The *Easiest* way to homeschool.

[AMDG]

Hello everyone. 
I've posted here for years, but it's been a long time since I've been on the site. Thanks for letting me back! 

I have a second grade son in public school. He was homeschooled for K, but a string of very difficult health events for both myself and one of my other children lead me to put him in school. It's not been a terrible experience, but more and more, I do want him to come home. He would definitely do well at home from a "heart" perspective. He's a kind soul, and I'm tired of the harshness in the public school. 

 

My hesitation is that I need him to be super-stimulated. We can't unschool, he MUST have structure, otherwise his behavior is a disaster. Because of my health needs, and having a disabled toddler at home, the ONLY way we can homeschool is basically if it is other-directed (i.e., not me...). 

 

What's the EASIEST curriculum to do this with? We're Catholic, but at this point I'm open to doing secular or protestant materials. Switched on Schoolhouse? K12? I really have no interest with "battling" my son everyday, which is what I'm afraid of with a mom-intensive program. He is very intelligent, but he is also extremely busy and exhausting for me. I love him to pieces, but I was thankful thank the school could provide him the structure and stimulation he requires. 

 

Thoughts? Suggestions? 

[Starr]

Home educating takes educators time. More time for the first several years. It doesn't work well to hand a 7 year old a workbook and tell them to get busy. The busier the child the more direction, sitting with child, reading together etc it takes. Think through what your day will look like and how you will find the time. This will be important with any curricula. You say he needs structure. You will have to be self disciplined to create that structure for your whole family. It can be done but it might well be different than how your days look now.  :grouphug: Will your 4 year old being doing some K work next year as well? Can they do some things together ? Listen to a book? Science project?

[SparklyUnicorn]

Honestly, he may be better off in public school based on what you have said here.  If he thrives on structure, etc. he'll get that with pubic school.  I think it would be disruptive to pull him out and then end up putting him back in because you weren't able to provide what he needs.  This would likely be less of a factor if he were say high school age and able to be more self directed. Most 7 year olds don't do so well left to their own devices.  Heck my 9 and 13 year olds who have been homeschooled from the beginning don't do well left up to their own devices. 

 

That said, if you have something like virtual charter schools in your state, you might consider something like that.  That would give you some structure.  You would not have to plan anything.  He could be home. 

 

I consider myself pretty low frills as a homeschooler and still it takes a lot of my time.

[Farrar]

Agreed with the above. He's 7 so you can definitely streamline and use scripted, simple, get it done programs or consider something like Time4Learning, but in the end... I think the thing that makes home education worthwhile is that one on one time, which, of course takes your time. Plus the opportunities to have richer experiences - the sort of experiences that aren't provided in a really easy to implement program. And adding those sorts of things in takes time.

 

You have little ones and health issues it sounds like. You have plenty on your plate. He's doing okay in school and needs the structure. In a couple of years, maybe the landscape will look different and you'll bring him home then. And maybe you'll use the energy you have because you put him in school to good use by playing educational games with him after school or being able to give him that one on one time reading aloud after the littlest ones go to bed or something.

[AMDG]

Thank you, and I appreciate your responses. 

 

Also, my siggy is outdated. Not that that matters a huge amount...but my kids' ages in the fall will be 9, 6, 4, and 2.5. 

 

I like the public school for K, and 1. We've had more issues in 2nd, primarily with other students and their behavior, plus we've actually battled a little bit with faith-based things. We're not out to start a revolution, but we have been offended and thought that teachers have acted incorrectly in their dealing with faith-based issues. The 2nd grade teacher in particular. 

 

It's so tricky. The time thing...I know in my heart that HSing requires that time. But, I feel stretched right now without homeschooling. I know either decision will be a sacrifice. I'm thankful I have the spring and summer months to really question if I have what it takes. 

 

I'll update my siggy now...

[displace]

I don't have a ton of experience, but I agree with time for learning or a virtual school (which may be paid for by the school) would tend to give the most structure.

