s/o Advising new homeschoolers who WILL listen.

[HS Mom in NC]

This is a spin off of the I Hate The All New 'Homeschoolers' thread: https://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/701441-i-hate-all-the-new-‘homeschoolers’/

What are your top...I dunno...3-5 pieces of advice for those new homeschoolers who had been considering homeschooling pre-COVID and who are proactively learning about homeschooling and asking thoughtful questions? Not those 'homeschoolers' but actual homeschoolers at heart and people who are going all in, willing to do what it takes to homeschool well even if it's not their first choice and they would rather not. They're around right now and might be interested to hear from a large group of us.

***Please start with how many years of homeschooling experience you have and what ages/grade levels you homeschooled, including if you had littles while teaching bigs. ***

[Pen]

 

1) I’d suggest they join the WTM forums for themselves!

2) If kids are right age for Story of the World, I would recommend trying that plus nature study or gardening as a likely very pleasant put in a toe way to get started while figuring out language arts and math.

 

 

[Farrar]

The things I've been finding newbies need to hear right now are...

1. You do not need to do what the school is doing. You can strike out on your own for content, especially for K-8. It will not matter if they study colonial America instead of world geography like their classmates or rocks instead of the water system or something. Content gets repeated. It's okay. 

2. Accreditation is nearly always useless. You do not need it except in a few special situations.

3. If you have a high schooler who wants to return to public school, you need to talk to the school about what credits they will accept. Many states have a list of programs where they will accept credits. Some states are very accepting, some are very limiting. Sometimes it varies a lot from school to school. Even using an accredited program is not a guarantee of getting your credits accepted in some states.

4. That thing you heard about how homeschooling works from someone who lives in another state does not apply to you. All homeschool laws are state based.

5. You might be asking the wrong questions or worrying about the wrong things.

ETA... 6. Do NOT ask your school for advice about homeschooling. That would be like asking a vegan chef about how to cook a good steak. They're probably well-intentioned, but also, they probably don't know and may give you bad advice.

Edited August 7, 2020 by Farrar

[skimomma]

I just did this today.  I have only one homeschooled-from-the-start child who is entering her 12th grade year.  We are not and never have been, part of any sort of homeschool group, co-op , or community, other than these forums.  I have always worked part time and moved to full time (half working from home) when my child started 10th grade.  Advice was going to another family with an only child who will be in 6th grade.  They are 100% new to the whole idea but willing to put thought and effort into it.  Both parents work full time, and one is an essential worker who must work onsite.  They have arranged their schedules so one of them will be home at all times but the non-essential worker will be working during his time at home. Our schools still have not called what will happen in the fall and they are just done waiting so have decided to homeschool for one year only (hopefully).  They don't mind if it takes effort but they really just wanted me to give them some vetted curriculum recommendations and any general tips on what to prioritize.

1.  I gave some specific curriculum suggestions based on what worked (or didn't) for us and what kind of time/effort the parents had available.  Specifically Singapore Math 6A and 6B, Story of the World, WWS, and Analytical Grammar.  That exact content of science and history are not likely to matter as long as there is exposure to new concepts, ideas, and skills.  

2.  Then I told them not to stress a whole lot because 6th grade is kind of a "lost year" in our local schools.  I am close to a family who went on sabbatical for one year in a foreign country when their child was in the 6th grade.  She learned a great deal about a lot of things, but she attended a non-American school that did not align with what was happening at her home school.  At all.  She was 100% fine returning as a 7th grader.  She "lost" a year of math but that just knocked her down from "advanced" to "normal."  Basically telling them to not fret.  If it is only for one year and it does not go well, it will be OK. 

3.  Don't let the school bully them.  Our local district is notoriously hostile to homeschoolers.  They have no power over them and are very unlikely to be a help.  Just do your thing and be confident that it will be OK.

[Lori D.]

