What About Wednesdays:Our Homeschool Story

We are about to begin our 12th year of homeschooling. I can't believe it! We are about to graduate our first 2 graduates in May/June of 2012. How did we get here?

Well, it all began with our oldest who has several special needs.  He has autism and epilepsy. When we first began to notice issues, we spoke with our neurologists on how to tackle the speech issues we were seeing, and they recommended the local school district.

At that time, our son was 3 years old. We did contact the school district and had a battery of tests administered and came up with many answers to the questions we had about our son.  We enrolled him in the early intervention classes, and then into Kindergarten (twice) and First Grade. During this time, he started a diet to help control his epilepsy ( The Ketogenic Diet) which was very stringent, and required a one on one aide. So, for 4 of the years he was in the school system he had a one on one aide.  These aides actually served dual purposes, they helped our son, but they also helped inside the classroom. The classroom teachers were always thankful for the help of the aide, especially since they usually had more than our child that had special needs.

Most of the time that my son ( and younger two sons) were in the school, we had a great experience. We were blessed by wonderful teachers and aides. However, it was becoming  abundantly clear that my son had specific needs, and there were very specific ways to meet those needs. And the school district heads, more specifically the head of Special Education, refused to approve those treatments.  The law states that each child, no matter their needs, are to receive Free and Appropriate Education ( FAPE), however, what I learned during this process is that what I believe to be FAPE and what the school district believes to be FAPE are two very different things. And if they say no, then my child gets the short end of the stick so to speak.

Now, I know that I could have fought tooth and nail, and I very well may have won, however, what we decided to do was to throw the energy I would have thrown into a long and costly legal battle, into educating my children. This was an easy decision for us to make, for several reasons.

First, we worked diligently with our children at home, and we were seeing tremendous progress with the what we were implementing.  I had taken a class during that last year the kids were in school, called Brain Gym. We implemented all that I had learned, and the growth we were seeing was amazing.  Also, 'homework' time took him hours, so we knew that we would be able to put forth the effort to help him. (and our other children)

Second, at this time, my husband was taking college courses, and seeing the product of the Public School System, and it was a scary sight!

Putting all of this together we embarked on our homeschool journey. Our first couple of years, we began with a Charter School. A Charter School is a school that has a charter with a local school district, or district from a neighboring county. These schools are publicly funded. However, there is more freedom than a traditional brick and mortar school. We lasted with them for about 3 years. However, we found that we did not need their services any longer. We found that the amount of  'paperwork' (red tape) that was required was not conducive with our learning styles, and took too much time away form actual learning.

And that is when we had set out on our own!  We have been filing our own affidavit with the state of California every year since then.  When you file your own affidavit you are declaring your home a private school ( this is one of the legal options of homeschooling in the state of California).

We have, all in all, loved our homeschooling journey and path. Our family has been very active with homeschool supports groups since our very early days of our homeschool journey. Something I would highly recommend for anyone looking into homeschooling.  Now that my children are in high school, I think that homeschool support groups are just as important. Teens need to feel like they are a part of a community. For us, that is our homeschool group and our church family. We are very active in both of these arenas.

Now comes the interesting part! We are doing something this year that I never thought that we would be doing, and that is signing up with what is called a PSP ( Private School Satellite Program), yet another option of legally homeschooling in California.  I have never wanted to do this in the past. I have often felt like I do not need to pay someone for something that I can do, which is keep records. Because, with these programs, you the parent are still responsible for purchasing all of your own curriculum, you are doing all of the teaching.  You are even doing all the grading, so I never saw the purpose. Until now!  Now, I have high schoolers, who want to play sports. That is the one thing that I cannot offer them. They are very athletic, and the church leagues, while they are fun, they simply are not challenging. So,  now I am finding myself taking a new path I did not expect to find myself on.  Even now as I type up this post, I am sitting a coffee shop, using their free air conditioning ( and wi-fi) as I wait for my daughter who is at her volleyball practice... in the heat of summer...  oh how my life is changing.

I am looking forward to see what these next several years will bring as we wrap up our homeschooling. In the next 3 years I will have 4 of my children graduated, and I will only have my youngest left.... I can sense the season changing around our home!

While, I would have never thought I would have homeschooled m kids, when I was first having them, I have loved our journey together! It has been a great joy to have the opportunity to have such a hands on role in their life. It has been filled with joy, tears, frustration and laughter! But all in all... we did it together!

One thing helped us get through the rough days.. well actually, even the not so rough days too is; Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. While I may have never thought I would be homeschooling. The Lord knew! And He gave me the heart to homeschool and He enabled me to do so! And for that I am so grateful!

