We pulled our ds from school today - now what?

[kellycbr]

This morning we pulled our son from school. Now what do I do? I'm following up on his reading and math homework, and am trying to figure out what curriculums to order. I have it narrowed down, but I'm not really sure where he's at since we're starting 3/4 of the way through the school year. My dh and ds are all for this new adventure. I am too, but was hoping for a bit more time to organize and prepare. He's playing with his Pokemon figures while I type this out. DH is expecting a son who will excel by being at home, and the presure in on...me! Do you think focussing on reading and math to start will work, and then expand from there? I really want to make this a great experience for everyone.

Oh, our ds is in first grade. I've read WTM, and love it. However, our son is half Wiggly Willy and half Competent Carl, so some of the lessons recommended look like they will backfire for us. I'm looking for visual and kinesthetic ways of teaching.

[Claire]

You don't mention your son's age or grade, but I think starting out by focusing on reading and math is always a good idea. Have you heard the rule-of-thumb for "detoxing" from school? They figure that a child needs about a month for every year he spent in school to "come down", relax, and finally be ready for homeschooling. Guess that should give you a little time to organize yourself. :)

Be careful to not start doing "school at home". Homeschooling has many more curriculum options than schools have, so you don't *have* to do textbooks and workbooks. A lot depends on your child's learning style.

Do you have the Rainbow Resource (http://www.rainbowresource.com/index.php)printed catalog? If not, try to get one ASAP. They have descriptions of all of the items they carry, and the catalog is about 2 inches thick! You can find tons of curriculum options there, pick some that look good to you, and then research the specifics here. I think that in general you get a catalog faster if you request one with an order that you place online. That's how I got my first one.

[Beth in SW WA]

Welcome, Kelly :)

I think the 3 R's are always a safe bet. Take is slow and steady at first. I recommend getting a schedule and sticking to it (that's the way I roll). Contrary to Claire, we do "school at home" to some degree. Lots of Jesus, lots of fun -- but definitely lots of schoolish-type learning.

I'm a newbie also (just started h'schooling last Aug) and this forum is a great resource. The moms & dads are the smartest ever -- and a world of help! No question is a "dumb" question here.

Have you read SWB's book: The Well Trained Mind? I suggest you make that one of your first homeschooling purchases.

Enjoy!

[training5]

I third the above advice.
Relax, read and keep those math facts fresh.
There are lots of reading lists available, if you need ideas for books. Go to the library a lot. Try to have him choose a science and history book along with good fiction each time, if you can. I would suggest having him (or you, if he isn't writing well yet) write the title, author and a short summary of the books he reads. My guys sometimes liked to draw a picture of their favorite scene, as well. Keep it simple and go slow. We used a Mead Primary Journal for these. I believe WalMart carries them. Your local school/teacher supply store will have them or can order for you.
Perhaps have him write a letter once every 2 weeks or so to a relative or even to Mom and Dad! My guys enjoy being pen pals with their Idaho cousins this way.
This plan gives you the entire summer to plan and research. And definitely but The Well-Trained Mind and ask questions here. Glad to have you join us.

[Wendy in ME]

This is exactly how we are got our start HSing. I came home from work one night at 9:00pm, ds, 3rd grade at the time, was sitting at the table with a mountain of busywork worksheets in front of him. I threw them away, sent him to bed, and called the school the next morning. We had already agreed that we would hs the following year but 3/4 of the way through 3rd grade we were all miserable. I had nothing and knew nothing about hsing so we bought a math book and just started reading about everything from real books until I could figure out what to do. It actually worked beautifully. Good luck to you. Relax and enjoy all the time you will have with your son now.

[Susie in CA]

Kelly,

Welcome to the adventure!

I would make the rest of this school year an exploratory time. Take field trip (lots of them), find friends for park, go to the library and get books to read together. Invest in some Science and Art kits etc.

I would most likely start out with the read aloud being the only thing truly scheduled. This gives you the opportunity to see what he likes to find out about and the time you need to truly decide what you want to work with.

Then I would start in with the new school year in earnest. For us that would be August. On a side note, I know a lot of people like to start with just basics and then add on. This never seems to work for us. We always start with a full schedule. :)

Hope this helps.

Susie

[dragons in the flower bed]

I've read WTM, and love it. However, our son is half Wiggly Willy and half Competent Carl, so some of the lessons recommended look like they will backfire for us. I'm looking for visual and kinesthetic ways of teaching.


Congratulations! It can be a scary amount of pressure that first year . . . okay, forever. I still feel it. It's just as rewarding as it is anxiety-producing, though, when you see your children growing into kind, self-disciplined, curious bookworms.

Some visual and kinesthetic WTM friendly curricula for first grade --

Animal Worlds by WinterPromise (http://www.winterpromise.com/animals_worlds.html) is a year-long intense zoology themed program with lots of good books and hands-on stuff.

Story of the World Activity Book, Volume I (http://www.peacehillpress.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=83) by Susan Wise Bauer has hands-on activities in ancient history for every chapter.

Happy Phonics (http://www.lovetolearn.net/catalog/product/0707301) is a phonics program specifically for wiggly kids, which incorporates games.

Math-U-See (http://www.mathusee.com/), Saxon (http://saxonhomeschool.harcourtachieve.com/en-US/Products/default.htm?CatalogNavigationBreadCrumbs=Harcourt% 20Achieve%20Catalog;HSMath;HS_01_MathK3;HS_02_Math 1&ShowTop=true&Catalog=Harcourt%20Achieve%20Catalog&Category=HS_02_Math1) and Miquon Math Labs (http://www.keypress.com/x6252.xml) are three manipulative-based maths with first grade level materials.

HTH! Welcome!

[Stacy in NJ]

reading, writing and math for now. In the fall you probably will want to add in some history and maybe a little science.

