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home school questions and answers

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Q: home school?
im in 10th grade and im trying to find home schooling in concord, california where i live...i cant find nothing..does anybody know of a free or not that expensive home school around here?

A: check out www.k12.com it is free and comes from California most awesome program all lesson on computer teachers outings clubs you will love it and they give you a free computer to use so check it out I HOPE YOU LOVE IT AS MUCH AS WE DO AND TELL THEM AZ VA SENT YOU

Q: home-school?
Does anyone know any good home-schooling sites??? You know to get work from.

A: Depends on the age of the child and the subject you are looking for but here are some of the ones I have http://abcteach.com/ http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/html/wildlife.html http://www.edhelper.com/ http://www.tut-world.com/ http://familygames.com/freelane.html good geography games http://www.georgewashington.si.edu/kids/teacherguide.pdf http://www.tlsbooks.com/kidspagearchive.htm http://www.learningpage.com/free_pages/home.html http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html not worksheets but great online math help for all ages http://131.125.2.61/~njcms/newTeacherResources/index.php http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/lang/elem.html http://www.readinga-z.com/index.php not free but really worth the $80 if you have a non reader or emerging reader TONS of printable books http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/seqlps/ http://www.glc.k12.ga.us/trc/cluster.asp?mode=browse&intPathID=3395 http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm more learning games http://www.bigbrainz.com/Download.html free game for learning multiplication Hope these help if you need more help email me, Good Luck!

Q: How do I start home-schooling in high school?
Is it possible to start home-schooling now, when I am in high school? If so, how can I learn more about it? And also, does being home-schooled hinder my chances of being accepted to a good university?

A: You can definitely start homeschooling in high school, many kids do. There is a great book on the subject, Homeschooling the Teen Years by Cafi Cohen. It can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/Homeschooling-Complete-Successfully-Year-Old-Learning/dp/0761520937/ref=sr_1_2/102-3631082-0686509?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188844705&sr=8-2 (It's also most likely at your public library.) Here is a site that will tell you exactly what you need to do to homeschool in your state, as every state has different rules and laws: http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/default.asp Homeschooling does not in any way hinder your chances of being accepted to a good university, unless you just plain don't choose to do the work. Actually, it can help your chances...pretty much all universities (including Ivy League schools) accept homeschoolers without a problem, and many actively court them (read: scholarship/grant money) because they have shown, on average, that they are more socially mature and academically ready for the rigors of college. I would suggest to get a copy of the catalogs from your prospective colleges to find out exactly what documentation you'll need to provide, they all have their own regulations. In homeschooling, you can take AP classes, concurrent enrollment, and be involved in whatever extracurricular activities you like. Many areas have things like homeschool bands, sports, etc., and because you have the ability to structure your own time, you can also take on an internship and/or develop your own studies to prepare yourself for your future goals. Hope that helps!

Q: How can I be home schooled for only one quarter of the school year, then start up again?
I am in tenth grade. I recently broke my foot and have been on crutches for eight weeks. Being on crutches it is difficult to get around school. If I re-brake my foot, I'm going to be home-schooled. Can I be home-schooled for only a quarter? Also, how do I get started?

A: It depends on your school, but it shouldn't be a problem. They would be more inclined to allow this if you found a certified teacher to school you at home. A lot of retired teachers do this for extra cash. This is pretty common. Two kids at my school did it last year, one of them when they had mono and the other when they had pneumonia. Have your parents meet with your principal and work out the details.

Q: How can home-schooling parents start a real school?
My Mom is trying to find out how to start a school so she can paid money for home-schooling my sister and I. How do you do that? Does anybody know? She's been looking online but can't figure anything out. Help? Somehow scholarship pays for it. She heard about it.

