Starting to homeschool next year....

[KSGrace]

I am feeling so overwhelmed by all the choice available to me. My son will be in 7th grade. I just don't know where to begin. I would love to use the suggestions in the Well-Trained Mind but I fear we would never be able to afford all of those wonderful books. We are on a TIGHT budget.

 

I am pretty sure we will use Saxon Math but other than that, I just don't know. I am feeling a bit paralyzed with indecision right now.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

So, I always started by figuring out where I am in history and science, going to the library to see what they have I can use, and, from there, deciding what to order.

 

Are you just starting out or have you been home schooling? What kind of learning best fits your ds? Is there something he would especially like to study? What are his interests?

 

These are all good starting points and will help you eliminate a lot.

[TracyR]

It is very difficult to choose . And just to think a long time ago Homeschooling parents didn't have much of a choice :>) LOL. Now we have too many ! And to sift through them all .

I would just take the time first to get to know your kids . Find out what their learning styles are . One child may grasp concepts quickly and work well with a math like Singapore and another may need constant repetition to get it which Saxon works well for .

I just sit and pour through the catalogs . Find what curriculum fits " MY " teaching style . Someone here may like a curriculum in a box method ( buying all of one curriculum ) , and one may choose to pick and choose diffferent books from different publishers .

Also being on a tight budget getting used curriculum from here , on Vegsource and other homeschool websites helps too .

[hsmom]

Also request a Rainbow Resource catalog http://rainbowresource.com/catalog.php?sid=1208206851-776210 , you might be able to find some of the books for a lot cheaper through them. Also they have so many ideas and reviews through out the catalog. I love mine!! (it is the size of a very large phone book, it is huge)

[ABQmom]

I would second the suggestion to use your library if you have a good one. We use lots of books in our schooling, but most all of them come from our library. I use literature based history curriculum, but if the suggested book isn't in our library, then we don't use it. The homeschool moms that I know also get together and trade around books every year to help everyone save money.

 

I also second the Rainbow Resource suggestion. Love, love, love that catalog. Not only will you be able to save money by ordering from them, but the catalog gives wonderful reviews of most of the curriculum/books they sell. Many times, I go to the RR catalog to help me decide if something is right for us or not. If I'm still not sure, the homeschoolers on these boards are great at answering questions and helping one to make curriculum decisions.

[LlamaMama]

I suggest finding some homeschool parents in real life that could provide guidance and encouragment. I'm sure they would be willing to let you look at the materials they have so that you can decide what you want to purchase for the fall.

 

Hopefully, there are several homeschool support groups in your area. You might not want to participate in them for co-op classes, but they often have used curriculum sales or book swaps. These are usually held in May or June and the prices are often lower than purchasing used items on-line. For the past couple of years I've traveled 45 minutes for a used curriculum sale to find awesome deals.

 

Another source of information is conventions. This is the season for them. Most of the seminars are so-so, but you can ask questions at the vendors and get your hands on the actual material. You wouldn't have to buy anything at the time, though it would save in shipping if you did.

 

Finally, I've been surprised at how inexpensive most curriculum is. Even the more expensive material, like Right Start Math Starter kit and Institute for Excellece in Writing Teaching DVDs are only $150 and last for several years. Of course, there are other options listed in TWTM that are much less expensive.

[at the beach]

I am feeling so overwhelmed by all the choice available to me. My son will be in 7th grade. I just don't know where to begin. I would love to use the suggestions in the Well-Trained Mind but I fear we would never be able to afford all of those wonderful books. We are on a TIGHT budget.

 

I am pretty sure we will use Saxon Math but other than that, I just don't know. I am feeling a bit paralyzed with indecision right now.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

Well, I hope I don't confuse you more! I recall just how overwhelming it was when we started hs nearly two years ago!

 

Since you say you are on a tight budget, I wanted to mention that there is a fabulous free math program called MEP math. You can google it. There is a yahoo support group, too. The year 7 looks fabulous, and they also have an interactive program for year 7. Just thought I would mention it.

 

Also, we use Ambleside Online (amblesideonline.org) and we are so happy with it. It's a free Charlotte Mason curriculum. Years do not equal grade levels--they are quite challenging. Most of the books are available free online (you can print them up if reading online is a pain for your dc) and again, there are yahoo support groups. As well, there are schedules you can print up, etc. I just found putting a program together on my own too difficult. I am organizationally challenged and end up feeling overwhelmed.

 

A few other free resources you might find helpful would be Librivox for free audio books and The Baldwin Project for free books in the public domain.

 

I also second what others have suggested--think about what type of learner your child is? Do you think he'll fare better with a text approach or lit-based approach? To me, Charlotte Mason education is the best thing out there, but that's just my opinion for our family. Take your time and think about how you want your homeschool to be, and what is most important to you and your ds as far as his education--what you want to accomplish. Also, remember that a wonderful education can be had for very little $. I spent so much $ initially on lots of things I never even used and then in the end went to a curriculum that practically costs nothing because I feel that it is the best program out there for what we want to accomplish.

 

Good luck!

 

Anita

[Love2Learn]

I was in your place just last year when we made the decision to start homeschooling our children, who are in 4th and 7th grade. It IS so very overwhelming!

 

The things that helped me most are:

- Finding other homeschooling parents in my area to talk to / get advice from

- Reading Cathy Duffey's 100 Best Picks. This book also discusses curriculum fits for different learning styles.

- Utilizing the library!!! I have a great local library and inter-library loan system. I have checked out and read many homeschooling how-to books, including The Well Trained Mind. I am currently waiting on a Thomas Jefferson Education to arrive. We also use the library for most our literature and historical fiction selections.

- Reading posts from forums such as these (I'm addicted now)

- Attending curriculum fairs. I like seeing the curriculum before I buy it. Most of the bigger companies also have curriculum samples on-line.

 

When I started last year, I did not know what would work best for my kids. This year was kind of trail and error - but everything worked out. They still learned a lot -- and are much happier too!

[Carmen_and_Company]

I pulled my eldest out during 6th grade, and what worked for us was concentrating on the 3 R's and getting to know each other. Even thoug hwe "know" our dc, bringing them home puts your relationship into a different light.

 

Now that you have your math program selected, decide what writing program you want to use, and grammar, if you choose to use a formal grammar program.

 

I second borrowing Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks book, as it takes into consideration the learning style of the student as well as the teaching style of the parent. If this book was around when my eldest began hs'ing we would have wasted less money & time on materials not geared toward his learning style.

 

Also, I would recommend you begin with a semi-boxed program our program guide such as Calvert 7 or Sonlight 6 because it uses SOTW 1 & 2, Winter's Promise Ancients, My Father's World, History Odyssey that is based on TWTM, TRISMS, Amblesideonline--6 or pre-7th & is a free curriculum, Tapestry of Grace, or Biblioplan.

[KSGrace]

What great advice! I find it incredibly sad that I cannot answer the simple question of what is my son's learning style!?! I am really looking forward to knowing my child better. It's exciting and overwhelming. I also have a 2 1/2 year old so I have been reading the posts about young preschoolers also. I feel so blessed to have found this board.

 

Thank you!!