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I started homeschooling (years ago or year)---> 12
I read an article about homeschooling when my oldest child was six months old and thought it quite interesting, but didn't really see it as something I would do. The closer my son got to school age the more I realized public school and the one size fits all mentality was not going to work for my dear child and the private schools I looked at that would be suitable for his, uhm, issues started at $15,000. I would have had to put his sisters in daycare and go back to work to afford that, so we began our homeschooling adventures officially when Joshua turned five. As he is now 16, we will be starting our 12th year of homeschooling this year.
I homeschool __ of my children---> 3
Joshua, age 16, 11th grade
Elizabeth, age 14, 9th grade
Rebecca, age 12, 7th grade
I teach my children to read at age(specific age or not?)--->Whenever
Joshua--I considered him a full blown reader around age eight--major struggle though (attitude, not ability-- once he decided he needed to read it took about two months to reach fluency. Thank goodness I spent all that time struggling to teach him phonics. It made those two months easy and the dividends were awesome for my youngers, too).
Elizabeth--competent around six. The odd thing about this child is she only wanted to read little books (as in physically small. It could be anything, though, as long as it was smaller than her hand. She carried around a "How to Survive Anything" type book and a tiny copy of the New Testament for about two years).
Rebecca is my bibliophile. She was a fluent reader at four and had completed three of the four Harry Potter books then available by the end of her kindergarten year. She is the reason we take a "crate on wheels" to the library. She likes to read multiple books at the same time. When she was small she would pile ALL her books to the right of her lap and then as she finished reading it she would begin a new pile on the left side. When she finished reading all of her books she would get up, move further down the couch so all the books were on the right again and start all over. When she started to read chapter books she would read one chapter and then place a bookmark in it and move it on to the done pile. She did this for many years.
A few of my most favorite homeschool teaching resources are:
The Well-Trained Mind
Analytical Grammar
Saxon Math
The Teaching Company Courses
ALEKS
Pathway Readers (when learning to read--this is the only curriculum I've kept)
Do you write out goals for school each year?--->yes and no
We were very relaxed when the kids were small and progressively I've been more and more "planned". This year I have a schedule of when everything is to be done.
What time do you start school each day? Do you have a specific schedule?---> yes and no again
We have kind of a general pattern, but you are out of the house so much more with teens that I can't really say we have a specific schedule because so much depends on activities and if a child has to work that day.
I have used ___ math programs. My favorite is:--->6, Saxon and ALEKS
I made up worksheets and played number games until the kids reached first grade and then they did Abeka first through third grade moving at whatever pace seemed appropriate (no plans yet!). Sometime in late second or early third they would complete the third grade Abeka workbook and would move into Saxon 54. Again, no plan, just move along as able. Elizabeth struggled a bit with the speed that Abeka introduced new topics so we had a little foray into Bob Jones, but that was not a good fit (at all!) and we went back to Abeka, just slower. We (all of the kids) also used Singapore occasionally just to mix things up a little bit.
When Josh hit Algebra he began to move rrreeeaaalllyyy slowly. I figured maybe a change in Publisher was in order and we tried Videotext Algebra. Nope. Okay, how about Math U See. Definitely not! Ah, it's not the curriculum, it's the child, so back to Saxon and in with a MUCH stricter schedule. He is now finishing Algebra II (we hope) by the end of August using ALEKS, a really, really cool online site that, while not super cheap IS super effective.
I have used ___ science programs. My favorite is: 1, Apologia
I really didn't care for science from a text for my little ones and so we had a slew of experiment books that we played with and a lot of reading of nonfiction from the library. We also played at nature journaling and we were avid Magic Schoolbus fans.
Starting in middle school my kids begin the Apologia texts. We have used General Science, Physical Science, Biology, and Chemistry. I wasn't thrilled with the math portion of the Chemistry text, so we use Saxon for Physics along with a great, readable text Conceptual Physics.
I have used ___ grammar/english programs. My favorite is:---> 5 (I think) Analytical Grammar
- We started out using Learning Language Arts Through Literature--> Good, not great.
- We then tried Rod and Staff--> Thorough, but didn't inspire a love of grammar in my children.
- Discovered The Well-Trained Mind and so a couple of years of Abeka--> Again, good but no spark.
- Easy Grammar--> Well, we didn't hate it.
- Analytical Grammar--> My daughters picked this one at a curriculum fair and although very pricey, well worth the money. This excited my kids (well, the girls, Josh went along and tried not to enjoy it). We really learned grammar with this one.
I have used ___ history programs. My favorite is: Not sure how to count this one!
We used the nonfiction section of the library and select Histroy Channel type television programs for our history curriculum until I read The Well Trained Mind when Josh was just about to start fourth grade. We use that method kind of sort of even now, although we weren't particularly successful this past year and I want to do something new. I'm hoping to be inspired at the upcoming curriculum fair at the beginning of August. I plan to send the girls looking for something that excites them. Hey, it worked spectacularly well for grammar!
What months do you homeschool during?---> Year round
This started in self defense to keep my ADHD eldest child out of trouble!
Favorite homeschool method?
We are definitely eclectic. Like recipes, I'm not afraid to tweak or even do a mojor overhaul if necessary.
Do you/plan to homeschool all the way through high school? ---> Uhm, yes.
Have you noticed specific learning styles in each child? ---> Yes, but they've all gotten fairly flexible as they've gotten older
Do you keep specific or general records? Or none, really? ---> More each year
Do you teach Bible, art, journaling, phys. ed.? ---> Not so much anymore, except for scipture reading in the morning
Where do you like to shop for homeschool books and resources?
E-Bay, Curriculum fairs, E-Bay, Rainbow Resources, E-Bay, Home Training Tools, E-Bay, Character Corner (local Christian book store with a homeschool section), E-Bay, School Box, E-Bay, Thrift stores, E-Bay.
What resources have you been itching to try?
Well, there isn't nearly as much out there for high-schoolers as there is for the earlier years. There isn't really anything that I'm interested in that I haven't either tried or looked at and rejected. Now, if I were starting over, boy, there is a ton of stuff out there now! When I began homeschooling many years ago it was pretty much what canned curriculum are you using and then raising of eyebrows when you stated you weren't using one because none of them suited your child exactly right. Now there are almost too many choices. It's an excellent time to homeschool.
*Do you use and/or like to use E-books?*
These have only become popular in the last few years and I haven't really been drawn to any. Would have loved them when the kids were younger.
Do you have anything to add?
No.
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