[Garga]

Will the 6 and 4 yo be going to school in the fall? If so, then you could probably school the 2nd grade. (Will he be going into 3rd?)

 

It's a good question you've asked, and I don't have specific answers, but I wouldn't dismiss homeschooling him out of hand. You just might have to be clever about it. Perhaps schooling on the weekends a bit so dad can help with the other kids (or with him).

 

If it's 3rd grade it can take 3-4 hours, so it's not yet a full time endeavor, like high school. I hope someone comes in with recommendations for curric for you. I always use open and go stuff because I hate creating things from scratch. There are lots of open and go currics out there.

[Mandylubug]

You could use time for learning. I am using it now. I am able to print out their activity guide and my boys go down it with a highlighter, highlighting after they have completed it. I also picked up a digital timer at Dollar Tree. They will pick their subject and set the timer for their required time. Mine are older but I require them to work a solid 30 minutes with each subject. After the timer goes off, they can get a snack, use the restroom, play an educational game, take a 5 minute outdoor break (we use another timer for this).

 

It has been pretty structured for them with the timers.

[OneStepAtATime]

I agree with the others, at that age he is still going to need a lot of involvement from you.  And you will definitely need to create the structure and keep it consistent and positive.  You will have to be proactive and try to head off issues or confusion over expectations BEFORE he runs into trouble, not afterwards.  Even my 14 year old still needs my help to provide some structure to her day and she still needs my support and involvement.  Obviously not nearly as much as she did when she was younger, but that need is still there.  Teaching is an intense, time-consuming job.  Even acting just as facilitator is time-consuming.

 

Realistically, how good are you at providing consistent structure and positive feedback?  Can you be brutally honest with yourself, sit down and make a list of all the reasons you want to bring him home and all the things you think he could get from being home, but also all of the things that might make it very hard to do?

 

Is there the option of a small, private school?  Is there a University Model elementary school in your area?  Small charter school?

 

As for curriculum, Time For Learning, as mentioned above, might work.  For kids who are really wiggly, to much computer time may not be a good idea so you would definitely need structured breaks with physical activities for him to do.

 

Maybe Oak Meadows or Switched on Schoolhouse or some of the other suggestions upthread might work, but I wonder if mix and match might work better for your child?

 

CLE Math might work.  Units are written to the student and there are 10 units for each level so you could buy just one or two to try it out without committing a lot of money or time.  Math is very spiral so if they don't get something right away they have plenty of time to learn it.  New material is only in small chunks.  You could spend maybe 10 minutes actually teaching the new material, let him work through the rest of the problems on his own, then with the answer key check his work.  Review for another 10 minutes on anything he is uncertain of.  Don't just start him in a grade equivalent book, though.  Give a placement test (free if you download them from the sight and print from your computer).  It can run ahead of some programs so you don't want to place him in the wrong level and then have him struggle and get demoralized.

 

I would suggest Veritas Press Self-Paced History but as I understand it the parent company is not very friendly to Catholics.  That might make using their material problematic.  

 

Khan Academy would be a good math option, too.  

 

Or Teaching Textbooks (give the placement test and supplement with something like Beast Academy maybe once or twice a week; or possibly add in word problems from the Math in Focus Singapore based workbooks).

 

Type to Learn 4 might be a fun typing program for him.  You are a secret agent and you type to save information.  It is frequently on sale at Homeschool Buyer's Co-op.

 

Is there a homeschooling group that offers things he could do?  Clubs?  Co-op classes?

 

Does he have any extracurricular activities he could get more heavily involved with?

[Farrar]

Changing your sig does change my view a bit. A 9 yo can be somewhat more independent. And if the 6 yo and the 4 yo will be in school then that would change my view a lot, actually. Though I still think having a developmentally disabled toddler is a lot on your plate. Think about what time you'll have to give and what time you won't. Think about what - beyond getting away from the negativity of public school kids - will make it a worthwhile experience for him.

