Does anyone have any experience with moving their kids (K5 & 2nd) from Christian to a homeschool style school.
354054
Go with the church school - although if they are doing all the teaching I'm not sure how they qualify as a homeschool.  If they are ahead of their grade level at their current school, what's stopping them from being ahead in the church one?
1073179
I homeschool my children - and while they are bit younger than yours, I use the unschooling method.  I am in California and we have a group of folks here that homeschool and many of them use the Unschooling method - the method that says children learn in everything they do and their own natural curiosity will lead them to the subjects that they are ready for.\n\nNow I understand that this method doesn't feel right for everyone - and as School District Tests come up, I may need to do something different, but I think that some of this type of learning is crucial to homeschooled kids.\n\nI would also like to suggest to you that there are a ton of web sites that are so great for kids.  My 6 year old has taught herself how to read by using computer web sites, like www.starfall.com and we are starting to work on math skills in the same way.  I have also seen sites that teach science and nutrition (but I haven't looked for history sites yet).  My kids don't even really realize that they are learning, they are just having a good time.  Even games where you  have to kind of collect things or do a series of tasks to win help kids in their problem solving, reasoning and logic skills.\n\nAnd there are lots of creative ways to teach kids stuff.  I taught the 2 year old her numbers by letting her sit on our pool table and play with the balls - eventually encouraging her to put all 15 in number order - 6 months later she can count to 30 herself (though she still thinks 30 is 20-10!) and can do very simple addition problems (3+3=6 is her favorite).\n\nIt can be a daunting task to take on 100% responsibility for our children's education, but there are lots of options for us and lots of help and support.  I have put together a great big list of sites that I have found my kids, and I will include the link below.  Having a computer for each kid and allowing them to learn at their own pace has been a huge lifesaver for me - and it's great for folks using more traditional means (particularly on days when they are not "on" it's nice to have a back up "teacher" for the kids).\n\nFeel free to contact me if I can be of further assistance!\n\nYou can do it!  Peace!
331382
Contact the school board in your area they will have the procedures and guidleines in a packet for you.They will tell you what curriculums are acceptable for the state in which you live. Then ask yourself why do you want to home school? If it is for selfish reasons like you don't want your five yr old to leave you.Or you think they will learn bad habits, you need to think again. These things will happen anyway and your not really helping them. Ask yourself is your child already shy or outgoing? Keeping them home because they are shy is not good it only sets it in stone. I home schooled my youngest son it's not an easy task and it is a very big commitment. You just can't pick and choose when you feel like teaching and what you feel like teaching( although many do). You must teach even when you don't feel good or they are in a bad mood. What kind of relationship do you have with your child? Does he listen well? You'll only be hurting your child if you don't do it the correct way. Many home school children fall very far behind because mom is not very consistant or tough. My son is now in Public High School and in Honors programs but my friend who is home schooling her children do nothing but crafts and play games and seem very behind for their age in all their academic studies.She won't get out of bed until 9:30am and stops teaching at Lunchtime. They go shopping everyday. Is this teaching her children?? You also need some support people, parents  or friends who can lend a hand now and then to give your child a variety of teaching techniques. And you must absolutely get them involved in other activities in the outside world, such as soccer or ballet or some type of group sport. Not a homeschooling group. It keeps them too sheltered and they never learn how to put up with negative people. Which the world is full of. Hope this helps feel free to e-mail me if you have any problems and good luck.
1102489
I know what you mean! I had to start hs my 7 yr dd cause the school would not help with her learning problems.\nFirst, each state has a homeschool agency with a website. I guess google your state name and add 'homeschool agency' . This should have the laws listed, forms to download and copy, etc.\nSecond, NEVER have anything to do with the public schools ever again LOL\nNa, really, the law in my state is that the schools are not legally required to help anyone who homeschools, but they can at their discretion. Wouldn't hurt to ask.\nAnd, I don't have much money either. So here's what I have learned.\n1. There are SO MANY websites that you can use for every subject! I use the internet a LOT for school! The problem I have wiht this though, is it takes SO MUCH of my time searching and finding what to use. I guess this is what I have to do cause I don't have much money!!\n2. EBAY!! I buy books, workbooks, supplies, etc.\nI can't buy any kind of curriculum so I mix it up and use whatever.\n(you have to make sure of your state laws allow this)\n3.Do free field trips, grocery store outings, library, hospital tours, go to courthouse, post office, bank, etc. On your own and have field days at these places.\nUse chalk outside to do math, spelling words etc. Go outside for science nature walk and make collage with what you find.\n4. Join a local homeschool group. They are wonderful! You get together with other kids and have fun days, field trips, do classes together, PE, art, 4H, girl and boy scouts, etc.\nI thought public school had more to offer than homeschool, but NO WAY!!\n\nDoing all these things, I have spent less than $75 for a whole year, plus most of the things I bought can be used for years to come. (I know $75 is a LOT but I managed somehow?)\nsome people spend up in the thousands doing this.\n\nIf your children have learning problems, schools do NOT help with this. Oh they say they do but belive me they don't. Anyway, homeschool is so much better for learning problems IF you know what the problem is and if you KNOW WHAT to do for the problem.\nAnd, all children have their own 'learning style' and schools only cater to ONE style- reading and writing. What about the kids who learn better visually, verbally, auditory? \nThat's the problem my dd had, and now I can choose what, how, when, etc on teaching her to learn in the way she learns best.\nNow, she's doing so much better than she would EVER do in public school.
