain on your parade.

Things I do: 1) Tell the number of letters. 2) Divide the word into syllables, and using clue words linked to the Phonics system we use (Saxon Phonics). ----------------------------------- Examples: The word is REMEMBER. First syllable: re Second syllable: mem Third syllable: ber.....and has "'er' like in butter." The word is TRAIN, 5 letters. Start with tr "'ai' like in rain" You know the ending. The word is DINOSAUR di no saur...with "'au' like in sauce." The word is BEHAVE. be have....and one more letter on the end (I prompt if she forgets the silent e). I don't always prompt in this way, but if I know it is a word she does not know, or if she is struggling, I do this. ***ETA: I don't spell the "special sounds" (er, ai, au). I sound them out. Hopefully dd6 remembers how to spell them.

Yeah. Language Arts takes a lot....but I consider that once we get past "learning to read," it will get better. We are finishing Grade 1 of the K-1-2 books for Saxon. One more year to go!!! For Lit: We are reading through award winning books. We do two a week, and we get them from the library. We are lucky that our library will pull them for us as I request them. --Caldecott (for best artwork) --Zolotov (for best story) --Goldfinch Award (nominated recent books that are voted on by Iowa schoolchildren) My first grader can do more of the reading this year than last year; but not all. For these books, as we read the story, we discuss characters, setting, What is the problem or surprise?, How is the problem or surprise resolved? What happens after? What is the clincher sentence? For comprehension: We read chapter books in the morning and night, for 20 minutes. At the end of each section, I ask, "Could you tell me two things that happened in this section/chapter?" Usually there are 3 or 4 right choices, but it tells me that dd6 understood what we read.

For us, we used ETC as reinforcement for Saxon Phonics. (Please don't take this as advocacy for Saxon Phonics. I'm really not over the moon for it). However, when I first teach letters, we do them on the whiteboard. We have two of these with lines on one side (other side blank). I write on one, and child imitates the letter. If the child is very young, we write on the blank side. I just want them to write the letter 3-4 times before moving on to the book. If the child is older, we use the side with lines, and we work on all the parts in all the right places. ETA: Same thing: write 3-4 times before moving onto the book. --You could also just write on scratch paper, rather than whiteboards. --Loverboy found whiteboards for $1 each, with the lines on both sides in the Target Dollar Bins a month ago. He picked up 4. They are cheap cardboard, but they are only $1.

Stephanie, I share this with you because I do not want your relationship with your daughter to go down the same route as where my parents are with me. I am sure you have a much better handle on this than my folks, but some of these things need to be shared just in case you are missing something. I do not have teenage girls (yet), but I was once a teenage girl. And I was NOT in a good situation. For years within my childhood, real or imagined, I felt that I could not go to my parents because they would not understand what I was saying, or they would tell me it was all my fault. There are sooooooooo many things about my childhood and my teen years that my parents STILL do not know about (I'm 43). The last time I tried to talk to my mom about things that happened to me at age 4-5, she shut me down in 30 seconds. She explained that the reason she and dad didn't help me more was because I made different choices than my siblings as an adult. Yeah, maybe my point-of-view as a child was more real than imagined. By the time I became a teen and the serious behavioral problems started, they were 10 years too late. I couldn't handle my world as it was any longer, and they were mad at me for messing up their perfect Christian family. Our relationship has never recovered, and, sadly, I've given up trying within the past year. I'm just trying to move on and raise my girls the best I can. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The lesson is: Is there something you are missing? Often, in upsetting situations, I ask my girls, "What do you want to say? What do you want to tell me? What do I need to know about this situation?" When something "not right" happens in their world, I praise them repeatedly for letting me know. And, if I can, I fix it for them, because I am the adult in the situation. Even if you have a 17yo, you are the adult in the situation. (Last year in swim class, one of the boys kept spitting water in dd6's face as she arose from bobs. Another would hold her under. I emailed the director, spoke with the teacher, and prepped dd6 to raise her hand to tell her teacher if anything else happened). Many people feel kids should solve their problems themselves, but ..uh... wouldn't they have done that already if they could? I talk with my girls that I hope they will come to me, and it is my job to handle it well --WHATEVER they tell me. I tell them they are good girls. Not perfect girls....but I'm not a perfect mom. Most of all, we want the lines of communication open. Maybe she has a good reason for feeling as she does. Maybe she doesn't. But if she doesn't feel she can come to you, you will never know.

