Homeschool dad presents The panorama of homeschooling for this weeks Carnival of homeschooling.
An awesome job was done with this carnival and have already started scouring it. PS. Love the Star Trek Panorama and other panorama pictures!
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The downside of using internet for homeschool
It happened again this morning. The internet connection suddenly went down. This means homeschool lessons were put on hold as the bulk of the children's academics are internet powered. When this happens, I have to re-arrange and have them do their piano practice, and non-internet stuff until the web is up and running again. Fortunately, it did not take long today. However, there have been full weeks when we have had connectivity issues.
I always seem to find a way around it, but the downside to using the internet for homeschool is the fact that it may suddenly go down at any moment.
Pair that with the fact that I also make my living online, and I bet you can imagine my frustration!
Do you use the internet for homeschool?
How do you deal with outages?
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I always seem to find a way around it, but the downside to using the internet for homeschool is the fact that it may suddenly go down at any moment.
Pair that with the fact that I also make my living online, and I bet you can imagine my frustration!
Do you use the internet for homeschool?
How do you deal with outages?
FREE HOME EDUCATION WEBSITE
MY BUSINESS WEBSITE
WalletPop Contributor
Teaching science and social studies in elementary homeschool
I had a conversation with a new homeschooler today asking about teaching science and social studies to homeschoolers. She is planning to use Time4learning, and wants to supplement those two subjects. I followed up our conversation with an email to give her links to specific materials I had mentioned. Here is the bulk of the email:
Here are the main books I used for History and science in elementary school grades... and I am still using them!
The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia
The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia
We used Artios Academies classes (one day a week classes) for History through the Arts. Another option is to use the reference books and create a time-line teaching them a different time period each year. This is very popular with Classical homeschooling methods.
A newer series for teaching history to young ones is The Story of the World series which allows you to teach history in the order it happened. It reads like a story which children will find fascinating.
For science, I lingered on scientific happenings for the time period the kids were studying as well as using the time4learning science. We also did some experiments. My favorite science supplement books for young ones are:
Developing Critical Thinking Through Science Grade 1-3
Developing Critical Thinking through science grade 4-6
These are great for once a week use.
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Here are the main books I used for History and science in elementary school grades... and I am still using them!
The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia
The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia
We used Artios Academies classes (one day a week classes) for History through the Arts. Another option is to use the reference books and create a time-line teaching them a different time period each year. This is very popular with Classical homeschooling methods.
A newer series for teaching history to young ones is The Story of the World series which allows you to teach history in the order it happened. It reads like a story which children will find fascinating.
For science, I lingered on scientific happenings for the time period the kids were studying as well as using the time4learning science. We also did some experiments. My favorite science supplement books for young ones are:
Developing Critical Thinking Through Science Grade 1-3
Developing Critical Thinking through science grade 4-6
These are great for once a week use.
FREE HOME EDUCATION WEBSITE
MY BUSINESS WEBSITE
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How much does it cost to homeschool? What we pay
Mrs C. asks what you're spending on education stuff and shows off her list. In 2 parts... part 1 and part 2. Read it and then come back... I'll wait.
OK now...
I am going to preface my list pay saying, "the cost of the materials and programs I use are not typical of the average homeschool experience, but are unique to the needs to the particular homeschool children in question and the resources the parents have opted to use for their homeschooling needs and pleasure".
With that said, here goes:
2 Children, grades 10&11, both in a fine arts school for homeschoolers for 12 hours on Tuesdays, and doing mostly AP level work the other 4 days of the week.
Clothes:
Per child, roughly $2282... Compare that to the cost of educating a child in public school which on average us just shy of $10,000.
(Without the optional arts classes and related supplies it would only be about $65.00 per child, so you can see that you don't need to have money to homeschool. You can even form groups and create your own electives, or trade services for elective classes. )
1. I justify spending so much on electives for two reasons. The kids love it and the girls is especially talented... the boy is shy and this helps him be more outgoing.... I like to think. Plus he does love it.
