Topic : Homeschooling

This is my first year homeschooling my 5 yr old. I started her off in public school which is not what I wanted to do but it was the only choice i had at the time. So after 3 weeks of school I pulled her out because she was having to many problems adjusting. So now I'am working with her using kindergarten and preschool books that i buy a local stores. If anyone can give me some suggestions on some homeschools that they might recommend i would appreciate it. also if you know where I might be able to get free material for homeschooling would help to. 

czrweb. 

There are too many free materials to mention, but I'll give you a few. The web. If you scroll down you will see sites that Jettav and I posted. Lots of stuff for 5 year olds. Garage sales are wonderful. I have a whole book shelf and paid 10 cents per book for most. The library is a great place and for books you want that they don't have, you can ask for an interlibrary loan. They will search other libraries for you and call you when they find it.  

I'm not sure what you mean by you are looking for home schools that we can recommend. Aren't you at home with her? Maybe you can explain that further and I'll try to help you.  

for yourself, I would recommend you read lots of homeschooling books from the library. This helps me alot, especially when I start to second guess myself.  

I have an 11 and 4 year old and I started this journey a year ago, when I too was not pleased with the school. I love it and wish I had of done it sooner. 

Hope to see you here again so we can support one another. I live in Welland, Ontario. how about you? 

Sherri 

The links are about 16 posts back.  

I hope you will do some research before spending too much money on books you may not end up using or needing. Do you have to go by a certain curriculum for where you live? I make up my own curriculum and it's so much cheaper and you can incude alot of things your child is interested in. For instance, for vocabulary I use the online Merriam Dictionary. If you click on the dictionary for kids, they have a daily buzzword. They email it to us each day and we all learn the word together. The kids find it fun and when they enjoy it, it will make a difference. For spelling, we do family spelling bees from lots of different books. 

My 11 year old is an avid reader and reads a min. of 2 chapters at bedtime each evening. We research a different country each month and we also cook a food from that country. 

My daughter does alot of math in the grocery store and mall. She has learned to keep a budget, estimate the cost of items before getting to the cashier and to tell me how much tax will be on my perchase. This was a child who detested "school math".  

We do volunteer work and have some fun fundraisers from time to time.  

We do more together as a family because we get to go around our schedule now, not the schools. Occasionaly we have a pajama day where we will just have a lazy sit around and watch T.V days (rare but fun).  

We have a paper route we do together. 

I like to call my type of homeschooling, "real life learning".  

There are so many ways that children learn and we learn from them by listening to them and guiding them to what they are interested in learning because you won't ever be able to force a child to learn things he's not interested in.  

There are so many different ways to homeschool and you will eventually find the way that suits your family best. There's no right and wrong way, but there are certainly alot of ways.  

Sherri 

Hello any homeschoolers. We just took a couple of weeks off. The home got a bit crazy. I was moving the house about, trying to make it work better. It didn't and everything is back to where it was now! Figures, but I tried! I just can't seem to stay organized. I wish I knew a better way. The home life has been a little rough. Things aren't working out with the kids' dad, and I really don't want to move this next summer again, but don't think I can afford it here alone. Way too expensive. 

I have found a ton of web sites that help with school subjects, crafts, etc.  

Anyone have advise on the orgaization part? What do you do? Is there a desk, cupboard? How do you plan your daily stuff, especially if you aren't on one of the regular cirriculums, which we aren't. Any advise is gladly appreciated. Thanks! SM 

I love to organize and will type up some tips later. I'm just on my way out.  

Sherri 

ok, where were we? ok, before we talk about organization, what is it you are having trouble organizing. I have actually went into some friends homes and helped them organize and I would love to do it for a living when my children are older. THe first thing you need to do is PURGE, throw out, or give away to people or goodwill, anything that you do not use and you cannot see using in the future. Or you could sell some things on ebay if you think there too good to part with. You could have a yard sale. We do 2 every summer. If you have a hard time parting with "things", then you will have a hard time getting organized. For me personally, life is easier when I know where everything is.  

We don't have a set curriculum either. We make up our own with the fundamentals and with what our children are interested in. Learning is EVERYWHERE and you don't have to pay much at all. I find some great books for 10 cents at yard sales and that's all I want to pay because some we don't ever end up using. This way I'm out 10 cents, not hundreds of dollars.  

So first let me know if you can handle going through every room of your house with lots of garbage bags and if you want help from there, I will certainly help you.  

MacLeod is my family name. We are a bunch of Scottishmen (woman in my case,lol) I was raised in nova Scotia and now reside in Ontario.  

I'm sorry things aren't working out with your childrens father. I went through hard times myself with my oldests father. She doesn't see him anymore now, but boy did he make my life hard for a time. I am now married to the most wonderful man in the world that adores me and the kids. I have an 11 year old from a previous relationship and a 4 year year old with my hubby. He treats my oldest with a great deal of love and respect, but I never would have put up with less because I had a step dad from hell.  

Well I'm rambling, so bye for now. 

Sherri 

I guess we are a small bunch. Is anyone out there? I'd love to chat with some homeschooling parents. 

I don't actually have any kids yet, but I'm considering homeschooling when they do arrive! 

I'm in college now, and I'm really struggeling with findning it fun to learn! When I was in school, from 1 to 12 grade, it was all about getting those MVGs (Swedish version of A+), and it's a mentality I still have, even though I'm trying not to! 

I definitely don't want my kids to feel this way, I want them to enjoy learning, and I want them to know that you don't learn to get grades, you learn for life. 

Also I know from experience, as a lot of you probably do too, that social life in school can be very bad for you! I don't just mean bullying, I remember spending all my high school years wanting so bad to be part of the "cool gang", instead of being one of the geeks like I was (and still am, haha)! 

Well, this is probably obvious to all of you homeschooling parents, but I just wanted to share my thoughts. I think it's so nice that there seem to be so many homeschoolers in USA, I didn't even know that you were allowed to homeschool in Sweden until very recently! 

I loved reading what you thought about homeschooling from someone who has been through school. It tells me what I already know, but love to hear. I am doing the right thing. I don't test my kids and they love to learn. It's a very natural way of learning and that's how it should be. You will be a great mom, as you already have an interest in what is best for your child before they even get here. Good for you! 

Sherri