*** 12 years of homeschooling -- homeschooled grades 1-12, just 2 DSs close in age, but one with LDs. ***

I actually did just do this very thing about 2 weeks ago, speaking via Face Time with a co-worker of my DS#2 who was interested in homeschooling due to the current public school situation not being optimal. The key was asking what her goals were, and then providing information that fit best with her goals, so that she could make a decision.

I first asked her a few questions to first to understand her specific situation and goals -- which makes a huge difference in understanding how much/how little advice to provide, and what type of advice. For her, homeschooling wasn't about a long-term switch for philosophical reasons. She just needed a short-term option that she + several different adult extended relatives could oversee (since she also works and is taking college classes) for one 3rd grader until a space opened up in the charter school where her other children will be attending. Knowing that those were her goals made it easy to advise her: "You probably don't need to homeschool. Instead, your state's virtual charter sounds like the best fit for your needs right now. If that's not an option, then here are links to 2 other online options, PLUS, here is the website with the very simple steps that guide you through what you need to do to homeschool in your low-regulation state. And if those 2 online options are not available, then please feel free to get back to me and I can give you a short list of easy-to-do materials (a short book list + a handful of workbooks + free educational websites + possible supplemental fun kits/hands-on) to cover the subject areas you will need for your 3rd grader: Math and Language Arts (Reading, Writing, Handwriting, Spelling), plus your state requires Social Studies and Science -- anything else can be fun icing on top, or don't even worry about it."


In answer to O.P.'s question of what 3-5 pieces of advice would I give:

#1. Find out what your state's REAL homeschool requirements are from a reputable website (i.e., state ed. dept. or state homeschool org.) -- here, let me link you to that. 😉 

#2. Think through why *specifically* you plan to homeschool, and how long to you think homeschooling might serve your needs. Write that out as a "mission statement" or as a few "bullet points." As part of your thinking through your specifics, think through what you are thinking you need or want homeschooling to look like for you, your children, and your family/life circumstances (this will help you later on to determine which options, methods, or materials are the better fit for your family) -- in other words:

a. Are you willing or able to oversee/be involved with directly teaching your child(ren)?
b. Do you want or need or expect to completely "outsource" all teaching and grading in some way?
c. Do you want or need or expect your child to work somewhat / mostly / entirely independently (little to no parent involvement)?
d. How much time do YOU have or want to put into homeschooling each day? And, will you also be working while homeschooling?
e. Will you be the sole adult overseeing the homeschooling, or will a spouse/parent/relative also be a part of the homeschooling?
f. Does the child have any special needs (advanced/gifted? remedial? learning disabilities? spending many hours daily on dance/sport/music/special skill for high level competition or working towards a profession, so needs streamlined curricula?)

#3. Once you have your answers to #2, let's chat again, and I can help you with options that might best fit your wants/needs/goals/situation.


ETA -- I've been mentoring for 15 years now -- a lot are active homeschoolers, but also those with little babies/toddlers who are thinking ahead, as well as a number who were public or private school families considering switching to homeschooling "in the middle". I still find it best to start with asking a parent questions to get them thinking "big picture". Then once they have started to formulate their thinking about educating their children and what circumstance-needs they will have for homeschooling, I go over some general hand outs I've created on educational philosophies; what subjects to cover what age/grades; what will homeschooling "look like"; etc.  Suggesting specific curricula comes much later in the process of mentoring, after they can articulate what their needs and goals are.

Edited August 8, 2020 by Lori D.

[SounderChick]

This our 9th year

I say when your torn between curriculum choose the cheaper one.  

No matter how careful you are you will have stuff you hate, just doesn't work etc. It's okay to try something else, change what you hate, whatever.

Start slow with just 1 or 2 subjects get your feet under you and find a new normal.

Bad days happen no matter what. It's okay to cut your losses and try again the next day.

Curriculum matters less than consistency.

Don't rush out and buys desks, whiteboards and other school stuff.  You can add it later if you find you really would use it.  

