Hi, I am new here, too, and have a TON of questions...

[renie408]

I am homeschooling my ten year old daughter. We live in upstate SC and I am homeschooling for academic reasons, not religious ones. Well, except that we are atheists and she was being teased in school about her parents rotting in hell. That did contribute to our decision. I kid all the time that we are the only South Carolinians who ever left the public school system because we were being persecuted for being atheist.

Anyway, I was very intimidated at first, but we are loving it now. I cannot for the life of me figure out why I didn't do this before. I feel like she is REALLY learning stuff now.

But I have TONS of questions and would like other people's input on how they have dealt with certain things:

1) I would like to develop an interest in and knowledge of current events in my daughter, but I have held off really studying the subject because I am not sure what approach to take. I don't know whether the paper is the way to go or the internet.

2) Science. I have had a helluva time finding science curriculum which makes any sense at all to me. We got a science book with the curriculum package I ordered, but it jumped from on subject to another and only touched here and there on things. Instead, we are doing what I call 'earth studies'. Last semester we discussed the Dynamic Earth and this nine weeks we are studying all the different biomes of the earth in depth. One a week. I am conflicted because I have read so many conflicting things about teaching this subject. One school of thought follows what the science book was doing; hit on many topics lightly and do that year after year and eventually your kid builds a body of knowledge. Another, and the one I am following, says that you should study different elements more in depth. My plan is to alternate studying life sciences for a quarter, earth sciences for a quarter and physical sciences for a quarter. I am wondering how other families have dealt with Science.

3) Social Studies. I had the same problem with the social studies curriculum we received. So I ditched it and purchased a series of books entitled "A History of Us", which covers American History from pre-Revolutionary War to the present day. The chapters are only a few pages long, so we cover one chapter a day. I alternate history with studying geography and right now we are doing the US. On Tuesday's and Thursday's we cover a different state. Again, I am wondering if my approach is too in depth for a ten year old (though she seems to enjoy it) and how other people approach social studies. My plan is to cover American History for the rest of this year and next year and as soon as we run out of states, we can start covering other countries next year.

4) Socialization. We live on a farm in upstate SC and she has a couple of friends who come over to ride several days a week and we have joined the local rec center. She will NOT do cheerleading, dance, gymnastics or anything like that. All she wants to do is swim and ride her pony. We go to horse shows and we are not hermits or anything. But I hear a lot about how she needs to be socialized. Its like I am raising a German Shepherd puppy or something. How do you guys solve the socialization situation??

I am sure I have about a zillion other things I want to ask, so if I drive everybody crazy, I am sorry.

[mzteris]

1. Hey!

First off - RELAX! Deep breath.

You don't have to "recreate school" at home to homeschool. :)

To answer your questions:

1) Paper or internet for current events?

Actually, we do more NPR for current events. (Works well with CARschooling! :rofl:) And personally, I use the net, but I also access the paper ON the net - and have him read whatever I think is of most interest.


2) Science. Jumping around, skimming lightly, with lots of repeating OR In-depth studies?

It depends. What type of "learner" is your daughter? Does she constantly seek MORE information? Wanting to know Why? How? When? Who? of everything she's handed? Does she like to really sink her teeth into a topic and worry it to death - almost to the point of "obsession" before moving on to something else? Or is she pretty happy with getting a basic overview and "building" her knowledge base a layer at a time?

3) Social Studies.

History of US is very good and quite suitable, I think, for that age. The only other thing I'd offer up is maybe do "other country' history concurrently so she gets a better integrated picture of what was going on in the world. Learning US history in isolation sets up a lot of misunderstanding and misplaced importance on "US first and only mindset" (if you know what I mean.) Oh yeah, we also did a bit of STATE history in-depth study concurrently with the US History. Again, IMO - it gives a better wholistic understanding.


4) Socialization.

Are you near Charlotte? There are quite a few NC Hs secular groups that might be accessible to you. I see northern SC hs'ers all the time on our loops. Go to Yahoo and Groups and search for NC and homeschool. Try name of your (or nearby) town or county and homeschool, too.

If you want more specific referrals, PM me!

Also, there are always things like dance, gymnastics, sports, Girl Scouts, martial arts, co-ops, enrichment classes/camps offered by area museums, parks & rec, etc.


PS - I posted you a message in NC about more activists groups, btw. You might not receive notice due to yesterday's LEVEL 6!

[renie408]

3. Thanks

Adding some contextual info about the wider world is a good idea for the history.

