Welcome back! 1) I received good advice from a more experienced homeschool mom years before my girls were born. Some of her kids were homeschooled, and some were not. She and her husband made the best decision for each child individual child based on what the needs of that child was. In her family, on child was a little social butterfly, and it would have crushed him to be home. Of her two other kids, one was of a quieter persuasion, and the other one didn't learn any math while at school (22%ile on ITBS!) I hope to be a humble parent as she was, and, as much as I want to homeschool, be willing to make the decisions that are right for each of our individual girls at different times in their childhoods. It is okay to homeschool just some of your kids, and not all at once. 2) There is more to life than a test score. I went to a very good public school. I had opportunity to take algebra a year early, and I learned things in Honors Communications that were covered in my college lit classes. Many of the questions on my ACT test were answered by things that I learned in Mr. McKay's Language Arts class....IN 7TH GRADE. I aced the mathematical facts portion of the Military Entrance test with time to spare (we were told that no one finished it) because of Mr. Craun's weekly 6th grade facts drills. However, public school crushed my soul, and I don't mean religiously. By 3rd grade, I would lie to the teacher that I was going home for lunch, but just go out to the playground (unsupervised and in the cold) and read a book. I did this to avoid the noise and crowds and social minefield of the lunchroom. I didn't eat lunch for 8 years. In Middle School, escape was not an option, so just sat at the table and didn't eat while being mercilessly teased by a group of girls led by a former friend. Of course, gym class was a nightmare; I played sick whenever there was a school holiday party; I did whatever I could to get out of field trips; and I dreaded the teacher's words, "Everyone pick a partner...." because of being excluded from activities (like science experiments) altogether when there were an odd number of kids in the class. I really didn't have a Senior year, and I only graduated because of the fluke of having completed all of my required classes except for Econ before 12th grade. (Econ is another story). Even though college was a thousand times better than high school, I still didn't graduate. I have dealt with major depression for most of my adult life. This affects my work patterns, my ability to attend school, and my personal relationships. I often awaken crying in the night. My childhood public school experience shaped me, and not for the better. My parents loved me, but they didn't understand me or how to advocate for me. For the most part, they are still clueless about my public school experience, and this has colored our relationship in a negative way. If you are concerned that this is the road of your child, make plans to advocate for him whether in or out of the school. The only good news is that he at least feels that he can tell you he is unhappy. That would not have been tolerated in my parents' home. 3) Academics Homeschooling only one child will be a lot less juggling than homeschooling four. There are people who do it, but I sure couldn't. Let your son know specifically what the academic expectations are. Write a contract of how many lessons and what subjects will be expected each day. The more specific and detailed, the better. He will know your expectations for staying home to homeschool. Feel free to write in behavioral expectations if that is an issue (tantrums, whining, pouting, procrastination, lazy work.) Enroll help to keep on track academically. In Iowa, to meet legal standards, one option is to test via ITBS in certain years. I would do this for your information. Another option in Iowa is to have a "visiting teacher" who checks on your child's progress and may make suggestions if they think your child's load is too heavy or if it is missing something. We are lucky that this is paid for by the school system, and the visiting teacher is a source of information (only if we ask for it) of what a normal Kindergartner is expected to know, what an incoming first grader must know, etc, etc. Would either of these options be available in your area, with or without the support of the school system?

1) Read them books during writing practice. You could have everyone do writing together, and read that stack of library books to them, or you could have them do writing individually, and pull out their requisite reading for history or science (killing two subjects...er...birds...with one stone. Read one (or two) pages or paragraphs or whatever, and in that time, each boy must complete a certain amount of the page. It may be 3 or 5 letters, 3 words, one line, whatever; you know where your boys are at and where they need to be. If they haven't completed it, then reading stops while they focus on the writing. When their writing is done, they may draw or color or do legos or whatever while you finish the book. Neatness counts. Don't feel like you have to cut your neatness standards in this case. It must be up to Mom's standards. 2) Circle the 3 words that are the neatest on the page (or on the line if it is letters repeated). Put a star in the circle that is the best on the page. This help them to self-evaluate what to be proud of.

