[Fourth edition of TWTM...here's your chance to weigh in!]

I hesitate to bring this up since I'm not sure there are very many people in situations similar to mine.  I am a single mom and DD homeschools independently at my place of employment.  This means we have to tote everything with us daily.  Every subject seems to have an encyclopedia (or two), additional texts, a binder, workbooks, etc.  A "streamlined" option would be very helpful for me.  Perhaps book suggestions that are in ebook format, online alternatives to the encyclopedias, or suggestions for curricula with significantly fewer components. I know digital isn't very classical and certainly isn't ideal, but this might be a stumbling block for a lot of people who otherwise would like to try the classical approach.

 

Again, I'm certainly in the minority, but there may be children who homeschool in two homes, are in families who move or travel a lot, or who have severely limited space and/or resources.

 

ETA: Perhaps a small symbol that denotes curricula and resources that are fully secular, or that denote faith-based curricula, if you prefer :)

[If you have kids in school...]

When my two were in school (one is now homeschooled) and I happened to have a day off from work, I would imagine all of the "me" stuff I'd do.  In reality, I sat on the couch in a stupor, eating hummus with a spoon, having no idea what to do without someone demanding that I do something.  I had zero natural motivation LOL

[Homeschooling At/Near the Poverty Line]

Sorry for being MIA, guys.  I've had a rough couple of days. I'm going to catch up on posts now :)

 

[Has anyone used Minecraft School?]

Squeal!!  DD is a HUGE Minecraft fan.  Every time I've been able to incorporate Minecraft into an assignment it's been a huge hit.  I will definitely run this by her!  What is the time commitment for these courses per week?

[Homeschooling At/Near the Poverty Line]

Everyone, your encouraging words are so very needed and appreciated!  As much as I dislike that other people have been, or are currently, in this situation, it's still good to know that I'm not an island.  

 

Although I've been a "homeschool sympathizer" for a decade, I pulled DD on a whim halfway through last year.  So, I am new to homeschooling, and even newer to classical homeschooling.  It took me a while to realize that this method jives best with my educational philosophy.  Every link and lead offered is so very helpful.  I tend to be a potent mix of obsessive, indecisive, and perfectionist, so solid leads help me concentrate my efforts lol.

 

We are very fortunate to be fairly well-equipped with technology from before the divorce.  We have an older but still very operational laptop, and wifi is thankfully included in rent.  I also work in a bookstore, so I get a discount on stuff we sell in the store.  I spend every break curled up with one of the store's copies of The Well-Trained Mind :)

 

I definitely will look at Freecycle for art supplies.  That's an excellent idea.  Also, I sent out an application for financial assistance to the YMCA just last week, so hopefully we'll hear from them soon.  DD has also repeatedly expressed interest in Girl Scouts, which I think is very cheap, so I'll look into that too.

 

Our public library is...not awesome.  I hear the library in the next town over is much better, so I'll definitely check them out.  I am definitely having a hard time finding state-level support for homeschoolers.  I am in a few facebook groups, but there simply aren't a lot of homeschool programs.  I am not sure if we have a lower than average homeschool population or what.  Maybe it's because we have a far-flung population in this state (Maine).  As far as I can tell, there aren't charter schools here yet, although I think I remember hearing some political hoopla over the establishment of a new charter program.

 

My ex-husband isn't supportive of my homeschooling, so there's the added stress of feeling that DD and I have to perform in order to avoid trouble.  Like we don't have room for error.  Last year he kept telling DD that homeschool doesn't count and that she'll have to repeat 5th grade  :thumbdown: .  But that's a whole nuther story.

 

All in all, I wouldn't change this for the world.  I love educating  DD and she loves it too, and all the sacrifice doesn't even feel like sacrifice.  Both my kids are so amazing (younger DD loves public school and is thriving there for now) and have really stepped up their game to make our family a true team.  Some days (like when I posted here lol) I feel defeated, but most days I feel so very lucky :)

[Homeschooling At/Near the Poverty Line]

I guess this is essentially just a vent, and am new here so I don't know if this goes here or the general chat board.  I guess I just need to know I'm not the only one lol, that it's possible to homeschool well while being poor :)  It's so frustrating being a working single mom at the poverty line trying to afford homeschooling.  I sometimes wonder if I'm short-changing my daughter.  We can't afford co-op classes (not that there are many secular ones here anyway) or other classes (art, music, theater, science camp, etc.)  I can't even seem to scrape enough together to get art supplies for the home, and a decent science curriculum with lab supplies is darn near impossible.

 

Luckily, I was able to secure a one-time contractor job that will pay me a few hundred, so I can buy a bit of curriculum this year, but I have to be SO careful.  It's demoralizing.  I see something fabulous and then see that it's over $100 for one subject.  I don't have the time to plan something from scratch or to try to adapt a free curriculum to fit our needs.  Last year I made do with finding free public school textbooks online, but it was hit-or-miss.  I want to do classical homeschooling next year for 6th grade.

 

I've considered partial enrollment in public school for subjects like science, but the schedule doesn't work for me.  I'd have to transport her to the public school every day and it would be disruptive to our school and my work schedule.  I'm still considering it for high school, but that's years away.  The high school is within walking distance and she'll be older.

 

I'm sorry if this is inappropriate, but I can't say this to anyone in real life.  They always feel obligated to offer something, which is not what I want.  I just need someone to understand and say "dude, that sucks."

