I Want to Home School, but I Don't Know Where to Start

I think if you "need motivation" to do this, it might not be the best idea. Before making a big life change, I always ask myself "which choice will I NOT regret making?" I can't imagine trying to run a home business, homeschool and have 3 kids under 4 vying for my attention (and I'm a teacher)...my 2 cents.

The first place to start is HSLDA, and get to know the homeschooling laws of your state. They are different depending on where you live.

The next step is to find a local homeschool organzation. There you can find support and meet other families on the same journey. Meetup.com is a great place to start. Also, your local library might have a listing. This will take care of some of the "socialization," as you can do play days and field trips with other families in the group. Often you can get great group discounts! Most of them are families, so your 4 and 2 year old would be welcome and your 4-year old will probably learn a lot too!

Being that you're only doing 2nd grade, you probably don't need more than 2 hours of "seatwork." Remember EVERYTHING is homeschooling--from going to the grocery store to cooking meals, to learning how to clean and organize the house. Even trips to the park fulfill a P.E. Requirement! You can turn anything into a learning experience.

For just starting, a box curriculum is probably the best way to go. That way you have everything you need to teach all laid out for you. You can homeschool on a budget, as there are many free resources online. We didn't buy hardly anything for 2 years! We printed worksheets off of websites and she played online math games. If you message me your email, I can provide you with a list of all the homeschool links I've collected over the ages with free resources. A box curriculum will cost you more in money, but going free costs you in "time" as you have to research and print everything yourself. With 2 other kids and a business, I think box curriculum is good.

Spectrum is a good, inexpensive curriculum. It follows the national standards, the books are only about $10 each and it includes all the worksheets you need.

You should also sign your son up for extra curricular activities. There he can make friends, learn about teamwork, etc. Try soccer, martial arts, t-ball, gymnastics, swimming, etc.

Anyone that thinks that homeschooled kids have no friends or no social life are sorely mistaken. My daughter has been homeschooled and she just had 18 friends at her birthday party! We invited 26 kids, but some couldn't make it. She invited kids from cheer, dance, gymnastics and homeschool group. I don't think she's lacking for friends :)

As for juggling, you might want to schedule one-on-one time with your son for homeschooling when the kids are napping. Re-arrange your schedule so the baby and the 2 year old are napping, get the 4-year old engaged in an activity and at that point you can sit with your 2nd grader and explain anything that needs to be explained. Remember, 1 hour of one-on-one time is equal to 3 hours of classroom time. Your son should not need more than 2 hours of seatwork, the rest he should be out and about learning!

Also, don't underestimate the power of videos! He can sit and watch a video while you're with your other kids.

Good luck!

Are you SURE you want to do this? Talk to the guidance counselor, or if she's not working this summer, the district psychologist might be.

The thing is, it won't get better for your 2nd grader if he is kept at home away from other children. The only way for him to learn to socialize is for him to have the chance to.

You already have your hands full with two younger children, and you don't actually know how to homeschool.

I hope you'll consider what I'm saying here. Getting the school involved in helping your son cope would be very well worth trying.

Dawn

*** Something you didn't mention which is VERY IMPORTANT for both kids and the Primary Teacher... is 'deschooling'. This is a period of time; typically 1 month per year of awayschool... where you DON'T homeschool. You know how summer break the first couple weeks are crazy? And first month back in awayschool is frazzled/nuts? This circumvents that. It allows kids to turn their brains on again (in awayschool you're told what to do all the time, coming up with stuff to do, instead of being told what to do is really evident the first couple weeks of summer break), allows parents to get into the groove of kids being home... it's a transition period where you start to see and work out patterns of the day, and start SLOWLY adding teaching time. A subject here, one there. To figure out what works. It's why many people start over the summer on purpose... to have a couple months to deschool before easing in. Google 'deschooling' or mention it on any board and you'll get an earful. Makes the transition a LOT smoother.****

1. Where do I start to find home school programs that are good and how do I know which one to choose for my son?

The biggest (and one of the most common mistakes) people make their first year is running out and buying a bunch of stuff. There are 3 problems with this:

a) What 'works' (excites, inspires, makes sense, etc.) with each kid is different

b) What 'works' (excites, inspires, makes sense, etc.) with each PARENT is different

a+b is REALLY important. It doesn't matter how much you love it it it makes your kid want to bang his head on the desk, and it doesn't matter how much they love it, if you just. can't. teach. it. LEARNING STYLE has a very close cousin known as TEACHING STYLE... and both are incrediably important. In 'awayschool' it's why the same kid, with 2 great teachers, will only find one great, and one the pits. Getting those 2 things together in homeschooling is a trial and error process.

c) It's a waste of money and frustration. DO NOT BUY anything as a general rule BEFORE you've tried it. There are a gazillion ways to try stuff first. Online programs (hundreds, really, I'm not joking... a lot of people are familiar with 3 or 4, but once you get into homeschooling, you'll see the HUGE number of resources out there. It's far less finding 'good' ones, and far more having to choose between possibly great ones) nearly all have free trial programs. Real life curriculum is trickier but there are often homeschool resource libraries, intro sets, and USED things (that you can find all over homeschooling boards*) to start off with.

