Homeschool Community

Hello, my name is Bridget I have two children that I will be homescooling next school year my son 10 fifth grade and daughter 3rd grade I have never homeschool before and I do not know where to start such as curriculum, schudling, lesson plan etc. My son has been diagnoise as ADHD and the regular school is not meeting his needs. Could someone please help where to start I do not want to use BEKA curriculum Bridget

The resources of Homeschool Inc are a great way to organize your time. There are many curriculum choices available, and it is alright to mix and match based on your children's needs.

I completely inderstand where you are . I have four children all very different in the way they learn. I find it such a relief to actually be able to take the time to get organized before I begin. We are starting our first semester next week and it has taken better than six months to get organized. I have found so many great tools already on this site. Just hang in there and use whatever resources that seem to fit your family.

Hello, my name is Staci.  I am new to homeschooling.  I am starting at this point of the year because I have a stepson who is 14 and in danger of not passing the 7th grade.  He is already behind, he technically should be in 9th grade at this time, but he has had some issues in the past.  He has not been diagnosed with ADHD, but I have done some research and I believe he fits the profile.  This is his second year living with me on a full time basis, and I feel overwhelmed about homeschooling.  He is 14, a teenager, but he does not have the mind of a 14 year old.  So, I am not sure where to start with him.  

I am looking for any assistance in finding an assessment of his skill level.  I would like to find out what his strengths and weaknesses are to see where I need to put most of my energy towards for him. 

I am not interested in medication for him, which is why I am not having him tested for ADHD.  I am hoping to try a holistic approach to combat some of the issues associated with ADHD.  I also think along with the ADHD, there is also some psychological issues going on with him.  I believe that he has given up on trying to do better since he feels he is so behind.  So, therefore, he does not apply himself and acts out in school.  So as you can see, it is all a bit overwhelming as I stated in the beginning.  

Any assistance or support would be greatly appreciated.  

Thanks,

Staci 

 

 

Dear Staci and Bridget,

It is so exciting to hear that you want to homeschool your kids!  Home is an awesome place for attention-challenged children!  Think about how distracting school is - lots of visual stimulation, too much talking, lots of kids to interact with - it can be overwhelming!  I think you'll both find that the relative calm of home will be a better environment for your kids.

So, how do you do it?  There are sooooooo many ways.  So much depends on how you want to teach and how your child most effectively learns.  In terms of proper placement, there are lots of ways to assess them. Many individual publishers offer placement testing.  For example, if you want to use Saxon Math, Math-U-See, Teaching Textbooks or many others, there are online placement tests at their web sites. 

In addition, many umbrella schools or all-in-one curricula have placement tests.  For example, if you want a complete package from Christian Liberty Academy, they offer placement tests to make sure you are in the right levels.  Other suppliers, like Alpha-Omega or Accellerated Christian Education also have placement tests to make sure you're getting the right levels.

So there are lots of options.  Where are you in your thinking process?  What have you looked at so far?

Love to hear from you again!

christinefield

Hi Staci, My name is Tammie and I was glad to read your post. I too am new to homeschooling and I am doing it for pretty much the same reason. I believe our school system is failing my 3rd grader. He too has adhd, diagnosed, but not on medication. I read an article that stated taking away all milk based products could help. something called casein is in tnese products that some kids cant digest. been reading alot about and am going to give it a try. I have also heard that Karate is excellent for adhd kids. Brandon has been in it now for 3 months and while still hyper, his attitude at home is MUCH better. I believe it has helped with his self esteem. Not as much fighting with me or brother and sister. I too am very overwhelmed by this. I hope this helps. By the way, if you are interested in Karate, check to see if they offer a scholarship for the classes, Karate is very expensive where we live. Good Luck!!

Hi to all of the newbies out there!  HSI is a really great place to make connections w/other homeschoolers.  Please know that you are never alone in the homeschooling world.  Every homeschooler has experienced at one point in time that overwhelming sense of "Where do I begin and what should I be doing?"  It is my experience that homeschooling is something that evolves over time and can change with the seasons.  Many people take their time and plan out the details while others like to just jump right in and see how things develop.  It's a personal choice and whatever works best for you and your family is what is right for you.  HSI offers personal support to it's paid subscribers...this is a great way to maximize your homeschooling experience while using the great tracking tools HSI has available.  I wish you all much luck and success w/your homeschooling endeavors.

~ hsiamy