Homeschooling now or after school year is over?

Question

I have made my mind up about homeschooling my 5 year old son. However, I am not sure when I should start. Any advice would be helpful. On one hand, I can start him now and simply do not send him back after christmas break. I can continue to take my real estate license course 2 evenings per week for 10 weeks. On the other hand, I can let him finish the year out with his friends and take a two week day real estate course. I would enroll him in the afterschool program for two weeks that he has been begging to go to (because this girl he likes from school is there), then start him on 1st grade work during the summer. I plan on homeschooling him year round using the curriculum from Calvert. I am simply stuck on what to do. My husband gives no help on this. He simply says "whatever you want to do is fine with me." What do you guys think. Any suggestions would really be helpful. Thanks.

Answer 1

With what you've written previously about the stress in his classroom, how the teachers have responded (surrounding him with a cardboard box?), and how much he seems to be reverting in that classroom (just from your previous questions), I would pull him and start him now.  The damage that can be done to him in the next few months really isn't worth keeping him there.  Playdates can let him see his friends from class.

That's really what I would do.  I originally withdrew my son because of a situation similar to what you've previously described; his teacher, instead of teaching him, was pushing for him to be medicated for a "condition" that he doesn't even have.  He hated school, was starting to hate learning, and just really wanted out of there.  I pulled him well before the semester ended and have never regretted it.  He hasn't either - he loves learning and loves "school" again, and is so thankful to be homeschooled.

The night classes for a semester, IMO, are completely worth letting your son learn in an environment that is geared to his needs.  You can either order the Calvert K things and do K with him at home, or you can piece together things from online and the library (there are really great free resources for K) and start him on the Calvert 1st grade - either would be fine.  

I can't make the decision for you, obviously, but you asked for my honest opinion; there it is.  Remember why you chose to homeschool, and ask yourself if putting your son through another five months of that situation is really what you want to do.  If something has changed that you haven't written about, and the school has had a change of heart - they'll actually teach your son instead of trying to "fix" him - that's one thing; if they haven't though, and he's in for more of the same...well, you couldn't pay me enough to send my child back to that.

It's up to you, but that's my opinion.  Hope it helps!

Answer 2

You need to decide what's best for your family. Start of with state laws. Go to your state's website and go to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction's (OSPI) site and look up the laws on home education or alternate education. Can't find it? Check out www.HSLDA.org - Home School Legal Defense Association. Look up laws and find your state.

So, I'd leave him in for now, he's only 5. :) Now, you do your homework. Read read read! Read online! And read books at the Library about why you SHOULD homeschool. Don't waste your time with why you shouldn't as these will be addressed in why you should to counter any arguments. But don't argue! Once you make up your mind, don't make it open for discussion and people are less likely to fight with you. Let them know you appreciate and acknowledge that they care. That's it. No discussion or it tells them you are willing to negotiate the matter and change your mind.

Curriculum - you don't have to spend a lot of money on curriculum. Besides, it won't give yout he freedom to pick and choose things based on his level in different areas. In the beginning, I would never ever recommend spending money. Okay, if he's not reading yet, phonics is good and Bob Books, too. But otherwise, just use your local library. Check out that book on What my Kindergartener needs to Know. Then there is What my 1st Grader needs to know. If you like them a lot, then find it at Goodwill or Amazon.com - mine were at Goodwill.

There's lots of different ways to homeschool. Don't panic. Jump on Yahoo Groups and find your local HSA (Home School Association). Go to the nearest meeting and scream HELP ME! at the top of your lungs and everyone will be at your side.

Go to the next major curriculum fair in June (give or take a month). LEAVE YOUR CASH/CARD/CHECKS AT HOME. Just go browse and have fun. :) Take a notebook. Go back the 2nd day and buy that cool game you can't stop thinking about.

This is just a beginning. Want to know more? Feel free to get in touch. We quit public school in Kindergarten because the new school we moved to was more of a daycare and my girls were just way to advanced. It helps that their first teacher was once the reading specialist.

Have fun! And Happy Homeschooling!

Answer 3

Which state are you in?  Requirements vary.  For our state, children don't have to actually be 'schooled' until they're 8.  At 5, just keep on doing what you're doing.

There's a great article at the link below - Ten Things to do Before Ten.

Also, check the homeschooling links under that.  They're a big help.  First, find a local support group in the area.  Don't commit to curriculum until you've seen it or talked face-to-face with moms who have used it.

Answer 4

When is a good question, but one that only you can decide.  Having several options makes it even more difficult to decide, but reading some of the suggestions here may help.

  

In my opinion, now would be the perfect time to take him out if you're really anxious to get started. At that age, he really doesn't need a whole lot, and I had a lot of fun with my son when we were homeschooling at that age. I would really check out as many curriculums as you can. Even though we chose Abeka, we supplemented and changed things a lot.  Next year (8th grade) I think we're going to do only a couple of subjects from Abeka, and hand pick from other curriculum on the rest.  You may end up spending a great deal of money on books and things before you finally find what works best for both you and your son.  I resold A LOT of things!  If you start now it would give you time to try out different things before he starts first grade next year. If you like to be organized and keep track of things, you can download a free planner/organizer for recording lessons, grades, tests, field trips, etc., at www.homeschooltracker.com.   As long as you can still get your real estate license, this option shouldn't be too difficult; it would be the one that I myself would choose.

However, if you feel that waiting to start next year is something you'd rather do, then there is nothing wrong with that either.  While your son is in school, you'll have time to check out other curriculum and chat with others, either in person or on the internet, who homeschool.  Calvert is a pretty good curriculum; my sister used it for awhile for her three kids, but switched later when she found something else that worked better for her son.  That's the great thing about homeschooling; you don't HAVE to stick with a certain curriculum, and can modify and supplement as much as you want.  You have to remember that every child is different, and what works well for one may not work for another.  But YOU have the option to pick and choose what is best for you and your child, and can teach him the way you feel is best.

This option would get you your real estate license faster, but you would be spending less time with your family for two solid weeks, whereas only two nights a week may seem less noticeable to your son.  But if he WANTS to go to that afterschool program then it really shouldn't be a problem either.  Whatever option you choose will work out just fine it seems, so it really doesn't matter.  You just have to make up your mind what YOU want to do.  Think about what you can get accomplished with each situation, make a list of the pros and cons, and then pick which one you'd rather do.

Like I said, suggestions may or may not help because in the end YOU'RE the one who still has to choose.

Answer 5

It sounds as if you are anxious to start with the homeschool.  I am not going to be much help because I am going to sound like your husband, "whatever you want to do".  

I think that whenever you start, there will be interuptions and distractions.  We just learn to work around and through those things.  

So, though I can't give you the answer, I will give you encouragement.  There will be obstacles all along the way.

Homeschoolers are teaching at home because we feel that is the best way to learn.

Answer 6

Personally I think if one has made the decision to homeschool, there is no point in keeping the kids in school to finish out the year. When you're homeschooling you might not even choose to stick to the school's timetable for anything-- grades, schedule, vacations. Plus, the longer a child schools, the longer transition period they usually need to adapt to homeschooling because it is a different educational model, so why bother letting it go on?

The beauty of homeschooling is the flexibility.