Guest ItsAll4Him Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 I have decided to pull our girls out of the school they are attending. They are 5 and 10 (K and 5th grade). My husband is not thrilled to say the least... He is convinced that I am ruining my children's lives by "fake" schooling. I know in my heart that this is the best choice for my children. Has anyone been in similar situation? Did your spouse become more accepting/ supportive of homeschooling? Also, I am very confused about choosing curriculum. There are way too many choices, lol! This is what I have so far (chosen by reviews/hours spent searching curriculum boards)... Please help me fill in any gaps I have in my plans or suggestions on alternative curriculum to use. I want my children to have the best education possible. We are just starting out and I want to make solid choices. How can I schedule my day to homeschool both children? How do you find time in your day to cover all subjects? Any advice is greatly appreciated :001_smile: 5th Grade: Bible- Positive Action For Christ Math- Saxon 5/4 Science- Adaptive Curriculum (Homeschool buyers co-op) / Apologia English- Rod and Staff 4 Vocabulary- Vocabulary Cartoons Writing- A Reason For Writing Cursive / The Write Stuff Adventure???? Spelling- Evan Moor Building Spelling Skills Reading- Drawn Into The Heart Of Reading (Is there a book list for age/grade levels?) History- Bob Jones Heritage Studies 5 Art- Meet The Masters Kindergarten: Bible- Devotional Book ???? Phonics- McRuffy Witing- McRuffy Science- McRuffy (Or should I use the Apologia Astronomy for both children?) Math- Saxon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwg Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 My dh was against hsing at first and now he is all about it! I did not do it against his wishes, I wore him down ;) until he agreed to try it for 1 year. Good luck on your journey! Welcome to the club :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tidbits of Learning Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Yes, I have been there. I spent the summer "schooling" the kids. My husband was not thrilled with the idea of home school and was blatently open about how he felt the kids would be missing out on something. I don't know if he thought it was a phase I was embarking on or if he thought I would be overwhelmed by the kids. I think he agreed to the summer trial period b/c he thought I would have a hard time at it or that it wouldn't be as great as I thought it would be. Sometime during the summer my dd9-4th grade had a huge heart to heart with my dh without me around and he changed his tune altogether. We started our official school year on September and I am very glad that we chose to homeschool. I won't lie though. There are days where I question what am I thinking and the kids are wild and crazy or sullen and defiant. It isn't all rosy and happy like I imagined all the time. There are rosy and happy moments but there are bad moments also. I worked on my dh by establishing a trial period that gave us both an out. We could compromise and we could talk and discuss it during that time period but we had to have valid reasons not just vague we are ruining the kids statements or rosy it will be perfect statements. In the end, my child did all the convincing for me and I still don't know what she said to dh. :grouphug: Wishing you well in your new homeschooling adventure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thowell Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 I cant offer much help with your dh but i will send you a hug:grouphug:. I am very blessed to hve a dh that was on board with hs from the get go. As for the teaching multiples mine are dd6 and dd9 and we do Bible, History, Science, Art, Spanish, together. The math, grammar, copywork/dictation, writing for dd9, phonics are done seperately so I stagger them. I have my dd9 working independently on her writing for example while I do phonics and copywork with dd6. we have changed our schedule a couple of times as you probably will until you find what fits. Good luck to you and remember you are doing what is best!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinRTX Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Have you given your dd the Saxon placement tests to be sure they are in the right level of Saxon? Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 You can do this!!! And it sounds like you have already spent a lot of time thinking and planning things out. If it were me, I wouldn't schedule separate science for your K student. The easiest thing would be to just check some books out of the library for your younger dd that are on the same science subject your 5th grader is doing. If there is an experiment you could adapt it so your 5yo can participate in some way as well. You could do the same thing for history, even have your 5th grader read to your K dd from history books on the same topic she is learning about, but geared for younger kids. That way they will be doing some learning together. It will take a little time to get into the swing of things, but hopefully by the end of the year you will have adjusted and be feeling confident in your decision. I hope you have a great year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 I pulled mine out and Dh was totally against it-totally with yelling matches. Now he's my biggest supporter. :D This is a whole family adjustment, and in fear you may try and cram everything in one day and burn the kids (and yourself) out. Don't. This is a marathon, not a race, and NOT a sprint. Relax, take it easy, slow and steady. How you do things depends on your family, our schedules and your children. Are you morning people? Night owls? Can you wake up and jump right in, do you need time to get going? I would start off doing our cores each day (the three Rs) and build from there. Keep the wee one with you at the table doing their work, and eventually they'll tire and want to go off, so you then can focus on the older one. The shine will wear off the penny, and it will do so faster if you put a lot of pressure on yourself and the kids in hopes that you will show our husband that homeschooling is The Perfect Thing EVER. Again, relax when things get rough. Take a step back and figure out if 1. Everyone's tired. 