Questions and Answers
Looking for an inexpensive preschool curriculum with a Christian emphasis to use with my son and his friend who will both be 3 in December. Any thoughts or ideas from parents who homeschool?
Since the kids are still 2yo, I would recommend the book "Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready" (link below). It has many ideas such as I mention here, for use up to age 5, and it's very inexpensive.
One thing you can do is discuss with them what God made on each day of Creation. Then let them go outside and see it (and touch, if possible, like plants or animals if you have a pet).
Of course, the first thing God made was light. Take them to a dark room (just for a few seconds), then say, "On the first day, God said, "Let there be LIGHT" — and when you say 'LIGHT', hit the light switch. Let them see what a difference light makes!
When you talk about God creating the firmament (the sky), let them color paper blue. Let them glue cotton balls on it for the clouds.
At that age, I would take them outside as much as possible. This is especially good for little boys who like to be active.
When you talk about God creating plants, these are some things you can do: (There are many more; use your imagination)
When the leaves change color and start falling (assuming you live in an area which experiences changes of seasons), let them go outside and look at the different colors (a fun way to teach color recognition). Talk about why the leaves change color, with the help of a good library book written on their level. Let them pile up the leaves and jump in them.
Talk about what will happen in the spring — and make a note on the calendar to take them outside to see the new buds and then the little green leaves!
Get a colorful book on their level about plants from the library. Read it, talk about it, then let them plant something. Unless you're in the far northern USA, there are fall plants you can grow — for example, pumpkins are especially good.
You could let them start the pumpkin seed in clear plastic cups with some potting soil so they can watch the seed germinate, and let them keep them in the house until they are ready to plant outside.
Once the plants are up, turn the plants every few days so they can see that the plants will turn toward the sun! This is neat.
Once the plants are thriving, you could let them transplant them outside and let them water them regularly — also get any bugs off the plants each day (talk about bugs being insects, LOL).
When you talk about God creating birds (fowl):
If birds migrate from your area to go down south — talk about that, why they do it, when they will return. A good library book written for their age group will help with this.
If birds migrate TO your area from the north, do the same.
Putting up a bird feeder where they can watch the birds through a window (so they won't scare them away) can be lots of fun. Chickadees don't migrate south, so if you live in the north; they will come throughout the winter.
When you talk about God creating fish, let them get a fish bowl and a fish (if you already have an aquarium, let them go buy their own fish and put in it). If you can, take them to a large aquarium. It would be a wonderful field trip.
If they're old enough to grasp it, teach them that whales and dolphins are not fish; they're mammals who live in the water. I'm sure you could find a simple book at the library about that.
When you talk about God creating animals:
Get a really good book about wild animals. When my dc were little, we got a wonderful "Animal Atlas", very big and colorful, which showed which animals live on which continents. The dc learned some Geography painlessly!
After you've gone through the book, a section at a time, taking time to read and discuss (perhaps with a globe nearby to show them where the continents are in relation to where you live) …
Take them to the zoo and let them see the wild animals up close! Take a picnic with you and make a day of it.
You might find some "Life cycle" books at the library. When my dc were little, we found books like "Life cycle of the frog", "…elephant", "…bee", etc. It was amazing how much the kids learned!
When you talk about God creating man, read Psalm 139 to them, explain it on their level, and get a good 'kid' book from the library about how our bodies work. Relate it all to the goodness and wisdom of God.
You can relate letters to God's Word. I would not require them to do any writing at this age — just have fun with it. Get some plastic magnetic letters for them to play with on the fridge or a metal cookie sheet. Let them see what their names look like.
When they are ready, let them color letters in a coloring book or pages you download and print out online.
You could also cook something special each week or weekend after you've discussed the letter and its sound — like an Apple pie for 'A' (I always taught them to say the SHORT vowels sounds first — save the long vowel sounds for when they are older.
For number sense, let them count! Let them count plates as you load the dishwasher — and everything else around the house, too (like toys, as they pick them up). Psalm ? (don't remember which one) says that God "tells" (literally, "counts") the stars and calls them by name. That's fascinating to me! Also, that He knows how many hairs are on our head. (Matthew 5-7, somewhere in the Beatitudes)
Get the plastic magnetic numbers and let them play with them on the fridge, metal cookie sheet, etc. Let them find the one for their age (2) and for ages of their friends as they learn them. And, when they are ready, coloring books or sheets with numbers on them.
There are WAY too many ideas for me to list here!
I am going to permanently at home due to my medical condition. My principle, therapist, and counselors all think it's a good idea because I've missed so much school this year. My grades are amazing but if I'm not there for the amount of days required they are going to hold me back due to it, so they suggested Homeschooling. My mother is also medically retired from the Air National Guard, so she'll be home with me all the time, so she doesn't mind the idea, she kind of agrees with it because of how severe my condition is. My father has sent the application already this weekend. I don't know when it will get reviewed and everything so yeah. But my counselor is worried that I won't get any physical or social activity. Already due to my medical condition I can't do anything really physical like running, jumping, skipping, etc., I can hardly walk up two – four stairs without feeling exhausted and like I climbed eight hundred stairs. And I've never been really social with anybody except the little kids that I babysit all the time and parents. The little kids are such sweethearts because they know that I'm sore and they need to be careful but that doesn't mean that they don't keep me on my toes lol. But anyways I want to ask,
What do you think of homeschooling? I've been told I can still get into a great college. I've looked at so many different schools and I love their courses!
