PLEASE HELP!! i want to homeschool my son, but need help with getting started. he's in high school.?

Question

homeschool help for my son and myself. where do i start? what do i do. i've got the forms, but i'm borderline clueless. somebody tell me what to do. i need help with the whole deal curriculum and all.

Answer 1

Don't listen to all the discouraging comments. They have no idea why you want to homeschool your son, so I don't know how they can jump on your motives. I wish I had been homeschooled in high school! All that "socialization" left me shell-shocked. I can't think what good it ever did me. I couldn't wait to get out.

Anyway, the Homeschool Legal Defense Association is a great place to start. Not only can they help you determine the laws for your state, but they also have counselors to talk things over with. High school is tougher to manage, but with support you can do it.

A real nice online curriculum that meets state standards is k12.com - Bill Bennett's brain child. It includes everything you need to start homeschooling. K12 High School teachers review students' work via the K12 Online School, monitor student discussion groups, provide support, and grade essays and compositions. All teachers are certified in their subject areas, with an average of 17 years of classroom teaching experience and four years of online teaching experience.

Look for the links to HSLDA and k12 below. I hope this helps! Good luck!

Answer 2

First, check out the HSLDA website. They have an overview of each state's homeschool laws. This will help you know WHAT you need to do as far as the forms are concerned.

Second, you need to decide on a method/philosophy. "Mary Pride's Complete Guide to Getting Started in Homeschooling" goes over 12 different methods (classical, unschooling, eclectic, Charlotte Mason, ...). This is important because it will help you in your curriculum choices (which is step three...

Choose your curriculum. If you're unschooling, you need to read, "The Teenage Liberation Handbook" by Grace Llewellyn. If you choose to use the classical method, read, "The Well-Trained Mind" by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer.

Finally, give your son a chance to 'decompress' before hitting him with homeschool. You don't want to make your home look just like the public school, so give him a few weeks/months to ease into homeschool. Start one subject at a time, then add another every two-four weeks. Find out if there is something your son WANTS to learn and start there.

Try getting him involved in a homeschool youth activity group (sports, chess, whatever interests him) where he can start to interact with other teenage homeschool boys.

It's important for you to have support and help, too, so look for a co-op or support group in your area and connect with other homeschooling parents. The first year is definitely the most difficult, so having a guide is very helpful. They've already been down the trail you're on and can help you avoid some of the potential problems (with the public schools, 'concerned' family, disinterested children, ...) They are also an invaluable source of wisdom when it comes to curriculum choices (some people will even let you borrow things to try out before you buy). The biggest lesson I learned is that the "best" program for lots of people is NOT always the best for us. If something isn't working, shelve it and do something else. Lots of curriculum is available used on eBay, which means you can sell it there, too, if it doesn't work out.

HTH. Feel free to email me if you have more questions or need clarification on anything. Best wishes!

Answer 3

First off don't worry about all the naysayers out there who think all homeschooled kids are strange and socially inept. They're not. They are usually more intellengent than the average student and wish to be with their family and close friends or read a good book rather than go out partying. There is already some great advice on here for you to get started. You'll find that you can spend the day at a museum or the zoo or spend a little time playing scrabble (that teaches spelling by the way) and get to know your son. And don't worry if your going to teach him something you don't anything about, someone around you does or the two of you can learn together. You will be amazed at how close you both will become. He might even hate any schooling at first and want to spend all day just reading or playing video games...let him. School work can be done at 8 p.m. just as well as 9 a.m. Just set some guidelines and let him go. If he likes playing guitar...let him play. It will give him time to really learn it. Suggest him picking up a few books and videos at the library. You will find the library to be your and his best friend. If you have any questions..please don't hesitate to write me. I have been homeschooling my oldest son for five years and my youngest for one...he is just starting 1st grade. My oldest is in the 10th. Good luck!!!!!

Answer 4

If he is going to start a different high school in the fall, and will be starting all over, then it might make sense to take him out and finish with homeschooling for the rest of the year. However, keep in mind your priorities, he is not likely just to turn around and become a studious kind overnight just because you yanked him out of a public school. If anything, your problems with him not doing his school work will worsen. He is a teen, he doesn't know any better, and he is going through his rebellious stage. I'm sure you have plenty of conflict with him now, are you ready to add to it? Also, consider the fact that he is basically ditching school, has fallen behind in his schoolwork, and you are bailing him out of the consequences of his poor decisions. Will you always be there to bail him out when he screws up in life? Sometimes, they just have take their lumps and all we can do is pick up the pieces for them and offer comfort when the consequences hit. Good luck to you in whatever you decide. AS for what to say to the counselor, be honest without being insulting: "This is not working out for my son. He has trouble adjusting and it seems that the teachers have a hard time finding the right approach to help him learn, so we decided to switch schools in the fall and homeschool until then,"

Answer 5

1. Look into cyber schools. That way he will be able to get the coverage that he needs and they will be able to test him online to see where he is in each of his classes.

