I want to home school my first grader. Where do i start?

Question

I want to home school my first grader. Where do i start?

Answer 1

Take a look at www.hslda.org first and check out your states/provinces laws.   That will give you all the regs you need to know so you can follow them.

Then I would google homeschool catalogues and get a bunch sent to you.  You can look through them and find a lot of great stuff.    

You need to figure out if you want to do relaxed homeschooling, follow a certain curriculum, unschool, etc.   In grade one you can have so much fun.   We did a program called "Five in a Row".  We cuddle on the couch, read great award winning books, and learned a lot.  

Good luck.

Answer 2

First you have to fill out forms.

Answer 3

First, go to http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/de... and find your state, to find the laws that you must be in compliance with to homeschool.

Second, research the types and styles of curriculum that you want to use. Do you want to use an accredited school and have them grade your child's papers or do you want to create your own curriculum?

In my state I am not limited to accredited schools, but I must either have him tested, have a supervising teacher go over his portfolio, or use an accredited curriculum.

A book that is invaluable (in my opinion) is this book is called Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High. You can find it at amazon.com (see below for the link to the book). It tells you what you child should know at each grade level. It also gives loads and loads of resources for homeschooling.

Third, begin as soon as you can. Homeschooling is an adventure that you will never regret.

Answer 4

You have to teach your first grader how to read and basic math facts.... counting, then adding and subtracting, and introduce them to money.  Decide if you want to use a curriculum or teach it yourself.  

Is your child in school already?  If so, find out the homeschool laws in your state so you will know how to withdraw them from the current school system.  

I homeschool my first grader and fifth grader.  We love every minute.

Answer 5

Look up local home-schoooling places....and then go from there!

Answer 6

Well, if your child is already in school, you first need to withdraw him from school. This is easy, but be prepared for a lot of people trying to talk you out of it. They'll tell you things like "your child won't have friends/know how to act around people." or "your child will fall behind and not do well" or "your child won't be able to go to college" or my personal favorite "It's illegal unless you do it through a public school for medical reasons." Of course, none of this is true, but I imagine since you've already made the decision to homeschool, you know this already.

So, about pulling him out of school. Start by going to HSLDA.org (Home School Legal Defense Association) and find homeschool laws. Look for your state (there's a map. it wont be hard) and read your options. Usually you just need to send a letter of intent to the school board with your child's name, age, and address on it, and state that you're going to homeschool him, however some states are tougher than others and may want to review your curriculum choice/teaching plan for approval. There aren't many like this though, so you might not have a problem.

Once your child is out of school, you get to go shopping! Yay! Well, you may not. It depends on how you want to homeschool him. At this age, library books, educational videos, free online resources, and common household objects can go a very long way. If you want to get him a curriculum for certain subjects, or for all subjects, it isn't that hard. Search "homeschool materials 1st grade" or something to that affect in Google, and you'll find many MANY resources (some more affordable than others).

Before I forget, now is a good time to remind you to JOIN A HOMESCHOOL GROUP! This is a big step and can prove to be emensely helpful.  Search google for "<your city/state> Homeschool Groups" sans quotes and <> of course, and see what you find. Not only will this provide you with an easy-to-access wealth of information and support, but it will also help you discredit all the socialization myths. Your little one will get to meet lots of other HSers (as well as the PS friends he may already have) and you'll get to meet lots of other HS parents. You will get to see lots of different approaches to HSing, share ideas, possibly share testbooks, and maybe even share kids! (lol. What I mean is have group classes like PE and such). Some groups have field trips as well, and parties and gatherings and so on. Definitely find yourself a support group. It did wonders for us.

As for teaching... It should come naturally. Don't play school with you child (unless that's what he likes). It doesn't have to be terribly structured in the beginning, especially if he has been in school for a while and needs to get used to the homeschooling life. For a young child, it is easy to make lessons fun, and I can give youa  few examples that don't require textbooks, or can be used to reinforce information in a textbook.