[marbel]

Homeschooled 2 kids K-12; one with learning disabilities and ADD. Advantage: they are 18 months apart so they could do a lot of things together all the way through.

1. Read to them; read early and often; keep reading to them even when they are proficient readers, even when they can read the hardest text you would read. Let them color, build or just lounge while reading. Just let them soak in the stories, both true and fictional.  

2. Don't be afraid to outsource when needed. I will always regret not outsourcing math soon enough. 

3. Once you have done research and started on a path - don't be swayed by what anyone else is doing. Constantly changing course does no one any good. I was so often pegged as the wrong kind of homeschooler no matter what I did: I didn't follow one method or buy one box of stuff from one homeschool curriculum house; I didn't use enough/I used too many Christian materials; I was too easy-going and I was too strict. I am generally not an overly confident person but for the most part (see above re: math) I knew we were on the right path for us and I was not cowed by people who told me I was wrong.  Oh, and especially the people who questioned me about reading aloud to my high schoolers.  "Can't they read that themselves?" Yes. That is so not the point.

 

Edited August 8, 2020 by marbel

[LMD]

10th year of homeschooling. 4 kids now aged between 15 & 6, none have ever been to school. 

1. Think about your family culture. What is important to you regarding family, education, leisure, relationships, home atmosphere etc. What is your family rhythm now? Build around that. If you're a gaming family who sleeps late and uses lots of sarcasm (ahem 😄) you will not have the same homeschool as a naturally early-riser, outdoorsy, sensitive family. There will be cross over, but own the situation you're actually in, instead of frustrating yourself with an impossible ideal.

2. Read to them. Even the highschoolers. If you can't, put on an audio book.

3. Breathe. It's okay. If you're diligent when you can be, it will even itself out over time. One bad school day won't wreck their lives. Stop being frustrated and instead, get icecream. Reset the tone and try again tomorrow. Homeschooling is hard work, be kind to yourself.

Edited August 8, 2020 by LMD

[bensonduck]

HSing 3 kids, ages 11, 8, and 5, since the beginning. (And I also have a baby.)
 

1) Ignore. Don’t worry about what the school is doing, what the other homeschoolers are doing, what the cousin in another state is doing. Teach your particular child and help them with their own weaknesses and cheer for and encourage their own strengths. 
 

2) Prepare. Take some time when you can to read the literature books. Do some of the math problems you plan to assign. Diagram the sentences. Do the Greek translations. It allows you to anticipate trouble spots and also commiserate (“I had trouble with number 7, too. Want to compare solutions?”)

3) Breathe. The opportunity to homeschool is such a gift. We have this opportunity to spend valuable time with our children. Make a point to hug, cuddle on the couch, serve a glass of lemonade, help clear off some papers for a pleasant work space, make a surprise pizza lunch, help with a complicated hair style, whatever your kid might enjoy. Take time to enjoy the relationship you are building. 

[KungFuPanda]

I just graduated myself from 19 years of homeschooling. My SN youngest graduated HS this year and he homeschooled K-12.  Dd graduated from college this year and she homeschooled K-8 1/2. I homeschooled with a completely unreasonable toddler/preschooler in the house, but he was kind enough to nap til he was 6.

I tell new homeschoolers they can make decisions one subject at a time. It doesn’t occur to most of them that they can choose their math curriculum, order it, start it, do it for a while and then decide about the next subject. They assume there’s a magic day when you have to start everything all at once. If that feels stressful and overwhelming there’s no good reason not to ease into it. 
 

I think Bravewriter is awesome. I used it when the whole “program” was a 3-ring binder. I’m jealous it’s so much more now. I also think if people spend some time with Singapore Math it can demystify the confusing parts of common core. It’s cheap too. 

Edited August 8, 2020 by KungFuPanda

[EmilyGF]

Only one (major) bit of advice. Consistency is more important than curriculum.

A subpar curriculum can lead to lots of gains if used consistently. Homeschooling isn't choosing curriculum so much as getting up each morning and doing the next thing.

