How do I home-school my kids successfully?

Question

I want to home-school my kids but how?

Answer 1

There are as many ways to HS as there are families who HS.

You first want to start with a general HS'ing philosophy - do you want to study the Classics?  Use a Classical curriculum, unschool, use "school-in-a-box", or go eclectic?

Then find out your childrens' learning styles and choose curricula that fit that style, keeping your own learning/teaching style in mind.

Join a local/regional HS'ing group.

Attend a HS'ing convention.

Research online and at your public library.

Attend some local HS'ing activities.

Know your state's laws on HS'ing.

That's the "short and sweet" version.  Read the archives of this forum for *much more* detail.

Answer 2

Check out websites and lots of books to get an idea of the many different ways that homeschooling can be done. One will speak to you more than the rest.

Answer 3

Other people can help you with the nitty-gritty bits (legality and so forth) but here's my take on it:

Remember that each person's life is centered on that person. A curriculum may work better for _you_, but making your kids do that isn't necessarily educating them; it's making them do what you want to do. Also remember that kids just want to please you and make you proud (yes, even us unbearable teenagers) so there's a good chance your kids will put up with schoolwork they hate if they think it will keep your love.

Get them the books and resources they ask for, and get out of the way. Answer the questions they have and give them more help _if_ and only if they ask for it. In your adult life, you pick up books that interest you and if you signed up for a lecture course -or something- that you hated, you wouldn't stick with it. Or at the very least, you wouldn't have to act like you enjoyed it.

From what I hear from my parents, it can be hard but you have to trust in your kids.  Take them to a museum but don't print out the activity worksheet for that exhibit. If you do that, it becomes about filling out the worksheet and looking for the information on the sheet. Let your kids wander around the dinosaur exhibit for a while. Then, when you're driving back, ask them what they learned. You'll be surprised.

Throwing a lot of information at someone and hoping it sticks -which is what the modern public school system and every curriculum I've seen does- is, if nothing else, a rather stupid and inefficient way of doing things. How much do you remember from your college chemistry class? Could you parse a sentence? Speak coherently about the effects of the Philippine-American War? No. In school, you did a lot pf pointless c**p you didn't care about and took away what matters. If you let your kids do all -or most- of the selecting, you'll be saving time and letting them focus.

If they're young, be very relaxed. Maybe have them do something for each subject, but let them pick what that thing is and how long they want to do it. If your kid loses interest in marine biology, making him go through the rest of the book is just going to waste his time. Because you'll be going through a lot of books -not all of them completed- you're going to be spending a lot of time at the library, getting your kids actual books. It's better for them. I read -and thoroughly enjoyed- Tom Sawyer when I was six or seven. Why? Because I found an appealing-looking, unabridged copy on my parents' bookshelf and started reading it. Nobody told me it was supposed to be hard or started quizzing me on it, so I read it and liked it. The same went for a lot of other classics; I read things earlier than I was supposed to because I didn't know anything about them. Now, I'm not saying that I completely understood the subtleties of Camus when I was nine. There's a level of complexity that you just have to mature to understand. On the other hand, if they'd told me it was too hard, or made me write reports on each chapter, I would have hated it.

It would have been done with the best intentions, but it would have been counterproductive.

The one area I can see being an exception is math. Math is the kind of thing where you need consistent daily practice and a strong theoretical understanding. Everything I've learned with manipulatives or examples with pizza and trains has been much harder to apply than when I had to hammer the boring formula in to my brain. You end up remembering the pizza and the trains, but not pi(d) or d=r(t). But even then, if your kid can only do ten problems a day, let him do ten problems a day. People learn in their own ways, and what works for you may not work for your kid.

Sometimes, learning at their own rate means that they might go slow and not pick up algebra until they're 16. That's actually okay too. If you're there to support them and their interests, they will prepare themselves for the lives they will lead.

Unschooling (what I have been advocating) is not neglectful parenting. It isn't giving your 12-year old a library card and letting him go with no support. It isn't blindly trusting that your kid is learning everything, either. Talk to your kids and make sure that they don't feel like they're missing out on something educationally. Unschooling isn't letting your kids stay up until 4 AM or only eat brownies (although my parents let me do both of those, and after the initial pleasure from the forbidden fruit, I prefer to avoid three days of forgetfulness and nausea) or kicking your kids outside and forgetting about them. Unschooling is active, involved parenting.

If you're worried about college, get a tutor a few months before the SAT and get some prep books for CLEPs or SAT IIs in subjects the kid is interested in. If you don't flip out about it, you'll find that your kid will do perfectly well.

