I am not very educated and would like to homeschool my child?

Question

what do i do. i mean she's only a month old right now, but i dont like to see my friends children, how judgemental and pigeon-holing the public school system is, and how it seems to either crush them into little machines or make them need to rebel. from my own school, days, i dont like how public school only caters to one learning style and doesnt take into account how different children learn, and WHAT they learn. but i dont feel smart enough to teach my child. also i am a single mother and in school at the momment but will be working in a few. its probably impossible to homeschool if you are not a stay at home mom isnt it?

Answer 1

For the next four years,m you have to get a GED and at least an associates degree. Home schooling requires you to have great teaching skills,m awareness of the wonderfulness of the world, sciences, math, great music, art, literature, writing, math, etc.

Answer 2

You could prehaps hire a tutor/private teacher to teach your child in a way you approve of when she is old enough. Just make sure she learns cirruculum that will allow her to graduate with the same chances as children in the school system.

Answer 3

It's not impossible to home school if your not a stay at home mom. You could just do school with them when you got home. Or find someone you would trust with their education and have them work with your child during the day and after you got home you could work with them more. I'm sure you are educated enough if you got good grades and are now in college. Don't doubt yourself. Good luck!

Answer 4

the school system is not perfect but apart from education, schools play the really important role of teaching children to function in and as a part of society... if home schooled how are they sopposed to develop the skills that they will need in college or work.

i think that the best thing is to be there for them when they get back from school, because in my experience the more a child is coddled the more likley they are to rebel.

Answer 5

Ok. I know a kid who was home schooled his whole life untill last year when his mom let him go to school for the first time. He made lots of friends and stuff at first, but then he started geting in lots of trouble. If u home school your kid then when they get in the really world they will be ill prepared. They will be used to a nurchuring environment and having things done so they understand. So when someone gives them something in a different way then u taught them they won't know how to adjust. Plus he won't have that many friends unless she's active in a lot of community activities.

Answer 6

you can most definately homeschool!  go check out a seminar/convention on hsing, they will answer any questions you may have.

I watched one of our farm hands homeschool all 5 of her children, and I dont think she even had a diploma or GED.  She got the books and teachers editions from the school district, and just kept a good eye on the kids for their homework and tests.  They all did really well.  Two have graduated, and 3 are still hsing.  

If you are still not sure you want to hs after looking into it, you can also look into charter schools and cyber (online) schooling.

good luck!

Answer 7

The most important thing about homeschooling is NOT the education level of the parents, but a willingness to introduce your kids to all kinds of cool things, and learn right along with them.

Take them to museums, movies, nature hikes.  Use Google.  A lot!  Go to libraries.  Watch TV together.  Lots of cool stuff on Discovery, Animal Planet, TLC.  Let everything spark their interest and yours.  Follow your passions.

If you are a single mom, you need to be a bit more creative, but yes, you can still homeschool!  I'm a single mom and I work nights on weekends when my kids are with their dad, and they're with me M-F while he works.  Other options include other homeschooling families who might let your kids hang out while you work, churches, and homeschool co-ops.

Realize that true learning doesn't look anything like school, worksheets, and homework.  True learning comes by living a full life.  Everything is interconnected.  And it doesn't have to be expensive, either.  Museum passes are available at most libraries, etc.

Have fun and enjoy your kids!

Answer 8

Have you ever heard of Home School Legal Defense?  They are a big homeschool political/legal organization who does studies on homeschooling.  Do you know that the amount of education that a parent has is not related to how well their children do in homeschoooling? A child's success seems to depend more on one-on-one tutoring by the parent.  It's interesting that homeschoolers with no formal training turn out kids with test scores higher than most public school kids.  It has nothing to do with training and everything to do with time and love.

You will do fine with your kids.  You can learn with them.

Answer 9

It's not impossible, but it would be incredibly difficult.  In my home town we have what is called Treca Digital Academy.  You go to a little mini course, and they set you up with a computer which they provide.  You take your classes online, and then you do your assignments.  Now they even have ipods to offer lectures so you can listen to them anywhere.  You should check around in your community and see if there is anything similar.

