home schooling curriculum?

Nancy Mansell: Yeah, but just to be sure ,call them and see. They would be able to answers your questions.Hope I help

Cody Shimko: Why wait? You've been teaching them all along. Start now! Show your dear, husband how homeschooling can work for your family! By the time "school age" rolls around, you'll be in the groove. I believe, that the trick with little kids is to keep "lessons" fun and short. 10-15 minutes at a time, several times a day, is plenty for a preschooler. Intersperse this with lots of play and you'll have a winner. The younger they are, the shorter and more game-like teaching time should be. Read aloud! Read aloud and read aloud some more. Kids can usually understand 3-4 grade levels above their own reading level. The more you read aloud, the better off they'll be. I believe, that if you teach children to love reading, it won't be long before you're obsolete as their "teacher." Then, you'll be a facilitator and can guide them on a wonderfu! l learning journey.You may also want to find studies showing the benefits of being a homeschooler. If your husband is the logical type, the studies and the proof you provide in your daily lives will pull him in.Enjoy your homeschooling journey! Remember homeschool isn't a place. It's what you do!...Show more

Tracy Huesso: You've received some very thoughtful and helpful answers from others here, but since most of the suggestions that have been provided refer to Christian-based curriculum and programs, etc., I wanted to offer the following in case your reasons for wanting to homeschool your daughters are not based on religious concerns or preferences. Many of us who are homeschooling or have homeschooled have viewed this education option as a natural extension of our child-centered lifestyles and our acknowledgement that children have an innate love of learning and we parents can support and foster this exploration and excitement throughout their "school" years. M! y first suggestion would be for you to find a support group of! homeschooling families in your area so you can get together and learn from other parents what programs they're involved in, etc. Just do a web search for "homeschooling (or home school or schooling, etc.) support group + ______ [your city and state]" and you'll probably come up with some groups or even statewide homeschooling organizations that can provide you with contact names and information so you can discover where and when these families meet. In some communities, there are even preschool groups for our younger homeschoolers! While fellow homeschooling parents can certainly tell you what it takes to homeschool legally in *your* state, you can also find this information through your state homeschooling association or through a web search. By knowing, in advance, what laws govern homeschooling (including the ages when compulsory education starts and ends in your state), you'll be that much further ahead as you start this wonderfully satisfying journey. Whether we ! realize it or not, we begin to homeschool our child/ren as soon as they're born! They learn how to talk and walk and interact and explore with us as their first teachers. Since each child is unique, special, and individual, what works for one might not work for all, so you and your husband are the best and most responsive teachers your daughters could have. You'll recognize their unique interests, talents, skills, abilities, etc. and can offer learning experiences based on these individualized and special leanings. You can also join with other families through your support group and go on field trips, create age-appropriate classes, and such -- or even do these on your own as a family. At the World Book Encyclopedia website at http://www.worldbook.com/typical_course_of_study.h... you can find a national Typical Course of Study which gives a good general overview of what benchmarks students in each grade level should be able to achieve. Of course, this doesn't refer spe! cifically to the requirements in your particular state, but it *is* hel! pful to see what students should be learning at specific levels based on a national poll of teachers and administrators that has been compiled by World Book and turned into this handy reference tool. You can probably find similar performance standards for K-8 and even K-12 for your own state through a web search or through your local or state homeschooling support group or organization. Remember, however, that each child is unique, and these are only *suggested* guidelines and "achievements." Some kids get there sooner while others get there later! Some families like to have their homeschooling experience as far away as possible from the public school system, while others find comfort in knowing that they're complying with state regulations, benchmarks and standards. If you have an interest in eventually homeschooling through your or a nearby school district's home independent study program (HISP or ISP), you can certainly look into this option. There is no charge for! any curriculum or books and materials since each school district receives between approximately $3,000 to $4,000 in average daily attendance (ADA) money for each student who is enrolled in that district. Because homeschooling has become increasingly popular as an education option in the past decade or two, most school districts now offer these programs. Some school districts even contract with K12 and other recognized home study programs for homeschoolers, so families wouldn't be required to pay any fees. Be sure to ask fellow homeschooling parents about their experiences with these programs. They vary widely and often depend on what teachers are hired to oversee the HISP/ISP students and program, etc. If money is no concern and you can afford to pay for a private school independent study program, there are some wonderful, child-centered programs available that have been around for many, many years. Some that come to mind immediately include:Oak Meadow - http://ww! w.oakmeadow.com/index.phpArbor Academy - http://www.arboracademy.com/Ar! bor_Home/ArborHome.h...Laurel Springs School - http://www.laurelsprings.com/homeClonlara School - http://www.clonlara.org/Calvert School - http://homeschool.calvertschool.org/index.phpExcellence in Education - http://www.excellenceineducation.com/and others. Our family really liked the gentle, child-centered, Montessori-...Show more