Answer 4

It is different for every family that does it, and often even for every individual child. As stated above, some people do online school which means you have teachers you corespond with over the internet. The online school sends you your materials and you complete the work and get a grade, just like regular school, only done on the computer from home or the library or the road if you travel a lot.

Some people homeschool through a private school or school of corespondance that sends them their books and materials for assignments, labs, projects, etc through the mail. With this type of home schooling, you usually send a report to the base school at set intervals.

Some people attend charter schools that let them go in to school once or twice a week, collect work, turn in work, and get help if they need it, though this isn't really what most consider to be homeschooling. Neither is online school to some people.

Some people take full responsibility for their own/their child's education by doing more traditional homeschooling. The parents and children choose their own curriculumk, text books, work books, lab equipment, videos, software, and any other materials they wish to use. They also choose their own subjects based on the child's individual interests and goals, for example, if the child wishes to go on to university, they will study the important core subjects that universities look for on transcripts as well as a variety of electives based on individual interests, needs, and goals. I personally am interested in robotics, animation, creative writing, and music, so this year I've been studying Programming and Robotics with various books and robotics/electronics kits for labs, 3D Animation with computer software, and creative writing with a textbook and books frokm the library. I also takek music lessons in the community and I am a member of a band. In this form of homeschooling, the state may require that you take a yearly standardized test to show that you are performing at or above grade level. In the states that are a bit more strict about homeschooling, your parents may need to send in a quarterly report, just like a report card in a way. Your parents may also give you tests at home if you all agree that this is what will be best for you, but it isn't required.You may also get grades like you do in school, or you may be on a Pass/Fail system, or you may have a totally unique grading system, or no grades at all. I take tests, but not for grades. When I take a test in a subject it is only to determine how far along I've come in that subject. The "grade" is never final because I homeschool to learn, not to just get by with a passing grade. If, for example, I took a test on a chapter I did in Algebra and I didn't do well on a few questions, instead of just going on to the next chapter, I go back and review the stuff I didn't get right on the test and then take the test again before moving on. For me, all tests are for is to tell me when I can move on to something more challenging. For me, and many others, tests aren't always in the same format as they are in public school. Sometimes in certain subjects, I'm tested by being given an extensive project or presentation to do to show my understanding of the topic cover, or asked to write a paper on it, or give a mock lesson on it as if I were the teacher. You know you truly understand something when you can accurately and confidently teach it to someone else. Often my mother, adult friends, or friends closer to my age who are in college or who have already mastered te subject will act as audience durring presentations or re-teaching activities, checking me if I don't seem to understand something. I only do this for certain subjects and topics though.

Homeschoolers sometimes do a lot of the things you may do in public school, but sometimes they do more as well. Many homeschoolers do a lot of hands-on activities like labs in science. This year, I am taking Chemistry, and I have all the same lab equipment you would use in a public high school chemistry class, just on a smaller scale, and with lab instructions specific to homeschooling (not requiring large groups of students, or very-hard-to-obtain chemicals). It was the same in Biology and in Physical Science. I have homeschooled friends who take thier science classes in a co-op group (kind of a homeschool class where parents and community volunteers act as teachers for each subject), and still other homeschool friends who take all of their highschool science classes (and some other classes) at the local community college as duel-enrollment students (just like regular highschool duel enrollment).

Homeschoolers don't miss out on the social aspects of school either. They certainly do not spend all of their time inside the house. Homeschoolers spend a lot of their time is spent out in the community, learning and experiencing life in the real world instead of in a house or in a classroom alone. Many homeschoolers take classes offered in the community such as art classes at an art studio or museum, musical instrument or voice lessons as well as band or chorus classes for homeschoolers at local music stores or schools, fencing lessons, swimming lessons, horseback riding lessons, classes and programs offered through local childrens museums, science museums, or history museums, classes or programs offered through the library, community/youth center, YMCA, or other Parks and Rec programs, dance class, and so on. Naturally, these are great opportnities for homeschoolers to interact with others of all ages, homeschoolers and public schoolers alike. There are also clubs outside of the regular public schools such as riding clubs, clubs offered through libraries and community centers, drama clubs at local theaters, boy scouts, girl scouts, Boys and Girls Clubs, youth group for those who are into the church scene, OM, academic teams, community sports, individual sports like martial arts, tennis, fencing, swimming, etc, and much much more. Many cities or counties also have homeschool organizations or co-ops where, as stated above, homeschoolers can take classes with other homeschoolers as well as go on frequent feild trips (though any homeschool parent or group of parents can arrange a feild trip when they want to), join clubs sponsored by the group (as many as can be thought of and started by the members), work on a yearbook or newspaper staff, attend dances or holiday parties (most groups have something along the lines of a Not-Back-To-School party each fall where the homeschoolers may go to a theme park or some other sort of outing) volunteer service projects, prom and graduation ceremonies for older students, outings on weekends, park days where younger kids meet up to spend an afternoon playing and pic-nicking in the park (uwsually weekly or monthly) and so on. Some even participate in private school sports competitions as well as regional and state science fairs and spelling/geography bee. There is no lack of social interaction.