Sometimes a curriculum really is a terrible fit. I'm also assuming that a person hasn't ended up with an absolutely awful but did spend at least a bit finding something reasonably written and researched.

But focusing on habits of learning over curriculum, and sticking it out through rough spots while resisting the urge to find something better, has brought so much growth in my kids.

[theelfqueen]

So six years ago, I was a Crisis schooler.

I pulled my kid out of school very unexpectedly with no notice at all. I called my successfully-homeschooling high schoolers friend from church and asked her truly obnoxious questions right down to "what does your lunch schedule look like, how long do you take breaks during the day..." my background as a classroom teacher felt adequate to the bureaucracy side ( transcripts, grades, etc.) But wholly inadequate for the family dynamics side. 

My number one piece of advice is to ask yourself "why?" Why should I cover the topic the public school is? Why should I get up at 6 AM? Why can't hiking twice a week be part of school? Why do I need to do all subjects every day? And think about my own answers. The answer "we need a schedule or I'll go crazy" is totally fine but its also okay to say "what if we tried something else?" I have spent YEARS trying to break my public-schooled, school-teacher biases about school. 

[Ausmumof3]

Read to them a tonne!  This is the most important thing you can do

story of the world 

if they are looking at more long term read well trained mind and rethinking school for sure.  Very inspirational.

just do something every day.  It doesn’t have to be perfect but doing some math and some writing and some reading in the early years adds up to a lot.  Consistency is important.

And again.  Read a lot!  Really.
 

 

[ElizabethB]

Before you start, assess gaps in reading and math. I'm working on turning this into a LinkedIn Article. 

Homeschooled one all the way through high school, off to college soon; another 3 years younger also homeschooled since beginning. (Joint public school classes last 1 1/2 years for oldest; youngest was supposed to start some high school classes this year, if virtual school he'll be homeschooled full time this semester; this state allows dual homeschool and public school for 1 - 6 classes in high school.)

I’ve been a volunteer literacy tutor for 26 years and have used a variety of assessments with my students. The fastest way to assess reading grade level is my free Quick Screen Reading Grade level test; it takes just a few minutes and is easy to give and score. http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/Resources/40L%20Test.pdf Another option is the Schonell word test, a UK normed test. http://www.readingtest.co.uk/schonell-reading-test/

To see if additional phonics could help improve reading ability or reading speed, I have a free nonsense word test, another quick, easy assessment: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/Resources/NonsenseWordTest.pdf

To assess spelling, you can give the free Ayres test: http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Spelling/spellingtests.html

To assess several different Language Arts areas, you can use the inexpensive computer adaptive Letsgolearn DORA test, $25: https://shop.letsgolearn.com/shop/store/product/dora-diagnostic-online-reading-assessment/

If your child is reading or spelling below grade level, my free online Syllables Spell Success lessons are a great start, they average +1.7 grade levels and are free to print and watch. They teach to a 12^th grade level.  If you read at least a grade above your current grade, it makes all the rest of your work much easier to complete, so a bit of extra work on reading up front can save time in the long run. http://www.thephonicspage.org/On%20Reading/syllablesspellsu.html

I have used a variety of other reading programs with the hundreds of students I’ve taught over the last 26 years. My LinkedIn article “Building Good Reading Habits” explains what works best with older students and why, listing several good programs and why they work. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/building-good-reading-habits-liz-brown/

Math is another area that is important to find and fix skill gaps.  You can use math placement exams to find gaps and asses grade level.

Saxon math is a traditional math program that has good placement tests for this use.  To make sure that there are no foundational gaps, I would use the middle grades placement test and then another higher placement test for an older student. https://www.sonlight.com/homeschool/curriculum/placement-tests/saxon-placement-tests/

Singapore Math is an Asian math program that is good for those with a math or science bent. It also has placement tests that you can use to find gaps. https://www.sonlight.com/homeschool/curriculum/placement-tests/singapore-placement-tests/ It is mastery based so it is easier than Saxon to use to remediate gaps, but can be harder for someone taught traditional math to use.