There's also a lot of FREE stuff out there. Just as an example; take montessori. You can spend $3,000 on a montessori album (curriculum), or just download all 700 pages from a free source online. I can't even start to list out the tremendous number of free resources. My 'bookmarks' in my homeschooling section on my computer has over 1100 tabs, divided into subjects, only 2 of which I pay for.

* I'll post links to a couple of those at the bottom.

** There are dozens of 'curriculum review' resources. I'll add a few of those links at the bottom of this as well. Remember these are general reviews. Check them out, but know that they're going to 'gel' differently with each teacher and kid.

2. What are the requirements when you home school, as far as testing or turning in grades, and accounting for what you do at home? I really have no idea how it all works. And looking for info online is pretty overwhelming.

Okay... It looks like HS'ing in Utah is pretty easy. There is a short list of requirements that states tend to pick and choose from. Some states are very difficult (NY for one), other states are super easy (TX for one). This is the short list of common things that the states pick and choose from... and THEN I'll show you UTs list.

Common:
- Teacher credentials
(hs grad, college hours, college grad, hs cert, etc. varies by state)
- Letter of Intent (sent once or yearly)
- Days of Attendance AND/OR Hours of instruction (180 days is common, but this can really be any number)
- Required subjects (you can always teach additional subjects, but the required subjects must be taught)
- Yearly Testing (sometimes sent to the state, sometimes just kept)
- Portfolio Review
- Homeschool Records
- Academic Plans
- Umbrella schools

WHAT UTAH HAS

- Letter of Intent (sent yearly... schools HAVE to okay it / are not allowed to deny it, they can't pester you for more info, approve or disapprove anything, on it, but HAVE to -within 30 days- issue you a permit “stating that the minor is excused from attendance during the time specified on the
certificate.” )

- 180 days of instruction per year (min) with at least 900 hours of instruction

- Required Subjects (elementary =) eading/language arts, math, science,
social studies, the arts, health education, physical education, and
educational technology.

NO Teacher Credentials
NO Portfolio Review
NO Academic Plan
NO Records kept
NO Standardizes Testing
NO Umbrella schools

So it's pretty easy looking. Just write a letter of intent, they have to accept it. Log 180 school days per year w/ 900 hours of instruction, and teach a bare minimum of the above subjects. Easy peasy.

AHEM. 180 days can sound huge. That's only 6 months. People meet this requirement in all kinds of different ways. Some follow school year calendars. Others teach 15 days a month. Others teach 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off. Others teach every day for 2.5 hours a day. Others, others, others, others. How you work this out with your family will depend on a lot of factors. Hours are a little more of a pain... because you really need to keep track of those every day (or you'll forget). But they are NOT 'bum in chair' hours. They're learning hours. Bum in Chair may only be for an hour a day, but there are 6 hours spent learning from breakfast to bedtime. You just log them in a diary. So if you spend 15 minutes reading the news with your kid (social studies), and an hour reading (english), and an hour at soccer (PE), an hour at scouts (changes depending on what they're working on), 30 minutes on the computer, an hour watching H's the Universe or Magic SchoolBus or whatever (science), 15 minutes studying the ant colony outside... you've already logged 4 hours.

3. How expensive is it to home school? We are living pay check to pay check right now because we are paying off school debt and a mortgage, so the thought of paying for school is extremely stressful.

It's as expensive as you make it. As I said before there are thousands of free resources available online and IRL.

Don't forget to look into community resources. It may be $200 a week for the drama camp flat price (art, lit, etc.), but it can be free to $50 (whatever) if you apply for the theatre's financial aid / scholarship. Dance class at a studio may be $100 per month... but it's only $25 for 3 months through the community center. Play tickets may be $30-$$$$$ each for a night show... but only $7 for a school matinee show (most big productions have school matinee days, and homeschoolers can buy those tickets as well / often go as a group). Observatories, Museums, Classes, Camps, Companies...

I've taken my son on an average of 1 (educational) field trip per week for 4 years, and had him in 3 year round activities, and 6 seasonal ones, and done school break camps... and my GENERAL cost for homeschooling (including curriculum and supplies) is about $100 per month. I have friends who spend $0 per month, and friends who spend $25,000 per year.

4. Those of you who home school, what do you love about it? (I need motivation to really pursue this :)

Quite honestly, too many things to list.

5. How do you keep your child motivated and excited to do school at home?

FIRST OFF: Know this doesn't always happen. Kids have off days. Homeschool or Awayschool. If you're used to having to prod your kid out the door to go to awayschool, don't expect them to be leaping for joy every morning for homeschool. Teachers (awayschool or homeschool) have off days. Some days are just off. Some days are hard. Some days are "silly distracto machine got the giggles' days. Some days are SuperMom! I rock! days. Some days are busy. Some days are quiet.

