Beginner's questions?

Question

I'm very new to homeschooling and I have many basic questions regarding homeschooling that I'm hoping some of you can help me with.
For instance...
Has anyone had experience taking your child out of school in the middle of the year?
I THINK I might register with the local superintendent, as I don't have a strong (even moderately) religious background...though I know I could benefit from knowledge as well.
What is the benefit in not having the school system as a guide?
If I do choose an umbrella school...what is the criteria that I should base that decision on???
Where can I get help choosing a cirriculum?
Basically I'm drowning in what I call "Homeschooling overload!" I hear it will get much easier once we get started...it's the fear of the unknown that is stressing me out. I've emailed my local homeschooling group four days ago, but no response yet. (Is it normal for information to travel so slowly among groups???)
Any help is GREATLY appreciated!

Answer 1

The first stop should be a visit to HSLDA.org to find out exactly what is required of you in the area you live. Homeschooling laws and requirements differ from state to state, so what may work where I live may not work where you live. HSLDA, however is a trusted source of accurate information.

It is possible to remove your child from public school in the middle of the year, just make sure you follow procedure(to prevent a truancy charge.) And do not rely on the school to be your source of accurate information in this area.

As far as using the school system as a guide, a lot of people do that. Some use the scope and sequence of the public schools to format their curriculum choices, others branch out on their own.

The best advice I can give you is remain flexible. Look at what the schools are teaching for the grade level of your child and make a decision "do I want to follow this or is there something else that interests my child" For example, if the PS is teaching american history but your child is interested in ancient history, then go for it..

In choosing a curriculum or umbrella school, of course you will look at cost, but also look at their scope and sequence too. If they don't offer that, move on to one that does. When choosing an umbrella school find out what they offer: grading, record keeping, tutoring, are they accredited, will they issue an official transcript and diploma upon graduation, are they fleixible in scheduling or will you be locked in to a rigid schedule like the schools...

As far as emailing your homeschool group, you could have an old e-mail. Find a phone number and call someone, it is much faster. Sometimes groups do not update contact information quickly when leadership changes hands.

I have not been director of my group for a few years now, and I still get a stray e-mail or phone call. :)

Answer 2

These are all normal questions and feelings for new homeschoolers. If you're not getting any response from your local group, try your state group. Or, find out where the local group meets for park days or support times and just go visit and ask your questions there. OR... find a different group. I can't count how many different groups our local area has (at least one for each of the neighboring towns and two major groups for our city, along with numerous other smaller city-wide/area-wide groups based on educational philosophy or interest, such as chess club, etc.).



Yes, you can take your child out in the middle of the school year (it's YOUR child!) No, you shouldn't ask the local school for help, as they are, more often than not, uninformed (or worse, misinformed) regarding your state's homeschool laws.



There are lots of resources for curriculum (recommendations as well as places to purchase), BUT don't start yet. Once you take your kids out of school, give them some time to get used to being at home (this could be a few weeks to a few months, depending on how long they've been in school). Give them time to adjust to being home with you and build your relationship with them FIRST. Once you've re-established the relationship, the transition into homeschooling is MUCH easier.



You can ask others for curriculum recommendations, HOWEVER... every child, every family, every homeschool is different, so even a "fabulous" program may not work for your child/family/philosophy. If you can, ask to borrow a copy of the level your child would be in and actually use it for a month or so to see if it is really what you want and if it really works with your teaching style, your child's learning style and your "school's" philosophy.



You don't need to be religious to homeschool - there are more and more non-sectarian curricula available every year (although using a religious-based curriculum can have its benefits).



BTW - Y!A is NOT the best place to get information or encouragement about homeschooling. There are too many misinformed and downright ugly folks on here. Your best bet is to find another (more responsive) local group.

Answer 3

It sounds like you've already looked into the regulations since you mention deciding between registering with the school system, or with an umbrella. In Tennessee, we do one or the other, but not both. One major thing in Tennessee is that the umbrella (known legally as a CRS) must be on the state approved CRS/umbrella list in order to not register with the school board. If you are in TN, you can see the approved list at tnhomeed.com. Here, the big advantage to the umbrella is that you choose, not the school system, what standardized testing your child needs. Another advantage with an umbrella is that they will walk you through the steps of withdrawing your child from public school, and making sure those ducks are all in a row. In our state, although by law, all umbrella's are christian schools, not all require a statement of faith, or that you do religious studies. A good place to check out curriculum and other beginner basics is http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/.

