PLEASE disregard the westville gal as she seems very uninformed about what home schooling is.

I also do not like school programs given out by “the system.” Know that you CAN put together something on your own and make it much more interesting for yourself and your children. Just go with there interests for electives and get a program that will cover both age groups. You simply expect more from the older child. I pull from several different curriculum’s to teach my kids.

Take your time putting together a plan! Don’t feel like you are not doing enough. If you are spending a few hours a week with them they are probably getting more than they ever did in the public school system.

Feel free to email if you have more questions or would like suggestions.

We are also a homeschooling family. I use several different cirriculums for my kids. You now have the freedom to do what you want. If the kids are really into their science experiments for that day, just make it a day for science. Make it fun for them. Most days we are doing math and english. We take a day to do science and another to work on social studies. Going to museums and battlefields in the area. Going to the science center is usually a good option on a rainy day. Almost every city has avalable options. There are co-ops out there also that you can use. The first thing that I suggest is to join a local homeschool group. Do not give up. There is a silver lining out there. I usually have a week planned out, but if something is going on that I want tohem to see or do, I add that in and not fret about not getting the math lesson done before noon. Remember that the teacher guides are just that, guides. You have the freedom to get rid of what you don’t need and what really won’t work. I use a math cirriculm that I sometimes use the teachers book, and use the videos and their book more to show them how to do it. I also have different levels that I am working with including 2- almost 3yr olds.

Also it doesn’t mean that you are going to stick with that cirriculm the entire time. Last year we were using a different social studies book, but it was NOT working. We switched in the middle of the year. You might need to find something that will work better for your teaching style or make it work for you. There are swaps out there and ebay to get different ones cheaper.

And just remember the public school never finish the books by the end of the year. There is no need to finish the book in a certain time frame. If you do finish in the first semester, go onto something else. Learning never gets put on hold.

THe first few weeks in any program can be tough. Before long you will get a feel for the repeating patterns in the curriculum and find your stride. Many curriculums are also designed with more options than you have to do so that multiple learning styles are accomodated. Since you said this was a program you are doing with your district, it sounds like you may be using K12. K12 is a curriculum you can buy and homeschool with traditionally or get free through a cyber school. I used K12 for four years (4th to 7th grade) with one of my four kids, but yes the first few weeks seemed a bit overwhelming as we were learning it. I too had multiple children at mutiple grade levels in multiple currriculums. K12 is designed with plenty of activities to reach all learning styles, pick and chose from the activities to match your child to the lesson objectives. If he already knows the material, skip the practice activities and go on to the test. If you have a student strong in something, skip the activities in that, do the test, and focus your time on the weak areas instead. Just hang in there as you get accustomed to the curriculum and the learning styles and needs of your own children.

It’s OK to pick or even all out replace activities, just be sure the lesson objectives are always met.

There are so many good programs out there. I personally have always preferred a program that has textbooks and timelines for completing each portion of the subjects. Of course you are feeling overwhelmed! You are in charge of your children’s education on top of all of your other responsibilities. But you can do it! I’ve been homeschooling for 2 1/2 years and still have the jitters for the first couple of weeks, worrying that I’m covering everything. But then in time you will develop your routine and gain confidence. Just stop worrying so much about getting all the housework, etc. done for now. The kids should help you after they have done their lessons. Look on the internet for homeschool programs. You will find some great ones. They aren’t cheap, but your children are worth it. Maybe the presents at Christmas will be fewer these years, but education is much more important. Take care. Best wishes.

It’s very difficult to give someone an accurate picture of homeschooling unless they actually see it for themselves. And I don’t mean for a day; I mean for at least a couple of weeks. That’s the only way to really appreciate how it works. Since it’s very unlikely that someone who thinks poorly of or doesn’t “get” homeschooling to begin with will take the time to investigate it that deeply, the chances of really helping them understand it are pretty slim. There are so many different ways to homeschool that you can’t say, “Homeschooling means you do this, that, and the other thing, and that’s it.” Some people think that homeschooling takes a well-planned curriculum, a strict schedule, and regular tests, including standardized, to make sure their children are “where they should be.” At the other end of the spectrum (and there are a multitude of in-betweens) are the unschoolers, who let their children learn things naturally when they are ready. There is no predetermined schedule or list of subjects to study. There is only life, in all it’s richness, and parents who strive to create an environment that encourages curiosity, conversation, and creativity. In case you didn’t catch that glowing endorsement, I believe very strongly in unschooling. What’s funny, though, is that we unschoolers sometimes find similar questions and attitudes directed toward us from homeschoolers. We are a minority within a minority, which puts us in a position to deal with ignorance and condescension from… almost everyone. Some homeschoolers just don’t “get” unschooling. Again, firsthand observation is really the only way to understand and appreciate it. I think until people are willing to do real, personal research into something as complex as homeschooling or unschooling, they should not make assumptions or premature judgments.

Schooling kids at different grade levels can be hard. Do you need to use the school’s program? If not there are quite a few prepared complete packaged sets out there. We use Switched on Schoolhouse from Alpha Omega. I know some people really like Abbeka. Look up Rainbow Resource online. It is a huge catalogue of home schooling material.You can also try to combine as much as possible.You can do science and history together.We combine history with Story of the World from Peace Hill Press.We share all science experiments and we use a cross curricuar book called Math in the Garden from Acorn Naturalists. We can combine some math lessons,language arts and science with this book.

Also try to keep in mind that home is not school and family is a big part of homeschooling! Sometimes have the older help the younger,have children read their assignments and take part in discussing what needs to be covered in the material. Perhaps you are required to do a lesson,but they already know it,so you can skip it.

It takes a while to adjust,but you do not need to duplicate the school at home. Find out what is required by the state and use that as your basic guide. Don’t forget, staying up late and watching a meteor shower is astronomy,asking the furnace repair man lots of annoying questions about steam pressure and carbon gas is science,measuring the area of your living room for a new carpet is geometry,balancing your checkbook is consumer math….

You might not like to hear this, but I would suggest independent homeschooling rather than being tied to the district’s schedule. That way, you can look over a full calendar year, not just “school” months, and realize that you have plenty of time to do all those subjects. You can also choose what needs to be done and what doesn’t, for instance, if your child already knows how to solve a certain type of math problem, and can prove it by solving a few, why not move on to the next lesson?

Take a deep breath. 🙂 We all get stressed out sometimes. I have 3 kids and I have days when I want to throw in the towel. However, I look at my kids and how well they are doing and I never want to go back to the system.

If I had to do what the school system wanted me to do I’d go crazy too. We choose our own curriculum as well.

Could you take it in smaller bites? Divide the work into 2 parts and then divide it into months? That way you would know what you have to cover for the next month and forget about the rest of it for now?

Just take it small bit by small bit rather then looking at te whole.

Good luck!

I really liked the Calvert School curriculum from Calvert in Baltimore, MD. It was developed for foreign diplomats and has been packaged into a complete curriculum for each grade including lesson plans for homeschoolers. Don’t give up!! Public school teachers teach to the lowest common denominator and hold bright kids back (not their fault, just a fact). Do your kids a service and tough through the first little while and you’ll love it. I homeschooled 2 and one of my friends homeschooled 14 kids!!

I would suggest using another curriculum. There are several out there that already have the days planned out for you.

Abeka is what I use and I have a 5th and 2nd grader. The days are already planned through the year. It tells me all the materials I will need that day including any tests, quizzes or worksheets that I need to get out. It tells me how to teach, what to teach and what to let them do on their own. Of course I do not do it like they suggest, but it is there for those starting out.

I would die if I had to plan out everything they do, eek!