CAF Homeschoolers

Hello, I will be new to home schooling in the fall. My son has been in Catholic school since kindergarten, he will be starting high school this fall. He tried getting into the Catholic High Schools, but was placed on a waiting list. We fill it is God's will he be home schooled. We have felt the call for a few years now.

I'm looking for all the support I can find for this new journey of ours.

Christine

Hello,
thank you so much for the answers.
Sorry I haven't followed up with this group lately. My son is in public school now. He receives speech therapy every day and his speech has greatly improved. He is probably going to stay in special ed preschool until he learns enough language for me to home school him. I will certainly look into the support group organizations.

God Bless You all,
Béa

Does anyone know where to go to find catholic homeschool penpals? Mostly I need one for my 12 yr old son. His writing skills could use some work, and I thought this might help. We only have one other catholic homeschool family in our area, and they are younger. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks, Anna (Greenwood,SC)

Here is my answer based on what we have here.

1. We are military and have moved a lot. In fact, within 18 months one time, my kids would have been in 3 different schools if we weren't homeschooling.

2. With 4 kids, I can pay less to enroll all of them with Seton than I would pay to enroll just 1 of them in our local Catholic school. We just can't afford that.

3. I want a thoroughly Catholic curriculum. I want a curriculum that is tailored to my children. I don't know if I could get that at our local Catholic school. When you read about Catholic schools that have non-Catholics in them where they can't talk about what our church stands for for fear of hurting their feelings, then how good of a Catholic education will they get.

4. After having my kids in CCD and teaching it myself, I am not confident in the Catholic schools ability to teach about the faith. Sorry, but that is the truth. There are so many parents that are falling down on their responsibilities to instil the faith in their children. They expect CCD to do their job 1 hour a week for 30 weeks a year. These would be the same kinds of kids that my kids would end up with in class. It is hard enough explaining to them that they are an example to others through their love and knowledge of the faith. I don't want to be doing it every day.

5. And, my favorite when people ask the socialization question, "At what other time in your life do you only socialize with other people that are wthin 1 year of your age?" You don't in the real world, but do in school. By homeschooling, my kids are socialized by being with others of all ages. My 13 yo doesn't think that there is anything wrong with playing with an 8 yo. What regular school kid would willingly do that with someone that was not their sibling? None that I know of!

Those are my top reasons other than that I just love my kids and want to be there to see the light shine in their eyes when they figure out a new concept, watch and help as they struggle with learning something that doesn't come easily to them, cheer them on as they reach all of their milestones, and pick them up and push them when they just want to quit because it is too hard.

Thank you so much. This is the best guidance I have recieved. I posted this on the Sacraments discussion board, but it has turned into a discussion where those of us who teach the sacraments must defend out position with those who are parish catechists on that thread. Gods blessing and peace.

Lol! I wonder what the world would be like if schools taught the Ten Commandments as diligently as school policy.

You are so welcome. You have my prayers for encouragement and success! Yes, Phonics has a DVD of the phonogram sounds which is a help since the flashcards don't get out of order, etc. and the right sounds go with the right letters.

Mary
http://feeds.feedburner.com/CatholicCatechismBlog

I admire those of you who school year round. It's mid July now. I started this thread in May with intentions to some more formal scholastics than we have done in years past. As it worked out, continuing music lessons is about the only formal academics we have done so far this summer. I think I really needed to take a break from teachings formal academics.

Hey we're doing K and 2nd CHC!

I've bought so many books to just look over, everything but CHC, then I bit the bullet and bought CHC...it looks perfect!

It's our first year *back*, I homeschooled my oldest for K and put him in the parish school. Now that I've got to know some of the homeschoolers in our parish, no looking back....can't wait!

God bless, Dana

I like Catholic Homeschooling by Dr. Mary K. Clark. I also have A Catholic Homeschool Treasury. I can't remember who wrote that one. It is a collection of how different Catholics homeschool, ie. school in a box, unschooling, eclectic, etc. Another one is Desigining Your Own Classical Curriculumn by Laura Berquist.