Mel Crapo: I think others have answered the cost question fairly well.I want to answer the implication that learning can't be fun! What in the world is wrong with having fun and learning at the same time? If Ben loves video learning, there are plenty of resources online and with software. I have tons of links to free online learning resources.Consider creating a private Yahoo Group just for family members so that there can be shared discussions about Ben's learning, and all can recommend resources for him to use as you each find sites that meet his interests and abilities.Don't knock games! I was at a brainstorming session at NASA where educators, NASA scientists and game developers were discussing ways to create games that would prepare today's youth to colonize the moon some day in the not to distant future.Buy Ben a math book, and then get all other materials at the public library for free. Some have even found math books at Goodwill for next to nothing. ther eare even! fun math books!Homeschooling is like going on vacation: the rich just do it differently than the poor, but who is to say who has the better time?Ann ZeiseA to Z Home's Coolhttp://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com...Show more
Jestine Osumi: Is it expensive?Not necessarily. Depends on how you go about it. If you buy pre-packaged curriculum, new, directly from the publisher, then it can be costly. But if you get used books at homeschool support sales, or online, or at thrift stores, etc., it doesn't have to cost much. If you use the public library a great deal for your curriculum, it can cost even less. Or you might even get free, used books from the local school district to use...Most homeschoolers aren't rich. Most of us have one wage earner and that one often isn't pulling in the big bucks. But we make it, cutting corners everywhere, because our children are our priority.As for homeschooling working if they are on different pages, that depends on how much difficult! y you and Sam create for Ben and his mom. Hopefully, he'll tr! y to do what's best for Ben and not create trouble just to create trouble. Hopefully, he'll give them the benefit of the doubt and offer to pitch in and help teach his son some things. Hopefully, he'll approach it as being interested in what his son is learning, rather than bad-mouthing his son's mother and her intentions. But it sounds like it will depend a lot on Sam and those who influence Sam.......Show more
Mohamed Szollosi: Ben's mom is not necessarily being either selfish or wasteful with money. Did you know that many states have tuition FREE public schools online, and some even provide a computer and pay your internet bill? It IS all tax supported. This school year, about half the states offer free school-at-home programs, and more states are considering adding the choice in education.Check out this site to see if your state is listed:http://www.k12.com/curriculum_and_products/schooli...Even if your state does not offer a free public virtual school, there ! are inexpensive private ones available. Both kinds would give his mom the accountability to have the work done that you seem to be so worried about. Having Ben's mom and dad on the same page will make it much easier for Ben to find success in learning. He needs to feel as if both parents support him, even if he does not see them everyday. If he does go to an online school, it would also make it easier for the non-custodial parent (Sam?) to check up on his son's schoolwork; his teacher could be as close as the nearest laptop. His dad will probably want to make sure that he has access to Ben's school to keep up with how his son is doing. This is reasonable and will help Ben in the long run. It should be good for you too because Ben's mom and Sam can make many of the decisions about Ben's education by email and not have see each other in person quite so often. In fact, a public virtual school might be even less expensive because Ben can attend in old t-shirts, sweats, and go ! barefoot! Homeschool cut our clothing costs in half and reduced food co! sts for lunch a little too. Homeschoolng is not just for rich people. Many homeschoolers I know chose home education because they could not afford private school; for many it costs them less than going to a public school because they get used curriculum, shop the sales, and use the public library a lot....Show more
Fritz Hawkey: Home schooling is an excellent idea for some kids / teens but a very bad idea for others.To achieve good grades with home schooling, in my opinion, you have to have motivating parents or carers, AS WELL AS having self motivation yourself. Otherwise you won't get anywhere. My mum decided to home school me because she is a pretty strict person and I am quite self-disciplined myself.Home schooling here in the UK is not expensive. It obviously costs more than an ordinary state school but costs much less than private schools. So, home schooling is good for some, bad for others....Show more
Randolph Lozoya: All drama aside...For us we have on! e income (mine) plus SSI disiablilty, my husband was laid off a few months ago. We have always waited until we got our tax refund to order curriculum and spend about 600.00 a year. We buy a curriculum that we can use for all three kids saving us money.