Leisa Brodnex: So my daughter is going to be a freshman in high school next year. We live in a town, with a bad high school. So I want to home-school her for her first year, until she can drive to a better school. So how much money will it cost to home-school her?

Noah Deni: There is no one best curriculum out there. What works best for me may not work well for you at all. I would start by looking at what methodology you like best. The basic types of homeschool methods are found here http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/methods/Method... . After you find a method that works best for you -don't worry if you take a while, most people g! o back and forth for months- you will want to look for a curriculum that works with that style. Be sure to run all curiculums you are looking at past http://homeschoolreviews.com/. I liked unit studies growing up and I will start out by doing a unit study of world history using Story of the World the first few years with my children. If you have any more questions or just would like some support check out http://www.cafemom.com/group/699 don't worry you can join and get help even before you are ready to homeschool. I know of a few women who have babies that are in the group.Hope some of this helped a little. I wish I could have just given you a curriculum I like but I don't think it would be honest to say it would be best even if I didn't make my own curriculum with unit studies....Show more

Jestine Osumi: who are you?

Gertrude Darke: Try one of the online high schools. K-12, Connections Academy and Kaplan have free programs in many states. http://takecontrolofy! oureducation.blogspot.com/ They often provide a free laptop too.Best of! Luck!Janahttp://www.homeschooljungle.com

Ronny Dorge: What's great, wonderful and perfect for my kids could be utterly horrible for yours. In fact, my son works extremely well with the k12.com curriculum, but my daughter is bored to death by it. (We're switching her to a hybrid school using Sonlight for next year.)There's also a whole spectrum of what's called "homeschool." Some people sign up with an online version of public school; that’s really technically not “homeschool,” since you're counted as public school student and you’re assigned a teacher, a strict schedule, and predetermined workload as determined by the school district, etc. The dirty little secret here is that the district gets to keep the federal funds for you, as you’re a public school student this way. (Quite obviously, your school district will like this option best. Often when one queries the school as to the options available for “homeschool,” the school administrators will smile s! weetly and mention just such an arrangement, conveniently omitting the rest of your options. This “lie by omission” quietly implies that this is the one and only way “homeschooling is done.” There’s a quite a debate in the homeschooling community about whether or not this constitutes an effort by the educational bureaucracy to redefine the meaning of homeschool, and what effect that would have on legislation and regulation of more traditional homeschool. But I digress.)Other people may choose to buy materials from companies and enroll with online schools (K12.com, Connections Academy, Calvert, etc.), but they're "independent" of the school districts, and they don't owe anyone a darned thing...their test scores (if any; few homeschoolers in the traditional sense are obligated to take state standardized tests) are their own business, as is the pace, order or depth at which they choose to go through the material. Others might buy a curriculum-in-a-box (Abeka, My Fath! er's Word, Sonlight), where you're sent a slew of materials and few tea! chers' guides and off you go. There are also programs for specific subjects, and some people may mix and match between them, often called "Eclectic homeschooling." (i.e., for math, one might choose Math-U-See or ALEKS or the Life of Fred series, or Saxon Math or Singapore Math, or Karis Math.)Other people make up their own curriculum, based on their own personal criteria. Some states want you to keep a portfolio of material to prove you're doing something there at home, other states want you to submit your curriculum for the year for approval, others may require testing that could send you back to public or private school if you fall below a particular percentile...just in case. Again, depends on the state. Still other people endorse what they call "unschooling," and they throw out all books and tests altogether and simply follow what interests them. (See the writings of John Holt, or Google "unschooling" for more on that theory of education.) A good book for anyone over 1! 2 years old is “The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education,” by Grace Llewellyn. Here’s an excerpt:"Did your guidance counselor ever tell you to consider quitting school? That you have other choices, quite beyond lifelong hamburger flipping or inner-city crack dealing? That legally you can find a way out of school, that once you're out you'll learn and grow better, faster, and more naturally than you ever did in school, that there are zillions of alternatives, that you can quit school and still go to A Good College and even have a Real Life in the Suburbs if you so desire? Just in case your counselor never told you these things, I'm going to. That's what this book is for."Even if you don’t hold with what the author has to say, the point of view she has is dramatically different and can be a great springboard to help you get in touch with what you believe school and learning should be like. The book also outlines a very nice! reference for curriculum, as well as chapters about dealing with your ! school, convincing your parents, and getting a social life. It's meant to be a very usable book. As with many things, there’s a wide spectrum of “unschoolers,” as well. Many of them have a certain set of concepts they want their kids to get and don’t care HOW they get the information, while others take a much more laid-back approach and allow the student to set the list of concepts themselves...or not set one at all. All of these people will still consider themselves “unschoolers.”...Show more

