Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

I would have to say, as its been said, relax and enjoy the ride...Also, journal it...It goes by so quickly and its good to have written accounts of those precious days and even have a good laugh at those not so precious days..

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

The only way to be properly trained in that field, would be to take courses specifically designed for that subject. Those courses take just as much time to accomplish as getting your teaching degree... my mother couldn't do both and she's upset now. All the training in the world to deal with special children's needs and not a teaching degree in sight...

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

Right. General Ed teachers get very little training in Special Ed issues, and even many Special Ed teachers have little training as well. It is very difficult to find people Special Ed teachers, as there is a high burn-out and turn-over rate, so there's no guarantee even putting a kid with Special needs in a class with a SPED teacher would put him with someone who knows very much at all about the disability.

I just finished a year as a Special Ed Pre-K teacher, but I did it through an Alternative Certification program, which meant I had only on-the-job training. And by that, I mean it was whatever happened in the classroom with the kids. I had maybe six hours total training in Special Needs. Some were from my AC program, and mainly covering the legal stuff, then we had an hour and a half of workshops with other teachers in our actual area of Early Childhood. The trainings we did have at school through the year were all General Ed. We did have specialists come out, so that was nice, but it was kind of too late. :no2

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

Give yourself three years before you start to panic that your child is not getting a concept. Seriously. Go to the teacher stores and look at the books there, they're divided in 3 year groupings. That tells me that the public school model is to teach the same chunks of stuff for three years at a time. Introducing, re-introducing and reviewing it over and over again during that three year cycle. K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12. Three to four year chunks. We tend to spaz out when our kids aren't getting it immediately. Guess what, they're not expected to...not even in 'real school" (gak I hate that term!)

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

Oooooh, journal it. I do wish I had done that. I always think there is no way I'll forget things and of course I do. Plus, its easy to not appreciate the strides they make, too.

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

Before trying to find out what your kid 'needs' to know, take time to educate yourself (objectively) about education then UNSCHOOL, UNSCHOOL, UNSCHOOL!!!

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

Try to remove your pre-conceived notions of what learning looks like, what children "should" be learning at various ages, and try to dismiss the expectations of others. Most of the great minds throughout history learned at home, slowly, with a patient parent or tutor who allowed ideas to develop in their own time.

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

Hi, ds is only 10 months and I'm new here, but felt an early conviction to homeschool. I figure life is only going to get busier as we build our family, so I want to read up on homechooling methods now. Any suggestions for what books helped you learn about homechooling how-to? I saw a great post somewhere listing each method of homechooling along with several books that discuss that method, but now I can't find it. Thanks so much :)

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

Great advice... Adding "journal" to my supply list.

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

Don't feel pressured to keep up with the next person each kid is diffrent and ready to learn at different stages and ages.

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

Never underestimate what is learned in the day to day living as a family. Enjoy your children and to try not to allow your insecurities to seep into the joy that homeschooling can be (this is such a huge thing for me)

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

I would recommend reading books by John Taylor Gatto. "Dumbing Us Down" gave me more confidence in homeschooling.

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

have fun! having been homeschooled from the start, i recall feeling guilty or like a burden when my mom was stressed about school. obviously she never intended that, but it's amazing what our little ones pick up on!

also, children are going to learn, it's just a part of their nature.

fostering an atmosphere of learning is important, if YOU model curiosity and a desire for knowledge, your littles will do the same.

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

(only read OP)
kids learn when they are having fun. when they are afraid, stressed, or unhappy their ability to learn is severely limited. so have fun and laugh, and they will learn!

Re: What is your best advice for a new homeschooler?
 

Keep as many books as you can afford/reasonably store. One thing I loved about homeschooling was having so many fascinating books at my fingertips, and I could pick another one whenever I got bored.

I think that did as much for my homeschooling as any formal homeschooling we did.

Also, never underestimate the value of butcher paper as a teaching tool. Timelines, human bodies, art--anything. :shrug3