Looking for info on homeschooling...any thoughts?

I know that there are whole communities of home school parents who support each other. If one parent is strong in science they will help while you might be good at Literature and help their kid. They also do field trips together and share a curriculum. You need to hook up with those people in your community. My daughter had several friends from the Reformed Church who were hooked in with a Home School community. You may want to call your local Reformed Church congregation and see if they can direct you to a community of Home School parents.

You should start by joining your local homeschooling organization. There are legal processes that you have to follow for homeschooling that vary from state to state, which they should be able to explain to you, and will be able to help you compare materials out there without having to make an up-front investment. In many areas, homeschooling groups offer not only opportunities for socialization for both students and parents, but field trips, scout troops, and cottage schooling as well.

I looked into this quite seriously when my daughter was in third grade, and have friends who homeschooled for various reasons

Your local school district may also have resources available for home schooling parents.

My daughter has been homeschooled all of her school life with thecexception of third grade. She is a freshman now. We have enjoyed and she has benefitted from it immensely. We use ABeka. It has worked extremely well. If you have any questions, just ask me.

I home school both my sons and all three of my grandsons. None of them were home schooled for their entire school years, because the schools eventually caught up with parents like myself and began providing an outreach program which allowed the student to attend appointments with the teacher two days a week to take the tests on the previous assignments, and receive the new assignments.

Before the schools offered the outreach, I got a copy of the State requirements for school curriculum and used it as a guide. I also read several books on home schooling and checked out a number of online resources.

I think I’d be a good homeschooling parent, but I am not able to do it because of financial reasons…I have to work

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Even working parents can homeschool, but it is harder, because the child has to be supervised while the parent is at work. What some people do is hire college students/teacher interns. While I was working, we rented a room out to a college student in exchange.

@YARNLADY
I don’t really trust anyone else to take care of my child unless they’re trained teachers or trained in childhood education and I wouldn’t be able to provide the child with the interaction he gets at his pre school

I know this is an older question, but I just stumbled upon it and I have a random, somewhat related, maybe helpful tidbit: while in school I read The Teenage Liberation Handbook and it changed my life! I think some of the ideas in that book (and others, of course) would apply to 3rd grade as well.

Fact from fiction truth from diction. After the wedding and the rug rats come around my fiancée and I are all over homeschooling. Don’t know which books or system to use (we will figure that when the time comes) but we see only pluses. The opportunity to incorporate mini lessons is everywhere. Baking cookies is an option to teach about fractions or multiplication. Use the scientific process that goes on in the oven, science. We feel if our child wants to go faster there is no class holding him/her up. If they feel they can do 6th grade reading in the 4th grade we have full control to let them run with it. Any family vacation can graft in history. And evening stroll at night can include science or astronomy. If we are smart we can load the little nipper’s head with so much knowledge without them really know they are learning something. Plus, there is no rat race commute to get to class, fashionista trying to look as cool as the next kid, or gangs and junk. And as said before, you can always network or find ways to get interaction with other kids for your own. More pluses than minuses we see.

Good luck! :) Check http://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/ for resources (there’s also a list of local groups you can contact here). Check churches (probably other community buildings, too, but I know churches do this a lot) for Homeschool Enrichment programs, which will not only expand the opportunities for your child but will put you in touch with other homeschooling moms.

My son-in-law and his siblings were homeschooled – he graduated from college near the top of his class (top 10, I think). The homeschooled kids I’ve met are the brightest and most well-behaved youngsters around. My daughter is home-schooling – I’m really happy about that, and admire her a lot for doing it. This is her first year. It’s a challenge, but she’s doing well!