Questions for homeschooling parents?

Question

We are considering homeschooling our son, who will be 5 next month, this fall. I am a college instructor myself so I know how important a good education is. It is such a difficult decision to make though! I have a few questions. I know we are going to have to make our own decisions but I wanted to get some other opinions as well. Thanks!

1) Is it extremely difficult (or nearly impossible) to spend the necessary time with a homeschooled child when you also have a two year old or newborn (or worse yet...BOTH!) at home?

2) Is it better to use a specific curriculum or mix and match? Which ones are good (preferably Christian)?

3) I have read a lot about unit studies. Are they a better way to homeschool?

Thanks!

Answer 1

We started homeschooling with a nine year old, seven year old, six year old, five year old, three year old, one year old, and found out I was pregnant three days after I pulled them out of school. So if I can do it, I'm thinking it's not too hard to do with a toddler and newborn. It did take planning, and basically we ran our house like a daycare for three hours a day. We had one specific room, in which we all stayed. We had a bookshelf with bins of toys, and up higher all the supplies were in bins that the older children could reach, but not the younger. The older children all had magazine bins, with color coded folders, and work for the week on the left hand side. There were different time slots for different subjects, and they could get out their work and work independently. I introduced new topics on staggered dates, so I could focus on one child at a time, and the others could work on their own, asking me if they had any questions. The little ones had worksheets of their own, coloring and crafts, to make them feel like the big kids. We had group reading time, with the classics, and the little ones played around us.

After two years, we've relaxed a LOT and do a lot of online curriculum. Because of the structure in the beginning, they are comfortable with a routine, and tend to fall into it on their own. At such a young age, I'd steer clear of expensive curriculums (Seriously, why would you need to spend several hundred dollars to teach basics? Save it when they are in serious study!) Find online the pass curriculum for your state (at the state dept of ed website), and follow it. Our public school system has theirs online, and it very clearly outlines each topic to be learned, and the order in which they teach it. It is better to use what works for your child. Read Howard Gardners book on seven types of intelligences and figure out the way in which your child learns best. The best curriculum will be the one which follows his natural inclinations. At this age, he'll be very tactile and ambulatory, needing lots of movement to process anything he's learning. Look at this to see what I mean
http://www.sde.state.ok.us/home/defaultns.html

Unit studies are as effective as you make them. Many people promote them because they allow you to focus on a child's interest to teach all subjects. What I've seen however, is that a parent may glom onto a unit thinking the child is interested, and what you have is a passing interest that's been bulldozed by the sudden hard work involved with liking it. Or a very passionate interest that is amelorated because of the parent's seeming passion, leaving the child feeling like it's been stolen from them. In our house, I do promote passions, and if someone is interested in a topic, then they submerse into it and do what they like with it. They don't have to quit to do another topic that an adult may deem 'more important'. I try to 'strew' support and tools and subject matter, without overwhelming them.

Answer 2

Hi,
We've homeschooled/unschooled since birth. When my oldest (now almost 8) was 5, I also had a 2 yr old and a newborn...so I know what you're about to go through. There will be a period of time (like when the baby suddenly doesn't sleep so much) that lasts until the baby starts walking where you can count on not doing much in the way of structured education (or pretty much anything else). The good news is that your 5 yr old will not stop learning during this whole period.

The other good news is that noone else can tell you the best way to homeschool because it's different for each and every family and sometimes every child in each family.

I will tell you that most people I know don't use a specific curriculum for a 5 yr old. For one, you'll spend a lot of money on a curriculum but only a small part of it may actually work for your child. If you can surround your child with rich resources and experiences like great books and toys, trips to the library and museums, etc, he will still learn so much and become intrigued and want to learn so much more. We love to follow our kids' interests and research and delve deeper into dinosaurs, history of candy, animals, Colonial America, Archery, etc. We are living "the life" if you asked us! (Many people refer to this as a method of doing unit studies.)

I suggest you search for a local homeschooling group to ask more questions. Yahoo Groups has so so so many!