2. Someone is being stubborn 3. Something wasn't learned well and you are building on a weak foundation. There's no use teaching through tears. Days off are OK. Heck, WEEKS off are good! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 You've got solid choices--I say that because I'm using some of the same things, lol! Positive Action is great. We use the 4th grade book and it's quite solid. Have you seen Leading Little Ones to God for K? Little Visits With God is another of our fav's for K-4. Rod and Staff is highly rec'd by SWB and a terrific grammar choice. You might like to coordinate your reading choices with your history. Not sure about BJU--what years are you studying? Classical rotation is Ancients, Medieval/Ren, Early Mod and Modern. Not familiar with your other choices (DITHOR does come recommended by many here on the boards), but it does sound like you've covered your bases. Sorry hubby isn't on board--it's hard to get out of the public school mindset. Once he sees your diligence, the flexibility of your schedule, and the enthusiasm of your kids for learning, he will probably come around. Keep praying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 I started a huge family fight when I pulled my kids out of school also. My family thought I had fallen completely off my rocker. I have a 7 yro (2nd grader), 6 yro (1st grader), 4 yro and 2 yro. My 6 yro could not read, was placed in remedial kindergarten and the 7 yro could not add or subtract. On our first day of homeschooling, I asked the 6 yro to write a sentence and he threw himself on the floor, screamed, kicked the wall and ran to his room. Apparently, he wasn't really performing much in public school and when he was finally in the spotlight, it was overwhelming to him. Three months later, he's writing paragraphs and simple short stories. In the past 3 months, I have taken the 6 yro from completely not reading to a solid 1st grade/beginning 2nd grade reading level and the 7 yro is doing addition/subtraction in the hundreds with renaming (singapore 2a). NO ONE in my family is saying anything now. :bigear: Turns out what the two kids really needed was some academic one-on-one. :001_smile: My husband constantly expresses his surprise at our 6 yro's new reading abilities and how suddenly he's excited to do schoolwork. You never know, you might surprise yourself. BTW, we're doing Sonlight Core 1, BJU Spelling (1st and 2nd gr), Horizons Math 1, Singapore 2a and 2b, Sonlight Readers 2, 2int and 2adv - and we're also doing Apologia's Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day, CLE LA 1st and 2nd gr, CLE Reading 1st gr, some BOB books, some Kumon books and Handwriting without Tears. I'm kind of a drill sergeant, though, you wouldn't have to use so many different curricula. I really do have a curricula buffet going in my house, but that's more from my inexperience than anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodland_Mom Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 The summer before my youngest entered kindergarten, I did "trial homeschooling". I knew in my heart that God was calling me to school our children at home, but my husband was unsure about it. Homeschooling was just something that was not on his radar. My son had a fun-filled summer of learning and was VERY excited about doing school at home. When my husband saw how much progress we'd made and thought about the positive influences of a home environment vs. the potential negative influences in a public school setting, he agreed that we should give homeschooling a try. . . . We are now working on our 5th year of homeschooling. I have a 4th grader and a 2nd grader. Thankfully, my husband is now my biggest supporter!! You CAN teach your children!!! You taught them to how to talk, how to ride a bike and how to catch a ball. You can also teach them how to read (you're kidnergartner) and write. You are certainly teaching your older child elementary grammar and math and all of the other subjects for a 5th grader. You'll be with your kids every step of the way providing them encouragement, instruction, and oversight. YOU can teach them!!! I'm not sure if you've already done this, but there is some terrific research about homeschooling that you and your husband could look at. Studies show that homeschoolers consitently outperform public school students. Here is a link: http://www.hslda.org/research/default.asp . Maybe some of the "official research" info will help bring your husband full circle. You have made some very solid curriculum choices for you children. I hope you have a great year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RanchGirl Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 For your kindergartener, I would not do a separate science, just listening along with your 5th grader will be plenty. For a K Bible, I loved the Phonics Bible. Also be sure to have extra supplies on hand for your K'er to do the art projects along with your 5th grader in Meet the Masters. It sounds like you've got your bases covered with curricula plans! As for your husband, good luck. Hopefully he'll come around soon. I would ask exactly what his specific concerns are and/or suggest he do some research. If you know any other homeschooling families, maybe he can talk to the dads? Also I don't know why you are pulling your kids out, but regardless plan in lots of decompression time. Board games, cooking projects, field trips, library, reading time and art projects would be good during this time rather than hitting the academics. Personally, I'd do that for at least a month and make the cooking projects lots of freezer meals so that I didn't have to do any cooking the next month when I started homeschooling academics. