Home Schooling - Las Vegas,NV

My dear friend from grade school has homeschooled her two boys from day one.
They are well-rounded, intelligent.
They have been in organized soccer leagues for years.
Also, near us there is an activity center for kids that offers arts, crafts etc.
A lot of moms that home school (& those that don't) take their kids there.
So they get their socialization from sports, the arts & crafts center & w/other homeschool kids.
I could never homeschool my child because I don't think I would have the patience. :) I do try & teach my child anything/everything as the opportunity comes up and I'M TIRED. ha ha
So kudos to you and thank goodness for teachers for me. ;)

Love and adore it. Wasn't planning on it, but that was 4, almost 5 years ago now, and while I occasionally long for the yellow bus ;) there are just too many benefits (like the freedom to go where you want when you want, as just one amongst hundreds) to make the yellow bus worth it.

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There are as many ways to homeschool as there are homeschooling families. Not only are there dozens of philosophies ( go here to look at some http://www.homeschooldiner.com/ ), but then there are dozens of ways said philosophies are executed (days, times, materials/curriculum, etc.). Some homeschoolers don't teach a lick (online schooling, tutoring, outside classes) preferring to act as a 'conductor', some teach everything from scratch and don't even use curriculums. Most fall somewhere in between.

There are dozens of books and websites out there on HS'ing. One of my favorites is Homeschooling; Take a Deep Breathe, You Can Do This, by Bittner... but it's only one of many.

For 'on the ground' support (like mamapedia, but for homeschoolers) check out yahoo groups. Assuming you're secular, here's a good/active one to start on, but there are hundreds of boards. Just search _______ homeschool. Like secular homeschool, or nevada homeschool, or travel homeschooling. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/secular_homeschoolers/ The good groups are moderated, so it can take a day or two to get approved / verified that you aren't a spammer.

And when you need a good laugh... go here http://www.secular-homeschooling.com/001/bitter_homeschoo... As a matter of fact, START reading here

I homeschool my first grader and preschoolers. I love it! I love the flexibility we have. I love that we can go at their individual paces; we can slow down when they don't understand and speed through things that click right away. I love the control we have over what they're learning. I love learning things right along with them. I love having them with me and that our time together isn't rushed. I love that we have so much more time to get into extracurricular activities. I love that I don't have to wait in a drop off/ pick up line in front of the school twice a day;) I love that we can go on tons of field trips. I love being part of a co-op. I love homeschool!
Good luck making a decision; I know it's a hard one to make. You can do it:)

We homeschool. We are in our 2nd year. I absolutely love it. LOVE IT.
We do all of our work in about 2-3 hours a day. Some days it takes a little longer. I cherish the time we get to spend together as a family. I could not imagine him being gone 6+ hours a day.

I decided to buy a complete curriculum. We use Calvert. It was easier for me to get, what I call, the big-box-o-learning every August. Its probably the more expensive way to go, but everything is complete and the lesson plans are all done out.
Many other families use workbooks or whatever materials they pick up along the way.
The only way to figure out whats best for you is to try it out.
Give it a year, and if it doesnt work for you, you can always enroll him in public school.
Just double check the state laws where you are. Every state is a little different. Some are more relaxed and others make it near impossible.

Best of luck!

I have done it all - private school, public school and home school. They all have their pluses and minuses.

Home schooling is awesome - BUT - make no mistake, it is a real job that takes real time and real effort. It's not sitting around reading books together all day. And it requires patience like you never knew!

If you're up for the challenge, it is fantastic! It's so helpful to go about your daily life knowing exactly what your child is learning in school. You can make all sorts of real world connections for them. You also have the freedom to take sick days or vacation any time, without worrying about missing school work.

I used the K-12 program and it was phenomenal. They provide everything you could possibly need - for free - including a computer, printer, books, art supplies, etc. You are assigned a licensed teacher whom you meet with several times so she can evaluate your child's work. You track your progress online which makes it super easy to ensure that your child stays on target academically.

Don't listen to the people who say home schooling lessens the opportunity for socialization - it's not true. It's just the opposite, in fact. Your child will be exposed to all sorts of people of varying ages as they go through day to day life by your side, which will help them be more mature. There are also mountains of extracurricular activities (sports, scouts, etc.) if you want your child to have more intensified interactions with kids their own age.