Fannie Collingwood: Because your definitely Miley Cyrus

Tereasa Sorensen: Hey just out of curiousitySay if you had the fame of miley cyrus , you were a girl , gorgeous , ect. A singer + actress & you went to a small country to go to school ( highschool) would it be a good idea , could you please state what their highschool would be like ?

Delphine Cajka: So I am 14 and I am homeschooled... One of the highschools where I am at offers HOSA... But would I be! allowed to join it because of being homeschooled? Thanks

Gertrude Darke: Oops! This is Linda D again! I didn't realize that my answer was so long that it got cut off! I'm, therefore, posting the remainder of my answer using my husband's Yahoo account. If you like my entire answer and want to give me a Thumb's Up and/or vote as Best Answer, please do this under my Linda D answer and not under my husband's. Thanks so much! :-) Part 2 of 2:Our family really liked the gentle, child-centered, Montessori- and Waldorf-inspired curriculum that's offered through Oak Meadow; however, other private schools might meet your needs and preferences, as well. The only downside to most private school programs is that families will probably be required to pay registration and tuition fees as well as costs for books and materials, etc. However, if this is no problem for your family, and if a private school is deemed acceptable as an educational option in your particular state,! this could be well worth the cost! You can also create your own un! it studies while your daughters are still young and aren't required to be enrolled in school -- and then expand this as they get older. When we first started out, we had an Ancient Greece unit where my children and I read Aesop's Fables together (and created our own) and "The Odyssey" (a children's version) as well as a kid's book on Greek mythology (read, read, read to them!), plus we learned the Greek alphabet, cooked Greek food, studied Greek architecture (and made models of buildings) and clothing (made togas), learned some basic geometry and science based on Greek mathematicians and scientists, went on field trips to museums that had collections of Greek artifacts, etc. It was a great experience, and it showed my husband and others that we could definitely "do school" at home! Some parents and other relatives often have to be "gently" persuaded that homeschooling can be successful. Many of us are brought up to believe that only certified teachers can be instructors ! and that learning takes place inside classrooms. For homeschooling families, we *know* that learning takes place organically and always! As your husband starts to see the enthusiasm that your daughters have for learning and can actually see tangible results, he'll soon be very supportive of this concept and experience! The two of you might want to read an older book called "Homeschooling for Excellence" by David and Micki Colfax. These parents were homeschooling pioneers and mentors to many of us since, even with very little effort on their part (as unschoolers), their sons eventually went to Harvard, Yale and other prestigious universities and have now become doctors, attorneys and other "successful" adults. The book is available through most libraries, book stores and online, but the Amazon link (for quick reference) is at http://www.amazon.com/Homeschooling-Excellence-Dav... BTW, there's a really good overview of the various styles of homeschooling available at ht! tp://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/methods/Method... There's anothe! r good book and/or assessment tool online at http://www.learningsuccessinstitute.com/products.h... which I highly recommend. Based on the work of educators (who support homeschoolers!) Mariaemma Pelullo-Willis and Victoria Kindle Hodson, the tests offered provide an excellent "snapshot" of a particular family member's learning style, so their learning experience can be optimized and made absolutely positive! As you continue your homeschooling experience and you meet with fellow homeschooling parents, you and your husband will become increasingly convinced that you have made the best possible choice for your daughters -- and your family. I truly hope this is helpful! I sincerely wish you the best! ....Show more

