Over the years, and more so in the past few years, I've had people
ask me how to get started with homeschooling, what my favorite homeschool websites are, what are some good
homeschooling resources for curriculum, sources on the web, Laws, etc. So, I figured I'd type them
all up and keep them on my blog, so that when other people ask, I can
just point them to my blog entry. I know, smart. ;)
First, those questions are loaded questions. There is so much out there on the internet about homeschooling. You can find sites on everything from curriculum, to games, to field trip ideas with a simple Google search.
But here I will include the ones that I turn to the most, and which I like best. I'll also include a snippet as to why I like it.
I hope this will be helpful to others out there! :) Homeschooling is by far the greatest, toughest, and most rewarding adventure I've ever experienced. I am actually sad that I'm down to my last child at home, and that in about 8 years this great adventure will come to an end. :( But I'm sure it will be replaced by new ones, right? ;)
OK - here we go. Just click on the underlined titles . . . . .
RAINBOW RESOURCE CENTER - This place has it all just about. Christian homeschooling family started this as their business, and you can find all sorts of curriculum, projects, games, videos, you name it. What I have always loved about them is that they have very good descriptions of each product, and in some cases they offer comparisons. They are fairly priced, have good customer service, prompt delivery, and are trust-worthy.
SCHOOL OF ABRAHAM - Here you find all-things "LDS Homeschool" related, from quotes by General Authorities, to curriculum, and "pick-me-ups" for moms. I was actually part of the group when the initial idea started, but at the time I was new to homeschooling and felt too overwhelmed by caring for my own little homeschool, let alone start up a website like this. So I know the ladies that started this and the idea behind it. A great place for LDS resources.
LATTER-DAY RESOURCES - This place is the LDS twin of Rainbow Resource Center. I have found LDR to have the lowest prices on most things. Good customer service, great curriculum, good descriptions of items, prompt service and trustworthy.
GREAT ILLUSTRATED CLASSICS FOR CHILDREN - I love these books for younger kids. These classical books are condensed and written in just the right amount of "modern English" in order for young kids to understand them. If your child can read, these are great books to have them read. I do not subscribe to the theory that so long as a child is reading it doesn't matter what books he's reading. I think it matters greatly what books they read! I prefer they not read "dumbed down English/Grammar" books before they are at least 12 or 13 years old. Just as with music: it pays to train the child's ear to only Classical (and perhaps religious) music the first 5 years of their lives, thereafter they will most certainly learn all about all other sorts of music, but they will choose better than had they never been trained classically. The same goes for reading: train the child in classical literature as early as possible. There will be time enough later for all the "dumbed down" literature we seem to be swimming in these days, regardless whether these "dumbed down" books have the Newberry Award stamp on them or not.
ABEKA BOOK - I LOVE ABeka books! This is the curriculum that we have used and which I recommend hands-down for Math and Language. They are VERY thorough and tough! Any child that grows up doing ABeka for Language and/or Math, will KNOW their language and/or Math! The bad side is that ABeka has LOTS of workbook work. So what I did (and it worked great!) is to have the kids only do the ODD numbers. Then, if I felt they still needed more practice on that particular concept, I would have them go back and do some or all of the even numbered problems. Most of the time, they didn't need to the even numbered ones. ABeka has all the lessons planned out and typed up in the "Curriculum" books, so that all the parent/teacher needs to do is follow the written plan. I have found that ABeka Math and Saxon Math are both identical in how well they teach the student the subject. However, the difference is his: ABeka is better used by students who "get it" and are not struggling at all with Math, whereas Saxon is better used by students who need a slower moving pace and more repetition. That's not to say Saxon is for "slow" students. You can actually slow down ANY curriculum (one thing I LOVE about homeschooling!). But Saxon just repeats and repeats and repeats and repeats and repeats... whereas ABeka simply repeats and repeats, and continues moving forward, then later will repeat again, as a reminder/refresher. So it's really just a matter of personal preference, I think.
BEAUTIFUL FEET BOOKS *- I love love love this program! You buy a Study Guide for a certain subject, and all the books that go along with it. The Study Guide literally has the days planned out, example: Day 1: read pages 10-30, followed by a short list of other things to do such as finding something on a map and/or globe, drawing a map, coloring a picture, writing a short essay, finding something on the library, etc. It is by far my favorite way of learning. A LOT of reading from "real books" (age appropriate of course) and then small assignments for each day you read. The program calls for only doing each lesson like 2-3 times per week. But you CAN do it daily if you want to push through it. It is a fabulous way to have the kids learn real information and retain it. You can also find most of their books at the library. So you can search your library online to make sure which books they have, then only purchase the books the library doesn't have. Or, if you're like me, just purchase the whole package from BFB so that you can keep all these fabulous books for younger kids that are to follow, for grandkids that will follow, or just for fun.