For reading, I'd bypass the grade level literature books altogether and just read real books with your child. Don't ever assume a child is too young to enjoy a novel. If he likes books with pictures, have those available, and set time aside for him to just read independently, or read to you/with you. You should also read to him as much as you can. Read classics... Sherlock Holms, Huckleberry FInn, Mobey d**k, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in 80 Days... You get the idea. It may seem like advance reading, but if you start by reading to him and really grab his interest, and stop now and then to tell him what big words mean and help him sound them out, he'll eventually want to read these same books himself. It will do wonders for his vocabulary, and foster a genuine interest in reading that lots of kids in public school lack. I know a boy who was read the classics (and other novels as well) from the age of 3. You would be amazed if you talked to him now. He's 17, but you'd think he had finished grad school already and seen the whole world.

Along with reading, writing is important. Your child will need to learn the sounds letters make, and how to write them and spell with them. You can use weekly spelling/vocabulary lists if you like, but you may also want to play spelling games with him. Scrabble Junior is a nice one, or just use the letter tiles to give him mixed up words to unscramble and spell out correctly. This will work especially well if he's the type of person who learns by doing. You can find learning style surveys on line that might give you an idea of how to find your child's learning style and adapt lessons to it.

In math he should be learning addition and subtraction. I think about halfway through my first grade year we were doing tripple digits in both. You could start slow with this, using real physical objects like M&Ms or legos, and let him see that when you add 3 of something to 5 of something you have 8 somethings. The m&m's are good for subtraction too... If you eat four of your eight candies, you only have four left. It also serves as a reward system. THis makes a good introduction, especially if you show him how to read/write addition and subtraction problems as he does it.

Identifying, adding, and subtracting money is important as well. You can do make-believe games with this. I remember playing "store" when I was little. You can use real bills an dcoins for this, or buy pretend paper ones at a school supply store. Pick out a few toys that are going to be "for sale". Maybe write an ad about the toy for your child to read that includes the price. Start small. 1 cent. Then move on to 5 cents, 10 cents, and so on up to a dollar, then a dollar and change. As the price increases with each day, have him use hte couns and bills to see how many different ways he can make 5 cents or $1.00 or 50 cents. It's a good way to practice remembering how much each coin is worth, and how many small coins make up the bigger coins and the bills. If he gets really good, you can apply this concept when you go grocery shopping with him. "Mommy's buying flour. It costs $1.25. Can you pick out the money I need?"

You can also introduce simple science at this age by doing kitchen experiments that are easy for little ones to do. Like the baking soda and vinigar experiment, or the cyclone in a soda bottle trick. There are library books that have activities like this and explain how they work in words a little one can understand.

Some other things I remember from first grade are talking about the weather, the days of the week, months of the year, talking about the ones place and tens place and hundreds place in math, talking about animals and how they behave. I remember each week we were a different kind of scientist (icktheologist, palientologist, etc) and did a sort of unit study on that kind of animal, or whatever we were studying. There were lots of arts and crafts to build creativity, and I remember learning some introductory words in different languages. We'd say a new word each day in Spanish and French. You can do a lot. Just be creative, be flexible, and let your child help you help him... or teach you to teach him. It should all come naturally soon enough.

Congratulations on taking such a big step in your child's education!

Answer 7

Hi Edna, welcome to the wonderful world of homeschool.

This is what you are going to need to do to get  the 2 of you going :)

1) Go to HSLDA.org to find the laws for YOUR State. Since each State varies on their take of homeschooling, you need to follow their rules.

2) Now you submit a 'Letter of Intent' (this is it's name), which gives the Name,Age/Birthdate and Grade level of the child and the Name of the Parent(s), When you plan to start your Homeschool.(FYI: don't pull him out of school and then wait a week to submit the letter, because you will have Truancy issues. You can pull him the same day you submit the letter). When you submit the letter which goes to your LOCAL SchoolBoard (sorry almost forgot that part), you can either HAND deliver it (they sign and seal it right in front of you and make a copy for themselves) or Send it 'Signature Required' which can take from a few days to a few weeks.

