Are there any home school moms out there that have any pertinent advice for this newbie?

Question

Are there any home school moms out there that have any pertinent advice for this newbie?

Answer 1

Yes. The single most important thing that you can do to be successful in homeschooling is to make sure that your and your kid's hard work will be counted. Go to your local county schools website or your state's department of education website and look under home education. Make sure you understand all the requirements and know what you will have to do for you child to get credit for his/her classes. We made the mistake of not checking this information before, and my child has ended up retaking classes, even though she knew all the material. Basically, play by the rules. Also, make sure that things are going on schedule, and that you know all the test dates, etc. You're the teacher now! Most importantly, balance out your time, and have fun while still completing your work. Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Recognize that the first year or two are usually the most stressful.  It sometimes takes awhile to figure out what curriculum is a good fit for both you as the teacher and for your child.  

It will take some time to find a routine that works well for you.  Make sure you have set goals for each day or week, but if the schedule is too slow or too aggressive, you can adjust it to meet your needs.  Work toward concrete goals but don't let the schedule create undue stress for either of you.  

Don't try to do it all.  If it seems like you're trying to cover too many subjects and it's not working, take a step back and focus on reading, writing, arithmetic.  Add in the other subjects (art, history, music, science) gradually as you work out your routine.  Some families take subjects like history or science and do them in a more focused fashion during the summer months.  Also, look for opportunities teach certain subjects together if you are teaching multiple children  (I do this with music appreciation, history and science for my 7 and 5 year olds.)

DON'T OVERBUY!!  There are lots of great materials out there.  Avoid the urge to go out and buy them all.  See what's available through the library or other homeschool families.  Look for used curriculum sales, used book sales, etc.    

Figure out what type of homeschooler you are or think you might be and find an appropriate support group (example: religious, secular, unschooling, classical, etc.)  Homeschoolers are an incredibly diverse group so it's nice to find some that are using similar materials/approaches so you can share resources and maybe even study certain topics together.

Be prepared for February.  It's the month of homeschool doom and gloom.  This tends to be the month that even experienced homeschoolers threaten to send the kids to school (usually due to cabin fever in the midst of dreary winter weather).  Plan some fun activities or perhaps a one or two week break to help mitigate the February blues.

Other good books: any by Linda Dobson and "The Well Trained Mind' by Jesse Wise and Susan Wise Bauer.

If a certain approach isn't working with your child - - adjust.  That's one of the greatest things about homeschooling, you can change curriculum and teaching methods based on the needs of your child.  And, you will need to be flexible.  Approaches that work well for one child in your family may not work at all for another.

Have fun and make the most of the freedom and flexibility homeschooling offers.  It's not all a bed of roses.  It's an incredible amount of work but it does get easier with experience.  It's also an incredible opportunity to spend time with your children and this time together will fly by so quickly!

Answer 3

I am not a home school mom.  I worked with a small private school that allowed home schoolers to come in one day per week for extracirricular activities and to test.  We printed their report cards...etc.  Just an assistance/support service.

Homeschooling is AWESOME.  I have absolutely nothing but praise for homeschooling done correctly, but every family we helped eventually gave up. It was all because of scheduling.  You must have a very strict schedule and stick to it.  You will have an excuse every day not to do your daily lesson plan, and b4 you know it, it is March, and your kid is not ready for the achievement test, or to be promoted.  

Don't play around with homeschooling.  This is your kids life.  Done properly it is much, much better for a child.

Answer 4

That depends on what you consider pertinent :-)

Seriously, are you looking for curriculum recommendations, trying to get started, looking for routine ideas, seeking a group, trying to wade through the different education methods?

Theres a wealth of info out there, and there are a number of very nice, super-informative people here that should be able to help. Just ask!

My first and foremost tip is always the same: Be prepared for anything, don't be afraid of change, and (most importantly) have fun!

Answer 5

My first advice is to ignore all the people who will tell you that homeschooled kids aren't socialized, they turn out weird, they are sheltered, they don't see the real world....blah, blah, blah, blah.

None of that is true.

Homeschooling is what you make it.