Good Luck!

Answer 3

I homeschool my 8 year old and I have a 2 year old at home. It can be pretty tough because my 8 year old is easily distracted. It is easier with the newborn because they take naps more frequently and can be happy in a swing or bouncer for 15 minutes. 2 year olds are into everything and don't spend a lot of time sitting quietly.

But it is still possible, I think it just takes some patience, perserverance and a good schedule. For example, if you have your 2 year old and the newborn taking a nap at the same time that would let you have the hands on time then. Or if your 2 year old will sit and watch a video for 20 minutes during the baby's morning and afternoon naps that might help.

Before I talk about curriculum I need to say my son is very bright. He has always been ahead for his age and reads at least 2 years above his grade level. And we worked with him a lot before he started preschool. He knew his colors and letters and counting by 3. So depending on your child what works for me may not work best for you. Homeschooling is finding what works best for you and your child.

We have tried mixing and matching which worked really well for my son, but was a lot of work for me and then there were times I would spend an hour pulling stuff together and then have him be like, "oh I knew that" and maybe need a 5 minute review. It can also be expensive as you tend to buy more little $6 workbooks than you would believe.

The next year we used a full 1st grade Abeka curriculum. We didn't really like it. It didn't challenge him, there was too much repetition, way too many worksheets. He dreaded doing the schoolwork everyday and didn't enjoy the stories in the books. The history and science didn't start right away and that was a main interest of my son. And the history was more community helpers for a while with a little history at the end. The science was ok, but since this is my sons favorite he was like "thats it?"

This year we are using Alpha Omegas Switched on Schoolhouse and went ahead and skipped ahead to 3rd grade hoping to challenge him. It is a computer based curriculum and is working pretty well. The only real complaint I have at all is the history which has spent weeks teaching him about different farming communities in depth and seems like more than he really needs on this topic. Also the test and quiz questions don't really seem to check to be sure he gets the general idea with the important fact understood. It seems like it asks questions the lesson barely discussed and that really aren't really something he needs to know. He also is given a spelling list without anything to help him learn it, but has so much work on the computer each day there really isn't a lot of time for me to work with him or an outside curriculum for me to use. So if I want to work with him I have to be sure I have read everything he is doing and found outside things to tie in. With the spelling he also has a test 2 days later, which I think is too fast, but it is not seperate from the rest of the Language Arts, so unless I am willing to have him do that less days per week and fall behind, there is really no way to allow him a longer time. Basically I would like more flexibility and a bigger involvement.

So, next year we are going to go with a Classical Education. I am reading the book the Well Trained Mind and I think I will be able to pull a curriculum together using the tools they suggested. Also there is the ability to teach my younger child at the same time when he is ready that no other curriculum offers. With a classical education all the children learn the same history and type of science. Read the same literature stories on different levels. I have bought the first 2 books of The Story of the World by Susan Wise Bauer and the workbooks are on the way. So far it looks really good. For bible I bought a One Year Chronological bible that we will read together and discuss every day. Combined with Sunday School and Awanas I think that will be ok. For reading we will be pulling titles that compliment the history as well as allowing my son to choose some fun titles for us to read together.

I would however reccomend attending a Homeschool Convention or book show. You may find a curriculum that you like. But also read up on classical eduacation as it may work best if you plan to homeschool all 3 kids. Here are 2 websites that will tell you a little.
http://www.classical-homeschooling.org/index_saved.html
http://welltrainedmind.com/
http://peacehillpress.com/

Good Luck!

Answer 4

a few more thoughts...
1) it is not nearly as difficult as it would seem to be at first. My wife and I homeschool. We started when my oldest was 3 and an only child. He is now 10 and has 2 siblings, 6 and 4. I would recommend planning an activity that you can start the oldest on and have him/her complete mostly indepnedently and then plan short (3-5 minute) activities for you to do w/the younger children (color, shaving cream, basic motor skill activities). One of the nicest things about homeschooling for my family is the flexibility. If my wife is having difficulty w/a subject, she can go on to the next and end 'school' a bit early, then when I get home 'school' will restart and last just until the difficult subject has been completed.