*Side Note: BF Books has a GREAT blog you may be interested in reading! You can find it HERE.
APOLOGIA SCIENCE - Bar-non my favorite Science of all time. It is written TO the student beginning at Jr High Level. The author uses great humor and his vast knowledge of Science to make Science not only fun, but he does it in such a way that it sticks. No parent/teacher needed once they hit the Jr. High level (unless you want to do it along with your child just for fun, like I did!) The author is upfront about being a Christian and Creationist; however, he also presents what the "big bang" theorists point out and he is clear in letting the student know two crucial things about Science: (1) that Science is not an exact art. Even in the most "sure" thing, there can be doubt, because man does not understand ALL about nature yet. And (2) he is sure to tell the student that he/she must make up their own mind, after seeing all the theories and facts presented, regarding what he/she wants to believe (either "Big Bang" or "Creationism".) The books are written by "Modules", each module being a topic, and taking about 1-2 weeks to complete, all depending on how much is read during the day. The Modules are broken up into smaller sections, and "On Your Own" questions that are answered by the student in their Science Spiral immediately after reading. You can go as slow or as fast with this program as you like (though I recommend faster, as it quite a lot of info for 1 year). At the end of each Module is a "Study Guide" (like a fill-in-the-blank) on that module. You can just fill in the blanks, or do as I did and have the student copy the entire Study Guide, with answers, into their Science notebook. After the Study Guide comes the Module Test. Answers to the On Your Own, Study Guide, and Tests are found in the Teacher's book that you buy along with the textbook.
SONLIGHT - I have not used this, but I have friends who have used this and really like it. It is less rigorous than ABeka but still good in content. Less expensive too. You can buy a whole grade packaged, or just by-subjects. Something that's nice is that they also offer a small description/comparison to other popular programs and how it compares to Sonlight's right on their web pages.
TEACHING TEXTBOOKS - These are also GREAT! If your child finds workbooks just boring, then Teaching Textbooks is a good second to ABeka or Saxon. Just as thorough, but with DVD's. This program has DVD's and workbooks (both for student and parent). You put the DVD in, watch the lesson, follow along in the book, watch the sample problems being worked right on the computer screen, then do the problems assigned in the workbook. If you get stuck and just can't get it, pop in the "Answers DVD" that goes with that lesson and you'll see him walking you through that particular problem and how to solve it. Tests and answers come in the Teacher book. Our son, Jonathan, who is more prone to ADD type stuff (though he does not have ADD) LOVED this program. The only bad thing is that their technology is a bit behind the times, so it won't work on our MAC Lion. But it worked great on our MAC Leopard. Good, Good Stuff!!!
ALPHA OMEGA PUBLISHING - This is a less-rigorous, "get the basics done" type of good curriculum. It has shorter lessons, shorter amount of work, but is still better than what you'll find in public schools. It is a decent curriculum for an inexpensive price. Easy to follow too.
LIAHONA ACADEMY - This is a private and distance learning school based out of Utah and based on LDS teachings. I have friends who use this and love it! I've never used it because I can't afford it. But I have heard only good things about it. If you want some of the "weight" off your shoulders when it comes to homeschooling, you may want to give this a try. Going through Liahona, or any other school like it, can also provide a "safe" feeling for homeschooling parents in that it is all accredited. It is basically a private school, fully accredited, where you will receive transcripts and diplomas at the end. A-la-LDS.
AMERICAN SCHOOL OF CORRESPONDENCE - ASC is a fully accredited "public" but distance-learning High School (for those with high school age kids). We used them with our oldest child, and they are ok. It is a "bare minimum/basics" education. They offer the "General" high school program or the "College Preparatory" program (which we used). Both are 4-year programs, but they can easily, easily, be completed in 1-2 years, depending on how fast the student wishes to push himself. I can only speak from our personal experience and what I've heard from friends who used this program, and I can say they are decent. A big plus for us is that you can pay month-by-month. They offer a couple other options too. Once you sign up, your entire 4 year class schedule is already chosen (by you) and they will start you out by sending 2-3 classes worth of books. As you complete "x" amount of work/tests, they will then send you the next class. Once you complete a certain percentage of that, they send they next class, and so on. You CAN ask for more classes to be sent if you wish. Another plus is that the student does it all on their own. No planning or teaching for the parent. Student has access to online help and guidance by teacher or counselor, and they offer help through websites where you can learn further or engage in "class discussions", etc. Once a test is completed, you can log on to your account and see the grades and progress you've made so far. I found they are a bit "easterner" in their customer service skills (ie: a bit rude), but manageable. If you want a thorough, in-depth, well-rounded Classical education for your child (which is what we strive for in our home) then you will either want to supplement ASC with your own reading and side-classes, or look elsewhere. This is literally a "bare bones" education. But better than a G.E.D. Evidently they also have started a new program where you can "make up" classes through them, that perhaps you can't do through your own school. But that wouldn't really apply to homeschoolers.