Good luck to you!!

i homeschooled my kids for preschool and in younger elementary school.
I LOVED it!
Pros
You decide how the lesson goes
Everything is on your schedule
You know your kid better than any teacher
He wont fall between the cracks
You can teach him more than any school can
You get the opportunity to go on amazing field trips
You learn with your child.
Teach him more skills than just the basics (my son learned to loom knit)
Dont have to worry about bullies, or bad things happening to your kids bc youre right there with them

Cons (compared to public school)
You dont get a break from the kids (which is something that i need at LEAST an hour a day)
Friends their own age (there really isnt a replacement for hanging out with you best buds every day)
They dont learn classroom etiquette (unless you make a point to teach it to them, which i forgot to do)

there really arent too many cons of homeschooling, it definitely depends on your personal preference. If I were in your position I would definitely try it at least for the first semester.

I know several families that love homeschooling but I also know it isn't for me. I teach my kids a lot whenever it comes up but I just don't have the patience to to do it all. So, yes research it but also consider how your personalities work together. I have an outgoing, high energy kid (also in K now) that loves a busy classroom--I doubt I could give him that level of stimulation at home. Also he listens better to a teacher but will sometimes give me a hard time.

I didn't even think about the possibility of home schooling when my daughter started school over 3 decades ago. But since my husband and I create educational materials, we've closely watched educational trends over the years, and have met a number of very satisfied homeschool families. I halfway wish I could start over, or homeschool my grandson!

It's probably not for everyone, but has many advantages over institutionalized school, the main one being that children can learn at their own optimal pace, rather than being held back or pushed beyond capacity in a classroom environment. Each family can mix and match the combination of teaching styles that work best with their kids' learning styles. Kids can pursue their personal interests in great depth if they wish.

And for many of those families, it's not about teaching facts, it's about learning how to learn, and loving learning. Facts are available everywhere, almost instantly accessible now. We don't have to stuff them all into our brains, unless we're trying to win at Jeopardy. But knowing how to learn, how to access/research information… those are processes that serve us well for the rest of our lives.

I'm glad you've started researching the pros and cons. Ask hard questions so you can make the right choice for you. One piece of advice that every homeschooling family we've ever spoken to will tell you is to join a homeschool support group. There are many, so look for those that focus on your particular approach/philosophy/objective. They'll share a wealth of actual experience, dealing with everything from state testing and legal issues to the nuts and bolts of arranging your days. Good luck on your investigation.

I am planning on home schooling. My kids are only 3.5 and almost 2, so I do not have experience with the public schools. I use to teach education majors, however, at the U of I, so I am very familiar with the public education system.

All true learning comes from self-directed curiosity and interest. Our bureaucracy is killing learning in America.

Home school is whatever you want it to be. The options are amazing, YMCA's offer gym classes, community colleges offer classes, there are co-ops everywhere. Home schooling isn't you and the kid and no one else, it's you and the kid in the world learning together. It's amazing stuff, and the more I learn about it, and the more home schoolers I meet, the more I am blown away. It truly is the way education should take place. You don't need a desk, a set time or anything. All you need is you and your kid and a drive to explore!

You have great answers already. I just want to add that the K-12 program can be used all across the US. If I am not mistaken you can enroll in Nevada and travel anywhere. Sometimes when my kids meet in an online class with a teacher and other kids, someone may be in a different state visiting or on vacation.

I have a 1st grader that I homeschooled with K-12 (here in Cali it is called CAVA - CA Virtual Academy) for kinder. He is now reading at a 5th grade level and does math in his head (often asking for harder math), refusing to use his fingers or even draw! I am not even sure where this kid comes from, LOL! He LOVES being homeschooled. This is the first year for my 7th grade daughter. She loves being at home as well. Of course her curriculum is challenging and we are still learning a routine but I am so glad she is home too.

Good luck!
J.

In this kind of situation I would totally do it (that's just me...). What an adventure! I homeschooled my daughter for the first half of kindergarten because of where we lived...now my kindergartener and 2nd grader are in a public school...I'm not homeschooling them right now because 1) There school is awesome...and 2) They're in a Chinese immersion program - I loved school...like to consider myself pretty smart - but I could never teach them chinese...and it's been an amazing experience so far. With just one child and at that age...I would totally go for it :). One thing I got was one of those "Things your first grader/kindergartener/whatever is supposed to know" books...It's pretty comprehensive and I felt like I wasn't missing anything. Good luck!

