Anyone Homeschooling?

Emerald27

Or planning to homeschool?

I'm thinking way ahead on this, but I am planning to homeschool DS and his siblings, and he'll be 3 in October. I would like to do a simple structured preschool curriculum for two years before kindergarten, beginning this September. It's as much for myself (learning how to homeschool) as for DS getting into the swing of things.

I'm thinking 3 days per week for the coming school "year" and either continuing with 3 days per week for his second preschool year, or bumping it up to 5 in anticipation of kindergarten.

So if you homeschool your toddlers/older children, what is your plan for when the new baby comes? Are you going to try to stick with your schedule to keep things consistent for LOs or are you planning to take a couple weeks off? A month off? All ideas and suggestions are welcome!

lrobi13

No but I tip my hat to you!  I don't think I could have the patience for it.  I am FB friends with a woman who does it and she is big in our local homeschooling community.  Their kids are pooled together for all sorts of great organized activities.  It is very impressive to watch her news feed.

Emerald27

lrobi13 said:

No but I tip my hat to you!  I don't think I could have the patience for it.  I am FB friends with a woman who does it and she is big in our local homeschooling community.  Their kids are pooled together for all sorts of great organized activities.  It is very impressive to watch her news feed.

I'm a former teacher and also live in a huge homeschooling area. Lots of local resources and homeschool groups and extracurriculars. Homeschoolers can also participate in sports and other extracurricular activities at the public schools, if they so choose. We'll do scouts and sports through parks and rec, though, most likely.

I do want to find a preschool homeschooling group, so thanks for reminding me! Seems like the typical setup is that the parents and kids get together for an activity or craft one day a week.

AlphaSierra

We are planning on it. DH and I both have our "weekends" during the middle of the week so we are going to homeschool to accommodate that. We also love the idea of traveling to the places we study and the overall flexibility of it.

I'm mobile so I don't know if it's clicky, but I was just reading about this family today: https://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/06/seven-of-homeschooling-familys-kids-did-something-unbelievably-impressive-by-the-time-they-turned-12/

persephonerose

We plan to home school. I have not devised a set in stone plan of action yet for preschool lessons yet. 

I saw one idea for theme weeks. The first 26 weeks are one letter of the alphabet each week. Then the rest of the year expanding on those ideas.

I also have this cool book called The Giant Encyclopedia of Circle Time and Group Activities for Children 3 to 6 that I had planned to pull ideas from. 

In Austin there is a huge homeschooling community and my neighbor home schools her boys so I am hoping to draw on her wisdom.

Emerald27

@AlphaSierra‌ That's amazing! One of the things I look forward to about homeschooling is being able to move at DS' pace and teach him in the unique style in which he learns best. For material retention and academic success, that is such a benefit to working one-on-one with your teacher.

That said, I do plan to stick with the typical schooling schedule (not skipping any grades), and to delve deeper into topics of interest when DS progresses quickly through material rather than bumping him up to the next level. I really do think it's healthy to be in the same grade as your peers, even if you're studying some things in greater depth or differently. To me, the "grade" your child is in is as much a social thing as it is academic.

MrMrsandBaby

I thought about it until I realized there was no way because DH and I both need to work.  So when we bought a house we made sure we were in historically good school districts.

Hats off to those who can, I would likely go nuts...I would be a horrible teacher.

MrMrsandBaby

Emerald27 said:

@AlphaSierra‌ That's amazing! One of the things I look forward to about homeschooling is being able to move at DS' pace and teach him in the unique style in which he learns best. For material retention and academic success, that is such a benefit to working one-on-one with your teacher. That said, I do plan to stick with the typical schooling schedule (not skipping any grades), and to delve deeper into topics of interest when DS progresses quickly through material rather than bumping him up to the next level. I really do think it's healthy to be in the same grade as your peers, even if you're studying some things in greater depth or differently. To me, the "grade" your child is in is as much a social thing as it is academic.

That is the first time I've heard that but I love how you put it!

Raesofsunshine1

I would love to. DH may not be quite on board yet.

Hopefully when it is time, I will have a house with a space specifically for school. I think this would help so much. But I have not started to look into things yet.

lilmissfancy

I was thinking about doing it just to get DS ready for kindergarten. Hopefully by then I'll own a home near a school district I like.

AppleGrapeMSTK

DD will get a home-schooled-summer-school this year.  Her last day of 4th grade was today, and she is only at a 3rd grade level in her reading and aspects of her math.  I have access to books of all levels (GED teacher), so I don't have to buy any new materials, and I looked up the new state standards, so I know what to cover.  My hope is to get her all caught up on everything before 5th grade starts.

In 3rd grade, I was home in the evenings and could help DD with her homework and read with her and work through things that confused her.  Now I get home right at bedtime, so DH is in charge of all that, and he struggles with her math more than she does.  :-\  Part of me wishes I could do a full-time homeschooling thing, but I think it would exhaust me to teach for hours at home, then turn around and teach for hours at work.  

For the summer, we will do 2 hours a day Monday-Thursday.  Fridays will be library or field trip days.  I have a full eleven-week curriculum established.  We will see how long I can keep up!

Justabean3

I'm debating. My son has Celiac and an all nut allergy as well as severe asthma.

I am not a helicopter but some things are hard to trust at 5 when you know they don't rationalize the why behind things.

Emerald27

MrMrsandBaby said:

Emerald27 said:

@AlphaSierra‌ That's amazing! One of the things I look forward to about homeschooling is being able to move at DS' pace and teach him in the unique style in which he learns best. For material retention and academic success, that is such a benefit to working one-on-one with your teacher.

That said, I do plan to stick with the typical schooling schedule (not skipping any grades), and to delve deeper into topics of interest when DS progresses quickly through material rather than bumping him up to the next level. I really do think it's healthy to be in the same grade as your peers, even if you're studying some things in greater depth or differently. To me, the "grade" your child is in is as much a social thing as it is academic.

That is the first time I've heard that but I love how you put it!


Social AND emotional. I'm sure there are a select few kids who are "ready" for the real world early on, but IMHO a child is not emotionally ready for college, nor would college and the workplace thereafter suit a child, KWIM? For DS' own good, we'll register him annually for the grade that matches his age, even if he's advanced in certain subjects.

crystal8503

I'll be enrolling my son in twos time one he turns 2 in December and I am trying to make things a little more structured at home with different activities. I have zero intention on home schooling him but I do believe he deserves to get a head start for school. The twos time is only once a week for 2 hours and I can attend as long as necessary. I borrowed a few books from the library on toddler education and Montessori style practices.