A: Just because she starts a "school" doesn't mean she'll receive money to teach you and your sister. The only way to receive money like that is to work at a public or private school. In most states, homeschools *are* considered schools - private schools. But no one is going to give her money because she teaches both of you. Is she thinking of teaching *other* HS'ed children? That is called tutoring or a private school. It would not be homeschooling, as the students wouldn't be taught/overseen by their parents in their own home. You and your sister can attend a public online virtual school. In that case, the government will pay for your curriculum just like it would any other public school. In that way, your mom is "paid" since she wouldn't have to spend the money on your curriculum. You'd have public school teachers overseeing your work, and your mom would act as a mentor over your daily work. There are homeschooling education cooperatives. In them, HS'ing parents come together to teach classes, or hire professional teachers (in our co-op most parents are "retired" teachers who decided to HS). It is a sort of "school" as you'd have different classes and instructors. If your mom taught a class at one, she may be paid a small stipend. If you give us more info, we can help better. Info like are you currently being HS'ed, who does your mom want to teach, why does she think anyone will give her money to teach her own daughters, etc.

Q: Any Home School families where both parents work?
Right now, my husband stays home with my 20-month-old son. We're going to home school him, but our home situation may change between now and then. Any experienced home school families, with both parents working, able to give some advice? This is so encouraging, all of you! Thanks for the good answers!

A: My husband and I both work full time, he works days and I work midnights. We not only managed to home school our son, but he was able to graduate from high school 2 years early. It took some work and a lot of planning but we managed quite well.

Q: I have been home-schooled all of my life, but my dad is sending me to a public school?
I am thirteen and in year eight. All my life i've been home-schooled, but just recently, my dad decided to put me and my brother into a public school. He says we need to socialize properly. There is One more week of the holidays. What's it like(Public high school)? Is the work hard? I love being home-schooled, but i think that my dad is right - me and my brother need to socialize. I've never really been around other kids though. I have, but not in a schooling situation. Basically, my brother and i were just wondering what it's like. My dad told me that sometimes kids get bullied? He also said that some kids get into physical fights... Is this true?

A: I am sorry that you have to go of to public school, I don't know your situation, but you have to honor your parents no matter what. It really depends on the school as far as what you experience. I am sure there will be some kids that are ignorant but hopefully as many that will be friendly. Just focus on the positive and don't try to impress anyone. Be yourself! If you want to "wear a skirt to your ankles" you should BTW. Don't change who you are to to fit in to any crowd. There are resources on the web you could look up and present to your parents about the myths and studies done on socialization and how Home Schooled students actually excel. You could present that to them respectfully, but the bottom line is you must do what they say. Edit: I have been busy today, but I did remember this report I read you may be interested in: http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_ekoko/20061002.html Otherwise, just do a search using "Home Schooling and socialization" It addresses a lot of the Myths scientifically. Make sure you are involved in sports, clubs and civic activities and assure your father you will continue to be. OH, I have no idea whether "Prof Black (or whatever his name is) is for real, but if he is he is obviously bitter or ill educated in the Home Schooling topic. It doesn't take a professor to do a little research. The few kids he MAY (if that’s even true) be basing his opinions on are not enough to prove something. Good Luck

Q: What does it take to home school children & how much does it cost?
What does it take to home school your kids & how much does it cost? I just need a ball park figure of cost. I would like to home school my son. I would rather he not attend public school anymore (It is a long story that I dont' want to get into right now). Yes, I now I am not using proper language, spelling, or punctuation right now, but I am upset and crying while I am typing this. Thank you ahead of time. I live in Ohio.

