My 15 year old son wants me to homeschool him, how do I do it??

Katy - posted on 06/20/2009

I agree with the above replies about looking into the homeschool legal defense association - very important. Also look into you state and/or county requirements. I have a friend who homeschools in Tampa, FL and it is called connections academy, I think. This is where she does public school on a computer at home (which the county provides for you) and she logs the time her daughter does (2nd grade) and checks in with a teacher once a month. I know another lady that does it for her teenager and her daughter is highly motivated so she does all the computer work on her own and the mom checks in each week to make sure she is doing her work. The mom said that since her daugher was a teenager the mom didn't have to help much. My friend with the second grader has to sit with her daughter and help her out more often but she likes that she doesn't have to do any lesson planning. It is all on the virtual school for her.

Christina - posted on 06/08/2009

agreed, first check with Home School Legal Defense Association, for your state requirements, etc. Also agree on what your child is interested in. Keep records for his high school transcript. (HSLDA has a lot of help for home schooling through highschool) I would definitely look for a local homeschool group of moms that can guide you and answer your questions, they love to help others. The biggest challenge I think we all face is, what curr will I use? Every child is diff. but if you find their interests, you can plan your curr around that, mostly.

Good luck!

Jennifer - posted on 06/02/2009

I have homeschooled for 4 years know. It seems the older they get the better it gets. I get all of my books from a local bookstore that specializes in homeschool material. Lifeway also has homeschool material. I have heard the computer programs are good. Continue to pray and ask God to guide you on what you should do.

Tam - posted on 04/13/2009

Okay, am going to re-do this since I had a bunch of boo-boos in post I just deleted. My only excuse is that I have a roomful of kids distracting me, lol.

If you haven't already, you might want to look into your state requirements. Your state gov website should have homeschool laws/rules posted. If you have trouble finding them you can use hslda.org or google (state + homeschool laws). The requirements will help you know what you can do or not.

Next, your son is old enough that he probably knows what might help him the most. Does he enjoy the computer? There are some great online courses or curriculums that are done through video and/or computer. If he prefers reading, there are great curriculums that use reading most. Etc. Obviously you have the final say in curriculum, but it will help show him that you want the best for him, no matter what and that you are happy to work with him to get a great education that works for both of you. :)

Just some suggestions to help. We aren't in the high school years yet. I do know my MIL just purchased Alpha Omega for two of my nieces for the next school year (they are in high school).

Best of luck, but know that you can do it! Children (all ages) are natural sponges when it comes to learning! Find the best method and curriculum for you and watch him grow!

Kathleen - posted on 03/29/2009

We are unschoolers (no curriculum), so I don't know if you'll find my advice useful, but here goes!  Let your son spend his time on whatever interests him.  My teenage sons use the internet heavily -- gaming forums where they find other Christian youth with similar interests and they can practice creative writing as well as philosophical argumentation with their peers.  They have taught themselves different free animation/gaming programs which are of professional quality.  The library is invaluable, of course.  I direct them toward (and sometimes require them to try) classic literature that might be of interest.  We teach math more formally using a dvd series from netflix (but is also available piecemeal at the library).

My oldest son is a hs junior this year and began taking a class per semester at the community college.  This will be his transcript/paper trail.  It is online class, so I can act as his study buddy and also help him understand the politics of taking tests and submitting work, performing for a grade, etc.

I don't know if this info dovetails with anything you're looking for.  It's wonderful, though, that you and your son want the same thing.  The Lord is at work on you both.  Good luck!