This is very encouraging to hear, thank you for sharing!

We are homeschooling with the goal of college readiness, but we are not a particularly STEM-y family. (Definitely more about the humanities/arts in our house!) That said, I don't want to put my kids at a disadvantage at all, in terms of what college admissions expect nowadays. We have used Math U See all along and have been very happy with it. My oldest is about to enter seventh grade. She is halfway through Zeta, and is on track to begin pre-algebra by Halloween or Thanksgiving. But, looking ahead, I just realized that if she continues on her current path (assuming she progresses steadily), she will complete calculus by the end of 12th grade. On the one hand, I think that's great, but on the other hand, I'm thinking, is calculus in 12th grade necessary for a non-STEM oriented student? (Do colleges nowadays expect calculus for non-STEM students?) Part of me is thinking it might be smarter to slow things down, really take our time finishing Zeta, and plan to start pre-algebra in 8th grade instead. (This would position her to finish 12th grade with pre-calc instead of calculus). This plan would allow us to just work slowly and deeply and incorporate other sorts of math, like personal finance--I'm thinking of doing something like Dave Ramsey's Foundations in Personal Finance (you know, math that a person actually needs to know, lol). Also of note: my daughter is "young" for seventh grade. (She has a June birthday, so most of her friends in school--who are only a month or two younger--are actually just going into 6th grade this year. She is a great student and has never struggled with math, but I'm wondering if she'll find high school math easier if she's a year older when she gets to it.) Thoughts? Pros: I think I would feel less rushed if we slowed things down, and it would give us room to do other sorts of math I think are important. Cons: I'm worried about losing momentum and/or inadvertently putting my child at a disadvantage as far as college/the big picture goes. Just looking for advice or insight from those further along the path. Did your student go all the way to calculus? Was it "necessary"? Would love to hear others' experience. Thanks!

We are headed into our 8th year of homeschooling (!). As a general rule, I love using binders for storing our completed schoolwork, but I'm trying to figure out the best system moving forward. Thus far in our homeschool, I have used one large binder for each child. Each child's binder is divided into various sections (a math section, a language arts section, a history section, a science section, etc.) This has worked really well and has been manageable because it was just one binder per child and I can easily put materials from all our different curricula into it. (For instance, I pull our Math U See pages out of the workbook as we use them, and file the completed ones in the binder in the math section. Ditto for other subjects; it's a really easy way to mix and match all the different resources we use.) Then, at the end of the year, I pull a few samples from each section for the kids' review portfolios, and recycle the rest. (I generally don't save anything year to year except for a few gems, otherwise I would be drowning in paper!) The problem is, now that my oldest is headed into seventh grade, it is getting harder to fit everything in just one binder. I also think that certain notes and lessons are becoming more valuable (such as notes on writing) and I think it is likely we will continually refer to past notes, etc. as the kids get older. (In other words, I think they will want to save some Latin stuff year-to-year, some writing and vocab, etc., for reference moving forward.) So I'm considering switching to one binder per subject (that is, a math binder, a language arts binder, a science binder, etc., for each kid), but if I do that, each child will have like, 5 or 6 binders, and then I'll have a shelf with 10-12 binders on it. This is fine, of course, but it does seem like a lot of binders. Is there a more logical way to go about this? I would love to hear how you organize your children's work, especially if they are older/middle school-aged. Thank you!

YES! Thanks for sharing this! We totally operate on a "Maker's Schedule" in our homeschool; I had just never thought of it in that way before. I definitely experience the feeling of total interruption not only with extracurriculars in the evenings, but also with any appointments. For example, if someone has a dentist appointment at 10:00 AM, I swear it blows our whole homeschool day! (We usually manage to get, say, math done on a day with appointments, but still...the whole day feels used up.) And in our urban area (with crazy traffic), we really do need to take advantage of homeschooler availability and take daytime appointments, otherwise we'll just sit in rush hour traffic to or from the appointment. (With a child in braces, we have pretty frequent appointments lately....) I do try to schedule extracurriculars strategically - I try not do extracurriculars more than one or two days a week. I know lots of people who have extracurriculars every single week day, and I always wonder how they do it, because that would make me bonkers! (I think I would feel rushed or "behind" every single day!) I am also super introverted, though, so that surely plays into it, too. Anyway, thanks for posting; this is a good frame to use when thinking about scheduling and planning!

Math U See! It just works for us. (Occasionally, the program will teach a particular method that is not my favorite, and I'll then teach my kids what I believe is an easier way to solve something, but far and away, it just works. We have used it since Kindergarten and now my oldest is going into 7th grade. Hope it continues to work for us!) I don't use a whole lot of formal curriculum beyond this, except Lively Latin. We're also trying out Elemental Science this year. But pretty much everything else I create myself (library books, etc.)

Thank you so much for sharing all of this! (And best wishes to your little boy!)

This is great to know; thank you!

Wow! Yes, I've been looking at all sorts of areas on Realtor.com, trying to get a sense of various Columbus suburbs and neighborhoods, etc. (We're hoping to take a long weekend visit to Columbus in the fall, to finally see some things in person, but for now, all I can do is internet recon, lol. This whole thread has been so helpful!)

Awesome info, thank you!

This is awesome to know, too! Thank you!

Yes, I'm not yet sure if we would DE, but it's really great to have it as an option! So, it seems like Columbus State Community College is well-respected in the area? I've done some cursory reading about it on their website, etc., and from what I can tell, credits earned there would seamlessly transfer to OSU (or a similar 4-year institution), which is obviously a huge plus. (Even if we don't end up DE, I can definitely see us sending our girls to CSCC for their first two years of college and then transferring to OSU/similar, so buying a home in good proximity to CSCC would definitely be advantageous for that reason....)

