12 replies to this topic

[TurtleMama]

So now that my oldest has been in a broken school system for three years, and my daughter for preschool and Kinder, we have FINALLY made the decision to "buck" the system, ignore what most of the people that we know say, and homeschool our son and daughter!

I am terrified and excited, all at the same time!

(Actually, I feel kind of like I did when I found out I was pregnant... LOL...Like, "OH MY GOSH I AM SO GOING TO SCREW THIS UP!!!")

We're looking at cirricula right now and I am quite drawn toward the Alpha Omega Lifepacs.....they seem very reasonably priced and very well made. Does anyone have experience with those? AO is the same company that makes the Horizon cirriculum.

I'm so enthusiastic about this....especially after the conversation I had with my son yetserday where he FINALLY told me how his 2nd grade teacher had been treating him....I felt so badly that he didn't tell me sooner, so that I could have immediately confronted her, but he was afraid she'd get mad at him if he told me so he waited until school was done with.... I'm so glad they'll be out of the public schools. But I'm also scared to death. I'm so afraid I'll mess this up! I can only trut that since I truly believe that God is calling me to do this, He will make a way for me to accomplish it.

[arby]

[Jeepers]

Take heart Dear TurtleMama, you can't screw them up half as much as the public school system. You have one advantage right from the start...you love them!

[Ambergris]

I had most cooperation out of my boys when we used the Spectrum math workbooks. http://www.amazon.co...s/dp/0769636934
The least useful math was in the Core Curriculum books.

[Jori]

Congratulations TurtleMama!!!!

If you are on facebook, send me a message here so we can friend each other. I am on a homeschool group there that gives lots of info but also will let you ask questions, through them, about curriculum(s) and experiences people have had with them. I was able to sample the Rosetta Stone Homeschool Spanish program.

[Daylily]

TurtleMama, you can do this! I agree with Jeepers. Because you love them, you'll do a much better job. You don't have to know everything at the beginning. You learn as you go along and as your children learn. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know but we can find out!". I did this with my three kids often and they've become very efficient information getters and learners They're all in their 30s now and still love learning. We have the most interesting conversations.

You will have great fun and also experience great frustrations. But it will be SO worth it to you and to your children.

[TurtleMama]

I am excited and scared all at once. I know that my parents think I'm crazy....most of my friends do, too. But after a few years in the "system," I feel that God is leading me to get my children OUT. The conversation I had with my 8-year-old son last week only cemented that feeling. I couldn't figure out why my math-loving, straight-A in math kid was suddenly barely passing and couldn't understand subtraction. Come to find out when I sat down with him, he had never really mastered the idea of regrouping in ADDITION and thus couldn't understand it in SUBTRACTION. I asked him why he didn't ask his teacher about it, and he evaded the question. I let it sit, because DS is a thinker....he has to process information before he shares it with me. Last week, he came to me and let me know that he HAD apporached his teacher to ask her to help him with regrouping in subtraction. Her reply? She huffed a huge sigh (he recreated it for me) and said, "You should have been paying attention. Go sit down."

So basically, the teacher....REFUSED to teach my son.

This was one of many problems we had with that particular teacher. She was terrible.

My son came up to me the other day, gave me a hug, and said, "Thank you, Mommy. Thank you for teaching me subtraction. You made me feel smart instead of dumb....because my teacher made me feel very dumb." I almost cried.

THAT was what made me decide that God was telling me, in no uncertain terms, that it was time to homeschool my precious kids. Do they drive me bats sometimes? You bet they do! Do I love them so much that I will do anything for them, including something that I feel totally unprepared for? Yes, I love them that much and then some. I think that now I kind of feel like I can understand how Moses felt a little better -- when God sent him to speak and he was like, "God. Dude. You know I love you. You know I'm your servant. But.....I really am an awful speaker. Those Egyptians won't listen to me. What are you thinking, Father?" LOL

Thanks SO much for your support!!! It's so awesome to know that there are some HS ladies here at Mrs. S who have paved the way and might be able to let me know a little bit of what to expect!

[mommyothree]

I too am breaking into homeschool for the first time this year. My DD is entering the 6th grade and even though the middle school she would have attended is the lesser of all the middle school evils in this area, I just wanted to be able to provide a Moral learning experience for my children during the years of puberty. My younger two - 5th and 3rd graders this year, will remain at the elementary school - which is very good and then as each enter middle school - if I am successful, they will come to Home School.

I also chose Alpha Omega Lifepac as an affordable alternative. We are wading our way thru week one and learning the ins and outs together.

Let me know how you do. I will be burning up the Home School board with questions myself

[windmorn]

This will be our 3rd year and dd is an almost caught up 6th grader. I love www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org They have things I wouldn't normally see and often have deals of Alpha Omega and Sonlight. I've gotten a couple of things at about 90% off, but it's usually between 20% & 50% off. I've found dd does better with things on the computer. Here's a few we're using:

Help Math - it's listed under special ed on their website, but I've found dd does well with it and actually wants to do the parts the pre-test said she didn't need to do so she can get the whole story the program tells as the characters works out the problems in the story. This one isn't on grade level, but I can't teach fractions and long division, when she can't do multiplication well. We had A LOT of catch up to do when we started and difficulty in math is common in dh's family, so we're doing the "easy" stuff until she masters it.