A lot of parents who've been doing this for AWHILE still fall into the trap of 'if my kid isn't jumping up and down to learn how to conjugate verbs and begging me for just 5 more minutes of math I'm doing something wrooooooooong' guilt.

Some days you just GET through. Other days MOST of us will 'call school' because we could make this a huge thing and have everyone be miserable, or take a mental health day and really rock the house the next day.

REMEMBER HE'S ONLY IN 2ND GRADE. In awayschool kids can 'skate' by virtue of being in a large class, but homeschooling they're constantly under a spotlight. While I'm a firm believer in gradually increased levels of responsibility, and sometimes we just have to do things because they need to be done... he's not going to miss out on Yale because Wednesday was such a nightmare we called school and did something completely different. (Rather ironically, I've found on days that I 'call' school... we end up doing a bunch of educational things. Just LATER, and rather on accident.)

6. What can I do do make sure that my son still has a social life and doesn't miss being with friends all day at school? I realize that playing with friends after school is important, but what beyond that?

Homeschooling is a little 'backwards' in many ways. Part of this is that family time is ABUNDANT (no trying to eek every moment with your kids as possible), another is that social times tend to be in the evenings.

Here's a quote from TheBitterHomeschooler's Wishlist that I love and adore

#3) Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to socialize.
http://www.secular-homeschooling.com/001/bitter_homeschoo...

One of the GREAT things about socializing and socilization (2 wildly different things, ahem, quote below) is that with shy or introverted kids you can ease them into things. Instead of just throwing them at school for 8 hours a day you can do concentrated things with smaller groups... to start building up their tolerance level and forming friendships and building confidence ( like at dance, choir, baseball, scouts, art class, 4h club, etc.).

I have an extrovert, so had the OPPOSITE problem. I had to build up (and am still working on) the time he spends by himself. We often had 3-4 activities per DAY (really, 15 hours to fill leaves you with a LOT of time to use up), plus playdates, etc. just to meet his social needs, and then slowly worked on his independent time.

((This is mostly for other people. In HS'ing world it's known as the "S" word. It's like most parents think that when your kid turns 5 you are no longer capable of providing the same things you provided them as a toddler. ROFL. It's just not true:

#2) Learn what the words "socialize" and "socialization" mean, and use the one you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you're talking to me and my kids, that means that we do in fact go outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we've got a decent grasp of both concepts.))

*** I have an appointment, so I'll throw up my links on here a little later today or tomorrow. ***

1. Where do I start to find home school programs that are good and how do I know which one to choose for my son?

****Your best bet is to both join a homeschool support group or co-op in your area and secondly, to try to attend a homeschool curriculum fair or convention in your area. Generally, vendors and publishers of homeschool and mainstream curriculum attend these fairs and will have all of their products on hand, ready to be examined and purchased. Most of these programs are very good. In fact, there are so many different kinds of curricula to choose from and that can get overwhelming. So, think of how your child learns best by knowing what their learning style is. If they thrive on the computer, check out programs that are computer based and online. If they need lot's of hands on activities, you might want to supplement a boxed curriculum or online program with classes through a local homeschool co-op, the science museum or a community college for example.

For a listing of some homeschool curriculum fairs in your area, see: http://www.balancingthesword.com/homeschool/conventions/c...

For a listing of support groups and co-ops where you'll meet other families and get access to curriculum and curriculum fairs see: http://www.edanywhere.com/Utah.html

A few great resources to check out as you look into choosing a curriculum include the HSLDA website at www.hslda.org, a book titled "The Well Trained Mind" by Susan Wise-Bauer. See: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/, and this link to a woman named Carol Barnier who has written many books on homeschooling and learning styles: See: http://carolbarnier.com/learning-styles/

Last but not least, the Core Knowledge Series is an excellent resource for the elementary years. See: http://books.coreknowledge.org/home.php?cat=298

2. What are the requirements when you home school, as far as testing or turning in grades, and accounting for what you do at home? I really have no idea how it all works. And looking for info online is pretty overwhelming.

*******Go to the HSLDA website at www.hslda.org and click on "you can homeschool" in the middle of the page to check Utah's requirements. You might also want to become an actual member of HSLDA to ensure legal support should you need it. You can join their e-mail list for alerts and news regarading homeschool laws in Utah and nationwide as well. You do not need to be a member to get on the e-mail alert list and it's free.

3. How expensive is it to home school? We are living pay check to pay check right now because we are paying off school debt and a mortgage, so the thought of paying for school is extremely stressful.

*******You can do it for free, and I know people who have. You can do it for very cheap and well. And you can go whole hog and spend a ton. It's up to you and your specific educational/curriculum choices, goals and sometimes state requirements.

If you belong to a co-op or check the websites of your local support group(s) you will find there are curriculum swaps and sales all year long. Many times at swaps you don't pay a dime if you make a comparable trade. I've gotten many things people no longer need for free or cheaper than new. Just check the calendars regularly. HSLDA has a marketplace where people sell used curriculum as well.

