I hope I am doing this right...never used this type of site before, but need some help. I'm new to the idea of Homeschooling. The cost of our local Christian schools is just getting too expensive and now I will have 2 in school (for 08-09 year), so I'm doing some research into different curriculum - amazed and a little overwhelmed with options. I was thinking of using A C E program, but saw a few postings that said it wasn't challenging enough. Since it's my first year doing this - I'd like to find something that keeps the records for me and they'll have a transcripts so if this isn't our "cup of tea" and they need to back to a regular school setting it won't be difficult. Does that make sense?? I have a daughter going into 5th grade and a four yr old that will be ready for K - needing phonics(has not been in a reg. school setting before) Anyway, anyone out there have any suggestions? Maybe I should start with A C E for this 1st year and then go from there???
first of all welcome to the spot, yes there is alot out there, I can't say anything about ACE I have never used it, but I can say there is alot out there, take a deep breath and remember if something don't work shelf it and try something else
What program did the Christian school use? A lot of them use Abeka and if it worked for your oldest then I'd do another year of it to get your feet wet. I know Calvert will keep records for you and it is a solid program "in a box". Enjoy the ride!
Welcome, Thinking! The ACE booklets are very easy to use. They do have an "umbrella program," I believe, and can keep records for you. But so many curricula are good! Just choose one and use that to discover what style learners your children are and what your teaching style is. It's no failure to switch curriculum! In fact, versatility is one of the major advantages of homeschooling.
Welcome to Homeschool Spot and homeschooling! I haven't used ACE either. For what it's worth, here are a couple of books that helped us a LOT when we started thinking about homeschooling... Mary Pride's Complete Guide to Getting Started in Homeschooling: http://www.home-school.com/catalog/pages/mpguide.php3 We checked this out of the library and it was fantastic! It starts at the very beginning - why people homeschool, what homeschooling "looks" like, which kinds of kids (and moms!) do best with which kinds of curriculum, etc etc.. If you can't find it at your library with this title, look for The Big Book of Home Learning, Volume 1. It's the older edition of the same book. Mary Pride also has a website: http://www.home-school.com/ I haven't hung out a lot on the website, so I don't know if it is as helpful as her book. Cathy Duffy wrote 100 Top Picks For Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing The Right Curriculum And Approach For Your Child's Learning Style. We bought it at a Half-Price Books, but you could check at your library for it, too. It goes through a long list of curricula and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of each of them. There are SO many curricula out there, and sorting them out gets very confusing and overwhelming! She talks about whole "box" curriculum programs, which include practically everything you need for the whole year; as well as individual products (different math curricula, or language arts, or whatever), so it's helpful whether you want to go with just one company's stuff or mix and match. I think most people mix and match to some degree. Cathy Duffy also has a website: http://www.cathyduffyreviews.com/ I hope that helps!!
Hi and Welcome, I am pretty new too. But after hanging around here and asking these ladies a ton of questions I dont' feel so lost any more. I would second the Cathy Duffy book. It has really helped me get a handle on things. I would reccomend that you look at it as one day at a time. One year at a time. Then it isn't so overwhelming. Also what you need to keep for records will depend on what state you live in check out HSLDA.com for the specifics on your state. I have some friends who are putting their kiddo's in PS and they didn't have to show any kind of record to say what grade they would be in. In Texas we don't have to keep any kind of records. Which makes it alot cheaper. For the Kinder there are so many things online you do for free that I haven't bought much other then Kumon workbooks (amazon.com). I got those just because my ds hates to color, and they really stress the fine motor skills. He likes to do mazes and such which are a bases in some of these books. Check out www.starfall.com for free reading, and there are some other websites that have free worksheets and such one is the letter of the day but I can't find the link for it. You might search this site for kindergarden threads, or ask your own questions most of the ladies here will gladly post the links for you again.
Thanks!! Thanks for all the reply's! I'm making a library run today to check out the book suggestions... and will hopefully have time to do some more online research later. Thanks!!