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Also I don't know why you are pulling your kids out, but regardless plan in lots of decompression time. Board games, cooking projects, field trips, library, reading time and art projects would be good during this time rather than hitting the academics. Personally, I'd do that for at least a month and make the cooking projects lots of freezer meals so that I didn't have to do any cooking the next month when I started homeschooling academics. :001_smile: Absolutely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiegirl Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 My situation is not the same as yours as we have hsed from the beginning and, initally, dh was supportive. As the years progressed, though, he kept grumbling that we were messing up our kids by educating them ourselves. Two years ago, he announced that the kids would be going to school so they could get a 'real education.' I didn't say anything but prayed really hard. Soon afterward, my dh spent a day with my dd and she talked continually about Shakespeare, Greek mythology and palindromes (that was one of her interests at the time.) He came back home, apologized to me and said that he would always support me. Since then, he tells everyone that the kids are smarter than he is. :D Give your dh time, he will soon see the right path. As far as teaching multiples, teach as many subjects as you can together (history, science, geography, etc) Get activities for your youngest to do independently (puzzles, clay, paint, etc.) while you work with your oldest. I also think you need time to de-school. Give them a few weeks to just 'be' then start with the core subjects, adding in the rest gradually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 (edited) Also, I am very confused about choosing curriculum. There are way too many choices, lol! This is what I have so far (chosen by reviews/hours spent searching curriculum boards)... Please help me fill in any gaps I have in my plans or suggestions on alternative curriculum to use. I want my children to have the best education possible. We are just starting out and I want to make solid choices. How can I schedule my day to homeschool both children? How do you find time in your day to cover all subjects? Any advice is greatly appreciated :001_smile: 5th Grade: Bible- Positive Action For Christ Math- Saxon 5/4 Science- Adaptive Curriculum (Homeschool buyers co-op) / Apologia English- Rod and Staff 4 Vocabulary- Vocabulary Cartoons Writing- A Reason For Writing Cursive / The Write Stuff Adventure???? Spelling- Evan Moor Building Spelling Skills Reading- Drawn Into The Heart Of Reading (Is there a book list for age/grade levels?) History- Bob Jones Heritage Studies 5 Art- Meet The Masters Kindergarten: Bible- Devotional Book ???? Phonics- McRuffy Witing- McRuffy Science- McRuffy (Or should I use the Apologia Astronomy for both children?) Math- Saxon 1 I didn't read the other replies. I love this book for young ones: Listening to the Great Teacher specifically showing our children what Jesus taught. Chapters include: Jesus, the Great Teacher, The One who Made all Things, The Great Teacher Served Other People, The Blessing of Work, "Your Sins are Forgiven", The Man Who Forgot God, "Happy are the Peaceable", Jesus Gave His Life for Us, "You will be with me in Paradise". There are 46 chapters and all have scriptural references at the end that you can read through as well. It is very conversational with questions directed to the children as part of the reading. I would make sure to give placement tests to your 5th grader. I can't talk about teaching two children, as DD doesn't do as much as a 5th grader, and DS is just starting. DD and I are teaching him together in the morning at the breakfast table. That will work well because she doesn't normally start school until we have been up for a while. I am sure you will do great, but for many of us it takes a year to get the hang of it. Edited October 10, 2009 by Lovedtodeath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmschooling Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 I agree with giving some time and starting off with just the basics....math, phonics mainly. Then add in the next highest priorities like history and science, then the rest little by little. I love DITHOR and R&S Grammar...great choices! I don't think you have to do so much separately with the K'er...Apologia Astronomy is for K-6, so you can combine that- they have notebook pages for youngers and for olders. Apologia also has a new bible study out that is for ages 6-14 called "Who Is God?" and it looks awesome! Oh, DITHOR does have book packs by grade level if you look on the HOD site's DITHOR page. I'm going to be doing the main planing around my oldest and let the littles listen in. Plus find some library books on their level. My K'er's main focus is learning to read and basic math. The rest is all extra! Next year we'll jump back into more formal stuff, but even my 3rd grader is doing mostly the 3R's and then just reading for history, science, etc. this year. (my siggy isn't the most current). (this year is too much-- wild toddler, expecting baby 4, and schooling 2 children with a dh in RN school/clinicals all the time!) You could combine BJU history by getting literature choices for them both on their level-- that would make it more "living" for the older plus add something for the younger. You could also consider using more than just DITHOR from HOD and add in literature for your K'er to go along with the core guide of your