November 13, 2010
Online Homeschooling | How To Begin Homeschooling Your Child
Homeschooled children reap many benefits. They usually score higher on standardized testing, have one-on-one learning time, and a curriculum tailored to their specific needs and abilities. So it is no wonder why many parents choose to homeschool their children. But once the decision is made to homeschool, what do you do next? Here are some tips to get you headed in the right direction to homeschooling success!
Check on Your State Requirements
First you should check the legal requirements of your particular state. Homeschooling is legal in all fifty states. However, the law may differ in requirements from one state to another. Contact your local school superintendent to see what they are. Some states require a letter of intent, quarterly reports and annual testing while other states require less.
Choose Type of Curriculum
Do some research as to what type of curriculum will work best for both you and your child. Math, History, Science, English, and Physical Activity are standard subjects taught throughout the United States. When choosing a curriculum consider if you want more independent study or more instructional study? Do you want there to be religious concepts in the curriculum? Is the curriculum challenging enough for your child? And what is the cost of the curriculum?
Find Homeschooling Resources and Support
If there are any parent’s who homeschool their children in your area they can be a welcome resource to give advice on any concerns you have. There may also be home school support groups in your area that can help you. Some homeschooling support groups also have regular educational trips and activities such as to the zoo, museums and libraries that you can join in on. If not, check out resources on the Internet and join an online homeschooling group.
Prepare The Home Environment
You will probably need to make some physical rearrangement of your home to cater an area for homeschooling. Children don’t need a traditional desk and black board environment. But designate an area in your home that is organized and distraction-free to do assignments. This could be your kitchen table.
Creating a Homeschooling Schedule
You will need to come up with a study schedule for each day’s lessons. Find out what type of schedule works out best for you and your child. Although a schedule is important providing variety is important also. With homeschooling you have the flexibility of taking a field trip one day or studying at the park. It also makes learning more interesting for your child.
Keep Track of Completed Tasks
It is also good to come up with a book keeping system to keep track of the tasks that have been completed. In some states, this is also a requirement and they require documented proof before the grades are accredited by the state education system.
Set up Goals for the Year
Set up specific goals for your child that you would like to achieve during the year. It may not go the way you plan but it is a good idea to have a guide to help you navigate throughout the year.
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11 Comments on Online Homeschooling | How To Begin Homeschooling Your Child »
April 15, 2011
Mimi Rothschild @ 2:51 pm:
You write “Independent virtual academies are pretty much the same thing as the public virtual charter schools, but private.”
While I cannot speak for others, I can tell you that the online homeschool programs managed by Learning By Grace are very different than public virtual schools-night and day different.
First and foremost, our online homeschooling programs teach from a Biblical worldview. The Bible is the source of Truth. God is welcome and expected. In public schools, He is not allowed. This one issue deeply impacts all we do and the education and experience the children have with us.
Secondly, our online homeschooling programs respect the parents as the qualified leaders of their child's education. Most public schools are built on the (false) foundation that teachers are the best ones to administer education. We disagree.
Thirdly, our online homeschooling programs encourage students to go at their own pace and not conform to the pace that best suits the faculty and administration.
Fourthly, our online homescooling programs enable a student to work at whatever level he is at irrespective of his grade or his chronological age. Our students can take 10th grade English and 5th grade math is that is what he needs.
Regrettably, the book you reviewed did not mention these critical differences probably because their agenda is to sell the public products they make money from.
One more thing. Our online Academies are non-profit.
Thank you for the opportunity to share some of the differences between private online homeschooling options and their public counterparts.
Mimi Rothschild
Co-Founder, Learning By Grace
April 16, 2011
Shelly @ 6:03 am:
Dena: Her school uses the A beka curriculum. I am considering looking into some online homeschooling to help her with math.
May 8, 2011
Latest Articles @ 9:25 pm:
Great Lakes Academy Online Offers Online Homeschooling Options to Students and …
PR-USA.net (press release)
People looking to find a quality homeschooling option will want to look into information on online homeschooling which is mostly done with an accredited …
May 17, 2011
Kristy @ 2:20 am:
LOL! Well, many of the people that comment on my blog regularly are related to me…my mom (Mom), my mother-in-law (Sue), my sister-in-law (Les), my step-sister (Michele). I got them to read and comment on my blog regularly by begging and whining a lot.
The other main group of readers/commenters are a group of women that I met on an online homeschool forum that we were all active on until it closed down. After it closed, we all opened blogs to stay in touch with each other. So Appliejuice, Melanie, Elaine are my online homeschooling friends for the past 5 years.
Finally, there is my BFF #1, Deb. For the story of how I got her to comment everyday, check out these two posts:
http://mnkristy.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/redemption/
June 7, 2011
Kaitlynn @ 7:43 am:
1. depends on the program you enroll in. K12, Connections, IQ and virtual school ARE public schools and have to meet all the same laws and regulations as your state's public schools. As such, the taxpayer pays for your education. CA also has virtual charter schools, but you'll have to learn about them from someone else who's in CA. Private and religious virtual schools are unregulated and you generally have to pay for them yourself.
2. no, it's public school. same as if you went to the building, except in your home.
3. in some states. You can meet it by joining a health club, or the YMCA, or some other regular exercise or sport program.