A: What it takes is the desire to do so and the commitment to do whatever it takes to give your son the education he deserves. It sounds like you have both of these, so you're good there :) How much it costs depends on a lot of things - the age of the child, any special needs, and the approach you want to take. You can spend less than $100 per year, or you could spend $3,000+. It also depends on your budget and on what you are willing to pull together. To give you an idea...I homeschool my highly gifted & dyslexic 10yo for around $300 per year, not counting activities like sports and lessons. (We do these as his interest appears and as our budget allows; when necessary, he earns the money and pays for it himself.) For some of his classes, we co op with friends and split the cost; for others, I find great deals on the curriculum. The few things that we spend money on include: -a subscription to http://www.cosmeo.com/ - it can be paid monthly or annual, completely worth it at $99 per year. We use it daily for a number of different subjects. -late fees at the library (oops!) Even if I had to make a quarterly donation, the money would be well spent. Well over half of our curriculum comes from the library. I would say this amount to around $30 per year, but hey - my son loves to read :) -math curriculum - for pre-algebra and above, we went with VideoText. I get them used (great condition) at discount, so we probably spent $100 for the 6 module set. Even if we paid full price, it would be worth it. -writing program - IEW. This was a one-time investment of $130, which will carry us from grades 3-12. Again, very flexible and completely worth it. -science curriculum - my son is a total math and science nut, and I found curriculum at http://www.vegsource.com/homeschool/ swap boards. You can find great deals there on whatever you need. (Just research what you want to use first, then look for it on the swap board.) I found 3 full years of 7th-9th grade science for less than the retail cost of the 7th grade science textbook by itself. Everything else, I trade for, borrow, or put together myself. I would suggest getting in touch with a homeschool group in your area; the moms there will answer your questions and let you look through various curriculum choices. Question - what state do you live in? A few states will require you to register either before or shortly after pulling your son, and will require you to list your curriculum for the year. If you live in one of these states, you'll need to pick a curriculum before pulling him. Otherwise, you can go ahead and pull him, give him some time to transition, and use that time to get things figured out. There is no need to pull him on Tuesday and start school on Wednesday - you are allowed to take as much breathing room as you need. Hope that helps - let us know if you have any more questions. Also, let us know what state you live in and we'll give you links to the laws that apply to you.

Q: How can I start my home school year late?
I home school 3 children in kindergarten to high school. Due to stressful circumstances, we were not able to start our school year until now, I am freaking out because I don't know how to catch them up, We are required 180 days, and school here started mid august. Does anyone have any suggestions or been in this same situation? PLEASE HELP!! Thank you.

A: Calm down, you're fine. School half days on Saturday, but make it fun, go longer in the summer and take a shorter winter break. Send the kids to educational day camps for spring break and you'll be fine. If that is not enough, tack an extra hour to 3 out of 5 instructional days, and you'll get to add an extra day to each working week. Also, document anything educational that your kids did while your family was unable to get organized. Think like an unschooler. We had a similar issue at our house this year, as serious life issues kept us busy through most of August and some of September.

Q: How do you choose the best home-school program?
I am thinking about home-schooling my children, ages 7 and 11, and I know there are different curriculum's for homeschool. I don't know where to go to find out about homeschooling resources or how to compare the different programs. In addition, what resources are available to home-school parents? How can you suplement the social aspects, art, PE, and other programs offered in school. I would like to find the program that is right for my children and encorporate all of the additional activities to create a well rounded education for them.

A: The first thing you need to do is figure out what your kids' learning styles are. For example, you might have a visual-tactile learner, who needs lots of hands-on work. The other child might be an auditory learner who needs to hear the information. You do not need to buy a packaged curriculum for your kids, although many people do. The advantage of such curriculums is that they do the work for you - in a sense. Everything you need - if you like the curriculum - arrives in boxes at your home. The disadvantages are that they are expensive and might night fit your child's learning sytle or the subject matter you wish your child to learn. Here is a site with many reviews of such materials: http://www.homeschoolreviews.com/ Socialization is easy. There is a big, wide, wonderful world out there. If you let your children find their own interests, you will be able to provide many, many opportunities for socialization. Clubs, teams, volunteer work, and homeschool park days (google your town and the words "park day) to find the one closest to you. Your kids can also keep any friends they have from school. It's not an either/or situation. For PE, you again follow your kids interests - soccer, martial arts, other team sports, swimming, bike riding, ballet, hiking, etc, are all wonderful ways to stay physically fit. For example, my child does martial arts, horseback riding, and plays a mean game of soccer on park day. Art - museums, concerts, videos and my favorite - the library. Remember - this is real life, not the artificial "life" offered by schools. Anything is possible. Enjoy!

