I am thinking of home schooling my grade 4, grade 5 and grade 7 child. Any advice?

Question

I am wanting any web sites or suggestions opinions about home schooling my kids. They are very social spirited kids involved in community activities, so socially they will be fine, but I am just wanting to know the cost, proceedure and web sites for home schooling children in primary school, in Qld Australia...Anything and everything will be appreciated :) Thank-you in advance.

Answer 1

I want to share a different approach than many of the replies you will receive. After finding out the requirements for you to homeschool...think GAMES, UNITS and FUN!

Learning is to be enjoyed and homeschool offers you the opportunity to have a wonderful adventure with your children.

Do NOT just bring school home. This would be ordering lots of text materials and workbooks and maybe even fancy little desks. Then following a "schedule" the children would follow much of the same format they would if they attended the classroom.

Remember that you want something different and better. So see life, nature, daily living as a big part of your classroom. Teach them in all that you do...every moment has its possibilities to be a "teachable moment."

READ, READ, READ! Give your children a love of books. Not just silly stories, but REAL LIVING books. Stories about the world, natures, children like themselves in all cultures and times in history, adventure, true-to-life stories, stories with moral lesson to be learned, etc. Discover the libraries and visit often. Also read TO your children. Find books to read as a family.

Many great unit will open up with your reading. Children may want more information about the whales you read about, or building bridges, China, cooking, opera, horses, race cars, maps, President Lincoln, or whatever. So you build a unit. Find more information, apply all the different school subjects:

...have then write a report, poem, or sentences
...research the HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY of the topic
...find music or art projects that pertain to the topic
...build vocabulary lists, and learn to spell the words (note phonics rules that apply)
...are there math skills that can be applied? or charts, graphs that can display information learned
...and more, and more and more

Games are fun and all children love to play. Make a board game to fit your unit. Design a path surrounded by pictures, stickers, or drawings that illustrate the unit. Write question cards from material that you learn as you read. (This is a good project for an older child. Remember to put the answers on the cards or include an answer key.) Rules of play can be as simple as:

...Player 1 is asked a question by Player 2.
...If correct response is given, player one shake a die and moves the indicated number of spaces along the path.
...First player to reach the end of the path is the winner.

Be creative. Use other rules from games the children enjoy or make up your own rules.

To see lots of other learning games types that you can make yourself, go to the Games For Learning website:

http://www.angelfire.com/wi2/GamesForLearning

Mostly just have fun. Keep introducing interesting materials to your children.

and, yes,...give them math, teach them to read and write...but enjoy the process!

Good luck!

Answer 2

I have home schooled my son for 10 years and my daughter just started. I spent many years in Washington and there was little to no support for homeschoolers. But I moved to Arizona and there is a great internet school that you could look into called K12. It has everything you need. I love the program and they send out all curriculum and supplies free!

Don't listen to the ignorance of the people telling you to put them in school. My kids and I have a great relationship because we have been so close and they didn't pick up the foul language, bullying, being bullied, peer pressure, etc that runs rampant in the public schools. Plus home schoolers usually do better on tests because they are comfortable and are taught one on one by someone who knows their needs.

Answer 3

The thing about secondary schools (or at least British schools, I don't know about US ones) is that the teachers have a degree in their subject (as part of the job requirements), and can therefore give correct answers and real explainations should the child wish to find out more about a topic.

This would be less important for a younger child, simply because answers are easier to find to the sort of questions they ask.

I think this is a serious consideration for the parent of a yr7/7th grade child.

As for websites, try http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/
This site is BBC and therefore follows the British national curriculum, but it should be useful for specific topics.

Answer 4

I like Mary P.'s answer a lot. You do need to make it a fun learning experience for the children.
I would recommend setting a daily, weekly, and monthly schedule. Make it realistic. However, if one of the children needs to spend extra time on something, don't worry about slowing it down until they get each aspect.
And despite what people may say, they will not be antisocial. It might even make them more social.
I would also recommend joining a support group/homeschooling co-op. Something that will provide you with help, if you need it, and will provide the children with field trips, homework help, extracurriculars, dances, etc. It helps a lot.

Answer 5

If you wish to support your child learn to see successfully, not with TV and videos, pc applications and applications, or even the school program is the clear answer, this system, Children Learning Reading, from here https://tr.im/ekOAu is.
For a young child to effectively learn and master studying skills they require regular interest from one or both parents. With this at heart, however, the lessons are held small from 5 to fifteen minutes a day.
With Children Learning Reading system you will also build and enhance your relationship with your son or daughter not only how to learn effectively.

Answer 6

Try the new online learning management system called haiku LMS. It is free (they also have paid accounts), fast and easy.

Post content from your hard drive (photos, files, links, text, audio, video) or from Flickr, YouTube, Google Video and ODEO. v2.0 comes out this summer and includes online discussions, private messaging, homework drop box and an excellent grade book.

Answer 7

I am currently home schooled and I have one thing of advice to offer you; make sure they have fun. My mom home school's my brother and me and we make stupid little clubs all the time. I am in 8th grade and it may sound immature but we have student council, year book club, and we had a contest to create a school mascot. This makes it seem like we are having a semi-normal school experience.

Answer 8

oh, queenland, i'm in VA (usa), and i use seaton. i'm in grade 8. i'de love to chat with your 7th grader. is this your first year homeschooling? i don't know much about austrailia, but we have a guild here, and on tuesday we have a latin class by our preist, and a catecism class on wednesday, one for 2nd grade (forst communion) and 8th (conformation). good luck with homeschooling.

Answer 9

Don't listen to those people telling you to send them to school. My mom homeschools me and six of my siblings. You should look into a homeschooling group in the area if your kids are very social. I like Horizon. And Saxon Math.

http://www.homeschooloasis.com/

Good Luck!

Answer 10

I highly recommend the A Beka Academy.
http://www.abekaacademy.org/
They provide DVDs for the kids to watch and even keep full records for you.
Whatever you choose, I wish you the best of luck!