Homeschooling

This is our 3rd year to homeschool.  I decided to post since Kelly at Kelly's Korner is hosting a Show Us Your Life - Homeschool Ideas.  She is wanting us to be able to share ideas of how we do it or curriculum we use.  I decided to do question and answer post.  These are usually the questions I get asked when others are thinking about Homeschooling.
1.  What does your 4 year old do while you teach the boys?  She is right there with us in the school room.  She colors, writes, draw or paints.  The boys include her in their school work.  One may take a break to play with Ella while I help the other one.  It just works.

2.  What curriculum do you use?  Sonlight mostly for reading.  We use Singapor Math, IEW for writing.  I have introduced Total Language Plus for my older one for reading.  We use Apologia Science.  We do a co-op with the owner's of Apologia Science.  Incredible family

3.  How do you help everyone?  I write out their assignments for the week on an assignment sheet.  When they need me, they ask.  If I know we need to discuss something first, I will put SEE ME on their sheet.

4.  Do you attend a co-op?  Yes.  For the past two years we have done co-op.  We come together for Walk Thru the Bible, Science, Social Studies, and Worldview.

5.  How do I start?  Go to the North Carolina Department of Non-Public Instruction website,  Ask alot of questions to people who are already doing this,  search the web

6.  Do you use one curriculum?  No,  I use Rainbow Resources to order many of our material

7. Do you plan to do this through high school?  yes.  I have always been told - take one year at a time.

8.  The term Homeschooling means?  This term means different things to different families.  Each family does what works for them.  That is the beauty in this.  We do what works for our chidlren.  Our children are not looked at as 1 of 23 children in the class.  Many families decided to homeschool not for academic reasons.  There is more to this than "academics".  We strive for high standards in the academic area but our children are asked to do many other things. 

Homeschooling our children is such a blessing everyday.  We enjoy spending time together.  The thing I noticed as soon as we pulled our children out of school was time.  I was amazed at how much school dicitated our time.  We are free and able to make up our own schedule now.  Love it. 

Homeschool was a calling from God for me to step out of my comfort zone.  Well blessing have come our way over the pass 3 years.  We are 2 weeks away from accomplishing the 2010-2011 year.  Plans are already being made for the next school year

Garrett will be in 7th,  Seth in 4th and Ella will be a big Kindergartener.  Let the fun begin.