SAHM Looking for Advice on Homeschooling.

Hi. I homeschool. First, let me say that Florida is a great place to homeschool. I would recommend joining this group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Florida-homeschool/?yguid=2... . They were a huge help to me when I decided to homeschool. If that links doesn't work, it's a yahoo group for Florida homeschoolers. You should also check out www.fpea.com. This is the Florida Parent-Education Association. I recommend joining this group when you do start homeschooling. Be sure to check out their Guide to Homeschooling. It explains what your responsiblities are and your legal rights. There's also a Support Group section on there where you can look up support group in your areas.

One major decision is choosing curriculum. You would not believe how much is out there! I spent so much time trying to find the best curriculum, but there's not one perfect one. You can order all subject areas from one company or pick and choose from different companies.

I highly recommend A Beka for Language Arts. Most Christian schools in this area use it and it's great. I like Math U See for math. I used to teach elementary school and I have never seen a math program that makes math so easy to see and understand. For everything else, I highly recommend Five In A Row. This program would be especially great if you're homeschooling more than one child. You could teach each one their Language Arts and Math for their grade level. Then you would bring them all together for everything else. Well, it depends on how close in age your kids are. I use FIAR and even my 4yo son likes to join us for that.

You can check out FIAR at www.fiveinarow.com . They have a message board with wonderful ladies on there who have been a huge help to me.

Also go to http://www.rainbowresource.com/index.php and request their free catalog. It will show you just how much is out there for homeschoolers. They also have the best prices for a lot of curriculum. But, they don't sell A Beka. You would have to order that from their company (abeka.com).

I hope this helps some. Feel free to contact me if I can help out any.

I found some homeschooling stuff from the state education website. it actually is approved by the state. you do it online and it's available for K through 12.

Here is one site: http://www.flvs.net/students_parents/home_school_resource...

here is the other one:
http://www.connectionsacademy.com/

I couldn't use them because we were in GA last year. However, next year, i am planning to look into the Connections Academy for my son.

If you live in Florida, there are two public school virtual programs available that allow you to keep your children in a home school environment while still having the assistance of books, teachers, and curriculum. My son is currently enrolled in Connections Academy. He does all of his school work at home where I am able to assist him, but he has teachers who grade his work and they sent us the curriculum, school books, computer, and printer needed for his participation in the school. Since it is a public school, the books and all belong to the school and must be returned when the school term is over, but it is all free to use. Connections Academy is a program available in a number of states. If you go to myflorida.com, you will be able to find the two available online public school programs approved for Florida. This is our first year, but I have met other parents whose children have been enrolled for a number of years. It's working well for us. The Connections Academy website is connectionsacademy.com. I do not know the other school's website, but it is available at myflorida.com.

Discovery Toys sells a great range of different books and educational games that many homeschooling parents find very helpful. The products range from games that teach math, spelling, and astroloty, to sciece project kits and "start your own business" kits. The company is actually running a huge Winter Sale right now through February 10th. You can also earn FREE TOYS by hosting a party (you invite your friends that may be interested in purchasing some toys and I'll do the rest). If you'd like to host a party during the Winter Sale, please call me ASAP as spaces are filling up fast. You can also check out my site www.discoverytoyslink.com/N. or call me at ###-###-#### if you have any questions.

Good luck with homeschooling!!!
N.

HI V.,
I haven't started it yet, but I plan to homeschool my 3 and 1/2 year old daughter and 7 month old son. I belong to a great group of local homeschooling families at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SarasotaAreaHomeschoolers/ They have many events, play groups, clubs, etc. Our fav so far was the Halloween party. There are something like 39 families right now. They can help you bunches. Good luck!

K.

One response you received mentioned A Beka. That is a wonderful program! They are based in Pensacola, www.abeka.com. Another one I loved is ACE: www.aceministries.com. ACE = Accelerated Christian Education and is used for homeschooling as well as being used in several private schools. There are several websites that support ACE. One is www.homeschool.com/resources/AcceleratedChristianEducation/
Anyway, my daughter used FLVS, which is also referenced in another response you received. The biggest difference for me AND the reason I'm responding was that FLVS was still considered public school. I see you have 5 children, so I know even if your husband has a wonderful job that pays great, it can still prove to be a financial struggle. I did not have to pay for books, classes, or anything other than my normal taxes. We talked to FLVS teachers on a regular basis. They keep you informed on the phone and online. You can choose honors courses if you want. My daughter tired of homeschooling because of the amount of time she had to spend on the computer and because she missed the fellowship of other students. Everything for FLVS was on the computer except for the books we got at the library for the reading list. If your children thrive on learning via computer, this is an excellent choice. However, if you want to be hands-on administering their education, ACE and A Beka are both wonderful!

A friend of mine has a 15 yr. old that has been home-schooled since 2nd grade. They use an inter-active program where it's almost like they're in the classroom. I believe it's a Christian Academy, but obviously it doesn't revolve around that, depending on your religious preference it's definitely something to check out. The web-site is www.abeka.org., even after finishing the program through high-school, they have a campus where they can attend college. I believe the campus is either in Jacksonville, or Tallahassee, Florida. Hope the info. is helpful. If you have more questions i could get you in touch with my friend! Let me know!

Hi V. -- I am also a SAHM and am homeschooling my daughter who is doing 2nd and 1st grade work right now. I also plan to homeschool my 2 sons as they get older. Homeschooling is a unique priviledge for any mom -- and it'll be a great challenge. I've read the other responses and agree that you should definitely check out www.fpea.org. There is a HUGE convention in Orlando at the end of May that is a great source for homeschooling families -- and you'll find that info at that web site. Also -- don't feel like you have to do what other homeschoolers are doing. Sometimes other moms can pressure you into a certain curriculum. There are so many choices that it can be overwhelming!!! That's why I would highly recommend going to the convention in May. Good luck and God bless -- you're right about your kids only being young once! Oh - one more thing -- find a local homeschool support group. You can find one at the fpea website!