As for her learning style, she would happily skip the whole thing. She is very good natured and does what I ask, but her preference is to ride her pony and play with her cats and dogs. It is one of the reasons I was worried about her in 'regular' school. She was getting A/B's, but never seemed to LEARN anything. And I love her and all, but the stuff they would give her an A for made me nervous. I know everybody thinks their kids are great kids, but this one really is. She is polite, easy going, would never DREAM of making a wave and I swear I think some of it was that she was cruising along on her good nature. She is smart, don't get me wrong, but she was putting NO effort into school and content to make A/B's and had no interest in the learning. It was almost like she was getting through school because she had to and just biding her time til she could come home and ride and run wild on the farm. We have been homeschooling for three months now and she gets up every morning and helps me feed and turnout 28 horses and never squeaks. I used to have to hold a gun to her head to get her off to school in the morning.

I work very hard not to make comparisons between her and her brother, but it is inevitable. He is a motivated student who will research things on his own. He is interested in EVERYTHING. At her age, he was eating schoolwork and wanting more. I don't really expect her to be like him, but I would like her to grasp the joy of learning and that your whole life is a learning process.


(Total non sequitur....this kid is destined to be some kind of animal trainer. She has this kitten that somebody dumped off at the barn last October when it was about three weeks old. She has named him Galahad and he comes when she calls him by name (he ignores the rest of us like we do not exist) and he follows her around like a dog. She is now practicing teaching him to sit and I will be goddammed if he is not doing it.)

[unschooler]

5. Congrats on taking the leap, renie408!

Just a couple of thoughts:

First, your daughter sounds like a terrific kid!

WRT academics: It might take her a while to leave behind her school-based ways of thinking (what do I have to do to get a B?) and rediscover her innate curiosity. Also, it wounds as if she is interested in learning a lot of things, but not all of the are the same things that are traditionally taught in schools. Perhaps her interest in animals might develop into an interest in biology, which might suggest to her a need for higher math, which might(get my drift?).... I'd suggest visits to the library or bookstore, where she can pick out books about topics that interest her. Researching horses, for example, can lead to literature, science, history, anthropolgy, military history, music, art.... The possibilities are literally endless.

WRT socialization: I'm sure it's hard to find non-fundy homeschooled kids in South Carolina (probably hard to find non-fundy people anywhere in SC, eh?). A recent poster posted a link to the UU "inclusive homeschool organizations" list.

I'd follow your daughter's lead when it comes to socialization. Some kids need a cloud of peers around all of the time, and some kids are happy alone in the barn with the animals or up in a tree with a book. The only test her socialization has to pass is her own. As always, following one's interests often leads to finding compatible friends.

Good luck! Homeschooling is fantastic adventure. It will open your eyes in more ways than you expect.

[muttcats]

7. Classical here

We use the classical method.

History is done chronologically three times.

1st Grade - ancient history
2nd Grade - middle ages to early renaissance
3rd grade - late renaissance to early modern
4th grade - modern and US History

Repeat the same cycle but more in depth for 5th through 8th grade. Then a third time for 9th through 12th grade. You could start now with the ancients and do each cycle twice.

A really good history book for you would be The Story of Mankind. We will be using it for the 5-8 cycle. It would get you through all four years.

We are using The Story of the World now but your child is probably too old for that and it's just a bit too Christian for my taste so I have to tweak it a bit.

Science is also done on a four year cycle.

Year 1 - Life Science
Year 2 - Earth and Space
Year 3 - Chemistry
Year 4 - Physics

Lather, rinse, repeat.

We will be using R.E.A.L. Science as soon as it gets here. I just ordered it Friday after trying to do my own curriculum for half the year. R.E.A.L. Science is completely secular but I don't think they have it for your age level. My child is just in first grade this year.

[renie408]

8. Thanks

Part of the problem is that until now, she hasn't really had ANY history and I cannot quite tell what the point of her science classes have been. At her school, they went to science class once a week and did some idgety time-killing project. And the idgety time-killing projects didn't appear at all related to me. And they just started that in the third grade. Same thing for social studies. They did as broad and meaningless a study of SC history as they could get away with last year.
So I feel like I am starting from scratch in those areas this year. From what I can tell, up to Second grade was making sure she could stand in line, didn't act up and some basic reading and math. Which is fine with me, little kids can only absorb so much. I have never been one of those people that thought there was any benefit to my kid knowing all the names of the Presidents at the age of four.
But the upshot of it is that they were warehousing her and I feel like she was developing a sort of "I am here to get to 2:00 pm" mentality. Her brother was lucky because he got into gifted programs fairly quickly and we were in NC until two years ago. So by time he got to the SC school system, he was in the seventh grade with an active curiosity and interest in learning and school. And he tested into a program which had him doing some classes with the high school and he got into the high school band. So now he is in the ninth grade with a set of friends who are juniors and seniors, he is first chair sax, on the soccer team and a BMOC. But again, they are totally different temperaments. She is sweet and easy going and not too driven (not scholastically. You should have seen her putting lead changes on her pony, which she did by herself. If you don't know it, that is a tough thing for an experienced adult rider to do)and a little dreamy. He is good natured, but he has an active desire to be the best in his class.