There are many free curriculum sites online. Just google "free homeschool curriculum." One popular site for free curriculum is the following: http://oldfashionededucation.com/fullcurriculum.htm

A popular secular online curriculum that costs only $20 per month is www.time4learning.com

A program usually affiliated with public and charter schools is K12 and another is Virtual Academy. Just google them. Depending on your local school district, sometimes all of the books, computer etc. are provided free of charge. However, you should know you will not be considered an independent homeschooler, but a charter school within your district which means you will not have much say in choice of curriculum or other educational decisions as you would if you were independent of the district. HSLDA can help you navigate this if you want to know more about the legalities of homeschooling...especially if you want to remain independent of your local district and free to choose your curriculum.

The public library is another great source of free programs and curriculum. Libraries are very important when it comes to homeschooling.

Once again, HSLDA lists the top Christian homeschool curriculums on the market. Just check the website at www.hslda.org

4. Those of you who home school, what do you love about it? (I need motivation to really pursue this :)

*****It's fun. You can tailor the curriculum to your child's needs. If you're lucky enough to find a good co-op, you'll have great opportunities to meet new friends and have unique and rich educational experiences.

5. How do you keep your child motivated and excited to do school at home?

*********Don't be afraid to mix it up once in a while. If you choose to use or buy a certain curriculum and it is dull, or not working with the way your child learns, don't be afraid to supplement with something similar that offers a different approach.

I love checking various websites and blogs for fun ideas to "mix it up," keep it light and fun, and find unique ways to present the material. Just remember, there are many ways to skin a cat (as the saying goes). This isn't to say skip required topics, but to not be afraid to try a different approach if the one you first planned to use is a bust for either you or the child. If you can't teach it or the child just isn't getting it, it's time to be flexible and find another approach. It not only helps keep learning on track, but it keeps things interesting and fun.

The following site is someone's blog, but her homeschooling section is very good and there are three contributors (including the blogger herself) who regularly share awesome homeschool ideas and inspirational articles. See: www.thepioneerwoman.com

6. What can I do do make sure that my son still has a social life and doesn't miss being with friends all day at school? I realize that playing with friends after school is important, but what beyond that?

*********Join a co-op. Utilize community education for athletics or classes and experiences you can't provide at home. Check all of your local museums, community colleges, nature centers, zoos etc. to see if they offer homeschool programs for credit. You will be blown away at how much is available and how hard it can be to not be overly scheduled or too much time is spent "socializing." Your children will surely make friends who share the same "schedule" so they won't be lonely. Plus, there are so many tempting activities out there, that you could find yourself running out of time for the Three R's. So, don't worry about social interaction. Short of living in the middle of nowhere, there are plenty of opportunities and fellow homeschooling friends to meet and greet if you look for them.

*******In regard to your last question about juggling kids while running a home and teaching homeschool...well, here is where a co-op can help too. You'll find support when the tough days come rolling in...because believe me sister, they do come rolling in. But don't forget it's not the end of the world. There isn't a job on the planet that doesn't come with bad days. The key is not to get discouraged.

Secondly, with younger children it tow...many new homeschoolers get very discouraged if the wee ones are melting down, getting in the way or interupting lessons by being...well wee ones. Remember, this is "HOME" schooling. And that means homelife continues...interuptions and all. Don't go into this thinking it will be like traditional school. You may have to take breaks to change a diaper, answer the door or phone, or dole out snacks. Or my favorite, have to have a coffee clutch with MIL because she stopped by unannounced. You need to be flexible and open to spreading lessons out or coming up with a plan that works for the way your house runs. The school work will get done. You will find your groove and learn some neat tricks along the way from the other moms in your co-op. So don't worry.

******* Do invest in special "school only" toys for the toddlers and let them stay in the room with you as you work. What I have learned is they are learning the whole time they seem to be disrupting your progress with the older kids. My youngest can do multiplication and he's only in the first grade because he was paying attention when his older siblings were learning the tables. Just some food for thought.

Hope this helps and good luck. You'll love every minute. Don't expect your school to look or be like anyone else's. Do look to others for advice or ideas. Learn from other's experiences and mistakes. It will save you lot's of time and frustration. Do be flexible and creative. You'll be amazed at your child's successes and growth.

I've only got a few minutes...so I'm going to type fast and probably not edit much :p ...feel free to private message me if you'd like to. We are in the same area you are in...we did K12 last year...partially because I knew it would be the cheapest and easiest option...I've put together my own curriculum before and while doable...it definitely does take a little time. K12 is for the most part...free...there are some things I liked about it...some I did not. We did Kindergarten...I don't know how the other grades are. You can also opt to only use it for certain subjects. If you use K12 than that takes care of grades/testing/etc. Just in general Utah isn't terrible strict (I've lived in places that are!). There are a certain amount of 'hours'...but keep in mind that all kinds of things can count as 'school' (don't go overboard...but you know what I mean :)).

There are a lot of home-school groups in this area that do field trips (k12 also does field trips)...that's been fun and good as far as 'social'. Any extracurricular sports/lessons/etc. are also good. I also think it's good for them to have time where 'mom' isn't the instructor.