The next advice I would give you is to not go overboard buying curriculum.  Just get the basic subjects at first, and then add in the peripherals as you get an idea how your day flows. (I define basic as Reading, Writing, Math, and Science).

Answer 6

I began homeschooling my first grade son in November 2006.  I still consider myself to be a newbie but have learned much during my first year of homeschool.

My advice is be willing to change the curriculum you are using if it is not working for your child.  I began homeschooling by using a free curriculum off the internet; however, it just didn't work for my son.  I then combined parts of that curriculum with Time4Learning (an online home education program) which worked somewhat better.  Finally, I won some free curriculum (Christian Liberty Press).  This curriculum, in combination with Time4Learning, starfall.com, and Spelling Time was finally a great fit.

If your child is bored, not engaged in the learning process, etc., it will be difficult to teach him/her.  Let the Lord guide you and be willing to change curriculum if necessary.

Answer 7

Find a support group. This is as much for your kids as for you.

Make sure you really understand the laws where you live so no problems come up there.

Read as much as you can on homeschooling. Your public library undoubtedly has a good collection of books on homeschooling.

Enjoy your children. :) Make sure your relationship with them comes first, although, not at the expense of academics, naturally. I say this having seen a couple of moms get so hung up on the homeschooling itself that their relationship with their kids went downhill, which then caused the homeschooling to go down hill.

Know that it's a journey with ups and downs, just as any worthwhile journey is.

Answer 8

Research your curriculum well.  There are so many choices on the market.  Develop your educational philosophy.  Know your kids, know what they need to go where they want in life.  Follow that lead.   Give them a strong base in reading, writing and arithmetic.  Don't beat yourself up if  they stop learning-change the curriculum, be creative.   You don't have to learn "in the box" or do every problem on the page once they have mastered the problem.  Don't compare your kids with others if you can help it.   Have fun, but don't get behind.  Read really good books that open up the world and their imagination.  Make learning fun-Don't make them write up  reports on field trips.  Let them suck up the knowledge for the pure joy of it.

Answer 9

Well homeschooling is the best thing for your kids and you . You know were your kids are at all times  and Wat that they are learning . I go Thu South ridge Christian academy and we love it . So go a head and try it and good luck.

Answer 10

Read, read, read: everything about homeschooling you can get your hands on!  I started with Nancy Lande's "Homeschooling: A Patchwork of Days" and then her sequel "Homeschool: Open House."  Then I went onto Mary Griffith's "The Unschooling Handbook," anything by John Holt, anything by John Taylor Gatto, anything by Karen Andreola, and anything by Raymond and/or Dorothy  Moore.  Also, find a support group nearby.  The moms in the groups are wonderful to have as friends and also as mentors.  Joining a group will also give your family some ready-made "socialization" with other homeschooling families.

Next, find out what your state's laws are.  Find out ALL of the laws.  For example, in Florida, many homeschooling families go through the state and register as homeschoolers.  But some register as "private schoolers" and actually have much less invasion of privacy, less documentation required, etc.  Really think about what you would like to do, if you have a choice.  I personally would start with the least invasive option (again, if you have the choice), and then move up the scale if necessary.  

There are so, so many different ways to homeschool.  You might thrive with a "strict schedule," or you might thrive with a loose routine.  Kids are like sponges, and they all have different learning styles.  Once you can identify the differences between school-at-home, unit studies, Charlotte Mason, classical education, unschooling, and other methods, it's time to see what appeals to you, and decide what to start with.  Nothing is set in stone, and you can always change your mind.

Finally, RELAX!  When kids are 16, you can't tell which ones learned to read at 5 and which ones learned to read at 9.  If you don't get around to learning about space in 4th grade, you can do it later.  Curriculums and state standards are just basic guidelines written for average children, and meant to be followed as a measure of crowd control and ease of use when dealing with many, many children.  Since you presumably will be only homeschooling one, a couple, or at most, a handful of children, you don't need to worry about at which ages you cover which material.  If something is skipped, you can figure it out later, or just skip it!  

Trust yourself, trust your kids, and have a wonderful time!  Homeschooling is wonderful for families!  :)