An Educational Website to Check Out!

I was looking up some websites for kids and found a really great one. The information and activities are probably appropriate for ages 6+. The website is the homepage of the American Museum of Natural History. The main web page is http://www.amnh.org/. There is a web page for kids as well http://www.amnh.org/ology/#channel. The information available on the site changes depending on which exhibits are going on at the museum. I would recommend looking at the site with your children, as there is a lot of information on conservation, global warming, etc. It has some great info, but you might want to be part of the conversation with your children. :o) My daughter and I checked out the section on butterflies, and we both learned a lot. There was a new section about mammals on the website today. There are games and activities to encourage learning. There are sections on biology, archeology, astronomy, etc. on the kids' page. This is a website you've got to check out!

Online Charter Schools

When I decided to homeschool my daughters I didn't know where to start. Everything seemed so overwhelming! I used a kindergarten level workbook from Target with my daughter for preschool, but then I had no idea what to do when she was ready to officially start kindergarten. One of the things that most people will tell you is that you need to find a good curriculum. That way, even if you aren't great in all subjects (I have a hard time with geography and history) you will still have a guide to help you teach. A curriculum also helps you make sure you are teaching the things kids need to learn in each subject at each grade level. There are lots of great curriculums out there. If anyone has a curriculum they really like then be sure and post it in the comments! I know my sister-in-law really likes what she uses with her kids.

I use the K-12 curriculum with my first grader. She goes to an online public charter school, so we don't pay anything for the curriculum. We have a teacher who supervises my teaching of Emily, and I have to log a certain number of hours and show progress through the lessons. I would prefer to not have to answer to anyone about how I teach my daughters, but this is helpful because it holds me accountable and helps me be more consistent with my teaching. I tried one semester on my own without the online school. I bought Singapore math, which I really liked, but I didn't buy any other curriculum. I felt overwhelmed trying to plan lessons and figure out what my daughter should even be learning at her level. Things have gone much better since we went back to the K-12 curriculum.

You can purchase K-12 yourself, but it is VERY spendy! There are several states that offer online charter schools that use K-12.
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
CAPCS Online (DC)
Chicago (IL)
Colorado
Florida
Hawaii
Georgia
Idaho
Indiana
Kansas
Minnesota
New Jersey
Nevada
Ohio
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Texas
Utah
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
Wyoming

I really like the curriculum, and teaching from home allows me to teach the lessons with a gospel perspective. www.k12.com has sample lessons and information on the curriculum. I don't think that this is the only good curriculum. I like the convenience of having the lessons planned for me, as well as not having to pay for the curriculum. Many parents who homeschool wouldn't like the idea of being part of an online public charter school, and I understand why. You are allowing the government to place requirements on you, like how many hours you spend schooling, or requiring your student to take state mandated tests. On the other hand, I think these things have been helpful because they allow me to make sure I am making teaching a priority, and it helps me make sure my girls are testing at least at grade level.

There are lots of great websites that people who homeschool have put together to help make the task of getting started seem less daunting. It is also nice to know there are lots of people who homeschool who aren't the stereotypical "weirdo" homeschoolers that often come to mind whenever someone mentions homeschool! http://www.ldfr.com/ is a great place to buy curriculum and other homeschool resources. http://lds-nha.org/ is another great website with lots of information and support!

I love homeschooling my daughters! There are days when I feel completely unmotivated and it is hard, but the benefits are so worth it! I have so much more time with my daughters. I can teach them the gospel while I teach them school. In public school the secular has to be taught completely independent from the spiritual. When you homeschool you can teach your child that all truth works together, the secular and spiritual. They are not separate and independent of one another. We study scriptures and memorize the Articles of Faith in the morning, and then we work on the rest of school throughout the day. We begin school with prayer, we bless the food and eat lunch together as a family (my husband is able to come home from work for lunch), we show love and respect for one another throughout the day (we try!). School is part of our family. I wouldn't trade the opportunity and experience of homeschooling for anything!