Where to Start?

[MistieMae1]

Homeschooling has been on my mind for awhile, but all the information out there is so overwhelming! Does anyone have a recommendation for where to start to learn about homeschooling and to whittle down the choices of all the different possibilities? A book or website perhaps?

Currently, my children are 4, 4, and 2 (yes, the 4-year-olds are twins). We enrolled them in our county Head Start program as a sort of trial year. My plan is to see how they do, how much they actually learn, and how they feel about being away from home and family all the time. Then, when school is over in May, we'll let them decide whether they want to continue on with kindergarten or not. I thought they'd be trepidatious and clingy at first, but they loved it from the very first moment. In fact, they begged to take the bus the 2nd day rather than have Mommy take them to school! I'm thrilled that they are confident enough to want to face new challenges on their own, but, well, I'm nervous and clingy. hehe

[plantoneonme]

Sorry I cannot help you on homeschooling because, at least for now, my granddaughter is in public school...preschool. She has an intense craving to be with other kids and literally begged to go to school. She is already somewhat ahead of most kids, she will be 4 in Nov, because she already knows her ABC's, numbers, colors, shapes and already is reading. She is behind in the social skills though. She is so kind, gentle and easily frightened of some things (BUGS!) that she cannot get a grip on why other kids hit, bite, call names etc. So far she is loving it and we have a problem getting her to understand she cannot go to school every day.

I am sure someone else can help get you in the right direction for homeschooling. Kim

[Ani]

She is behind in the social skills though. She is so kind, gentle and easily frightened of some things (BUGS!) that she cannot get a grip on why other kids hit, bite, call names etc.

How is that behind in social skills? Honestly *I* don't know why kids bite and hit and I don't see why a 4 year old would be expected to. That is EXACTLY why homeschooling is so important to us for the younger years.

I keep a notebook to sort through the different things I've researched. Any website with a lot of information is a good place to start, and then find another one to put it into perspective :) Homeschool.com has a lot of info to get you started, and I'm sure Abbey has a favorite.

[MistieMae1]

Thank you both for your replies. How in the world did I miss homeschool.com before?? That seems like a no-brainer, but this is the first time I've ever seen that site! Thank you, Ani.

Kim, I was actually surprised by how well my kids socialize. We are a very insulated little family with no nearby family and no friends in the neighborhood until very recently. I thought for sure that my kids would have no clue how to behave around other children, but even the weekly trips to the library, grocery store, etc. have given them the skills they needed. Their teachers say that they are two of the most outgoing and well-behaved children in their classes and that they tend to take positions of leadership automatically. I was really shocked! Does your granddaughter have any siblings or cousins that are close in age? That contact with family members goes a long way to socialization, I think. For example, the twins have always had excellent sharing skills simply because, well, they've always had to share everything with each other!

[AbbeyLehman]

Hi again, MistieMae! Ani is correct, I do have several favorites:

http://www.oldfashionededucation.com is one that is structured, Literature- and Bible-based. Miss Maggie gives weekly and yearly schedules and 95% of her resources are public domain (free!).

I will post more when we come home from swimming & Scouts....Trying to catch up after 4 days w/o power....

[plantoneonme]

[QUOTE=Ani;598]How is that behind in social skills? Honestly *I* don't know why kids bite and hit and I don't see why a 4 year old would be expected to. That is EXACTLY why homeschooling is so important to us for the younger years.

Sorry sometimes I answer these things after being awake for more than 24 hours so it didn't come out right. What I was trying to say is that she does not have siblings (or ever will) and cannot understand why some people can be rude or mean. The social skills she will learn is how to share with other kids, be patient, not be the center of attention etc.

If we had the means, we would homeschool but the fact right now is that all of us must work. We are fortunate that we have schools of choice in our area and have picked a school with very small classroom size. We also volunteer at the school and attend PTA meetings so know how things are run.

[MistieMae1]

Thanks, Abbey! I checked out that site last night and am still going through the info today. Phew.

I dropped by the library to see if I could find a good book on homeschooling, but every single one was checked out. lol

[herb girl]

Hi Misti,

I've been home-educating for 15 years now. My two oldest have graduated and I have two still in school. Kindergarten and 9th grade.

In starting this journey you might want to find out where your state's homeschool convention is held. Absolutely, positively attend this if at all possible. This is where you can hear speakers, check out curriculum and ask questions to your hearts content. You can also find out the laws specific to your state. I attend our convention religiously and haven't missed since 1993.
I get so much encouragement and meet so many like-minded people.

I like the site called eclectic homeschooling, http://www.eclectichomeschool.org/

It takes many hours of research to make decisions for curriculum but it is time well spent.

What is SO incredibly important is that you determine your childrens learning style before you plunk down money for anything. The wrong curriculum can be disastrous for your child's motivation and your sanity. Make sure the learning style and the philosophy of the curriculum you are purchasing are a good fit.