Homeschooling in PA looks complicated at first glance (I was overwhelmed my first year!) but once you read through a few times what you're expected to do, take it step by step, and go through the process once, you'll find it isn't actually so bad. To begin homeschooling, you will need to file an affidavit. I have an example of a very simple affidavit here, which I got from Pauline's site: http://nancextoo.livejournal.com/215934.html If they push for medical records, you can either file exemption papers or you can submit the records or you can submit some sort of statement/doctor's letter about the records. I usually type up a brief letter I ask my doctor to sign saying that my child is a patient of his, that her medical services and immunizations are up-to-date and on file at his office, and that's that. I've never had a problem. You will also need to file "Proposed Educational Objectives" by subject area. I believe in keeping these general/vague. I have the ones I have used for four school years running now without problem posted on my blog, and you are welcome to use them in any way you like: http://nancextoo.livejournal.com/122810.html (They are for elementary years, you might have to tweak a bit if you're doing secondary years because the "required subjects" are just a little bit different). That's all you have to do to get started. Once you're homeschooling, you'll need to teach the "required subjects" I was just talking about, but how you do them and how often you do them are entirely up to you. Don't get too caught up in trying to work around the law. Homeschool how you would normally homeschool and then find a way to make what you did fit the law, rather than going into it with the law in mind stressing out over what subjects to teach and so on. Worst case scenario at the end of the year you might go, "Hmm, I don't have an example of fire safety yet" (or whatever) and you can always print some worksheet off the internet or something. At the end of the year, yes you have to hire an evaluator (usually costs $30-$45 depending on who it is), but you can easily find a list of evaluators on Pauline's site and contact them first and make sure they jive with your homeschooling philosophy- I have no problems with my evaluator. He's nice, he's easy going, he's always got nice things to say about my portfolio, he gives me the form letter I need to submit to the district with your portfolio, it's a breeze, really, and it's only once a year. There are even unschool friendly evaluators. You shouldn't have a problem. As for the portfolio, I've got a description and some pictures of the latest portfolio I just submitted, here: http://nancextoo.livejournal.com/226816.html I hope this helps. :) Where in PA will you be moving to?

We've only used TT5 so far but were able to do math 4x a week except for the weeks in which there were quizzes- we did those on the 5th day as I recall. Each lesson took about a half hour total.

I gave my five year old a cup of chocolate milk and 4 'Nilla Wafers. My ten year old daughter came down and asked if she could have what he was having. I said yes and went back inside to read my book. A minute later, my son came in. He: Is Alexa allowed to have five cookies? She has five. Me: How about you just worry about yourself instead of your sister? Go inside and eat your snack. He walked away and I overheard him say to his sister: "She said you can only have four."

:iagree:

of 1,128 of "A Storm of Swords" by George R.R. Martin (book three in the series) and it's due back at the library on the 11th. And can't be renewed because someone else has a hold on it. And I would really hate to have to just put it down in the middle for 3+ weeks! Don't particularly want to buy it either, though. I try and try to stay up later at night reading more of it, but my eyes get so heavy and I just can't. I'm going to get off the computer shortly and go try to read as much as I can this afternoon while the kids are occupying themselves and playing. I'm a pretty fast reader, but I just don't know if there's any hope for me on this one lol. Loving these books, though! :D

You might want to think about putting him in the carseat around 3 PM and going for a leisurely drive. Maybe he'll nap that way and try keeping him up an hour later at night, and see if that makes a difference?