I worked as a teacher for a home-school group several years ago and I found that they stayed motivated and excited when we threw in things that they would not/could not do if they were public schooled...field trips, hands on activities...following their interests...etc. My husband was home-schooled and loved that he could take apart and put together an engine, etc. as part of school. Another thing that is neat is being able to connect school to all kinds of aspects of 'life'. I've noticed my own children as well as other students I've worked with stay connected more and have more 'light-bulb goes on' moments ...when they see how it all fits together and how it's relevant.

I really do love working with my child at home (we also have an 8-year old that is in a language immersion program in a public school). It has helped him tremendously...and that's also been motivating :). For me, my whole mindset changes when I am homeschooling...I look at so many things differently. I see things online or 'around' and think, "Oh, that would be so cool to incorporate into school!" It's been nice recently because it's been easier to accommodate his different evaluation and therapy appointments.

I know what you mean about being nervous about taking it on...I will also have a 4 year old, 2 year old, and new baby at home when the school year starts. Our 6 year old is the one that I will probably be homeschooling...and he's currently being evaluated for autism (high functioning), a sensory processing disorder and ADHD. I'm also trying to decide exactly how I want to do it. I'm thinking we may do k12, but only for certain courses...and then supplement.

Another random thought on doing 'cheap'...use the library...there are SOOOO many resources there :). I think there are some good websites (again, I can look them up later for you when I have more time)...that talk about different homeschool philosophies and methods. Know that nothing is permanent...give things a good try for awhile...and know that nothing says you have to stick with it (I'd try to make sure you give it a pretty good shot tho' - some things just take time). I've heard of a lot of people that have had success with unit studies. When I first was debating it last year...I went to the library and checked out just about every homeschooling book they had :). That was actually a lot of fun.

Last thought...another neat thing about homeschooling is that you can cater to the way your child learns. We've discovered that our child is a very visual-spatial learner...in general traditional schooling does not cater to that - I can.

Anyway...I've got to run...but please let me know if there's anything I can do!

When I started homeschooling our daughter in the 4th grade I took it year by year and never knew what to expect or how long we would homeschool. Well, we ended up homeschooling through high school and this year, after 9 years of homechooling, our daughter graduated from high school and starts college in the fall. She qualified for several scholarships, is majoring in English and plans to be a high school English teacher. I did not know anyone that homeschooled and was surprised at the amount of homeschoolers and the support available. My best advice is to network with other homeschoolers and talk to other families that school at home. I learned so much from other homeschoolers. Our homeschool groups had co-ops, field trips, parties, graduation ceremonies and even a yearbook. Homeschooling is a lot of work and it is not for everyone but it worked for my family. Every child has a different learning style and you will base your curriculum choices on that. You will have a better idea once you get started.

1) Here are some websites of groups in your area to get you started.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homeschool-ING/

http://www.homeeddirectory.com/homeschooling-support-grou...

http://www.edanywhere.com/Utah.html

http://www.alphabetstation.com/

2) Every state has different requirements. Some states are much more homeschool friendly than others. Here are several websites for requirements in Utah.

http://www.homeschoolinginutah.com/

http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp?state=ut

3) We live paycheck to paycheck. We buy & sell used curriculum, use the library & Internet. Again this is where networking can be very helpful.

4) I love the flexibility most of all. We school year round and incorporate schooling in our every day activities. We have done and seen so much more since we homeschooled. If our daughter has a particular strength or weakness we can work in those areas to make the most of her education. It has been challenging & rewarding. Make it fun!

5) Your son will be as socail as you are and there are more opportunities for him to socialize depending on how many homeschool groups you belong to. Surely, school is not the only place that children interact with other children. What about your neighborhood, karate/dance classes, church, parks, recreation & city sports? I am not sure where people get the idea that just because we homeschool our children don't socialize. We have traveled, attended plays & concerts, volunteered, taken classes at the library and so much more.

I only have one child so I cannot offer advice on juggling it all although I personally know families that sucessfully homeschool 4, 5, 6 children. It can be done but again, this is where networking and support will be key.

HERE IS A COLLECTION OF WEBSITES I HAVE SAVED THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL AT SOME POINT.

http://voices.yahoo.com/free-fun-educational-places-go-ar...

http://www.liberty-ca.org/online/statecapitals.htm

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/states_capitals_10_500.html

http://www.tnhistoryforkids.org/booklets

http://www.tnhistoryforkids.org/quiz_instructions

http://future.state.gov/educators/online/geography/

http://www.mrdonn.org/geography.html

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/web01/index.html

http://www.homeschoolchristian.com/forum/category-view.asp

http://www.homeschool.com/articles/top100-2008/default.asp

http://www.typingmaster.com/index.asp

http://www.congressforkids.net/games/signingconstitution/...

http://www.practicalmoneyskills.com/foreducators/

http://www.redshift.com/~bonajo/index.htm

http://homeschooling.about.com/od/highschool/a/unschoolco...