4. don't know firsthand, probably depends on the program. I assume you have to be online at the same time there is staff at the office.
5. see no. 1
6. actually a little more because you cannot skip lessons, you won't be able to turn in blank assignments, and you won't be waiting for the slowest kid in the class to catch up.
7. some programs go all the way through high school, others don't. Something to consider when selecting a program.
8. like September? or 10 am?
9, the one that is right for you. The education should fit the student, not vice versa.
10 and 11 – I dunno, but I'm sure you could meet any citizenship requirement by volunteering somewhere.
12. NO, no one should ever ever come to your home. If the program you choose says they want to, find another program.
13. A healthy diet is the one for you. You could be studying health and nutrition on your own. right now. With the right combo of diet and exercise, weight should not be a problem.
You don't convince your parents. They make the decision based on their own capabilities, their situation and your best interest. They know you best. You would not be dropping out if you were enrolled in public school. Best I can offer is to tell you to put together a presentation about the different options, show them the materials (you can request catalogs from the different virtual schools) and learn enough to answer all their questions. Show them you are mature enough to learn on your own. If they shoot it down, so be it, they're the parents. They get to make the decisions.
good luck!
June 19, 2011
K @ 7:15 pm:
"There is no such things as homeschool" is a lie. It is available and legal in all 50 states in the U.S.
I will admit, however, that it is difficult in NY. Difficult is not impossible.
Here are some links that may help:
New York Homeschooling Groups:
New York Homeschooling Laws:
New York Home Educator's Network:
This is why you don't call the Department of Education for information on homeschooling. Your leaving the system translates into a loss of matching federal funding, to the tune of thousands of dollars. They have a financial interest in keeping you in the system. You're not the only one. Here's a listing of cases that have been levied against NY homeschoolers:
Officials tend to be both aggressive and ignorant of the actual laws on the books.
June 30, 2011
Event People @ 8:25 am:
Online homeschooling programs: best teaching material for students
July 23, 2011
Twitter @ 11:25 pm:
Homeschool | How To Have A Social Life Outside Of Homeschool
August 11, 2011
jacidawn @ 6:11 am:
My coworker has the headaches & I can empathize. I'm so thankful I don't have those… OWIE.
Yep, I think Harvey is cuter than Murphy, too. He makes Murphy cute, too, tho. They're so much like brothers. Long story on the middle name – I had a little “contest” to name Harvey on a homeschooling list I am on. One of the moms is a Canadian named Kelly Smith (we have a joke that all Canadians are named Smith at some point in time). Kelly just lost her dog, Chance, maybe a month before I got Harvey? Anyway, she suggested Albert. Was very insistent on Albert.
So I named him Harvey Albert for Kelly. (About half of my friends on Facebook are from that online homeschooling community.)
August 24, 2011
??????? {5 ????s ???? ?????? 4}? @ 3:42 pm:
1. depends on the program you enroll in. K12, Connections, IQ and virtual school ARE public schools and have to meet all the same laws and regulations as your state's public schools. As such, the taxpayer pays for your education. CA also has virtual charter schools, but you'll have to learn about them from someone else who's in CA. Private and religious virtual schools are unregulated and you generally have to pay for them yourself.
2. no, it's public school. same as if you went to the building, except in your home.
3. in some states. You can meet it by joining a health club, or the YMCA, or some other regular exercise or sport program.
4. don't know firsthand, probably depends on the program. I assume you have to be online at the same time there is staff at the office.
5. see no. 1
6. actually a little more because you cannot skip lessons, you won't be able to turn in blank assignments, and you won't be waiting for the slowest kid in the class to catch up.
7. some programs go all the way through high school, others don't. Something to consider when selecting a program.
8. like September? or 10 am?
9, the one that is right for you. The education should fit the student, not vice versa.
10 and 11 – I dunno, but I'm sure you could meet any citizenship requirement by volunteering somewhere.
12. NO, no one should ever ever come to your home. If the program you choose says they want to, find another program.
13. A healthy diet is the one for you. You could be studying health and nutrition on your own. right now. With the right combo of diet and exercise, weight should not be a problem.
You don't convince your parents. They make the decision based on their own capabilities, their situation and your best interest. They know you best. You would not be dropping out if you were enrolled in public school. Best I can offer is to tell you to put together a presentation about the different options, show them the materials (you can request catalogs from the different virtual schools) and learn enough to answer all their questions. Show them you are mature enough to learn on your own. If they shoot it down, so be it, they're the parents. They get to make the decisions.
good luck!
October 10, 2011
Jesus is Lord @ 9:36 am:
I am almost 14 and am home-schooled with a curriculum called "Switched-On-Schoolhouse" which is run by an organization called "Alpha and Omega". It is GREAT and I love it!!!! "Alpha and Omega" has 4 different curriculums you could use though. Here is the site, in case you are interested. if you look on the left hand side of the screen at the top, you can see the different curriculums and if you click on one you can read about each.
There are some homeschooling programs that are online and some also come in a packet ("Alpha and Omega" has a curriculum that is in a packet, I think it is called "LIFEPAC")
—
On this program you do it almost COMPLETELY on your own. Every now and then your parents have to grade an essay or a really short answer though.
I don't know if this helped but I hope it did.
~Sarah~