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RMM1017
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| Posted: Aug 04 2010 at 4:18pm | IP Logged
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Hi my name is Randy and my wife and I are seriously
considering to start homeschooling our children in the near
future. I'm looking to exchange information and/or
ideas/methods with experienced parents.
Also, What can anybody recommend as far as curriculum is
concerned? Maybe I'm jumping the gun? I'm really new to
this. any help is appreciated. Thanks!
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Aug 04 2010 at 4:24pm | IP Logged
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Randy,
These are good questions, and I imagine there are many here who would love to help you navigate the world of home education. I think you will get more traffic in the Living Learning forums, so I am going to move your post there.
__________________
Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Aug 04 2010 at 4:32pm | IP Logged
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Randy, I think that we will be able to help you a bit more if we know your situation and from where you are starting. Are you planning to homeschool from the beginning with a little one who is just approaching school age, or are your children already in school, and you are looking to bring them home? Knowing this might help us to better know how to help 
__________________
Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Aug 04 2010 at 5:09pm | IP Logged
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Hi, Randy-
I'll put in a plug for our picture book forum. At the top of the forum there is a "picture book index" section, which lists many wonderful, living books by topic. If your kids are younger, just starting to read to them more and more is a place to start. It is amazing how much they learn and remember just from reading books.
Picture book index
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Aug 04 2010 at 7:24pm | IP Logged
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Hi Randy! Welcome!!!
Lindsay asks some great questions that will help us brainstorm and narrow ideas to fit your needs!
If your kids are younger and you're just approaching home education with thoughts and questions on how to proceed, I'd heartily recommend a heaping helping of lots of picture books as Melinda suggests, and spending some time looking through some early childhood resources.
__________________
Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19 , ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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RMM1017
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| Posted: Aug 06 2010 at 3:31pm | IP Logged
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Thank you so much!
Our kids are 9 and 11 years old. They're both coming from a public school. So I don't know what the best approach would be.
We were wondering if there are any computer programs or internet websites we can use to teach them because they're both quite adept at using the computer in our house.
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Aug 14 2010 at 10:05am | IP Logged
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RMM1017 wrote:
Thank you so much!
Our kids are 9 and 11 years old. They're both coming from a public school. So I don't know what the best approach would be.
We were wondering if there are any computer programs or internet websites we can use to teach them because they're both quite adept at using the computer in our house.
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Randy,
Perhaps it would be best to spend some time reading with your wife to see which home education philosophy best fits your family before you begin discerning tools. There are many wonderful home ed books that can help you learn about this! Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks for Homeschool Curriculum: Choosing the Right Curriculum and Approach for Your Child's Learning Style would probably be a very good place for you to start! Not only can you begin to determine your home education philosophy, but you also have some great reviews for Cathy's top picks!
I'll give you an example of our own home education philosophy so you know what I'm talking about and how it influences choices. Our family philosophy is one that embraces living books! We actually blend a few philosophies like Montessori in the early years, a few Classical elements, some unschooling, but mostly we embrace and find our inspiration in a Catholic Charlotte Mason approach. This living book/Charlotte Mason philosophy are the roots of this board which you can read in our mission statement on the home page:
Quote:
Welcome! 4Real provides peer support for Catholic parent educators committed to nurturing learning in a Catholic family atmosphere. We support families who design their own course of home studies, be it in whole or part. We emphasize the Church's Liturgical Year, living books, nature, beauty in art, music, and natural methods of learning. 4Real has its roots in a Catholic Charlotte Mason Yahoo group and has grown by providing a welcome to like-minded parents, especially those who are new to home education or the Catholic faith. 4Real hopes to continue its ministry emphasizing 'Living Learning' discussions that are rich in ideas, gratifying, inspiring, and encourage creativity. This do-it-yourself desire will be further supported by 'Home as Haven' chats. We are closed Sundays and other special days.
We warmly invite you to join us in participating in this community. Grab a cup of tea and read more About Us. |
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So, my own experiences, insight, and suggestions will reflect the home educating philosophy I align most closely with.
Hope this is helpful, and good luck discerning the home education philosophy that best fits your family as you begin this vocation!
__________________
Jen Mackintosh
Wife to Rob, mom to dd 19, ds 16, ds 11, dd 8, and dd 3
Wildflowers and Marbles
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RMM1017
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| Posted: Aug 16 2010 at 11:33am | IP Logged
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after doing some research this weekend, we were able to find something called VSCHOOLZ. Which is like an online, virtual school program we can use on the computer. They help you become a licensed teacher with the state and the content is customizable, which is great for us because we want to incorporate faith based education into our lessons. I think we're going to go this route because of how simple it's making it for us to get started, and since the kids are good with computers.
Just wanted to share to let you all know about it. We were really excited when we found this! go to vschoolz.com !!!
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