Home Schooling Assistance

Updated on September 05, 2010
N.S. asks from Dallas, TX
9 answers

I have a friend whom is home schooling her son. Originally her son was enrolled in public school but it did not work out. Her son has special needs and requires additional attention. I informed her I would try and find resources to assist her with his home school education. He is 13 years of age and a great kid. If any one has any resources are information which may be helpful please let me know.

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J.K.

answers from Phoenix on

There should be homeschool groups in her area that she can join. It's a group of families who all homeschool and they have activities, field trips, PE, co-ops, park days, play dates etc. Sonlight.com has great curriculum. Ask for a catalog to be sent to her because their website is kind of confusing for newbies, IMO. Also, the library is a great resource. You can order books online and the library will get them ready for you. You can get almost any book or video. HSLDA.org is a great resource as well. They have all kinds of programs for their members. The state should also have a membership. I live in AZ and our state homeschool membership is called Arizona Families for Home Education... AFHE.org I think there is one in every state.

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T.S.

answers from Dallas on

Depending on what area she is in, there are several groups. There is the Denton County Homeschool Association, there are co-ops in this area. Carrollton and Grapevine have co-ops, Classical Conversations is a curriculum/co-op that is all over the DFW area. Good luck to her!

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M.L.

answers from Colorado Springs on

In my part of the country, there are homeschooling groups - families that support and help one another. Surely a wonderful city like Dallas has them, too!

As a matter of fact, I just now googled "Dallas Homeschooling Groups," and there they are. Your friend needs to investigate them, find a group of people she likes, and pick their brains!

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J.C.

answers from Lincoln on

My best curriculum suggestions is A beka. www.abeka.com
They have DVD programs and accredited programs that take a lot of the prep work out of homeschooling and will leave your friend available for assisting him with school instead of trying to make up what he'll learn that day.

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B.W.

answers from Dallas on

Depends on what resources she is wanting and where she is. I homeschooled both of mine, still have one in school and both had special 'needs'....

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K.F.

answers from Dallas on

PLEASE PLEASE don't take this as negative . . . you say that the son has special needs. I know a lot of parents that homeschool succesfully and some great co-ops, but my first thought with "special needs" is that the public school may be the best place for him because of all their resources. I have a very good friend who is special ed certified (but currently homeschools her children) and she can't say enough about public schools for children with special needs. Now, all that is said without knowing WHY he was pulled out of public school or what his special needs are, so if this is irrelevant then I apologize for wasting your time :-), we were just having this conversation last night so I couldn't help chiming in. Good luck to her!!

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T.E.

answers from Minneapolis on

There is a lot out there. My first suggestion is that if she hasn't already, she should find a support group or co-op in her area. This will be a life source and life saver for her more than anything.

These groups are where she will find friends for her son, friends (other homeschooling parents) for herself, opportunities for field trips, group discounts for curriculum, access to curriculum fairs in the area, and access to special needs resources for those who homeschool.

A place where she can find support groups and co-ops in her area is www.hslda.org. HSLDA is a legal advocacy group for homeschoolers, and you don't need to be a member to benefit from them. The site has information on how to get started, finding support groups in your area, your legal rights and requirements in each state, access to some of the more popular curriculum out there, and a calendar that lists when and where various homeschool curriculum fairs will be around the country and in her area. There is also a section specifically for parents of special needs children, which list resources and more.

They also have representatives available on line and by phone if she should need assistance with filing paperwork with her school district and more. She can also sign up (it's free) to be on their weekly mailing list where she'd recieve important information and updates concerning homeschooling both nationally and regionally.

Go to www.hslda.org and start by clicking on the "about homeschooling" button and take it from there. The site is packed with tons of information, but starting by clicking on that button will get her on the right track.

There are also a lot of parents like her who have chosen to homeschool children with special needs and they have blogs, produced curriculum and teaching guides based on their own experience and more.

Two sites I highly recommend are the following:

www.sizzlebop.com

http://www.headsupnow.com/about/

These two moms have written many fantastic books on teaching methods for special needs kids. They have links to products, curriculum, and other helpful resources. Your friend can also sign up to be on their mailing lists to get weekly newsletters, updates, and information on new products etc. One of the moms, Carol Barnier is a frequent favorite at homeschool curriculum fairs nationwide, and many of her presentations can be found on www.youtube.com.

She's very inspirational to anyone homeschooling a special needs child and her methods are practical not only for those with special needs kids, but any homeschooling parent looking to be more efficient and creative when teaching their child.

Here's one of her clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geI_S6oe9sU

Here's a link to some of her best selling books:

http://www.westfieldacademy.org/zen-cart/

A.S.

answers from Youngstown on

I homeschool two of my kids and we love how well it is working out for us! I am in Ohio and there are EXCELLENT programs here, some online, some all written out and some with both online and written which is the best route to go that way they keep up with writing and aren't so dependent on just typing. Has your friend gone online to see what programs are offered in her state? That would be her first step. From there find a program that will excite and educate her son. If he helps pick the program he will be more excited to do it. Homeschooling takes ALLOT of discipline. They will be able to set their own schedule but they will really have to work to keep up with whatever program they choose! Good luck to them!

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