Letty's3Angels Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Hi everyone, first time posting :). I'm trying to plan this coming year, I am planning for 6th gr., 2nd gr., and 1st gr. curr. in private schl. I read TWTM and was very encouraged but realized that it was getting very confusing to plan for my 3 kids :tongue_smilie:. Several hschlrs have suggested that I start with a charter school for the first year and then move on to bigger and better things like TWTM. Has anyone gone that route. Do you have any suggestions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschooltoone Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 bump Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria/ME Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I just wanted to pop in and say hello! I don't have any suggestions for what you "should" do...but a few guiding thoughts in terms of "I wish I had known..." that would've helped me...or maybe not, because everyone has to find their own path. Don't feel like you have to do it all in one year. You will not get everything perfect. Congratulate yourself and your family for what you DO do, don't dwell on what you don't do. And add a few goals for the next day/week/year. Don't be hard on yourselves. YOu're forging your own path. A new path. This takes time. It's a journey. A process. The end isn't even graduation. Take some time to deschool the kids. Make your own timeframe. You don't have to make school be about Sept-May. Or 9-5. What works for you? What is your childs time frame? Have FUN!!! Don't get hung up on expectations of where your child "should" be in their journey. Ask youself who has made up these "shoulds" you've set up for yourself or your child. You may learn that these "shoulds" are someone else's idea that doesn't even work for you! Learn from others, rejoice when you find what works, and rejoice when you find what doesn't. Don't feel pressure if what doesn't work for you works for others. It's not a race. It's not a judgement. It just is. I hope that makes sense. Early on (and sometimes still) I felt I had to live up to what other homeschoolers were doing. That was because I had nothing else to go by but what others did. And that is good, that was helpful. It helped me explore our learning styles and define. But ultimately it's no one's journey but your own. I know that's not what you asked at all!!! But throwing food for thought your way! Welcome to homeschooling!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie in IL Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I agree. No real need to start with a charter. WTM's suggestions, including (and especially!) the library worked just fine. You'll most like see yourself tweaking things as you go along, both this year and in the future. Enjoy your first year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Letty's3Angels Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 Thank you for the encouraging words:). I guess Charter School seems like a safe way to go, with all the support they give you. I'm just afraid of teaching them incorrectly and messing them up. What do you do if you get stuck on something and need direction since their is no one to ask for specifics? Any info. is greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Debbie in IL Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I know that charter school seems like a safe way to go. And it can be! The downside, though, is that with a charter you can lose much of the freedom to choose the curriculum you will be teaching. Personally, I love that freedom - especially the freedom to switch curriculum if something is not working for one of my dc - so I lean away from the charters. However, I know that charters are very popular and work well for many people. When you have questions on something specific, come here! You will be amazed at the wealth of knowledge and kindness of this board. I would guess that people here have used virtually every curriculum that is out there - and if they haven't, they know someone IRL that has, and they can help you get your questions answered. Another thing you might consider is finding someone in your community who is a few steps - or even one step! - ahead of you in your homeschooling journey - someone you can meet for coffee occasionally, someone you can bounce things off of. Do you have any specific questions about curriculum or teaching that we can help you with now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Just wanted to add a "welcome!" and say that, if you have not chosen curricula yet, I think you will be surprised how easy it is to implement--homeschooling has exploded, and with it, curricula has become easier to use. I agree with the PP that you will have greater freedom to customize your childrens' education if you put together your own program instead of going with a charter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Letty's3Angels Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 Thank you. I have researed some curriculum here is what I have so far: 6th grader.-Chalk Dust Math Grammar: Rod and Staff:Prog.w/courage. Writing Strands, Spelling-spelling workout F Mind Benders Latina Christiana Art classes at community art gallery Ok I'm lost w, History,science and geography especially combining all three. My weakness is also grammar, checking essays and compositions is not my strength. 1st and 2nd grades. MUS, Rod & Staff -Building Christian English and still researching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Story of the World would work for all three children. Use the book and the Activity Book. It covers history and geography. My dc enjoyed this in first grade and sixth. Also, it takes time to mess up your children. You have time to make this work for your family. