Homeschooling

I know many people that home school that I work with selling Usborne books - they specialize in educational resources and learning kits for all levels. Many consultants join just to buy their own books for home schooling - that is how my Supervisor started. You might consider it or at least get some ideas from their curriculums. Just an idea that has worked for many that I know. My e-mail is ____@____.com and my website is www.ubah.com/P2042.

Hi M....
I think it depends on the age of the child as to which curriculum is best. I taught in private school in Carrollton and now homeschool my oldest son in The Colony (my younger son is in private school in Lewisville). I think that for younger, like elementary age, Abeka is particularly good. My older son is in high school and we are using Alpha Omega for most of his work. When he was in middle school, his private school used Switched on Schoolhouse (which is made by Alpha Omega) and it was on the computer. Now this is assuming you wanted Christian curriculum - I didn't think that you might not want that.
There is also a very large homeschool co-op in Carrollton where you can participate in activities. I, too, am considering taking on some other kids to homeschool NEXT year. I wouldn't do it your first year if you've never taught before - this is a LOT of work! I'm still trying to figure it out and get schedules and routines set. Good luck with it!

Blessings,
T.

Hi M.,

I cannot help but tell you about a great lady I know who home schools her 4 boys, one of them already gone to college. She is a super woman who is also a black belter in karate, director of children's ministry in my church, etc. Her name is Paula and her email is "____@____.com" I'm sure she can help you.

T.

Hi M.,
I've been homeschooling for 7 years, my 3 precious children and have gone through a few curriculums. The one we are currently using, S.O.W., is my favorite for this season in our lives. I'm also homeschooling another child this year. I'm an ex-public school teacher (elementary and Special Ed.) and LOVE teaching my own children.
If you would like to talk more about specifics, please don't hesitate to call or email me. My home # is ###-###-#### and my email address is ____@____.com
Blessings,
A.
(SAHM of 3 children, ages 11, 9, 6 and married for 15 years. Also passionate about nutrition with a part time business)

M. & all those considering taking additional homeschool kids... I am a single mom who is VERY interested in getting my child (9 yr old) out of public school. Public school isn't a fit for her learning style and private is just out of my ability financially right now. I would be interested in talking to anyone who is currently interested in adding kids to their homeschool, provided they are non-religion based curriculum, or they are open to my choice of curriculum. I would homeschool myself, but I work full-time days & just don't have a flexible enough schedule to manage both, yet. Hopefully I will when she is a little bit older & more able to self manage her studies. You can contact me at ____@____.com to learn more about my child & myself.

Thanks!

M.,

I am in my 9th year of homeschooling my children. I have 6 children ranging in ages from 4 to 17. One great resource for the DFW area and homeschooling is the DFW-HS yahoo group. You can subscribe at ____@____.com and ask questions. There will usually be someone who can tell you about groups in your area.

How old is your daughter? I don't buy packaged curriculums for preschool, but am familiar with many different curriculums for elementary on up if you have any in particular that you are interested in. We are a Christian family so I do tend to utilize curriculum that comes from a Christian worldview. One of my favorite curriculums I have used is Sonlight. I was never much into history as a kid and this curriculum changed all of that for me. I tend to use whatever works best for each child so I use different programs. For math we use Saxon, Singapore, and Math-U-See (different children use different ones).

Feel free to e-mail me at ____@____.com if you have any additional questions. I would be happy to help.

M.

I know of 2 families in our church that homeschool and they both live in Little Elm. If you're interested in speaking with them, I can give you their numbers.

There's tons of curriculum out there and you don't have to go the pre-packaged curriculum route. There is a book called 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum.
http://www.amazon.com/100-Top-Picks-Homeschool-Curriculum...
It gives the most highly rated curriculums to date. Though the best pre-packaged curriculum is Saxon (though none of them are good at history).

Get books about homeschooling and read them as well. A search from Amazon.com will turn up the highest rated ones.

BTW NEVER buy these books new. You can get them used on ebay , half.com, or join the booksamillion.com millionaires club for the best book prices. Or borrow them if you join a group.

As for homeschool groups- The problem with living in Texas is most of them are religious OR unschooling. If you don't like either of those than you feel left out because you can't find a place to fit in. I'm working with another lady on starting a group (DFW Universal Learners; ____@____.com) for those who don't want a religious or unschooling group (and she's a Christian homeschooling mom!). You can e-mail us to find out more. This is a very new group with only a handful of members so far.

A good Yahoo group is Liberal FTC. It’s a field trip group for homeschoolers. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LiberalFTC/

Texas has no regulations on homeschooling; but you must be careful and take precautions with your child and the public school system. Texas public schools have a record of harassing homeschoolers. Never enroll your child in public school if you are going to homeschool. If he is already attending public or private school then contact the HSLDA before removing him from school to homeschool. They can do a lot to smooth the way and give you advice. It is well worth the price to join them and pay the dues. http://www.hslda.org/Default.asp?bhcp=1
This is just a warning I give all Texas homeschoolers I meet. I have never had any personal problems with the Texas Public school system (homeschooling for 2 years now), but I do often hear of homeschoolers who have had problems with the public school system.

I have done science co-ops in the past but I have never taken other's children all day. A rule I have is parent participation in co-op activities. The parents are responsible for maintaining their child's interest and discipline.
Most of the time this results in the parents sitting in a corner and simply watching the activity and socializing quietly while I do the activity with the children. But it's reassuring that they are there for discipline and involvement if their children want or need them.
I hope this helps you,
and good luck on your journey.
It is the hardest and most
rewarding one you will ever take.
RPocai