I would love to eventually homeschool my 2 year old daughter and 2 month old son. Does anyone have any suggestions for organization, projects, curriculum, etc. I was homeschooled for 3 years, 7th-9th, but I don't know much about how to get started. Any help would be much appreciated.
Make sure that your children have the opportunities to be with other children from the time that they are toddlers. Education needs to be paired with social time with others. Library story hours or play dates with YWCA or other groups will make sure that your children have the chance to get to know and relate to other types of children. When they are at school level, make sure they are involved in sports, theatrical or cultural activities outside the home. I wish you well. Just remember that all are not teachers...this is meant in a good spirit...I thought I was until I tried it and found out that some have talents only other ways. Love, Susan
It is an entire curriculum for children ages 2 and up.
I especially like the program because:
They have so many different ideas for each concept. The suggested activities can take less than 5 minutes (go around the house and point out circles) or as long as an hour (bake cookies or pretzels in the shape of the letter of the week), depending on how much time you have.
It is a complete curriculum and it's FREE!
It's very non threatening to a new homeschooling parent.
You have the option of making a 'learning board' where the child can show off his/her projects.
We use Abeka. Sometimes we will also use a Bob Jones book. We started using Saxon Math and my kids love it.
Find a homeschool coop in your area and go to some of their meetings (most coops are free, at least here they are) You can get a lot of great ides that way, and network to get books that others are done with. Also, check the various websites of the homeschool book publishers as most have book fairs or exhibits and it is usually cheaper to buy a book there at a reduced rate with no shipping than it is to order from their catalog.
I would start gathering materials now. Here is my list of things we use or could never can have too many of...(at least not in this house). I would also send off for as much free for teacher items that you can find on the internet, and start filing them in a file cabinet just used for your schooling. We now have 3 file cabinets full of free posters, videos, maps and a folder of each state in the US and a couple of countries, types of trees, recycling, types of energy, health, many companies send you free stuff like crazy--yesterday we got a package from Heinz--all about how catsup is made, its history, all about vinegar & how it preserves food...all you have to do is send most companies an email and they will send you material. Heinz even sent us information about their finances and how to buy stock and a mini lesson in buying and trading. Federal Exchange also sends free info on money, history of money, how to spend and save it wisely... Start collecting it now and file it till you need it.
microscope magnifying glasses construction paper pencils good books-libraries often sell used ones-get the classics such as Little House, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Tom Sawyer,... paper, paper and paper Get an account with Scholastic-they sell preschool books too! Sign up as a homeschool account. Several bookcases-besure to anchor them to the wall since yours are still little! pencil sharpner reading rug or reading chair educational boardgames CD's and tapes tape recorder flashcards endroll of newspaper print--great for cutting off to color on. various office supplies a school desk for each (you see them free on craigslist around here, or a large work table hole punch printer that also makes copies 3 ring binders and notebooks crayons fun posters--you can get many free some places such as your state conservation department, department of health, the dairy council, the beef council.... make stations or centers in your yard--we have a weather station (rain gauge, thermometer, windsock), an outdoor garden area just for the kids, a butterfly area, a feeding station for birds and squirrels. All this is stuff you can plan lessons around.
Visit a teacher supply stores and if you are like me it will give you tons of ideas of things you can do on your own. Be sure to check out their preschool and toddler area.
Start homeschooling NOW--you probably already are, and just don't realize it! At 2, "play school" start colors & crafts(for art), counting (for math), ABC's (language), tell stories and read books -you can adapt a true story to her level-like one about Abe Lincoln and call it history, sing (for music).... Now is a great time to introduce a foreign language, which can be as simple as playing a tape of nursery songs in spanish or french and then also singing the same song again in English. Also, you can do simple science experiments now--rub a ballon on your hair, stick it to the wall and tell her its static electricity. Little ones also love volcanos--baking soda and vinegar...There is a book (forgot the name of it about experiments for preschoolers) all are safe and non toxic and some you can eat! Little ones this age also like to help in activities such as cooking and planting seeds (do a window container activity since it is getting colder)
Color and talk about what you are coloring. "This is a bird and he is blue"
Fun homemade flashcards are great too. You can cut out pictures and put them on the cards and ask what is this--use pictures of items--ball, cat, dog, bed, Grandma, then as she gets older add in a couple numbers, a few letters, her name, a stop sign...One of my daughters could spell stop at age 3-she yelled S-T-O-P at every stop sign we came to. When I started working with her letters, she took the flashcards and pulled out the S, T, O and P and lied them up and told me that was stop. She did't need that red sign, she actually had learned the letters.
Tape record a couple of easy cardboard books and ring a bell when it is time to turn the page. She will catch on to that quickly and can then do that activity herself, but warning, you will probably end up with a lot of then recorded! These sork well on long trips too. She can sit in the back and listen as she reads. They like it if they have headphones on in the car.
Kids learn easier if you set it to a beat or a song.
Get into the routine now, same order every day and make it fun! Then as your child gets older, add to it and keep it adapted for her age. When she gets to age 4 or 5, start tracking your hours in each subject (for the states benefit). Keep a portfolio of examples of her work.
Remember that most toddlers understand more than they verbalize, so it is not too early to start-just keep it simple and fun to make her WANT to learn.
It's great to homeschool! I love it. I've home taught 2 that so far have graduated with good grades, and both gone to college, one graduated college. I still have one in school here, that is a Junior in High school, and doing well also. Picking the right curriculum is a wise thing to do. Back almost 20 years ago, I was so green at it. I started my first child(girl) at 4 years old K4. And my second child (girl) would not leave her alone, so she got started in N3 at 3 years old.
I use the Abeka curriculum. They have a website you can check out. Also, they will tell you when their home book meetings will be in your area, so you can go check out the books and work books for your age child. I went by the curriculum to begin with since I was so "green" at it. And I had no support group yet. Now that's a must, find you a good home school support group. They will help you a lot, especially when you're feeling not so qualified for the job, (like I did on the beginning).
With my 3 year old, I got the two Abeka workbooks they offered, added a desk, and made flashcards out of index cards. She learned numbers, and many shapes, lots of things with flashcards. There is so much to do with homeschooling, it's hard to explain it all, but, it can be fun, and a little frustrating at times, but, so rewarding! I have many many tips, if you would like some (I also taught a very "active" boy), he's my 11th grader now. So, please feel free to email me if you have any questions. We home teachers have to stick together! Good luck! glinda at bigdog AT kvnet.org
You need to Contact the Indiana Dept. of Indiana of Education telling them you want to home school your child or children at 1-800-933-2199. I spoke to Lorie Miller who heads up the home school division. She will send you an info packet about how to get started and the home school group in your region to get connected to and the group in your area can help you get started. I home school too! Welcome! You can email me at rmix AT locl.net for further info, if you wish!
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