Any homeschoolers?

[Jem0607]

We are planning to start homeschooling our 5 year old soon. Nothing too formal yet, but I was wondering if anyone has any curriculum advice. I really love Sonlight but it is so expensive. It seems like there are enough free resources online and through the library that we should be able to teach pretty frugally. What are your thoughts?

[Sam_2.0]

I was homeschooled & my parents used more formal curriculum (Bob Jones or Abeka). DH and I have discussed it as an option, but I have no idea what we will do with our kiddo.

I recommend finding an FHE (families for home education) group around you. They should have excellent resources for curriculum. You can talk with parents & see their experiences. And, they usually have annual curriculum sales so that you can purchase it very cheaply.

[debtheaven]

There is a poster called Oped who homeschools her kids. She is more often on Your Money than here, you could try posting there too.

[Jem0607]

Thanks, I'll try that.

Sam, I don't know much about Bob Jones but I have heard good things about Abeka. I've been thinking I should start an ING account just for homeschooling but seemed like I should be funneling that money to a credit card.

[cheapgenes]

We did k12 for 5th grade last year. K12 is an on line school, so they gave us the books and curriculum. Our school district paid for it. We had to apply to be accepted. It was good because when he did well we moved on, and when he needed extra time for long division, we took more time.

[Jem0607]

I haven't really looked into online schools- that sounds good for older kids.

Wrongside, what didn't you like about the P4/5? That is the one I have been thinking about starting later in the year- the boys will be almost 4 and almost 6 then so I thought it might work for both of them. Is newcomer 1 the same as 1st grade? I thought K looked a little advanced for this year so maybe I'll just hold off for a while. Gives me more time to save up!

[dancinmama]

Feb 2, 2011 14:04:39 GMT -5 Jem0607 said:

We are planning to start homeschooling our 5 year old soon. Nothing too formal yet, but I was wondering if anyone has any curriculum advice. I really love Sonlight but it is so expensive. It seems like there are enough free resources online and through the library that we should be able to teach pretty frugally. What are your thoughts?

I homeschooled our DS several years ago (from 1996-2000) which was 3rd-8th grades.

First, if you find a local homeschooling group there may be moms who are willing to lend you/sell you some curriculum.

Second, remember that the publishers (such as Bob Jones and Abeka) aren't in the business for their health. I never used Bob Jones, but I did use SOME Abeka. Their curriculum is excellent, but you do not need to BUY every little thing for your child to get a good education. It can get very expensive and there is a lot that is simply unnecessary.

Also, you will find that one curriculum is really good for one subject and a different curriculum is really good for a different subject. As I remember it, Abeka was really great in the elementary school grades for science and geography. We also used it for social studies/history (do they still call it that) and I found that for some grades it was good and for other grades - not so much.

I preferred doing grade/reading level appropriate literature units once basic reading skills had been mastered for a reading curriculum. It was nice because I could pick and choose from several different titles/authors and tweak the units as I saw fit.

In addition to the literature units, I also bought materials that were designed to improve reading speed/comprehension.

The one curriculum that I would say was ABSOLUTELY EXCELLENT for what many (parent) teachers/students find to be a most difficult subject was Saxon Math for mathematics. The method of teaching is excellent. The repetition of concepts over the weeks and months after they have been introduced assures that your student WILL master them. I can't speak highly enough about this curriculum.

Just remember, math is math and history is history (if the text book is accurate), so do not feel that you have to have the latest edition of any curriculum. As long as what you use covers your state's standards, you ought to be okay with something that is even several years old.

[Jem0607]

Good points dancinmama! Thanks so much for the help.

[dancinmama]

Feb 4, 2011 17:45:16 GMT -5 Jem0607 said:

Good points dancinmama! Thanks so much for the help.

You're welcome and good luck. Almost everyone I knew who homeschooled would try to talk everyone else into doing it too. It definitely is NOT for everyone. And just remember that amount of money spent DOES NOT equal the quality of the education that you will give them. It can be done quite inexpensively.

[freshnewday]

Every child is beautifully unique, and it is so wonderful that there is a variety of curriculum available for you. I have used Abeka, mainly because I wanted to start early, and they offered a 2 year old curriculum. When Abeka moves too fast for my child, I go online for free worksheets or visit the local teacher's store for a supplement. I have also found supplements at the dollar store and Target's dollar section.

I can also confirm dancinmama's thoughts that you do not need the complete teacher's guide and answer keys, etc. for a small child. I also did not buy the readers for my kids as they were learning to read. I can get great readers at the library.

I would encourage you to select a curriculum to your liking and use the free sheets to supplement so that there is a plan for your little one. Sometimes I find deals on eBay for curriculum. If you shop near the start of the school year on eBay, there will be more bidders, and prices are not as good as the middle of the year. (Conversely, If you keep a book in like new condition, you can resell it on eBay. Used workbooks will not sell, of course.) I hope this helps a little! Wishing you the best!

[bubbleepink]

As a teacher I am so happy to have found this post! I teach grade 1 on a Native Reserve so my resources are sparse, and I am constantly trying to find free resources. I use teacherspayteachers dot com. Teachers share everything, and they tell us in teachers college: don't reinvent the wheel! Somethings here are free, others are super cheep! Also, there are great teacher maintained websites (as well as homeschooling websites) that offer Theme units for free and would cover everything about that theme and give you activities to complete as well. I wish you the best of luck! If there is anything I can help you with please send me a PM! I would be more than happy to help out! Good luck!

[Jem0607]

One thing I've noticed about homeschoolers- you can't find a nicer, more supportive group of people! Thank you all. I would love to hear more about what works for you, and any other advice for a newbie like me!

[mizbear]

I was home schooled due to illness in high school many years ago and my mom was able to do it through the public school system. (I graduated in 1994 ) You may be able to get everything through the school system.
I will say this, when I went back to college at almost 30, the home school kids- for the most part, were much more mature, academically advanced, well-adjusted, and well-mannered.