:grouphug: to MusicianMom! We have a 6yo and a 2yo in the house, and let me assure you that there are days that NOTHING gets done that would be considered stereotypical schoolwork (curriculum, workbooks, etc). Some days the 2yo just needs to nurse a lot; she needs me the most on those days. I really don't know how I'm going to manage with two kids doing curriculum, or even next year (1st grade) when I want to add science and history cycle. We also get sold on that fantasy of the kids waking joyously and running to the school table to say, "Gee, Mom, I'm so glad that you homeschool me. You're the BEST MOM EVER!!!" btdt. In our house, this version is most often played out as, "Get yer butt in the chair!" Will any of these things help you? They help me. They are listed in no particular order. 1) Thou shalt not compare thyself to other homeschoolers. You know who I'm talking about: the mom with 5 kids under the age of 10, and she's homeschooling them all (even the toddler), and she does every subject every day for every kid. Stop the madness now! Some people can do this, but some people can also juggle 7 plates while eating a tuna fish sandwich. I can't; can you? 2) Thou shalt play games. A few years ago, Science magazine ran an article about research of how to teach kids math in a cheap and easy manner. The answer: play games. Counting spaces, counting dice, doubles, money. Skip the curriculum, and just play games. And trust me, there are many free games online that you can print off and cut out to do reading and phonics, too. Ask me how I know. :) 3) Thou shalt read many good books. Go to the library, and get good books of all subjects. We read a lot of Caldecott books (I am just going down the list of them I printed off). We also read a LOT of science, and dd6 has learned so much more doing that than from the boxed set of pre-school experiments. 4) Thou shalt play outside and collect many nature treasures, and bring them in the house. Collect insects in jars. Bring in leaves, and identify every tree in the yard. Did you know that we have two White Pines in our yard, but the neighbor has a Scotch Pine in hers? I didn't either until last summer! Talk about how sticky sap or thorns on stems defend plants from insects. Talk about how burdocks and other hitchhikers spread their seeds by grabbing onto our clothing. Give your child a plastic bin to keep their nature treasures in. We have cups of bugs, cattails, rocks, fossils, funny looking sticks, pieces of wasp nest, bird nests, etc in the box. 5) Thou shalt ask for help when thou needest it. Can your husband be more help? Can he take the youngers outside while you do math with the older one? Can he do math with the older one while you take the two youngers for a walk around the block? Are there co-op classes available for some subjects? 6) Thou shalt make use of bribery at all times necessary. Dd6 gets one free (half hour) tv show/day. If she wants more tv time, she must earn it by completing certain amounts of school work. I don't make her wait until the end of the day for her tv time, unless she has been dinking around too much. If she watches during the day, it must be educational. If she wants to watch Scooby Doo, she must save her tv time until Dad is home. It gives us both a break. We also use money. PM me if you want more details on our system 7) Thou shalt make use of the Public School system when necessary. Why is public school not an option? You don't need to answer or go on the defensive here, but I would encourage you to make a visit to your local public school and just talk with the principal and teachers of your concerns, and sit in on a classroom. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!! Unless you have done this, then you don't know if your worst fears are true. Likewise, there are many levels of public schooling and homeschooling. I have a local friend who sends her daughter for "morning literacy block." The daughter then comes home at 11:30 for lunch and unschooling the rest of the day. Would this be an option for you at this time? You won't know unless you ask your public school. 8) Thou shalt talk with thy partner about how happy/unhappy thou art. He loves you, and he loves the kids. He wants you to be happy. (If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!) Let him be a part of the problem solving on this. Don't carry it all by yourself. Most of all, know that we've all been there, and we love you and want you find what works for you. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

We are a family of night owls. My mom tells the story that even when I was little (pre-K), she would tuck my sister and I into bed at 8:30, then check on us on her way to bed at 10pm. Sis would sleep soundly, but my little eyes would be peeking out from the covers. Mom was overjoyed when I was put into afternoon kindergarten. Mornings would have been impossibly for my natural rhythms. When I was pregant with dd6, for the first time in my life, I started to wake up at ~5am, and I FELT GREAT!!!! I thought, "Oh, no!!!! God is sending us a MORNING child to punish us!!!!" :eek: (We were pregnant out of wedlock.) Thank goodness that dd6 is a proper night owl like the rest of us. :cool: We also struggle with getting up and getting going in the morning. It is tough to wake the kids when there is the risk that they will be cranky and ineffective at schoolwork if I don't let them waken on their own. Plus, the temptation is great to let them sleep while I get things done or take time for myself. Faithr, you're not the only one that deals with that! At ~8:30am: Both girls are still nursing, so I wake dd6 with a little gentle shaking, kissing, and calling her name. I tell her that if she wants to nurse, now is the time. (Once dd2 wakes, dd6 doesn't get time to nurse because dd2 would interrupt and demand another turn). Dd6 is given the option to use the bathroom right away (some mornings this is more important than other mornings). I also read a chapter from the chapter book we are currently reading (American Girls) while we snuggle and she nurses. This has the advantage of: 1) gives us special 1-on-1 snuggle time. They say the first 4 minutes and the last 4 minutes of your child's day are the most important. 2) gives us opportunity to read chapter books that extend dd6's reading, but would be over the 2yo's head and attention span. 3) helps us to wean from nursing because nursing is interrupted whenever there is a picture in the book to look at. I have started to give dd6 the option of going back to sleep at this time. If she really is that tired, she is better off sleeping. Of course, we are lucky that she is ahead in most of her schoolwork (working above grade level), and she is young, so it is not that big of a deal if we don't do EVERYTHING for homeschooling EVERYDAY. If she was middle school or high school age, I might feel differently. We do piano lesson/practice (again, difficult once dd2 awakens), and I try to wake dd2 at that time. This is more difficult, because she is a baby and sleeps so hard, but she seems to have a better day and nap schedule when she wakes by 9amish. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Bedtime is, of course, a part of the issue. Loverboy and I do many things well as parents. Bedtime is not one of them. We try to have dd6 into bed by 9:30, but sometimes this is lights out, and sometimes this is, "It's 9:45, let's go brush your teeth!"....and sit on the toilet, and read from two books, and nurse.....and lights out at 11pm. Sometimes dd6 says she is not tired. She is then given the option to go over to her own bed and stay up and read as late as she wants. (We co-sleep, and she has her own single bed in our bedroom). She'll read a book or two, then turn out her light and go to sleep. Sometimes she is given the option that she may stay up later if she does extra schoolwork . (This is a test for how tired she really is! Sometimes she is not so tired!) After all, if she worked on x, y, and z last night, I won't be so stressed to get her up and working this morning because we already have a jump on the day's schoolwork. She is also reminded that she can make this judgment to stay up later as long as she can get up in the morning and not be cranky. ***I have also seen a link between screentime at bedtime, and the inability to determine when one is tired.*** Even as adults, if one is watching a tv show late at night, one will say, "Oh, there's just 20 more minutes," rather than saying, "I'm tired and I need to go to bed NOW." We have a TIVO, so there is no reason the tv show won't be waiting for me to finish the next day. I see the same thing with the kids. Best of luck at finding what works for you.

