I'm basically new to homeschooling for all intents and purposes. However, I'm not totally a novice. I did extensive research and reading when homeschooling my kids a couple years ago (I homeschooled for about 2.5 years then put them back into public school, but that's a whole 'nother post!). Anyway, we'll be deciding to pull my 12 yr old out of PS to homeschool for 8th-12 grade. We really feel its best for him due to a variety of reasons. He also has ADHD which causes difficult in a busy classroom. He does better one-on-one, etc etc So a couple quick questions to get me started...while we do plan on finishing out this current school year, I'd like to use the time to really plan and prepare. Sources on what typical minimum standards are per grade level that they should learn/know? And how long do you typically spend with schoolwork for one child in these upper levels? Any other sources to get me started on reading and planning? Thanks!!

Sorry if I'm duplicating any posts, however I can't seem to figure out how to search on this new set-up (last I was here was two years ago!). I homeschooled for a couple years until I had to go into the hospital with preterm labor with my sixth child, and we made the decision to put the school kids back in public school. They have been doing pretty well, until recently. My almost 15 yr old (9th grade) is doing well academically, but not so much socially. High school is just too full of bad influences and we'd like to protect him a little longer, or not have to expose him to those type of things just yet (I know he has to deal with the real world eventually!). Anyway, we've decided that online schooling would be best for him. He needs structure and a rigorous curriculum. He loves to learn and loves to read (he's even taught himself some basic Japanese just because he was bored lol!). Public school hasn't really allowed him to challenge himself, and so he just lazily gets through the work and still gets all A's. :/ What I want from K12 is the structure, the planned lessons (so that I don't have to do much or any lesson planning), and ability to challenge himself with harder work. I guess I'm curious what others have thought of/experienced with the K12 high school curriculum. Also, how much of a difference is it from the standard, to comprehensive, to honors classes? Do they allow you to test to see which one you can do or do you just pick? I've read some about it and it seems many people say it can be a lot of work, but I wonder how high school courses compare and so on. Thanks!

Okay got the Google search to work. However, now I'm dealing with a lot of the posts being from the old forum and no longer available. :/ Guess I will just have to start a new thread about it! Thanks! :)

Bummer the search doesn't work very well. On the old site I used the search tool all of the time. It was very useful when trying to sift through hundreds of posts for a certain curriculum discussion, etc.

Hello! I've been gone probably two years and everything has changed here!! I can't figure out how to search for keywords/topics. Can someone help me?

I don't know if anyone remembers me (there are a LOT of people here on these forums!!) But I LIVED on these boards last year and the year before. I was new to homeschooling and was in my second year of homeschooling my three oldest children when I had my little girl earlier then expected. Due to a month long hospital stay and the unknown of a preemie - my family (aka my parents, husband, and friends) decided for me that putting the kids back in public school would be best. I went along with it, although I wasn't ready for homeschooling to be done. :( So update time - my oldest (7th grade now) is doing very well in school. He had a bit of an adjustment because apparently he "didn't learn anything" from me in math when we home schooled. So essentially he started mid-way 6th grade a whole year behind in math. Thankfully he's a very bright kid though, and he caught up very quickly. He does better learning from others besides me I have come to learn. ;) My other school aged son, now in 3rd grade, has done very well also. He only went to public school for kindergarten and then was homeschooled first and half of second grade. He adjusted very well and is doing super awesome also. I'm very happy. :) Then my fourth oldest started kindergarten this year, public school, and at first I wasn't sure he'd do well but he's adjusted and is happy and learning a lot. However its my second oldest I am still concerned about. He is the one that brought me to homeschooling first. While he's starting to do better, he just doesn't do well in such a busy, overcrowded, and energized atmosphere. His behavior has improved, however being in 5th grade now more is expected of him. He needs more one-on-one teaching, but in middle school it tends to be a lot more "sink or swim" attitude. I can't even help him with his work since they don't have books!!!! I have never heard of math class not using books. I guess they just teach and then use worksheets. That makes it impossible for me to help him study or practice concepts, however. 99% of the work they do in class. He is two grade levels behind on reading as well. At home I have noticed he does wonderful on reading if its quiet and its just me and him reading together. Also...he really misses home schooling. I think its mostly the homeschool co-op that we were involved in. However, he is demanding to go back to homeschooling next year. I would love to but I would want to make sure we can be successful. I feel like a failure that my kids basically lost a year of education while homeschooling last year. We were doing work! However, I was still learning how to do things and jumping head first into homeschooling with three children and two toddlers underfoot maybe was a tough way to start. I am sure it would have eventually worked out. :/ Yet that leaves me feeling very nervous and unsure that I could ever succeed and actually homeschool my second oldest son through high school. Both my husband and I do NOT want this bouncing back and forth thing for him. We haven't moved houses ever, yet he's been in two different schools in addition to home schooled. He needs consistency. So I would want to be sure that I had things figured out to cultivate a more successful learning environment. Whew...long winded update, sorry. ;) Thoughts? Suggestions? Has anyone else went from homeschool to public school and then back? What did you do to make it work better. What methods/tips do you have for successful homeschooling? I will ask the curriculum questions in the other forum. ;) Thanks!!!!