ONE YEAR ADVENTURE NOVEL - This is something I hope to do with our last child, as I didn't not learn about it until it was too late for our older two. A friend of mine told me about this, and it really looks fabulous! Known all I know about homeschooling, curriculum, Literature and Writing, this program looks outstanding! Basically this teacher, an author himself, takes you through a one year Writing program learning all different kinds of writing, and at the end of the year you will have written your own adventure novel, ready for publication if you wish to go that route! From what I hear all the teens that have done this absolutely love it! It is not boring at all, keeps the pace upbeat, humorous, and full of writing wisdom! Our youngest likes to write, so we will definitely be going this route with her when she gets to be old enough. We will be doing this in place of the ABeka Writing program. Sounds FUN!
ART ACADEMY - (by Mark Kistler) If you want Art, this is a fun way to learn. Scroll down and you can sign up for the Online Art Academy (which we did because our youngest is an avid artist from birth!) Mark is funny and easy to understand when it comes to way he describes how to draw and why. This is a good basic drawing Art class. You won't learn about primary or secondary colors/color wheel, or painting or anything else. This is trictly drawing in 3-D. But it is a GOOD BASIC for any art program, as all the things taught in this program are necessary as a foundation for all other art programs. The student will learn about lines, dimensions, foreground, background, balancing, shading, curves, angles, and more. Excellent and highly recommended! Even I've done some of these! He also changes the line-up from time to time and/or adds new stuff, so he keeps it interesting and changing. I bought a 3 year program for the cost of 1 year through the website that follows.
HOMESCHOOL BUYERS CO-OP - This is a true "co-op". You sign up. You receive one email each week with different offers. You choose the offer you want and "sign up/commit" to buy it IF it reaches the price you choose. Basically it is a great way for homeschoolers across the world to unite and use their "numbers" to buy "bulk" when it comes to all kinds of homeschool curriculums, games, programs, etc. This is the group I bought our "3 years for the price of 1" Art Program that I just mentioned above. I choose the price I wish to pay for this, and if they co-op for that particular item gets enough people to buy it (meaning it will push the price down to the price I chose), then I buy it. But please realize that you are COMMITTED to buying it once you fill out the form on that particular item, but ONLY If there are enough people that sign up for it that it pushes the price to the level you chose. Let's say you chose the least expensive price, meaning that 100 people have to sign up in order for this company to lower the price that much. Then let's say only 99 people sign up. You do NOT have to buy it then. The only time you MUST buy it is if they actually get 100 people or more, in which case the price will drop to the amount you committed to buy it at. They give you a certain amount of days in which to buy it too. It's a great way of getting things much less expensive than on your own!
FREE LIBRARY ONLINE - I've used this site a few times and have found it helpful. All Secular, but like a regular library, only OnLine. Search by general topic.
PROJECT GUTENBERG - One of my favorites. All Classics, plus more. If a book has been out in print for 50+ years, it becomes public domain. So all books from 1961 and before are most likely found on here. I love the fact that you can find old classical works for free. A GREAT resource!
FSI LANGUAGE COURSES - Free OnLine Foreign Language Courses. (FSI = Foreign Service Institute)
GEOGRAPHY ONLINE GAMES - a great way to practice your Geography skills.
REVIEWS (and Geography Book) - Cathy Duffy is renowned in homeschool circles as a reliable, accurate and good reviewer of curricula. Here she is reviewing a Geography book that I have heard marvelous things about, and plan on using for our last child when she hits 6th or 7th grade. On the left you can click on any subject area and you'll find all sorts of reviews (the good, the bad, and the ugly).
UNIVERSITIES: Many Universities started offering "distance learning" classes years ago to homeschoolers. Some of these offer them to students as young as Jr High School age. BYU, Texas Tech University, Harvard, Univ. of Nebraska, and many more. Check them out at their own websites.
I think I'll stop there. That's probably more than enough to keep you busy for the next year, all depending on deep you want to dig. :)
I hope this helps other homeschooling moms out there. I wish I had had this when I was starting out!