Answer 4

I took my oldest daughter out in the second semester of school because they basically where teaching nothing she didn't already know. She didn't even have a math book. We ended up doing a full year’s curriculum by the end of the year and she was done by 1 or 2 in the afternoon to boot.



I would not follow the public school curriculum. There are many "ready made" curriculums out there. You want to keep the government out of your schooling as much as possible. They are the ones who screwed up the Public school system anyway. That has little to do with religion.



I do not know much about umbrella school.



I can tell you I stared out with LifePacs from Alpha Omega. They are religious based, but it was a good curriculum to get started with. Honestly, I did not like the Math in it, for that I recommend Saxon. I would be happy to make other suggestions based on what worked for me if you would like, just email.



I would take a deep breath if I where you. We have all been there, it really does get easier. Try back with your local Homeschool group or try calling around to churches and libraries and let them know you are looking for a group or even just another family to get you started. I know I love to help and encourage new home schoolers because it has been a huge blessing to my family.



Some of my other posts may be helpful, give them a read from my profile. Feel free to email with more questions

Answer 5

Well there is school on a disk by grade (Penn Foster, ABeck, et al)



There are books you can buy.



Basically you have to get them up with MATH, HISTORY, ENGISH GRAMMAR AND COMPOSITION, ART, MUSIC.



How you do this is wide open unless local law requires an accredited program.



To complete with school a child must master Algebra, Geometry, Trig, Political Science, History, Geography, English Grammar and Composition, a background in some classic literature, Arts, Science (Earth, Biology, Chemistry, Physics).



If COLLEGE is not a goal the child must be able to fill out an employment appliation, a tax form, do general math including some varaibles (light Algebra, light Geometry), English writing and reading.



A person needs to read, comprehend, do numbers to a degree to get along with sales tax, addition, division, multiplcation, fractions, decimals.



Enough skills to read a PAY STUB and determine if you are being cheated or not.

Answer 6

The benefits of going through an umbrella school is more freedom. In TN an umbrella school is not considered a home school but a private school. Going through the state you have to answer to them and some times they give you a hard time. You will also have to go to the school for certain tests. At least you do in TN. You do not want to be over loaded before you start. Take a deep breathe and remember that the public school system is far from perfect and does not care for your children the way you do. For the elementary years I would start out with "What my --- Grader should know" by Ed Hirsch. These books are simple and cover grades K-6th. They make learning fun and cover lots of info. You may want to add another reading and math curriculum. As for taking a child out during the year, I did just that but I did it during the Christmas break. I would also look into HSLDA.com for legal advise. You can join for as little as $8.00/ month. Great resources and help if ever contacted by the ps. I do believe in some structured learning but please remember that you also learn by reading good books, volunteering in the community, baking cookies with mom, visiting the library, etc.... Learning is something that should be fun and all of us should love to learn. Also, homeschoolers get more socialization than ps kids. We go to church, volunteer, go to play groups. etc... We socialize with all types, age groups, and kinds not just a small group of people our age.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

It would help to know what age your child is.



I would google "homeschool catalogue" and have a bunch sent to you. Then you could look at them at your leisure and not have to be in front of a computer. I find it easier personally - you can circle things, mark pages, etc.



Then you have to figure out what type of homeshooling you want to try (you can always change - thank heavens).



Unschooling, eclectic (a bit of this and a bit of that), a packaged program, an umbrella school or follow your state curriculum.



Personally, we're eclectic. I use whatever works for my kids. What works for one won't necessarily work well for another. All 3 of my kids use different programs. I use Math U See for their math (all 3) Five in a Row for one (social, language arts, art), Apologia Science, A Reason for Science, The Teaching Tank, 180 Days Around the World, various workbooks. (some are Christian programs and some are not)



Once you've withdrawn your child, try de-schooling for a while. Get out of the 'school' mode, unless of course you want to do school at home rather then homeschool.



I found my kids spent months saying "but the teacher didn't do it this way", "they didn't teach it this way at school". *argh*



If you take some time off, play games, do a lot of reading together, take nature walks, field trips, etc, it helps your child realize that 'school' is gone and that you are now doing something different.