I prefer the Hand Delivery, because they can't play games then.

3) You will need the following items ( from Walmart or your favorite store)......Plastic File Box (legal size is better), Legal size File Folders, Calendar (wall or pocket). This is your Portfolio start....you use the calendar to 'track' the days your son 'attends' school, does special projects and you store ALL his work in the File box ( mine is set up by subject). If he does a project that won't fit in the box, take pics (label/date) and put those in instead.

Your portfolio is what you take with you when you recieve a WRITTEN NOTICE to appear for a review (child goes too). You must keep this portfolio for UP TO 5 years, so you will need a new one evey year ( I get plastic storage bins and transfer everything to those at the end of the year and just label that with her school year/grade).

4) Curriculum: This is not as hard as it seems and you DON'T have to spend hundreds of $$. In fact, you CAN homeschool for virtually little money at all ( I do).

A) PRE-PACKAGED---- expensive, one-sided, requires extra material at times, can't be used more than once.

B) WORKBOOKS---- okay to a point, again can be used only once, hard to come by and can start costing $$$

C) PIECED (well that's what I call it)--this is where you find things you and he like, and put them together--this works well if you are on a budget.

D) UMBRELLA/COVER SCHOOL ----some States like Alabama will require this for you to homeschool. They charge you money, THEY hold your son's records (attendance, shots, test scores), THEY send you THEIR curriculm which puts your son on a time limit because you have to send it back to them to be graded. Does not work for everyone and makes it difficult if the child has problems in a certain area.(this is where you need to know your laws((hint)) ).

5) Make places like Walmart, Dollar Tree, Big Lots, Thrift Stores, Flea Markets your friend. Use the Internet to google places or subjects and invest in a good Printer/Scanner/Copier.

I homeschool my daughter (9yrs old, 3rd grade) in Fl. I create her curriculum and attend a Review at the end of the year. My daughter does not have to sit for ANY tests other than the ones I give her (weekly spelling, bi-monthly History,Geography, monthly Math).....meaning she doesn't have to STRESS over FCAT or DIBEL.

The 'bought' books are Ray's Arithmetic from Amazon.com, McGuffey Readers and Speller (again Amazon) and some workbooks. Everything else is either stuff that has come from a second hand place, off the Internet or created by me. She also uses Educational Software like Jumpstart and LeapPad. She is allowed to read anything she wants that is at her level. We do LOTs of Hands-on (she just made a snowflake for Science using BOILING water and 20 Mule Team Borax, pipecleaners and string and a glass bowl), at this writing she is putting together a Foam GingerBread House by herself that we got from Micheal's.

We stock up on supplies every year when the Back-to-School sales start (pens, paper, notebooks, crayons,glue) and not having to buy what is on those school lists that comes out is great because we save so much $$$$$. I also take her on lots of Field Trips (counts as a school day) and get discounts from places like the Bookstore, Museums,Zoos, Theme Parks when I show them our Homeschool ID cards ( I paid all of $12 for ours, but you can print your own for very little----you will need to use a Passport size photo which are very cheap).

We also named our homeschool and I made shirts with our name and logo on them that we wear when we go on Field Trips ( this also cuts down on the rude remarks from some people) and I created Business Cards with our School Name/Logo for free using my computer (blanks card cost all of $5 at Walmart).

Look as long as he shows progress from year to year, you don't have to worry (again State Laws). Don't let others bring you down or discourage you and don't listen to the horror stories (they are all garbage) about homeschooling. Unless you are in one of those States that has MORONIC rules (Al,PA,NY) you will be fine and the School can't stop you from homeschooling (they WILL try). There are plenty of support groups around.

Here are some websites for you:

www.Oldfashionededucation.com(curriculum ideas/support)

www.home-school.com

www.homeschoolmedia.com

www.homeschoolincorporated.com

www.krampf.com (science)

www.obdk.com (science)

www.sciencecastle.com

www.bookmooch.com

Also check out CafeMom, you can find support there.

Good luck and WELCOME to the Homeschool Family.