Timezattack.com - FREE multiplication game

Grammarlogues - middle school language that uses quotes from several famous writers.

Saxon Science Fusion - it has reading/work book and an online component.

Learnthat.org - a spelling/vocab program that gives you 5 free words and only takes one from the number of words you can learn if the person using it misses a word. It then reviews the missed word in each session after the miss until it's gotten right 3 times in a row. I think I bought 200 extra words for about $30. It said 200 was the avg learned in a year, but we didn't use anywhere near that many. I did however start her at a low grade level to let her gain confidence.

I'm going to use public domain history books on kindle this year. I used a modern book last year and quit because starting with the Middle Ages it became mostly an Islam vs Christianity book and taught agenda 21.

I have traditional texts for reading and spelling someone gave me, and we're going to do an Island of the Blue Dolphin study and at least one other novel I haven't decided on.

We're also doing a health program called Human Body Detectives. It's a health program written by a dr for her daughters. It covers digestion, circulatory system, nutrition and one other I can't remember right now.

I like the Meet the Masters art program. It combines art appreciation and lessons. DD loved the trial lesson. I want to see how well this year starts off before I get it.

[Simplegirl]

Good for you! I had a math teacher in high school who treated me the same way. I did just what your son did and gave up. I am SO glad he talked to you about it and got it resolved. Thankfully for me I passed the class but barely and I am not any worse for wear... but I was a junior in high school.

[lumabean]

Just a quick suggestion for just starting out and sampling curriculum - if you go to your local library they may have some options for you by way of connecting you with local support groups or homeschoolers in the area. The library is a good meeting place; it's where the group in my area meets.

The group (or other random homeschoolers that the librarian may be able to connect you with) would be a great way to see different resources and if you'd like to give them a whirl - you may even be able to borrow some for free from others in the area.

You can also check out online co-ops - my son is in one, and it's amazing, they have languages, math courses, English, etc. It's great for the classes like chemistry that I am clueless about; as well as for younger grades too.

I was over-whelmed when we first started out, but it gets easier as you go along and become more confident ~ this is our 8th year homeschooling (my son is in 11thgrade this year), and I promise, you will feel a lot more confident as time goes by

[mommato3boys]

What I did when I homeschooled...keep in mind 3 boys (3 years between oldest and middle and 2 years between middle and youngest)

I used the Everything That Your 1st Grader (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grader) Needs to Know. We found them at SAMs Club and bought them all at one time. We used those books until they hit middle school then used the English and Math from Alpha and Omega, we still did our own science and history. When they hit high school we used the Alpha & Omega science but still did our own history. We used Rosetta Stone for foreign language. I used the Spelling Bee book for their spelling words and vocabulary words. When they went to private school (hubby taught for a few years and they went for free) they were so far ahead they were bored. Then after #2 graduated #3 begged to go to public school because he didn't want to be homeschooled alone (worst mistake but we survived) They all made 1550 or better on the SAT and 28 or better on the ACT. Bombed in college because they were bored. #2 son is self-taught in computers; he works for Red Hat and is one of their top System Admins. #3 has decided to go to Culinary Arts school he wants to work for Olive Garden so he will be sent to Italy to study under the Chefs over there. #1 just go out of the Army and is looking for a Fairer school and Blacksmithing school. He wants to live in KY and be a Fairer. (He is a natural with horses his first names means lover of horses and our surname means lord of horses - we didn't know this when we named him)

Math lessons were held in the grocery store a lot of times. I gave them list with an allotted amount to spend and they had to get the most food for the least amount of money. When we covered nutrition they had to plan meals for a week and buy the groceries and cook the food. All three are good cooks. They learned the tricks of the trade when it came to laundry. Housekeeping is a different issue, they all can clean and you can eat off the floors WHEN they do it is just getting them to do it LOL.

Don't worry you will do a better job than the public school. Oh and a word of warning you will probably do it in half the time. We didn't start until 9 and were finished by 2. When they got older and wanted to sleep in we didn't start school until after lunch. Middle and high school learn better in the afternoons. We were involved in 4-H, local youth sports and church. We were move involved when we home schooled than we were when they were in public/private schools. I feel they were better socialized too when they were homeschooled. We did more community projects like soup kitchens, Habit for Humanity, visited nursing homes and worked in homeless shelters.

I had a file box for each grade and had detailed lesson plans for each subject so the only one I really had to "prepare" for was the oldest since he was uncharted waters so to speak. At the end of the year I just stored the file box until it was need for one of the younger ones. The library is your friend when it comes to reading.

Another thing you will notice is your children will enhance their common sense. You will find that your children will probably be more level headed than some of their peers.

[ArmyOfFive4God]

LOVE this post (it was the first one in HS'ing that I clicked on when I got back). We use Lifepacs if you still need info on them. Used them for years now. Congrats on your decision & I pray it's going well for you if you've begun.