Guest guest Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Satnam!I have been a public school teacher for 5 years and I have had some experience in homeschooling. I live in California and homeschooling has become important in the news recently. In most states parents can find what is required for teaching standards. Students who are homeschooled take standardized tests periodically. I think that curriculum standards and lesson plans that teach them also need to be presented in some way. Sometimes sponsoring teachers, who are certified by ones state, help with this. I worked in an independent study program for 2 years and in this students report for test taking once per week. If they pass thier tests they can move on to the next lessons. All of their work is done at home. Students in this program have "special needs", such as an illness, phych diagnosis, or help take care of someone in their family. Since I am a special ed teacher my students had schizophrenia, extreme discipline problems and physical disabilities to go along with their learning disabilities. Ones school district may have several homeschooling and independent study options that a parent can investigate.I have also heard that there are many homeschool associations that promote social activities so that students taught at home can have interactions with peers and other adults. This way students get the benefits of exposure to the other cultures and attitudes that students will have. In my classroom, kids come from families with one parent and 12 to 14 siblings. The parent does not have the energy to homeschool them. Many come from families whose parents are in jail and are raised by their aunts or grandmothers. Anyway.. you get the idea. Their domestic situation does not promote academic achievements and their safe place in the world is probably my classroom. I am moved by parents who care so much for their children that they would want to homeschool them.blessingsMr. Slothmander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 Congratulations on beginning your homeschooling journey! I am a homeschool mom and recently graduated KY teacher. My kids are 17,13,10 and 6. We have been homeschooling all along and have been involved in the movement since my oldest was 2. The curriculum that has most resonated with me and my philosophies has been Oak Meadow: http://www.oakmeadow.com/ It is a very holistic, seasonal, nature-based program that does not push early academics, but focuses on nurturing the imagination and natural unfolding of the child. It is based in the Waldorf philosophy of education, but also quite adaptable to whatever your lifestyle is. It even has a separate yoga program you can purchase for younger kids. If I were to follow a curriculum closely it would be this one. There are also tons of resources on literature-based programs out there based on the Charlotte Mason approach, which can also be appealing since it can be quite holistic, however I have little experience with these. A search on Charlotte Mason would probably turn up plenty of info. Another very popular style of homeschooling is the Classical approach based on the book The Well Trained Mind (sorry I don't remember the author's name). This approach is a bit rigid for me, but lots of people love it! Here is another inexpensive resource I have used for my younger daughter that I like a lot: http://www.kandfshops.com/ Also something to keep in mind is that you do not *need* to follow a curriculum. There are plenty of resources out there in which you can piece things together for yourself, or you can look into the philosophy of "unschooling". Check out the forums at http://www.mothering.com/discussions/ in particular the "learning at home and beyond" and "unschooling" forums. There is sooooo much support out there! As far as the socialization/missing things argument, homeschooled kids are often better socialized than their schooled peers, as their primary role models remain adults, rather than a large group of age-mates. They are often exposed to a variety of ages in social settings which is a much more natural "real world" environment. Opportunities for sports, music, playgroups, co-ops, etc., abound as the movement has grown. It does take a strong desire to spend a lot of time with your kids and to seek out opportunities for them. It can be done and it is very worth it! Katie (Harbans Kaur) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2009 Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 The waldorf curriculum is wonderful!! My son goes to a waldorf school & one of my influences in choosing that school was the recommendation from gurmukh (golden bridge), she always said in class that waldorf schools are the closest thing to a " kundalini " lifestyle/belief. My son has been in waldorf now for 4 years and going into his 5th and it's really been a great experience! Their philosophy is to look at the whole child and each child as an individual not just a " class " , and they really do follow this, it's amazing to watch. While it's not perfect....as nothing is & it's private so it isn't free, it's worth it. And I know several families who were in our waldorf community who now home school, so there is definitely a curriculum out there. I think the best place to find out is www.awsna.com . Best of luck, Karma Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 My children go to a Waldorf School which has an amazing curriculum designed for the whole person and includes spiritual aspects. There is a homeschool based program based on the Waldorf curriculum and methods. I don't know what the website is exactly but if you Google "Waldorf homeschool curriculum" you could probably easily access it. I know several families who are using this method...all of them also join up with larger homeschooler groups which seems to be vital to providing further child interaction, parent morale support, and a positive sense of community. Best of luck in your searches and endeavors. Kirat Kaur Jamie Durner, BodyMind Coach - a bodymind centered approach to help you discover healing and harmony from the inside out. jdurner cell: 262-389-5835 scheduling: 262-782-1616 web & newsletter sign up: http://www.discoverhealingandharmony.com "We must be willing to get rid of the life that we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come." Joseph Campbell Reliable Email and Newsletters with Ease: http://www.aweber.com/?305789 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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