How old were your kids when you started "official" homeschooling?

[Mynyel]

I mean I know we pretty much school all the time but I mean "official"... they actually pay attention (OK. OK as much as they can anyway.. dd14 still glazes over) to what you are trying to teach them KWIM?

 

There is a poll to follow...

 

My ds10 was 5.5 when he finally started really paying attention to stuff. Dd14 didn't start homeschooling until she was 8 so the attention was already there.

 

I think my ds4 might be older when he pays any semblance of attention! :D

 

For all those that like the other I forgot it! Sorry! :)

[Mrs Mungo]

The day that they did not go to what would have been their first day of kindergarten.

[Princess Peach]

I voted age 4 because that is when I started a formal program with DS 13. He was precocious and definitely ready.

[Guest]

Well, I consider "official" when we registered with the state at age 5. But, by your definition of official - when they paid attention - my son was doing some pretty focused and formal stuff at 4.

[nono]

Well, compulsory education begins at age 6 in NJ. So, last year, when ds was 5, he had the option of attending or not. I think he skipped 6 partial days. This year, it is mandatory, as he's turning 6. So, I voted 6.

 

P.S. I haven't broken it too him yet that compulsory education in PA doesn't start 'till age 8!

Edited August 22, 2012 by nono
added p.s.

[tabrizia]

The day that they did not go to what would have been their first day of kindergarten.

 

 

:iagree:, which means technically this coming Monday for DS.

 

Based on your definition of when they sat and paid attention, well my 3 1/2 year old has been homeschooling for 6+ months now, and my 5 1/2 year old may eventually get there by college.

[Stages]

4.5. We started on the 13th of this month. We have about 45 minutes of "school" at the table after breakfast.

[swellmomma]

We started when the bigs finished grade 2 and 1 at ps respectively

[momma2three]

I started doing MEP Reception shortly after her 4th birthday.

[happypamama]

The day that they did not go to what would have been their first day of kindergarten.

 

Yes, this. I lean heavily toward the unschooly side for the early years, gradually easing into more formal schooling. So while I would consider that I started homeschooling DD the day she did not go to kindergarten at the local public school, I also didn't do a whole lot that looked at all schooly then. Now she is in fifth grade, and we are more formal, though not still what one might consider to be a replica of a public school.

 

Before kindergarten age, I might have said, "We intend to homeschool; she's not in preschool," but I don't know if I would have considered it actually homeschooling then -- it was just parenting, and doing normal early learning activities like reading and coloring and playing with playdough and taking walks and all of that is just what I consider to be normal parenting of little ones. My current 3yo does some schooly stuff, and I may teach him to read this year, but that is all optional; he can decline or participate as he chooses, whereas my older two children do not have that option any longer, especially DD, who is old enough that I have to report for her. (DS1 does most of the same subjects as DD, aside from Latin, French, spelling, and logic, and I will need to report to the school district for him starting next fall. He's a second-grader this year.)

Edited August 22, 2012 by happypamama

[LaxMom]

The first day of public school the year they would have been required to report for kindergarten. So, 5.

 

Well, that's not entirely true. My daughter would not have been able to enroll because of her birthday, but I registered her as being homeschooled the first school year she would have been 5. And the boys may have been in the same boat. I can't remember if it was the September they turned 5 that the cutoff cranked back to 9/1, or the year after.

 

No matter. The school year they each turned 5.

 

Wow. That's so confusing.

[MrsMommy]

Older DD was a *very* young four, and the reason we started homeschooling in the first place. Younger DD was also four, but closer to five.

 

And, just to mess my own vote up, oldest DS was a fairly young five!

[BarbecueMom]

Haven't yet. But it will be a very late four, as we'll probably start a month before the kindergarten cut-off that he makes by two days. We do preschool now, using several K-level materials, but I still say, "We will be homeschooling," rather than, "We are homeschooling." It doesn't "feel" official, and I don't have to keep track until he's 7, anyway.

[Pamela H in Texas]

Different kids are just different.

 

I did more with my daughter at 3 and 4 than I did with her at 6 and 7. Of course, she could just do a lot more independently because of her level. We were pretty laid back all those years though. My daughter was 11 before we were more structured. But generally, when I think "started homeschooling," I think 4.

 

With my son, we were also laid back and I did do plenty with him at 3 and 4; but he wasn't as academically minded and certainly not as advanced. When I think "started homeschooling," I think 6½.