Dear Photographer, First, let me say that I appreciate the offer you are making to our group and for your flexibility and willingness to travel. I do have to admit, though, that I was somewhat put off by your comment regarding homeschooled children. While homeschooled children may not spend their days in a school setting, they certainly participate in a multitude of classes, groups and activities as a whole, and the stereotype you made is quite off putting to me as a homeschooling parent and a potential client. I do think you should be more careful about how you word things to potential clients in the future so that you do not offend them and risk losing their business. ... you can then write a paragraph about how nevertheless you are willing to work with her this time and see if it ends up being a mutually beneficial experience despite her reservations if you do still want to use her, or you can write a paragraph about how you do realize that some people just don't have good social skills when it comes to interpersonal and business relationships and that since she is obviously one of those people, you are going to have to decline her offer and find someone more acclimated to dealing well with all types of clients on a social level and you wish her well in her future endeavors. :D

Cujo, by Stephen King? Just kidding. :D The ones I would have suggested were all already posted on the first page (Shiloh, Old Yeller, Sounder, Because of Winn Dixie, The Incredible Journey, etc). ETA: There might be other books about Alaskan sled dogs? I can't think of titles off hand but maybe look it up?

Can I use your program for more than one child? A. Absolutely. These programs are reusable and can be used with more than one student in the same year. For instructions on how to setup multiple students please call 866-867-6284 or email us at customerservice@teachingtextbooks.com. I would think it can be installed on two separate computers, but if not sure, call them. I would not suggest having them watch the lecture simultaneously because during the lecture it will ask questions that the child might have to plug in an answer for and I would assume you would want them to do that individually. So either install on two computers or set up two accounts on one computer and have the other doing something different will the one does math and vice versa.

A Lancaster County Farm Stay might be fun! (Pennsylvania)

4 "musts" per kid seems like an awful lot! I'd want that to be 3 or less. But if yours are definitely "musts" then I'd absolutely get rid of BOTH of your other "maybes."

no and no. If I borrowed something from somebody else I would be terrified that someone here (kids, cat, me, who knows) would do something that would get it into a condition it was not in when it was lent to me and then I'd feel responsible for that, and all stressed out wondering if that would happen etc. Likewise, if I lent something out, I would be afraid that it would get lost or not get returned or come back to me in a worse condition than it was when I lent it out in, and I would not be happy about that. Better to just stick to my own curriculum stuff- and keep it here at home, with me!

Here are two more I just noticed: DH started a diet and I don't like it cooking up sentences and hidden hints and Who handles finances in your house? This board is costing me money! :D

You could try posting on the wanted to buy boards here, browsing the for sale boards here, and doing the same at vegsource.com to see if you can get it used, but other than that like others have said buying new costs the same no matter where you buy.

I disagree that introducing various worldviews is "confusing." It's apparent pretty much all around us, no matter who we are or where we are, that different people believe different things. We are a secular Jewish family (a little bit cultural, not particularly religious, and I'm agnostic leaning more toward atheism these days myself). My kids have been taught about their Jewish culture, have been taught about the commonheld Christian beliefs in this area, have read many different myths and legends and know what different cultures believed at different times, know that some people believe in God and some people don't, know what evolution is... it's all just things we watch on documentary type things or other educational shows, have conversations about as they come up, read about in many different types of books, learn about as we meet new people, and so on and so forth. Children are going to absorb their own families values and eventually form their own beliefs, they're not going to be "confused" by the fact that there are other beliefs, theories and ideas out there. Life on Earth, The Story of Evolution is one early book we read and enjoyed pertaining to evolution. It's by Steve Jenkins: "Grabbing the audience's attention with stunning cut- and torn-paper collage illustrations, Jenkins (The Top of the World) illuminates another corner of the science world in this cogent introduction to evolution. Here, he traces the planet's history from its fiery beginnings billions of years ago through the emergence of the first bacteria, development of such organisms as jellyfish, ferns, dinosaurs, mammals and birds, on up to humans. Posing and answering questions ("Why have so many different forms of life developed on the earth?"), Jenkins ably presents such concepts as mutation, extinction and Darwin's theory of "survival of the fittest." The information spans an impressive range; Jenkins organizes and presents it with a clarity that demonstrates his mindfulness of the audience. Spacious white backdrops allow the vigorously lifelike collage images to spring to the fore. Bright-eyed frogs appear ready to jump off the pages; a shark swims menacingly toward readers; a wooly mammoth looks soft enough to pet. Science at its most inviting. Ages 6-10" ETA: And I see that as I was typing this, the person right above me mentioned the same book lol.

