Homeschooling Info

I would highly recommend two books for you "So Your Thinking of Homeschooling" by Lisa Whelchel and "The Well-Trained Mind" by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise. Both books have a lot of information that I think you will find very helpful.

We decided to send our daughter to a part-time private school where she goes to school 2 days and is homeschooled the other days. She is just in K, but it is working out really well for us.

As others have mentioned, I would look for a support group in your area. You might also check out some of the larger churches in the area. They may have coops available that your family could participate in if that is something that interests you.

I hope you are able to find all of the information you are looking for.

Many Blessings,
K.

i'm right there with you, i am considering homeschooling my first grader. i have talked to a LOT of moms that are currently homeschooling or have done it in the past, all with very positive feedback. i am considering buying a full a beka cirriculum, one for child and one for parent, and using that to get started. i figure once i get a year or two in, i'll have a better idea of what type of cirriculum i like, and i'll branch out from there. i know that's prob not what you were looking for, but i'm anxious to see the responses you get. i'm looking for a co-op in denton, where are you located?

I am homeschooling my second grader and seventh grader. We started homeschooling, because we were just not happy with the school our daughters were attending. Last year was our first year and it was a rough adjustment for my oldest, mainly because she was so used to study guides being handed to her rather than actually reading a chapter and creating her own notes. Our youngest loved it from the start.

Although my preteen is still going through some typical growing angst, her attitude is much improved. We have the typical subjects of math, science, spelling, reading, grammar, writing, and history. Along with those, I have added extra subjects including foreign languages, piano lessons, PE, and geography.

The pros are:
- you can control how fast or slow you go on each subject to make sure they understand it.
- no tests to "teach".
- getting closer to your children, which helps you understand them better.
- children become independent and start thinking for themselves.
- children learn self discipline.
- children are able to pursue their favorite subjects.
- minimized peer pressure.

The cons are:
- possibly no support from family members.
- school can take all day long.
- learning how to juggle work/housekeeping/schooling.

I would suggest joining The Texas Home School Coalition. They have so many helpful hints and will help you with any problems you may have from school districts, CPS, and truant officers. The website is www.thsc.org

Also, join any local home school groups for support, organized field trips, and tips on how to create your own curriculum. Hearts and Hugs is a wonderful group. The group organizer is very active and has many activities/ideas for everyone. Their website is www.orgsites.com/tx/heartsandhugs/index.html

My husband was dubious at first, but now he will be the first to admit that home schooling is the way to go.

Hi there C.,
We love homeschooling! My son is 2nd grade and we do a mixture of educational methods at home.

I love sharing links for educational resources, and I have a website at www.fortworthstorytime.com where I list a lot of free and low cost resources.

I was homeschooled from 4th grade to graduation. I am now 25. My mom did not have a good structured program. That is the only thing that I would have changed. For high school, she enrolled me in American School based in Illinois. They have a correspondence program that allows you to mail in your tests to be graded by their teachers. I have an actual diploma from that school. It worked out well for me since I was a child that was self motivated & loved schoolwork. As a child that was homeschooled, I enjoyed having the freedoms to pursue specific topics that interested me rather than just the typical classroom setting. We had more opportunities to travel as a family to other states. Homeschooling is gaining more popularity and acceptance now than 10 or 15 years ago. I was often asked 'why aren't you in school?', so you might want to prepare your child for that if you go out during typical school hours.

My sister has only homeschooled her 3 children (ages 17, 15 & 7) She said she found great resources at an annual bookfair for homeschoolers in Arlington. She also participates in field trips & activities with other homeschoolers. Her kids love it. They are very intelligent kids & love reading. This is the site for the homeschool resources:
http://homeschoolbookfair.org/

Another program I've heard of is a state sponsored program called K12 or K thru 12. I know some people using this program that get the cirriculum for free. I found a website, but I'm not sure if this is the same one they told me about. They have the child login & provide online chat sessions with a teacher. http://www.homeschool.com/articles/Texas_Tech/default.asp

I have 2 boys now that I also plan to homeschool (they are 2 & 4 months right now).

Hi C.,

I believe there is free curriculum provided by Texas and I believe the site is texasisd.org

I am going to go out on a limb here ----

Many parents choose to homeschool because their child is struggling with the school system and parents are looking for more specialized help without the pressure and hassle of a traditional school. If you child struggles in any way - I would love to help in any way I can.

If this applies to you - please go to my website at www.cerebellumcenter.com. If this does not - please do not be offended and I wish you the best of luck with you search and decision! I am sure you will make the best decision for you and your child!

S. M
The Cerebellum Center
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