I am considering homeschooling my 14 yr old daughter since she is unable to attend school on a regular basis. Can someone point me in the direction of a reputable Homeschool program?
I've been doing some research through old posts and have some ideas. Just hoping someone might have first hand advice.
Posted by theviewfromthecurb (Member # 10310) on :
I will ask my friends what web site they used in the los gatos mountains (CA) but i know you can go online and get weekly protocals for each requirement on every subject... been pretty tired today... I'll get back to you with that info...
Posted by kidsmom1616 (Member # 4317) on :
Just thought I would share a thought of how we handled the situation.
Our son only made it through 8th grade before his Lyme was too bad to continue school. The school itself was great about it but with no short term memory, you just can't do school work. We finally found Lyme and got him to the point of studying by 16 but in a wheel chair and with fatigue he just couldn't go manage. He wanted to take his GED and go to college. He took it, one section at a time through handicapped services at the Jr.College nearby and then started classes at the Jr.College. He could go afternoons and evenings much better than trying to get past the morning fatigue. He could call me to pick him up early if he was too tired, he didn't have to deal with high school emotional problems, it was good. He was getting better, transfered to the Univ. in town and graduated with a BS in Biology at 20. So rather than being behind in school, he actually was 2 years ahead.
Nothing is wrong with just trying to keep up with high school but you may be wasteing your time with home schooling. There are books out that have practice GED tests. You might want to try one and find out how she does. It was the way to go for us. Good luck! Rae
Posted by Stardantzer (Member # 3681) on :
Interestibng about the GED. My daughter actually mentioned that last night but as I understand it she cannot take her GED until her class has graduaterd in 2010. That's what was explained to me by the Principal anyway.
I look forward to finding out the webiste VFTC. I would need something all encvompassing that really expliained and set up the whole curriculum as I am barely making it through the day with the responsibilities I have now. Just thinking about Homeschooling my daughter is daunting. But, we have to do something at this point.
Posted by Mo (Member # 2863) on :
Firstly,
don't take what the Principal says as word on anything -
that statement is false.
What I would do is work backward, if you can -- meaning, if your daughter knows what she wants to do in the future, what are her interests and goals - or even if she is into "shopping for colleges", do so and find out what *they* are looking for in their applicants. (this also helps the kids know there is a bright future out there, which helps with recovery)
Some post-secondary situations would absolutely benefit from a GED, some wouldn't, some it would hinder. Some colleges want SAT's, others welcome homeschoolers with portfolios and a couple college courses under their belt with open arms. (including ivy league, and anything in between)
In some cases, you can do what is necessary to be accepted as a homeschooler in community college classes (say, in 10,11,12 grade, which may or may not mean to take the GED, it depends) - and then become a transfer student to university - then you often don't need the SAT's, GED becomes moot, and you cut down the admissions process significantly..I believe you have to ammass 24 credits (?) ..or something like Rae did, which is great. It depends on the child's current situation, and where they want to get to down the line.
if the child is ill, there are many at home curriculums to do online or get in text form. Documentaries, novels, all this counts if they incorperate the basic terms and subject area checklists (easy to aquire)
There are homeschool groups for teens taking classes together, like pottery or theatre - and lots of stuff in the metro area for free from the museum and arts institutions.
There are plenty of "canned curriculums" out there at varied costs, from free to expensive, to start you out if need be.
You can also work with an umbrella school - where they will advise and assist so that you are covering the basics, and help tailor a plan for her future interests, and keep transcripts up to speed for you.
It sounds daunting, however, you will be carving out a major pain in the @ss in doing this.
That being - the PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
Unless your district is primo and extremely disability friendly and knowledgeable, often what they are offering does much less for the child in the long run (for the future) than a tailored "unshooling" approach.
Many families, even without the disability issue, are choosing this over public school. For us, learning that the education is faulty, on top of the fact that being in school impedes recovery in these kids - made us wondder what the heck we have been fighting for anyway. My son has certainly taken a heck of a beating through the process. Something to consider.
Maybe if you read a few articles about it, you will get a feel for what opportunities there are in doing this, and that it is not so labor intensive with an older student.
I used to homeschool...did it for years, but now my children are in public (government) school.
Every state has several homeschool organizations. Home School Legal Defense Association has numerous links to various homeschooling sites. VegSource has several homeschool discussion boards too.
Right now I'm trying to decide whether to homeschool my dd. It's either that or get a homebound teacher.