http://www.donnayoung.org/forms/planners/hs-transcript.htm

http://www.planningyourdreams.org/

http://www.sis.utk.edu/programs/de

http://www.luckyladdfarms.com/

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/

http://www.learner.org/resources/series75.html

http://www.tabletclass.com/

http://www.learnalanguage.com/

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/online_hs.htm#english

http://ocw.mit.edu/high-school/courses/

http://jc-schools.net/tutorials/tools/english-hs.html

http://www.rutherfordbep.org/school-resources/opportuniti...

http://www.jegsworks.com/Lessons/

http://www.gmajormusictheory.org/Freebies/freebiesP.html

*****Socialization vs. Social Life*****

Homeschooling and Socialization

From Beverly Hernandez, former About.com Guide

Many people have the misconception that homeschoolers are isolated at home all day, with little or no contact with the outside world. This couldn't be further from reality for most homeschooling families. But socialization is not merely having a social life. Socialization is developing social skills that will enable children to interact appropriately in different situations.

Mrs. Duprey1 put it this way:

"Socialization is knowing how to act appropriately in various situations and is best taught by adults who care about the child.

Socialization is not the same as having a social life. Remember this when you hear the dreaded "S" word from others. Your homeschooled kids will have as many friends and activities as they want and you allow (and likely more time than their PS peers to enjoy them).

They will be socialized by their parents and other caring people who will help them learn appropriate behavior in different situations- at home, in public, in informal and formal activities. They will have many opportunities to learn and practice social skills as they will be interacting with the real world on a regular basis."

*****Homeschoolers and Social Skills*****

With the guidance of their parents in everyday life, homeschooled children learn the social skills that will carry them through life. Parents help strengthen their children's social skills by teaching them to behave appropriately in different settings. Children learn by observing the examples of those around them. Parents can lovingly help their children become responsible members of society by being good examples and guiding them in everyday life.

Observing my grandson with autism where basic social skills weren't natural at all, but had to be specifically taught helped me to understand the importance of being able to properly interact socially with the world around you. For some children social skills come naturally, while others need more guidance. Caring parents and the family unit can be ideal mentors for molding social skills.

Children practice their social skills when interacting with others in their "social life." Be a good example to your children in how you act in the situations you encounter. Provide your children with opportunities to use their social skills in the real world, in your routine errands and in their own social activities. Correct inappropriate behavior when necessary and explain what is acceptable and why. If your child struggles with these things, pay attention and provide more opportunities to work on the areas that need reinforcement.
•Be creative: Provide real world opportunities to learn and practice social skills.
•Be consistent: Pay attention and correct inappropriate behavior when necessary.
•Be compassionate: Take heart and guide children to grow to mature, responsible adults.

*****Homeschoolers and Their Social Life*****

Homeschooled students can have a very busy and abundant social life. For some, this happens naturally, others have to work a little harder to arrange activities for their children. Here are a few of the many activities homeschooled children participate in:
•Other homeschoolers: Many homeschool families participate in homeschool group activities such as field trips2, park days, coop classes3.
•Sports programs: Students can participate in city sports, homeschool sports programs4, and some public schools open up their sports programs to homeschooled students.
•Youth Groups: Many homeschool students join clubs and programs like 4-H, scouts, youth groups, etc.
•Friends: Play dates are often arranged with friends.
•Volunteer Work: Some homeschooling families volunteer5 at nursing homes, feeding the hungry and other community opportunities.

You've had some fantastic, thorough answers here that have covered nearly everything. I'd like to add a couple more points to think about. (I know, as if you needed any more - I remember feeling like my head was going to explode when I was trying to decide whether to make the leap to homeschooling.) We are entering our 3rd year of homeschool, and for us the experience has been positive. I don't believe that brick and mortar schools are evil - I used to teach in them myself. But I don't regret having chosen a different path for my family. (And yes, there are days when I question my sanity. There were also days like that when the kids were in brick and mortar school - too many days.)

I have found that homeschooling is healthier. When you homeschool, you know exactly what your child is eating (most of the time). I don't know if this is important to you, but it is to me because of some serious family health issues. When my kids were in brick and mortar schools, I was amazed by the amount of sugar that was being fed to kids over the course of the school day as "rewards" or as part of class birthday or holiday celebrations. Diabetes runs heavily in our family, and it is hard to teach kids a healthy attitude toward sugar and carbs when they are being offered sugar nearly every day in school. What first grader is going to refuse cupcakes when all if his classmates are having them?

Also, look at how much sitting kids do in a day at school, then read the current literature out there about the harm one does oneself by sitting still for extended periods. The beauty of homeschool is that spelling can be practiced while bouncing a ball, multiplication tables while jumping rope, reading while standing, walking (carefully), or even upside down (my daughter's favorite). If kids are getting antsy, we put on some music and dance before returning to our studies. People who move more are better at concentrating when they do need to sit still and focus. And there's a bonus for me I never expected. Making sure they are active means that I move more, too. Making sure that they make good food choices means I have to lead by example. (Not always easy - I do still maintain a hidden emergency chocolate stash.)