[fight4my3sons]

2. Hi

Just wanted to say welcome! My kids are a lot younger, so I don't really have any answers for you. I haven't really started out yet, but am glad that you asked your questions because I am learning from everyone here. My boys are 3 and 20 months(twins).

[renie408]

4. Wow

You have my deepest respect. I bet you are going 24/7 with your kids!

Thanks for the welcome !

[fight4my3sons]

11. They keep me busy!

I'm envious of you! 28 horses! I've been riding all my life. Except now. I don't have the time. In the future I hope to get my certification to do therapeutic riding instruction. I was a special education teacher before having my kids.

[renie408]

13. There is a large therapeutic riding program

near us. My son is going to volunteer there over the summer and when my daughter gets old enough, I am hoping she will also.

[fight4my3sons]

15. I did some volunteer work at a program near us last summer.

It was a great opportunity for me to get some *me* time. My husband's work schedule is a little busier so it has been harder for me to get out there, but I loved it.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. Welcome to the group!

Congrats on your decision!

I currently homeschool my 7 year old, and taught his older brother (now 18) from 4th to 9th grades.

With regard to current events, I never held a formal class, but I frequently discuss things with my boys. We watch the news and read the paper together, and they'll hear me comment when I think something is garbage. This has the added benefit of helping them understand that the TV does not know all.

The beauty of homeschooling is your child has a teacher who really KNOWS her! If she's absorbing your history lessons and having a good time with them, don't stop! Does she maintain her focus through her science lesson? If it seems like she's losing interest, maybe it's time to move on to another topic, pointing out connections to previous topics and other areas of study as you go.

We use the Calvert School books (Science is McGraw-Hill), which tend to be less in-depth; but we find all the subjects inter-relate, lending the opportunity to teach that math is in science, science is in reading, etc. We also supplement by reading advanced books at bedtime and field trips, field trips, field trips!

We joined a homeschool networking group which has turned out to be terrific for social time. They offer low-cost classes and sports, field trips, dances and teas. You might want to google around to see if there's a group in your area; or check with your school system's Homeschooling Office, to find out if there are any non-religious homeschool groups nearby.

Beyond that, if she has a couple of friends, and enjoys being on a swim team, I don't see why that wouldn't be enough. Does she seem unhappy?

Enjoy! :D

[renie408]

9. Hi

We just joined the local rec center which offers sports, etc, and is inexpensive. That gets her out and I am hoping she might get interested in something like softball or basketball. She does not seem unhappy at all.

I do think that homeschooling is working out better for her because we talk about the things we are learning all day. I will see something in the grocery store that reminds me of something we studied and I will talk to her about it. And I just like it in general. One thing I have figured is that she is NOT a squeaky wheel. If she doesn't understand something, she doesn't want to say anything. Not because she doesn't want to look like she doesn't know, but because her niche in life is being the 'good girl'. Is it weird that I am trying to teach my kid to be more demanding?? Anyway, since we work so one-on-one, I can slow down in the places where she needs to ruminate over things and breeze through the things she grasps quickly.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. Teaching her to speak out

when she doesn't understand and how to practically apply the information she's absorbing are the most important lessons you can give her. You're developing the groundwork for her lifetime of learning. That's one of the things I love best about homeschooling...I finally feel like I can be involved with my kid!

Sounds like your daughter is in great hands! :thumbsup:

[thinkingwoman]

10. Welcome!

I hope you find homeschooling as rewarding and freeing as our family has!

Your questions are important and many of the answers already provided contain sound advice.

One thing I would add (since we gravitate more toward unschooling) is that there is more than one right answer to all of these questions. The trick is to find what works best for you and your child...what helps you reach your educational goal.

We have 2 educational goals that we have worked on for more than 8 years of homeschooling...

1. To teach our children how to learn. We feel that the most important thing for each individual to learn is how to learn, how to locate and evaluate sources of information about any subject, how to select materials and activities that cater to their learning style, and how to know when to seek advice/guidance/instruction from an expert.

2. To ready our children to enter college, the work force, or the business world, depending on their individual interests and goals.

These are our goals. Yours may differ, and that is perfectly fine. The important thing is to set goals, because once you do, you'll probably find it easier to answer the myriad of other questions that you have now, and that will continue to pop up as your child learns and grows.

Good luck and enjoy. The years go by so fast!

[renie408]

14. Those would be similar broad goals

to the ones that I have in mind. It is more the daily "point A to point B" stuff that worries me. I want my kids to be successful, whatever that means to them. I want for them both to have the tools they need to become whatever is they need to become. I just get a little neurotic when I think of how many of my daughter's eggs are now in my basket.