1075873
I never thought I would be advising someone to KEEP their child in school, but I might make the exeption here. If you want to homeschool to give your child a better education, then go for it! But, if your only reason is because the teacher is young, that's not going to work. Homeschooling takes EXTREME dedication to your child, lots of work on your part, it takes patience, and persistence. You have to be willing to do whatever is necessary to learn what you need to teach and how to do it. You have to enjoy your children enough to have them with you 24/7! You have to be willing to taxi them to the different opportunities for social engagement like sports or dance classes, whatever. A lot of homeschooling is done outside the home, in the form of educational outings, where they learn hands-on about the world around them and social engagement with ALL age groups, not just their peers. All of this is GREAT for them, but it's a sacrifice on your part, and you have to be willing to do it. See, it's not just a simple decision to be based on the fact that a teacher is young, that really has no bearing on anything. Plus, you have to take into account how your child is going to react. It's a lot harder to pull a child out of school then it is to have never put them in in the first place, this can cause resentment and I don't feel it should be done unless the parent feels it's necessary, and feels that the fight is worth it in exchange for the better education. Good luck to you, but I suggest you think about it some more, do some research, get to know the teacher and see if you still feel he/she is not adequate as a teacher, then go to the principal if you still have concerns. If the principal is unwilling to help, then go to the school board. Try some other options first, because it's not an easy job. It's a very rewarding job, and most beneficial to the child, but it is a sacrifice.
147149
OK, it's not free, but it is a SUPER program.  www.readinga-z.com.  I homeschool my 5 year old and have been incredibly impressed with his progress.  You can check it out for free.  The cost is pretty steep (like $80/year), but it is SOOOO worth it.  Reading is necessary to every other discipline (science, history, even math).  Get behind in reading and you'll have a tough time keeping up in everything else.
894647
PLEASE DON'T TELL MY KIDS! They'll think I deprived them of all that fun leisure time all those years!  LOL\n\nI do know of one homeschool family who did that with their son, and it was horrible!  His mother claimed they were "unschooling" and all he did was play video games all day.  My daughters were friends with him and couldn't believe how far behind he was.  He couldn't read, write or do math anywhere near his grade level.  It was very sad.\n\nAnyway, that was only one of numerous homeschool families I was acquainted with.  Unfortunately, that's the one everyone focusses on and talks about.\n\nSue
662242
I did a google search for Littleton homeschool (I'm assuming you live in Colorado) and here's what I found.  The last two are specifically classical and Christian, respectively.\n\nIt looks like the state convention is June 15-17 in Denver.  This would be a great place to start, but they can be overwhelming.
14153
Military families most often deal with this situation.  When homeschooling in the states, they follow the rules of where they live vs where thier home is. \n\nFor families stationed overseas, they report to the local military community commander.  So I am led to believe that you might need to report to the local American Authority like the American Consolate in Brazil.\n\nI did manage to find one site that said:  The rules of homeschooling overseas in a civilian capacity (including missionaries, corporations, and other positions) are governed by the country in which you reside.\n\nAnother popular site says:  "My general advice is to contact the embassy of the country where you'll be, and ask about their compulsory education code and the exemptions to it. Do they allow for private schools or tutors? How does one qualify as a private school or tutor? Could you apply? If not, ask if your children can homeschool through a distance learning program, as enrollees in a distant private school."\n \nTo avoid that kind of hassle I would consider enrolling your child in a correspondence school so that your child is technically being educated by a US institution... at least while overseas.  You should choose a "school" that would eliminate your need to report or report for you.  Here is a list to consider. http://www.iched.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=iched&cat_id=profiles_index\n\nMy idea, I found backed by another website you will very well be interested in :  The following was written by an American living temporarily in Brazil.\n" The answers to my two concerns came together in one package -- a packaged home-study curriculum from an accredited private school in which my 2nd grader is actually enrolled and tested. It's as if she were attending classes there, except I teach her at home. Several such packages exist, but the most popular are Calvert School [http://www.calvertschool.org] which offers a traditional curriculum, Oak Meadow [http://www.oakmeadow.com] which offers a Waldorf approach, Clonlara [http://www.clonlara.org], and Laurel Springs [http://www.laurelsprings.com]. Most of these offer the curriculum (materials for the student and a guide for the teacher) with or without enrollment in the school. Some also offer online curricula, especially for upper grades."\n\nhttp://overseasdigest.com/july99.htm#Primer\n\nGood Luck, and have a great year!
