Any Homeschoolers (or otherwise)?

[tienie]

The special ed in my area is known for being terrible (and I know from experience that early childhood special ed is!) We really don't want to move out of the area, because we love where we live, but we're scared for our daughters education. I'm considering homeschooling. It would be in addition to the therapy she is getting through my insurance, and she would be involved in social events for homeschoolers (there's a local homeschool group with field trips, play dates, sports, etc.)

Does anyone here homeschool? If so, do you have any valuable resources or information to share?

On the flip side, does anyone have any information on why I shouldn't homeschool?

Also, does anyone have any information that would open the eyes of a close-minded discriminating husband, if I were to opt for homeschooling? His mom has him convinced that homeschoolers are all "dope smokers" who don't pay any attention to their kids.

I'm not looking for a debate, but rather web sites or reading material so I can form my own opinion.

THANKS!!

[Pat]

I do homeschool my girls. Because I had 3 children in less than 3 yrs I decided to give the girls some of their own time, so I put John-John in school for 1/2 yr of Sp Ed preschool & K and he will be in 1st grade this year. I intend to homeschool John-John 07-08 school year unless he gets sick like last year. Then I'll just take him out & homeschool him this yr. For a healthy kid he sure was home a lot!
I know Jenn homeschools as well as others. Jenn has a web site I think it's like dshomeschooling.com (but that's not it )
I would suggest www.nathhan.com & belonging to the HomeSchool Legal Defense Association as it also deals with special ed homeschooling too. www.hslda.org It costs about $115 a yr, a little less for a pastor's family. It will help if a problem arises & good for suggestions on how to avoid them.
Pat

[MatureMomG]

I have homeschooled since the beginning with all of mine. Oldest is almost 28. My dd with DS is almost 3. She will be homeschooled like the rest. There are lots of web resources, even a DS Homeschooling yahoo group, I think.

Yours in Christ,
Kathy

[godsgirl]

HI there,
Got on tonight and saw your post. I also homeschool and have from the beginning. I have 3 older girls and my son is now 3 and I plan to homeschool him as well.
I would highly recommend homeschooling. It is fun and great for your kids. I just had my kids tested this year and both older girls came out at 98% an d98%. They read at 3 grades higher than they year in school, they are amazing!We also have had time to do ballet, piano, plant a garden, raise ducks, rabbits and sheep. Again, it is fun!
I would recommend a curriculum called Sonlight, www.sonlight.com also the woodbine house web site has great books on teaching kids with DS. There is more too! If you pursue this more and want more email me.
They county I live in is not doing much for my son these days and I have gone private with him with my insurance help as well. It seems to be less stressful for me for now. There is also help to write your own IEP. Check out www.NATHHAN.com.
I hope this helps in some way.

[rickismom]

I Homeschooled one year (by default--there was no school placement for her. Schoolastically it was GREAT. But it took a lot of time for me to prepare matererials. The drawback I saw was the lack of friends. And the lack of hearing other kids her age speaking. If you go the homeschooling route, I think that you will really need to search out and arrange friends and contacts for her- frequent ones.

[Debbie]

My sister homeschooled her oldest daughter for a year due to
peer problems. She did well except for eating a lot! After the year was up Sarah decided to go back to public school. I think she missed the sports. She graduated from high school this year and is already in college. Sarah got a volleyball scholarship. She is really good! ;D

[Pat]

I know I posted above, but I need to modify it as the more my DH & I talked about what John-John would be receiving this year in school, we decided to pull him out this year instead of waiting until next year. Seems to be going well. My 10 yr old, after the first day, said he probably learned more than he would have in school today. Sorry to say she's probably right.
Pat

[Jessie]

Can I ask some questions here about homeschooling too?! I really don't want this to be a debate either, I have questions I really just want to hear the homeschooling parents' opinion's on.

Me and my sister were just talking about this the other day. I know alot of the advantages to homeschooling. Although I'm not 100% for it, I'm not necessarily against it either. I truly believe there needs to be a change in our public school system and if homeschooling works for some families than that's that! So, anyway, we were wondering, how do you / your kids handle the following:

1. You arrange for them to be in activities to get the social time they need to be with other kids. Do you or your kids feel like they miss out on going to school the next day to maybe talk about the big game from the night before or what happened at the school dance, etc? Do they really get enough social interaction? Do they ever get a chance to be 'bad' . . . I think part of life's lessons are making some bad choices and learning from them. If they are always home, do they have a chance to be with their friends enough to learn some life lessons?

2. Being that you are their teacher for every grade, how do you teach them how to handle people in authority that can be difficult to deal with? I know, most kids probably would say most parents are difficult , but there is a different relationship between a child/parent and a child/teacher. I'm thinking long-term here . . . when you are in the real world after school, you can't choose your boss and you might work for someone that is a complete jerk. However, chances are, you probably had at least one jerk teacher in school (or someone you simply didn't like for some reason). How has your child been taught how to cope with people outside of the family circle or the immediate social circle and deal with 'difficult' people?