:iagree: and I have seen this happen. It doesn't end well. LIkewise, :iagree: , and also for nearly any science: Genetics, Chemistry, Physics, maybe even ??Computer Science??....they all require a certain level of Calculus. Even if your child is just exposed to Calculus in high school, it can make seeing those concepts a second time in college a breeze. I have also been told that the PSATs have a lot of geometry on them; therefore, finishing geometry by the end of 10th grade (standard PSAT time) is ideal. Plan ahead. ------------------------------------------------------------ In my public school experience (I graduated in '88), we were given the option to work independently for 7th grade math. Not all kids took this option. The plan was to complete the 7th grade book, and work a fair amount through the 8th grade math book by the end of the year. Based on 1) how much of the two textbooks we finished 2) our math test scores for the class 3) scores on the ITBS (or ITEDs) 4) score on a pre-algebra test --we were ranked. The 28 highest of us were given the option to take Algebra a year early in 8th grade. We had one 7th grader in our class, who did quite well. Also, for 2-3 of us at the end of Algebra, it was recommended that they retake Algebra 1 in 9th grade. Looking back, I'm a little mad that they didn't offer algebra earlier than they did. I don't remember a single thing from the 7th grade math textbook that I wasn't able to figure out on my own based on stuff I had learned in previous grades.

I haven't read The Kite Runner or The Cider House Rules. I would love an excuse to read either one. Cider House Rules is 592 pages. If we choose a book that is more than 400 pages, can we amend the number of weeks to read it? I'm not sure that I could manage more than 100 pages/week, even in a good week.

If the house meets your other needs, I would move to the great school system, but continue to homeschool. (FTR: We, also, are lucky to live in an academically great school system. At this time, I am planning to homeschool both girls through graduation). I would do this because: 1) I choose to homeschool now, but at any moment, I can choose to send them to public school. Sometimes just knowing options reinforces my commitment to homeschool by CHOICE. I do this because I CHOOSE to do so. And that affects my attitude. I don't feel trapped. 2) If you live in a lousy school system, you do not have that CHOICE. 3 ) We, as homeschoolers, live life vicariously. For many of us, a major illness or death in the family would bring a screeching halt to homeschooling. Loverboy is our breadwinner. If anything happened to him, I would not have the funds to continue homeschooling; I would be lucky to keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. The saving grace would be knowing that my girls would be academically challenged and supported, and we would still have a hope that they could make it to and through college. 4) We live in a terrific school system, with a terrific homeschool program. The woman who runs the program and leads the K-1 enrichment homeschooled her kids. Her family was one of six who homeschooled in our town when it first became legal. Our visiting teacher (provided by the school system) also homeschooled her kids. In future years, everything from foreign language to computer to IEW workshops will be available to my girls through the homeschool program. **Please account for individual variation between Ohio rules for homeschool support and Iowa rules for homeschool support.** I can't say for sure, but I suspect that better school systems have better homeschooling programs. Whether you choose to participate or not, if it's not offered, you can't take advantage of it. Poorly funded school systems simply cannot offer the same level of support. 5) I suspect that most homeschool kids (unless they have attended public school prior to homeschooling) ask to go to public school sooner or later. Some are curious. Some think it will be better/easier than homeschooling, or more structured to prepare them better for college. Some just want to be with their friends. Many parents say, "We're your parents, and we make the decisions! And for [academic or spiritual or social or safety] reasons, there is NO WAY you are going to public school!!!" And that is fine. I have no problem with that. But I do think that MOST parents say, "Well, let's talk about that. Let's look into it." And I suspect that most kids transition nicely to public school at that time. You'd like them to transition to a good school if ever faced with such a choice. 6) Because the school system is so well funded, and the school has such a good reputation, this implies that the community values education. For this reason, your children will grow up with peers that live with this value of education. Even if they never go to a single day of public school, they will have acquaintances through church, swimming, lego camp, and tae kwan do. Pick which one you want your kids' peers to say: a) "I've decided to go to [insert college name] for early decision for college." "I got a 34 on my ACTs!" "I can't go out until the weekend. My mom says I have to study." or b ) "I hate school. I can't wait to graduate and never go to school again!" "I just fill them all in as C. C is the most common answer." "Why can't you go out with us to Burger King on Tuesday nights? We always have a lot of fun, and you can be home by 10pm!" Choice b is not filled with juvenile delinquents and dropouts. It just reflects a lack of value for education. 7) Even if we homeschool all the way, I suspect that some classes will be taken at the local high school. We want that to be a good high school. In talking with, "Parents who have gone before" [cue dramatic music], one mom shared that her son took one public high school class in 9th grade, two in 10th, and now takes 3 in 11th grade....... She feels that this meets the need of prepping him for: a) learning according to someone other than mom b ) learning on someone else's schedule c) learning what someone else (outside your family) deems to be valuable d) learning from teachers with a variety of different styles of teaching and testing (prep for college) e) learning in a traditional classroom setting (prep for college, taking notes, not interrupting) f) learning how to juggle 4 classes with their schedules and requirements....just like a semester at college. Plus, I just can't provide a full Chemistry experience that an established lab can do. Support? Yes. Potassium Permanganate? No. I wish you the best of wisdom in making the choices right for your family.

