What Would You Mom's Recommend for Home Schooling a HS Freshman?

I have been homeschooling for 11 years now and would have used "Switched on Schoolhouse" by Alpha Omega Publications since my daughter was in 4th grade. I just started my second daughter in it this year with 4th grade as well. This is a computer based, Christian homeschool curriculum. They also have other variations in book form as well. I chose the computer based program because it does so much of the grading for you and is so organized in the daily schedule. My daughters always know exactly what they need to be working on. You can find used copies for sale as well on e-bay if you want to save a little money. I too have a part-time business, so the grading option is a great time saving tool. I would also go to CHEC's(Christian Home Educators of Colorado)website. They have lots of helpful tools to get you started. Hope this helps you out.

You might check out the virtual schools; I don't know if it's too late but that might be another option. If I were to go this route, I definitely be looking for local groups for ideas/support and collaboration.

I don't have any first-hand info for you, but I'd do a google search for "homeschool, your town" & see what comes up. Contact the school board too-maybe they can put you in contact w/some homeschooling programs in your area. Teacher's supply stores might have what you're looking for, also check a Christian book store-ask them too if they've got info on local Christian homeschooling stuff.
Good luck to you both!

lds family resources, based in salem area. They have many many good resources, and Diane (I think her name is?) can help you with the exact materials you will need. Call or email her!

Dear S., I would contact the School District first off and they do have on-line, self paced courses. They also will be in charge of doing testing, and you may want to keep in good relationship with them for athletics, PE or extra activities your daughter may be interested in. I'd also check in with some home school stores In Loveland there is one Salt and Light Educational Book Store on 907 Van Buren Ave. Loveland. They may be able to set you up with other homeschoolers organizations.

About me:
I'm a licensed child care provider. Mother of two grown children and Junior in Public School. Always wanted to homeschool, but too chicken to do it.

S.,
I am a mother of 4 young children. My oldest is 10. In third grade he hit rock bottom (so to speak) with school. It really was building up for a couple of years. Anyway by the time 3rd grade was ending I felt I had no choice but to pull him out of school and home school him. Knowing that I had no experience teaching and that I did not have the time to develop curriculum I decided to enroll him in K12 virtual academy for 4th grade. They have real teachers online. They provide all of the supplies for free because it is a public school. It is accredited so it is like they are still attending the physical school. I really liked it. The teachers were very supportive. They really care about the kids. I would highly recommend it. My son really benefitted from it. He was able to recover from what he was going through emotionally and academically in just one year. I know there are also other options out there. I have a niece who is attending an online HS for here core classes but going to the physical HS for some extra curricular classes. Good Luck to you and your daughter.

What no one has mentioned is the credits and if she wants to actually graduate or homeschool all the years and graduate through that. There a lot of decisions to make with a high schooler that are not there in the elementary. If you go with the virtual academy or some online classes through the school or the school works with you and you can bring things home and do them and take them back to the school for grading. If you lose these credits then you have to summer school or double up the next year. This affects her GPA and credits and graduation now. Here the virtual school is closed,I believe. Most schools if you are enrolled and become very ill they make a great effort to help you do the work at home and grade it at school. I would really check into this. I home schooled several of my children for about 4 years. If the child is not a self starter or motivated it can be very discouraging and difficult. You feel like you become the constant nag. On the plus side you will know your child better than anyone and what they are capable of doing. My son now is in school but behind. (didn't pass 2 classes last year). I gave him the option as he is a little older anyway (will ne 17 next year and is a sophomore). Go to school, try to make up the classes, do the best that you can. If you do well and get the classes made up fine. Then stay in school and finish. If not use this year as a study year and next year go take the GED and be done. Then move on. There are a lot of options.

We're only up to 2nd grade, but we really like Bob Jones University Press. We use the videos. I know several families who have kids who have graduated from their stuff. There are some complaints about the Math approach, but it's working for us, so far. www.bjupress.com You can get the books from other websites like www.homeschoolclassifieds.com and amazon, etc., even the teachers editions. If you go with the videos, all of that is included. It's been a fun program for us, so far. GL!

S.,
I would recommend you start by contacting a local home school support group. You may be able to locate a group online or via your church etc. If you Google Home School Curriculum that would help you locate the mass variety of stuff available. "The Old School House Magazine" is full of great ideas and information too. Also online you can check out the Home School Legal Defense for laws and misc info concerning your State regulations. There are just a few ideas to get you started. I hope this goes well for you, blessings, L.

Abeca (sp) curriculum is the best out there right now. It is a Christian based curriculum. My son goes to private school and it is the curriculum they use.

Hi S.,

I would recommend contacting ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International). They should be able to recommend several good curriculum options for you.

The number is ###-###-####.

Best wishes,
L.

We use The Four Year Plan along with the concept of T.J. Ed. The Four Year Plan can be found at http://www.kindredlearning.com/ and the T.J. Ed. can be found at http://www.tjed.org/. Although, if you plan on putting her back into school next year I would recommend using the K-12 program your district uses. There are many different ways to homeschool and most vary depending on why you choose to homeschool. Do a search on the internet to find one or more that are right for you. You also need to check on the laws in your area regarding homeschooling and make sure you follow those laws.

I would check out the Home School Legal Defense Association's (HSLDA) high school page here: http://www.hslda.org/highschool/default.asp It is a Christian-based national organization.

Also, Christian Home Educators of Colorado (CHEC - http://chec.org) has a ton of resources on their site, including extensive lists of support groups.

I hope that helps!

There are lots of options out there, and you can investigate many of them online. I've not used it, but I like the look of the Sonlight curriculum, which uses a literature based approach. (Last year we homeschooled, and I ended up developing my own curriculum, but my approach had a lot in common with theirs.) And I have several friends who are very happy with Tapestry, a Christian curriculum that uses the classical approach. Tapestry can be intimidating at first glance, but once you get into their material, it is both accessible and rich in content.

Several private Christian schools offer an accredited online component for homeschoolers.

Good luck!

I like the suggestions to consult with your school district. Even if you disagree with them, you'll have a better idea of what they can offer your family.
I do not homeschool full-time, but I do many educational activities with my children and really enjoy the Sonlight homeschool curriculum catalog as a great resource. Even just the catalog--without ordering a boxed set-- is a great resource of reading suggestions. You can order complete sets or just individual items ala carte, which I like a lot.
I have several friends who do homeschool full-time and they love TJ Ed, but it seems like a very intense commitment. But again, they love it.
Best wishes!

I would suggest that you look at Desiderataschool.com It is a really neat home based school with little or no class room time. The advantage to this program over homeschooling is that your daughter would graduate with a HS diploma instead of the GED equivalent that most colleges accept Homeschool students under.