Homeschool Curriculum Blog Online Learning for PreK-8th

Did you know that Time4Learning has members in all fifty states?  The cool thing about that is that if you are looking for help or advice about homeschooling in your state, there is probably someone on the Time4Learning Parents Forum that can share their experiences.  And to make that easier, Time4Learning is setting up a whole new forum section called State by State Homeschooling Info.

This will be your place to connect with other homeschoolers in your state.  And not only will people be able to do state-specific networking, but each state will have its own Time4Learning representative who can help answer your questions and connect you to local resources. 

If you are a seasoned homeschooler who is familiar with the ins and outs of homeschooling in your state, and would be interested in becoming a representative, then head over to the State Homeschooling Information page, check to see if your state is still available, and then fill out the application form.  This would be a wonderful opportunity for you to share your experiences and your hard-fought wisdom about homeschooling in your state.

As always, Time4Learning is eager to help take the guesswork out of homeschooling.  By bringing together brand new homeschoolers with veteran homeschoolers in each state, T4L can open up lines of communication that will benefit everyone.

Posted under Homeschool, new homeschoolers, state homeschool guidelines

I’ve met homeschoolers throughout my life who had this quiet certainty about them.  They have told me that they knew they wanted to homeschool their children even before they were born.  I am in awe of these folks.  They were reading homeschooling theory books right alongside their “What to Expect Whey You’re Expecting.”

I’m afraid I simply can’t put my hat into that ring.  Homeschooling was probably the furthest thing from my mind as I nurtured my kids through infancy, toddlerhood, and even preschool.  It wasn’t until a serious health scare the summer before my son was scheduled to begin kindergarten that I began to entertain the idea.  And even then, it wasn’t like I was choosing to homeschool.  My son’s weakened immune system and continued neurological issues sort of made homeschool choose us.

So for what seemed like years, I played catch-up.  Delving into homeschool theory, methodology, and curriculum choices.  And it created a serious case of culture shock for someone who was not only a consummate product of the public school system, but the daughter of a public school teacher!

But over time, I have come to realize I was not alone in my sudden and unexpected foray into the world of homeschooling.  Time4Learning even coined a phrase for those of us non-native homeschool-speakers.  They call us “Accidental Homeschoolers.”  We may not have come to home education in any traditional sort of way, but nevertheless, here we are.

If you are one of those families who sort of woke up and found themselves homeschooling, I hope you will at least find comfort in the fact that you are not alone.  To find out more about “Accidental Homeschooling”, and how other families are dealing with their newfound status, visit Time4Learning’s Accidental Homeschooling page for more information.

Posted under Homeschool, new homeschoolers

I’ve been watching an interesting thread in the Time4Learning Parent’s Forum this week.  The thread is called "Accidental Homeschooler," and the parents involved in the thread have been venting about the dilemma they are faced with.

It seems that the school system their children have been enrolled in has failed them in one way or another.  Either their child wasn’t learning enough, had special needs that the school system wasn’t adequately addressing, or had grades so low it was affecting the child’s self esteem.

As a parent whose hard-earned tax-dollars are funding the schools, this can be an incredibly frustrating experience.  No one expects perfection out of the public school system, but they do expect that their child will be adequately prepared and educated.  They expect teachers and resource workers to be adaptive to children’s particular learning needs.  And they expect that when a child is failing, that every effort will be made to bring him or her back up to grade level.

When these expectations aren’t met, some parents consider a whole other alternative - - homeschooling.  These "accidental homeschoolers" had not started out with a plan to homeschool, but because of the failures of the school system,  decided to see if homeschooling would be a better choice for their child.

The parents in the forum thread I’ve been following have decided to try out the Time4learning online homeschool curriculum for their child because it better meets their child’s learning needs.  Time4Learning is:

• Standards-based
• Engaging and Interactive
• Affordable
• Easy-To-Use (especially for first time homeschoolers)
• Adaptable for use with both special needs and gifted learners

If your child’s school system is not meeting his or her needs, and you are thinking of schooling your child at home, then click here to download our free Welcome to Homeschooling guide for new homeschoolers. Who knows…maybe YOU will be the next person to join the forum thread to tell the story of how you became an "accidental homeschooler."

Posted under Homeschool, Special Needs Learning, homeschool curriculum, homeschooling manual, new homeschoolers, problems at school

“It was a dark and stormy night…”

Snoopy used to always start out his novels with this phrase, but for homeschoolers just starting out, it hits a little too close to home!

Deciding to homeschool your child, for whatever reason, can be a scary prospect.  Especially when the decision has had to be made abruptly because of health difficulties or problems with the child’s current school, the weight of suddenly being an accidental homeschooler can feel “dark and stormy” indeed.

Homeschooling had been the last thing on my mind the summer that I signed my oldest son up for kindergarten.  But within weeks of registering him, he had developed a rare infection of the brain that weakened his immune system and made going to school an impossibility.  So I scrambled all through the summer trying to find out information on homeschooling - - what were the legal requirements, what types of curricula was available, what the lingo and abbreviations meant. 

I would have given anything for a simple users guide that gave me all the  important information I needed in one concise place.  Fortunately, new homeschoolers today don’t have to just wish for such a thing.  Thanks to Time4Learning, anyone can access a wonderful free manual for new homeschoolers called

“Welcome to Homeschooling.”

This comprehensive guide will give you insights into the laws, the methods, the choices, the scheduling, and the resources that will help you most as you begin your homeschooling journey. Instead of having to search blindly across the internet, or listen to twenty different pieces of advice from twenty different homeschooling acquaintances, the information you are looking for is all in one easily-downloadable document. 

Homeschooling doesn’t have to be scary - - or “dark and stormy.”  All you need is a little guidance and the desire to succeed. 

So let me be the first to say…”Welcome to Homeschooling!”

Posted under Homeschool, homeschooling manual, new homeschoolers