I propose that books get at least two or three nods here to make it to voting stage. So far, only Last Child in the Woods has been given acknowledgment. I also would like to read Committed by Gilbert. Do others have books they would recommend, or shall we start a new thread specifically looking for recommendations?

Last Child in the Woods has been on my list to read, too! Goodreads (which I have only discovered since this thread) has a beautiful list of fiction here. Do any of those appeal to people? There is nonfiction here. For nonfiction, I recommend that we steer clear of anything political nonfiction for a club held here. (I would love to read Chris Hays' Twilight of the Elites, but this would not be the place to discuss a book as his). I would like to read On Saudi Arabia: Its People, Past, Religion, Fault LInes -- and Future.

Okay! Everyone's finally nursed and asleep! mlgbug, I also wanted to add that there is no hurry. Your children are still young, and both are plenty bright. If you spend a five months doing nothing but reading a lot and playing games* while taking the time to make wise choices about curriculum, it will be time well spent. 1) Research what you want for curriculum. Figure out what your daughter knows. Read hive reviews of the curriculum or ask for reviews to determine if it is a GOOD FIT FOR YOUR FAMILY. Test your dd to see exactly what level she needs so the money will be well spent. 2) Wise advice from an experienced homeschool mom to me a few months ago: "You don't need to have everything on September 1st! We're homeschoolers! We're always adding stuff and changing stuff and discontinuing stuff!" So, if money is tight and you can only buy one subject in February; and another in March, and another in May, it's okay. Many homeschoolers school year round. This year, everyone in our group did not plan to school year round, but all went past June 1st finishing things up. (Brace your older daughter now that this may be the case for some subjects...or not). And if you start a curriculum in March but take a break June 1st, that's okay, too, because We're Homeschoolers!!! *Put "playing games" on your list of curriculum choices. A few years ago, Science Magazine had a research article about "How can parents with few resources teach kids math skills without big fancy curriculum?" The answer was games. Chutes and Ladders teaches counting to 100. Monopoly teaches money, and how to double. I haven't played Yahtzee in years, but doesn't it teach some multiplication? Whatever you have in the closet is a good choice. ETA: Egads! NY as a state sounds demanding for curriculum! Would they let you create your own from library books? I hope anything I have said here doesn't get you in trouble!

Congratulations!!!!! In your situation (with limited budget), I would make a trip to your friendly neighborhood library. 1) Reading: We would read many many many Caldecott Award books. If you feel that your dd is ready for Newberry Award winners (chapter books), you could explore (read) them mostly together. Some would be okay for that age (Little House on the Prairie, for example), and some would not be. Hopefully you have a good children's librarian, or you can get some support from the hive for which of these books would be age appropriate for a younger audience. Other options are to read through a series together, award winning or not. Little House, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, American Girls, etc. should all be available through your library. Cost: Library Fines 2) Math: Learn where you dd is for math facts. Get (or make) a pile of flashcards. Set a timer for 3 minutes. See how many your dd can do in 3 minutes. If she can get through them all (more than 50 in the cheap $3 packs), then she is extremely proficient. If she is competent in math facts: --start teaching fractions, decimals, area, percent Cost: flashcards and a timer 3 ) Writing: Have your dd write two sentences to describe each story or chapter she reads. For example: Peter Rabbit: "Peter Rabbit did not obey is mother. He went to Mr. MacGregor's garden instead and got into trouble!" or Rebecca and Ana (American Girls) "Rebecca got in trouble at school for speaking Yiddish. She was trying to help her cousin Ana understand the assignment." You can use these sentences to teach punctuation, spelling, capitalization, handwriting, and even word choice. (Use "was disciplined" instead of "got in trouble.") I would also make a master sheet for each book for dd to fill in: title, main characters, author, publisher, copyright, etc. Cost: Paper, both computer and writing; pencils; a pencil sharpener; dictionary or thesaurus 4) Science: Lots of science books from the library. Check out every children's book in the library on the subject (lizards, bears, mammals, dangerous creatures,etc). Don't depend upon just one book about lizards. Read several. ***Someone posted a few months ago what their son does for a science report. I may have it saved. PM me if no one else has it, and I will look.*** We would also collect whatever we wanted from nature (acorns, locust shells, dead butterflies, rocks) and keep it in a box IN the house. We would draw or write about our nature treasures. (Nature journals are very "in" right now.) Even for winter, there are good websites that list nature projects you can do with your nature journal: rubbings of tree bark draw a tree in winter draw animals we see in our yard (birds, bunnies, the neighbor's cat, etc). Use one page as a master list of animals or birds seen. Put up a bird feeder and identify birds. Start a master list of birds sighted. Go for a walk in the snow and identify tracks. Go home and draw them. Learn about latin names, and look unknown species up online. Cost: Computer access, birdhouse, Fancy Journals (Hobby Lobby) or plain computer paper to be bound later, bird feeder, bird identification book. 5) History: Lots of library books. Read several books on a topic, not just one. Start a timeline. you can get endrolls of paper at the local newspaper. We pay less than $5. Hang it in the hallway. Cost: Library fines and paper for timeline. Gotta go. Someone's gotta nurse!!!

