How does one go about homeschooling? I have a daughter with a teaching degree with two children not yet school age. I would love for her to do this.
Start with google. There are tons of resources. I didn't homeschool, but I'm trying to convince my daughter to.
Well, she needs to get informed on what the different options are.
I prefer a structured study, while me ex prefers "unschooling" (which I have severe reservations against). So we compromised on a montesorri type of cirriculumn, with some structure in there..
The Brazallian Juijitsu and Kung fu were my idea... :-)
If she is Catholic, here are two sites..
http://www.catholic-homeschool.com/
http://homeschoolcentral.com/catholic.htm
Not sure about good non-catholic sites, maybe someone body else can chime in...
More Catholic homeschool sites
http://www.setonhome.org/
http://www.love2learn.net/
I live in Massachusetts, and even here it's easy. We submit two letters to the superintendent at the beginning of the school year. The first is a formal request to homeschool, about a paragraph long. The second is a cover letter for our lesson plan, which is provided to us by the program that we use (http://www.setonhome.org).
I save the Word files and just change the date every year. As a courtesy to the super, we enclose a copy of the results of the previous year's standardized tests.
If you want homeschool motivation, try reading this essay, and The Underground History of American Education. It will put the fear of God into you.
Finally, I highly recommend Mark Tucker's Dear Hilary letter. This is what the schooling elites have in mind for American children.
mrs tiggywinkle can help you out.
I have found from my experience and the experience of others that homeschooling works great until about age 15, at which point the kids get distracted. Most parents let their homeschooled kids finish out their schooling in the public school. I think it's better to have them complete their high school education by that time, which is easy to do, then get them started with online college classes. By the time they would normally graduate from high school, they have completed two years of college general education requirements.
Google homeschooling and the name of your city or state.
Go to the HSLDA website and get a summary of your state's requirements.
You can design your own curriculum or use a packaged school-in-a-box type curriculum offered by many many (almost too many) educational vendors serving the homeschool community.
My own philosophy is to keep it simple. There are really (at the elementary level) only two subjects: Math and Language Arts. To get your kids to read Social Studies and Science, leave the books laying around the house and then tell the kids it's time to do the dishes.... :o)
Check out HSLDA.com. They have the legal requirements in your state. Then search the web for homeschooling. There is so much material the problem is wading thru it. If you are interested in a traditional classics sort of curriculum, try K12.com. We use it and it's great.
Our kindergartener is finishing his friend's homework without a lot of difficulty. His friend is in third grade at a good public charter school.
But even better, we get to spend more time with our son and direct the morals part of his education. We start a lot of our lessons with a reading from Proverbs or Psalms.
The social difference is noticeable. He is already much better interacting with adults than other kids his age (and he has no problem with his peers).
Different rules in different states. Go to Google and type in "homeschool laws" and her state and you'll see what her requirements are. If you just want to see a plethora of what's out there, type "Homeschool" into google and have a look-see.
We're in our 10th year of home education and loving it. Our daughter is almost 16 and will be graduating next year. It has been a tremendous blessing in our lives.
I see a number of folks have given sage advice and some have offered opinion as well. I second the advice to learn all you can at HSLDA.org. Further, I'd encourage you as the grandparent to attend homeschool conventions.
I am an area administrator of a private school for homeschoolers in Northern California. I'm happy to supply you with whatever information I know.
Home education is a commitment and incredible lifestyle. I know of many certified teachers who are now teaching their children at home. Blessings to you.
She should get connected with a homeschool organization in your state and/or local support group in your area.
Don't rush formal training, no matter how much fun it seems to be. The best thing your daughter can do is to spend time with her kids -- reading outloud for fun, baking, cooking, gardening, going to the zoo, children's theater, science museum or park. Get some field guides for birds or insects in your area. Get some magnifying glasses, a notebook and colored pencils so that the kids can draw what they observe. Homeschooling isn't a method -- it's a lifestyle of learning. I believe you set the tone in those early years for finding the wonder in the world around you.
I never joined any sort of homeschooling group that meets on a regular basis. I didn't start homeschooling until our younger two were in 6th and 8th grades, so I didn't need to be 'sold' on the concept. At that point, it just seemed the right thing to do, and I was finally ready for it. Folks with younger kids, or who don't know anyone yet who is homeschooling may need more moral support, so a group can help a lot.
There is a LOT of material out there to help parents educate their children. Some families don't use textbooks at all for many of their subjects like Literature, History, Art, etc. Those can be taught using 'real' books. Sometimes it's easier to use a textbook, but it can always be supplemented with real books, historical fiction, field trips, etc.
The very best thing about homeschooling is that parents can gear the learning to best suit each of their children.
bump for later. I expect you have some ideas already.
Homeschooling isn't a method -- it's a lifestyle of learning.
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Helen Keller's autobiography influenced me greatly.
I used a program called Accelerated Christian Education (ACE), It is designed specifically for homeschooling. It covers everything in an easy to follow program. You don't have to "teach" the program, the kids "learn" it on their own, so even if parents are not that knowledgeable in any subject, the kid will be able to learn it just fine. By the time my kids were in the middle grades, they were scoring post high school on standardized tests.
Good luck.
Becky