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria/ME Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I'm just afraid of teaching them incorrectly and messing them up. What do you do if you get stuck on something and need direction since their is no one to ask for specifics? Any info. is greatly appreciated. Do you realize public school teachers don't always teach correctly? What do they do? They correct it when they find out. I taught my daughter something wrong and lo! months later she found the right answer and corrected me! We learn together. We've been ingrained to think that there are "right ways" and "wrong ways" to teach. It's hard to let go of that. It's hard to let go of worrying we aren't doing it right. That's parenting in a nutshell isn't it? But really, if you teach something "wrong" it's not like you can't undo it. Your children aren't going to be "messed" up. Don't throw away the baby with the bath water! It's okay to say "Mom, had that all wrong the other day! Here is why...let me show you...what do you think?" I often think about the "wrong" ways I was taught in public school. Like the fact that if my math teacher had gotten to know me one on one and figured out how I learn, I may like number today. But you're giving your kids one on one. Their chances of NOT being messed up are WAY better than in public school! The great thing about homeschooling, too, is that you aren't really alone. Look at these boards, for example! And you will start seeing tons of homeschooling blogs and other forums where you will learn and get some great ideas from! Ask questions! Research! All these are great helps when you feel you are fumbling around. Do you have any other homeschoolers nearby? A support group locally? What about a local homeschoolers conference? History: SOTW~I agree...although there are other programs out there that are great too. History Odyssey or Mystery of History are two that others on this board like. Science: Have you thought of R.E.A.L. Science by Pandia Press. That is easily workable for differing ages. Also Real Science 4 Kids is great. Others here really like Apologia. All these should be flexible enough to teach varying ages. Especially the youngers as they will end up reviewing it as they get older, too. Geography: We like Even Moor Daily Geography Practic, but I know Galloping the Globe and Cantering the Country is a hit with others here. Google is your friend. Google "homeschool science curriculum" or what not...if you haven't already. Do a search on these forums (if you haven't already) under Science/Geography etc.... You're gonna do great~!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 As a parent who has used a cyber charter to tiptoe into homeschooling, I can understand and respect the draw. For some, it may just be the right thing to do. For me, it gave me a HUGE amount of confidence, but mostly because it pinpointed all of the things I *didn't* want to do! I don't believe my kids suffered any drawbacks from using the charter, so there's that. My (then) 5yo got a bit cranky with all of the repetition and my 10yo hates how much screen time is involved (as do I), but I'm the one who gets fed up with all of the "rules" and meaningless baloney. In my opinion, a thorough reading of TWTM is more than adequate to start your journey successfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Letty's3Angels Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 Thank you for all the info. and encouragement. I will start looking for local homeschooling group and research the suggested curr. you all have mentioned. Thank you. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 Thank you for the encouraging words:). What do you do if you get stuck on something and need direction since their is no one to ask for specifics? You come here, of course! :) Not kidding, really. These boards have been my number one source of information since I began homeschooling 8 1/2 years ago. There is such a wide range of homeschoolers here that when I need info or have a problem, there is almost always someone here who can give me guidance and encouragement, even if I just need help thinking through the difficulty. For history/geography; these are easy to combine. When you study something in history, look it up on the globe. Print out a map from the internet and have your children label the place. In a year or two of history, you will have covered most of the major areas of the world. For science, it might be tough to combine all of your kids, but it's not impossible. Several good recommendations have been made, but don't feel bad if you decide to have your older child do something different (and maybe more independent) than your younger kids. The good news is that you have lots of time to research - have fun. When you get bogged down with all the choices, take a break for a week, and then write down your favorites and go from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudreyTN Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 What do you do if you get stuck on something and need direction since their is no one to ask for specifics? I come to these boards. :) When we started homeschooling I used the WTM religiously. I followed it exactly. We've come away from it, but WTM gave me a place to start. It gave me exactly what I needed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Letty's3Angels Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 WOW! You guys are really a great bunch!:thumbup: Thanks for all the suggestions and kind words. I am searching and am open to religious- Christian-curriculum. It's nice to know that I can come here for questions. You are right Camden, I will still be teaching everything myself. They only require one sheet per subject per month and it has to be what they want it to be. I hadn't thought about it that way. :confused1: HHMMM!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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