3. And, I'm not being flip here, but don't you NEED a break from your kids? I love my kids more than anything on this earth, but man, I need Jason to go to school and Ellie to go to daycare!! How do you as parents truly handle having them with you 24/7?

Again, I hope these questions are taken as the naiive, innocent questions they are . . . I'm not saying homeschooling is wrong, I'm just trying learn more about it.

Thanks!

Jessie

[Pat]

I'll try to answer. Your questions are quite common. They get enough social interaction. Most homeschool parents do make sure that is true. My kids are involved in soccer, ballet, John-John's challenger league, chorus, church, friends come over our house & they go to their house. When they get older they'll have a prom & a graduation ceremony. They get to know their peers that they will be graduating with as we do things together with many of them during the year with things like field trips, fire safety things (required every year).
I don't drive myself crazy driving them to everything & it's brother, I let them have kid time too. They also have family that goes to school (their nieces & nephews & cousin). There is plenty of time to be bad!! (heehee) They have other authorities in their life like coaches, other teachers, other kids parents, Sunday school teachers & older siblings. They don't always like what they're told or their coach. We get to deal with some of their attitudes right away instead of after school. LOL
My stepson & wife homeschooled their kids until they were in forth grade. My stepson said that he's sure one of his kids would have been labeled ADHD had he been in school. You wouldn't have said this by the time he went to school. In school they have won state contests for some History & Geography thing. (I think) Excelled in music & at least 2 on honor roll.
There are also contests for homeschoolers...art, history, photography.... My friend's son was a runner so he paid a private school to be on the track team (he had to meet requirements for that, he had to be fast LOL)
I'll admit there are some parents that don't belong homeschooling, but the % of those is lower then the % of kids that didn't get a good education in school. Nothing is perfect. I have a sister-in-law that is a teacher & a father who is a retired Navel officer with a Masters in Education. Neither one of them would homeschool. We just agree to disagree
Some homeschool all the way through, some just part way & some take college courses that count for high school & college credits. One friend's son had 30 college credits by the time he graduated high school. We have state requirements to follow. For PA we have to test in certain grades, keep records & be evaluated at the end of the year.
Now as far as the 24/7, I not sure that there are only 24
Yes, I need a break sometimes & yes, it is a sacrifice! Some days I go on auditory overload by 9:30 AM (that means the kids seem like they're talking TOO MUCH!) at least for me. Happy to say that doesn't happen often. When it does I go shopping when DH comes home Without the kids!!! Of course, you don't need to be a homeschool mom for that. LOL ;D
Pat

[Jenn]

There is a yahoo homeschooling group for those who homeschool kids with ds:

health.groups.yahoo.com/group/homeschoolinganddownsyndrome/

[kellyds]

I've home schooled all of mine from the start. They socialize plenty. Often, I have to walk through the house saying, "Any child who does not live here . . . it is now time to go home!" ;D

I have one who needs extra help with school work and several who would be bored if they were in their "regular" grade at school. I like being able to give them the one-one-one tutoring and to individualize their curriculum. All test way beyond average. Sounds like bragging, but people always ask, so I included the information.

I have one who is grown, graduated from college, is assistant manager of a store, has a girl friend and an active social life, and is happy.

Yes, I need a break from my kids once in awhile, but eight hours a day, five days a week, is WAY more than a break. To me, it's too much time away from my kids. I take a couple of hours for myself once in awhile, and that's plenty.

To meet my kids, you wouldn't think they are any different from anyone else. At home, though, we seem to have less stress and strife than many. Spending so much time together fosters good relationships.

My older son transitioned easily from home school to college, as he was already accustomed to managing his own study time. He does well in the adult world, partly because he grew up interacting with lots of different ages and types of people. In public school, children often become "peer-dependent", unable to relate to anyone who isn't their own age.

Now, if we locked our kids in the basement and chained them to their books, refusing to let them associate with anyone from the "outside world" . . . it would be a different story! ;D

Our Joshua, who has DS, will be home schooled also . . . without a doubt.

[joanna]

Living in California with terrible public schools, homeschooling is all I'd ever consider if I had other kids. (I used to be a Public school teacher!) I have 2 daughters, 20 and 22. I homeschooled them from jr. high on. My 22 year old is the one with DS and it was definitely the ONLY way to go. If you can teach a child from birth to three, (and almost all moms and dads can do that) you can teach them through jr. high and high school...My daughter with DS reads and understands at about a 5th grade level and is very independent. She cooks (in the microwave independently and on the gas stove with loose supervision), does her own laundry, does household chores, helps me shop and organizes the kitchen, is a teacher's helper in the K-1 Sunday school class at church, bowls on a bowling league, and wins ribbons horseback riding. Shw also does volunteer work at the center where she takes horseback riding lessons. I