Answer 8

Go to http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp to find out the laws in your state.  Some states have strict requirements, while others don't even require to notify anyone of what you are doing.

Start simply, phonics and reading, basic math, History.  Read up on different methods and pick what you think will work best.

Some good places for resources

http://www.rainbowresource.com

http://www.aop.com

I like Horizons Phonics and Reading, and Horizons Math.  If your first grader isn't already reading you might want to start with the Kindergarten level of Phonics though, because the curriculum is very advanced, about a year to a year and a half above what is typical.

Answer 9

with the alphabet.

Answer 10

1) Know the laws for where you live. You can find this out at http://www.hslda.org which gives you a brief recap, or through a state-based or local homeschooling group/association, which will be able to give you more detailed information. You might be able to find websites for these or Yahoo Groups.

2) Figure out the bare minimum of what you want your first grader to learn. This is typically reading, writing and basic math. Everything else is extra. Seriously. Your homeschool group is a great place to learn about suitable materials you could use.

3) Once everything's in place, you don't need to spend more than 30-60 minutes a day with a first grader on work--unless you have chosen a very comprehensive program designed to take up more time (like Sonlight). Have fun and enjoy your time with your child!

Answer 11

I bought the book Homeschooling Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp. (It's also available at the library) It tells you everything your child should know by the end of each grade. You don't have to complete it all but it gives you guidelines. Then, find textbooks (christianbook.com has a lot for good prices) or check out books from the library to make it fun. Make sure you do lots of hands on stuff crafts, cooking, experiments, etc. and take some fun field trips.

Also, I'd seriously consider finding a local support group that meets regularly so you child can make friends, you could meet other homeschool families to encourage you and give you advice, and so you can do other activities that might be available (volleyball, swim/gym, music, etc.)

Then I'd sign up for HSLDA so you have help if you are ever in trouble. Research and find out the requirements for your state.

Hope this helps.

Answer 12

First you should always check out the laws in your state. Always protect yourself. Then from there it is kinda up to you. For a lot of people that have never homeschooled before it helps to research about homeschooling. There are many ways to homeschool or "unschooling" as some people call it. A good place to start is by reading a book titled "The Homeschooling Handbook" by Mary Griffith. (you could find it on Amazon.com or at your local library). It answered a lot of questions for me when I began. It covers legal stuff, structure, assistance, costs, all ages of kids, record keeping, resources, community, and beyond. From there you figure out what type of school environment you want for your child. What works best for them and you. You can have a structured "public school" environment with strict schedules, you follow purchased curriculum or you can just wing it. One of my favorite things about homeschooling is that everyday can be about learning and I can teach what I want or what my child wants to learn. Think outside the box. For a history lesson visit a museum. For Science visit a zoo. For math bake cookies together. (measurements, adding, etc) You can create your own curriculum. You can search the internet for tons of sites that offer "FREE" printable worksheets and activities. And you can teach that way. Or you can buy already prepared curriculum. (Which can get pricy at times) It all depends on you teaching style and your childs learning style. There are also other books available that help you know what a child should know for that grade. "What your 1st grader needs to know" by E.D. Hirsch. Here are also some very useful websites.  

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.ht...

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.ht...

http://abcteach.com/

http://www.edhelper.com/

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/a...

http://www.crayola.com/

http://www.nhen.org/

Hope that helps you. If you have anymore questions about homeschooling or want to talk more let me know.  :)

Answer 13

well first you can find a progam/ company to use their schooling guide/ books and follow their program.. also you should look for a good one that has teachers you can call for help and so you can send them the tests and work that the first grader did so they can correct it

Answer 14

Do an internet search for homeschool support groups in your area... something like "homeschool support group MyTown MyCounty"

Contact one or more of these support groups and you will find all the help you need.  The great thing about this approach as opposed to just researching online is that you will be able to speak to real people.

It can be overwhelming at first because there are so many curriculum choices and style choices.  You will probably find that you will experiment around a little bit until you and your first grader "find your groove."