We are considering homeschool for my 6 yr old son who is right now in public school. where do i even begin?

Question

we live in indiana and are considering homeschooling one of our children who is a twin. he is having major difficulties behavorily. he is understanding the work and is very intellegent but his behavior is getting in the way. we are looking into home school because of this. the principal at his school isn't very helpful and really doesn't want to deal with our situation. where do i begin?

Answer 1

oooh i wouldnt do that. i am way against home schooling. it separates people from the outside world. scocial and being a people person is what helps you succeed in life. did you know that most million and billionares made cs and ds in school it is all about being scocial and knowing what people want. im not saying you shouldnt be stupid but u need both to succeed. you might want to talk to all the teachers and school board about this. you can always fix behavior. tell your son the consiquences and how important school is!! good luck

Answer 2

It doesn't matter what school your child is in, so long as there is a behavioral problem. Work on the problem and get him interested in school first.

Not sure what the problem is, but I am sure you are aware that keeping him from building a social awareness is probably not a good idea.

Teach him that rules are rules and we all have to follow them or suffer the consequences.

Answer 3

First, you need to know the laws and regs regarding homeschooling in your state.  Here's a link to a legal analysis: http://hslda.org/laws/analysis/Indiana.p...

It looks like you just need to give written notice that your child is being withdrawn, and you can start homeschooling him.  You are not required to get permission from anyone, nor are you required to notify the state that you are homeschooling him.  Homeschools in IN are considered private schools, and thus are not under the jurisdiction of the state.  You are required to keep attendance records in case anyone asks, but it doesn't look as if that happens too often :)

You are only required to offer him at least a similar level of education as he would receive in public schools; you are not required to do any specific subjects, use any specific curriculum, or have him tested.  You don't have to have an annual evaluation or anything like that, and you are not required to have any special training.

Next, I would suggest you check out homeschooling support groups in your area.  If you Google the name of your city and "homeschool group", you'll likely come up with a few.  These groups will have veteran moms that will let you pick their brains as far as curriculum, scheduling, how to accommodate learning and behavioral difficulties, etc.  They will also give you a support system and your son social opps such as field trips, service projects, playdays, lessons, etc.

Third, understand that this will be a transition for him.  A good transition, but a transition nonetheless.  Therefore, expect him to have times of stress or confusion, and be ready to work with him.  Allow him to work into homeschooling at his own pace - don't expect him to follow a public school schedule.  Allow him to discover, explore, and have fun learning, and you'll likely see a huge change in his motivation and behavior.  You both might even enjoy it so much that you bring his twin home too :)

Hope that helps!

Answer 4

You are  wise to realize that public school may not be for everyone. That is the BEST place to begin When my # 2 child  

was in kindergarten his teacher "diagnosed" him with ADD.I knew that we were NOT going to go the medication route,so I began the process of trial and error,trying to figure out what worked best for him (and our family) After a couple of years of private school we went

to homeschooling.

This worked out so great that all the kids ended up learning at home. It was a sacrifice, hard work and lots of noise, but one that I would happily do again! The son that I previously mentioned,the one the teachers said would be lucky to finish 9th grade ....  graduated  from home school high school.... took his GED ALL in one day and passed them all- passed his ASVAB tests with  flying colors and is now proudly serving our country in the United States Army!!!

As far as the comment about socialization..give me a break.My kids participated in more outside activities than most kids in the public system. That argument just doesn't fly  anymore ...parents are keenly aware of the need to keep the kids engaged in the  'real' world!

Good luck with your homeschooling adventure!

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EDIT

as far as how to get started you will need to look into the laws in your state. Look for  a homeschool support group or network in your area.If you email me I will help you find the info that you need.

The next step is to choose the curriculum that you want to use. Don't try to reinvent the wheel here. when i first statred I went on line everynight and planned out the next days lessons-waht a mistake that was-it was exhausting and usually yeilded poor results.Look at what others have already done.There are some great programs out there-again if you will email me I'd be glad to share what I know. It is a commitment but it is not as hard as it probably sounds to you right  now.You can do it!!!!

Answer 5

begin by checking into home school laws for your state they differ from state to state and you need to know what your state requires. alot of state are stricter than others. the you will need to register as a homeschool. yahoo has numerous home school groups that may offer you advice and support. i would check those out. also look into something called unschooling. its a different approach to home schooling that is alot more fun and less confining for the child.

Answer 6

Here's a good site that explains how to get started homeschooling. http://www.canihomeschool.blogspot.com

Best of Luck!

Jana

http://www.purehomeschooling.com/

Answer 7

Indiana has very liberal home school laws.  You need to register with the state dept of education, and you are considered a private school.  Feel free to email me if you have any questions.  [e-mail]

Answer 8

Once you've done the appropriate legal things, you should do a bit of research on methods. When you read something that makes you jump up and down and yell "That's it! That's what an education should be!" you'll know what to research further. The poor lad is probably bored, so perhaps a classical style would suit. Try reading through http://www.welltrainedmind.com and see what you think. They also have a very helpful online forum.

Answer 9

In addition to what hsmomlov said, you might try getting the book, "To Train Up A Child" by Michael and Debi Pearl. This can be found at: www.NoGreaterJoy.org . This will help dealing with the behavior problems. And no, there need be no social problems. After his behavior is corrected, you can get him into many clubs and activities put on by homeschoolers in your area. If there are none, start your own! My homeschooled children are into 4-H. It is fun and free. They learn a lot and it is parent directed.

We have homeschooled for 12 years, starting our 13th this week. My oldest is a senior at the local high school where her daddy teaches math. I do not have a degree, but when she started school, the whole school was amazed at how exceedingly well she did. She is very social, not awkward at all. She is intelligent, asking appropriate questions and is very creative, whereas many ps students have had creativity and common sense taught right out of them. Most high school students today are apathetic. My children, even both daughters that are in high school, still love to learn. Hannah, my senior daughter, is taking 3 dual-credit courses this semester, more than any other student in her class. She is popular and respected.

So please don't listen to gpeach. They have given into hype, but probably don't know any homeschooled children personally. I know many homeschoolers (as our area is one of the biggest pools of homeschooling in the US) and I've met very few who had social problems. And those that did came from parents who were socially dysfunctional and didn't need to be homeschooling.  (The Lubbock, TX area alone has over 500 homeschooling families!)