How would you go about homeschooling as a middle class family?

Question

The school district doesn't give homeschoolers anything and we are very new at this. Only one child, she is in 7th grade. We need to start VERY soon because there is a harrassment issue in the public school.

Answer 1

i have homeschooled for 15 years and have 6 kids and little money so i hope i have some info that can help.

there are many curriculums out there to choose from- websites like http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/ and www.hslda.org can lead you to those.

please research www.hslda.org for your state's law on homeschooling- they do vary a great deal.

join in the forums and letters to hear from others in the same situation.

i loved alpha omega lifepacs when i started because they had everything laid out for me, including tests and quizzes which you can skip if you want, and there was literally no thinking on my part as to what to do next. :)  plus you can buy the whole set at once or just a few books at a time. i will tell you- you don't need the teacher's manuals so don't waste your money. www.aop.com  for these. they religious in tone.

the joyful homeschooler by mary hood is a great book to read.i would definitly subscribe to the old schoolhouse magazine. i find it to be invaluable.

hope i helped a little

Answer 2

Well, I do homeschool and my family is lower middle class.

It takes some sacrifice, and it takes some work, but it is doable.

Check out these sites for free courses and materials:

http://oldfashionededucation.com/index.h...

http://www.amblesideonline.org -

http://www.orbitfiles.com/users/baabaami...

http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=...

http://dorioakes.tumblr.com/

http://www.hoagiesgifted.org/homeschool_...

Answer 3

Check out Jubileeacademy.org

Answer 4

Oh, I am so sorry for this.  Protect your child and take steps now.  Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, but you do need to be in compliance with your state's laws.  After that, the world is your oyster.

Here is a very helpful link for you.  All the best.

Answer 5

Most homeschoolers are middle class, at least in the US.  Really it's a whole lifestyle, so it can cost as much or as little as you like (in addition to household expenses).  

I highly recommend unschooling.  It's worked great for my family for over 16 years.  

Google to find a local or state support group.  They should have legal info and ideas on where to meet other homeschoolers for social networking.  

Good luck :D

Answer 6

The majority of people who homeschool are middle class, and most of them live on one income. We do not want the schools (government) giving us anything because then we would have to answer to them. The whole idea of homeschooling is to take responsibility for your own family's education.

With this said, you need to check out your state laws and the easiest way to do this is to get help from a veteran homeschooler. Go to your local library and ask them if they can help you find the local homeschool group (s) in your area and do they have the name and phone of the contact person for that group. The contact person (veteran homeschooler) will help you with your state laws and how to legally begin homeschooling.

Then you have to decide if you will be homeschooling throughout the rest of your daughter's school years or homeschooling. This will help you decide whether or not you wish to continue in a more traditional school mode or if your daughter would be better served with a different approach.

You can mimic the public school, buy a boxed curiculum from an accredited school (such as Oak Meadow) or hoof it and make it up as you go along (unschooling) by allowing your child to be self-led and self-taught. That is the nice thing about homeschooling: we get to choose what is best for our family, especially for our children.

I am glad you are also taking your child out of a hostile situation. Too many people make their kids stay and endure this abuse. Schools usually do nothing about these problems.

I wish your family much luck.

Answer 7

First... go ahead and start... it is OK to "wing it" a little for the rest of this "school year."   If your child is being harassed, will she learn much in that environment or will she just be miserable?

Perhaps, pick a subject or two of particular interest (or challenge) and focus there.  Or... have your 7th grader do a bunch of reading for "fun."  Reading is one of the most important skills (if not the most important skill) to develop.  Being a great reader will make every other subject easier.

Get connected with other homeschoolers in your area by joining a homeschool support group / association.  Get out and participate in some of their activities.

You will have time enough over the next couple of months / summer to plan for 8th grade.

Second, most (I actually think all) the homeschoolers we know are middle class.  Many get by on one income and have many children.  You will probably find yourself living a bit more frugally than you may be used to.  An enormous amount of money can be saved by simply cutting out most restaurant meals.  I think a whole lot of families would be able to afford homeschooling or private schooling by taking this step alone.

There are lots of free resources available.  Books can be borrowed from the Library or purchased really cheap used.

There are bunches of free stuff on the internet too.

Hope that helps a little bit.

Answer 8

You would homeschool as a middle class family the same way you would as any other family.

Go through the Y!A questions and answers and get a wealth of information.

Your first step will be to read about your state laws.

Second step would be for you to decided what style learning/ teaching will be best for you and your child.

Third step would be to follow the laws and start your homeschool.