My piece of advise, just because I KNOW you were about to ask!, is that you pray to Heavenly Father for the guidance that you will need in homeschooling your own children. Each family is different, and each child is unique. Depending not only on the child's "learning style", but on also on the parent's "teaching style, patience, and available time", will determine what curriculum will be best suited to your family. Yes, YOU actually choose the curriculum for your child. :) No one is entitled to personal revelation over your child except you, the parents. Make use of that, for it is your greatest resource. All the above are simply resources that worked for me and others I know. That doesn't mean it'll work for you. Though hopefully it will. :) If there is one thing I've learned through homeschooling, it is that you do it much like parenting: by trial and error. Most of the time, we get it right the first or second time. But don't be harsh on yourself if you need to try 3 or 6 or 8 different curriculums as you go along. It's all about what works best for the student, but also the teacher.
Also - know that you are not alone. Especially if you are starting out on this homeschool journey. We all have second doubts and question whether what we are doing is right or not. Try to remember that, if you are like the majority of us, you too were "indoctrinated" to believe that "experts" and "certified" teachers had all the answers and that that was the best way of being educated. Well, I'm here to testify to you that that is false. In order to learn, we must be willing to learn. No matter who "teaches" us, if we don't want to learn, we won't. Therefore, "teaching" really is nothing more than making information available, and then hopefully presenting it in an interesting way for that particular student. Think about it - a class room of 30 kids, all with individual likes and dislikes, and the teacher, to be truly effective, must make the course interesting to each of those 30 kids. Impossible! But at home - where not only you are the teacher, but you are the one that loves that student the most, knows him the best, and can "reach" him the best... now that is true success if you put it to good use. Imagine a public school where the teacher:student ratio was 1:1. PERFECTION! right? Well, that's what you get in homeschool. 1:1. It cannot be beat. So trust in God, believe in yourself, and love your child. You will do just fine!
"But I'm afraid if I teach at home, that my child's education will have "holes" in it!" It will. But many less "holes" than what they get in public schools, or even private schools. Their primary and secondary education is NOT about "not having holes". It's about preparing to learn and go forth on their own learning path once they reach College age. That's when the true, life-long learning begins, not in elementary, Jr. High, or High School. Those are simply years the student is to be "exposed" to information and begin to learn how to learn, so that when they reach college age/adulthood they at least know how to learn for themselves and take their education into their own hands.
Also, one of the greatest lessons I learned, and it took me years to learn this: let the child choose what they want to learn. Yes we have to make sure they get their three R's in there. But let them choose their topics when they can. Science, History, Astronomy, Archeology, Flowers, Engineering, Music, etc. It's up to them, not you. You simply find the way to teach it.
My greatest piece of advise to all new homeschoolers who fear or wonder "but I don't know if I can really do this!" - can you READ? If you can read, you can homeschool your kids. It's that simple. Practically all curriculum out there has teacher guide books, or some even have scripted instructions. Simple!
Oh - and that reminds me - you will definitely want to look up your state's homeschooling laws. Abide by the law and you'll be fine. Here is where you can look those up:
STATE HOMESCHOOL LAWS - (I do not recommend joining HSLDA. It is not necessary, contrary to what they will tell you, and they have turned very political and "politically correct", and in a couple of instances have actually tried to get laws passed, in the name of homeschooling, that would, in the long run, end up hurting homeschooling rights. But they have good info on State Laws!
HOMESCHOOLING IN TEXAS - The Texas Home School Coalition ("The" Texas umbrella organization for all-things regarding laws for homeschooling in Texas. A great resources. Again, I would not recommend joining. Like HSLDA, they do use scare tactics to get you to join, but don't be fooled by those. They do, however, have all your legal resources info you may want for homeschooling here in Texas.)
Good luck! And enjoy this adventure we call Homeschooling! - - If you have any questions for me, I'd be happy to answer them if I can, or lead in the direction where you can find the answers if I can. :)
BUT ARE HOMESCHOOLERS PREPARED FOR COLLEGE? - Check it outt!
15 FACTS ABOUT HOMESCHOOLERS - Great info. and encouragement. You CAN do it!
OK, HOW DO I GET STARTED? - Read up! :)
First, those questions are loaded questions. There is so much out there on the internet about homeschooling. You can find sites on everything from curriculum, to games, to field trip ideas with a simple Google search.
But here I will include the ones that I turn to the most, and which I like best. I'll also include a snippet as to why I like it.