I'd look for a phonics program if he's not already a strong reader: Maybe Ordinary Parents Guide (Wise), or Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (Englemann). I'd also get a handwriting workbook. Lastly, a simple grade 1 or 2 program like Singapore, MUS or Horizons would cover math. Other than that, trips to the library, zoo, museum or park will round out your year. Oh, don't forget to read aloud to him, anything you both like.:)

Have fun.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Fortunately, 1st grade is a great time to start. I would like to put a vote in for taking a few weeks to a month just to "deschool." You will have time to research and he will have time to adjust.

My curriculum suggestions are:
Saxon 1 or 2, but don't feel you have to follow every thing listed. They have a meeting which is basically calendar skills and skip counting. I just scan it and make sure we are covering that part of the lesson. This curriculum is scripted, so it is EASY for someone new to teaching.

Handwriting Without Tears for handwriting. For someone kinesthetic you can buy the extras like the roll-a-dough. They are not needed, though.

First Lanuage Lessons for grammar/copywork/memorization. I can not reccomend this one enough! It is thorough and amazingly simple. It is also inexpensive and will carry you through second grade.

Add a good phonics program like the Ordinary Parent's Guide to Reading and do lots of read alouds. This is ALL I would focus on at first. You are learning to homeschool just as he is. Start simple and add in the extras once you get the basics in a routine.

Be forewarned, it will take waaay less time than a "traditional" (hee, hee) school environment. My K/1st dd can do all of her work in about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. She usually does handwriting, FLL, and piano in about 1/2 hour. After a play break, math usually takes another 1/2 hour or so.

If you are totally overwhelmed take a year to do an all inclusive like My Father's World. You'll know your basics will be covered and you'll have more time to research. Whatever you choose...hope all goes well!

[OhElizabeth]

You know, one thing that would help you right now is to find some local friends who are homeschooling, a local support group, and look at their stuff. I'll bet if you said 1st grade math, etc., they would bring things they have to a meeting. Like the others said, all you need to get started is:

-something for math (Horizons, Singapore, something from the local school supply store, just pick something, this isn't permanent)
-something for phonics if he needs it
-SOTW (serves both as a read aloud and fun)
-library card

Just get started doing a couple basic things daily and read aloud to him while he plays. That way you're doing something while you have a chance to research and see where you want to go long-term. Find out when your state's homeschool convention is so you can go see all the curricula. Plunk out and buy a couple fun things now simply because the thinks they're cool. And personally, I'd put a no-Pokemon rule every day till 3 pm. He may have some habits there that need to break. You want him to discover all the OTHER things there are to do with his life besides mind-numbing entertainment. You might buy him some science kits, sign him up for classes at a local nature reserve, or something. You're transitioning him from school as something the teacher does to him to learning as something he does to himself.

[strider]

I would say to go to the library and get LOTS of books on a science topic of specific interest to your child, and LOTS of books on a social studies topic of specific interest to your child (something along the lines of an era of history or perhaps a foreign country). Just enjoy researching together.

Also choose a great story that you can enjoy reading together.

Throw in a little reading practice and math.

Enjoy the freedom for now. Take some time privately to figure out your "official" plan but don't feel rushed or pressured. If you are reading, thinking, learning SOMETHING you are still moving forward. Having the freedom to really research a topic of interest can ignite a wonderful spark of excitement in the learning process.

Once you've figured out your "official" plan you can work to implement that at that time.

Some books I would recommend would be For the Children's Sake, by Susan Schaeffer MacAuley and The Well-Trained Mind (obviously).

[Lynnatbeach]

This morning we pulled our son from school. Now what do I do? . DH is expecting a son who will excel by being at home, and the presure in on...me! Do you think focussing on reading and math to start will work, and then expand from there? I really want to make this a great experience for everyone.

Oh, our ds is in first grade. I've read WTM, and love it. However, our son is half Wiggly Willy and half Competent Carl, so some of the lessons recommended look like they will backfire for us. I'm looking for visual and kinesthetic ways of teaching.

Hi Kelly,
Congratulations, take a deep breath, exhale and relax...
I want to make a suggestion that will probably get me kicked off this board, but have you ever heard of Deschooling?
There are some great articles on the web that I found extremely helpful when we first began our homeschooling journey (by pulling our child out of a 3rd grade stress pot).
You'll enjoy reading these articles, even if you don't agree with everything. It will help you feel confident that your little boy is learning and doing very of important stuff while he is "just playing". I observed my daughter offload a lot of (undesirable and unproductive)schoolish behaviors and attitudes while "just playing". This critical time period of detox allowed her to get rid of the bad stuff and make room for all the good stuff . You both will want to begin home schooling with an open heart and lots of trust in the learning process.
Here are some good reads to get you started:
www.livingjoyfully.ca/unschooling/getting_started/ (http://www.livingjoyfully.ca/unschooling/getting_started/)
Here's another one of my favorites titled "How we teach changes brain size"
www.konos.com/teatime/archives/tt_0001.html (http://www.konos.com/teatime/archives/tt_0001.html)
Have fun and Happy Homeschooling!

[Cadam]

Math U See (mathusee.com) is very visual and hands on. I might be tempted to just get a workbook from Walmart for the rest of the year but we switched to MUS part way through second grade and loved it so you can totally do that. If making a choice stresses you out to much though, a workbook is fine.

A good phonics program (OPG, HOP) and books from the library will get you through the year until you can decide what you want to do.

Find a local homeschooling group and find an up coming conference and curriculum fair. You might not buy anything at the fair but it helps to see things first hand.

School should take you 45 - 90 min a day if you had a full program in place so don't freak out if you spend 15 min on math, 10 min. on reading and look for bugs in the back yard. That is totally fine for first grade.