Answer 10

try k12.com

Answer 11

I have a small but not so minor point to add to all the great answers you are getting...

You say you are not very educated.

I disagree!

You have graduated from the School of Hard-Knocks: A tougher curriculum than any Ivy League school in my book.

You have much besides academics that you can teach your child.

Answer 12

You do not have to be well educated to do a great job homeschooling your child--some surveys have been done on this and have shown that parental education isn't a factor in student success. You don't have to know everything your child will learn, but you have to be willing to learn and seek out the resources that will help. There are some great programs out there which do the bulk of the work for you.

And you can still be a single mom and homeschool, or perhaps have someone else do the bulk for you. I've known families to make arrangements where the children spent their days with another homeschooling family and the children did their work with the other family.

Answer 13

Congratulations, sweet new mom!  You are more than just a mom, in fact.  You are obviously a highly insightful person! That is clear by how you describe your conventional education when still a child.  Many people never figure out that they were only taught to check the box and not to think on their own.  Public school did not succeed with you because you ARE thinking on your own!    You figured out what you missed and you have sought it and, through hard knocks, learned more than most of the young punks fresh out of college, as I see it.  You know exactly what bothers you about the conventional system of education.  You itemized each point.  Your thoughts are clear as to what you do and do not like.  The only negative thing you have is that you "feel" that you are not smart enough.  Everything else you mention is based on facts but when it comes to assessing your own abilities, you mention feelings.  Please rethink your assessment because it appears that your feelings are flawed.  Let's return to the facts.  You spell better than many junior high students in public school right now!  In thirteen years of working on your own and with your own daughter, don't you think it will improve even more?  You also think and resolve better than many adults out there in the world right now.  It was not until I went to college that I learned the phrase "education for education's sake" and began to see learning as a joy.  

I have been a parent over 15 years now through the ups and downs of life with six children (one of whom died very young) and I have never been happier than when I was learning something new.  My homeschooled children are certainly part of my life-long educational plan, too.  I make a great parent because I am willing to keep learning and sharing with my kids.  What we are willing to learn and not what we already know is what qualifies us all to be great parents!

Let your daughter be your proof, though.  She will be talking fluently in a few short years.  Who will be the one who will have taught her this strange foreign language of her mother?  YOU!  Who will teach her to eat with a spoon and to walk?  You.  Who will teach her social graces and all that other mommy-stuff?  YOU!  Nobody is teaching you that stuff.  Some of it comes naturally and some stuff you will have to hunt down answers to questions as they come but you are resourceful and you will figure it out!  You will remain her best teacher and that is not only because you are willing to learn right alongside her, if needed, but because you are her mother.  Nobody, not even the truly best teacher in the truly best district, could ever love her as much as you do.  That qualifies you as your child's best teacher because nobody will EVER have the passion for her best like you do.  Also, while a teacher takes the first three months of every school year getting to know your daughter's needs. You will be three months further ahead with her every year you begin.  You can't do her wrong as long as you actively learn and actively seek her best.  Yes, single-parenting is stinking hard and single-parent homeschooling takes a very special breed, indeed.  Not knowing enough right this moment is faulty logic, though: even if it were true.  Even public school teachers have in-service days and workshops to keep them learing more every quarter.  You, however, will know more than any teacher will ever know about your little girl and her needs from the start because you are her mommy!!

Answer 14

Sure, you can homeschool! The important thing is, though, you need to become familiarized with the schooling materials out there and be willing to learn, yourself. If you need help with finding great homeschooling material, I will guide you through it. I have been homeschooled ever since kindergarten, and now I'm in the 11th grade with a 4.0 GPA. :)

Way to go on considering homeschooling!

And no; it is not impossible to homeschool if you are a single mom. It's hard work, but you can definitely do it. :)

Answer 15

well, i think that you should get someone else to help you. Maybe you should p***a subject that you are comfortable teaching. for example, you can teach your child at night when you are home (a subject that you are comfortable teaching) for example,math and reading. in the day, when your daugher is being babysat, because you're at school or work, she should get a babysitter who will teach her for example, english, spelling, grammar, science etc..... good luck!