Bibi Tyron: My first question is who and how is it any of your business how your friend "Sam's" ex wife educates her son? Not all public schools are "free" either. Here in Indiana it is very expensive to send your kids to public school, that is one of the many reasons we decided to home school. My son's book fee alone was several hundred dollars in grade school and would have been in the thousands if he had gone to the local high school. Home school can cost as much or as little as you want it to. There are curriculum's you can buy and the prices vary. For most of my son's home school time it was very inexpensive. We only bought a curriculum one year and it cost $150.00. Many public libraries have the text books! used in the public school system of that area. There are wonderful si! tes on the internet where you can print worksheets. You have to think outside the box, but if you are willing to do the leg work home school can be all but free....Show more
Stanton Valdivia: I'm going to have to be homeschooled for high school.but I'm donig it onlineI really don't want to.and it's freeso if you are going to do itsearch "online homeschool"http://kaplanacademy.com/california/losangeles/app...thats in CA...Show more
Francisco Schonhardt: Homeschooling CAN be expensive but it doesn't HAVE TO BE expensive. Things that will make homeschooling more expensive include buying pre-packaged curricula, buying textbooks (especially brand-new textbooks) for most or all subjects, spending a lot on other kinds of supplies, hiring private tutors, enrolling in lots of private classes outside the home, and the like. Things that can keep costs down include not using textbooks or pre-packaged curricula, using second-hand textbooks, making heavy use of cheap or free! local resources like public libraries and after-school/weekend programs, and finding ways to trade services (e.g. free babysitting in exchange for cheap or free music lessons). I knew many financially strapped homeschoolers. If homeschooling is important to you, you find ways to make it work, whether that means cutting actual homeschooling costs or cutting other costs in your life (e.g. switching to store brands instead of brand-name items).The rest of this I'm not going to touch with a ten-foot pole except to say that it's really not your place to decide what's best for Ben, since you're not his parent and you really have no idea what it's going to be like to homeschool him....Show more
Vickie Clampett: It's only expensive if you choose a bad method/ school
Wilbert Shellgren: It does not have to be expensive, especially below high school age. To be sure this guy is really learning his Dad should insist on a standardized test at the beginning and at the end of! the year. (Same test). These tests can be ordered from Seton Publish! es for 25.00 each.Sucessful HSIng takes a lot of energy and organization. If there are doubts, his Dad may have legal standing to prevent it.I support hsing, I do it myself. I just know that it is not an easy job, and if one is not really on the ball, it can be unsuccessful....Show more
Forest Duttinger: Why are you so concerned about what Sam's ex is going to do to educate their son. You can't have any idea what Ben or his mother will do for the next 7 yrs. Seriously you sound like nothing but a busybody that needs to mind your own business. We spend less a yr on homeschooling materials than what we used to spend every yr on the cost surrounding attending public school. People rarely think about the cost associated with attending a "free" public school such as the mandatory PTA fundraisers, beginning of the yr supply list, field trips, school clothes etc....Show more
Andre Winegar: Either you are a very important person in Sam's life or you are in a relations! hip with him. Income is not an issue and desire to "make" a child do work is not necessary. The willingness teach a child how to learn is necessary. US schools are NOT good no matter how good you think the school district is. We Live off one income of a part time job:Here is how it works out for us for:Our books: Singapore Primary text books $22.50/year, Pen-time $5.50/year, Explode the code (used for spelling) $18/year, Stories of the world $13/year. The rest of his subjects are covered in co-op or books from the library.Co-op: $24books: $59testing:$25Bringing the total for the year to: $108 1st child, $72 every other childHowever you can use just library books and other free resources. I want to warn you Home schooling does not look like Public school.There are simple things Ben's dad can do. Be sportively involved in his school endeavor (no matter what school type)Let him "stay up" an hour later to read in bed. Sign him up for book it.Read to him at night a historic! al fiction. when he has himGive a list of free museums to go to.ask Ben! to keep a journal of funny stories or write a comic.get free educational gamesI also want to warn you home schooling does not look like public school.Our typical day: Museum, co-op, or free day 9- 9:30 pm Stories of the world, or science book9:30-10:30 pm Reading in bed / I write down what he did for the dayHis goals for the week: 2 pg. writing, 6 pg. math, progress in chapter book, 1 lesson from ETC. For an average child "Sit down" work or "real school" would take an average of 1-2/hr. a WEEK that look like Public school. 2 1/2 hours of family time reading, and 5+ hours trying to extend bed-time.So how does he get 900 hr.? Sport, co-op, volunteering, playing games, playing video games, field trips, shopping, help cook meals, playing, scouts, computer time, watching TV, and anything that he learns from. We have a "junk food for the mind" limit to only weekends.What happens if he does not meet his goal? We look at his journal and see if he did activities that supplement w! hat he did not complete. If he did not supplement it on his own. we give him a one week warning that he needs to try and do more of X subject and we give him alternatives to the book work. If it is not done the next week we go over why and add it to the schedule.Is little book work okay? Well my 6 year old is in 4th grade math, loves science, knows more history then most adults, enjoys 9th grade reading level books but can read higher, his spelling is on level with his age and writing is a little behind. Kids progress in different ways so don't expect him to be at the same level all across. he'll be behind level in somethings and ahead of level in others. If you want to check his grade level look at his favorite book and check it with http://bookwizard.scholastic.com/tbw/bookAlikeSear... If he enjoys the book he probably comprehends that or a higher level book. for math if he has a textbook ask to see it and where he's at. If he's with in 2 years of his grade don't stress. ! Kids progress at different levels. you could always have him take the C! AT at the end of this year and base his score for next year on that. Best of luck....Show more
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