Homeschooling: Need help getting started.

[Joseph Ringling]

My wife and I have three children ages 8,6,and 3. The oldest is in second grade and my daughter is in first. We have talked about homeschooling them starting next school year but we are totally ignorant on how to go about getting started.

Would those of you that do homeschool please suggest some good resources on how to get started?

 

[LadyFlynt]

1) contact your local or state homeschool organization

2) talk with any homeschoolers you know...many are willing to take you under their wings

3) borrow any pro homeschooling books off of them

4) go to online homeschooling sites

5) call all the curriculum companies and start ordering catalogs

this should give you something to chew on.

If you have any specific questions ASK AWAY!!!

 

[Scot]

to all she said.

Also, don't get worried about making your home school like the public school. In other words, you don't have to have it set up like a school that we normally think of. You're in charge. Do things the way that you think is best. When we first started, we kinda had "school" like they would in public school only we taught Bible. Now, we're much more relaxed.

I'd recommend getting the video series "Training Up Children" by R.C. Sproul, Jr. That video built up my confidence and made me "gung-ho" about homeschooling. I think you'll enjoy it.

 

[ChristianasJourney]

First of all for your protection I'd join HSLDA (Home schooling Legal Defense league.) There's a relatively small membership fee, and if anyone is unhappy with your decision or threatens to report you for any child related problem, either to your district or CPS they'll be your legal defense. I'd recommend doing this particularly since you'll be pulling them out of public school. If the school gives you any problem or says that you have file certain reports or whatever, before you agree to anything talk to HSLDA and they'll tell you what your rights are.

Take your time selecting a curriculum. Scot was right on...don't think "school". If you don't get around to picking material until November, that's fine. If you want them to study through the summer, that's fine too. If you want them to do it two hours a day, that's fine. You make the call.

It's very easy to be overwhelmed with all the resources that are out there. Most of them are very good, but they all have their strong and weak points. Rod and Staff is a Minnonite (sp?) publication, very very Bible oriented, but it's not particularly easy stuff, and you might find your child getting frustrated. (If that ever does happen, don't blame the child, but look for something more suitable.) Abeka is good practial stuff but not with the same strong spiritual emphasis. Etc. Don't think this is a one time decision, and you have to pick the perfect one. If the child is struggling through this year, or it's too easy, or there are things about it that make you uncomfortable, then you can change it. In fact, most parents become curriculum junkies.

There are a whole lot of old wives tales about homeschooling. Once you make public your decision you'll hear them: They need socilization? how will they go to college? They won't know how to live in the real world? What if he wants to be a doctor? Doesn't he need to play sports? These should be classified as "old wives tales" questions. I can't over emphasize this, but keep in mind I'm on the other side looking back, these questions aren't worth the time it takes to answer them. But I'm sure that R. C. Sproul Jr. will set you straight on them. I've only heard him once on homeschooling, for about five minutes, but I agreed with everything he said.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

to all that has been said previously.

To begin homeschooling, especially with children that already started public schooling, several initial considerations must be made.

HSLDA membership is a must. Homeschooling is legal in every state, but there are legal issues that must be addressed and HSLDA is a great source of information on how to do that.

They also have good literature on how to get started, ie., picking a cirriculum that is suitable for your children.

It is good to find out about homeschooling networks and resources in your particular location. When first starting, the whole process can be overwhelming for parents, but you are not alone. Others have travelled down this road too, and are very often happy to share their knowledge and experience, and come together for the common good of homeschooling families.

Your family will need to consider how your children feel about the process of leaving public school to begin homeschooling. You may need to consider how family members will respond. You must be certain that this is what you want to do, and do it for the glory of God. Homeschooling is a tremendous blessing, but it also involves hard work and sacrifice. It is a repudiation of the idea that parents can just drop their children off at a public school and not be intimately involved in the educational process. Supplies have to be purchased, perhaps a place set aside in the home for educational purposes, a schedule may need to be prepared, etc., etc. There's much work to do, but it's your school -- you and your wife are in charge! The pupils are your children. The purpose is to educate your children so that they will be grounded in the principles of God's Word as they learn about the world. That's what it's all about.

Consider it an adventure too. Getting started can be fun as well as hard work. You have opportunities for day trips, you are not locked into a cirriculum determined by the local board of education, you decide the schedule. Make it work for you and your family.

Again, there are many, many resources out there. Homeschooling is a growing movement. Many families are taking up the challenge and experiencing the rewards.

God bless you and yours!

 

[Joseph Ringling]

Thanks for the input everyone, I really appreciate it. One of the problems right now is that I don't know anyone that homeschools their children. We attend a Church that has a K-12 school so most of their children attend school there. I did notice that there is a PCA church in my city that has a homeschool support system. I'll have to try and get hooked up with them.

Could anyone recomend some websites that may be of help?

