Homeschooling Discussion & Experiences #1

[BellyBelly]

I thought we needed a place for this with what seems to be more people interested in and beginning homeschooling, which has many advantages. If you homeschool, feel free to introduce yourself and how what you do here. Likewise, if you're keen on looking into it, join in too! Enjoy!

[NewAgeRetroMum]

I'm really interested in learning more about others' experiences of homeschooling.

My little Daniel has just turned 2 and my husband & I aren't really enamoured with the current school system and so want to homeschool Daniel.

At first I thought homeschooling was about doing the regular school curriculum at a more leisurely pace at home, but in recent times I've read about "Unschooling" and following your childs' lead.

So I'm looking forward to hearing some first hand experiences.

[beckoes]

thats so wierd. DP and i were talking just this morning about homeschooling. I ve always wanted to homeschool but DP has alwasy said that the social side of school is too important. untill yesterday, not sure what changed his mind but he just came to me and asked me to find out more about homeschooling as he thinks it might be right for DD. So this will be great to find out about it!!!! BB saves the day again

[banshi]

Hi I'm currently homeschooling 3 of my four kids ( my little one is 11 months old).

There are so many versions of homeschooling - that can be very liberating!

I've met unschoolers, natural learners, formal learners, Buddhist homeschoolers, steiner, montessori, Charlotte Mason, Christian homeschoolers, Atheist/secular homeschoolers, wealthy homeschoolers (who take their children to the Louvre for an art excursion), homeschoolers who are doing it on the cheap (me usually), homeschooling parents with masters degrees and doctorates and homeschooling parents with a year 8 education - all kinds of people homeschool for all kinds of reasons - it's lots of fun. we all share a passion for our children and a love of learning as we go along! It's an educational/philosophical journey!

Some books I'd reccomend:

Getting Started with Homeschooling - by Beverly Paine (best practical Aus how to)

Dumbing Us Down - by John Gatto Taylor

and lots of people love books by John Holt (I find him a bit boring)

Unschooling: Make the world your child's classroom

The Teenage Liberation Handbook....

There are heaps of others..........can't think of any more off the top of my head!

I'm happy to answer any questions.

:-)
Banshi
xox

[lilprecious75]

Hi!
DH and I just recently made the firm decision to home school after meeting HEAPS of people who home school and being VERY impressed with how the children behave and carry themselves.
I am a trained primary school teacher and have worked in the schools both here in Australia and in the United States as well.
I am generally unimpressed with formal, public (and most private) education programs and feel that since I would be supplementing HEAPS I (and my children) would be much better off if I do it myself.

Banshi:
Thanks for your post - I have a feeling I will be picking your brain a lot in the months to come.
DS#1 is nearly 4.5 years old and I'm not planning to start anything formal until the year he turns six. For the time being I'm enjoying the fact that he is learning HEAPS just with our every day life. Already he knows all his numbers and letters, can recognize and spell his name, and is starting to ask me to read signs and directions to him. He can count to 100 with minimal help (usually at the 10's) and he does the rest. Already I know that he would be somewhat bored in a preschool program.
Thank you SO much for the list of books - I'm keen to start doing some REAL research and reading as I plan how and what I want to do. Can I find these books in my local library? Or will I need to buy them?

It is late (12:30am) and it has been a rough week with both the boys being very sick PLUS the torrential rain - so I need to make myself go to sleep but I wanted to get started in this thread before I forgot for another night!
I am keen to hear what other parents are doing and to get ideas and thoughts on how to get started when the time is right!
Specifically I'm interested in hearing who uses specific curriculum and what kinds they use...
how to home school on the cheap...
what kind of routine people follow for "school" each day...

I hope that gets things started and I'll look forward to hearing back from people!

Thanks,
Heidi

[banshi]

Hi liprecious,
It sounds like you are already on the right track with your LO. Learning really flows at that age, you just need to be there!

I've never found many homeschooling books in libraries - but I guess it depends on where you live. The only people I've ever met who use ready made curricula are a small number of Christian homeschoolers who follow ACE (accelerated christian education). Most people devise their own curriculum depending upon state requirements and the family's interests, most use some text books (commonly for maths) others devise their own programs.

The legal requirements vary state to state. I live in NSW so I must comply with their 'minimum curriculum requirements' package to gain registration. I usually get 2 years registration (during which time you are totally autonomous) - then an authorised person comes to your home to check what you are up to or you can re-register via documentation - basically by providing a portfolio for your child's learning. In NSW there are 6 Key Learning Areas you must include in your program to gain registration (not all homeschoolers choose to register - but most do because their can be legal trouble for unregistered HSers). The 6 KLAs for primary level are : 1 English; 2 Maths; 3 Science and Technology; 4 Human Society and Its Environmen; 5 Creative arts; 6 Personal development, Health, Physical Exercise.

How you show your child is learning in relation to each KLA is entirely up to you - many families focus on a child's interest in a particular thing, for eg, butterflies and then they will create a cross curricula unit: read stories about butterflies, count butterflies in the garden, identify species of butterfly, paint a picture of a butterfly etc......of course that is an example for a very young child!