I hope this will be helpful to others out there! :) Homeschooling is by far the greatest, toughest, and most rewarding adventure I've ever experienced. I am actually sad that I'm down to my last child at home, and that in about 8 years this great adventure will come to an end. :( But I'm sure it will be replaced by new ones, right? ;)
OK - here we go. Just click on the underlined titles . . . . .
RAINBOW RESOURCE CENTER - This place has it all just about. Christian homeschooling family started this as their business, and you can find all sorts of curriculum, projects, games, videos, you name it. What I have always loved about them is that they have very good descriptions of each product, and in some cases they offer comparisons. They are fairly priced, have good customer service, prompt delivery, and are trust-worthy.
SCHOOL OF ABRAHAM - Here you find all-things "LDS Homeschool" related, from quotes by General Authorities, to curriculum, and "pick-me-ups" for moms. I was actually part of the group when the initial idea started, but at the time I was new to homeschooling and felt too overwhelmed by caring for my own little homeschool, let alone start up a website like this. So I know the ladies that started this and the idea behind it. A great place for LDS resources.
LATTER-DAY RESOURCES - This place is the LDS twin of Rainbow Resource Center. I have found LDR to have the lowest prices on most things. Good customer service, great curriculum, good descriptions of items, prompt service and trustworthy.
GREAT ILLUSTRATED CLASSICS FOR CHILDREN - I love these books for younger kids. These classical books are condensed and written in just the right amount of "modern English" in order for young kids to understand them. If your child can read, these are great books to have them read. I do not subscribe to the theory that so long as a child is reading it doesn't matter what books he's reading. I think it matters greatly what books they read! I prefer they not read "dumbed down English/Grammar" books before they are at least 12 or 13 years old. Just as with music: it pays to train the child's ear to only Classical (and perhaps religious) music the first 5 years of their lives, thereafter they will most certainly learn all about all other sorts of music, but they will choose better than had they never been trained classically. The same goes for reading: train the child in classical literature as early as possible. There will be time enough later for all the "dumbed down" literature we seem to be swimming in these days, regardless whether these "dumbed down" books have the Newberry Award stamp on them or not.
ABEKA BOOK - I LOVE ABeka books! This is the curriculum that we have used and which I recommend hands-down for Math and Language. They are VERY thorough and tough! Any child that grows up doing ABeka for Language and/or Math, will KNOW their language and/or Math! The bad side is that ABeka has LOTS of workbook work. So what I did (and it worked great!) is to have the kids only do the ODD numbers. Then, if I felt they still needed more practice on that particular concept, I would have them go back and do some or all of the even numbered problems. Most of the time, they didn't need to the even numbered ones. ABeka has all the lessons planned out and typed up in the "Curriculum" books, so that all the parent/teacher needs to do is follow the written plan. I have found that ABeka Math and Saxon Math are both identical in how well they teach the student the subject. However, the difference is his: ABeka is better used by students who "get it" and are not struggling at all with Math, whereas Saxon is better used by students who need a slower moving pace and more repetition. That's not to say Saxon is for "slow" students. You can actually slow down ANY curriculum (one thing I LOVE about homeschooling!). But Saxon just repeats and repeats and repeats and repeats and repeats... whereas ABeka simply repeats and repeats, and continues moving forward, then later will repeat again, as a reminder/refresher. So it's really just a matter of personal preference, I think.
BEAUTIFUL FEET BOOKS *- I love love love this program! You buy a Study Guide for a certain subject, and all the books that go along with it. The Study Guide literally has the days planned out, example: Day 1: read pages 10-30, followed by a short list of other things to do such as finding something on a map and/or globe, drawing a map, coloring a picture, writing a short essay, finding something on the library, etc. It is by far my favorite way of learning. A LOT of reading from "real books" (age appropriate of course) and then small assignments for each day you read. The program calls for only doing each lesson like 2-3 times per week. But you CAN do it daily if you want to push through it. It is a fabulous way to have the kids learn real information and retain it. You can also find most of their books at the library. So you can search your library online to make sure which books they have, then only purchase the books the library doesn't have. Or, if you're like me, just purchase the whole package from BFB so that you can keep all these fabulous books for younger kids that are to follow, for grandkids that will follow, or just for fun.
*Side Note: BF Books has a GREAT blog you may be interested in reading! You can find it HERE.
