[Do any of you choose NOT to accelerate your gifted child?]

I never really chose to accelerate or not. I never kept track of grade levels. When we finish one thing, we just move on to the next.

[Gun Safety how would you react?]

I have guns in my home, but they have trigger locks and are locked in a lock box. They are not accessible to my children or anyone elses. I would not allow my children to play in someone's home that didn't have guns under lock and key.

 

Now saying that my older children have all handled guns, and these two little ones will too. Under adult supervision, with proper respect and training. But even at that, I don't trust even them with an unsecured gun !!!

[S/O regarding submissive wives for non-Christians.]

I am not a Christian. Am am Apatheist. I do try to live a good life, helping anyone I can along the way. Treading light on this earth.

 

But I am in NO WAY SUBMISSIVE !

 

My husband and I have a 50 / 50 marriage. The only difference is that I work in the home, and he works outside. We both tend to children, home and family.

 

I dont' think I know anyone that is submissive, whether Christian of not. But maybe that is just how we are in Texas ;-).

[I just realized that Michael Jackson was a homeschooler]

It was an article on Levi Johnston in GQ magazine. There is only one short paragraph that mentions homeschooling which I'm copying below, but the entire article is available online. It doesn't contain any other info on hs though.

 

Here it is (he refers to Levi): The previous year he’d been in a homeschool scenario. Alaska boasts the most lax homeschooling rules of any state in the union, in the sense that they have literally almost no rules. Levi was doing his learning online, through a Brigham Young University program. Unsupervised, at the Palins’ house, where Bristol Palin was homeschooling, too.

 

 

Ok, that is different. He wasn't using an Alaska homeschool ( public or private ) or parent led homeschooling. Don't know what to call that :D

 

My older children attended college ( for up to 5 classes ) in their highschool years. I still identified myself as homeschooling them.

 

Alaska does have lax laws, just as Texas does. No reporting nothing. I know someone had some $$$ to use the Brigham Young University :lol: ( I don't think I can call that homeschooling at all.

 

Now I will have to see if I can find out more about Bristol.... Curiosity killed the cat.

[I just realized that Michael Jackson was a homeschooler]

Back to the homeschooling part...I also just read an article that said Bristol Palin was homeschooled for a while, but it also wasn't in the sense that most people here think of homeschooling. She wasn't taught by her parents, she was using some distance learning material and completing courses from home that way. The rest of her siblings were in regular school. Not to make this political, but I don't really consider this to be homeschooling. No classroom...possibly a decent teacher...but no student-teacher interaction...for me that's the clincher. Also, just too much screen time.

 

 

I would like to see that article, got a link ?

 

Alaska has distance schooling for those who don't live near a school. Living in Wasilla like they do, if this was where they were when she was homeschooled. Most likely it wouldn't have been the same. There are many programs in Alaska that pay for supplies, and have a "teacher" watch over a child. But the parents are still required to teach. The " teacher" just makes sure you cover everything when purchasing for a year, helps with any problems, and arranges the Bench Mark tests. ( Sorry I have been in Texas for 5 years the state tests could be called something else now).

 

I was with one of these schools at one time, I quickly learned I didn't care for it. And went away from it. All three of my older children were enrolled with I.D.E.A, when it was in it's infancy. Within 2 years the rules change signifigantly. But we were still required to teach !

 

I don't know which she was enrolled in, but would love to read the article.

 

( P.S. in most areas of Alaska, teen pregnancy is such a problem, that this might have been a choice for her then ??? )

 

I feel homeschooling is educating your child outside of an organized school, whether public or private. Whether you use tutors, dual enrollment, their grandmother, mother, cousin, nanny etc teaches them. Homeschooling in my mind is having control over what and how your child is taught.

 

And no I am not rich, or famous...... :D

[Barnes & Noble homeschool discount]

I have had teachers cards in 3 states. Alaska and Montana were no problem, I just asked for one and recieved it. Now Texas is another matter, atleast in my area. They wouldn't give me one, so I called corporate. They explained the requirements to me, and then to the local store. They can require a homeschool ID ( yeah ok, we all have these LOL ), or your school info on letterhead. This was the easiest for me to do. I just made letterhead and promptly recieved my card.

[Will you/do you homeschool for high school?]

I'm new here and have awhile before I need to handle high school, lol, but my mind is spinning after reading some high school threads here. I tried searching for a thread similiar to this one but couldn't find anything.

 

I'm under the impression after reading some of the high school threads that many of you will no longer homeschool when your children are high school age- is that right? It seemed from the threads I did find, that many people decided to stop homeschooling at that point.

 

I'm wondering how common that is- to stop homeschooling at high school age, and also how to handle the increased needs of high schoolers, esp. for those in big families. What route do you plan on going and how do you plan on handling high school, or how have you?

 

I homeschooled my 3 olders through highschool. I plan to school these 2 younger children also.

 

For my family, I think it is a mistake to send them off when hormones are raging. Into a peer driven world. I personally think Highschool in Public school does nothing to prepare children for real live situations. I think it has much more of a chance of steering them into very bad situations.

 

If you want to send your children to public school, do it when they are young. Bring them home when they are older.

 

Just my two cents.

[Best place(s) to buy a chalkboard?]

I bought the spray can of chalk board paint. Love it.

[Best place(s) to buy a chalkboard?]

We made our own. I got Chalk Board paint from Ace Hardware for $12, and a board 8 X 4 of smooth wood. Hubby bought 2 pieces of base board and made a chalk holder rail for the bottom. Cheap Cheap Cheap. Cost about $35

[How religious is Child's History of the World?]

We used it many years ago, other than the first chapter there is very little.

[Frustrated with HS community enabling itself to lower standards...]

I am a bit late to this discussion. But I have to agree. After 20 years of homeschooling, I have noticed this recently. Years ago we felt we really had to prove ourselves as we weren't the norm. As homeschooling becomes more mainstream, I see the lax attitude too.

 

I will homeschool these younger children, just as I did the olders. Rigorously.

[I may just be losing my mind...]

I have three older children and 2 youngers. My DD 21 learned to read at 6, DS 19 learned to read at 8. Ds 17 learned to read at 4. My DH and I have two together DS 2.9, and DD almost 1.

 

DS 2 can read simple cvc words now. He started pointing out letters on everything, saying thier sounds ( from Leap Frog DVD Letter Factory ). His Dad was messing around on the white board.... ( he was shocked ). He went through all the letters, giving thier sounds. So Dad picked up a book and DS read a lot of it.

 

DH is still in shock, it may take him a while to get over it. I will just roll with the flow. When he is interested we do school. When he isn't we play LOL I don't want to push.... he will progress in his own sweet time. But I will not stiffle his interest either. Just as I didn't with his older siblings.

 

It really is possible.