- just as a quick note for younger kids and then older kids that love books Five in a Row is my favorite program!! :)

Answer 9

You have already received some great answers but I wanted to add my 2 cents. We sent our 'notice of intent' after first few weeks of 8th grade, public school. We received our reply within 3 weeks. We took the card to public school and requested his records. We had no problem, everyone was nice, and there were no questions asked nor did we offer any explanation. We had been in close contact with the school for his entire school career, so everyone knew us and knew his scholastic history.

I would also suggest that you do search of Yahoo Groups for support. I am a member of several groups online for our particular state and area. It is helpful to me in finding out activities and events going on in our area.

In looking for curriculum, I would suggest going slow in making decisions. I am glad that we did. It is easier to back up and regroup if you don't invest big bucks into something.

And my suggestions is to relax and enjoy. I remember my first homeschool conference. It was wonderful and overwhelming. It took me awhile to figure out that what was best for one family was not always best for us. We still are figuring things out, 3 years into homeschooling. Most of the times, the teaching job is easier than the parenting job.

Answer 10

Yes, I pulled my two out mid-year and it worked great. Conventional wisdom says to "de-school" for one month per year schooled, so in other words, let a 4th grader have 4 months to get school out of their system, don't just jump into homeschooling and expect them to adjust. Let them go back to what it was like before they ever started school when they could explore the world at their own pace so that they can regain that early love of learning that the public schools are so good at squashing out of kids.



The first year of homeschooling is the hardest. Information overload can feel overwhelming and you finally realize that you can't teach everything. Your goal is not to pour facts into them anyway, but to teach them how to learn, to love learning and ultimately to become lifelong learners.



And yes, sometimes information travels slowly. People are busy and they are just moms like you who may be involved in a project and not checking their email. Four days can feel like forever when you're eager for information, but it is a very short time when you're busy at home with your kids.

Answer 11

I too am fairly new to homeschooling and just withdrew my two oldest children from public schools. Check your states department of education website to ensure you withdraw your son in the "appropriate" manner. I registered with the state nd the county to ensure my children would not be counted truant, otherwise you could run into a mess. Also the website should give you the state requirements by grade level to ensure you stay on track with their "standards".

One way I've tried to keep the school system as a guide without relying on them is by ordering actual public school textbooks off of ebay. It's a great way to start a curriculum{cheap}, keep them on track and still be able to supplement the material with curriculum I want to include. Most other books I get come from the library, used bookstores and even yard sales and Goodwill.

Of course getting in touch with a local support group is extremely beneficial, but if they are not responding you might try one you're not as interested in just to help you get started. My local group has a park day which is open to the public that I went to to ask qusetions and meet people before we joined. You might see if yours offers something similiar.

I am only a few months into this myself so I completly understand the overload, but it does get better. As you move along you and your son will figure out what works for you and what doesn't. The best dvice I can give right now is to stay flexible and figure it out as you go. That's the true beauty of homeschooling-freedom to find what works best for YOUR child to reach their full potential. Until you really figure out how you want to proceed I would not recommend dumping alot of money into anything.

I hope these suggestions are helpfull. Best of luck and congrats on taking charge of your sons education!

I don't mean to divert attention from the question, but I'm curious as to the thumbs down I've gotten. Others seem to have given the same info and being in this less than two full months myself I'm pretty informed on the suggestions I gave as I did months of research before withdrawing my children and making sure all the laws were followed in my area. Any feedback on what is causing the negativity would be appreciated as I'm trying to learn as well, but I think my points are still valid. Thanks and again good luck to you, sorry if I wasn't helpful.

Additional- thanks busy mom. That does help. Let me just be clear to all that public school textbooks are by far not my only currirculum; and although I wasn't happy with their education, I feel it was the system that failed them more than the textbooks,of which they didn't even have for several subjects. They can be omitting in rather pertinent information though which is why I supplement with ALOT of other material. The main reason I chose to go this route for now is simply being beyond overwelmed with the amount of info, hundreds of different curriculums, and every price you can imagine. You can always change later and it will be alot easier if you haven't dumped a bunch of money into a curriculum and find out it is NOT for your child.

You will also have to check your state laws on curriculum. MIne doesn't require any notification of your curriculum, but some do.