We are definitely doing more "year round" homeschooling next year than this year. We will take a couple of months off for summer, but just because we are so busy with Nature Camp and Gymnastic Camp and Swim Lessons and such during June and July. In that sense, we ARE homeschooling year round, because there is still learning going on during those weeks. BUT that month of August was just unbearable this summer. NEVER AGAIN!!! Dd6 and I don't do well at all without structure. Individually we don't do well, and together we don't do well. We need a plan! We're starting August 1st, even if it's just math and phonics! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If I had to entice my kids to school during those months, we would do one of the following: A) Fun things: history projects, lego engineering, science projects, art would be nature books of what we observed and collected. or B ) I would tell the kids they needed to pick 3 projects to work on throughout the summer. For dd6, it could be: 1) Read all of the Meet Rebecca series of American Girls. 2) Build and program all of the Lego WeDo projects we have in the house. 3) Do a certain number of lessons for Snap Circuits. 4) Draw 20 projects in the art book. 5) Achieve a certain level of proficiency with math facts. (Older kids could learn to add or multiply fractions, or learn to move from fractions to decimals and percents, and back again). 6) Complete a certain number of science experiments. You could have them pick one project for math, one for reading, and one for science. Or you could fly by the seat of your pants, and let them pick things like learning to sew, or make lots of cookies to go into the freezer for winter, or caring for a garden all summer. I hope you find what works for you!

:iagree: We do this, too, usually. Bethben, Be aware that Saxon K has optional worksheets at the back of the book. Most of them are for number formation. I wish I had known of them sooner so I could spread them out during the last half of the program. I also offered a few workbook pages from thisbook. ------------------ I like Saxon because: 1) There is ample practice offered. 2) It is traditional math. Nothing experimental. Strong emphasis on knowing math facts. 3) With evaluations every 5 lessons, dd was able to test out of the first half of 2nd grade Saxon. ('m so happy we're homeschooling so this can be offered to dd!!!) *shameless bragging* 4) It goes through Calculus. With hard work, hopefully dd can finish Calculus before she leaves home for college.

:iagree: I support the public schools because 1) I care about those kids, too! 2) My children will have to live in the society created by the children of today -- most of whom attend public school. 3) There is a very good chance that my children will spend at least some of their education in the public school system.* *I really believe that most homeschool kids ask to go to public school sooner or later. In some cases, the parents say, "We're your parents, and we make the decisions [for social, religious, or quality of education reasons]" (And this is fine!) But, I suspect, that most parents say, "Well, let's talk about it....."

I am SOOOO in!!!!! Some practical ideas....or not. Let me know what you think. 1) Choosing books: If one does a google search for "bookclub suggestions for 2013," several lists come up. This could give us a starting point. Someone could start a suggestion thread for people to suggest books (or nix them if they have a really good reason). 2) When there are a certain number of suggestions, (12? 15? more? less?) someone sets a poll for those who believe they would participate. Ask people to not vote if they do not believe they would participate in the club. Is it possible to have everyone vote for only a certain number of the choices (3? 5?)? Top three most popular books would be the first three months of readings, in order. 3) When starting monthly thread, have a standard book club way to search for the thread. LIke: "Bookclub January 2013 Sense and Sensiblilty" or "BC Feb 2013 Bubbles in Trouble." Pick a template and stick to it. These are just suggestions. I don't want to hijack someone else's vision ETA: This is, of course, if we can do any part of it here.

The OP asked our opinions of what "reasonable regulation" would look like, and I gave it. I'm sorry that IL is a train wreck. It sounds like you have to put up with a lot. If I had to do what is required by IL law, it is possible that I would feel the same way as you, Cdrumm. Please try to consider how your world would be different if there was less regulation (instead of the no regulation that the boy in the story experienced). I do agree that OVERregulation of homeschooling is one small step away from overregulation of parenting. I do not agree that reasonable regulation of homeschooling is one small step away from overregulation of parenting; and the things I listed in my former post aren't nearly as draconian as what you have to deal with, I'll bet. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. Here, again, we'll have to disagree. Responsibility for our fellow man is one of the best things about America, rather than saying, "You're not my problem." Roads, hospitals, fire stations. police, our court system,and, yes, public education are all things that are done cooperatively because we care for one another in our communities. I care about kids that are not my own. I have seen the results of what happens when kids do not have proper education, and I've seen more of that out of the school system than in it. It sincerely saddens me. ***Disclaimer: I know people both in the school system and out of it that have been failed educationally.*** Consider the young man in the 20/20 piece. He is 18, and trying to learn what he needs (educationally) to be functional in society. He started at a 1st grade educational level, and it is against the odds that he will even reach a high school equivalency test. This saddens me personally because he will have difficulty supporting himself and any children he has. He will have trouble keeping stable work. He will have trouble saving for any of the normal crises in life (illness, car breaks down, invitation to a wedding or birthday party). It is heartbreaking to live that way. Then the fiscal conservative in me kicks in, and I calculate the amount he will drain from society because he never got the basic education he deserved. Housing, food, medical care, legal needs, and any further education will be subsidized by the taxpayer, no matter how hard he works for most of his life. And any children he has will most likely be in that category, too, because they are almost guaranteed to grow up in poverty. So, yeah, I'm willing to jump through the hoop of filling out ONE sheet of paper a year (per child), and I will send my child once a year for testing, and I will welcome our visiting teacher into our home. To me, this is a small sacrifice to try to save even one kid like the guy in the story. I want kids like him to get the very best education so they can get good jobs, create lots of jobs, add value to our economy, and pay taxes into the system. I want that for ALL of our kids, homeschooling, private schooled, and public schooled. I'm sorry that even the limited amount of regulation we have in Iowa is still too big a price for you to pay.