Answer 16

Ah, I wish my mother had taken those things into account before hauling me off to the public school system...

You do have options.

Private tutors, educational software, and online curriculum with certain schools.  You can purchase your own text books, and even find the same material online.

There are many options available, try reading up at the following website:

http://www.k12.com

Good luck.

Answer 17

Pilar, If she is only a month old, you have plenty of time to get your education before she is ready for you to teach her math and language mechanics, etc.

Read.  Study.  Go to the library.

Get an education.  Meanwhile, explore possibilities for her education.   Study home schooling and read about other people's experiences with homeschooling.  There are many who homeschool and work full time.  It can happen.

Answer 18

homeschooling is the best thing I ever did for my daughter.  schedule is flexible and u can teach what u want.  It only takes a couple hours a day.  U have a few years to learn some things urself. almost anyone can teach something to someone else.  I think it's wonderful that u have an interest in homeschooling ur daughter.  And it can be done.  I think it's very fun to learn things w/my daughter and she teaches me things too!!  I do not like the way public school is run and am a supporter for homeschooling.  I say go for it.  U don't have to have a degree to teach her. There are different laws for different states. I don't think u have to teach anything until she is 7.  This website will get u started.  good luck to u and ur daughter!!

Answer 19

It really doesn't matter how smart you are. I was homeschooled for like... 4 or 5 years and you are supposed to buy the books for the homeschooling. The place my mom got the workbooks and stuff from, I think it was Abekabook[sp?] and it came with teacher books and stuff to help you teach your child.

good luck :]

Answer 20

Pilar, by virtue of being your child's mother you are more than capable of teaching your daughter.  You obviously know how to read and write, and I see that you are already going to school.  You can learn any skill you feel you are lacking by taking a few more classes or going to your public library.  What happened back in high school is not important, the present is what matters.

I know what you mean about having not learned much in school.  I graduated from a great university with a perfect 4.0 GPA, and I don't feel much learning took place at all.  It was all memorization and writing essays that reflected what the professors wanted to hear.  That's another reason I am homeschooling my children.  I want them to actually learn and care about learning

Statistics show that parents can successfully teach their children even if they do not have a high school diploma.  Can you believe that?  Everything we here about teacher qualification and certification is a myth.  The only things you need are to be highly motivated and able to locate good resources.  

Money is also not an issue - you can spend as much or as little as you are able and still achieve great results.  And single parents can and do homeschool.  It is great that you are thinking about this now.  Look at all this time you have to prepare.  

Here are some statistics for you:

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

Here is some info on qualifications:

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...

Here is some info on single parent homeschooling:

http://singleparenthomeschool.christianh...

Don't doubt yourself, sister.  Be encouraged.  If you want to homeschool your daughter, you can definitely do it!

Answer 21

I'm a single parent and I home school my child. It doesn't take very long to home school one child especially if you do it year round. Start teaching her now. You can give her large letter shapes (without small magnets) to hold. Hang numbers and letters from crib toys and that swing set toy that babies lie under. Tell her the colors and the names of the shapes.    

I work from home, so it is much easier. I have my own business but I know other single parents who sell items on the Internet or who do medical transcription work.

You don't need to be well-educated to home school. I just decide what is important to learn, I buy the books and hand them to my daughter. She completes them, grades them and reviews her mistakes. She doesn't want me interfering with her education. I pay $20 per week for a language arts tutor.

My daughter is now in fourth grade. I gave her a sample 8th grade test and she has better scores than most 8th graders, so she will probably do high school work the next two years and then go to community college when she is twelve.

Answer 22

Your ability to homeschool isnt about what you know, its about what youre willing to take the time to learn.  Go for it!!  Both you and your child will benefit from the experience.  What better example could you set for your child than to demonstrate your own willingness to learn and expand your knowledge.

