considering homeschooling...what are your best suggestions to start with?

[sadiegirl]

I have a friend that just emailed me and said that she is considering pulling her children out of school to homeschool. Can I ask you all if you can each give me the names of books for her to read that might help? She wanted to know where I get my materials(I do a hodge-podge) but I thought I would suggest her to look at Sonlight, Abeka or some that offer it all. What websites offer great insight for those considering homeschooling? My kids are 6th and 7th and we have always homeschooled but I don't always hear about the latest and greatest things that come out.(I get overwhelmed and think I am not doing enough!) Anyway, thanks for any tips for newcomers to the great world of homeschooling and I will be sure to pass them along. I am excited that she is considering this as there are few here in my community and she would be fun to have as a homeschool pal!!

[sadiegirl]

Are there any favorite homeschooler blogs that have elementary age children that you like to read for advice?

[3lilreds in NC]

Is she a Christian? My Father's World makes a great curriculum, and it's designed to be able to teach different ages together. K and 1st are complete programs, and with the others you add in your own math and LA. They suggest programs to use that they like; Singapore Math, for example.

 

I don't have any blogs that I read; I come here for advice. :D If you think she might like the classical approach, have her read The Well-Trained Mind. That's the book that made homeschooling seem do-able to me, even though I don't follow it strictly. Educating the Whole-Hearted Child is another good book for enouraging homeschoolers. She could take a look at Cathy Duffy's book, Top 100 Picks for Homeschool Curriculum, to get a feel for what her kids' learning styles might be and an overview of different curricula.

 

The Oklahoma Homeschool website has some great resources, including a "test" you can take to see what style of homeschooling would suit you best.

 

HTH!

[sadiegirl]

Yes, she is a Christian.

[jubilee]

Since you have stated she is a Christian, I would suggest prayer. Seek the Lord for wisdom and direction. There is power in prayer and this is going to be a change for the entire family.

 

SL, MFW, Konos, FIAR, VP, etc.

 

I don't recall the ages of your friends dc. I have always homeschooled and my children are still little (at least I would like to think so:D) so I don't have personal experience with this. I went to a local homeschool convention to find out more when my eldest was 4/5 yrs. The lectures were great (intro to homeschooling) but, the curriculum fair was overwhelming. I remember walking through the aisles not wanting to make eye contact with the vendors because I didn't want to have to say no! I didn't know Abeka from Bob Jones from MUS from RS.

 

Is there a local homeschool support group that she can visit for a park day? Shadow a family with children who are close in age of her own to see what it looks like?

 

The most common advice I have seen on this board for bringing home your children is to "detox". Take a few weeks to unschool them and get them used to being at home. Read Alouds, field trips to the museum, zoo, park. Begin weekly library trips. Get used to the fact that learning is all around you and take advantage of it!

 

Your friend is lucky to have you in her life to help guide her throught this. Keep up the encouragement!

 

Here is an article I came across that might have a few tips for starting out.

A Beginner's Guide to Homeschool

[TheCoffeeChick]

I think I read just about every book on homeschooling I could get my hands on ... before I even had kids :tongue_smilie:. One of my favorites has always been So You're Thinking About Homeschooling by Lisa Whelchel. It is by no means a how to or curriculum guide. It is a light reader with some nice stories about how other people do it. It really showed me that there really is no "right" way -- there are as many styles out there as there are homeschoolers. Just one of those books that makes you think afterward, Hey, yeah, I can do this!!

[Lovedtodeath]

For school in a box I would go with BJU, if that is what she wants. It is really so easy to get each subject separately though.

 

She can get the new edition of TWTM (should be out now or within the next couple of weeks) and follow it to the letter. There really is no reason to curriculum shop on these forums if you have the new edition (no out of print books to replace). Then after trying TWTM to the letter, she can look for alternatives for anything that doesn't work after giving it a good try.

 

That's my 2 cents.

[dhudson]

I agree with the above suggestions for a more boxed curriculum. I would avoid Abeka or BJU for the entire curriculum as it can get really overwhelming. We love MFW but have friends who enjoy Sonlight and TOG.

 

Books I would suggest are "The Well-Trained Mind" and one of my favorites for newbies is "The Ultimate Guide to Home Schooling" by Debra Bell.

 

I think that she needs to sit down ( you might need to help her with this) and figure out her goals for her kids - academically and spiritually. What does she ( and her dh) want their school and home to look like? What are their long range goals? I find that by answering these questions then you can guide a curriculum choice better. Personality of the mom and the kids play a big factor as well.

 

Even if she takes a couple of weeks figuring all these out, her kids could be reading and just going over math facts in the meantime. I think having a plan is better than rushing out and buying curriculum because she feels the pressure.

[LynnG in Arizona]

I think I read just about every book on homeschooling I could get my hands on ... before I even had kids :tongue_smilie:. One of my favorites has always been So You're Thinking About Homeschooling by Lisa Whelchel. It is by no means a how to or curriculum guide. It is a light reader with some nice stories about how other people do it. It really showed me that there really is no "right" way -- there are as many styles out there as there are homeschoolers. Just one of those books that makes you think afterward, Hey, yeah, I can do this!!

 

I was coming to post the same advice. This is a great book that helps each family find a couple homeschooling "styles" that might be right for their family. Then they can narrow it down from there. It's much less overwhelming this way. :)

[katilac]

I would suggest that she start hanging around these boards and others, in order to get a feel for not only curriculum, but the 'day to dayness' of homeschooling.

 

I would also join at least one local home school group, preferably more if available. It's great that she already knows you! Maybe she could sit in on one of your planning or teaching sessions?

 

If there's a home school store ANYWHERE near, even if she has to drive 2 hours, I highly suggest a visit. She should plan to stay as long as possible, and bring a notebook and pen. Nothing, imo, can compare to actually seeing the books/curriculum. Looking at tons of curriculum in person helped me to clarify what I wanted to cobble together, and what I wanted to buy.

 

It's much easier to slowly start building knowledge and networks, than to start on day one of homeschooling.

 

As far as specific books, I like:

 

*WTM, of course!

 

*Latin Centered Curriculum

 

*Charlotte Mason Education (& CM Companion)

 

*Homeschooling Year by Year (very good for newbies)

 

*There Are No Shortcuts and Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire; these two are not home schooling books but I took a lot away from them, both in inspiration and practicalities like how to assign a book report, literary study, etc.

 

tell her to come visit us!