Well, you already KNOW that your husband isn't an adventurous eater so I guess that shouldn't be a surprise. And kids can be a bit finicky sometimes. So if I were to try something new and a bit more "exotic" not knowing whether my family would like it, I wouldn't get offended if they didn't. I'd know I had tried and that I was eating something I enjoyed, and if they decided they didn't like it, they could eat a sandwich or something instead, no biggie. I would perhaps later say to my husband something along the lines of I know you aren't a very adventurous eater, but when I do try making something new, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't make a negative comment before you even taste it. It sets a bad example for the kids and is a little bit insulting. Just try it and if you don't like it, eat something else that night, without making a whole production out of saying "ewww." And I'd say something similar to the kids if they are old enough. I know you won't necessarily like everything, but it is good to try new things, and it's bad manners to say "ewww" to something somebody prepared for you. It's rude to them, and besides, you should at least taste something before you decide you don't like it. After you try it, if you don't like it, you can simply politely say that you don't and ask to have a sandwich instead.

I'd stay. You like the place. Your daughter likes the group and participates. She's young. Maybe with time she'll start talking to people more because she'll eventually start feeling like she knows them better, after feeling like a long term member of their group. The classes being "fluff," well, maybe in time you might want to become involved in suggesting ideas, etc., and maybe they won't always be just fluff. But even if they are, you said you like it as a social opportunity for your daughter, so, sounds worth it either way. You may get one of those newborns that doesn't cry a lot, is sleeping or content, and you may actually find it pretty easy to take your daughter to co-op, put baby in a sling, and go about doing your errands, once you've had your recovery period of course. You can always just see how it goes.

My son started at 5 but we usually have to go clean up behind him (no pun intended haha). (He'll be 6 in three months).

haha here's a picture as requested, for eternal knot. I haven't even opened the package yet! I'm too busy admiring them IN their package still lol. (And yes I always have loved brand new packages of crayons and pencils, too! Any drawing or writing material brand new excites me I guess!) :D

A poetry-writing workshop? Science experiments? A book discussion? Some sort of arts and crafts class? Some sort of first aid/wilderness/survival kind of thing? A "community helper" thing where you get someone from different careers to come in and talk about their jobs? Putting together a class newspaper? A cooking class? A group quilting bee kind of thing?

You're right. Instead of worrying so much about how to homeschool around what the home ed. law of your state says, try figuring out how what you are ALREADY naturally doing can be made to fit the home ed. law. I think you will find that it's actually pretty easy to do so. :) Go ahead and do ancient history- and I'm sure you will read a book or have a conversation, perhaps centered around a holiday, or go on a field trip, or watch a show, or play a game, or do SOMETHING that pertains to U.S. History without even trying or thinking about it.

I guess it varies state to state. Where I live, compulsory school age is 8, and we have to file the school year that the child is 8 BY the cutoff date. So for example, my son will turn 8 in November of 2013, and I won't have to file for him until the following school year, since he will have missed the September cutoff date. He'll be nearly 9 by the time I have to file for him which is kind of nice. And sure you can put off formal schooling with him until then if you really want to. I'm sure he'll learn lots of stuff anyway and there's a whole school of thought that it's better to wait and that they tend to learn faster/be more developmentally ready if you wait a bit longer (see the book "Better Late Than Early" by the Moores for example- whose parenting advice I take with a grain of salt but whose educational philosophies have given me some food for thought).

It doesn't annoy me, but I can't be bothered with it either. I never repost them and tend to just skim/skip over them when I see them.

My husband handed me a 24 pack of fine-tipped Sharpie markers labeled "80's Glam"- and was like "I got this for you." Oooooh all the pretty 80's glam colors! I was grinning like an idiot. I guess it doesn't take much to make my day lol.

:grouphug: She's clueless. Don't discuss homeschooling with her ever again, period. Let her know the topic is off limits if she is ever the one to bring it up.