Laura in MI Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I'm so excited! :D I don't have any really good friends that also homeschool (which is sometimes hard if I need to vent about something only homeschool mom's would know ;)) My bestfriend just said she was done with the public school and she's pulling out her dc. She has an 15yo ds, 13yo dd, 11 yo dd, 8 yo ds, 5 yo ds and a 1 yo dd. Her 11yo is being bullied and she's had multiple meetings with the principle and nothing was done. Her 8yo is advanced for his age and they don't have a gifted program and won't let him skip a grade. Her 5yo is very shy and is having problems with the social aspect, but he's doing great academically. She's also having a hard time keeping up with everything! She misses spending time with her kids. We've talked about homeschooling before and she always said it could be an option, but she wanted to do 'so and so' first. She wants me to help her pick out curriculum too. I'm not sure what to suggest, sense it's the middle of the year. Maybe someone has some suggestions, especially for the highschooler starting mid year :bigear: I started homeschooling my dss's mid year but it's different because they're younger and we're just doing light school work and some unschooling until next year, But her kids are older. So I'm not sure what to suggest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourcatmom Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 That's great! I pulled my kids last January and just went with typical school books that they were fanmiliar with. That gave me time to figure things out and see what I wanted. When we started in August for this school year, I knew what I was doing and picked my own curriculum. My homeschool journey started unexpectedly so. I didn't have time to plan and prep for it. I wasn't happy with the traditional books but they were familiar with them which made the transition smooth and bought me some time. Good luck!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I'm so excited! :D I don't have any really good friends that also homeschool (which is sometimes hard if I need to vent about something only homeschool mom's would know ;)) My bestfriend just said she was done with the public school and she's pulling out her dc. She has an 15yo ds, 13yo dd, 11 yo dd, 8 yo ds, 5 yo ds and a 1 yo dd. Her 11yo is being bullied and she's had multiple meetings with the principle and nothing was done. Her 8yo is advanced for his age and they don't have a gifted program and won't let him skip a grade. Her 5yo is very shy and is having problems with the social aspect, but he's doing great academically. She's also having a hard time keeping up with everything! She misses spending time with her kids. We've talked about homeschooling before and she always said it could be an option, but she wanted to do 'so and so' first. She wants me to help her pick out curriculum too. I'm not sure what to suggest, sense it's the middle of the year. Maybe someone has some suggestions, especially for the highschooler starting mid year :bigear: I started homeschooling my dss's mid year but it's different because they're younger and we're just doing light school work and some unschooling until next year, But her kids are older. So I'm not sure what to suggest! IMHO In a situation like this I would recommend a box curriculum that has daily lessons plans and everything is together such as Abeka. Getting the student and parent kits for now. Pulling together each subject for each child separately might be overwhelming. It took me 3 years to get the hang of choosing different curriculum for each subject and organizing it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandellie4 Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I'd be tempted to use the bare minimum of what they were using at school, with lots of supplemental reading and discussions. But I would try to keep it low, low key. It's a HUGE transition, for the children and your friend -- the children who have been having difficulties at school and your friend, who may need some time to figure out where everyone is academically and emotionally at the same time she is taking care of younger children. ...How exciting! Sandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I pulled my kids out in February. I figured out what they were most interested in-- in DS10's case, it was everything Greek and Roman mythology (thank you, Rick Riordan!) and I built on that. For our first 12-14 weeks, we used Usborne as a spine plus reading selections from TWTM and the library, and there we had history, literature, geography, writing, and copywork. It was a loose connection, but I picked astronomy or science to tie in loosely with mythology for constellation naming (we live near a good observatory) and we studied Einstein, black holes, data from the Hubble, how the Earth's motion/tilt/position relates to the seasons, etc. I used WTM recommendations for Latin, but postponed a second language for several months. I grabbed a cheap Evan Moore grammar program to make due, both to give me time to learn more about better options but also to better diagnose where each child truly was academically before spending real money. The only "real" choices I made early on were Singapore Math for DS8 (after a brief and disastrous time with an Evan Moore workbook) and Life of Fred for DS10. Both were fantastic choices for each kid's learning style and needs. The rest allowed me to get them right on being excited about homeschooling immediately, without spending much money at all, and let me diagnose where each was truly strong or needed help. It gave me time to learn about curriculum choices at my leisure, without having to let anyone tell me what to do. And running with stuff they were interested in and tied together across the curriculum allowed us to skip the "deschooling" advice and start having fun right away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PentecostalMom Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 In most states the schools are required to let her use curriculum. I would check into that since it would give her something to do immediately, and with things the kids are familiar with as well. Then she can make different choices based on their needs. I used boxed Abeka my first year because I didn't know what else to do. These fancy forums with all the great advice were not as readily available. Good luck to her....and you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennyleettu Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 This gives me hope! LOL!! I have another meeting with DD's teacher tomorrow and if things don't change then we are seriously thinking of pulling her and home educating! (Hence the reason I joined here!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Mine was young when I took her out of ps. I started with a boxed/workbook curriculum, lots of books and a good math program. I soon found TWTM and The History of the World with the activity book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 I'd actually be nervous to pull the highschooler out mid-year, unless they are wanting to be homeschooled. But, I'd say that for a few months I'd do math, english grammar and read history together. Kinda find out if and where any holes are in what they know. After that, I think that MFW is pretty complete for highschool, and budget friendly. Maybe do MFW for the 11, 8 and whatever of the program the 5 is interested in listening to... Math is something I probably would follow a standard program for the 11 yr old... (But, I would either do Shurley Grammar or Rod& Staff or English grammar....) Most of all I'd explain that it's a buffet out there for homeschoolers. Concentrate on the older kids and have fun with the youngers... As long as they just aren't on screen time.... they'll be fine and she can really dig in with them in a few months. :) PS... Do you have your older student in a UM school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.