Q: How come home school is way eaiser to get to college than Public school?
I've been in public school for 7 yrs and I started home school a few months ago & I would just like to get others opinions on this question. Thnx

A: It isn't necessarily easier to get into college for a home schooled student. Colleges are looking for stand out students regardless of how they were schooled, be it home school, private school or public school. They are looking for grades, test scores and extracurricular activities. Colleges actively recruit home schooled students. They also actively recruit outstanding public and private schooled students. Colleges set booths at home school conventions. They do at gatherings of schooled students as well. The only overall statistic that I've read is that 60% of home schooled students attend college and 90% of schooled students in honors courses do. I'm certain that less than 60% of high school students attend college, so on average a home schooled student is more likely to attend college. But this comparison isn't complete since not all high school students are in honors courses and not all home schooled students report what they do after finishing high school. The home schooled students who attend college are going to report more often than the ones who don't. The real statistics to look at are what percent of the entering college freshman class at any given university was home schooled and what percentages of home schooled and schooled applicants are accepted at a university. If the percent of students at a university who were home schooled is higher than the percent of home schooled students to the student population, your chance of attending that college as a home schooled student are excellent. At Columbia University there are 12 home schooled students in a population of 1,000. That is a smaller percentage than the percentage of home schooled students in the US population. Swarthmore college states that it accepted 1 in 4 home schooled applicants, the same ratio as schooled students. I found an article in the Harvard University student paper that followed three freshman home schooled students. The article didn't say if they were the only three students, or if any others wouldn't participate. By looking at this critically I'm not saying home schooled students don't have an excellent chance of getting into college. IAll things being equal, home schooled students who excel stand out But ultimately what really stands out to universities are students who excel, period. Home schooled students excel, but so do other students. There are students from every type of school who are national merrit scholars. Not every schooled student slides by with C's and D's. Those aren't the schooled students who go to college anyway. The idea that all students who attend public school are failures is just as silly as the idea that any student who is home schooled is socially stunted. Neither all or nothing statement is even close to true. You cannot assume that if you're home schooled you'll beat out a schooled student with better test scores, more rigorous coursework or a higher GPA in the entrance game. Do the best you can and everything being equal, you will have an excellent chance of getting into a university. Universities aren't going to look down on you for home schooling. Edit: Three thumbs down for doing my own research and comming to a conclusion of my own? In deciding on home school for one of my kids that's what I did. I thought that's what well educated people do. Guess not here.

Q: Where can my 16 year old home school student take her GED?
In Illinois, a home school is considered a private school, so I may home school anyone. My student is a 16 year old, soon to be an emancipated minor. Illinois does not recognize emancipated minor status educationallly. My student would not be allowed to test for GED here until 2009! Even though she is legally an adult! Please advise. Are there any states that will test her early? Also, does anyone know how to get a pell grant with a home school diploma?

A: Since you mentioned Pell Grant, I am assuming this student is aiming for college. I would skip the GED idea all together and focus on preparing solidly for the ACT or SAT test. A GED is not required of a homeschooler. A homeschool diploma, a rigerous course of study, and a good ACT or SAT test score to back up that high school transcript is all that is needed. A homeschooler does not need a GED to get a Pell Grant. My son is a sophomore in college now with a Pell and scholarship. He did not take a GED test. Since your student will not likely have the financial support of her parents to go to college, she will definitely need to invest her time now to make herself a perfect candidate for a full scholarship. She should pursue a solid and rigerous course of study and make sure that ACT/SAT test score will shine. A Pell has an upper limit of about $4,000/yr no matter how much financial need is involved. There are colleges she can go to for less than that, but if she has one in mind that asks more per year in tuition (the average for a private school is $18,000/yr), a scholarship will make life so much easier (better than debt or trying to hold down a full-time student schedule while working full-time). Going to a community college for the first two years and then transfering to a four year college may be a good path for this student to look into. Most community colleges are only about $1500/yr. Research is needed to be sure of what credits will transfer, but a community college is much less expensive than the first two years at a four year college. The procedures for getting a Pell Grant are pretty simple. Most colleges will do most of it for you or the student can do it for themselves. To do it independently, an electronic PIN number must be applied for via the web. You can get the link at the Pell Grant Wesite. Be sure the website is the dot gov one. There is a mimic site that is a dot com site. You DO NOT want that one. Once the PIN is received, then the online Pell Grant 'paperwork' process begins. NOTE - keep the PIN number, it will be needed year after year for the process and anything government oriented for the rest of your life done online will use it. LOL. It is also to be kept confidential as you would keep your social security number. It is essentially a digital signature. This student will benefit by waiting until all the emancipation issues have settled for a year. She or he will need tax return information for any employment or money recieved over the tax year preceeding college admission and social security number. The Pell form, even online, is a bit of a hurdle. LOTS of pages, so set aside a good solid hour of quiet. A word about scholarships, try for the essay ones. Most students will shy away from having to write an essay to get a scholarship so the competition there is less intense. There are some essay-based scholarships that end up not being given away because no one tried for it.