 

But don't overestimate how independent a 9 yo can be. Nine was our most hands on from me year because there was more work to be done since they were older yet they still didn't have the ability to do much independently. It did start to change just before they turned 10, but just something to think about. Some 9 yos will be great and others just won't.

[Stellalarella]

You might want to map out the hours in your day and ask what you would give up doing in order to homeschool.  If there isn't anything you can give up, then homeschooling isn't going to work out very well.  

 

You could also set up a summer school homeschool experience for yourselves and see how that goes. 

 

I've homeschooled a very independent 9 yo and two 9 year olds that were not very independent at all.  A needy 9yo can take a lot of time and a lot of energy.  

 

 

[ElizabethB]

At 9, my son makes his own lunch every day and does laundry and dishes on a request basis, they are not everyday chores, I have the children do them on days when I have other responsibilities. If there are chores and toddler responsibilities the 9 yo can help with, you can free up time to work with him in something a little more hands on. Also, you can do audio read alounds for free from the library or Librivox.

 

He also can vacuum, he does that well, and sweep, but he does that poorly. He killed a scorpion for me a few days ago! :)

 

My daughter can do all of those and make dinner for the whole family, but she does not kill scorpions. I have a standing agreement with all the neighbors that I will watch their children if they are home alone and a scorpion or rattlesnake appears in their house and they will do the same for my kids.

[fairfarmhand]

Just wanted to mention that k12 was far from "sit your kid in front of a screen all day." It took several hours of work for me one on one with my 2nd grader and at least as much with my 5th grader.

[texasmama]

Easy Peasy?

[Julie of KY]

Whatever you do, it would be very unusual for a 2nd/3rd grader to be self-motivated and organized enough to be able to self-teach. At that age it usually requires a lot of parental involvement.

 

If you don't have the time to give your son, it might better to stay with ps.

[ElizabethB]

Besides having him do chores, maybe you could get some part time cooking/cleaning help or an older homeschooler to work with him a day or two a week? Do you have friends or family that could help out some? Does your Parish have a school? In most of the areas we have lived, the Catholic schools have been reasonable if you are a member of the Parish.

[MotherOfBoys]

My son is not 9, he's 6, but he sounds the same. He thrives with structure. The biggest thing that keeps my son straight is chores. Simple do your own laundry, vaccum, put away the dishes, and sweep your own crumbs. It was the magic fix!

 

I had English Lessons Through Literature come to mind when I was reading your post. I download the audiobooks to CD from the free libervox website. He listens the chapters for the day while playing in his room (usually jumping on his bed) and then we sit for the poem and Aesop fable to practice sitting. There is a short amount of writing, especially if you get the wkbk. He can also listen to the story before bed for the next day. It is 3 days a week but we don't like our stories spread out that long so we block schedule a story 5-6 days a week till it's done. Then we switch to WWE for a few weeks.

 

I also think if you find the right curriculum he will try harder to focus. We found Beast and my son is more focused. Now that he's reading faster all reading (for school) is science or history topic related from the library to cover that base.

 

Try just math and reading/writing over the summer and see how it works so you don't regret not trying.

[AMDG]

Thank you all for your very wonderful feedback. I have a lot of thinking and researching to do. This is a lot to weigh!

 

My 6 year old will likely go to Kindergarten at the PS this fall. My 4-year old will go 2 full days a week. If it weren't for this, I wouldn't even consider HSing for 3rd grade. My oldest causes a lot of problems with the little boys...nothing would get done, it would be a war zone. 

 

I will have some in-home help with my daughter, which is incredible. Could I find the time to sit down with my oldest? Probably. The funny thing is though, that even though I am not homeschooling at the moment, I have found ways to fill my days to the brink. I suppose that's how it goes, though. You have to readjust, shuffle priorities, etc. 