Chauncey Williama: Yes most defiantly. The fact is home schooling is becoming more and more popular. I just stared home schooling my 10 year old who is my youngest child and I love it. Every school is different so keep in mind of you do not follow the curri! culum of the school you do have to get approval from the school. You would need to talk with the superintendent of that school and then probably the school curriculum coordinator. Once you send a letter of your choice and the curriculum you are using as will as how many hours roughly on each subject. You fill out a form through the school. Then about 1-2 a month their is a meeting held and the members vote yes or no on whatever the topic is at hand. There are also web sites that give you additional information. Keep in mind though you do need the books to get approval or at least their IBN numbers and title. Hope this helps....Show more

Lynn Mctier: I started my research by mooching about online, reading about the different philosophies and methods. "Classical" was the one that excited me most, so I looked further into that one and bought The Well Trained Mind.Next I drew up a table with grade level down one side and subject across the top and set about filling it in ! with resources. I started off with the Well Trained Mind recommendation! s, read all the reviews I could find online (their forum, Amazon.com reviews etc) and, if I agreed, plugged them into the table. When my views differed from the Well Trained Mind recommendations, I kept an eye out on their forum for what other people used and repeated the research process. Now I have a plan I'm pretty happy with right up to year 12. I realise, only having toddlers, that I will change my plans a trillion times as time goes on and my kids start voicing opinions, but the exercise helped me get a good idea on what possibilities are out there and to clarify my goals. Now I am working on self educating in preparation, starting with grammar (using Analytical Grammar) and literature analysis (using the Well Educated Mind.) Next year I hope to move onto Latin (using Wheelock's) and Maths (using Life of Fred.) I've also been reading books for "professional development" such as Outliers and Growing Up Global.I'm all for planning ahead. The sooner you start, the more t! ime you have to refine your ideas :D...Show more

Branden Round: no, I think homeschooling would be good. You will like it because you can have some privincly and then go out and then you will get all the fame.

Russ Kiernan: This is usually a decision that the parents of the individual would make. There are many famous people that attended a public school. If this person is performing and unable to really attend school, tutors are hired. The student would be treated pretty much like the other students and possibly be involved with the schools activities. Just because a person is famous does not make them any more special than you or the fellow students of the school. Everyone is unique and important. The experience of the high school act ivies: football games, basketball, volleyball, soccer, wrestling, cheer leading. dance team/drill team, band and choir. Dances, student council, and other organizations. Blessings

Antonette Shappy: no, because u wouldnt ge! t a good education because everyone would be trying to get "the famous ! person's" attention. (._.)

Bianca Lannier: I really like McRuffy curriculum and Queen Homeschool.

Deangelo Marchak: Sonlight is a very good curriculum it revolves mostly around reading. Abeka is also another great one.

Shamika Schools: "...you went to a small country to go to school...?" What, like Liechtenstein or the island of Malta? Would she speak the language at all? If she went to a high school in another country they might not know who she was. Like when one of those Disney or Nick chicks just recently went to Haiti and came back suprised that they "didn't even know who I was!" Like the world revolves around them...

Hobert Dula: It depends on what you and your kids like. My kids are mostly boys, and they are very hands-on, so we like My Father's World, Apologia, and How Great Thou Art. (Hands-on means that they like to do things with their hands--building, making things, crafts, etc.)I think Sonlight is the best for kids who like to rea! d good books.Five-in-a-Row is good for young kids who like to talk and listen to books read to them.Math-U-See is very good, especially for boys and kids who are hands-on.Alpha Omega is good for kids who like to do workbooks.You see, there is not just one best curriculum. You get to choose what is best for your kids.You can use the following websites to see some of what is available....Show more

Jarrod Darnall: I agree with the first answer. Sonlight was very good for our kids.Although your children are still young you might get some more information herehttp://www.homeschool-to-college.com/

Jesse Pirieda: Its just curiousity i only used miley cyrus as an example because of her fame.

Georgina Natal: How much do you want to spend? It can be anywhere from free by using the internet and library to $7,000 or more for expensive online classes.