choice. The newest guide or the one before would be great and easy to transition to, plus you won't have any plans to make. I thought about using Preparing or the newest guide when my dd is in 5th and then just add in copywork/dictation, math, and literature for my will-be 2nd grader that is on the same history/science topics so I can combine my 2 oldest....then do the same with my 2 youngest. That option will also guide you in the new skills of narration, copywork, dictation, etc. and ease you into teaching it and your dd into learning it. You have so many options and I would make sure to have this transition year as easy as possible!! Praying your dh will be supportive and if God has it on dh's heart that this is the right choice, it will show quickly! And if God has it on his heart that this is not the right choice or right time for it, that you'll have peace in that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 Ditto the suggestion on doing the placement tests for saxon before buying. Can I ask what they were using in their school? If math was working, I'd probably continue with what they were using (or something similar) rather than making a drastic change. Were they using BJU Heritage Studies at their school? I ask, because that's sort of an odd place to start. BJU spreads their history over the whole elementary spread. If they've been doing it all along, sure, finish. But if they've been in ps or doing something else, I'd probably find a different history spine. Mystery of History might be terrific in your position. Your 5th grader would enjoy it and your K5er could tag along. For the K5er, don't worry too much about formal stuff and gravy. Teach him to read, teach him math, do some handwriting. Everything else is fun and read alouds. Get him books on tape/cd for when you're not able to read to him. My dd LOVED the Chronicles of Narnia (real, not abridged) at that age, Charlotte's Web, etc. You can put it on while he plays quietly, and it can be a reward for doing his seat work. Also my dd loved the Judy Press books and having an art station so she could do her art. Whatever it is your dc likes, run with them and give them time for it. It's such a fun age, and it will be so special not to miss it! :) For the 5th grader, I suggest you start with the basics and ease into the rest. That way you don't end up with a lot of costly mistakes. Don't go out and buy everything new. Get your LA and math and maybe the history. Start with those, then start filling in with the rest as you get used to how you want things to work, how your dd learns, etc. You don't need spelling and vocab, just one or the other. You might or might not have time for that DITHOR. She needs to be reading obviously, but a weekly book report wouldn't cost you a dime and just needs you to assign it. Then you can add in more as you have time. For the science, I particularly recommend The Elements by Ellen McHenry. We just started it, and it's easy to implement, fun, and age-appropriate. It's not expensive either. Your K5er would be fine with just books from the library like the Let's Read and Find Out series or Usborne. Don't make it hard. Have your older doing stuff and the K5er will tag along. I've never pulled a dc from school, but I will say this is a particularly trying age to school. They're starting to have some really serious opinions, and they feel free (or uninhibited) in expressing them. You may have some perfectly normal bumps in the road as you two learn to work together. You may have bumps as your 5 yo learns to be quiet while big sis works. You may have to find that balance of your expectations (I'm am the teacher, woo-rah) and your dd's growing sense of independence (give me the book, give me the checklist, let me out of here). The more your materials are conducive to that growing desire for independence at this age, the easier you're probably going to find this. (Just a word to the wise!) Guide a lot, teach a little. Have fun! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HSMom2One Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 (edited) I would encourage you to print off a copy of the Homeschool Progress Report 2009 from the HSLDA website and share it with your dh. Here is the link to the site and page you can access to get to the report. Once you are there, click on the link with name listed below and you can download the PDF file. View the final version of Homeschool Progress Report 2009 There's also a website to visit (if you haven't already)for people like you folks, that are new to hs'ing and need some assurance and information. YouCanHomeschool.org I read this literature when I was in your place and it got me started in the right direction. The best help I got, hands down, was the book The Well Trained Mind (referred to here as TWTM) by Susan Wise Bauer and her mother Jessie Wise. When I got my hands on that book my whole world (as well as my dd's whole world) changed! If your dh is a reader, you might want to offer it to him as well. I was very fortunate to have a dh that was in agreement with what I wanted to do for our child by hs'ing, but I do know that if I felt as strongly about it as you obviously do and had a dh that was apprehensive, I would certainly hold my ground and work on wearing him down. As you can see by the testimonies of others here on this thread alone, unsure spouses can be won over. Blessings to you as you start your new journey. Lucinda Edited October 10, 2009 by HSMom2One Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quiver0f10 Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 When I mentioned HSing to my husband, he told me I could "give it a try." He thought for sure I'd give up and send them back. :glare: Now, 8 years later he is 110% behind Hsing and tells everyone "we" homeschool :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katiebug_1976 Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 I would suggest combining your dc together for science. I am teaching my 4 oldest using Apologia Zoology 2 and they love doing the same things, plus, the older dd's help the younger ones to learn more. My older 2 dd's are also doing Apologia General Science, but doing Zoology 2 together is really working out nicely for me and them. It saves on time, because I am only having to teach one thing, not 4, and it is good for them to learn to help/accept help from their siblings. History is another thing that we combine. We are using Mystery of History 1 this year and it is working out really well for us. Again I only have to teach once, and my dc have different activities based on their age group. Don't get discouraged. Homeschooling is sometimes tough and overwhelming, but it is also soooooo rewarding! Give yourself time to adjust and get used to you "schedule" and if you find yourself or your dc getting frustrated, take a day off and play! Sometimes refreshing your mind is just what you need to pick up and start again. To keep us from getting burned out, we have school year round. We beging in August, take off 1 week per month, and then take off the whole month of July. This is working wll for us as well. I found that when we took the whole summer off, my dc would get bored and start counting the days for school to start. So I decided to take smaller, more frequent breaks. I love the flexibility of homeschooling! Make your schedule work for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.... Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 :iagree: with all the posters. Good LUCK!! :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christielee7278 Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 I have decided to pull our girls out of the school they are attending. They are 5 and 10 (K and 5th grade). My husband is not thrilled to say the least... He is convinced that I am ruining my children's lives by "fake" schooling. I know in my heart that this is the best choice for my children. Has anyone been in similar situation? Did your spouse become more accepting/ supportive of homeschooling? Also, I am very confused about choosing curriculum. There are way too many choices, lol! This is what I have so far (chosen by reviews/hours spent searching curriculum boards)... Please help me fill in any gaps I have in my plans or suggestions on alternative curriculum to use. I want my children to have the best education possible. We are just starting out and I want to make solid choices. How can I schedule my day to homeschool both children? How do you find time in your day to cover all subjects? Any advice is greatly appreciated :001_smile: 5th Grade: Bible- Positive Action For Christ Math- Saxon 5/4 Science- Adaptive Curriculum (Homeschool buyers co-op) / Apologia English- Rod and Staff 4 Vocabulary- Vocabulary Cartoons Writing- A Reason For Writing Cursive / The Write Stuff Adventure???? Spelling- Evan Moor Building Spelling Skills Reading- Drawn Into The Heart Of Reading (Is there a book list for age/grade levels?) History- Bob Jones Heritage Studies 5 Art- Meet The Masters Kindergarten: Bible- Devotional Book ???? Phonics- McRuffy Witing- McRuffy Science- McRuffy (Or should I use the Apologia Astronomy for both children?) Math- Saxon 1 My husband was VERY skeptical to say the least. He understood why I wanted to homeschool and agreed with my reasoning, but he was afraid I wouldn't take it seriously, I would get bored and just put them back in school, they would miss out on sports, and people would think they were weird. :lol: After a year (and really before the first year was over), he is completely on board and is 110% supportive. My oldest took the IOWA standardized test this past spring (the same one they take in ps here in AR), his scores went from mid- and upper-80 percentiles to 98 and 99 percentile! (and I really didn't think we accomplished near as much as we should have....) I am doing Apologia Astronomy this year with both my 6th grader and k'ner. Really my k'ner is enjoying it MUCH more than my oldest. It is one of his favorites subjects! Here are to REALLY great yahoo groups that we use for notebooking/lapbooking. Both have printables that are specific to Astronomy. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Elem_Apologia_Science/ <---click on files and you'll see the link to the Astronomy pages. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Notebooking2Learn/ <---you'll want to click on Files, then Science, and then Astronomy here. We use Saxon math and R&S English, and love both!! Like a pp, we combine history as well with Mystery of History and love this too. Good luck to you!! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coralloyd Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 You can do it!!! And I agree with the advice of the others here. I just wanted to give a devotional suggestion for your Ker . This one is great: http://www.amazon.com/Leading-Little-Ones-God-Teachings/dp/0802851207 I hope you dh comes around soon :grouphug:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela&4boys Posted October 10, 2009 Share Posted October 10, 2009 (edited) I can definitely relate. Dh was skeptical at first (many moons ago), but is fully supportive now. He sees the fruits and you couldn't convince him to put our dc in school... even the best private school! If you can, show him some statistics. We just received and amazing homeschool vs. public school statistical research insert in our magazine from HSLDA that would likely astound him. (Edited to say that I see Lucinda beat me to this info! ;-) And, I think your choices are excellent... especially for a newbie! :grouphug: and prayers, Edited October 10, 2009 by angela&4boys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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