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So my questions for those that have chosen home schooling:
- what made you choose it? My DS's educational needs weren't being met by the PS. He was miserable w/ constant headaches, stomaches, crying at night about school.
- from what age did you start homeschooling? He was in PS for K-2nd grade. My middle son wanted to go to K so I sent him, knowing HSing would be an adjustment for us all. He cried to come home 3/4s through K but finished out the year. He came home for 1st grade. He is now finishing 2nd grade.
- do you follow a very structured timetable or do you go with the flow? I have been going w/ the flow but now that my DS is finishing up 5th grade, I feel the need to be more structured and make sure those foundations are firm.
- what do you think of unschooling for younger kids? Unschooling means different things to different people. I won't touch that one w/ a ten foot pole.
- do you only follow the required information type learning or do you go indepth as much as your child wants before moving on? I go as indepth as my child wants. That's the beauty of hsing. The one lesson many HSers have to learn is to use the curriculum, don't let it use you. It's difficult sometimes to have a curriculum that says 36weeks on it, and realized you're on week 15 and it's week 30 of the school year. But if it's been a good journey and DC has learned a lot and loves learning, it's all good.
- what advice would you give to someone starting this with young children? Enjoy them. Do lots of nature study. And for YOU to read, read, read, and read some more. What I've spent this year doing (learning about good paragraph structure, essay structure, teaching writing), I wish I had researched 2yrs ago. So now I'm busy learning about rhetoric so that when DC is there in a 2yrs, I'll be ready. Also, read about various education philosophies and see which one suits you. then as your kids get older, see which one suits them.
- what would you change if you could start home schooling over again? I would have never sent my son to school. I'm still undoing the damage.
Any other advice or wisdom you can impart? Nope. I'm in my 3rd year and every year has been different. I had the first year w/ DSthen8 and DD2 w/ DSthen5 in K. then the following year, I bought DSthen6 home so that changed the dynamics greatly. Now DD4 demands her time as well so it's a juggling act but well worth it.
thanks!
