hello I am looking for any advice at all on homeschooling. I have a DS-7, DD-4, DS-12 weeks..any suggestions on how to manage with an infant. I am planning on starting next year and am soo nervous but I am feeling lead to do this so any suggestions are welcomed thanks and God Bless.:angel:
First, be blessed in knowing that your older children will be getting a first-rate education in "Child development!" What others have to wait until college to study out of textbooks and then in pre-school "observations," yours will have gleaned from every-day life, not even realizing the advanced subjects they're learning! Don't trade your joy in parenting a precious little one for an arbitrary list of what things someone you don't know decided it was important to learn when. Use canned educational formulas to make teaching easier for you--not as a bondage. Your older ones are still young enough that I'd recommend concentrating mostly on reading and math skills and learning the Word. Most social studies and science offerings in the younger grades are "fluff," pure and simple, in MHO. Skip over or minimize those, when time and energy are at a premium. I'll stop here and let others recommend specific curriculum, and I wish you joy and a long career of homeschooling! Welcome to the Spot!
Hello and WELCOME! I'm glad you made it here, it's an AWESOME place! Answers will depend on a couple of things: Do you want Christian or Secular curriculum? How much do you want to spend? Do you want a "boxed" curriculum---one that has everything laid out for you for the specific grade, including the lesson plans, or are you comfortable with picking and choosing and setting up your own? Some ladies are very organized and like setting up their own things. I am NOT a very organized person, and when I first started with my second grader, I was scared of missing something and wasn't organized enough to mother three (My 7 year old, a 1 year old and a 4 year old), and homeschool one AND set up curriculum! So I got a boxed curriculum. It really took the stress off me while we adjusted to homeschooling and mothering at the same time! It gave me peace of mind and more time to spend with my children, instead of working on setting up a curriculum! During the year we decided not to use some of the stuff that didn't work with my child, and added a couple things that DID work. By the next year I branched out even more, and now, in our 9th year of homeschooling, we are quite "eclectic". We use many different sources and curriculums to meet the needs of each child. You get used to what's best for your child, and learn more what's available out there to meet those needs, and can relax. Some things you try don't work well, that's okay, ove on to something else! What grade will your oldest be in? A couple of things you may want to look at, depending on whether you want secular or religious curriculum: For History--Story of the World (SOTW) & the Activity Book (secular) or Mystery of History(MOH) (religious). Both are WONDERFUL and hands-on for learning history! Here's a site for SOTW: http://www.amazon.com/Story-World-History-Classical-Earliest/dp/1933339004 Here's one for MOH: http://www.pennywiselearning.com/Bip-Mystery-of-History-Vol.-1-Creation-to-Resurrection.html For English--If you want a VERY good, solid curriculum so your children will know English very well, I recommend Rod & Staff. It's the best we have ever run across, is quite cheap, and is all inclusive (meaning you don't have to buy different grammar and writing curriculums). Here's the website: http://www.rodandstaffbooks.com/ If you want boxed curriculums, there are many to choose from also. Let us know what your needs are, and we can better rcommend things for you!
'Good suggestions, Deena! We, too, have used all of those except SOTW. There are so many beautiful and worthwhile resources that it almost makes me sad that our homeschooling career is nearing the end!
you all have been very helpful thank you! to answer your ? my oldest will be in 2nd grade and I would prefer Christian but I bought a book on ebay with lesson plans called Learn at Home..its secular but I thought I could supplement..what do you think? I will check out Rod and Staff thanks again, Candyce
Candyce... my first few months of hsing I used the same book but I just added things to it. and we had a wonderful time with it... I would the easy classes when the baby was awake and she, when the baby is down do the ones they will need your help the most with.. Good Luck...
OH yeah, I forgot to add what Kris said: When the littler ones take naps, work on the harder stuff with your oldest. When they're up and you're more busy, have her do the easier stuff on her own. That's how I worked it when I started with my oldest when he was in 2nd grade. My younger two were good sleepers, so sometimes we had a couple of hours, which was nice! You're able to get more done, and you have special, one-on-one, time with the oldest, which is good for both of you! Did you look at the Mystery of History? That's Bible and History---fun and interesting! Good supplement for what you already got, maybe.
Welcome, hope you enjoy this forum as much as I do. Hsing 12 year old dgs and 3 year old dgd. Join right in.
Hello and welcome!!! I am Patty and homeschool my daughter Emma. She is 9 and we are or usually enjoy ourselves.:angel: Glad to have you here! Patty