I give God all the glory! Anything that we have accomplished as a family, it was with His power and enabling!

Happy (Homeschooling) Trails!

 

PS.. I know, this is an unbelievably long post.... sorry... but I must admit it was great to write it all down in one place!

PPS.... I included photos from our homeschool journey.. just to document all the fun we had!

What About Wednesdays: How do I Homeschool a High Schooler?

In this inaugural edition of  What About Wednesday, we are going to tackle the topic of, "How do I homeschool my High Schooler?" I currently am homeschooling 4 high schoolers. And boy is it fun! (truth and tongue in cheek all in one!) For many homeschoolers, this is the time in their children's education that they approach with great trepidation. 

You really can homeschool your children all the way through high school. There are even ways to teach subjects you do not know!!!

I want to begin with, homeschooling your high schooler can be an exciting and fun experience! Yes, their education is paramount, you are indeed preparing them for life! And you do not want to short change them, you want them to have the ability pursue their God given talent! No matter where that leads them!

With that said, some of the best parts of homeschooling high schoolers, is allowing them to find their passions! My children love music and sports! So guess what we spend our time doing? Watching/playing sports and playing and singing and listening to music.... Teenagers by nature are social creatures! I think it is very important for them to have healthy peer relationships!  I have included a couple of photos of some of my teenagers, simply living their life!  I hope you enjoy a peek into our high school homeschool journey!

Another aspect that is true for homeschooling all ages, but it really does continue through high school, is field trips!  Many times as our children get older, field trips and other real life experiences are put to the wayside, and replaced for books! Our children, even more so our young adults need to see what the world has to offer them!  What better way to do that, but by giving them the rich exposure to all the world has to offer them!!

There are a myriad of resources available to you, that will help you with figuring out what to teach, when to teach it and how to document it!  I thought that I would put some of those resources listed here!  Now this is in addition to the major curriculum publishers that homeschoolers have available to them.

One of my favorite sources is Lee Binz the HomesScholar. She has some wonderful information that she shares both on her blog and in video. Check out her free resources page here. Just about any high school question you have, you will find the answer on the Home Scholar website! (hint: Look for her video on how to teach subjects you do not know!!!)

Another free resource for you is DonnaYoung.org, by clicking on this link you will be taken directly to her High School Resources page. You can find planning tools and Trancripts templates. This is actually the transcript template we are actually using in our homeschool.

Another resource that has become invaluable to our family is Khan Academy. This website has what seems to be thousands of videos that cover, math, history and science! Whether your children are in school or homeschooled they would benefit from the information on this site.. and it's FREE!

If I had to reccomend one book to purchase it would be the High School Handbook by Mary Schofield. This book will actually help you with both Junior High School and High School. However, if your children are already beyond Junior High School, it is not too late to purchase and use this book! It will teach you  how to plan your high school! A real must have!

Now with that said, you need to check what your state requirements are for homeschooling. Here is a great resource to find out yours! Once you know your documentation requirements, you can move onto your choice of home education.

In most locations, you can also enroll your high schooler at the local Junior College and your student can earn dual credits. Both credits for high school, and  for college!  The benefits of this is two fold! Your student will gain experience and exposure to college level courses. You can also use this option to have them take classes you feel ill equipped to teach, while giving your child the option of earning college credits!

There are also some colleges like Liberty that offer programs for high school students where they can take classes online.  You will also find some online schools that you can use as well. Like American School.  Many people choose these options if they are feeling overwhelmed and unable to teach high school.

And while I am thankful that parents have options, I would like to stress, that these options are costly and not necessary! You can homeschool on your own, all the way through high school. Visit the links listed above, connect with homeschoolers in your area, and enjoy your high schooler!

Now with all of that said, I would like to say, the most important part of homeschooling your high schooler, is keeping their heart! Continue to build that relationship, as you are laying those final foundations before they are off and on their own. Before you know it you will have a high school graduate, and your 'job' (the homeschooling part) will be done!  Take advantage of having them in your home, and having the time to spend with them. And purpose to make it a rich environment!

Happy Homeschooling my Friends!

 

 

 

 

Homeschooling for FREE!!! Yes it is possible!

Recently, I conducted a poll on my facebook page, asking fellow homeschoolers to share their favorite free or nearly free homeschooling resources.

Why would I do this? It's simple really... look around you, families all around are struggling to keep their heads above water, whether they homeschool or not. However, when you homeschool, that is an added burden to the pocket book. Usually one parent is at home, add to that the fact that we are also responsible for our children's educational needs.