APOLOGIA SCIENCE - Bar-non my favorite Science of all time. It is written TO the student beginning at Jr High Level. The author uses great humor and his vast knowledge of Science to make Science not only fun, but he does it in such a way that it sticks. No parent/teacher needed once they hit the Jr. High level (unless you want to do it along with your child just for fun, like I did!) The author is upfront about being a Christian and Creationist; however, he also presents what the "big bang" theorists point out and he is clear in letting the student know two crucial things about Science: (1) that Science is not an exact art. Even in the most "sure" thing, there can be doubt, because man does not understand ALL about nature yet. And (2) he is sure to tell the student that he/she must make up their own mind, after seeing all the theories and facts presented, regarding what he/she wants to believe (either "Big Bang" or "Creationism".) The books are written by "Modules", each module being a topic, and taking about 1-2 weeks to complete, all depending on how much is read during the day. The Modules are broken up into smaller sections, and "On Your Own" questions that are answered by the student in their Science Spiral immediately after reading. You can go as slow or as fast with this program as you like (though I recommend faster, as it quite a lot of info for 1 year). At the end of each Module is a "Study Guide" (like a fill-in-the-blank) on that module. You can just fill in the blanks, or do as I did and have the student copy the entire Study Guide, with answers, into their Science notebook. After the Study Guide comes the Module Test. Answers to the On Your Own, Study Guide, and Tests are found in the Teacher's book that you buy along with the textbook.
SONLIGHT - I have not used this, but I have friends who have used this and really like it. It is less rigorous than ABeka but still good in content. Less expensive too. You can buy a whole grade packaged, or just by-subjects. Something that's nice is that they also offer a small description/comparison to other popular programs and how it compares to Sonlight's right on their web pages.
TEACHING TEXTBOOKS - These are also GREAT! If your child finds workbooks just boring, then Teaching Textbooks is a good second to ABeka or Saxon. Just as thorough, but with DVD's. This program has DVD's and workbooks (both for student and parent). You put the DVD in, watch the lesson, follow along in the book, watch the sample problems being worked right on the computer screen, then do the problems assigned in the workbook. If you get stuck and just can't get it, pop in the "Answers DVD" that goes with that lesson and you'll see him walking you through that particular problem and how to solve it. Tests and answers come in the Teacher book. Our son, Jonathan, who is more prone to ADD type stuff (though he does not have ADD) LOVED this program. The only bad thing is that their technology is a bit behind the times, so it won't work on our MAC Lion. But it worked great on our MAC Leopard. Good, Good Stuff!!!
ALPHA OMEGA PUBLISHING - This is a less-rigorous, "get the basics done" type of good curriculum. It has shorter lessons, shorter amount of work, but is still better than what you'll find in public schools. It is a decent curriculum for an inexpensive price. Easy to follow too.
LIAHONA ACADEMY - This is a private and distance learning school based out of Utah and based on LDS teachings. I have friends who use this and love it! I've never used it because I can't afford it. But I have heard only good things about it. If you want some of the "weight" off your shoulders when it comes to homeschooling, you may want to give this a try. Going through Liahona, or any other school like it, can also provide a "safe" feeling for homeschooling parents in that it is all accredited. It is basically a private school, fully accredited, where you will receive transcripts and diplomas at the end. A-la-LDS.
AMERICAN SCHOOL OF CORRESPONDENCE - ASC is a fully accredited "public" but distance-learning High School (for those with high school age kids). We used them with our oldest child, and they are ok. It is a "bare minimum/basics" education. They offer the "General" high school program or the "College Preparatory" program (which we used). Both are 4-year programs, but they can easily, easily, be completed in 1-2 years, depending on how fast the student wishes to push himself. I can only speak from our personal experience and what I've heard from friends who used this program, and I can say they are decent. A big plus for us is that you can pay month-by-month. They offer a couple other options too. Once you sign up, your entire 4 year class schedule is already chosen (by you) and they will start you out by sending 2-3 classes worth of books. As you complete "x" amount of work/tests, they will then send you the next class. Once you complete a certain percentage of that, they send they next class, and so on. You CAN ask for more classes to be sent if you wish. Another plus is that the student does it all on their own. No planning or teaching for the parent. Student has access to online help and guidance by teacher or counselor, and they offer help through websites where you can learn further or engage in "class discussions", etc. Once a test is completed, you can log on to your account and see the grades and progress you've made so far. I found they are a bit "easterner" in their customer service skills (ie: a bit rude), but manageable. If you want a thorough, in-depth, well-rounded Classical education for your child (which is what we strive for in our home) then you will either want to supplement ASC with your own reading and side-classes, or look elsewhere. This is literally a "bare bones" education. But better than a G.E.D. Evidently they also have started a new program where you can "make up" classes through them, that perhaps you can't do through your own school. But that wouldn't really apply to homeschoolers.
