Starting our Homeschool journey

[toowm]

You may find that she could use some downtime, even if you'd like structure eventually. I think it took about 6 months for our oldest to "de-program" and enjoy learning again. Although, with As and Bs, your daughter has done great in a tough environment.

Plus, I have to add as a math geek that calculus may not be out of the question, if she gets her math interest sparked. I think public school has trashed the three Rs, but what they do to girls in math really upsets me. I'm encouraging all three of ours to have a strong math and science background, because it is so rare for US kids and will give them many opportunities, even if they choose another path.

[Eli]

Anybody out there been homeschooling the whole time?  Paige and I are about to have our first and I am not about to give our child up to leviathan.  My sibs and I were all homeschooled for about a year and a half (all at the same time, and all at different stages)  What would everyone suggest for introductory math, science and music? (I think I have reading, civics and art covered)

[KBCraig]

Unsolicited advice: As an unschooler, I would just put in a comment about not using a strict plan - could be tough on all of you. Start with the things that your child is most interested in and work from there. She should be able to work pretty independently.

Thanks, Dawn. We're not going quite to the "unschooling" side initially, although I hope we get there eventually. We're going to take a few days and let her catch her breath, then we'll start our education.

We'll have a schedule, and a list of goals. Part of our schedule will be an hour or two of completely free time every day. Assuming she's taken care of her chores, she can use that time for TV or internet or phone calls without complaint from us. I work evenings and Mary works days, so our plan is for Sarah and I to be up by 9 and treat each day just as if we were getting ready to go to school. Meaning, up, breakfast eaten, dressed, etc. We plan on 2-4 hours of teaching time each day, but of course Life itself is a classroom.

Mary and I will both take part in the liberal arts and life skills areas, but the math and driving fall strictly to me. Math because of the previously mentioned math gene, and driving because Mary is a big ol' chicken. 

Kevin

[Ron Helwig]

Statistics, at least enough to be able to tell when you're being hoodwinked with numbers.

[KBCraig]

Statistics, at least enough to be able to tell when you're being hoodwinked with numbers.

Good idea. It falls in line with logic.

[tracysaboe]

Good job!

Tracy

[Kat Kanning]

My daughter has always been homeschooled, Eli.

[KBCraig]

Just this week, I stumbled upon a small book that we'll be using in U.S. History and civics. It was a handout at work (part of a mandate that all federal agencies provide training on the Constitution), so I was very surprised that it's a "warts and all" look at the founding of the U.S. I also haven't found any incorrect analyses in it.

When I googled the publisher, all the links were homeschool resources, so obviously other people know about it. The book is "The U.S. Constitution (And Fascinating Facts About It)", by Terry Jordan, from Oak Hill Publishing.

It's a small pocket book, containing mini-bios of the founders, the full text of the Constitution, all amendments (including those that failed), the Declaration of Independence, and the Articles of Confederation. There is also a list of major Supreme Court decisions. The book normally sells for $2.99, but you can get a copy for $2.00 here:

http://www.constitutionfacts.com/

Even anarchists would enjoy it. 

Kevin

[Rochelle]

Another day, and one more kid out of government schools Hooray!

We had World Book when I was a kid, and I loved it. It's still upstairs in the original book rack at my mother's home.

Even better than World Book as far as information on every topic goes is Wikipedia.org. I read through it all the time, just following internal links and it's amazing the different things you can learn! It's cheap, free, and accurate

[Fluff and Stuff]

Another day, and one more kid out of government schools Hooray!

We had World Book when I was a kid, and I loved it. It's still upstairs in the original book rack at my mother's home.

Even better than World Book as far as information on every topic goes is Wikipedia.org. I read through it all the time, just following internal links and it's amazing the different things you can learn! It's cheap, free, and accurate

It is free but not competely accurate.  Than again, it is more accurate than most government school books.

[Kat Kanning]

Do you think printed encyclopedias are completely accurate?

[Eli]

Or unbiased?

[cathleeninnh]

Many years ago, World Book had a very bad reputation and was disallowed as reference in many schools. The schools HAD them, of course because they were free to them.

Cathleen

[KBCraig]

I love wikipedia and use it all the time. It's got all the advantages of anything that is open source. It's also got all the disadvantages, such as the recent scandal in which a biography contained libel.

Wikipedia articles are a good starting point, but I'd never use them as a scholarly reference without checking cited sources. And if you're checking the cited sources, you might as well use those as references.

Kevin

[KBCraig]

Well, that was fun. 

Sarah collected her books, and we went to the school to withdraw her. We only bothered, because she had books and property in her locker, and we wanted to make sure everything was turned in.

The poor little 20-something registrar didn't blink when I said we were there to withdraw, and didn't seem bothered by the withdrawal letter I had written. But when she whipped out a form and asked for my ID, the fun was on.

She: "Are you Kevin Craig?"
Me: "Yes, I am."
- "Do you have any identification?"
- "I'm sorry, why do you need ID?"
- "I need to see it to make sure you can withdraw her."
- "Then I'm sorry, no."
- "You don't have any identification?"
- "Yes, I do."
- *puzzled look* "I've never had anyone question it before!"
- "Why would you need my ID?"
- "Because you have to complete this form to withdraw her."
- "No, I don't. I'm not required to give you anything at all, but I did provide you a letter of withdrawal as a courtesty, so that you can close out her records."
- (trying to be stern) "That's fine, sir, but I can't give you anything at all. I can't release her records to any other school or college, and I'm not giving you a receipt for her books without ID."
- (bemused smile) "I don't need anything from you. Just don't send a bill for the books."

About this time, Sarah returned from her locker with the books, which Miss Registrar checked in and confirmed were in order. After we left, she called Mary at work to check up on the whole situation.

So, to sum up:
- Texas High won't release any records, which is fine, because Sarah won't be enrolling in any other public school, and no university will ever ask for a transcript to make sure she passed one semester of 9th grade.
- She can't be "officially withdrawn" unless a parent shows ID, but it's just hunky-dory for an unidentified 42 year old man, whom they suspect of something improper, to waltz out with a 16 year old girl.
- Texas doesn't require any notice at all to withdraw a student from public school and begin home-schooling (or transfer to another private school), but TISD think they can bully parents into filling out paperwork that isn't required.

Yet another chain is severed. 

Kevin