Q: How many hours do you home school your 1st or 2nd grader?
He is 7 and currently in a public school he is reading on a 3rd grade level and he loves math addition subtraction and multiplication! I want to home school but need more info on other parents day. Is it scheduled?

A: My six year old is reading at about a grade 2 level. He schools four days a week from about 9:00-10:30. Sometimes we go a little later but we are rarely as late as 11:00. That's more than enough time to cover all of the subjects. My kids do the same science and social but their L.A. and Math are geared to their age. If you're worried about scheduling, look at this link: http://www.sonlight.com/ My kids love this program. It's especially great if your family loves literature. After the "schooling" is done, we usually spend the afternoon outside or on outings. This week, we've gone on a hike, visited a senior's home (we do that monthly, with a group of homeschoolers), and gone swimming at a hotel with a water slide. Tomorrow or Friday, we're going to go to the woods to find things for the kids to put in their nature journals. They get to do so much more, and they are leaning so much more as well. I found out yesterday that my four year old can name almost twenty five different local birds! That alone makes it worth it for me. EDIT: I just wanted to add...the only real negative I've experienced is that my housework sometimes suffers. Many people get their housework done while their kids are away at school. My kids are here with all of their glue and paint and glitter and leaves and pencil shavings and what not. We resolved that by having daily twenty minute tidy ups and mass cleaning on Saturday mornings. Everyone helps.

Q: What is the best high school home school program if I live out of the country?
I live out of the country (Mexico) and I want to home school. Im in 10th grade. What is the best homeschooling program?

A: Are you a USA expatriate? If so, then you can follow USA education laws for your "home". If you are a Mexican citizen, then you need to find out the laws on HS'ing in Mexico, which may not include credit for doing an American home school program. I work for missionaries in Asia and their high schooler has used Northstar Academy for three years. They work with many international students: http://www.northstar-academy.org (the site won't come up for me - perhaps they're having server issues)

Q: Is it possible to home school a middle schooler while working full time?
I'm debating home schooling my son after this school year (he's in 5th grade). But I work full time and cannot be a SAHM even though I'd like to. How hard do you think it would it be to home school him and work full time? Thanks!

A: I homeschooled my son through middle school while working full time. It was the right thing for him at the time, and it was actually much less stressful than having him in regular school. If he had been in school, I would have spent my evenings helping with homework, trying to keep up with what he was being taught by other people, trying to communicate with teachers either from work or in the evenings, missing work for school conferences, etc. It was quite a juggling act, but we worked it out. You can hook up with other homeschooling families so your son has people to be with during the day; even get some homeschooling time in with them. You can work with him in the evenings to go over basics and give him some projects or assignments to do the next day. If your job skills allow, and you can manage it financially, you might be able to work from home, either for an employer or for yourself. Additionally, you may be able to bring your son to work with you now and then. Home school is not just doing school-type work at home. It can involve project time, field trips, self-directed learning, time at the library, work study, apprenticeships, and more. And, unless your state laws require it, you don't have to do all the teaching yourself. There are many homeschool co-ops where parents take turns doing different things with a group of kids. For instance, a co-op might be set up where one parent does math projects on Mondays, another one does reading seminars or book clubs on Tuesdays, another does history workshops on Wednesdays, another does art projects on Thursdays, another does science labs on Fridays, and another does cooking and shopping classes on Saturdays. Just as an example. There are lots of ways to do this, and it is very successful to work with kids of different ages. If homeschooling is the right thing for your child, there are a lot of ways to work it out.