Author Topic: Any of you home school your kids?  (Read 1175 times)

Offline texasmom

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Any of you home school your kids?
« on: March 12, 2008, 09:55:10 AM »
I've just been thrust into home schooling (beginning today), and am looking for any *warnings* of things I'll likely let slip through the cracks when I'm establishing a partnership with an educational company.

Here's what I gather as the general idea of home schooling:

1. Each state has approved cirriculum (administered by specific educational companies)

2. You choose a company's cirriculum, receive the education packets, which include course material & testing material.

3. Cirriculum evaluation is divided between two categories: teacher is the teacher/ parent is the teacher (which determines who does the "grading" of the school work and tests). Either way, all assignments and tests are returned to the company who are the overall "administrators."

I see that there are some side things (like home school "groups," or coalitions, through which home school kids meet for PE, field trips, and extras of that nature). I'm not as interested in hearing *warnings* about those. I see that as entirely secondary to cirriculum requirements/procedures.

Mostly I am hoping to hear what some of your families may have encountered as a snag here or there.  Or if there was something especially helpful, that will be nice to hear as well. :)
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Offline lasersailor184

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2008, 10:07:30 AM »
Ask your kids what sports they want to learn.  Then grade them on their progress.
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Offline Denholm

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #2 on: March 12, 2008, 10:28:42 AM »
Speaking as a current home schooling student, watch for any signs of discouragement.

If you ask your children, "What's your favorite subject?" and you get a response similar to, "I hate school!" or, "I don't have one." There's a problem on hand. For a while I was giving my parents the same response, a few days later they figured out I was cheating and not learning anything. The goal of home schooling is to learn, and if your children can't, they will be dissatisfied and uncomfortable with anyone asking them about their education.

So look for a tutor in advance that can help your children with Mathematics, Science, and Grammar.
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Offline Maverick

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #3 on: March 12, 2008, 10:32:43 AM »
Txmom,

The folks you mentioned, the home school groups, already have the answers to your question and based on the area you are living in. I would highly recommend you get in touch with them and see what they have to say. You may also find they have books and other materials available from other homeschoolers that have finished that particular grade level at a discount.

My Son and Daughter in law home school. She came from a home school environment and loves it even more while teaching their kids. They also have a relationship with a home school group and resource center.
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Offline Jackal1

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #4 on: March 12, 2008, 10:37:48 AM »
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Offline forHIM

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #5 on: March 12, 2008, 10:38:30 AM »
TxMom,

My wife and I homeschool our children in MN.  From what I understand there are a number of laws / regulations that vary by state.  So any experience I can provide would only be relevant to MN.  We are free to choose our own curriculum and our own teaching methods.  Since both my wife and I hold Bachelor's degrees we are not subject to oversight by an administrative organization.  We are required to provide a curriculum plan / school calendar to our local school district by Oct of every year.  We also must use a nationally normed test for every one of our children who is 7 to 16.

We do have friends in Texas who are homeschooling, but I'm not sure of what their regulations / requirements are.

As Maverick said, find the local support group(s) and any Texas statewide organizations.  We also are members of HSLDA which is a great organization to keep you updated as to changing state regulations.

Offline Gowan

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #6 on: March 12, 2008, 10:57:27 AM »
just recently, california legislature has just passed a law that states that any parent that is homeschooling their child MUST have approved teaching credentials, if any parent that is not credentialed that child is then considered truant

Offline forHIM

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #7 on: March 12, 2008, 11:32:21 AM »
Gowan -- that wasn't the legislature, that was a single activist judge in LA that published his ruling in a private matter that stated his interpretation was that any home school family in California must have teaching credentials.  The ruling is way off base and is one judges thoughts.  Even the California commissioner of Education has publicly spoken out against the ruling and its potential wide ranging impact to all home schoolers in California. 

California has been one of the tougher states to homeschool in just because the home school must become a private school from a legal / technical perspective. 

Offline Arado381

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #8 on: March 12, 2008, 11:47:50 AM »
if all else fails try this its very tough but its worth it http://www.ndisonline.org/  :aok
« Last Edit: March 12, 2008, 11:50:30 AM by Arado381 »
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Offline Gaidin

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #9 on: March 12, 2008, 11:58:12 AM »
TxMom would it be alright if I pm'd you?  I have a question for you.
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Offline wrongwayric

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #10 on: March 12, 2008, 12:14:02 PM »
My sister in-law is a teacher and plans on being a home school assistant teacher when she retires, she also knows licensed substitute teachers that work with home school kids during the day, even some retired teachers work part time as home school teachers. If you can afford it put out an add for a retired teacher to teach the courses your not that great with. I've always believed the reason schools do so poorly in education is it's all boring and sanitized now so as not to offend anyone. We teach english for how many years in school and half the kids can't speak it as it is, let alone write it now days, so when is enough, enough? And don't get me started on reading skills now days.

Offline Shuffler

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #11 on: March 12, 2008, 12:24:36 PM »
Txmom,

The folks you mentioned, the home school groups, already have the answers to your question and based on the area you are living in. I would highly recommend you get in touch with them and see what they have to say. You may also find they have books and other materials available from other homeschoolers that have finished that particular grade level at a discount.

My Son and Daughter in law home school. She came from a home school environment and loves it even more while teaching their kids. They also have a relationship with a home school group and resource center.

While I did not home school my daughters I did have friends that did. The Groups you speak of are very important. You can get alot of info from the Group. Also because your child will no longer have interactive times with other children, the times yall get to spend with the other children will be it. My daughter was nominated for G.A.T.E. from the second week of kindgarden. So we never considered home school from that point on.
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Offline justguess

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #12 on: March 12, 2008, 12:35:08 PM »
we homeschooled three current ages 27, 25, and 17  the boy is the youngest and did the worst at home.  the two girls did excellently and were out of highschool by age 16.  they met local boys, attended football games senior proms all that stuff.  our son isn't interested in team sports but competes nationally on a karate team with the best (read that as the most winning) local dojo.  this is where he gets the majority of his social outlet.  I think he'll still be in highschool at age fifty though.

Offline Maverick

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #13 on: March 12, 2008, 12:57:51 PM »
TxMom, What happened? It's an odd time of year to start homeschooling.   :confused:
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Offline gunnss

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Re: Any of you home school your kids?
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2008, 04:43:51 PM »
We home schooled our son, he received his New Mexico state HS degree at 16 years old. (NM GED equivalent) From our experience, set a goal of around 4 hours a school day of instruction. We would get him text books and assigning work out of them, and cut him lose. And were on hand for help as needed. Also writing assignments are good, with only one student it is easy to grade the papers. Our son would generally finish a chapter a week in each text, and turn in one paper a week. We ran through the HS books in about a year, and started him on collage texts. Find out what the GED requirements are and make sure the get covered. ( I got my son through a years worth of calculus) For socialization there are Home School Sports Teams and Bands in most cities, use them. Also we ran a wood shop class with our son making projects he could use.

The biggest challenge is making sure that you commit the time needed. If you need help write us and we will do what we can.
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