We have a Flashmaster checked out from the public school homeschooling program. Dd (age 6, K) is required to run through her addition facts three times in a row each day. The flashmaster gives final score of how many problems were answered correctly, how many were attempted, and the percent. When she can do more than 20 problems correctly in the time given, with a percent of greater than 90%, and do it 3 out of 3 times, I move her up to the next level. She does them EVERY DAY. We do still do flashcards, but this gives her practice on her own that I don't have to listen to her bellyaching. It helps that dad directs her to do it while I nurse the baby, and he doesn't have to deal with finding flashcards, finding a timer, or any of the other habits we follow with flashcards. If the flashmaster is MIA, I direct her to math games on the Nook. We also just purchased Math Blaster software for her birthday. She complains whenever we do facts: cards, Mathblaster, Nook, whatever, but she is also proud when she can tell me the good scores she earned, and we discuss the value of practice.

If she lives in a warm area, and money is no object, get her a little bike with training wheels. One of those really little ones. Be sure to send money for a helmet. Otherwise, you can't go wrong with duplo legos. My daughters LOVE their little strollers. Something like this. The two year old makes daddy bring them BOTH in from the garage when she sees them, and the 6yo STILL plays with hers after all these years. A tea set. Make it plastic rather than china for easy and durable cleaning. Cariboo Island Roll and Play

WARNING: EVOLUTIONARY CONTENT PRESENT IN NEARLY ALL OF THESE RESOURCES. I would: 1) Use Helen Bonner's books The books are written in cartoon format, and they lay out the prehistoric ages quite well, starting BEFORE dinosaurs. Also, even though they are cartoon in format, they may be a little above the age of your 5yo. 2) Definitely keep a timeline. I would use different colored computer paper to differentiate the different eras. 3) Watch Dinosaur Train on PBS to add dinosaur names to the timeline. You can watch online, and PBS Parentshas lots of support materials. We have a tivo for $12/month (no cable or satellite) to save all the kids' shows, but you can watch episodes online if a tivo doesn't fit in your budget. 3) Make a master list of Carnivores vs. Herbivores 4) We would talk about how the earth looked different then (landmasses), felt different then (temperature was warmer), and had a different mix of gases in the air (oxygen levels were higher, I believe). This would include discussions of plate tectonics, volcanoes creating land/islands, and global warming. 5) Sea Rex We saw this in the IMAX at the Science Center. It's a little hokie, but it differentiates between Marine Reptiles and Dinosaurs. It also dramatizes scenes with George Cuvier, father of paleontology. 6) Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia Another IMAX at the Science Center. This was kinda scary for our (at the time) 4yo, so prescreen if your little one is sensitive. 7) Do a general search for "Nova Dinosaurs." There is Arctic Dinosaurs (seen it :thumbup1: ), Dinosaur Plague, The Dinosaurs Were Not Alone, and The Four Winged Dinosaurs. You should be able to watch these online, but I'd do a search to see if Netflix carries any of them. 8) I would do a little math to compare the kids' ages to when the dinosaurs lived by comparing distance. --Dd2 = 2yo = 2ft --Dd1 = 6yo = 6ft (mark on the floor). --Mom/Dad = 42yo = from here to the mailbox? --Grandmas age = ??? --Dinosaurs died = 65,000,000mya = 12,310mi = halfway around the world --Beginning of cretaceous = 145,000,000 mya = 27,462 mi = more than all the way around the world, + 3000 more miles.(so go around the world, plus an extra vacation to......???) 9) No study of Paleontology is complete without Mary Anning. See what your public library has. 10) American Experience: Dinosaur Wars -- competition between Marsh and Cope in the early days of paleontology. Discussion of how some things were gotten wrong about dinosaurs at the time, but science is a system that allows for learning and correction. 11) Another timeline: Modern Paleontology: Put Anning, Marsh, Cuvier, Cope, and Darwin on them. 12) The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins Add Waterhouse to the recent timeline. Another discussion about how sometimes science gets it wrong, but it is a system that allows for learning and correction. 13) I did a search for "Dinosaur Biography" at our library. This gives 5 more books that could be read to the kids, and possibly added to the timeline. 14) Go to You Tube. Do a search for "TED TALKS Paleontology". This exposes your kids to recent ideas in dinosaur paleontology. The ones by Jack Horner are especially good and very cutting edge. He was the scientist upon whom "Jurassic Park" was based. If you ever get a chance to hear him speak, GO!!! AND TAKE THE KIDS!!! His lectures are very kid friendly!!! 15) Does your state have a state fossil? Ours does: Iowa's state fossil is the Crinoid. We discuss this with dd, and how Iowa was once covered by a shallow sea. She identifies crinoids in a display at the science center. 16) Loverboy has bought a few fossils through The Rock Shed including a crinoid. He says to check out the clearance pages. 17) Go Fossil Hunting Locally. An hour-and-a-half north of us, there is a park/area where the public can go fossil digging. Do a google search for "[your state] dig fossils" and see if you can find anything. 18) Quick discussion of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Sedimentary rocks are where most fossils are found. Discussion of how dinosaur bones are dated (NOT carbon dating!!!) Gotta go because the kids are up, but here is an article: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geology/dinosaur-bone-age.htm 19) Watch Jurassic Park :hurray: . Yeah, it's all fiction, but the dinosaurs are cool!

