New and intimidated! Help reassure me--please!

[Juloyes]

Our son went to an incredible Christian school for kindergarten last year using Abeka. He was 4 when he started and performed beautifully in half day kindergarten. This year, because my husband took a church out here in Colorado, my only options are to send him to public school first grade or to homeschool. I love staying home with my children, but I'm not someone who would have ever chosen teaching as a profession, so often I have trouble explaining things so that he can understand. We both get frustrated. He's a very busy, strong willed kid, and I'm worried that I will not delight in him as I should if I'm the one whose with him 24/7. I guess I'm selfish in that I like a break, I like a house that's picked up (I'm not -CENSORED- about this, but I don't want to live in a dump either.). Also, our town is small and I know a few wonderful homeschooling families but their kids are much older than mine. There is no real formal kind of support group, and we are two hours from a major town and one hour from a smaller town in Utah. So all these cool field trips and co-ops are impossible. HELP!

[Juloyes]

I've read a lot of books about homeschooling, and I'm reading Mary Pride's complete guide right now, but I am very nervous. We are planning on taking him out at Christmas break because he is so far ahead of everyone else even though he is so much younger (almost a year younger than some because the cut off for kindergarten is different here). He is NOT gifted. He's a very crazy, busy, normal kid. He can apply himself and work hard when he has to. I guess I'm wondering how to go about removing him. I feel like I owe his teacher an explanation. I like her a lot and it's not anything personal. I just don't want my son losing ground like this. I've purchased the abeka first grade kits just because it's familiar, but I am so overwhelmed by this task. Also, there are many people who are anti-homeschool here because the schools are losing money when we remove kids. I need some wisdom here. Thanks for listening.

[Theodore]

The homeschool law for Colorado:
http://www.chec.org/Legislative/Colorad ... Index.html

(e) Any parent establishing a non-public home-based educational program shall provide written notification of the establishment of said program to a school district within the state fourteen days prior to the establishment of said program and each year thereafter if the program is maintained. The parent in charge and in control of a non-public home-based educational program shall certify, in writing, only a statement containing the name, age, place of residence, and number of hours of attendance of each child enrolled in said program.

From here you need a lesson plan that fulfills the following:

(c) A non-public home-based educational program shall include no less than one hundred seventy-two days of instruction, averaging four instructional contact hours per day.

(d) A non-public home-based educational program shall include, but need not be limited to, communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and regular courses of instruction in the constitution of the United States as provided in section 22-1-108.

You also need to keep records, and your so has to be tested at various age levels. Colorado is apparently fairly restrictive towards homeschooling. However, you do have two other options:

1. Home School children can enroll in a Colorado independent school but be taught at home.

2. OR, if a home schooling parent or anyone else is certified in Colorado to teach, the home school in which they are providing instruction is exempt from all other requirements, including testing.

Probably the easiest thing for you to do is find a Colorado independent school in your area and sign up with them. You should also look for a local homeschool support group to help with setting up a curriculum schedule, organizing social and sports activities, and in general making your life a lot easier.

http://www.home-school.com/groups/CO.html

-Ted

[LegacyofLearning]

Hi there! I'm from Colorado. It's not as hard as it sounds. Feel free to contact me if you need help.

You need to file an Notice of Intent, 14 days before you begin to homeschool, with any school district in Colorado. However, you still need to notify your school district so you might as well send it to your local district and save yourself the trouble of sending two papers, envelopes and stamps out. This does not mean that you need to leave your child in school for those 14 days. You can take them out for vacation during this time. Here is a link to a NOI -
http://www.hschool.com/law/sample-intent.shtml

The next thing you should do is find a homeschool support group. Check Yahoo Groups for one in your area. I also have many links to homeschool support group listings. Please feel free to contact me if you want me to send them to you.

The only big requirements in Colorado are that you file the NOI yearly and then test or have your child evaluated every other year starting in the 3rd grade.

Hope this helps.
Seana