Homeschooling for Dummies

Description

Recent data collected by the U.S. Department of Education shows that homeschooling has grown by 61.8% over the last decade. Two million children--4 percent of the total youth population in the United States--are homeschooled. But despite its growing popularity, homeschooling isn't for everyone. Students need the right support from parents, and parents must make sure their children get a well-rounded "classroom" experience. There are also other factors to consider. So how do you know if homeschooling is right for you? And how do you get started? Homeschooling For Dummies, 2nd Edition will take you through the ins and outs of home learning so you can make the right decisions for your family. Topics covered include: Developing curricula for different grade levels and abilities Organizing and allocating finances Creating and/or joining a homeschooling community Encouraging socialization Special concerns for students with special needs Updates for this edition: New resources Online courses Start-of-the-art Sex Ed Pinpointing your people Finding your homeschooling style Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here Part 1 Heading to Homeschooling Chapter 1 Answering the Big Questions Getting to This Point Knowing Not to Know It All Affording It Hanging in There Signing up for the long haul Staying at home forever Breaking the News to Mom Addressing Socialization, the Hot Homeschooling Buzzword Social outlets Socialization Presenting the Issue of the Year Chapter 2 Taking the Leap Realizing That Anger Is Not Enough Ensuring educational excellence Meeting your child’s special needs Retaining religious convictions Accommodating family lifestyle Determining What’s Best for Your Family Creating Solutions for Special Situations Working around your job Dealing with special learners Beginning the Journey Choosing the perfect time of year Deciding at what age to begin Assigning homework Making homeschooling more than school at home Using the extra time Chapter 3 Complying with Uncle Sam Conducting Yourself (Yes, Ma’am) in Accordance with State Law Locating Your State’s Law Counting Out the School Days Calling a Truce: Interacting with Your Local School First: Know your law Second: Make sure your ducks are in a row Third: Know your law Chapter 4 Pulling Them Out and Starting from Scratch Making Those First Days Count De-stressing the children Easing into coursework Rebuilding Your Family Unit Setting your schedule Working together Dad’s or Mom’s role in your homeschool Starting from the Very Beginning Teaching in small blocks Using the objects you own Drawing on Your Strengths and Filling in the Gaps Speaking to your strengths Teaching them what you don’t know Part 2 Tackling Kids of Any Age Chapter 5 Teaching Your Toddler While You Change Your Baby Juggling Primers, Preschoolers, and Diapers Surviving Life with a Toddler Teaching with a toddler Teaching your toddler Covering the Preschool Basics Teaching with a preschooler Teaching your preschooler Chapter 6 Covering the Elementary Years Setting Out with Elementary Students Learning through Language Arts: Reading and Grammar It’s as easy as A, B, C Beyond the basics Going on to the heavy hitters Eating Your Way through Math Going beyond “Our Community Helpers” Firing Up the Bunson Burner Timing Is Everything When timing is off While you wait Chapter 7 Handling Junior High Beginning in the Middle Keeping Track of It All Putting Grades to the Test Chapter 8 Help! I Have a High Schooler Starting at the Eleventh Hour (or Eleventh Grade) Switching before the Last Bell Deciding your academic approach Changing courses midstream (or at winter break) Dancing the High School Subject Tango Language arts Math Science History and social studies Languages Driver education Electives Planning for the Tidy Transcript Check your state’s requirements Start at the end and work backwards Choosing courses that count Prepping for College ACTing on Your InSATiable Desire for Standardized Tests SAT ACT Chapter 9 Completing Twelfth Grade Doesn’t Mean It’s Over Spreading Their Wings and Earning Their Keep Continuing to college Marching in the military Studying at a trade/vocational school Entering the workforce Strapping on the Tool Belt Continuing Homeschool through College Staying at home Finding a suitable program Part 3 Choosing Your Cornerstone: Basic Curriculum Options Chapter 10 Orbiting as a Satellite School under the Umbrella Riding the Satellite Opting for a Complete Curriculum across the Distance Pinpointing a Program Elementary through junior high and beyond High schools Matching Your Needs with Their Offerings Chapter 11 Does Classical Education Mean Teaching Vivaldi? Classifying It Classical Trying the trivium Forming the foundation with literature Assembling Your Classical Curriculum Components Language arts Math Science History Geography Art Music Latin Foreign language Gathering More Information Chapter 12 Reading Real Living Books with Charlotte Calling Charlotte Mason Leaping through living books Nuzzling up to nature studies Putting Together Your Package Language arts Math Nature science History Geography Art Music Foreign language Chapter 13 Mining the Montessori Method Exploring at Their Own Pace Guiding your children Combining academics and life Setting Up Your Space Walking through the Day Mathematics Language arts Practical Life Sensorial Culture Chapter 14 Wandering through Nature with Waldorf Working Together with Head, Hands, and Heart Enjoying the outdoors Making things by hand Flowing with the day Locating a Waldorf-Style Curriculum Picking favorites Opting for similar goals Chapter 15 Teaching Them What They Want to Learn Unveiling the Integrated Unit Study All unit studies, all the time Locating unit studies Making them last Changing Pace with Unit Studies Focusing on Project-Based Learning Short- and long-term projects Designing a project to suit the learner Designing Unit Studies Subject-ing yourself to this? Digging for topics Calling all units . . . Chapter 16 Unschooling: A Walk on the Relaxed Side Raising Eyebrows and Suspicions Fitting the Bill Learning through the Course of a Day Filling Your Home with Unschooling Tools Books Games Software Technological and building toys Videos Recording Their Progress Chapter 17 Hitting the Road with Worldschooling Roadschooling versus Worldschooling Engaging the environmentally curious Following your dreams full or part time Planning is everything Choosing Your Academic Approach Ditching the books . . . or not? Living on and off the ’net Chapter 18 Charting Your Own Academic Course Eclectically Knowing Whether Your Kid’s Kinesthetic Pulling from Different Publishers Starting with what you know Pulling from the stacks Writing a Curriculum from Scratch: The Diehard Approach Chapter 19 Special Concerns for Special Students Considering Yourself Capable Guiding the Gifted Taking different paths Rounding up gifted education resources Teaching the Medically Fragile Getting the Goods You Need Special equipment and services Individualized Education Program Information Part 4 Nailing Down the Details Chapter 20 Defining Your School Space Making Room for Chalk Setting aside the optimal amount of space Buying too far in advance increases storage needs Deciding between the Den, the Dining Room, or the Whole Darn Place Gathering around the kitchen table Setting aside a special room LEGO bricks in the living room and homework in the hall Chapter 21 Cutting the Costs and Searching for Stuff Slashing Curriculum Prices Choosing an inexpensive curriculum Finding free, the least expensive of all Locating used curriculum Writing your own curriculum Sourcing Your Curriculum Looking at your local store Avoiding the malls: Ordering via Internet or mailbox Attending a Homeschool Conference Hearing It from the Horse’s Mouth Tapping the Fountain of Fellow Homeschoolers Borrowing books long term Buying as a group Asking for the Discount Breaking Out the Library Card Understanding Copyright: What Is Fair Educational Use? Chapter 22 Teaching Your Traditions Christian Curriculum Publishing all-in-one, Protestant style Science and other individual courses Adding Bible to the day LDS curriculum choices Roman Catholic curriculum options Jewish Resources Islamic Resources Pagan Resources African American Resources Native American Resources Chapter 23 Turning Chaos into Organization Tracking Your Week with a Planner Seeking the Paperless Society Thirty Days Hath September . . . Scheduling for Sanity Keeping Your School Spotless Feeling the Burnout Chapter 24 Making the Grade Deciding Whether to Keep Grades Writing the tests to make the grades that you record in the house that Jack built Figuring the grade Tracking Those Unit Studies Keeping a State-Required Portfolio Testing Standardized’s Validity Chapter 25 Plugging in Your Schoolroom Schooling at Home . . . But Online Coursing through the Internet ’Net-ting Resources Touring the World without Leaving Your Desk Enhancing Your Subjects with Electronic Errata Chapter 26 Connecting with Like-Minded Souls Finding Homeschoolers Online Who Share Your Passions Facebooking your way to friends Finding the best blogs Pointing toward podcasts Networking Isn’t Just for Computer Geeks Associating and Consorting Praying for Guidance Getting Together for Socialization TEAM: Together, Everyone Achieves More Gathering informally Formalizing your group Part 5 Making Your Year Sing with Extras Chapter 27 Adding Spice with Special Classes Making Time for the Extras Bringing Out Their Inner Artists Music Art Go Ahead — Be Dramatic Speech and debate Drama Homeschool groups Taking Some Laps Cooking Up a Storm Bantering about Birds and Bees Parlez-vous Greek? Cleaning the House and Calling It Schoolwork Chapter 28 Making It Adventurous with Activities and Groups Dirtying Your Hands with a Project Dissecting an owl pellet Playing amateur archaeologist Creating a garden Building a train layout Burying yourself in papier-mâché Assembling a model Pretending It’s Le Louvre Getting Past Bugs Bunny Volunteering Builds Compassion Packing Up the Minivan Seeing the Sights or Staying at Home Finding an Organization That Helps You Grow Thinking about Playing or Playing to Think? Ante Up Thrilling the Engineer’s Heart Part 6 The Part of Tens Chapter 29 Ten Educational Games That Enhance Your School Day Anti-Monopoly Evolution Forbidden Island/Desert The Garden Game How Do You See the World? Into the Forest Krypto Periodic Spell Smashers Wingspan Chapter 30 Ten Common Homeschool Fears My child will never make friends if I homeschool. I don’t know enough to teach my child. My child will miss out on socialization. I will buy the wrong curriculum. My child will learn less at home than he does at school. I’ll never have free time again. My child may not be learning at the right pace. I won’t be able to do it all. After I start, I have to do this forever. I’m not keeping the right (or enough) records on my child’s progress. Part 7 Appendixes Appendix A Homeschooling Curriculum and Resources Abeka Artes Latinae Behrman House Brave Writer California Homeschool Network Records and Resource Guide Christian Book Distributors Cricket Media Magazines The Critical Thinking Co. Great Books Academy Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) Mary Frances Books MindWare MisterArt National Black Home Educators Pandia Press S&S Worldwide Studies Weekly Scotch Thermal Laminator SEA Books and More Teachers Pay Teachers Appendix B State-by-State Homeschool Associations Appendix C Speaking the Language: Educational and Homeschooling Terms 2E accelerated learning advanced placement (AP) course auditory learner CLEP exam consumable correlated to state standards distance learning dual credit educational game elective fine arts grade level inclusive intent to homeschool kinesthetic learner lesson plan living books low for grade level neutral science online education PSP (Private School Satellite Program) real books reproducible black line masters standardized test teacher’s guide/teacher edition transcript visual learner Index EULA