1) WTM 2) A book on Unschooling. I do not unschool, but I have friends who do. If one is thinking of homeschooling, one should at least have exposure to unschooling as a philosophy. I read a book on unschooling and determined that is was NOT the right choice for us at this time. However, many families unschool at least partially (everything except math and phonics, for example). By reading about Unschooling, one can make that judgment for their kids. The book I read about unschooling is out-of-print, but there are others out there. 3) A book on Charlotte Mason. :blushing: I have not read anything about Charlotte Mason, but, again, this is a popular philosophy for homeschooling. It may be a really good fit for some families. Check a book out from the library to see if this is a good fit for you. 4) A catalog from Rainbow Resource. RR does not carry everything, but it is a good starting point. Read about the different math programs or spelling programs available, and just know that THERE ARE A LOT OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE OUT THERE! The nice thing about RR is that each product has a review. I did not have any luck in getting a catalog from RR until after I started buying from them. Now they send me one every year. I'll bet that you can get an old copy from a friend. 5) A Word file. The file has a chart for each year/grade and what I would like to use for curriculum for each level. For example, when dd reaches 3rd grade, I would like to use MCT's system for Language Arts. We plan to do Saxon Math all the way. I plan to start History Odyssey in first grade. Because I have this mapped out, if I find something on sale or second-hand, I can pick it up at a better price. BUT The best part of having a random Word file is that I cut and paste things on this board that I find interesting for use in the future. Here is a sample of stuff I have pasted. Some of it is also books that I have found in the library that I would like to share with my dds, but are too old for them right now. 6) Another Word File. This one is labelled Homeschool Shopping. It is a list of all of the things I will need for older dd for first grade (next year). I add things to the list with a vendor location (item number, web address) and price, and it helps me to prioritize for the budget that I have. I will use it at the next homeschooling convention to avoid impulse buys, and if I am smart, I will purchase thoughout the year to spread out the cost. 7) A ticket to the local homeschooling convention. It is a good way to learn what is available out there for curriculum. 8) For parents of really young children, I would recommend: a) Starfall.com b ) Letter of the Week c) Saxon Math K (there is no workbook; just a lot of manipulatives and some optional worksheets you can print off at the end of the year). What age are you looking for?

Yeah, one page of affidavit per year is busywork. :confused1: Compared to many states, I suspect this is NOTHING. We don't have to count days or hours or anything like that. How many pages need to be filled out to register your kids at the local elementary school? This is personal for me. I have children from my past that I love dearly, but were messed up because their mom kept them out of school and "on the run" for over a decade. If even one of the towns/school systems could have caught them for truancy because the paperwork didn't match up, would it have made a difference for those kids? ------------------------------------------------------------ This seems to mostly be a tool for parents, so the parents can't say later, "I didn't know Johnny couldn't do math." If the parents don't know, then they can't help their kids. Giving parents this information (test scores) will keep kids from failing. One mom I spoke to said, "She earned a 22%ile on her math ITBS, so that next year, we did a LOT of math! She brought it up to a 67." In that case, regulation DID keep a child from failing in homeschooling. She resented her mom and the math, but she is competent in a subject that requires a certain amount of skill to succeed in life (checkbook, taxes, insurance, interest rate). ------------------------------------------------------------ The teachers are still educated and licensed by the state. They are mandatory reporters, and if abuse is occurring in a home, the teacher can lose her license (and her income) for not reporting. However, some homeschoolers are hostile toward anything from the school system. Sometimes this is for good reason; sometimes this is from the fear sold by those who will benefit financially from that fear. The option of choosing one's own visiting teacher is a fair compromise. Many people find someone through their local church. Teachers go to college for 4+ years because they want children to learn. It's not for the money, and it's certainly not for the glory. Do you really think the teacher, ANY TEACHER, would not speak up if a 17yo was reading and writing on a 1st grade level? Who here wants a home visiting teacher that would not try to make a difference for that 17yo? I sure wouldn't. --------------------------------------------------------- 1) Regulations DO prevent kids from "failing" at homeschooling. Are they 100% in effectiveness? No, but what is? --Most American kids learn to read, write, and do math in the public school system. If the public school system met 100% of kids educational/emotional/developmental needs, none of us would be homeschooling. --Milk is a nutritious drink, and I'll bet that nearly all of us have a couple of gallons in the fridge, but is not effective for those who are lactose intolerant. --We drive a Toyota Corolla because it gets great gas mileage and has few breakdowns. For anyone needing to put three carseats in a car, a Corolla is not an effective choice. 2) I think some regulation is better than no regulation. I also think that some regulation is better than a lot of regulation. Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. 3) With the specter of regulation, some people opt to not homeschool because they know they couldn't do what was required, no matter how minimal (like filling out a single page affidavit once a year.) If you're not willing to do that tiny amount (ooooo, one page :scared: ), then you shouldn't be homeschooling. 4) These regulations also help keep the parents on track. To file with the school system, it says, "I have a plan."