277777
OK you asked for it. LOL. Computer integration is the life blood of our schooling technique. We have had an ever increasing computer-integration in our classroom for 13 years. This is going to be a long post, but I hope you will find the ideas fascinating.\n\nWe homeschool using multiple computers - OK, not a traditional classroom view, but the advantages and problems are about the same. I homeschool my own four children as well as teach homeschool co-ops for high school subjects. Co-op classes typically contain 8 to 18 students. The computers are used extensively for both groups. \n\nMy 18 year old son has taught himself how to build and repair computers so we have very little money invested in our computers. I have always wondered why schools do not take advantage of all that free teen energy and get them making school furniture and computers instead of the schools having to buy from expensive school supply catalogues. Those prices are outrageous! The kids learn real world useful skills by building what the school needs. Anyway, that is a topic for another Yahoo Answers Question. LOL\n\n-------------------------------------------\n\nOne difference is in the classroom layout - Our Schoolroom/Computer Lab Physical Setup:\n\nMAIN SCHOOLROOM - Instead of the kids each having a traditional schooldesk each one has their own computer station and their own computer. We have six networked computers in the main school room plus a spare one in the bedroom that is also part of the network. All the computers have access to the internet on-demand via a broadband router 24/7. My husband has custom made two long counters on each side of the room which house three computers each. Each computer's space is about 3.5 feet wide by 3 feet deep. The deep counters and dropped keyboards allow the students to work at their station easily even with a bunch of resources spread out in front of them. They also have additional storage for school supplies and CDs. The children are each assigned their own computer which is where they work throughout most of the school day and it is their personal computer during free time in the evenings and weekends. The front of the room houses the white board. We have a mobile (on wheels), fold-down table for when we need a large flat surface to work on. It stays tucked out of the way until we need it. The chairs are adjustable-height, wheeled desk chairs with arms. It is surprising how often they are wheeling on their chairs between computers as they collaborate or show each other what they are creating. Every station has its own set of headphones and microphone. Several have their own printers, while all have access to the network printer and scanner.\n\nMULTIMEDIA STUDIO - The computer in the bedroom is our multi-media studio with studio quality microphones, a studio sound mixer, a VHS tape player, portable DVD burner with VHS and TV inputs capability, surround sound speakers, and a digital camera that can take both digital stills and quicktime movies. We have a variety of multimedia design software installed on that system. It may seem like we invested a lot of money into our multimedia studio, but my son built the computer, we bought the mixer and studio mics second-hand on E-Bay, and the VHS tape machine is one we have had for years. By having this system in the bedroom, the door can be closed to allow for less background noise when the kids are producing multimedia products.\n\n----------------------------------\n\nSOFTWARE INSTALLED ON ALL SYSTEMS - \n- PrintMaster Platinum is the main electronic notebooking software that the kids use. With it they make multimedia webapges that run from burned CD-ROMS. They also print out their e-notebooks. Their e-notebooks can be uploaded to the internet as standards compliant webpages.\n- Inspiration Software - this is a terrific program that we use for a variety of purposes.The kids use it extensively for notetaking, organizing compositions, visuals for their e-notebooks,
502314
You should be able to contact the State Department of Education for guidance in providing what ou need for setting up an organization or umbrella program for these types of needs.  A local Christian school might be a great alternative to begin researching your questions and needs as well.  You might also consider a Teacher's Resource outlet store in your area as they may have all the materials you would need to begin the process.  Just some ideas.  May God bless your endeavors.
609093
Of great importance are your children. The school and church you find will make a big impact on them. You have the responsibility to take great care in training your children. Do some research and even visit the areas your thinking of. It is not an easy thing to do but you will find it most very important in the future. You want one day for your children to wake up and call you "blessed" Lots of work-great reward
329542
Try taking the advice given here. Be prepared to march down to the school a lot to try to get this taken care of. Your grandkids CAN learn! Then, if none of that works, consider homeschooling, or have the parents consider homeschooling, whichever is more appropriate. Like some of these teachers said, they are trained to educate regular student, not special children. I know a boy with FAS and a myriad of other diagnoses, and when he was eight years old, he snuck out of a locked campus and was halfway home before his grandma was called and told he was missing. He had walked about five miles. Homeschooling gives you the advantage of knowing your grandson's individual problems. There are so many different types of problems going on in a special ed class, that I don't blame the teacher for being overwhelmed. Most special ed kids excel once they start being taught at home because they are in an environment they know, with loving caregivers who understand the complexities of their own disorders, and are able to work at their own pace. There's no distractions like there are in a classroom. It just seems to work. There are several place you can turn to to learn about homeschooling kids with special needs. Check yahoo groups, there's a lot. I'm on HS-Plus, and it's a really good group. Lots of different disorders being dealt with, FAE/FAS is a big one, so you'd get lots of help. I homeschool my autistic pre-schooler, and will be homeschooling my 'normal' little one, and any others that come along. Contact me if you'd like, I'd be more than happy to talk to you some more.