Some people have a formal timetable, others, esp natural learners just allow everything to unfold - most people do something in between! I know I have had months where my children have learned very formally (it usually takes us only an hour or two to cover at least as much formal ed that they do in school in a day) - then other times when my children were turned off by 'book work' type stuff and they really want to do their own thing: during this natural learning time my eldest taught himself guitar (with the help of library books and you tube); my daughter who is 11 has written a 200 page story book (she has others on the way too); and my 6 year old son learned to read and write!

[banshi]

It's worth checking if there are any local homeschooling groups in your area: these are really worth finding as you will meet plently of people who've done it all before and are happy to discuss how they do it and also your kids will make friends.

A good place to find groups is at the HEA (Home Ed Australia) or HEN (home ed networks) websites. These sites also advertise for home ed functions ( a couple of years ago there was a conference in Sydney lots of good international speakers attended). They also have resources re getting started, the legalities etc.

[Shanti]

I posted in the homeschool thread however it's not a highly active thread so thought I'd start one here.

I've been researching homeschooling for my kids, even though the eldest is only 3yrs, I want to look into it all now. HS really, strongly appeals to DH and I & has so many advantages to not only the child, but the family as a unit.

Just interested to hear from any BB members who homeschool their kids?? Surely there are a few of you out there?

I know I can be their teacher because I can read & write and I'm so passionate about my children's education and their journey in learning. It's understanding the full commitment of it all etc that I need to look into it.... knowing that there is always school around the corner if the HS doesn't work out as planned.

This thread is not open for a debate on homeschool Vs classroom schooling either.

And any recommendations, information, you can provide would be wonderful

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Grab a copy of the curriculum your son would follow if he were in mainstream school and make sure that's your minimum target.

Aim for an outing at least once a week too - a park can be educational (I mean, schools do pe, right?) as can a museum. Sometimes you'll need the change of scene just to avoid going crazy! Also have a dedicated "sit down and work" place and time. Most things can be learnt through fun and cooking dinner with you is a lesson, not a chore, but sitting and actually doing some pen/paper work every day and in that routine, even if it doesn't seem much, is important.

I'm not a HSer, but I was HSed for some of my primary education and wish I could HS DS.

[Heaven]

[Shanti]

Heaven, I was just coming in to do this.... thanks.

Flying Butter - thank you for your post.

[Arcadia]

I'm very interested and have done some reading about it too. There are loads of homeschool networks, although most seem to be religion based.

You need to be registered and have your teaching 'plan' reviewed regularly, but it seems pretty sight forward.

I would only homeschool of normal school doesn't suit my children, but I'm certainly going to be prepared just in case! I especially like the idea of homeschooling in high school.

[Arcadia]

Double post

[Lady-bug]

Have sent a PM

[Beach Mama]

I wish I could! There is loads of Steiner/Waldorf stuff out there you could use and adapt as some of it is from the US. Check out The Parenting Passageway blog. She has wonderful parenting stuff on there as well as homeschooling info and links to many other blogs who homeschool. There are loads of networks around as well as websites where you can look up VELS frameworks etc. (Vic? - not sure what the other states are called -brain blank!)

Thing is for most homeschoolers, they do have a curriculum but it is nothing like a "school" curriculum as they teach through life. They may do maths in the garden while planting veggies and counting their harvest and then do storytelling and writing as a part of story time before nap time or while washing dishes etc. ITMS! That is what I love that it is life based and fits in around you rather than trying to fit a curriculum into your life! Good luck hun!

[Trillian]

Thing is for most homeschoolers, they do have a curriculum but it is nothing like a "school" curriculum as they teach through life. They may do maths in the garden while planting veggies and counting their harvest and then do storytelling and writing as a part of story time before nap time or while washing dishes etc. ITMS! That is what I love that it is life based and fits in around you rather than trying to fit a curriculum into your life! Good luck hun!

That sounds more like Natural Learning than actual curriculum-based homeschooling

I think anything is possible Shanti. I don't homeschoo, but I do know a lot who do (IRL and online) and you don't have to be registered, but it is highly recommended and makes you look like you're doing the *right thing* kwim? But I would definitely follow a curriculum of some sort to give you an idea of what they are supposed to learn. All the syllabus' for each state are available online as there is some variation between the state but not much. One thing I do know a lot of HSers find hard is time management and fitting in all other daily household tasks etc so that is something to consider as well.

[wrena]

I was homeschooled in a 'natural learning' style and if we homeschool that's definitely the approach I'd take. Despite no formal learning we all did really well at Uni and I think that the natural learning approach is a much more exiting way to learn. My only concern with homeschooling is whether I could hack being out of paid employment for years. We'll see what the future brings and what our kids need

[Tegam]

I'd love to homeschool but I love the socialisation they get from mainstream. Dd1 & dd2 just had to have two weeks off school and the amount of stuff we got through was amazing.

The best thing I have heard of with homeschooling is that it only takes about three hours to do all the work a day. Woohoo!

Good luck