 

And yes, as awful as it sounds, a poster above mentioned chores. Keeping my son busy and motivated would require him to have A LOT of work to do. He'd need to do vacuuming, laundry, cook, etc. He wears on my sanity and patience, and needs SO MUCH TO DO. 

 

I am a very self-driven person, and don't really require a lot of structure, if that makes sense. I wake up early, and I get to work. It's hard for me to do things like map out our days, because to me it just comes naturally. But yeah, I'd have to do some soul-searching to see if I could provide structure and consistency, because right now I don't know if I could. 

 

Thank you!! A LOT!

[ElizabethB]

:grouphug:

 

A lot of up front work, but long term benefits to your son in terms character, kindness, etc. if done well. I will pray for you. As a mom of that many, eventually they will all have to help out some even if they are not homeschooled, but easier to work on one at a time and one on one if you bring them all home around the same age. A lot of things for you to think and pray about.

[momacacia]

I know of a family where the parents do very little actual teaching. There are tutors, co-ops and lots of online work like Veritas programs. Now, that's not going to teach handwriting or early skills, but you could get the oldest set up with a lot of online , outsourced things if you wanted to.

[Mergath]

Thank you all for your very wonderful feedback. I have a lot of thinking and researching to do. This is a lot to weigh!

 

My 6 year old will likely go to Kindergarten at the PS this fall. My 4-year old will go 2 full days a week. If it weren't for this, I wouldn't even consider HSing for 3rd grade. My oldest causes a lot of problems with the little boys...nothing would get done, it would be a war zone. 

 

I will have some in-home help with my daughter, which is incredible. Could I find the time to sit down with my oldest? Probably. The funny thing is though, that even though I am not homeschooling at the moment, I have found ways to fill my days to the brink. I suppose that's how it goes, though. You have to readjust, shuffle priorities, etc. 

 

And yes, as awful as it sounds, a poster above mentioned chores. Keeping my son busy and motivated would require him to have A LOT of work to do. He'd need to do vacuuming, laundry, cook, etc. He wears on my sanity and patience, and needs SO MUCH TO DO. 

 

I am a very self-driven person, and don't really require a lot of structure, if that makes sense. I wake up early, and I get to work. It's hard for me to do things like map out our days, because to me it just comes naturally. But yeah, I'd have to do some soul-searching to see if I could provide structure and consistency, because right now I don't know if I could. 

 

Thank you!! A LOT!

 

From what you've posted, my opinion is that you'd probably be better off looking into a private religious school, if your reasons for wanting to homeschool are primarily faith-based.  Homeschooling isn't really something where you can just pick the easiest path that requires the least amount of input.  Not if you want good results, anyway.  And the bolded would concern me.  If you already feel that way now that he's in PS, how are you going to feel when you have to spend every day, all day with him?  Homeschooling isn't worth sacrificing your relationship with your son, or your sanity.

[luuknam]

Aside from what others have mentioned above, I'm wondering why you have a 9yo in 2nd grade. Does he have any learning challenges or other issues? Because if that's the case (whether they're diagnosed or not), it might be even more work to homeschool him.

[Susan in TX]

In my experience, homeschooling doesn't take anymore time than having them in school. When my kids were in school, the time I spent getting them to and from school and supervising homework was about the same amount of time I spent homeschooling. My younger kids never spent more than 2 hours a day doing school. I recommend Christian Light for the basics: Math, Language Arts, and Reading. You can cover the other subjects in an informal way by checking out books from the library and reading aloud and/or have the kids read during free time. You can also watch educational videos. My kids learned a ton from NOVA and Magic Schoolbus.

 

Susan in TX

[Ravin]

You might want to consider an online charter school. It can provide that external drive and structure while keeping the social benefits of being home.

[kiwik]

It doesn't sound like he strongly wants to home school. Normally that may not be an issue but if you are sending the 6 and 4 to school at the same time you are pulling him out? It also means his most likely playmate will be at school which means he will want heaps of attention from those who are at home.