Math Mammoth is similar to Singapore Math but a bit easier to use. It also has placement tests you can use to find gaps: https://www.mathmammoth.com/complete/placement_tests.php It also has a variety of options you can use to make it easy and inexpensive to use for remediation.

Letsgolearn also has several computer adaptive math tests, ADAM K7 is $25. https://shop.letsgolearn.com/shop/store/product/adam-k-7-adaptive-diagnostic-assessment-of-mathematics/  They also have Pre-Algebra and Algebra assessments.

For an older student who needs remediation with the basics, another good option is Lial’s Basic College Math. The book says College right on the title, which is a bonus for someone with low self esteem. It can be tackled by an upper elementary to high school student who just needs a bit of support. It does not have enough repetition for some students, but is a strong program that works quickly. The 8^th edition is usually inexpensive used: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0321557123/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There are also thousands of free Kahn Academy videos that can be used to build up math skills. It is best to start at a lower grade level and master the basics so that you can do well in the long run.

Most of my students with math gaps have trouble with fractions, decimals and percent. I like to convert back and forth between all 3 and also include a money conversion. For example, 25 cents, ¼, .25, 25%. Converting to money holds their interest better and makes things more concrete. There is also a stand alone series that focuses on each of these areas, Key to Fractions, Key to Decimals, and Key to Percent. Here is a link to Key to Fractions: https://www.amazon.com/Key-Fractions-Books-1-4-Set/dp/1559531002/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=key+to+fractions&qid=1596611358&sr=8-3

Edited August 8, 2020 by ElizabethB

[Carrie12345]

Hm.

My background: I homeschooled one child for a few years, 4 others have always been home. One of those is graduated, another graduates this year, and the other two are 8th and 3rd/4th-ish. I also co-founded a pretty big and successful cooperative.

- Read TWTM and Rethinking Schools. Read other things that seem interesting, too, but TWTM gave me the most confidence and provides a real plan for anyone unsure of how to make their own. You can use bits and pieces from everywhere to create your philosophy. You don’t have to follow one thing word for word.

- Be comfortable with changing plans. Kids change, goals change, philosophies change, resources change, life changes. Be adaptable and teach kids to be adaptable.

- Be prepared to invest large amounts of some combination of time, money, and/or expertise. You can save money by knowing and/or learning things. You can save time by spending more or being really good at things.  You can know little and overcome that with money or taking the time to educate yourself.  You CAN’T have no idea what you’re doing and get it done on the cheap in an hour or two a day. Unless you’re only ever going to do kindergarten.

- When seeking advice, think about what you’re REALLY asking, and provide as much information as possible. “What is the best curriculum for a 9yo” will only result in learning the names of 20 different programs.  Also, “How do I get my kids to do their work” is a parenting question. Homeschoolers are generally parents, so it is’t wrong to ask, but be prepared to discuss your parenting without getting offended. There’s no homeschool secret answer to that issue.

- Think about the future young adults you want to send out into the world, and what you want them to know. My kids learned more world history than US history. And they didn’t learn textbook US history. They were immersed in science, but I have never been able to get my daughters to write a GOOD lab report even after I finally outsourced that aspect. (They both write good medical emergency reports though!) My oldest (though mostly public schooled) can’t write a thesis to save his life, but his writing is otherwise very impressive.  “Failures”/holes happen. None of us is great at everything. Some things will serve us better than others. Don’t put so much focus on one small aspect of difficulty that they can’t continue to learn in their areas of strength.
In the younger years, for me, that meant I read aloud and transcribed for my late readers/writers a LOT. They were plenty able to learn other things while still developing those skills.

I have more, but I think those are my top 5.

[HS Mom in NC]

20 years homeschooling all 3 kids from the beginning.  I have a 9.5  year age gap between oldest and youngest.  Older two started community college (not dual enrolled) at ages 17 and 15.