Answer 23

I home school in La my education consists of a High school Diploma and 2 college credits (I had to drop out after Katrina to help out my family). I started home schooling since then and I am glad I did. If you are worried about the legal aspects of teaching with out a degree then I suggest you look at HSLDA to figure out if you can according to the laws in your state.

I will say this about home school. Even though my oldest is in third grade I have learned more than I ever did in public school. I am learning all kinds of basics that I missed.

BTW several people here work as well as home school. I do!

Answer 24

How do you mean not very educated?  Did you stop learning after you stopped going to school?  You have a lifetime of education that didn't just come from books.  But speaking of books I'm going to send you back to them.  Because in order to teach your children as a homeschooler you have to be willing to support their interests and learn right along side them.  

It is not impossible to homeschool as a working parent.  You'll have to find childcare (which the schools provide for free obviously), but it can be done.  I know of a couple of moms who work evenings, and one who works all day, but her child is in high school and can be left home to complete assignments.

So here's where I want you to begin.  I want you to check my booklist out.  I'm gonna post it on my yahoo group for you, and my homeschooling blog just give me about 15 minutes to put it there.  When you get this book list I want you to head to your local library and by the way get started liking this place! Visit different libraries, and right now, right now, RIGHT now begin reading to your child. (NOT so they learn to read early, but so that they learn to enjoy books and yearn for pure unadulterated written word). Okay end of Lizzil's sermon!

Hey you can do this. If you can read, write, draw pictures and add simple math problems you can homeschool.  Homeschooling can be as expensive or inexpesive as you want it to be. Your lil' one is sooo little.  Take time and read everything you can put your hands on.  Then when you get close--I mean the year before, entire year before--find a support group that understands the laws in your state and supports multiple types of homeschooling. Then go out to homeschool conferences and curriculum fairs. Don't do this too soon. You need time.

Lastly while the baby is still little begin turning your home into a learning environment. Sure there should still be places baby can't go, but the places he/she can go should be as exciting to be there as possible. Pay attention.  No one teaches a baby to walk or talk.  They learn these things completely on their own. Someone may plant the seed or idea in their ity bity heads, but they do all the learning themselves.  

Here's my blog...and the title I'm referring you to is: My Suggested Reading List for Newcomers to Homeschooling.

You can visit my group, but there's little activity there.

Answer 25

Hello,

I am a grandmother of five and a second generation homeschooler. One of the great thing about homeschooling is that you can work it around your schedule. I was a single mom with a full time job. We worked school around my schedule. Remember, learning is not just from class time.

I made spelling, math, and English packets weekly. My children were given schoolwork time in the late afternoon and evening. We did class time on my days off to go over their work, introduce new thing as well as to do science and social studies. Extra activities such as computer time, music, art, etc ect. can be done at any time. Your not on a time clock.You can use most any thing as a learning activity whether it's grocery shopping, cooking or just going out for dinner. My five year old grand daughter will pick whats she wants from her menu and politely tell the waitress/waiter what she wants. (good for beginning public speaking and socialism) Don't be afraid to give a try.

Answer 26

It is never too early to start thinking about these things. That is great.

You have plenty of time to research on what you would like to do.

You don't have to be a stay at home Mom to homeschool. I have known plenty of fulltime parents that have homeschooled successfully and you also you will be learning along side your child so don't worry about not being"smart enough".

Good luck in your endeaver. We knew we wanted to homeschool before we had our Daughter.

Answer 27

don't let your education hold you back from choosing to homeschool your child...I have only a highschool education and I am homeschooling my children.  You dont have to be a rocket scientest to do it...there are a ton of easy to use curriculums out there that do a lot of the hard work for you.  They even have the lessons layed out for you and all you have to do is follow the directions to teach it.  I would  suggest doing a lot of your homework to find the right curriumlum  for you to use...start early and join in a local homeschool group.  The other homeschooling parents will be a wealth of information.  Good luck.

Answer 28

here is a site that talks about qulification levels and homeschooling ur child

http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/...