Another lovely thing about homeschool - it doesn't have to be at home. We have everywhere school at my house. We do Spanish and the Mexican market, science at the bird refuge, history at the capital, art at the art museum, literature at the library, and PE at the swimming pool. We take road trips throughout the school year, which means that we get to see really cool places and do really cool things at times when everyone else is somewhere else. My kids get to interact with a wide range of people throughout their day, not just with kids with whom they share a birth year. On any given school day, they might talk to a librarian, a visiting NASA scientist, a grocery store clerk, some toddlers, some other homeschooled kids, and an elderly couple at the park.

Which brings us to the social question. Schools create an artificial social environment. Your school years in a brick and mortar school are the only time in your life you will spend interacting only with children your own age, and often your own social class and race here in Utah. That kind of limited social interaction does not prepare one for an adult life of working, living and playing with the full range of humanity. It does teach some group skills, but only the skills needed to function in a limited group with a strong adult leader who makes all the decisions.

What did your teachers always say to you when you were in school? "Be quiet - you can socialize later!" School does socialize kids, by teaching them to walk in line, to sit for unnaturally long periods of time, to not ask questions unless invited to, and never off topic. Great for crowd control. Lousy for creativity. Most schools teach kids little about how to interact effectively with other people or to constructively manage conflict when it arises. The aim is to keep 25 or more little people physically managed in one space for an entire day. Also, so many of the parts of school that brought a social dimension to the school day when we were kids, such as art and music and field trips and even recess, have largely disappeared.

While I can appreciate what Dawn is saying about exhausting your resources at school, as a parent who went that route and continued to have a struggling child, I want to reassure that even socially homeschooling can be a very good move for children who are having social but not academic problems in public schools. Our oldest son, who has struggled socially for as long as we can remember, never was able to succeed socially in school. It got worse and worse each year, and while most of the administrators and teachers tried to help him, there's only so much they can do with 20+ other kids to worry about in a given class (or more, if it's the counselor/principal/other random school worker).

We finally decided to homeschool, and my son has gained a tremendous degree of social confidence that he has NEVER shown. Part of it has been removing the stressors of the public school setting, part of it has been a terrific homeschooling group where he has actual friends for the first time in his life. I'm sure there are other things involved in his transformation (he really is like a whole new kid in all good ways), but the main point I want to emphasize is that school is not the only place or the only way of teaching a kid to be social. We are not all going to fit a cookie cutter mold of personality or behavior or socializing. It's okay to look beyond the "norm" and do what's right for your family, but as another poster said, you have to lead the way when you're homeschooling. You HAVE to get yourself and your family out there and give your children (and yourself) opportunities to meet and interact with others in a variety of settings and circumstances.

I also want to reassure you that even though you don't know how to homeschool, it is not difficult to learn. The actual teaching is probably the easiest part of the transition. The resources available to people today are almost limitless. The support is also, from what I understand, much better than it has been for previous generations of homeschoolers, even in small communities like the one I live in.

I'm not a veteran by any means. We've just gotten the first year under our belt, but it's still very fresh on my mind. I've done quite a bit of research on the topic, and I've experienced a lot in this first year (some positive, some needing tweaking). I've also juggled multiple kids, not only those not yet in school, but teaching multiple grades (our oldest just finished 4th grade level, our second, 2nd grade, our 3rd, kindergarten--I taught each of them this past year, while entertaining their 3 year old brother). I promise, it can be done in a way that is enjoyable and meaningful to your children. It IS, however, like having a full time job. It requires real commitment on your part and both the ability and desire to make your children's education a priority. There are things that you give up when you take on homeschooling, but there are many things you gain as well. Just go in with your eyes open, and know that it can be a worthwhile endeavor. Please feel free to send me a private message if you have more specific questions, and I'll be happy to share what has and hasn't worked for us. Good luck to you in making this big decision!

I'm working on finding out these answers myself so there may be others that have better answers than I do, but I can recommend some great books I've been reading that have given me some confidence in my ability to homeschool.

Books I recommend:
The first year of homeschooling your child by Linda Dobson. (Currently reading)
The well trained mind (Have read)

I also have found a great resource at http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/index.php (Wonderful resource for asking questions from seasoned homeschoolers, or look through questions others have already asked)

Good luck on your adventure. Homeschooling doesn't have to be complicated. Take a deep breath and start where you are and learn your style. Before you know it, you'll be on your way.

Hi T.,
You have received very good responses H., especially those from J.N. and Geneva.
I just want to add a little bit of the practical things H..