 

[Online Planning for Macs]

I use OneNote and love it.  I do copy and paste repetitive daily or weekly schedules.  Also, it syncs across devices, so if DD is doing independent work on the Macbook, I can check OneNote on my iPhone and if I notice she hasn't checked anything off recently, I know she may have hit a roadblock.  (This is helpful to me because she does her work independently at my work, so I'm not always right there.)

 

I also had tabs for each subject and she completed her work there rather than in hardcopy.  This was before we really got into classical education, and not having the papers to keep track of was helpful.  Not sure how we will do it next year.  I want her to get that memory boost from writing on paper, but we homeschool on the go as I mentioned before.  We'll see.  At the very least, she keeps a homeschool journal on OneNote with her triumphs, worries, frustrations, etc and I also link internet articles for her to read and summarize for current events.  So, perhaps I won't use OneNote for everything next year, just for some non-core stuff.

[Lab Costs: Classiquest Astronomy & Geoscience]

Thanks so much!  This is super helpful.  Honestly, my ex-husband is an astronomy freak and has a top-of-the-line telescope.  We can stargaze all we want, but I think DD likely has a good enough grasp on astronomy to simply do the geoscience half instead.  What she doesn't have, so fresh out of public school, is any scientific experience at all.  I'm leaning towards doing a experiment-heavy general science overview for the first semester to get her all excited for science, then use the Classsiquest Geoscience for the second semester of 6th grade.

 

I appreciate the heads up on the astronomy portion, as I'd be rather upset if the curriculum wasn't better than what I can make myself with the books and equipment we already have :)

[Lab Costs: Classiquest Astronomy & Geoscience]

If you buy the books and the lab kits, how many more materials are required to do the labs? Is there a master list in the curriculum? I'd hate to buy it and find out that we can't afford it.

 

If there are extra supplies other than what's included in the kits, if you bought the supplies monthly, what do you guess the ballpark cost is per month?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lab Costs: Classiquest Astronomy & Geoscience]

If you buy the books and the lab kits, how many more materials are required to do the labs? Is there a master list in the curriculum? I'd hate to buy it and find out that we can't afford it.

 

If there are extra supplies other than what's included in the kits, if you bought the supplies monthly, what do you guess the ballpark cost is per month?

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lab Costs: Classiquest Astronomy & Geoscience]

If you buy the books and the lab kits, how many more materials are required to do the labs? Is there a master list in the curriculum? I'd hate to buy it and find out that we can't afford it.

 

If there are extra supplies other than what's included in the kits, if you bought the supplies monthly, what do you guess the ballpark cost is per month?

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Overwhelmed: 1st Full Year of Homeschool Planning (6th grade)]

Wow!  Thanks for the recommendations so far!  I will be sure to investigate them all when I get off of work :)  I'm quite excited to explore these options.  Thanks!

[Overwhelmed: 1st Full Year of Homeschool Planning (6th grade)]

I started homeschooling DD half-way through 5th grade.  I didn't really have time to organize or plan anything.  I am consumed with planning next year's curriculum, and very overwhelmed with the seemingly unlimited options, and so frustrated with the dearth of secular options (or, getting excited about a potential match, only to find that it is not secular).  Sigh.

 

So, what are your favorite secular programs?  I am on a very limited budget (single mom and all that jazz).  Also, it has to be fairly independent as most days she does her schoolwork at my job.

 

So far I'm thinking of:

 

History: History Odyssey, Middle Ages 2.  I'm almost settled on this choice. 

Science: Book Shark:  I like this because it has lab supplies included.  I can't seem to find an affordable option for curriculum plus supplies for science, but DD really wants to do labs.  The cost of this program is cost-prohibitive but I might be able to work it.

Latin:  was going to do Rosetta Stone since we already have it, but I've read on here that it's not the best option.  Can't seem to find very affordable alternatives. I am hoping I can get grammar and Latin rolled into one. 

Math:  **sigh**  She will be doing pre-algebra in 6th.  I have a middle school text already and I guess I can use it.  Unless there's a super awesome affordable alternative that is rigorous and interesting.  Suggestions?

Etymology:  Ok, this is kind of funny, given all I've said so far.  An atheist friend highly highly recommended ACE's 9th grade etymology program.  I know, strange :)  We're doing it anyway ;)

 

She is a strong reader/writer (plus, I have an English degree) so I think those subjects will happen organically with little structured curriculum.

 

Any tips, recommendations, or ideas?

[Talk to me about planners?]

We use Microsoft OneNote.  It is digital and syncs across devices.  She'll have a weekly or daily checklist of assignments.  It is also her digital notebook for all her assignments.  BUT (and it's a big but) we homeschool on the go since I am a single mom.  She sometimes works at home or at my job (I work in a bookstore), so the portability and simplicity of the digital aspect works for us while it may not work for others.

[Do you "decorate" your school room?]

Our mudroom will be our semi-official homeschool space next year.  I scored one of those classroom spring roller wall maps with separate maps for the world and each of the continents.  The only place with walls strong enough to hang it was the mudroom (old house with crumbly plaster and lathe walls.  Yuck).  My daughter wanted school desks too, and I happened upon a couple at a yard sale.

 

But really, I made the mudroom into a classroom because otherwise the mudroom is the place where we just toss random junk we are too lazy to put away lol,  Two birds.