This is a little off track, but does it help at all? I've had this discussion with my dd6: Paraphrasing: "The problem with learning anything is that during the first few hours, you s*ck at it, and you know you s*ck at it; and that's not fun." I even made a chart for dd6 to represent 20 hours. For a while, she would color in one square for every 10 minutes she did Xtra Math (2/day). If she was told to log out (by the program), she was expected to log right back in and continue until the timer went off. We spoke of 20 hours, and I asked her to trust me that 20 hours would make a difference. I asked for a 20 hour commitment. ----------------------------------------- Have you considered letting him do the typing? I know he is not a good typer, but by the time he --calculates the answer --tells you the answer --you hear the answer --and you type the answer This may delay his chance to get the problem in a timely manner.

Sorry so long. So sorry that you are going through this, Mom2theTeam. :grouphug: My Not So Humble Opinion (Not that you aren't doing these things anyway): 1) Share with your son reasons math is important. 1a) List different jobs: policeman, chef, musician, banker, etc, and have him come up with ways that you need math to do any of those jobs. 1b) Math is the language of Science. (We are a very sciency family). To understand science, you will need to know math really well. 2) Math is like a foreign language. How much would you enjoy your favorite subject if it was in Japanese? (Barring, of course, that your favorite subject IS Japanese.) Would it still be your favorite if you had to process Japanese, THEN process what was being asked of you,...oh, AND get the right answer? Math is not much fun if the instruction is: "Find the sum," and you don't know what a sum is. Oh, it's a fancy word for the answer in adding??? THAT I can do!!!! Math has its own vocabulary, and if you don't know the vocabulary: area, circumference, hypotenuse, mixed numerals, improper fractions, multiples, factors, or reciprocals....it's gonna be a loooooong year. When I teach math, I teach vocabulary. 3) If EVERY problem was a struggle because you don't know the subtraction facts, it would be overwhelming. This is another version of Math as a language. We want your son to be fluent in his subtraction facts. What we did: I registered my daughter at Xtramath.org. It's FREE. Xtra math is a simple, free program to teach kids math facts. It is not fancy or game-like, but it is effective. I set a timer for my daughter to do it for 20 minutes every day. Advantages: 1) I don't have to listen to dd6 moan and groan over every addition flash card. 2) FREE. 3) Dd6 can do it independently. I can prep lunch or nurse the toddler. 4) Dd6 can do it independently. Formerly, our flashcard time would be interrupted by the toddler. 5) It works. Disadvantages: 1) It's not fancy. It is not a game. There is no animation. Blah blah blah. (I don't really care! This is school! You're not here to be entertained!!!) Other things to know: 1) "Proficiency" is attained when a child can answer the problem in 3s or less. That is the default setting. 2) There is a setting for 6s. I have dd6 doing 6s Addition because she is still learning her addition. When she reaches a score of 100, I will give her the choice of doing 6s Subtraction or 3s Addition. 3) Many families go out for ice cream when your child reaches a score of 100. 4) There is a separate parent tab where parents can see the progress the child is making. This is where you change settings to 6s if you want. 5) Your child will take an initial test. (dd6 scored 44). DO NOT BE ALARMED if your child's score decreases from this beginning mark. This is simply a reflection that harder problems are being introduced. For example: 6+7 is harder than 2+2. 6) Discuss with your child strategies for different types of problems. We had a discussion on the pattern of solving the addition 9s. 7) You may consider shelving Singapore for two weeks until he gets going on the subtraction facts. Dd6 doesn't jump up and down for joy when it is Xtra Math time, but she is making progress. Her current score is 85, and she sees the addition grid turning green (for problems she has mastered). The other big winner in this journey is that she sees there is no shortcut for PRACTICING. This lesson is even more important the knowing what 7+8 is, and she knows this addition mastery has helped her in her regular Math problems.

Chocolate. LOTS of Chocolate. :laugh: ------------------------------------- I hope you find what works for you.

Another vote for Xtra Math. Dd6 sets a timer and is expected to work at least 20 minutes. If the lesson ends, she is expected to log out, and log back in. And I can check if she is sluffing off (as she did a few days ago). I just reset the timer for 20 minutes in that case. Xtra Math is just boring ol' math facts. It may be no frills, but it IS effective. Dd6 was resistant at first, but she has seen that she is making progress with her addition proficiency. Other things we have experienced with Xtra Math: -- Proficiency is considered to be 3 seconds or less for a math fact. Since dd6 is still learning some of her facts, I have change it to the 6s mode. She is nearing the top score of 100. At that point, I will give her the choice for Subtraction @ 6s or Addition @3s. --Once dd6 hits a score of 100, we go out for ice cream! --Your child will take an initial test for Xtra Math in the mode you assign. They may improve, but their score may also drop at first. DON'T PANIC. This is because new and harder problems are introduced to your child. After all, 6+7 is harder than 2+2.