ONE YEAR ADVENTURE NOVEL - This is something I hope to do with our last child, as I didn't not learn about it until it was too late for our older two. A friend of mine told me about this, and it really looks fabulous! Known all I know about homeschooling, curriculum, Literature and Writing, this program looks outstanding! Basically this teacher, an author himself, takes you through a one year Writing program learning all different kinds of writing, and at the end of the year you will have written your own adventure novel, ready for publication if you wish to go that route! From what I hear all the teens that have done this absolutely love it! It is not boring at all, keeps the pace upbeat, humorous, and full of writing wisdom! Our youngest likes to write, so we will definitely be going this route with her when she gets to be old enough. We will be doing this in place of the ABeka Writing program. Sounds FUN!
ART ACADEMY - (by Mark Kistler) If you want Art, this is a fun way to learn. Scroll down and you can sign up for the Online Art Academy (which we did because our youngest is an avid artist from birth!) Mark is funny and easy to understand when it comes to way he describes how to draw and why. This is a good basic drawing Art class. You won't learn about primary or secondary colors/color wheel, or painting or anything else. This is trictly drawing in 3-D. But it is a GOOD BASIC for any art program, as all the things taught in this program are necessary as a foundation for all other art programs. The student will learn about lines, dimensions, foreground, background, balancing, shading, curves, angles, and more. Excellent and highly recommended! Even I've done some of these! He also changes the line-up from time to time and/or adds new stuff, so he keeps it interesting and changing. I bought a 3 year program for the cost of 1 year through the website that follows.
HOMESCHOOL BUYERS CO-OP - This is a true "co-op". You sign up. You receive one email each week with different offers. You choose the offer you want and "sign up/commit" to buy it IF it reaches the price you choose. Basically it is a great way for homeschoolers across the world to unite and use their "numbers" to buy "bulk" when it comes to all kinds of homeschool curriculums, games, programs, etc. This is the group I bought our "3 years for the price of 1" Art Program that I just mentioned above. I choose the price I wish to pay for this, and if they co-op for that particular item gets enough people to buy it (meaning it will push the price down to the price I chose), then I buy it. But please realize that you are COMMITTED to buying it once you fill out the form on that particular item, but ONLY If there are enough people that sign up for it that it pushes the price to the level you chose. Let's say you chose the least expensive price, meaning that 100 people have to sign up in order for this company to lower the price that much. Then let's say only 99 people sign up. You do NOT have to buy it then. The only time you MUST buy it is if they actually get 100 people or more, in which case the price will drop to the amount you committed to buy it at. They give you a certain amount of days in which to buy it too. It's a great way of getting things much less expensive than on your own!
FREE LIBRARY ONLINE - I've used this site a few times and have found it helpful. All Secular, but like a regular library, only OnLine. Search by general topic.
PROJECT GUTENBERG - One of my favorites. All Classics, plus more. If a book has been out in print for 50+ years, it becomes public domain. So all books from 1961 and before are most likely found on here. I love the fact that you can find old classical works for free. A GREAT resource!
FSI LANGUAGE COURSES - Free OnLine Foreign Language Courses. (FSI = Foreign Service Institute)
GEOGRAPHY ONLINE GAMES - a great way to practice your Geography skills.
REVIEWS (and Geography Book) - Cathy Duffy is renowned in homeschool circles as a reliable, accurate and good reviewer of curricula. Here she is reviewing a Geography book that I have heard marvelous things about, and plan on using for our last child when she hits 6th or 7th grade. On the left you can click on any subject area and you'll find all sorts of reviews (the good, the bad, and the ugly).
UNIVERSITIES: Many Universities started offering "distance learning" classes years ago to homeschoolers. Some of these offer them to students as young as Jr High School age. BYU, Texas Tech University, Harvard, Univ. of Nebraska, and many more. Check them out at their own websites.
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I think I'll stop there. That's probably more than enough to keep you busy for the next year, all depending on deep you want to dig. :)
I hope this helps other homeschooling moms out there. I wish I had had this when I was starting out!
My piece of advise, just because I KNOW you were about to ask!, is that you pray to Heavenly Father for the guidance that you will need in homeschooling your own children. Each family is different, and each child is unique. Depending not only on the child's "learning style", but on also on the parent's "teaching style, patience, and available time", will determine what curriculum will be best suited to your family. Yes, YOU actually choose the curriculum for your child. :) No one is entitled to personal revelation over your child except you, the parents. Make use of that, for it is your greatest resource. All the above are simply resources that worked for me and others I know. That doesn't mean it'll work for you. Though hopefully it will. :) If there is one thing I've learned through homeschooling, it is that you do it much like parenting: by trial and error. Most of the time, we get it right the first or second time. But don't be harsh on yourself if you need to try 3 or 6 or 8 different curriculums as you go along. It's all about what works best for the student, but also the teacher.