Thanks! I actually was assigned to read "Boys Adrift..." this week for a discussion on boys/young men and how video games affect them. That's what spurred my interest in boys in the school system. I'm a mother to five and have witnessed first hand how the schools have failed two of my boys so far... I really enjoyed that book and its totally changed the way I've been thinking and addressing my son's possible ADHD and medication...

I'm writing my Sociology paper on this topic. I may focus on specifically how public school is failing boys...but I think that may be too restrictive. Can I get some good book and movie recommendations on this topic (or both topics)? THANKS!!!

Yikes I didn't know that about the waiting list. We enrolled about 4 yrs ago I think now? Maybe 3 yrs ago....and there was no wait list at all. :(

My join date was Aug 2010 (yes I just checked! lol) and I have 494 posts. Yikes I guess I need to step it up!? I read a lot and post occasionally, but am more naturally a reader. :)

JoAnn -I see you are in Washington state...have you looked into Basic Health? Dh doesn't get medical through his job, he's a personal health care giver for an elderly man with MS. I am a stay at home mom now so I don't have insurance through a job anymore either. We applied for Basic Health and its $45/month for each of us with a $15 co-pay for office visits. It seems to cover all the basics. I haven't looked into what it covers as far as serious issues or treatments though.

GIRL after five boys. The first girl! We are beyond excited. I'm a total boy mom and thought I'd NEVER have a girl (we just thought we made boys...lol). So I'm very happy and excited, but shocked! Are girls really different from boys? I have no clue what to expect. It will be a fun new adventure! lol

Yes, exactly. If I let the kids "escape" its SO hard to reel them back in. I like the idea of having a designated breakfast time (and not just a feed yourself when you wake up lol) at the table, WHILE starting work. And no free time until schoolwork is done. It sounds simple, and realistically I KNOW this is how it must be done to actually work. But its SO easy to fall into bad habits and bad routines... I've just got to work on getting them back into a GOOD routine. Someone told me last weekend (unrelated to homeschooling though but it fits lol) that it takes something like 30 days to establish a routine, but only 3 days to break it. Consistency is the key!

Thanks all for the advice. I really thought about it, slept on it, and I feel really good about the decision to NOT put them back in. Honestly I wasn't making a full effort at homeschooling to begin with. I still took my time in the mornings, as did they, and I'd let them jump on comptuers, video games, etc before doing schoolwork. It wasn't a good working system and they didn't take me seriously. So a lot of things are changing Monday morning - in my attitude about it and letting the kids know I'm serious. I know it won't happen overnight but eventually they'll get that I'm serious! As for the other questions - honestly my college classes take very little of my time...at least my time during the day. My time during the day are all totally spent on the kids, house, and their homeschooling. I don't do any of my homework until evening, when my husband is home and when the kids are in bed. I did this all last year and got all A's, so it worked. :) So school doesn't interfere with the kids' school...its just hard to not have the evenings to prepare for any homeschooling stuff or take time for myself. However I'm not doing my homework EVERY night of the week, I at least have two nights that are free. As for the financial aid, its not supporting us so that we HAVE to have it...but rather its helping us to get caught up on other bills. And finances DO equal stress...so its actually helping alleviate some of that stress of bills hanging over our heads. That's what financial aid IS for...its so the student can go to school and have some extra money to live on while they are taking classes. As for the student loans - its not a lot to start with but also we are in a unique situation to where we don't have any rent or mortgage payments. So the student loan takes the place of that. Its low interest and low payments and makes me going to school easier on the family. Really after all is said and done, it will only total to something like buying a car...its not much (IE we're not talking about hundreds of thousands...lol). Also, I wish I had a mentor to help me in real life...but I don't. My sister-in-law has homeschooled her four kids for a few years now, but they are all girls. lol She has helped some, but really our kids are like night and day. hehe And I have NO one else I know that homeschools several kids. Uggh :( But I have you guys! :) And I've used you a lot. So thanks! I think I can get through this...I just need to get my attitude back on track, and I feel a lot better by staying HS then sending them back to PS. So I know its the right decision. Thanks all!

Thanks for the suggestions! :) Unfortunately, a virtual public school isn't an option for us. Their homeschool co-op is already an ALE program (funded by the school district) so I don't think they can dual enroll in another ALE program. ? The only subjects we "have" to cover each week is math and language arts. I also do Story of the World for a little extra history. The rest of the subjects are covered at their homeschool program. You'd think I could handle just math and language arts 3-4 days a week, but getting the boys to sit down and do work is impossible. They are all over the place, not paying attention, the little two non-school aged children are into everything...then I get the older children mad at me when I'm not paying attention to them and answering their questions. Its like a giant tug-o-war. My 12 yr old sees all this going on and goes off and hides downstairs, doing what he wants, because I'm too busy to make him get up here and do his work too. I don't know where to start...its only the beginning of our 2nd year. We have a lot to learn still. But I'm already burnt out. I don't know how much more I can handle. I don't have it in me to keep going I feel like. Everytime I get a good idea and a good attitude about it, I wake up in the morning ready to start fresh and try new things...when 30 min later they've already destroyed my mood and ruined the day. lol I can't get them on the same page as me!