An overplanner preparing for home schooling...Help :)

Having problems figuring out where to start? Let other homeschoolers offer you some advice!

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jellyjargirl
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An overplanner preparing for home schooling...Help :)

Postby jellyjargirl » Thu Aug 05, 2010 9:24 pm

Hello!

My name is Sarah, and I am mom to two great kids, a three-year-old son, and an 18 month-old daughter. Before having a family, I taught science to junior high in a charter school, and fourth grade to a public school. Being indoctrinated into the system, I always assumed my children would go to public school, or private if we could afford. (I am a firm SAHM)

However, with the hunt for preschools, my husband told me that he desires our kids to learn at home. I kind of laughed it off, and enrolled our son in a one day a week children's day out program for this fall.

However, I have been thinking about it, and I am starting to feel the call of educating my kids. Oh, and I am also feeling overwhelmed at the thought. LOL

I still intend on leaving our son in the program this fall, mostly so he has an opportunity to play and meet peers for 2 hours a week, but I have decided that if I am going to do this, I am going to start researching EARLY .

So that is where I need help. The amount of information is a vast sea, and although I grabbed some books from the library, I am looking for personal leads and insight.

Does my family have the advantage of more legal support since I am a certified teacher? Is there curriculum available that is not Christian based? (We are liberal Christians and although I'd use Christian curriculum that I liked, I would also like other options) Where do I start? What are some titles of books that you'd recc'd? How do you tell ppl your choice without them looking at you like you have something growing out of your head? Does any use the Steiner/Waldorf method at home?


Thanks for reading this, and thanks in advance for any tidbit!

hscoach
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Postby hscoach » Fri Aug 06, 2010 7:42 am

I will try to answer all your questions.

No, you will not have an advantage of more legal support since you are a teacher. You need to go to this link and read about what the laws are for your state. The first thing to do is make sure you meet the legal requirements. (of course, you don't have to do anything right now since your children are so young..........the law usually requires you to do something once your oldest child is school aged.)

http://www.hslda.org/laws/

Yes, there is curriculum available that is not Christian based.

Please do not worry about what people will think when you tell them you are going to homeschool. There will always be a few completely ignorant people (in the true sense of the word - ignorant) who know nothing about home education. You will be doing what is best for your family and that is all that matters. Homeschooling is so poplular and growing in numbers every day! When your extended family and friends see the results of homeschooling in your children, they will become true believers.

Two of my favorite books are

The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child by Linda Dobson

Educating the Wholehearted Child by Clay and Sally Clarkson

But there are many more!

Even though it might not be an extremely popular method, yes, some homeschoolers do use the Waldorf method. Here is a page with some links you could check out.

http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/methods/Waldorf.htm

It can be somewhat overwhelming when you begin homeschooling. The first thing to do is meet the legal requirements. Then you can choose a method. (or you can combine two or more methods and be an electic homeschooler........that's what I am) Then you can order your curriculum and get started. You are completely ahead of the game because you are starting so early!

Sometimes when kids have been in public school and their parents pull them out to homeschool them, they "deschool" them first. You can google that term to learn more. I was thinking that you might need to deschool yourself since you are a teacher. Just try to be more laid back and get away thinking that learning can only occur the way it does in a traditional classroom setting. The more you read, the more you will learn and you will probably be deschooled before you even start. ha ha.

Hope this helps some! Best wishes!

Jill
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Postby Jill » Mon Aug 09, 2010 7:43 am

Welcome!
hscoach had some good answers for you.

I will add (as a former public school teacher) that homeschooling is very different from teaching in a school setting. It has taken me years to feel comfortable with the kind of learning we do at home, but I KNOW they are getting a better education than they could ever get in a classroom. It amazes me how much they learn and retain.

Mine were in preschool programs and then public school until K and 2nd grade. If I had the chance to do it over I would have kept them home when they were little.

I have several stories about our journey on my website ~ the address is in my signature.

Best wishes!
Jill


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