Also - know that you are not alone. Especially if you are starting out on this homeschool journey. We all have second doubts and question whether what we are doing is right or not. Try to remember that, if you are like the majority of us, you too were "indoctrinated" to believe that "experts" and "certified" teachers had all the answers and that that was the best way of being educated. Well, I'm here to testify to you that that is false. In order to learn, we must be willing to learn. No matter who "teaches" us, if we don't want to learn, we won't. Therefore, "teaching" really is nothing more than making information available, and then hopefully presenting it in an interesting way for that particular student. Think about it - a class room of 30 kids, all with individual likes and dislikes, and the teacher, to be truly effective, must make the course interesting to each of those 30 kids. Impossible! But at home - where not only you are the teacher, but you are the one that loves that student the most, knows him the best, and can "reach" him the best... now that is true success if you put it to good use. Imagine a public school where the teacher:student ratio was 1:1. PERFECTION! right? Well, that's what you get in homeschool. 1:1. It cannot be beat. So trust in God, believe in yourself, and love your child. You will do just fine!
"But I'm afraid if I teach at home, that my child's education will have "holes" in it!" It will. But many less "holes" than what they get in public schools, or even private schools. Their primary and secondary education is NOT about "not having holes". It's about preparing to learn and go forth on their own learning path once they reach College age. That's when the true, life-long learning begins, not in elementary, Jr. High, or High School. Those are simply years the student is to be "exposed" to information and begin to learn how to learn, so that when they reach college age/adulthood they at least know how to learn for themselves and take their education into their own hands.
Also, one of the greatest lessons I learned, and it took me years to learn this: let the child choose what they want to learn. Yes we have to make sure they get their three R's in there. But let them choose their topics when they can. Science, History, Astronomy, Archeology, Flowers, Engineering, Music, etc. It's up to them, not you. You simply find the way to teach it.
My greatest piece of advise to all new homeschoolers who fear or wonder "but I don't know if I can really do this!" - can you READ? If you can read, you can homeschool your kids. It's that simple. Practically all curriculum out there has teacher guide books, or some even have scripted instructions. Simple!
Oh - and that reminds me - you will definitely want to look up your state's homeschooling laws. Abide by the law and you'll be fine. Here is where you can look those up:
STATE HOMESCHOOL LAWS - (I do not recommend joining HSLDA. It is not necessary, contrary to what they will tell you, and they have turned very political and "politically correct", and in a couple of instances have actually tried to get laws passed, in the name of homeschooling, that would, in the long run, end up hurting homeschooling rights. But they have good info on State Laws!
HOMESCHOOLING IN TEXAS - The Texas Home School Coalition ("The" Texas umbrella organization for all-things regarding laws for homeschooling in Texas. A great resources. Again, I would not recommend joining. Like HSLDA, they do use scare tactics to get you to join, but don't be fooled by those. They do, however, have all your legal resources info you may want for homeschooling here in Texas.)
Good luck! And enjoy this adventure we call Homeschooling! - - If you have any questions for me, I'd be happy to answer them if I can, or lead in the direction where you can find the answers if I can. :)
BUT ARE HOMESCHOOLERS PREPARED FOR COLLEGE? - Check it outt!
15 FACTS ABOUT HOMESCHOOLERS - Great info. and encouragement. You CAN do it!
OK, HOW DO I GET STARTED? - Read up! :)
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IS IT IMPORTANT TO STILL TEACH CURSIVE WRITING?
YES!
Here are three articles on cursive writing that compliment each other.
I am of the opinion that is is crucial to teach cursive writing, and to do so from the very beginning.
I remember learning cursive writing myself, when I began kindergarten in a foreign country. Ironically, they didn't begin teaching print until I was in the third grade. I remember how it easy it was for me to learn print.
As I've homeschooled our children, I started them out with cursive. They all did great with it, until they discovered their friends were learning print (in 1st grade) and they wanted to try it. I made the mistake of allowing them to try it. It was an uphill battle ever since then. I have often wondered myself whether it was even worth teaching them cursive. They prefer print, and everything they ultimately will do in college and work beyond will be mostly on computers. But as I've grown and studied, I have come to realize that learning to write in cursive does much more than just teach a child how to write, and what that "much more" is exactly will be discussed in these articles. I hope you learn from them as much as I did.
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