Yes, the cost of living just seems amazing compared to the East Coast. And that is fascinating to me that your DD is technically enrolled in ps, but is full DE. I had never even considered that sort of thing as a possibility! Thanks so much for sharing!

Yay--thank you for responding from Columbus! This is all really encouraging! I have heard the libraries and parks are great, which is so important to us. Thanks so much for chiming in!

Thank you so much for this info! (And yes, from the research we've done so far, Ohio really does seem like utopia, lol.) I did not know that about DE in Ohio--that is great!

Good to know re: the tests! (I do have college degrees, so it's helpful to know that testing at home is an option.) And thank you for the general Ohio info; we are definitely exploring all the major cities!

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to write up all of this information and provide links! So, so appreciated! And I didn't realize that if I did the testing option I could administer the IOWA myself at home. Interesting! Something to think about. Well, this is all great, helpful info. Thanks so much!!

We're actually considering Indiana as well--specifically because it seems so free and painless for homeschooling! It's very tempting, lol. But there's so much about Ohio overall that appeals to us, it's definitely at the top of our hypothetical list at the moment. Lots to think about! I feel confident that I can play the game and make things work wherever we land, but it's very helpful to get a sense of things from other homeschoolers!

Thank you again for the information! It's interesting to me in that it all sounds pretty subjective and that there is a fee attached, but as we're searching around at different places to live, I am learning that the rules vary wildly from state to state!

Thank you so much for the information! (And thank you for the link; I bookmarked it.) If you don't mind me asking a follow-up question: Do the teachers who do assessments charge you a fee for the service? (I'm curious if the teachers are independent contractors, performing this service as a personal home/side business? Or, are they active teachers currently teaching in the state, who do homeschool assessments as part of their job?) I agree; portfolios are more comfortable for me, too. It's what we've always done here. (I'm not afraid of testing or anything; I'm sure my kids would score fine, but I don't want to start teaching to a test over the course of the school year, you know? I like being able to write things up and evaluate in a more narrative way, etc.) Ohio actually sounds easier in some ways than my state, since the assessments are just once per year (in my state, there are two per year, but they are very easy.) Anyway, this is encouraging--thank you so much for taking the time to respond!

We also use and love Typing Club!

I would love to hear from anyone currently homeschooling in the state of Ohio! Is homeschooling in Ohio "easy," legally speaking? (Is testing required?) If anyone could please explain, in a nutshell, what is legally required in Ohio, I would greatly appreciate it! I've done some cursory Googling, of course, but it would be so nice to hear about it first-hand. From what I understand, it looks like a portfolio can be evaluated annually by a certified teacher, but how do you find a suitable teacher to work with? Would my local public school set me up with one? (Side note: I actually used to be a certified teacher in my current state before having children/homeschooling, but I'm guessing I can't self-evaluate?) Context: For the past several years, my husband and I have contemplated moving to a different state. We've considered several states and are currently considering those in the midwest. Columbus, Ohio looks appealing to us for a variety of reasons. (We currently live on the east coast and the cost of living in our area is out of control. We've rented forever and we're hoping to buy our first home next year, but we could buy one in the midwest for literally a third or a quarter of the price of what an equivalent home would cost here, so we're just not sure how much longer it will make sense for us to stay in this area, you know? Our oldest is only going into 7th grade, but college isn't that far out, financially speaking, and we're thinking we'd rather put our money towards saving for college than the insane cost of living here. Plus, we're also feeling a general pull toward an environment that isn't so "East Coast Rat Race," if that makes sense. We've lived here for nearly 20 years and are feeling ready for something new/simpler/more peaceful.) That said, I am a bit hesitant to move because I've been homeschooling very happily in my current area for seven years now. I know the drill, I am very comfortable with it, and I find it very easy: just two portfolio evaluations a year with the county, and no mandatory standardized testing. But, as I said before, moving just makes so much more sense financially, and it might be exciting to embark on a new adventure as a family. So, I'm really torn. But we know we definitely don't want to move to a state where homeschooling is more difficult (regulation-wise), so I was hoping to get a sense of things from someone who currently lives in Ohio. Bonus question if you live in Columbus: Is there a vibrant homeschool community there? Our homeschool community is wonderful here, so that's another thing I'm really hesitant to give up. Thanks so much for reading; I appreciate any feedback anyone might have about Ohio, or any general insight about moving to a new state while homeschooling.

Awesome info, thanks!!

Thank you both! I haven't heard of either of those; will check them out!

Just curious where you've had the best luck selling used curriculum? (I'm looking to sell some Math U See and All About Spelling, if the specific items influence your opinion.) I've never used the classifieds here, and am curious how active they are? (There appears to be lots of great stuff for sale, but not a lot of completed sales.) Just trying to figure out the best use of my time - trying to sell here, on eBay, or on Craigslist. Any input would be much appreciated! Thanks!

Enjoy your peace and quiet! My husband usually does something similar--takes the kids to my MIL's house for several days so I can do the bulk of my planning. Typically, I first tackle whatever tasks require actual brain power and focus. I do a modified file-folder planning system each summer, and for certain subjects (say, math), all that requires of me is tearing the pages out of the workbooks and filing them into folders. I don't necessarily need peace and quiet to do that; it's more like busy work for me, and I know I can work on it little by little over time. But for other subjects that I mostly DIY (that is, that I don't use a simple, single curriculum for)--the subjects that require me to stop and really think about projects I'd like to include, changes I want to make, books I want to read, etc. do require concentration, so I focus on those first. Additionally, any serious homeschool reading I might want to do (like re-reading sections of TWTM, etc.), are something I prioritize. Finally, I also like to muck out the homeschool room and shelves, etc., when no one is there to immediately mess them back up, lol.