2) we have tried a variety of curricla and found that, for us, a mix and match approach works best. Our children, and from talking to other homeschooling parents, many other children also, advance at different rates in different subjects (& at different rates for different children, of course). So, for example, my 10 year old is at age level for science, a year ahead for english, and about 3 years ahead for math. the A Beka (www.abeka.com) program is a good Christian program, and there are others out there too.

3) unit studies are nice, but as someone else pointed out, the amount of time the parent/instructor must invest both before and after lessons is significant. We do much 'independent' study with our oldest, where we give him a subject, specific assignments (ie: make a graph, write a paper, and give an oral report) as well as some guidelines so he knows what our expectations are (ie:he doesn't turn in a 2 sentence report or on the other hand a 22 page report).

Please check with your local/state gov't to see what requirements they have. Many states are very lenient, and with the condition of many public schools they should be!

Also, as previously suggested, seek out a local homeschooling group for support, information, and possibly even reduced cost curricula.

Good luck!
and God Bless!!!

Answer 5

I have a 6 year old and a 2 year old. First off you'd be very surprised what a 2 year old can learn during school time. Although you can't sit them down and teach them like an older child. While I work with my 1st grader, the 2 year old LOOOOOVES the computer. She plays JumpStart Preschool Advanced. We have a fight over the computer some times. She's not only learning but knows how to do basic computer skills. When she really needs my attention, then I can get my older child started on a worksheet. I do stand and teach her everyday.

The main thing to remember with smaller kids around is FLEXIBILITY. Do not expect to start and stop something at a specific time, because it may not go that way. Teaching can go throughout the day and doesn't just have to be from 8-12pm straight through. There are times when we may do 1 hour of a lesson and then take a break so I can put my 2 year old to sleep.

Let your student's way of learning guide you because what works for one may not work for another. We're ecclectic homeschoolers. We prefer to mix and match our curriculum. We don't start at page 1 of a book go straight through. If my daughter is wanting to learn something in the middle of the book, we jump over there. She's thriving and doing well because I was willing to see what works best for her. She takes tests and quizzes. That helps me to see where she needs improvement.

If your wife is going to have a 2 year old aaaand a newborn and there's major concern over the stress factor for her, then think about hiring someone who can come and watch the baby while she teaches. Better yet, she can do half of the lessons before you come home and the other half when you are at home to help (provided you don't work 3rd shift lol).

Good luck and God bless.

Answer 6

Question 1.
I started homeschooling my 5 year old when my newborn was 3 months old. Was it hard...honestly...not at all...My newborn even had acid reflux and colic and I have still been successful. It’s going to be tough at times no matter what but I have found that my little one really likes to watch some of the satellite classes as well :)

Question 2.
I prefer for myself and my child to use Bob Jones University Curriculums. www.bjupress.com and I am using the HOMESAT

The teachers are awesome. They explain things in a fun and exciting new way for a child to learn. I would recommend if you are first starting out to try and keep it simple for yourself. Try not to mix things around at first until you can see how things work out. So I would say stick with a curriculum and then you can add things on in the year as you wish. That’s the great thing about homeschool...You can add things when you feel they are ready and slow down when you need it.

It’s been a blessing here for us. I also recommend the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. Their site is also below.

Hope this little bit of info helps out and Good luck with whatever you chose.

Answer 7

As a public school teacher (well used to be, I moved on now!) I will toss my opinion into the fray.
It is as difficult as you make it. I agree with others that, if you involve the younger children, it will be easier. Do not limit yourself to simply teaching those of school age. We all know younger kids can and do learn and would benefit from being included in those things which are appropriate. Also, when you homeschool there is no schedule! You do not have to do math from 830 to 915...you can do math from 6pm to 7pm. you can do math as you make supper and allow the student to measure the ingredients.

