My husband and I are looking into the whole idea of home schooling. Can you give any recommendations on resources to help us navigate this topic? I don't need help deciding whether or not we should do it. I need to have good information about what is available and how it all works so we can make an informed decision. I know HS has changed over the years and different opportunities exist in the Metroplex that probably don't exist in Indiana where I grew up.
I have already looked/read on lisawhelchel.com. How do we narrow curriculum choices down? How do I get plugged in to a local community (Carrollton or nearby) of homeschool families?
THanks!
We did Alpha Omega Academy , online for my 3 kids. All the school work is done on the computer , a teacher corrects it and sends it back to you. You can call the teachers direct and talk to them if you need help. It worked well for me as it didnt require too much of my time in teaching them.
Check out the website K12.com.
It has an excellent curriculum!
And, it makes homeschooling easy and fun.
There are lots of extra activities for digging in deeper into topics.
Good luck!
I homeschooled my daughter for a year and loved it. She really missed all her friends and our school district was growing and building a new HS and Middle school so she wanted to go back and be a part of that. Luckily we are in a superb school district.(Lovejoy) That said, I was referred to The LAMB Company in Allen Texas. The coupld who own it were and are in education. They homeschooled their children and didn't like what was available at the time. They began creating curiculum to fill in for what they thought was needed. They have a well put together plan and walk you through it so well. I was so worried I
wouldn't be able to do it. It was a no brainer after I met
with them and they showed me their system. It may be a bit of a drive but if you decide to go with them it will be
well worth it. If you do not decide to go with them at least go check out their store. They have some really great resources.
Check out SAIL Homeschool group. It's based in McKinney, but has families from all over the metroplex. It's an extremely active group with lots of things to do for all age groups.
http://www.sailhomeschoolers.org/
As far as narrowing curriculum choices, look at www.homeschoolreviews.com to see what things worked or didn't work for other families and why. Once you find a support group, you can also talk to other families about the different cirriculum choices. Most groups have something set up for new homeschoolers to help you wade through all the curriculum choices and pick the best ones for your family.
Good luck!
We began a year and a half ago. It's great!
First off check out Texas Home School Coalitions website www.thsc.org
There are great bookstores for home schoolers in Duncanville and Lewisville
The Richardson Home school Co op is one of the oldest around. www.edline.net/pages/RHSA_Teaching_Co Op
You can google the story I wrote on home schooling at www.peoplenewspapers.com
Do a search for home school and it will pop up in several editions ( Park Cities People and Lakewood and a few others) There is a lot of information there.
Curriculum choices are abundant. There is a terrific home school book fair in Arlington each year. I highly recommend it. If you head to one of the home school bookstores the women who work there are fountains of information. Sonlight is probably the oldest curriculum out there. It can be overwhelming to even look at the website but they have a ton of support and will be the first to let you know "you don't have to do it all!"
Excell Coop is in Carrolton. Coops are great for field trips if you don't want to do a class. They are also great ways to meet other home schoolers.
Please don't hesitate to email me privately if you need any more input.
You might want to check out Home Educator's Resource, a home school book store in Lewisville on Main Street. You can browse at curricula and ask the clerks questions--they home school. They also offer some classes there.
Search Trent Academy (The Schools). My daughter finished high school a semester early with this wonderful curriculum; had a teacher assigned to her from their staff for guidance beyond what I could do.
A really great resource is the book, "The Well Trained Mind." The website is www.welltrainedmind.com. Also read the reviews on Amazon to see if it sounds like something you would like.
You might also look at www.coramdeoacademy.org for an alternate - it is a school that combines homeschooling a couple of days a week with going to school.
Good luck!
Hi M.!
In Texas, homeschooling is pretty simple - you choose what and how you want to teach and you don't have to report to anyone. It's great!
I think it may help to start by looking at different homeschooling methods to see what may fit your family and your child's learning style. This deals more with HOW you will teach. Here are some options:
http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/homeschooling-met...
Then you can start looking at what you will use to teach your child. You can find curriculum reviews at:
http://www.homeschoolreviews.com
I would also suggest attending a curriculum fair. There is a big one coming up in May, and a smaller one in Plano in August. You can find out more about them here:
http://www.homeschoolbookfair.org/
http://www.nthen.org/conferences.html
Here are some tips for making the most of them:
http://www.successful-homeschooling.com/home-school-curri...
The opportunities for activities are limitless in our area. There are homeschool sports associations, ice skating groups, scout troups, PE classes, science courses, swim lessons, etc. Sometimes I think there is too much to choose from!
As for local support, there is a group in Carrollton:
http://www.mhssg.org/benefits.aspx
If that one isn't a good fit there are many groups in nearby areas. I live in Mckinney, but I'm a member of Frisco HIS. Here's a list of other groups in our area:
http://www.peachonline.org/resources_support.htm
Best wishes, and enjoy homeschooling!
I think I can help you. I have been looking into home schooling too, and I think I have found a great alternative to conventional home schooling. A friend of a friend clued me in to the Corum Deo Academy AND they have a Carrollton school! Corum Deo is a private christian home school facility where the kids go two days a week and home school the other three days. When they get older, they can add a friday to their week for electives, too. I have looked into it and plan to send my oldest to kindergarten next year there. It is incredibly low priced for a private school, but is very highly recommended. Check it out: corumdeo.com or org.
There is the 24th Annual Home School Book Fair at the Arlington Convention Center May 9th and 10th. I would suggest you just go and listen without buying anything. In the beginning it can be overwhelming! Check out this website for the book fair information: www.homeschoolbookfair.org