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Ohio Homeschooling: http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/regional/Ohio.htm

HSLDA: http://www.hslda.org/

Homeschooling FAQ: Getting Started: http://www.homeschoolzone.com/start.htm

Beginning to Homeschool: http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/directory/Beginning.htm

Mary Pride's Homeschool Website: http://www.home-school.com/

Mary Pride's Guide to Getting Started in Homeschooling: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0736909184/102-1043233-2774515?v=glance

The New England Primer: http://my.voyager.net/~jayjo/primer.htm

McGuffey's Readers: http://www.howtotutor.com/guffy.htm

Homeschooling Today magazine: http://www.homeschooltoday.com/

 

[Scot]

There are a whole lot of old wives tales about homeschooling. Once you make public your decision you'll hear them: They need socilization? how will they go to college? They won't know how to live in the real world? What if he wants to be a doctor? Doesn't he need to play sports? These should be classified as "old wives tales" questions. I can't over emphasize this, but keep in mind I'm on the other side looking back, these questions aren't worth the time it takes to answer them. But I'm sure that R. C. Sproul Jr. will set you straight on them. I've only heard him once on homeschooling, for about five minutes, but I agreed with everything he said.

Yes, R.C. Jr. addresses these "wives tales" in his video series. "Everyone open your Bibles to where it talks about socialization" :bigsmile: It's very good.

http://ecom.ligonier.org/ecom/product.asp?idProduct=TRA01VC

The purpose is to educate your children so that they will be grounded in the principles of God's Word as they learn about the world. That's what it's all about.

What we are currently using http://www.veritaspress.com/store/home.asp

[Edited on 11-1-2005 by Scot]

 

[Joseph Ringling]

Thank you!

 

[4ndr3w]

Joe,

Don't forget to be involved. Many fathers leave it up to the mothers. You need to work with your children and have a presence in their activities. There will need to be some sacrifices on your part as well. It is all well worth it though.

 

[Joseph Ringling]

Originally posted by 4ndr3w
Joe,

Don't forget to be involved. Many fathers leave it up to the mothers. You need to work with your children and have a presence in their activities. There will need to be some sacrifices on your part as well. It is all well worth it though.

No doubt.

I'm laid off from work right now but when I get called back I plan on going to second shift to be able to help with the kids during the day.

 

[fredtgreco]

Originally posted by skinsfanjoe
Thanks for the input everyone, I really appreciate it. One of the problems right now is that I don't know anyone that homeschools their children. We attend a Church that has a K-12 school so most of their children attend school there. I did notice that there is a PCA church in my city that has a homeschool support system. I'll have to try and get hooked up with them.

Could anyone recomend some websites that may be of help?

Joe,

My wife buys almost all our material on Ebay, and gets good deals. Contact Christ the Word PCA! That should be the church you mean. The pastor there is a VERY good friend of mine. Feel free to drop my name.

 

[Joseph Ringling]

Originally posted by fredtgreco

Originally posted by skinsfanjoe
Thanks for the input everyone, I really appreciate it. One of the problems right now is that I don't know anyone that homeschools their children. We attend a Church that has a K-12 school so most of their children attend school there. I did notice that there is a PCA church in my city that has a homeschool support system. I'll have to try and get hooked up with them.

Could anyone recomend some websites that may be of help?

Joe,

My wife buys almost all our material on Ebay, and gets good deals. Contact Christ the Word PCA! That should be the church you mean. The pastor there is a VERY good friend of mine. Feel free to drop my name.

Yes, that is the one Fred. I'll do that.

 

[LadyFlynt]

As a person of the reformed faith (and having been IN the group that produces Rod & Staff-Eastern Pennsylvanian Mennonites) I would suggest for various reasons that you avoid them. I know I have been bombarded by moms once before for daring to suggest that they might have ANYTHING negative in their curriculum. Anything I say here I can quote from one book I have of their curriculum combined with my and others experience.

The examples you will find in their books will be

1) Anti Calvin (they will make statements that sum up to Calvinists are not really christians)

2) non-resistant (and I mean beyond war...if a man sees his wife attacked he is to do nothing if it meant injuring the other person)

3) mildly anti-semitic (intentionally so)

4) references to things that they consider evil (anything from the ridiculousness preschoolers wanting a pair of red slippers to those things that we would mildly agree with such as tv and various music)

5) they will point to who they believe are christians and who aren't based upon their outer standards not God's inner and outer ones. A "we" and "they" mentality. (any examples I would give here would sound ridiculous to your ears...but believe me it would be true)

This curriculum was created for their day schools...they just found that they could make money from homeschoolers. Their training in the schools is such that children will often side with the church rather than their parents when the parents have a legitimate concern within the church. Well, I quit now, lest I start to speak from my emotions.

 

[ChristianasJourney]

Originally posted by fredtgreco

Joe,

My wife buys almost all our material on Ebay, and gets good deals. Contact Christ the Word PCA! That should be the church you mean. The pastor there is a VERY good friend of mine. Feel free to drop my name.

Or Ebay's sibling Half.com.

A lot of companies will also hold book fairs that you can go to to look at their material. I'm not sure how to find out if one is being held in your area...maybe someone else can help with that.