551699
There is a lot more diversity in the homeschooling community than you might expect from the mainstream view of it. \n\nI suggest just getting to know felllow homeschoolers in your area, and don't worry too much about the political labels - you all love your kids and want to do what's best for them!\n\nBesides, it's good for your kids to learn to deal with people who have different views. Yay! Diversity. :-)\n\nI'm a liberal (oh horrors!) non-religious, peace lovin' homeschooler, but I'm friends with conservative, Christian, Bush-supportin' homeschoolers, and we manage to get along just fine.  At least when we talk about the kids and not politics.;-)
761815
The best depends on your child...no one can tell you what's best for your family!!! Read All Kinds of Minds, figure out what kind of learners they are. You would choose totally different curriculum for a child who is a visual learner than for a child who is a kinesthetic learner. \n\nRemember that kids in first grade tend to be more hands-on learners anyway, and keep in  mind that just because a child is in a certain grade, that doesn't mean that it's the age of curriculum you should buy. If your 8th grader is behind, you need to start where their knowledge ends, or you create a lot of frustration.\n\nFirst thought is to check local bookstores, Barnes and Noble and Borders both have an extensive homeschooling section. also check out Mardel's Christian bookstore. While much of their curriculum is Christian based, they also have much that is not. You can look through it and see if you like it, and it's easy to return.\n\nAsk your local homeschooling group if they have a curriculum fair coming up...that's an opportunity to really peruse the different ones and get your hands on (there's nothing worse than buying a curriculum and opening and seeing that it's not what you expected...unless it's buying the curriculum and it doesn't work for your child anyway!)\n\nOur town also has a curriculum exchange, so you can go to a bookstore setting, and you get credit for what you bring in, and as well the books/items are much cheaper than new.\n\nAlso see if you have a yahoo hs'ing group in your area, on ours lots of people pass stuff on for free, or will let you borrow it to see if it works.\n\nOne thing more, if your 8th grader has been miserable in school, you might look into deschooling so that he/she can catch their breath, and recapture their love of learning. Google it and you'll find lots.\n\nM
1175198
You know what, when i was a kid my mom thought the school I was going to was not good enough for me and she wanted to send me to a private school.  My sister and I went crazy - we thought it was a punishment.  We told her that we would get ourselves thrown out of that school - so much we did not want to change and leave our friends.  They dropped the subject.\n\nFast forward 7-10 years I come to find out that everyone (I mean everyone) i really liked as an adult went to the very same school I would have been sent to, if I hadn't been such a ninny and said "No, don't spend your money and energy giving me a better education!  It is more important to me that I stay right where I am."\n\nMy point is that there is a lot to consider here.\n\nHomeschooling is a way for children to find and nurture their own particular gifts and talents.  In school settings there are just too many kids for teachers to allow kids to go at their own pace or spend extra time on what interests them.  Who do you think are going to be the leaders and sought after employees of tomorrow?  The kids with uniquely tailored education or the kids who get it out of the same can as everyone else?\n\nThere is still plenty of time to socialize - I mean how much actual social time would you be missing in school?  2 hours?  Most of the time you are not supposed to be talking - but sitting and listening.\n\nMany mothers I have told I was homeschooling my kids have said to me "Oh god - that sounds like way too much work!"  Your parents want to spend their time and energy giving you the very best education you can get.  In this world, you will surely need it.\n\nPeace!
943889
I home school my kids and have had wonderful results with a book called "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" by Siegfried Engelmann.  I know several 3 and 4 yr olds who have learned with this program.  You can take it at your own pace and you see results very early in the program.  There are also some wonderful curriculum out there for preschool, some have been mentioned already:\n\nhttp://www.mfwbooks.com/\nhttp://www.sonlight.com/\nhttp://www.bright-beginnings.net/\nhttp://www.caitscurriculum.com/\n\nHere are some great links to websites dedicated to early childhood learning.  I use them often for great ideas for learning and fun!:\n\nhttp://www.handsofachild.com/2/\nhttp://www.preschoolrainbow.org/index.htm\nhttp://www.muddlepuddle.co.uk/index.htm\nhttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html\n\nI hope that helps, if you are planning on home schooling after preschool I would recommend finding a home school support group in your area and get plugged in with other families who homeschool.  \n\nBlessings.