(My husband was homeschooled from kindergarten through high school - he can take apart engines, build a house from the ground up, operate just about every kind of machinery I've seen, take an old lock and MAKE a key for it, make knives from a hunk of wood and a piece of metal....etc. etc. That's what he was interested in...and he was able to go crazy learning about that kind of stuff - no way it would have happened in public school)

I went to public school and private school when I was a child. I attended 7 different colleges and have 3 degrees. I work part time and my husband runs my office, and we decided to homeschool after our son finished kindergarten.

It is so easy to homeschool, it's shocking. I feel like we have been lied to, for so many years how hard it is to educate children. Our son is almost 9 and in the 5th grade. He did great in kindergarten - he learned to read, write and speak Spanish...but he was done. So, we homeschooled him for 1st grade and I put in all of the hours "required/recommended" and we were done in 2 months! I thout I must have missed something, nope. I slowed down on the hours we put in and started doing 1 hour each day and he finished 2nd grade in 7 months. (We now have 3 kids we are homeschooling and a 5 month old.)

In 5th grade, we have him taking a writing class, one hour each week with a woman who homeschooled her 4 boys and our son loves it. He's in a classroom setting and has homework. We do lots of field trips and quizes after about what he's learned.

The best part has been that we teach him something when he is ready. He struggled with multiplication, but he's also 2 years younger than others in his grade....so instead of fighting, yelling, getting frustrated, we just moved on to decimals and fractions, which he totally got. Then we came back to multiplication, and he wasn't ready, so we moved into geometry with angles and shapes. Now he's ready and we use it at the store, when I ask him to round up from $3.99 and we need 4 of something, how much money do we need to have? Real life usage....imagine that!

We file a PSA (private school affidavit) and we make up our own curriculum. The book that helped me was HOME LEARNING YEAR BY YEAR and I check the state for requirements, but as you will see, the requirements are so low that if you just completed those, you'd be qualified to work at Burger King.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE home schooling!

I'd love to home school...my husband isn't crazy about the idea. If I did get to do it, I would "Un-school". There is a charter school in Escondido, called the Classical School which is 1/2 time home school and 1/2 time regular school. I also love that idea...not sure if there are more schools like that around.

I KNOW I'm not smarter than my 3rd or 6th grader so personally I don't think I could do it. I think you really have to be on top of your game to be able to actually TEACH your child. But honestly, I don't know that much about it but I know theres lots of homeschool moms on here so I hope you get some good information. Good luck!

Personally, our daughter really needed to be challenged and really enjoyed being in "School" So many activities with her little friends etc.. I also would make sure your child will listen to you as a "teacher" during your teaching times..

But This sounds like a fun chance for you all to travel with dad.

Not sure if it is worth if it is only for a short time.. Like a few weeks over a whole year. You will have the whole summer with dad. But if it will be the majority of time traveling, then it sounds like a good match.

Hi J.! We loved home schooling our three children Didn't even think about this option at first but became very interested as I watched a friend home school her children. My kids each received college scholarships academically and musically. Our oldest two finished within 3 years because we had them dual enrolled in high school and college, and our 3rd is on the same path. This is something that you're not able to do at most public/private schools .Ten years ago there weren't as many homeschooling resources as we have today so you're never alone. The homeschooling network is vast and wide.

I could add so much more but Gailski B. from Boise and surfinsk8mom said it all and speak truth.

I have never been as rewarded and challenged as I have by our home schooling years. Our family grew much closer and remain caring and loving to this day. Lastly.....because we chose homeschooling we ventured out through the years to create a family bluegrass band. Within the past 7 years we have toured all around the U.S and have 3 CD's to our name and working on our 4th. We would never have been able to achieve this if we didn't' choose to home school. We have started a legacy with our children that no one can take away.

Teaching our children is a huge responsibility but an honor as well. I'm a better person for having taken this path and feel extremely blessed to have done so. So......my motto for homeschooling is "Roll up your sleeves and stay on your knees!" (Actually words from a song I wrote:) ) Blessings to your family!

I send my son to kindergarten and have considered home schooling too but I worry about the socialization aspect, I read quite a few responses but no were does it talk about how the child interact with others his age daily. My son loves being around kids so I see this being a problem. I'm curious about the socialization part of homeschooling and I do see the benifits in the all other aspects.

I home school 2 of my 5 children. You have a lot of answers here so my only feedback would be to weigh the cost of your marriage with this choice.
I see your husband needing you to be with him as he travels. He has asked you very specifically to do so.

It might be a challenge to home school but the question i would ask is: Is my marriage worth this choice? I think the experience you will have and the support your husband will feel, will pay off in the long run.

I know that I could not home school. i love y kids, and they drive me crazy.