More advice: 1) When my kids are teens, I will assign that they will read The Last Lecture. It's not long (200 easy pages), but I just remember feeling so inspired when I read it. I remember Dr. Pauch talking about people asking, "How did you become a tenured professor by age 30?" He would answer that they should meet him in his office at 10pm on a Friday night. The implication was that he was not out partying, and he used his time wisely to reach his goal. Has anyone seen the lecture on Youtube yet? I haven't. :blush: 2) By the time they are teens, I am hoping that my kids will be hooked into TED Talks. I would encourage them to keep (for their field) a list summarizing these amazing idea creators, their ideas, and their home universities. This would also apply to research they see on Nova on PBS. a) It is good to be well versed on the revolutionary ideas in your field. It also makes you intelligent to talk to local mentors or potential professors in your field. b ) I'm thinking GRAD SCHOOL! Is a particular idea interesting to you? Apply with that researcher for grad school. c) Knowing the cutting edge ideas in your field can give my kids a jumping off idea for their own research questions, even if it is with a local professor. 3) I swear! When my kids are teens, I am going to run a semester-long class on "Judge Judy, and Other TV Court Shows." I want them to see a certain amount of how you can detract your life by getting involved romantically and financially with unethical people. The standard fight is, "Yes, she paid for that [computer/car/free rent/subwoofer] for me, BUT IT WAS A GIFT." Kids, good contracts make good friends. And Documentation is your Friend.

Other strategies I will share with my children (and I have shared with other students): 1) When I attended our local university, there are many very large lectures with 200+ students. Let's use the example of Physics I (Phys 177) -- the hard Physics. Our local university has 3 Physics I lectures for this course: 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm. All lectures are identical. They may or may not be taught by the same professor, but they all follow the same syllabus, are graded the same way, and take the same tests. If you cannot get into the 2pm class, register for a later class. No matter what session you are registered, you can attend an earlier class if you choose (or not attend at all as long as you show up for the tests); and once the first week or so passes, there is room in all sessions as students drop or change or simply choose to study on their own. Because the lectures have over 200+ students, the professors ask students to not ask questions. There is a certain amount of material to cover in class, and with 200+ students in class, there is simply no time to go over stuff a second time, or go down rabbit holes. My advice is: Attend the Last Lecture of the Day. I did this, and there were 12 students in the class. If I didn't understand something, I COULD stop the professor and ask for clarification. Likewise, take the evening recitation, if possible. Rather than 25-30 kids in a recitation section, the evening session had 6, and usually only 3 showed up. Again, lots of 1-on-1 to get practice doing Physics problems and ask questions. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) Have a career path. It's okay if this path changes. (The average college student changes their major 5 times in 4 years). Have a plan. Example A: I had a friend years ago who LOVED Geology. However, he was realistic about how hard it would be to get one of the few Geology jobs after graduation, so he majored in Pre-Pharmacy instead, planned to go to Pharmacy school, and do geology on the weekends. Example B: Loverboy's nephew is a Senior in high school. He wants to major in History, because he LOVES History. Then he wants to go to Law School. This is great, but the legal profession is saturated at this time. Even graduates from top law schools in the country are having trouble paying off their debts and finding appropriately paying jobs. I advised him that if he really, really, really loves the law, he should go to law school, but otherwise, he should consider other options. I did a simple Google search of "What can you do as a history major?" and found choices ranging from working at a think tank, to author, to librarian (imagine "Document Preservation at the National Archives"). Most states need their documents preserved, and the number of "librarians" of this sort is in short supply for this sort of purpose. Nephew may or may not go to Law School, but he now has many extra paths to consider with the history he loves so much. ETA: Edited to finish the post because the cat posted for me! Yes, I love you Guinea!