Is homeschooling alright?
Is it bad that I'm really not all that worried but when think about it I start crying?
I know I'm going to miss some of the friends and teachers that are there but I don't know what else I could do.
I want to keep my health in check and don't want to push my self off the edge so being able to stay home, not be sore, and still be able to be in school is good right? I don't know I'm really nervous that I won't get accepted but than again if I do I feel like I'm not going to want to go and drop out. But I really want to do this homeschooling because I've been trying to get homeschooled for years! Since I was in 6th grade due to my health.
I love the courses they have.
I love the teachers that are there.
Is homeschooling okay?
What do you think of homeschooling?
Is it bad that I'm not really all that worried?
Will trying to transfer to a new school be too much for me?
I'm really sorry to bother you guys with questions like this, it's just, I don't know what to do anymore. My parents say I'll be alright, my teachers said I'll do great, and my friends say they're going to miss me. I'm at the top of my Sophomore Class and I'm still worried with a new school and a new surrounding doing school is going to mess me up but I really want to stay pain free and feel good enough where I can go out and have some fun without missing 3 months of school in a semester.
The more questions you ask the better informed you will be. NEVER stop asking them.
But I'm not sure about some of the answers you are getting.
First, if you have a medical need to be excused from school, I would think that would qualify you for homebound learning. It works like this: you remain enrolled in your current school with your current class. Each week a teacher stops by once or twice and goes over your lessons with you at home, and assigns you next week's lessons. You remain with your class as far as lessons go and you eventually get to graduate with your class. It is paid for by the school district. Obviously, it is expensive for them so that may be why they are not telling you about this option. Talk to your doctors.
Second, you can homeschool which it sounds like might be the answer also because your mom is there to help you. Homeschooling is a specific set of state laws governing a parent teaching their own child. The parent takes legal responsibility for your education, decides what curriculum materials to use, purchases them with their own money and provides you with all instruction. You never have to "apply", you just "do" following the laws of your state. When your parents determine you have completed the requirements for a diploma in your state, they give you one. (google 'your state high school graduation requirements" to find them). Homeschooling is completely separate from any public or private school and is often called Parent Directed Education. You can find your state's laws at
Use the alphabet at the top to find your state. You can also learn about different curriculum and where to find other homeschool families in your area.
Online schools are either public schools or private schools. Public schools are free for you just like the school you currently attend. They are governed by the same laws that govern public schools in your state. K12, Connections, Insight, ECOT and others that are free are public schools. They are also for-profit making their emphasis on profit, not education. I'll give you a few links to introduce you to them. I would not recommend them for you because of their poor reputation, high drop out rate, low test scores and very low graduation rate. That is my opinion based on what I have read about them and the questions here from students who are failing out.
Online private schools are tuition based. They can be anything from Susie Q picking up a bunch of used textbooks and stacking them in the garage with a mailbox over the the UPS store, to very good programs run by Universities. They are largely unregulated (most states only regulate them for health and safety codes) so you never know what you are getting unless you do a lot of research. Two I can recommend are:
http://ift.tt/1utcfDs
http://ift.tt/1utcfDw
You will be alright no matter what you choose because it will be your family's choice. They know you and can select the option that is right for you. Yes, real homeschooling (not public schools that call themselves homeschooling to hide their inadequacies) is designed to fit you exactly. You get to pick your own courses which means things that interest you.
Those links:
States Struggle To Keep Online Schools Accountable
http://ift.tt/1utcfDA; 2/15/13
Shareholder lawsuit: http://ift.tt/1utcfTU;
Virtual School Profits Far Exceeding Performance
May 17, 2013
<a href="http://ift.tt/1utchLu;&utm_campaign=130612neatodayexpress” rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank”>http://ift.tt/1utchLu;
Cyber schools flunk, but tax money keeps flowing 9/26/13
http://ift.tt/1utchLy;
Virtual School Profits Far Exceeding Performance
May 17, 2013
http://ift.tt/1utchLu;
From Junk Bonds to Junk Schools: Cyber Schools Fleece Taxpayers for Phantom Students and Failing Grades
10/2/13 http://ift.tt/1utchLC;
School Reform and the Profit Motive
By Jay Mathews
The Washington Post
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
http://ift.tt/1kInQf0;
Don't cry; find the answer that is right for you. As homeschoolers, we do try to keep the tears out of learning. Learning should be something you enjoy.
Come back anytime and ask all the questions you want.
I have a 4 year old who I do not send to preschool or a mother's day out program. I feel right now free play is the best thing for her and just letting her explore, be a kid and learn things by watching me at home. However, I have been thinking that maybe I will start doing an hour of "school" each day with her. Is there a good curriculum that you would recommend for a preschool age? I am a former teacher, so I am capable of doing things on my own, but I also like the idea of following already made plan. Any suggestions? Thank you!
I would limit the amount of workbooks that you do at age four. Some is fine, but you don't want to burn her out from too much formal education too young. I like Rod and Staff's workbooks, they are inexpensive and children enjoy doing a page or two per day. http://ift.tt/1iq9V8S;
I also really like Letter of the Week, which is a fairly complete free online preschool program. http://ift.tt/1kInQvi
Why Can’t We Be Friends?
Why can’t we be friends? Why can’t we be friends? I seen you ‘round for a long long time I really ‘membered you when you drink my wine” Sing it with me.
Top Rated Online Homeschool Programs 2013
via WordPress http://ift.tt/1oAw5ct
No comments:
Post a Comment