 

My littles? Well, they went to school last year. And we before/after schooled. Had they been home, we would have done formal schooling, more structured than I was at single digit ages with my big two, daily. So I guess we're starting homeschooling at 6, 5, and 4; but only because we had to send them to school and I don' t know if you'd count afterschooling :)

[Mom23Boys]

I started my older two at age 6 and first grade. My youngest is in the same private kindergarten my older boys went to and the plan is to start him in first grade as well.

 

My older two are in 3rd and 4th now.

[earthyfamily]

I started each of mine at the age of one. That wasn't an option on the poll though.

[Luckymama]

We started homeschooling when she was in fifth grade :D

[hsmamainva]

My oldest started homeschooling when she was 4.

 

My second was 5.

 

My third was ready for Kindergarten work at 3.

 

My fourth was 5.

[Seeking Squirrels]

By that definition, 3. I normally say we started at 2.5 because that's when I started setting up her "school shelves" with Montessori-type activities and being more deliberate about teaching her stuff, though all still very play-based. By 3-3.5, she was asking for school time, asking to be taught to read, and being very involved with what we did during school time.

 

If you go by a *formal* schooling definition, it probably won't be until 6-7. I prefer an unschooling approach before then. Since DD loves it so much and is asking for more and more, I have a lot more lined up for this year. I just still won't be forcing any of it. It will be up to her when and what we do for at least another year or two.

[Melissa in Australia]

not sure what to vote, I pulled my older three out of school, they were 5,7,10 at the time. the younger ones started at 4

[Chava_Raizel]

I taught my oldest dd to read when she was 3. She asked, so I bought the book Teach Your Child to Read in 100 EZ Lessons and we plugged through the book. That was my first foray into homeschooling and it's what gave me the confidence to continue.

[LucyStoner]

My son was in school for 2 years before we decided enough was enough.

 

I do many activities and preschool things with my 3.5 year old but I won't consider him homeschooling until he is school aged.

[amy g.]

When I started homeschooling, I had a 5 year old and a 6 year old ....I also had a 3 year old, but i wasn't homeschooling her. She watched a whole lot of movies that year.

[Dory]

I posted for my youngest ds. He was focusing and asking for work when he was 3. My oldest ds was about 6 before he really started clicking with things, and my dd was 4.5 when she was ready for schooling. All my kid did two days of ps preschool a week and then two days of ps kinder a week. I had them at home the other three days of the week though. My oldest did grade 1 in ps too.

[Myeightkiddies]

I've always worked with them prior to homeschooling. However, I consider "homeschooling" to be an alternative to fulfilling the compulsory attendance law of my state. Because of that I began homeschooling at age 5 (nearly 6 in some cases).

[jennynd]

Older was 6 because I didn't know any better, younger was 4, because I know better

[GoVanGogh]

4

He was reading already and asking to go to school. We had planned on enrolling him in a private school and found one that tested him and said they would enroll him as a kindergartener. We decided to homeschool instead, but started with K work. Six years later, I have no regrets for formally starting that early.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I voted 7 because my oldest was 7 when we started second grade at home. He went to PS for K and 1. My middle child has always been homeschooled (except for a brief stint in preschool) and my youngest is almost 4 and doing 'schoolwork' when she feels like it :D

[reign]

If someone asked me IRL I would say we homeschooled for Kindergarden. By your definition of paying attention to lessons I would say 4. We started daily phonics on my oldest 4Th birthday. Dr. Jones started right before she turned 4. We also started a kindergarten math program at that time.

[bluemongoose]

If you go by the definition of compulsary in our state...this fall will be our first year:tongue_smilie:

 

But by your definition...it is different with each child. I am dealing with both precocious kids and a resistant kid. The resistant kid is equally smart, but only wants to think about and build things. He doesnt care about school work.

 

So far:

 

DD: Started a full sit down K level curriculum 4 months shy of her 3rd birthday. This was because she wanted to. I tried a preschool book first, but it was too easy and she wanted more. She was very happy doing anything schoolish and concentrated and sat still. She loves school.

 

DS 5.5 yo has been warming up to full K level curriculum since this spring...it will probably still be difficult for him at times. He is very different from DD.

 

DS 3.5 is begging to do school as well. I am trying to hold him off a touch because DS 5.5 is getting sensitive about his brother doing things at the same time as he is. I probably will not be able to keep him happy in a prek book much longer. I suspect he will be doing full K by his 4th birthday.

 

I didnt vote in your poll because my kids are all over the board and it wasnt a multiple choice poll.

[laughing lioness]

My oldest was 5. My youngest was 3- since the rest of us were busy homeschooling, she jumped in early.