The last form of homeschooling I can think of is unschooling. In this kind of home education, there is no structured school day, no tests (unless the child wants them), no grades. All of the learning and "school work" is directed by the child. This is usually best when started at an early age so that the child's natural desire to learn remains in tact and the child doesn't just become lazy or unmotivated. I am what I like to call a homeschool/unschooler because my schooling is all self-directed, but I still choose to do the book work and testing along with the creative hands-on stuff because I feel it is in my own, individual best interest.

I hope this answers your questions

Answer 5

First, do your homework on your states laws on homeschooling. Second, Find and attend lcal homescholing groups around your area. Third, Find out what kinds of Curriclum you want to use. That is totally up to you. I know that on  www.crosswalk.com has alot of information and forums to talk to parents that are doing the homeschooling thing now. I think it is full of resources. Good luck to you!!!!

Answer 6

The first thing that you will need to do is to find out the requirements in your state (or wherever you live, if you are outside of the U.S.).

A good place to do that is by visiting http://www.hslda.org In the upper right portion of the page, there is a map-select your state in the pull down menu under that map.

The second thing you need to do is decide HOW you want to homeschool.  There are many different ways-and no one way is the "right" way.  It depends on you and your child, and what will suit y'all best.  School at home?  A packaged curriculum?  A curriculum you put together?  Unschooling?  Those are just a FEW of the options.

Since it is so late in the year, if you are wanting to pull out now I would just do so and "unschool" for the remainder of the year while you are doing your research to determine what is the best method and materials for you and your child(ren).  If you intend to start homeschooling next year, or in the future, then start researching now.

My children are ages 10, 7 and the baby will be 7 months tomorrow.  They have ALWAYS been homeschooled.  One thing I am thankful for is that we decided so early-long before they were school age.  I had a lot of time to do my research, because I think if I had to do it all at once it would be overwhelming.

You might also "evolve" over time.  I know that when I first started considering homeschooling, I had the "school at home" approach in mind, complete with desks.  The longer we homeschool, the further towards unschooling we lean (though we are not completely there yet).  

To be successful, you will need a lot of patience (more so for the naysayers than for the actual act of teaching your children) and an open mind.  

I wish you the best!

Answer 7

I liked the way you added 'successfully'.  I suspect that wanting to do so, and listening to or seeking advice probably mean that you will do it well.

You do not state which country - my answers are written from a UK perspective.

In about 1999 some research seemed to point to the fact that home schooled students out performed those educated i schools!

It can be possible to become a little too laid back when home school removes some of the time pressure.  Equally, some people can treat 24 hours a day 7 days a week as an educational opportunity, and whilst leisure does offer opportunities, if a child feels they are constantly being schooled, they may find it difficult.

For the key stages up to year 9 (up to KS 3) there are lots of downloadable resources that go over the lesson content.  Even if you decide to ignore some or all, it is useful to know what i expected and what their state schooled peers are experiencing.   see http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes...

You may also find that some schools' websites contain some really good resources and effectively a sample curriculum eg http://www.didcotgirls.oxon.sch.uk/home....  or that some departments have some excellent resources  http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupHome...  http://www.hollandpark.essex.sch.uk/curr...   you might also like to search for Hot Potatoes Quizzes as teachers can use software for free to create interactive web resources if they make those resources freely available to others - Modern foreign language teachers seem to us them a great deal.

Getting towards public exams - GCSE's in the UK, syllabuses and past papers are often available on the boards websites.  Edexcel, AQA, OCR are just a few.  I moderate for AQA whose website is http://www.aqa.org.uk/

An organisation called Quia has worksheets you can use, and puzzlemaker.com is affiliated to the Discovery Channel and Disney.  You will find ideas there as well as free worksheets etc.  Some digital TV channels have very good programs and also some companies have educational DVD's - for example TV Choice do lots for Bsuiness Studies and ICT.   For example, I use Systems in Retailing and Systems in a Theme Park in ICT.  They are good as most students have experienced both!  iTunes has  podcasts to support learning and your children would really benefit from trying to create podcasts - great fun and good learning as a result!