Home school

[spaulfamily02]

this will be my first your home schooling.any help would be wonderful.
questions I have most is do you have to register on a website every year for your kids? Do you copy work books or curriculum and reuse them.
Thanks for the hepl sarah

 

[CatholicRaven]

Sarah,

Are you in the U.S.A? If so, homeschool laws vary by state.

For instance, in my state (Missouri), homeschoolers are not required to register. We have to provide the equivalent of 1,000 hours of instruction, 600 of which must be in the core subjects. We need to keep some records of attendance and samples and/or evaluations of each student’s work. A daily log is generally the easiest record to keep.

You can find your state laws by doing an internet search, or sometimes they are available on your state’s government website. If you register on the HSLDA website, or become a member, they also provide that information specific to your state. In some states, it is highly recommended by veteran homeschoolers that you become a member of the HSLDA; in others, it’s not as necessary, but may still be a good idea.

If you are in another country, you might still be able to find something out about your local homeschooling laws by searching online, or perhaps the HSLDA or another homeschooling-related group can provide information.

Many curriculum providers allow copying of their materials for at-home use; some do not. I generally try to buy the ones that do allow it, so that I can reuse the materials for younger siblings. Some companies have “consumable workbooks” that are separate from the textbook, so that I only have to buy one textbook for all the kids, and then simply purchase a new workbook for each student that I expect to use it.

If there is a homeschooling group in your area, I highly recommend checking it out and joining (particularly if it’s a Catholic group). The other homeschooling parents will be able to help you find answers specific to your state/area, point you to available resources that you might not otherwise know about, and/or provide a social outlet for you and your kids.

HTH! God bless!

 

[spaulfamily02]

thank you so much I have joined a co-op at my church. We are new to church and don’t know many people yet.yes we are from Missouri.

 

[Allegra]

Bradburns is a good source to get examples of textbooks and workbooks in your hands before you actually purchase them. Their prices are really high though. There’s one on Olive in Creve Coeur and on on Hampton just south of Forest Park.

 

[Gidge]

thank you so much I have joined a co-op at my church. We are new to church and don’t know many people yet.yes we are from Missouri.

Best wishes, we know many homeschooling families and they are all bright, articulate, socially well adjusted, and most importantly, strong in their faith.

 

[tabycat]

Also, there are some free online k-12 ‘public schools’. I don’t know how good they are, because not having any children, I haven’t had the chance of checking any of them out.

 

[Cath4life]

Congratulations on your homeschool journey!!!

I am in Florida and in our state there is a lot of flexibility. I only use the workbook approach for math and everything else is unit study/classical curriculum. My local library is the main resource for literature. For Catholic curriculum, my best suppliers are:

emmanuelbooks.com, chcweb.com,
My main spine book is:
ignatius.com/Products/DYO-P/designing-your-own-classical-curriculum.aspx

I have been homeschooling for about approx 9 years. For next year, I’ll be homeschooling a 6th grader, a 2nd grader and a 12th grader (almost done!). My High school senior is now in the dual enrollment program at the local community college part time.

I would start out by learning your teaching style and the learning style of your child first. This book was awesome when I first started out.

cathyduffyreviews.com/general-book-reviews/101-top-picks.htm

Blessings and Happy Homeschooling!

 

[Mickey]

Make sure you become a member of HSLDA. They are very helpful.

 

[CatholicRaven]

Sarah,
Since you are in Missouri, I would NOT recommend registering your homeschool with the state, online or elsewhere. Be aware that if you do, you will have to register EVERY year after that that you continue to homeschool. In addition, depending upon the homeschool-friendliness (or -unfriendliness) of the administrators in your local school district, it might be a good idea to join HSLDA. Missouri is generally considered a “homeschool-friendly” state, but not all school districts are equal.

Also, there are some free online k-12 ‘public schools’. I don’t know how good they are, because not having any children, I haven’t had the chance of checking any of them out.

As far as I can tell, I do not think Missouri has this available yet for free, but there are online schools available that charge tuition. IMHO, however, many seem excessively expensive in comparison to most other options. Of course, it’s possible that some of these programs have scholarships, grants, or tuition assistance, as well.