Homeschooling & Help Getting Started, Homeschool Groups for Christians

Hi B.,

I have to agree with Amy J, this is certainly the WRONG forum for you to get help on this topic. It sometimes enrages me how ignorant and insensitive some people are to those of us who choose to educate our own children at home! And I will not even get into the issue of how we choose to socialize them, which is no one's concern but our own!

With that said, I am in Western PA so I can't give you specific resources for your area. However, I can tell you that there are MANY Yahoo groups for homeschoolers, with several that are specific to each area and several Christian groups as well. Also, if you just Google <homeschooling in "your area"> you should find many results.

There are many great resources for homeschoolers since homeschooling seems to be on the rise. I have no doubt you will find the right ones for you and your family.

Good luck and God bless!

Hi B.,

My sister uses a charter school in PA and says it is very restrictive. She says there isn't much time left to work on other things they would like to learn. When my own children homeschooled, I used an eclectic approach. I bought books from various sources depending on what I liked. I also made up much of my curriculum based on my children's needs and what we were interested in at the time.

We were also involved in a good co-op, each parent contributing their talents for the benefit of all the children. There was class time in the morning and then supervised free play in the afternoon. It is good for children to have some time that is not too structured.
Some co-ops meet once a week, others only once a month. I'm sorry I don't know of any co-ops in your area. I think starting one would be a wonderful idea.

Blessings,
K. (wife of over 30 years, mother of 5 grown children, grandma to 5 with 2 on the way---yay!)
www.joyfulconnections.net

There is soooo much information out there it is really ridiculous when it comes to choice. I reccommend joining HSLDA you can visit them here www.hslda.org
A fabulous resource is the Chap convention. This is held every May over Mothers Day weekend. This is a 2 day convention with a speakers/curriculum vendors and lots of people. This is in Harrisburg it is in the State Farm show convention building. It is trully worth going and get some information. www.chapboard.org
HSlDA and CHAP will have support groups and curriculum, list of evaulators in your area that you can contact.
Unfortunately there will those that tell you that you need to socialize your children. Your children do not need to "BE SOCIALIZED" to learn how to be a child. They need to learn from their parents how to be adults. They have playdates to have fun. To be with children their own ages and to interact. If I heard it once I've heard it 20x's that a child needs socialization. I think everyone here that has gone to public school can attest to the fact that their teachers told them that they "Weren't here to socialize but to be educated" You can also visit www.vegsource.com/homeschool/ to see some other curriculum sites and chatboards. I hth

Hello B.,

I just wanted to applaud your decision to homeschool. I have homeschooled my children for 15 years now. I have one college graduate and one in college, and my baby is in her junior year of high school.

I don't know about resources in your area, so you'll have to depend on others for that, but I just wanted to tell you from a veteran looking back, it was the best decision I ever made for my children. I still have a wonderful, close relationship with all of my children. I know their unique personalities and needs and we have a lot of wonderful memories of times we have shared over the years.

The children aren't small forever. They grow up and become their own. Each year, each day is a gift that will not be given again. I've made a lot of mistakes in my parenting and in my homeschooling, but through God's grace, I do not have any regrets for the time and sacrifices it took to homeschoool them.

God bless you in your journey,
L.

Hey, B.,
So sorry for the ladies that are assuming your kids don't know how to socialize etc-like the lady who accused your 7 year old of having no idea how to play with others??!! Where did she get that? Your not on the wrong track, just the wrong forum. It's way more acceptable on this site to medicate your child for ADHD and do "interventions" and "medical evaluations" for things than to do traditional Christian homeschooling. Don't be discouraged. Definitely search around for support, I think the hardest part will be finding like minded people to bond with. My whole family on my mother's side through her second marriage home schools in the traditional Christian way. Each family has from 7-12 kids. They are amazing, intelligent happy, vibrant polite kids-EVEN the teenagers!!! The kids are so mature by 8 and 9 years old, I would let them babysit my kids! And they all take care of their younger siblings. By age 18 they've built their own houses and started their own families or gone off to the best colleges or to do missionary work. Their educations are great. They have happy hearts and alive spirits and a sense of God, responsibility and community. There is no lack of socialization, and they mix with the outside world all the time. I wish I was raising my kids that way, but we live in central PA, not Tennessee where they are, and our faith is not as strong in our lives as theirs. But keep up the great work searching-I really admire what you're doing. Good work!
Also, do you get the "No Greater Joy" newsletters etc? Check their website, they have good resources.

My children used to go to a private Christian school and they used the "School of tomorrow" curriculum. They use a pace system which lets the child work at their own pace, yet it still challenges them. GO on their website and see what they have to offer.

L.

B.,
We're a homeschooling family too though not for religious reasons. Anyhow, there is a plethora of co-ops, support groups and programs for homeschoolers. Pottstown Homeschooler Association is great. I would also recommend signing on to Chester County Homeschoolers yahoo group. For any "how-to" questions, the Askpauline website is awesome. You will find lot of like-minded people that may be more supportive to your needs than on this board.

Hope this helps.

Hi B.,

I appreciate you wanting the best for your daughter. I have not homeschooled, but I have known several people who has. Most of the ones I knew had a homeschool group that met at a local church and had "electives" for their children. They would find people who could teach subjects that would interest the children. My husband had participated in this by teaching fishing and drumming. This was also a way to get the kids around other kids for socialization. Every kid needs socialization to prosper into well rounded adults. It helps them develop a proper self esteem, understanding for others, the knowledge of how to act properly around others and how to be a good friend amongst several other reasons.

I understand wanting to keep our children safe from what others may do to them because of all the evil in the world. Honestly though even some of the bad things help us develop into loving and more understanding adults. When Jesus was born, God did not keep him secluded from the world even though there was so much evil amongst the people. Jesus suffered much in his life and yet he did not reject others. As Christians we are to become like Jesus.

I am in no way judging your lifestyle or your decisions.I am not without faults of my own, so I can not condemn others for theirs.

L.