Specific curriculum for younger ages is probably a bit better. As a teacher you should know the hardest part of teaching is curriculum development. I can say without a doubt it is very difficult to develop meaningful curriculum. Let someone else do the work if you are not sure. As for Christian Curriculum's there are hundreds of them out there so do your research! Bob Jones U may be good for one person but not another (isn't BJU the school that is always in the news for their race and gender stances?) You should definitely talk to your own pastor and see what they have to say. Most Christian churches offer home schooling support groups which I highly recommend as you can use each other's interests and specialties (careers) to enhance the experience.

Unit studies make sense but again this is an issue of curriculum. What a unit does is places all core (and some electives) into the same context, say World War II. By doing so the child learns a lot more about the unit (in theory). Again, this is something you should research and decide on but units usually work better with older children (my experience as a teacher).

good luck...looks like you have a lot to read and think about.

one last note.....be sure to check with your state department of education so you cover your butt legally. Education is compulsory and covered by law and in most states you have to file forms stating your intent to homeschool (in some states you have to get the district you live in to approve it, such as Wisconsin). Here in Kansas you have to register your home school as a private school with the state. It is not difficult but does require some paperwork and stuff. Overall be certain you check your states legal requirements for homeschooling. A home school association or your local church could probably help!

Answer 8

1. Homeschooling is great because as opposed to public schooling where children are spending 8 hours of time per day in a class and learing 2 hours worth of material, a homeschooler can be done in a four hour session leaving time for the kid to play. Homeschooling also give you the availability to alter your schedule as necessary but it is good to have a routine that you stick to. The sibling issue is a little difficult but worth the benefit of schooling your own child. Let's face it, your child will be around strangers 8 or more hours per day and you don't know who these people are. At least you know who you and your wife are and you won't be having a child that assimilates improper behaviours.
2. Do whatever works for the child. Some kids are more advanced that others. You have to try and see if it is suitable for them and if not, alter the program. BEKA books are always good for christian learning.
3. My kids are American but were raised in China, their curriculum was according to what was useful to them i.e. chinese language, chinese culture, hebrew, business math etc...

Answer 9

1) It can be difficult, but if you start out homeschooling instead of public schooling then switching to homeschooling, you won't find it to be that difficult. Why? Because you'll just be gradually adding on things to your son's already-begun educational process. Plus, he'll be almost 6 and will be very capable of helping you out--wonderful skills to be learning even if they aren't academic. And heck, I say that if that if Michelle Duggar can figure out how to homeschool her kids with 16 kids in the house and God knows how many of them under school age, then the rest of us should be able to figure out how to homeschool one with a little one (or more) in the house. It's just a matter of figuring out a routine that will work. (And being prepared to change that routine as the babies get older and change things without our permission. ;) ) Essentially, flexibility is the name of th game!

2) You don't need a specific curriculum at all. It depends on what you want to do, what you feel capable of doing without specific resources. Do check into stuff though: Sonlight and A Beka are both Christian. A Beka offers everything in their particular style. Sonlight is more guided, specifically made for homeschoolers, but uses a wide variety of materials to make learning enjoyable. It can, however, be very time-consuming if you do it ALL, regardless of which company, so keep in mind the rule of being flexible and perhaps only purchasing what you feel are musts.

3) Unit studies are not necessarily better, they are what they are. For some families, they work out very well. For other families, it just doesn't seem to gel.

Do you know if you have a local homeschool support group? Now would be a great time for you to meet with homeschoolers, see if they're willing to share what they do, have you look through their materials, etc. You don't have to be certain about being a homeschooler--all the homeschooling groups I know of welcome everybody, even those who don't have kids and are looking into homeschooling for when they do!

Answer 10

1) It is difficult, but not impossible. I had a grade K and an infant. Now I have a grade K, a grade 3 and a 2 year old. It just takes organization.

2) I don't use any curriculum, I just buy a complete workbook and supplement from smaller books or the internet.

3) The only unit study I have ever used is one about Dinosaurs.