We set an expectation of college and talk about it. As my children grow, we will discuss skills to develop to succeed in college: --study skills --computer skills --communication skills, in all of its forms: from email to Powerpoint to texting --a job in one's field of major while attending college. This could be tutoring if one wants to teach, working with youth athletics if one wants to go into health or kinesiology, working with engineering camp or the solar car if one wants to be an engineer, writing and producing local plays if one wants to be a drama major, or working in a professor's lab if one wants to major in a science. --understand that a syllabus is your classroom bible. You live and die by that schedule. --the value of languages --money skills (you don't want to be derailed by money issues big or small that would make you stop school for a semester) I plan to look for mentors for my children in their field of interest. I think that the role of a GOOD mentor is undervalued. Someone who says, "Here is a career or training opportunity," or "What are you doing to meet this (unrequired but recommended) step?" or, "See how this is done from start to finish?" Also, whenever I meet someone in a job that my children may be interested, I ask them questions about how they landed there. "How did you become a _____________?" "What things do bosses look for in that field?" "What is the best path to a job like that?" Two summers ago, I asked the another mom at swim lessons how one would prepare for being an engineer. She mentioned: --math --working with many materials --competency in wood shop and metal shop --lots of chemistry --ETA: Physics, of course! When visiting Loverboy's relatives, I learned his uncle is now working in Cybersecurity. He started in data input, moved to network admin, and is now in cybersecurity. He named a professional organization that provides training for those in the field. We also talk about how jobs with a college degree usually pay better, provide medical/dental care, and provide more flexibility. Loverboy had a college degree, so if he wanders into work a few minutes late, no one cares. I don't have a degree, and can be fired for being late. Loverboy can take a long lunch if he chooses. I have a quick pee break and scarfing down something that got too hot in the microwave. Loverboy can rearrange his schedule on short notice if we need him at home. (If I am very sick and ask him to come home early). In my old job, I would have been chastised for my family calling my work.

Please do not feel that you need to answer any of the following questions here, but if I was the parent, the answers would guide me. What is the goal here? Enjoyment? A hobby to maybe or maybe not follow her into adulthood? To receive a good musical basis to later transition to replacement instrument? To play piano at church? To play at Carnagie Hall? To have teaching piano as a "fall-back" or "extra income" option when she is grown? To major in music in college, with a musical career? What is your goal (for music) for your daughter? What is your daughter's goal musically? If your daughter wants a serious musical career, the Teacher A may be a better choice. Otherwise, I'd go with B. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is your daughter a Type A personality or Type B? Is she intense and serious and motivated? If she is a Type A, she may be happier with Teacher A, in spite of some tears. What do you suppose Mozart was like as a teacher? ------------------------------------------------------------- You may not know the capabilities of Teacher B until the end of a few months. If I had a new student to teach XYZ, it would take time for me to learn what the student knows and doesn't know, what they are capable of comprehending, and the best way to present XYZ for that specific child. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unless the pay of Teacher B is double the pay of Teacher A, I would happily pay someone to come to my child's home. I could homeschool my other child, wash dishes, or take a little nap. There is also cost of gas/wear-and-tear on car to transport, and time spent traveling (driving) that other things are not getting done. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- As for tears, yes, sometimes my dd6 cries at Piano. And math. And even the beloved Dinosaurs curriculum. This is usually linked to tiredness in our situation.

Yeah. My kids are missing stuff: --being spat on while riding the bus --being excluded from the cliques and pecking orderat school, even in 1st grade --the cruelty -- intentional or otherwise -- of other children --35 kids in a K class --moving at someone else's schedule --being submitted to the state or local school system's curriculum, rather than the things I feel would benefit them most. One advantage I realized only recently: BECAUSE we homeschool, my child is less tired for outside activities. If I know she was up too late last night, (or didn't sleep well), I can let her sleep late in the morning, or rest in the afternoon before the activity that she enjoys. Many friends who have 1st graders don't let their kids participate in ANY afternoon activities because their 6yo is simply too tired after a full day of intellectual and social requirements. ETA: spelling errors

Beth83, thank you for starting a community for the pre-homeschoolers in your area. There is also how tough it is one preK kids in limbo before homeschooling. We, also, knew we wanted to homeschool by the time dd6 was an infant. She had friends through the co-op preschool in town (ages 3.5 to 5.5), but everyone else went to public school. While here classmates were excitedly talking about which K they would attend and reading "first day of school" books, dd6 was adrift at explaining that we were going to homeschool....something she had never done or seen. I got very lucky in the last months of preschool and through the summer to meet homeschoolers at social events. Driving home, I would point out that G and S (whom she had played with) were also homeschooled. Or H is also homeschooled. It helped her to realize that she could have friends in homeschooling, too.

I have shared our plan for using money as an incentive for our kids/homeschool here. It's #8. Disclaimer: Our system is not the right system for everyone.