One thing I did with dd was the PALS program. A friend who works in the school system with "at risk" readers gave me a copy YEARS ago. (This is not to be confused with the recent PAL program by IEW. I'm sure IEW's program is very good, but I don't know anything about it). On the page I linked to, look at "Lesson 6." That is a standard lesson. Most pages that I remember are like that (although it has been several years since I did this with dd). Have your child read the sounds to the star. When she gets to the star, say "Good Job!" If she messes up before the star, start over a the last star. Do a couple of pages/day. Whatever you think your dd can handle. We repeated the pages and colored in the smileys at the bottom each time we completed a page. IMO, you don't need a teacher's manual or a DVD.

I believe that in Iowa, we have regulation, but it has many roads and choices. Please forgive me or gently correct me if I get some of this wrong. Our oldest is only in K. 1) Starting in 1st grade, we must send in a 1-page form to the school system that declares our intent to homeschool. I believe this must be submitted each year. 2) By third grade, your child must do one of the following: a) Take the ITBS standardized test. I have never heard of the school caring one way or another if the child does poorly on this test. Perhaps it is the school's way of saying to the parent,"If you thought your kid was doing alright in math, this is a wake-up call! You can't say you didn't know, and don't complain when they flunk out of algebra!" OR b ) Portfolio: I have no idea to whom this is submitted or what is expected OR c) Visiting Teacher (Option 1) : The school system provides one for free. The teacher visits your home a certain number of times throughout the semester, and the teacher communicates you via telephone or email a certain number of times throughout the semester. The best visiting teachers aspire to be a bridge for the families and the public school system. OR d) Visiting Teacher (Option 2) : If you are unhappy with the idea of the school system providing a visiting teacher, you are welcome to hire one privately and pay for it out of your own pocket. With this option, you do not need to meet as often as the teacher in C is required. --This solves the issue of kids who are test phobic. --This solves the issue of kids who are unschooled. (My unschooling friend just records as portfolio that they worked on math and measurement by making cookies, and they did science by feeding the worm farm). --This solves the issue of not wanting a representative of the school system in your home and turning you in to DHS because you have the option to hire your own visiting teacher. On top of all this, I believe that we, as homeschoolers, get to deduct a certain amount or percentage of educational costs from our state taxes. The amount went up this year. ???? Or was on the docket at the statehouse to go up this year???? At least that was in the propaganda released by the state homeschooling organization. Just putting this out there: Another poster, on another thread, mentioned that in states that have regulation, the homeschoolers are respected as actual educators, rather than just truants. It is acknowledged that as homeschoolers, we are not just lazing around, but that we are active (even as unschoolers) in giving our kids the best start possible.

What does the doctor say? These are real concerns of yours, and although rare, some kids DO have cognitive or developmental issues. If there is an issue, to get help sooner than later is a good thing. --------------------------------- Our story: When our older (6th birthday today!!!! :party: ) turned two, she could only verbalize 4 words. She did use a lot of baby sign language, but usually the doctor wants a child to say FIVE words by age 1. Dd was 2! :w00t: He sent her upstairs to test her hearing (and the same test was used for autism). And we received a referral to have her tested by a local non-profit. Two ladies came to our home and ran dd through a quick barrage of 100+ tests. Each test was very quick. One test was to put a horse toy on top of the square with the horse (out of choices of 6 total farm animals). For another test, the lady wound up a little caterpillar that crawled away. Dd passed that test when she picked it up and took it back to the ladies to "do it again." All of dd's testing came back normal, although she did still qualify for speech therapy because of the lack of verbalization. Everything else was perfect. Because everything else was perfect, Loverboy and I opted to delay the speech therapy for six months to just give dd a little more time. (The ladies were great about giving us this option; I held my breath when I asked for it, because I hoped I was making the right choice as a parent). Dd started speaking after 4 months passed, and it was overnight and phenomenal! -------------------------- The point of my story is that the pediatrician (who sees a lot more kids than we do), knew what was within the normal range. And he was not worried, but was concerned. He was able to steer us to community services to give us the answers we needed. If dd had needed intervention of some sort, services were available. She did not, but Loverboy and I were reassured by knowing that she was just a little delayed in one area (speaking). She was developing appropriately in ALL other ways. Testing demonstrated this. If you trust your school system, they may have testing available, too, but that is a subject for another thread. Your dd may also be like our dd: You must go over and over and over and over something for her to get it, but when she does, it is incredible! If you think she's not taking it all in, that's crazy!

:iagree: Mr. King taught 10th grade World History to us. He is one of the few teachers my high school peers and I discuss (and with admiration!) when we have periodically met in the 20+ years since graduation. --------------------------------------------------- He had a way of making history interesting. He would explain things in a way that was compelling, but also put the world into perspective. Example: Mr. King lined up all of the big players (monarchs) of WWI. Then he explained that they were all first cousins. They were all grandkids of the Queen of England. :eek: ------------------------------------------------------- He also taught us a healthy skepticism for what is taught in the stories of history. Example: We all know of the story of Helen, wife of Menelaus, who ran off with Paris to Troy. The result was the 10-year Trojan War, and that great story about the horse! Then Mr. King explained about wealth and trade routes and property, and how the Trojan War did happen....but not over a woman. That would be a silly reason indeed to go to war!!! Wealth and conquest and control of trade routes makes a lot more sense as a motivation for war. -------------------------------------------------- Because of how Mr. King framed history, we, as sophomores, BEGGED him to give us lectures. I don't remember that ever happening in any other classes, before or since. Who begs for a lecture? He also had the great life motto of, "Live fast, die young, leave a good looking corpse!!!" (He was over 50, so he seemed ancient at the time for we teenagers!) He was the teacher you want your kids to have: interesting and knowledgeable.