Homeschooling in Kansas
Hi, my name is Tracie, and I homeschool in Kansas! I have been homeschooling off and on for six years. This year my family has decided to remain a homeschooling family. We have tried public and private schools at various times and find that homeschooling works for us. I have three boys: ages 7, 9, and 13.
If you have questions or comments about homeschooling in Kansa, contact the Kansas Parent Forum.
Kansas Homeschooling Resources
For more information on specific homeschooling requirements in Kansas, visit one of these sites:
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Legal disclaimer: This section is one family’s story and how they meet the mandatory school attendance laws in Kansas. It is not intended and should not be used as definitive legal advice. In most states, parents find a variety of legal methods to pursue the educational approach that they prefer for their child.
Resources for Homeschooling in Kansas
In my opinion, the best place to look for homeschooling advice is from people that are like minded - - people that hold the same values. You want to find people that think along your lines. For instance, I know that a strict and structured curriculum does not work with my children. I know not to seek out advice from people that teach this way. Use your own judgment. Be open.
I Feel Kansas is the Best State to Homeschool
From what I have heard about other states, Kansas is the best state to homeschool in! I have known people to move here just to homeschooling. People from Massachusetts, California, and Missouri have moved here for the ease of homeschooling here. State testing is not required unless you sign-up with a virtual school or other public funded school. You are not looked upon as a "homeschool" but rather a "non-accredited private school." There are also no reviews or committees to look over the child's progress. I think that - - hands down - - this is the best homeschooling state. Just to be on the safe side though, I do save samples of my children's work.
How We Meet Homeschooling Laws in Kansas
Here in Kansas you are required to complete 1116 hours of instruction time in one school year. This is very easy to do. You are also required to keep record of what is completed and how. When you think about how many academic hours your child gets in those 1116 hours you realize pretty quick that many of those precious hours are spent waiting in line, waiting for kids to quiet down, lunch, recess, and sometimes TV watching and not actually learning anything useful.
Here at home those 1116 hours are reached by doing a variety of "classes." The children complete their Time4Learning block, and then move on into extra math time, reading, writing, and handwriting. They spend a half hour with their foreign language program and then we spend the rest of the day filling in those extra hours. The children have "nature class" outdoors, "cooking class" baking a treat or making their own lunch and "life skills 101" where they learn to separate laundry, clean the little box, or feed the chickens. Twice a week we have "P.E class" at the local gym to play racquetball and swim. We are creative in the ways we think up a new "class" to fulfill the requirements the law has set forth.
The Advantages of Homeschooling
In the morning, as the school bus rolls b,y my children sleepily awaken from their slumber on their own. They eat breakfast, get dressed, and do some chores before beginning their day of "school." After all the animals are fed, the dishes are complete, and a new load of dirty laundry is swishing around in the washer, we all settle into doing something. Since they all cannot be online at once, they take turns. One does T4L, while another does handwriting, MathUSee, or reads a book. Another might be busy in "construction and physics class" with Lincoln Logs and Legos. It takes about three hours for everybody to get through their day. They have no homework, and they have plenty of outdoor/recess/nature class time. When their peers get off the bus weary from lack of sleep, over-stimulated, and shoved back indoors to do homework, my children are perky, alert, and busy creating with their imagination!
Choosing Curriculum for Your Homeschool
Families new to homeschooling quickly discover a dizzying array of choices when it comes to selecting homeschool curriculum. There is no more popular discussion on the web than homeschool curriculum reviews by homeschool families. After sifting through the homeschool curriculum reviews, most parents end up mixing and matching homeschool programs, trying to create the best match for their child.
For families with more than one child, choosing a homeschool program can be more problematic. What works for one child amy nott work for another. What works for one subject may not work on the next. What works one year, may not work the next. Time4Learning's experience shows that there is no single, best homeschool material. Rather than feeling torn between homeschool resources, parents should select a diverse blend of materials and activities.
Some of the features that make Time4Learning so successful include:
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Time4Learning appeals to a wide range of learning styles. Our online learning materials are especially well-suited to children who are visual or kinesthetic learners. These children can take advantage of Time4Learning's interactive, multi-media materials.
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Children like using the computer to learn. It's a convenient, interactive homeschool resource that provides a welcome change each day to paper-and-pencil workbooks and textbook-based lessons.
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Parents like that it tracks progress and helps children advance by clearly presenting and reinforcing each lesson.
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Time4Learning's self-paced, modularized lesson plans allow you to move forward and back through the materials whenever you want. You can skip lessons that teach concepts your child has already mastered and repeat those he or she has not. The choice is yours. With Time4Learning, you are always in control.
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Time4Learning is proven effective with homeschoolers, has a low monthly price, is easy-to-use, and provides a money-back guarantee so you can make sure that it works for your children, <a href="http://www.time4learning.com/program/faq.html#guarantee">satisfaction guaranteed</a>! Sign up for Time4Learning as part of your overall homeschool program.
If you have more questions about homeschooling in Kansas, or want to learn more about our experiences in the state, you can contact me in the Kansas Parent forum at ShalaTracie.
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