Answer 12

Each state has some basic requirements that have to be adhered to when a family decides to home school.



Many states have little or no requirements, but the best way to find out is to log on to http://www.hslda.org

and click on your state, they will have all the information you need regarding those requirements listed on the site.



Second, and most important; to us; is that you understand that without involving the school system in any way shape or form give you; the parents have complete control, and freedom over what you choose to use for curriculum, and the content thereof.



You will also be free to choose the time, place, and method of education giving you, and your husband the unique opportunity to tailor his/her education to his/her learning style, and interests; making this a truly individualized education that will work for your child.



Watch this little inspirational video (free), click on the purple box, you'll see what we mean by individualized education.

http://www.raisingsmallsouls.com/...



There are numerous curricula available both Christian based, and secular.



We use Christian Liberty Press as our foundation, but are eclectic in what we use.

We are in many ways parcial to the unschooling method of learning/teaching.

We do math, language arts, and writing in a more traditional way.



Christian Liberty Press puts their curriculum's together from the best of many, and therefore do not have the same books from every company.

They are solid in academics, and best of all one of the least expensive.



They are also an umbrella school, and for a small fee will do all the paperwork, and give support if that's what you'd like.

You can check both of their area's out at

http://ebiz.netopia.com/clpress/...

http://www.homeschools.org/



The only piece of advise I have going from a public school to home school materials is that home school materials are often times a grade or two ahead of conventional schools, and depending on the grade, or his/her level, I would have CPL test them ($22.00) before deciding on what to buy, you may, or may not have to order books at a grade level below his/her current level.



Here are some other great web sites that can give you plenty of information on home schooling, and direct you to the vast resources available for this type of schooling.

It is very easy to get home school information overload, there is so much that a parent can choose from to educate their children, it can be mind boggling to say the least.

This is also one of the reasons so many stop, or do not even try it.



My advice to you is when you take your child out of school, take a month or two off, the holidays are coming up, and those times can be demanding, and busy enough.

They are also a great time to get to know each other again, find out what you all would like to do as a family; home schooling is a life style, and involves each family member.

This will give you, and your husband some time to learn more about home schooling, locate a home school group in your area for activities, and support.

If at all possible, although most home school conventions are in the spring, and summer, find out when there is a home school convention held in your state, and go to it.

They offer many workshops on home schooling, support, and inspiration, and there will be many home school curriculum vendors that show their materials; this is a great place to meet other home schoolers, and learn from each other.



Blessings, and good luck.



http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/...

http://unschooling.com/



http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/1001books/...

http://www.angelfire.com/or/mtdewbydo/se...

http://www.rocksolidinc.com/

http://www.christianbook.com/html/specia...

http://www.libraryanded.com/

http://www.planetcdrom.com/free-homescho...

http://www.educationallearninggames.com/...

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/home.ht...

http://www.abcteach.com



Here is a web site that will debunk the myths of socialization as well.



http://www.familyebizmom.com/cgi-bin/arp...



Additional:

Akitamom, I had not read your post before, but you ask a question that deserves an answer, I do not understand the thumbs down either.

The only thing that I can see that may have triggered thumbs down was that you used the public schools as a guide for setting up your home school program; most home schoolers myself included feel that this is what you need to avoid, since that often does not work in a home school setting.

Why copy the very system you removed them from if it did not work?

I do belief though that everyone should make that choice for themselves, because home schooling is what works for your individual family.

Hope this helps a bit.

Answer 13

You have to register your child with the local school district that way they know your child is getting some sort of education even if its not connected with the local public, parochial or private school systems.

Check to see if they offer the normal school books to homeschoolers. I was lucky that our school district did so.

Find one of those stores that sell books and other educational materials they have a vast array of stuff there.

You can pull your child out of school at any time but unless there is bully problem I would wait until June and pull them out then.. its a fresh start for your child and yourself.

Give yourself some off times too.. we did year round.. but took the months of December, April and July completely off. We would take vacations and travel during this respite. There is so many things you can do on the 'off seasons' its less crowded and that also includes amusement parks, state parks, museums, etc. Get into the city activities too; there is all sorts of sports & the arts (like drama) that your child can get involved in there is no excuse for not having a lot of fun homeschooling.. don't feel overwhelmed feel grateful for the chance!!