1) Do not buy everything you find about homeschooling, just get what YOU need for your children.
2) Do not compare yourself to another home schooling moms or another homeschooled kids. Always remember that what you are doing and teaching works for YOUR kids and YOUR family.
3) Take your time and do your search about curriculum, but keep in mind what you want your children to learn and what your goals are for them ("I want them to love learning"; "I want them to be well prepared for college or university", etc.) You can mix curricula, you can use the internet to find what they should be learning at this time (Google "kindergarten". "second grade curriculum", etc). Do not stress out. I know is a lot of information, but you know your kids and you will know what exactly they have learned so far. Think of the basic subjects they must to learn (Math, Reading, Writing, Social Studies,Science,English) and then add something else you want to teach them like History, Religion, a Foreign language, etc. write them down and then find those curricula that show you what you like. There are based- religion curriculum, secular, etc...Choose, as I said, what YOU want according to your expectations.
4)Take advantage of the flexibility that involves home schooling. (Teach by playing with the little ones, go to museums, parks, library-your best friend-, and think that whenever you go you can teach them. You can take days off to organize yourself, catch up on house chores, clean the house, take vacations at ANY time you need or want.
5) Enjoy your kids and take all the time they need to learn and master something.
6) Do you think that your kids will miss something, like socialization? There are plenty of home schoolers groups everywhere (in town or online). Sports and extra curricular activities. Check at your local library, recreation centers, YMCA or so, they all offer so many activities for all ages (for home schoolers or not).
MOTIVATION? you are already motivated!! You can do it. I am a former teacher, and most of the home schooling moms who are in my group are doing a really great job home schooling their kids without having any kind of teacher certification. They just know their children better than anyone and they have made their choice. It is a 1:1 or 1: 3 or 1:5 ratio, not 1:25 children in a class. So that means that you always will know what your children are mastering or not.
You will need to know that there will be good days, and others not so good (illness, doctor appointments, crankiness, boredom, unexpected guests, etc....) but you will have the time to stop there, breath and start again the next day. Be organized, you will have to balance house work, spouse, school, activities, sports, etc....Take a day off whenever you need it. Keep your records, planners, attendance, hours, grades, tests (if you choose to do so), handy in a folder or binder for each child you are teaching. (HSLDA is a very important resource for home schooling)
Well, I am H. you can PM if you need more information or support. I am glad you are considering to home school! Blessings.

I agree with the points Cheerful M made and just remember it is not school where you sit all day and it's so fun to really learn. Be sure to get in a group of some kind for interaction with others and to be part of that so you have support from that as well as the homeschool organization in your area. They have meetings to help you, often books to help for sale, etc. We used a Christian curriculum, Abeka, along with other things along the way. Be sure to check with the HSLDA first. They are very helpful.

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First you need to see if homeschooling is free in your state. Idaho it is free so we have a lot of choices. I currently use the K12 program in Idaho it is Idaho Virtual Academy, but K12 is Nationally and Internationally. With k12 they have the curriculum all lined out and it is really nice. They have to meet so many state and international standards that they are academically ahead. We get a computer, printer, all of the curriculum, hands on manipulatives and an internet stipend. It is easy to follow and helps you stay on track. They also make sure that they are following the state standards by having your child take the state required tests.

I find it funny that so many people worry about socialization of kids. But I guess if you don't home school then they don't realize that there are way more opportunities for gatherings than ever thought possible. If I didn't teach music lessons in the afternoons we would be gone all the time with one activity or another. The social aspect of homeschool depends on how much you want to do. k12 has tons of amazing opportunities that public school does not do. My son was able to go to plays, discovery center, operas, musicals, he got to hold snakes and lizards, go to the zoo, go to museums, corn maze, wagon ride, etc. All with students and classmates from his k12 class.
Another thing to consider is that your child is not in school the full 8 hrs. 2nd grade requires 4 hrs a day. Now if you get a math lesson that is supposed to take an hour but you finish it in 20 minutes, You are done. You do not have to do anymore math till the next day.
You can also go at your own pace. If the curriculum seems easy, you can double up and go through it quickly and move into the next grade level. If it seems difficult, you can slow down, review, or even get a tutor, which they provide.
This seems like a lot to take in, I hope it has answered questions. The best 2 that I have heard of is K12 that I use, and IDEA which is what my friend uses. IDEA is where you do more of the curriculum and lesson planning, whereas k12 has that figured out for you.

My mom home schooled my sister for half a year for medical reasons. The first thing she discovered was that while there were many homeschool programs to follow, OUR school district only recognized a handful of them. That meant that if/when my sister decided to transfer back to public school, if she hadn't used one of the accepted programs, the classwork for those 4 months would be for nothing and she'd have to repeat that grade. So my mom go the list of accepted programs, one even had an accredited diploma related to it. She then researched those and chose the one that worked best for her.

Set up a defined area and schedule M-F. My sister would always put things off and then 2 days before the tests scores were due would try and cram. It was very stressful for my mom.

Arrange to have 1 or 2 out of the house activities per week. Visiting the library, a class at a rec center, swim class to count as phys. ed., etc.

As for your youngers, schedule table time for the 4 year old at the same time as the 2nd grader - pre-K activities.

My coworker's wife has successfully home schooled all 5 of their kids. The key is the routine.

I mean no disrespect but it sounds it might be best for you and your hobbie and the other kids to forego home schooling. Regular school is just fine and has worked for most for decades to date. He may be a shy child in groups of other children or not as assertive as others, but sounds like he is doing Ok at school academically and socially for he has friends there.
Why put excess stress on yourself on him, and the other kids?