Homeschool - Houston,TX

In Houston you have a lot of options. If he is not being challenged enough I say go for it. Other wise he will be bored and look for other things to do. Bob Jones has online as well as ABEKA. There are others but don't remember them. There is always a conference in June and January where you can see what is offered. My children are all grown now but we still have friends that homeschooled. Depending on area of Houston there are a lot of Co-ops. That way thay can interact with others. There is also a homeschool choir call Joyful Sound if he has a wish to sing. There is also a group for those wishing to play volleyball, baseball, basketball, and other activities. There is so much for homeschoolers these days. They can also take college classes for dual credit. If you need more information I can put you in touch with some of my friends that still homeschool.

I don't have home schooling curriculum suggestions. However, I suggest trying home schooling materials while your child remains in the current school (after school, weekends, breaks).This way you can get a feel for which materials/methods work for your family. Plus if you find homeschooling isn't for ya then you don't have to scramble to find another school.

I do homeschool but do not use online curriculums.
I am leary of them for many reasons.
Why exactly does he want you to homeschool him?
Can he do things outside of the school areas that he enjoys, robotics clubs, for instance. I know those are getting big out here on the East.

If you do decide to pull him now, test him. Go to Saxon or Singapore MAth and test to see where he falls. Is he light years ahead of his peers, do his teachers think he is ahead of his peers. Actually, test him anyway
Is he in a gifted class, or GATE, AGATE, Whatever your state calls it. Our schools call it SCOPE.
Can he work ahead in his regular classroom?

What does your middle school offer that you can't, will they be the same as online school, languages, math acceleration, science acceleration,
Online schools cost. Can the middle school give him what he needs, have you gone to the principal and asked for better work, higher level, not more of the same. Bring the test scores from the online tests.

Has he tested for the college programs that are offered. My daughter did the Duke Tip. That starts in 4th grade. Stanford has one, Brown, John's Hopkins, Northwestern, I am sure Texas does something.

Can you send him to space camp, these start at 10ish?

I'm just being the devil's advocate here. I pulled my daughter(5th) because she was having major anxiety issues. I pulled my son (3rd) because he wanted to be at home. They will both go back into the public schools after this next year, 9th and 5th. Not because I want them to, but because I have to look at what is best for them. What is it that the school offers that I cannot or would be better in a classroom situation, like science labs, history discussions, debates, small animal care, CAD design, engineering .
What is best for your son?
And smart kids will say, "can you homeschool me, I am not being challenged." Not "Can you homeschool me, Joe Schmuckatelly won't leave me alone. "
I would find out if there is something more before yanking him out.

Good luck with your decision. As hard as it is to pull them out it is just as hard to put them back in.

There's Alpha and Omega Academy.

http://www.aoacademy.com/

We use Applied Scholastics Online Academy. It's pretty inexpensive and taylored to your child's needs. It's only $40 a month plus the materials. www.appliedscholasticsonline.com. We've had great success with it!

He's been asking you to homeschool him for the last two years? Is there more to the story? I can't help but wonder if something is going on at his school... maybe this warrants a discussion with him...

I don't homeschool, but I have nothing but respect for those who do. It seems like a real committment and there are many resources out there. Check your local library as well as the internet and I also recommend doing a search of this Mamapedia site for previous posts on homeschooling. Lots of good advice floating around out there!

Good luck, I know I didn't answer your question, but I was kind of concerned about your son's request to be homeschooled. Hope this works out for you both!

It is a full-time commitment to home school. Ask him what he expects to get from homeschooling that he can't get at school? Access to science labs, peer opinions, gym activities, social skills, etc, count for a lot.
Ask him if that bothers him - it really bothered my son.
HOWEVER, I will never forget that a 4th grade mom who told me that her son was doing calculus and she asked to put him in the 8th grade math class. The mother told me, "She told me that if he is so smart, she would suggest home-schooling." The mother was mortified, but I thought it was funny! When I told this story without names to the 4th grade math teacher mid-year, she laughed, too. She said that just because he could DO calculus didn't mean that he understood it. She might know of some other programs that would supplement, not replace, his present schooling.
Good luck, and I'd love to hear what you decide. This decision is a game-changer for the whole family!

I was recently looking into an online homeschooling program, I think it was called K12 online? It was pretty pricey compared to other packages and curriculums (you purchase DVD sets per grade/elective) but it looks AWESOME. Try to find it and check it out; it may be a really good fit for you since he's already going to private school.