1. Quality: the deciding factor.  Quality is thorough, clear, and efficient. Quality lays a solid foundation and builds on it with end goals in mind. It's enriching and meaningful. It cares about making sure there aren't gaps in foundational skills and content. It doesn't care for busy work and neither should you.

2. Essentials: learn to distinguish and prioritize them.   If there's plenty of extra bandwidth for non-essentials, add them in if you like.  If not, drop them like dog poo. Distinguishing essentials helps you create margin.Margin is having extra resources: time, money, and energy available when life comes at you hard and fast. Margin will cushion you in a crisis.  Generally speaking essentials are reading, writing, and math in the younger years.  Many add science to that list in the older years.

3. Mindset: Reset yours if you need to.  American culture tends to have a reactive, consumer mindset.  That's a recipe for disaster if you want homeschool long term.  Switching to a pro-active, producer mindset is important. You'll have to do the problem solving, so learn to think more analytically. This is broad so I'm giving some examples.

If a curriculum isn't working, ask what about it isn't working. Do you need better explanations?  Better or more models? More practice opportunities?  Is it emphasizing the wrong [for your situation] concepts?  Is it ignoring the right [for your situation] concepts? Do you need a completely new curriculum or do you need some supplements for a handful of concepts? Do you need more visual or verbal demonstrations or explanations?

Is your kid's behavior issue due to your lack of clear communication and unspecified expectations? Are your expectations reasonable? Are you not holding them accountable by following up? Are you not following through with enforcement when they aren't following through on responsibilities?

Where are you going with all of this?  You want your kid to get an academic scholarship based on test scores? Great.  When's the test?  What skills and content will the test cover? Are you on track to have your child prepared for it at your current rate? .

4. Outsourcing: utilize it as needed.  Homeschoolers don't have to homeschool 100% of the content.  There are useful outsourced resources where someone else is doing the instructing (basically a private school class or private tutoring situation) and they're there if you need them.  It's also OK to call things what they are.  I'm a homeschooler outsourcing most of my child's subjects this year because that's what's needed at this time with this kid.  Yay! Outsourcing! And if homeschooling 100% works for you, then Yay! Homeschooling!

5. Household Management: Learn some skills. I've seen an increase in homeschoolers returning to ps largely because the household management drowned them and burned them out or was a significant part of the fuel for burnout.

I'll play the generational card here-some of you Millennials (maybe some Gen X too) were raised by younger Baby Boomers who told you your only job was to do your homework and attend enrichment activities, and you never learned household management skills because your mom did all that for you...or it wasn't done at all.   Those of us who grew up at a time when kids were expected to do daily and weekly chores have a huge advantage over you as homeschooling parents.  (Farm kid here. My farm childhood was excellent preparation  for household management.)

Homeschooling isn't like doing homework.  Homeschooling is like running a boarding school. Your kids absolutely need to learn to regularly contribute to the household starting at a young age so mom can take on household management skills while homeschooling.  Your children whose personalities are sensitive to chaos need you to keep things under fairly reasonable control most of the time or there could be resentment.

[prairiewindmomma]

Great questions! My full homeschooling history is in my signature except I have omitted my daughter who died from cancer. I was homeschooling her, even after she became blind, until she also became deaf. (At that point we switched to life skills and finger signing and she died soon after.) For those on mobile, I have homeschooled K-12, max four students at a time. One of my 2E students has graduated; I now have a 2E and a gifted student in the mix with my third child I am homeschooling.

My general advice: Begin with the end in mind. Regardless of your student’s intentions post-graduation, each should be qualified to begin university life as a basic foundation to build from. For my state, that means math through Algebra 2 and the ability to write well to qualify for open admissions to cc, but ideally one should strive to meet the high school graduation requirements for our state. Personally we require a 4x4 with 2 years of foreign language....the only exception to that may be our kid with a documented math disability.

