Saturday, December 30, 2006

Our Plan of Action So Far

Wow, It took me so long to sign into my blog I forgot what I wanted to post about.....

Anyway, We are still plugging along. I wouldn't say we have gotten the hang of homeschooling yet. We are using "Oak Meadow", They have a monthly internet curriculum. I am enoying it but my daughter was having problems with it - She was antsy with it, didn't pay much attention during lessons. We figured out that she doesn't like to read off of the computer. I have since printed each lesson out on paper and she is doing better with it in book form....
We are also using Netflix, They have a ton of great movies to watch to reinforce what we are learning about.

I went to our local library and took out 4 books on Homeschooling, My brain is on overload.... Just so much to take in.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Our reasons to Homeschool

What were our reasons to Homeschool.....
Well it has always been something I dreamed of doing in the back of my mind. I never really thought it would be something I could actually do. Many times my son who is 17 and in 11th grade this year in public school asked if we could Homeschool - We actually tried it once for a month when he was much smaller and it was a bust and I panicked (My husband had a chance to work down in Florida for awhile when we lived in New York so we packed up and went down, That's when my son & I did some Homeschooling together). Both of my kids have struggled with publc school to some extent - Here in Florida and up north, Both have been IEP students. My son has come along way and is doing very well this year (A large part to that is, He plays for his schools varsity football team & the coach requires them to keep the grades up - Which has been a major motivator for my son).
My daughter, Well let's just say since moving down here to Florida she has had a few problems in school. One problem was with another student last year in 4th grade - this girl hounded my daughter to death. Not being physically mean just ribbing her about things all the time. The last straw for my daughter came when the girl started talking about a party she was having and she in front of everyone invited all of my daughters friends but not my daughter..... now I know this doesn't sound big but it was the straw that broke my litle camels back : ( She came home all upset, I tried to tell her to just stay away from this girl ect..... (but being her just like her mother) she just couldn't let it go and my daughter got suspended over her issues with this girl. Here my little easy going 3 grade girl who all the teachers have said is such a pleasure to have in class and she get's along with everyone...... was suspended! Of course, I asked for this girl and my daughter to be constantly seperated from that point on (even at lunch time), I also asked the school's counselor to talk to my daughter and she said she would. Well to make a long story short about that issue, the counselor never talked to my daughter, the seperating of the two girls didn't last long. They even put the two of them in the same 4th grade class together and in seats next to each other! When I went down and asked why in the world they would do that - The counselor first said I should have called during summer recess to make sure that they would not be in the same class together if I had problems with it, Then she said girls that age have to learn to work things out on their own..... I was floored, the school system didn't care one bit about my daughter! I did what I could, I talked with her teacher not much good came of it though.
Then came the last straw - My daughter as I mentioned is an IEP student, she made A/B Honor Roll this last marking period, She was so happy & proud of herself. Her math teacher in front of the entire class says, I can't belive some of "you" (meaning my daughter even though she didn't mention her name) made A/B Honor Roll and you don't even know you timestables yet!!!!
That was it for me..... We were going to start our Homeschooling Adventure : )

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Just Starting the Homeschooling Adventure!

We are just starting out in our Homeschooling Adventure.
We sent in our notice November 13th., Since then we have been searching for what teaching methods will work best for my daughter - She is 11 years old & in 5th grade. We signed up for the Oak Meadow internet course, which I liked but my daughter was having a bit of problem with it. It seems that my daughter does not like to read alot off of the computer. I have since printed each lesson out and she is doing alot better with it.
At first I was so nervous about if we had done the right thing removing her from the public school but I have calmed down a bit about it all.....
We are a bit all over the place right now but in time we will get it going : )