I do not have to look very far to see the effects of the current economical climate. My husband lost his job 2 years ago, while he has a new job, we still have been living on only a fraction of his previous earnings. This has given us the opportunity to see God provide in ways we could never imagine, as well as, really test my ingenuity.

We never were wealthy, so I have always looked for ways to get the most for my money.. or spend no money at all!  Applying this principle to all areas of our life, including educating our children, has served our family well.

What you will find below are the results of my facebook poll, as well as, my favorite resources. Please leave a comment below, I would love to hear what you and your family have done to keep homeschooling affordable!

I want to start by saying that over the years, what I have found is that when you are purchasing boxed curriculum, you are purchasing the convenience of someone else dong all the leg work for you. However, if you are willing to put in the time and effort and the leg ( or finger) work, you will find that you are still able to create a curriculum for your children, far superior to what you had even imagined. You will no longer be at the mercy of your pocketbook!

As a side note, before we move forward, I want to remind all of you, that it is up to you, to use your God given discernment to know if any of these resources are or are not appropriate for your children. Click through, investigate and enjoy creating your homeschool learning environment!

To start, I want to share a bit about what our homeschool group does. We have a curriculum  lending library. Members have the ability to check out available curriculum and keep as long as they need, and as long as they are members. No fee or late fees! Only requirement, you must be a current member! The next thing we offer is a used curriculum sale. We meet in one of our members church, and set up tables and invite homeschoolers in the area. This event serves 2 purposes, it allows us to make a little money on our books we no longer need, as well as, gives us the chance to purchase products we may need at a fraction of the cost.

If your homeschool group does not offer a used books sale, or if you are not a part of a local group, try the website www.usedhomeschoolcurriculum.com for both buying and selling! This site is run by a homeschool family, and there are no fees to buy and sell.

Now onto the suggestions:

The first suggestion was to utilize your public library for books, high school courses on CD and even better you can utilize their heat and air conditioning!  Also, our library has periodic 'friends of the library' sales where you can pick up a book for 25 cents up to $1, and the last day of the sale is $1 a bag.  This is an awesome deal. I was able to pick up 2 Landmark American History textbooks on the $1 a bag day!

Visit any Nature Center, Zoo, Aquarium or Museum website, they usually are jammed packed with awesome resources.

http://www.englishgrammar101.com/ Free online grammar lessons designed for Middle or High School

http://www.oldfashionededucation.com/fullcurriculum.htm Has free homeschool curriculum for K-11th grade. Uses books that have lost their copyright (old) and are available on line for free, among other sources.. You can print for the hard copy, or simply read online.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/cec/online_resources.asp FREE Answers in Genesis Books, including study guides to go with them!

http://peacecreekontheprairie.com/?page_id=196 Free large family printable homeschool forms.

http://www.starfall.com/ For early reading skills (preschool up to around 2nd or 3rd grade). There are online books, games, and a free language arts/writing workbook you can download.

http://harvestministry.org/twghw Teaching With God’s Heart for the World

http://homeschoolheartandmind.blogspot.com/2010/09/homeschool-for-free-math-resources.html This is my friends blog. She started a new weekly posting on free homeschooling resources. This week is a full listing of math resources!

http://homeschoolheartandmind.blogspot.com/2010/09/homeschool-for-free-reading.html This is my same friend, this is a listing of free reading resources.

http://donnayoung.org/index.htm Awesome printables and other resources, both for your home and your homeschool!

http://simplycharlottemason.com/ Lots and lots of resources!

http://www.amblesideonline.org/index.shtml More Charlotte Mason resources.

http://www.currclick.com/ When you sign up for their weekly newsletter you will receive free download each and every week!

http://homeschoolingonashoestring.com/lapbooks.html Lapbooking on a shoestring.. however, this entire website has lots of resources!

http://www.gardenofpraise.com/art.htm Art Appreciation

http://stosselintheclassroom.org/ You can order free dvd's, can be used for civics.

http://www.spellingcity.com/ Online spelling practice and tests.

http://www.theheadoftheclass.com/ K-4th resources,  many subjects.

http://www.education.noaa.gov/ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

http://www.mrdonn.org/ Lots of great history and geography information.

http://lewis-clark.org/ Great Lewis and Clark information

http://www.the-simple-homeschool.com/simple-schooling.html Too many resources to list!

http://clickschooling.com/ClickSchooling is an ezine that brings you one, F.R.E.E, web-based curriculum idea every day — Monday through Saturday!

There are many many more that have not been listed here! So please, post your comment below and let me know what sources have helped your family!