Homeschooling Ideas

Hi A.,
I've been homeschooling for 6 years now and am a Mom of 4 also! My youngest is 6 weeks and my oldest is almost 12. I would say take is easy. I think we all make the first year much more complicated than it really needs to be. Reading with your daughter will provide almost all that she needs right now. Most 5 year olds are naturally curious and will lead you to what they should be doing. Playing with bugs, making things with playdough, counting apples at the grocery store for you and then weighing them. Most of their learning at this age just happens with an involved parent. Also, she is going to learn a lot when you have your baby!
Children get so much socialization. Just look at your family! There are tons of groups to join, but IMHO, I would be careful and chose which groups you really want to be in. Too many activities can be stressful on your family and take away the joy of homeschooling. On the other hand, it's nice to get out of the house and talk to other families once in a while.
I'm in Chesterfield, so my support group is out here, but I'm always hearing about homeschool activities and groups over there in Troy. Take caution with co-ops, as they have a tendancy to try and recreate the public school atmosphere. I don't think you'll have trouble finding support. I bet if you ask your librarian, she'll point out the homeschoolers for you! lol... And start reading the books they have on homeschooling (you probably already have). Keep in mind that every family has their own way of homeschooling. It's good to get lots of different ideas and then take what you want out of it.
HTH, good luck to you!!
A.

Most libraries actually have curriculums you can review. There are a ton of homeschooled childen at the library during the day too (I'm not sure if this is good or bad). Remember that a huge part of kindergarden/pre-school is socialization. If you do chose to homeschool, make sure your daughter is also able to participate in activities with other children her own age. Some libraries have homeschool groups that meet for this purpose and field trips etc. I think the actual kindergarden curriculum is ABC's and number recognition. My 3 year old pretty much already has this dow...so the schooling part will probably be the easy part for you.

Hi A.. I agree with joining a Yahoo group. I am a member of one in Macomb County and Oakland. This will be a great place to ask your questions and to also develop friendships for both yourself and your children. I currently homeschool my dd(10) and ds(15). Michigan is one of the easiest states to homeschool in since the state does not govern what you are doing. Be careful going to the schools for help as they may try to lead you into believing you need to sign papers to homeschool. This is not the case! You do not have to notify in this state nor do you have to test or submit records. There are numerous curriculum out there for homeschoolers so you will never have to worry about finding material! Feel free to email me for more info. Homeschooling is a wonderful choice and I hope you enjoy it!

Check out Yahoo groups and search for a homeschooling group in your area. There are a ton there. Find a couple of mama's who's parenting sytles and values are simular to yours and you will have a great resource. Good Luck!

If you are only considering homeschooling for K, then the other moms have great advice. If you are looking to homeschool through elementary, I would do more.I am a teacher and curriculum specialist in MIchigan. I would get a copy of your disrict's curriculum and your state curriculum and compare them to the national standards. I might also look at Michigan's curriculum, it is new and supposed to be one of the top three in the nation. It is rigorous, but very conceptually based, not traditional algorithm specific. It is also reasonable because it reduced the number of benchmark items or GLCE, but goes very indepth with those subject requirements. You can get that at michigan.org. Many book companies, like crystal springs, will have the teaching books. I'd also contact the schools to see what text book companies they use.