Where to start? Homeschooling in Westchester NY?

[Guest yogamama]

I'm gearing up to homeschool next year and am feeling a bit overwhelmed! Do you have suggestions on where to begin? I have a 5th and 3rd grader.

 

I would LOVE to find other homeschoolers in Westchester, NY. Is anybody out there?

[....]

We're taking a lunch break right now. :D

 

We're nowhere near NY.

 

As far as where to start, check your state's homeschooling laws. Google around for some homeschool organizations in your area. A lot of them will have articles or links for homeschooling locally.

 

Start researching and reading a LOT. The Well-Trained Mind was the first homeschooling book I read. I also like Cathy Duffy's Top 100 Homeschool Curricula Picks and a friend of mine likes Charlotte Mason Companion.

 

Decide on what type of homeschooling is going to work for your family. Sit down and set some educational goals (long term and short term). Start looking at curricula.

 

Also, check around for local homeschool stores. Those places are awesome. We have several here and I go and browse through the schoolbooks.

 

Good luck!

[JennyD]

I just met a homeschooling mother from Westchester last week -- I think her son is 8, maybe?

 

You might look into joining NYCHEA (www.nychea.org) but I have to imagine that there are groups in Westchester as well.

[....]

Bump. So your thread doesn't get lost. This is a homeschooling forum! Sometimes the curriculum board is better for these types of questions. :D

[myfunnybunch]

:grouphug:

 

Right now is a little like standing on the end of the high dive just before you jump off. It is overwhelming!

 

You're already making a great start by trying to connect with other homeschoolers in your area. That's one of the first things I'd recommend.

 

Start researching programs and curriculum to find what you think will work best for you. Do you want an all-in-one curriculum that has everything all laid out for you? Or do you want an online homeschool academy? Or does a classical model seem to be the best fit? This is where getting in touch with other homeschoolers in real life and online can be really helpful because you can get a sense of how other folks do things and what might or might not be a good fit for you. The curriculum board here can be very helpful, especially when trying to choose curricula for the first time. (I read that board often my first 2 years, though I now tend to avoid it so that I don't keep buying books! ;) )

 

Read The Well-Trained Mind. There's a great section on starting homeschooling in the middle grades. I started with a 7th grader, and I read that section many times.

 

Keep coming back here as more questions pop up!

 

Cat

[woolybear]

There are definitely groups in that area. I'm in CT. I can't think of any particular ones, but maybe this link will help.

 

http://homeschoolclassifieds.com/groups_activities.asp?nm=New%20York&st=NY

 

Also, there is a tri county group newsletter. I don't want to post the e-mail here, but if you want the link, pm me.