Homeschoolers..., or anyone really (long, sorry)

[Hillbilly Housewife]

I want to start doing some homeschooling stuff, but I don't want to take my son out of school just yet... not until I know that I will be able to handle it, especially with the other kids etc...

Can any of you give me an idea of what you guys do on a day? And I don't mena like 15 minutes on alphabets, 15 minutes drawing... I mean details... I don't want to buy a curriculum, pay all that money and end up it being a waste... Can anyone give me a day's worth of "curriculum"?

I'm ahead with my kids I think, since Zach can read small simple words in English (but not in french yet) and most of the kids in his class are just learning to recognize the written letters... I don't want him to be bored in class... but at the same time, I don't want him to be held back from his potential... so if he's a geat learner and he's interested, I want to give him the ressources... and if he's going to skip a grade, then fine, whatever, I did that at his age and it didn't hamper me really...

I'm torn because at my visit with the school, I see zach's drawings, of detailed people (eyebrows, fingers on the hands, rough clothes) and the other kids drawings of people, with are basically a circle with a face, and stick limbs... and I can't help but wonder if Zach is really being challenged in his class... not that junior kindergarden is really a challenging class, but I hope you know what I mean... he's constantly distracted in class, his teacher tells me he talks a lot while she's explaining, and that he hurries to finish the stuff she asks the kids to do, so that he can play with the others...buit they're not done doing their stuff. I wonder if his behaviour is because he thinks the stuff she wants them to do it too "young" for him? Like, he already knows how and it's boring for him so he wants to do something else?

I don't know. He already does a lot of puzzles and paper play here, counting games etc... and he also spends the afternoons when he gets home from school playing with the older daycare boy as well as the other kids. I don't want him to get sick of that stuff either... his new "thing" now is he reads the books in his bedroom before bedtime... he doesn't want us to read to him anymore - he just wants to read in his bed, with his lamp and main light on, and when he's done, he turns off his own main light so just the lamp is still on, and goes to bed when he's ready, usually after 15 minutes or so.

He's very very independant here at home, but on his report card, his teacher marked that he is stillat the exploring stage when it comes to independance, that he asks for help quite a bit and is still unsure of his capabilities when it comes to doing stuff on his own. Here, he gets upset with me if I even just offer help. So is he clingy with her to get more of her attention? There are 21 kids in his class... so 1 on 1 time isn't very much, whereas here it's as much as he needs it... or wants it, provided I can do it... I just don't know.

I guess this is more of me spewing my thoughts down to get them off my chest... but I really would like to homeschool, eventually, if I can manage it...

[my2monkeyboys]

I don't know that I can help all that much since Will isn't even technically in preschool yet (he'd be in 4-k next year, bc of his birthday), but we do pre-k and k work now. We don't have an across-the-board curriculum . I just use store-bought work books, activity/craft books, different DVDs, and sometimes just life to teach him things (like the last couple of weeks we worked on his numbers using the telephone to call people and remote control to change the tv channel rather than a work book.)
I'm not sure what your laws are where you live, as the differ from state-to-state and country-to-country, but here you never have to use a "curriculum" the way most people think of it. You can use whatever you need to get the job done. If you want to use a formal curriculum, though, there are tons of companies out there that sell them. Just google it and you'll have thousands of sites to look through. If you want to pm me, I can give you a list of sites I use to get reviews and that sort of thing.
If he seems bored in class, could you possibly move him up a grade, or is that not allowed at that age?
I got the impression that you are wanting to homeschool full time eventually - is that right? If so, I say go for it. It's not easy and it is nerve-wracking, but so is the rest of parenthood! LOL
You could certainly do a little bit each day until you get your schedule worked out with the other children. I suggest you find a few things he's interested in doing, gather the materials needed to teach him about it and start that way. Most homeschoolers I know spend about 4 hours a day teaching, once the kids are in 2-3rd grade. Before that most spend about and hour, maybe 2. The children get through their work much quicker when they are taught at home, since there isn't as much other stuff to take up time.
Sorry for the long post... I hope this has helped at least a little.

[Hillbilly Housewife]

Yes, it has helped. We do that sort of stuff now anyways... so I guess I'm already homeschooling?!

He could move up a grade. But all the feedback I'm getting back from the teacher and the principal is that he'll "level out", and it's more important for the child to play and socialize now than to learn stuff.

I don't really want him to "level out", I mean, if he already knows the stuff they're teaching now, then he'll have to wait for the others to catch up rather than keep on learning...and I don't want that at all.

[my2monkeyboys]

I understand completely. Why hold a child back when they obviously want to and can go forward? All that will do is squelch his desire to learn.
Whether or not the school will promote him, I would definitely keep up with the things you do at home. At least then you can be sure his eagerness to learn will be met with satisfaction, even if it's not at school.
To me, this kind of thing is just one more reason to homeschool. You know your child best, and if it's possible to do so, homeschooling allows you to customize school to your child, not the other way around.
(Not to say that those who don't aren't doing right by their children, as I know that for many it's not an option. Please do not think that I fell like I'm superior to those who do not homeschool. It's just an option we have chosen and we've made our life to fit that.)
When you said that you guess you're already homeschooling, that's exactly right. Parents are almost always the ones who teach their children to speak, manners, etc., yet are too scared to teach them how to add and subtract. I know one lady who works full time as a nurse, and they have school in the evening when she gets home from work. It's a lot on her, but she decided long ago that is the road her family is taking.
So, if you're scared and worried, just take a deep breath and study up on it as much as possible. The worst that can happen is you send them back to public/private school, ya know?

[kristy-n-chad]

Are we allowed to post links here? If so, I could post a bunch that I was sent. We are looking into homeschooling, and I have a bunch of siyes, even some with French, as that is what I teach. In fact, I will be teaching at a homeschooling co-op in March, even though I don't officially homeschool ( Noah is not even 3 yet)

[Boo&BugsMom]

Rocky, I sent you a pm with a link to a site. I wasn't sure if I could post it or not here but it's a homeschooling site with tons of knowledgable gals who homeschool their kids. Check it out! They can certainly help you with anything homeschool related.

[kristy-n-chad]

Jennie, could I get that link? I'd love to talk to other homeschooling moms.

[my2monkeyboys]

Me too... I'd love the link as well, if you don't mind.
Thanks!

[Jamison'smama]

Many times links are fine as long as they are not competing sights (other parenting boards etc.)

[Boo&BugsMom]

I'm going to post it then if you don't mind. It's not a competing site I wouldn't think. It's a homeschooling forum. www.homeschoolspot.com The ladies over there are VERY knowledgable. Tell them I sent ya! I go by JenPooh over there!

[my2monkeyboys]

Thanks for the link!