2. I make use of as much free curriculum as possible, so I can spend the homeschool budget on extras.
(ps. in previous and more prosperous years, the kids also took academic classes out of the home one day a week, so they were in classes two days a week and home 3 days doing assignments. That costs roughly $3500 per child... still far less than what public schools pay and probably near the top of what a homeschooler might pay.)
*See the tab (2010-2011 Curriculum Choices ) at the top of the page for the exact curriculum and books we have settled on.
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OK now...
I am going to preface my list pay saying, "the cost of the materials and programs I use are not typical of the average homeschool experience, but are unique to the needs to the particular homeschool children in question and the resources the parents have opted to use for their homeschooling needs and pleasure".
With that said, here goes:
2 Children, grades 10&11, both in a fine arts school for homeschoolers for 12 hours on Tuesdays, and doing mostly AP level work the other 4 days of the week.
Clothes:
- $24.00 on required T-shirts for arts program.
- $40.00 on new dance (jazz) shoes, Leotards, and tights for Daughters Tuesday Dance class. (got great deals on eBay and Amazon.)
- $50.00 on a film camera for my son's film photography class. (I got off easy this year. Last year he took digital photography, and the camera cost over $300... he still uses it.)
- $50.00 on a case of film for said camera
- $100 on lab fees for developing film
- $140 on supplies for son's graphic design class.
- $5.00 on back to school sale fillers for binders (son's being re-used).
- $20.00 splurge on daughter Hello Kitty organization folder. (if a 14 year old asks for hello kitty and bats her eyes, momma's gonna buy it for her.
- $10.00 splurge for daughters Hello Kitty lunch box which will be used once a week.
- $4000.00 tuition and fees for 2 homescoolers to take 6 classes each including dance, private music lessons, drama club, & etc. Each class is only $320 a year which works out pretty cheaply. I paid more the year I ran all over town doing electives at many different places. I used to pay $1500 for private piano lessons alone. (we make monthly payments)
- $0 daughter's math curriculum (*free online program)
- $0 son's math curriculum (*free online)
- $20.00 suggested calculus book to accompany free curriculum (purchased from Amazon)
- $0 son and daughter's biology (*free online)
- $10.00 suggested biology book to accompany free curriculum (Amazon)
- $0 Spanish (using Rosetta stone, purchased 3 years ago for son, and *free online program for daughter)
- $5.00 suggested Spanish textbook to accompany online program.
- $70.00 Language arts (For Such A Time As This series)
- $0.00 History *free online program
- $0.00 Chinese online curriculum (*free)
- $10.00 Chinese character book for daughter
- $10.00 supplemental historical novels.
- $0.00 for additional literature as we used public domain and paperback swap to trade books already read.
Per child, roughly $2282... Compare that to the cost of educating a child in public school which on average us just shy of $10,000.
(Without the optional arts classes and related supplies it would only be about $65.00 per child, so you can see that you don't need to have money to homeschool. You can even form groups and create your own electives, or trade services for elective classes. )
1. I justify spending so much on electives for two reasons. The kids love it and the girls is especially talented... the boy is shy and this helps him be more outgoing.... I like to think. Plus he does love it.
2. I make use of as much free curriculum as possible, so I can spend the homeschool budget on extras.
(ps. in previous and more prosperous years, the kids also took academic classes out of the home one day a week, so they were in classes two days a week and home 3 days doing assignments. That costs roughly $3500 per child... still far less than what public schools pay and probably near the top of what a homeschooler might pay.)
*See the tab (2010-2011 Curriculum Choices ) at the top of the page for the exact curriculum and books we have settled on.
FREE HOME EDUCATION WEBSITE
MY BUSINESS WEBSITE
WalletPop Contributor
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12 grade year of homeschooling, Finishing Strong
We are almost done with my college prep series. There will still be a video on completing the transcript. Stay tuned... meanwhile, ...