2. If you are working with a student consistently and they struggle, seek outside evaluations—vision, attention, and learning disabilities can be remediated—and the earlier you can deal with these, the better, especially before their own self esteem is really affected. If you wait until age 10 or so, you’ve lost valuable ground.

3. Slow and steady wins the race. Homeschooling is a marathon, and a lifestyle. A parent who schools consistently, regardless of their own educational abilities, is likely to do well by their children. Put in the time and effort to do the work.

[kbutton]

This will be my 9th year homeschooling, which means I've coordinated grades K-10, and I also did a fair amount of preschool stuff with my younger kiddo. My older attended a small Christian school K-2, but they weren't going to be a good fit for his needs going forward (2e, ASD, ADHD, expressive language disorder, dysgraphia). We didn't put my younger one in school at all because we were already homeschooling, and he was showing signs of some learning issues in addition to widespread motor issues (2e, ADHD, apraxia of speech, dyslexia, dygraphia, dyscalculia, and a connective tissue disorder).

Meet your kid where they are at; BTW, this doesn't mean waiting for things to sort themselves out naturally. Intervention can be critical. 

Use curriculum/resources you actually like whenever possible. 

Be realistic about your preferences and limitations--if you don't like to read aloud, you won't read aloud (doesn't mean you can't do audio books though!). 

Play to your strengths until you figure out what your kids' strengths are.

Sometimes logical explanations are still not correct--if you can't fix something based on a logical explanation, keep looking for another logical explanation (my kids' issues became apparent in layers).

If it's not supportive, it's not community (or at least not your community).

Sometimes homeschoolers need or want IEPs, especially if your state offers services or funds to kids with IEPs. 

You don't have to do what "everyone" else in the homeschool world is doing, but if you're doing everything totally differently, it might be a good idea to know why. 🙂 

People who've been around for a while might not know about all the new curriculum options, but they probably know HOW to choose a good one (or make one).

It's okay to change your mind about a resource, even a good one.

It's okay for something to be perfect for one kid and a miss for another.

Chores, life skills, and hobbies are not a replacement for school, but for kids with executive function issues/ADHD, they can be life-changing and translate to academic gains as well. 

 

 

[theelfqueen]

Also find out what resources are in your community ... look into your library- even in Covid with the physical libraries closed, ours offers a lot more than books (ebooks, movies, music, great courses lectures, online classes, they made their make and takes into take and makes where they put together kits with directions for kids projects) and outside of lockdown ours has a full science lab, a makers space with 3D printers and sewing machines and all kinds of cool stuff, including museum and parks passes! So much more than most people realize...  and some of the local museums have classes or.other offerings and our Philharmonic has free tickets and... all kinds of things. Maybe you have a great 4H county extension office, etc... 

Edited August 8, 2020 by theelfqueen

[JennyD]

Three kids, aged 10 - 15, all homeschooled from the beginning.

(1) Establish a routine.  

(2) Make sure everyone gets regular exercise.  That includes you, too.

(3) Don't worry about finding materials and resources.  There's loads of stuff out there, more than you could ever use.  Before you go looking for anything, think big picture. What do you want your kids to have learned by the time they graduate/go back to school?  What do you want them to accomplish this year?  This month?

(4)  Homeschooling will offer you an unparalleled opportunity to relentlessly confront your own personal limitations and deficiencies of character.  Some days will go (a lot) better than others.  Take care of yourself and make sure that whatever you need most to stay strong is built into that daily schedule.

[73349]

I have told people:

• Before you get started, you need to understand and comply with the state law (and I explain it).
• Homeschooling is much less expensive than private school, yay! But you have to do the teaching or pay somebody else to do it.
• Teach the kids you have; focus on their level and strengths and weaknesses. Get materials with your students in mind rather than expecting everything marked with their "correct" grade to be a good fit.
• If something isn't working, decide what to do about that. You are in charge of the schedule, the curriculum, the methods, and the output expectations.

 

 

Edited June 2, 2023 by 73349