2. Fill out the paperwork necessary to homeschool. This includes a copy of your high school diploma, his school records and medical documents. You can opt to decline the medical stuff for various reasons.

3. You will have to submit a course plan for each year that you homeschool. These can be found online.

4. Don't make the mistake of thinking that homeschooling has to happen at home. You would be surprised what kids, even teens, can learn when they are out of the house. If you make learning fun, they will retain more of what they are exposed to.

5. Most cyber schools do not charge you a fee. There are more than a few that will give you a computer to use as well as internet access. This way if you only have one computer for the household he doesn't feel rushed to get his work done.

6. Look into testing facilities for the end of the year. You can test your child when ever you want because homeschoolers make their own schedule.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions or need any help. As long as you graduated from high school or have a GED you are qualified to homeschool your child.

Good Luck!

Answer 6

First of all, ignore the idiots who think they know best for you and your student. You have to make the determination about what it best.

Start by getting help. Every state has differing rules and opportunities. Find out what is available in your state by checking into homeschooling organizations and cooperatives (see link). Take advantage of the resources available.

Find an accredited program that will offer your son a diploma. Sometimes they are available on the local level, other times you'll need to look at high school programs available through universities like BYU or NDIS.

Know your limitations. Find help if you are struggling, or look seriously at alternative high schools, charter schools, etc.

Answer 7

Fill out the paper work. Take it one step at a time. You can do this if you both put your minds to it. I have homeschooled my children for 5 years. Try to find a support group of other home school families. For curriculum I understand your problem, there is A LOT of good choices. I really like Switched on Schoolhouse (SOS) for my son. It is a CD-ROM based program. The lessons are on the computer, the program grades most of the work, and it has fun special projects to emphasize the lessons. They have an academy if you so chose where he can get a high school diploma. There are also electives. In my opinion SOS is one of the easiest to teach and most reliable schooling for the price. Cost of academy, including CD program, is around $1100 per year; cost of CD ROM program without academy about $300. Check it out, you may like it www.aop.com. Have a great time homeschooling.

Answer 8

Well if I were you I would go thru a charter school. Your school district can give you info on what the name of the charter school is and maybe a number as well. You can home school thru the district but I do it thru the charter school. I have a teacher come to my home every 20 days and set up a curriculum for my kids and she grades some of their work and makes sure that they are up to par. I live in California and the charter program is a state funded program so your child will be on the same tract as students in public school. The charter program also supplies all the books you will need. They even have libraries, labs and classrooms if you have problems with your kids math they have tutors and teachers that can help you with it...with the charter program you aren't alone in it at all. Good luck hope the info helped

Answer 9

Do a google search for your state's official homeschool agency. They are usually very nice and helpful. They have all kinds of info, and they all have websites.
Each state has different laws for homeschool that have to be followed. So you have to abide by your states laws.
I would have nothing to do with your public school in getting information. Lots of times public schools do not follow the laws pertaining to homeschool and sometimes 'bully' the homeschoolers.
Since your starting at high school, you need to ask the state homeschool agency if there are any 'requirements' needed for graduating while in homeschool.
In my state, the requirements for homeschool and public school are different.
Also ask the homeschool ageny about getting an 'accredited' diploma, so it will be official.
Now for curiculum, the first step to this is to find out your states laws on WHAT to teach. Then get what you need according to the subjects you need to teach.
The biggest mistake new people in homeschool make is thinking they HAVE to do their homeschool the same way that public school is done.
THis is the WORST thing you can do!! You can do school any way you want, as long as the child learns what they legally need to learn.
In our case, public schools teach in ONLY one way, which is sitting at the books. My child had learning problems and could not learn in this way. The school fought horribly with me NOT to help her. They used the old excuse of her being bad, sorry, don't care, etc.
THey didn't want to admit the truth that she has learning problems because they dind't want to help her.
This is rampant all across the country and why lots of parent turn to homeschool.
Anyway, one great thing about homeschool is that you can teach your child in the way they learn the best, using their learning 'strenghts'. Schools do NOT do this.
You don't even HAVE to use books, not unless you want to, and not unless your state laws require this. We don't use books at all cause my child can not learn well this way.
And, there are local homeschool support groups in just about every city.
These groups are wonderful because all the homeschool kids and parents get together for field trips, clubs, do classes together, proms, dances, etc.
Lots of people think there is no socialization for homeschoolers and that is bad. THat is far from the truth. Homeschool kids have MUCH MORE opportunitites for socialization that public school kids do. And you don't have to worry about the bullying, drugs, trouble, etc.

Someone here mentioned the HSLDA group. That's the national homeschool agency. IT's wonderful. Their website has info for each state.

Answer 10

Follow the legal guidelines of where you live or you are asking for too many distractions. Prepare you high schooler for the GED and add some deeper study of his/her hobbies or fun interests. Stop freaking out and there are tons of ways to use the web and local libraries. I have homeschooled three of our five children.