What are some good independent homeschooling programs?

What are good independent homeschooling programs other then online?

• me and my sister realy need help looking for and home schooling programs that is going to work with us and not against us??? Any ideas?? We need to program that will help us and ...show more

• Answer:

  Deep breath! It's out there somewhere. :-) You may choose to buy materials from companies and enroll with online schools, but be "independent" of the school districts. People who do this don't owe anyone a darned thing...their test scores (if any; few homeschoolers in the traditional sense are obligated to take state standardized tests) are their own business, as is the pace, order or depth at which they choose to go through the material. Other people make up their own curriculum, based on their own personal criteria. (Yup, you can do this!) Some states want you to keep a portfolio of material to prove you're doing something there at home, other states want you to submit your curriculum for the year for approval, others may require testing that could send you back to public or private school if you fall below a particular percentile...just in case. Again, depends on the state. Still other people endorse what they call "unschooling," and they throw out all books and tests altogether and simply follow what interests them. (See the writings of John Holt, or Google "unschooling" for more on that theory of education.) A good book for anyone over 12 years old is “The Teenage Liberation Handbook: How to Quit School and Get a Real Life and Education,” by Grace Llewellyn. Here’s an excerpt: "Did your guidance counselor ever tell you to consider quitting school? That you have other choices, quite beyond lifelong hamburger flipping or inner-city crack dealing? That legally you can find a way out of school, that once you're out you'll learn and grow better, faster, and more naturally than you ever did in school, that there are zillions of alternatives, that you can quit school and still go to A Good College and even have a Real Life in the Suburbs if you so desire? Just in case your counselor never told you these things, I'm going to. That's what this book is for." Even if you don’t hold with what the author has to say, the point of view she has is dramatically different and can be a great springboard to help you get in touch with what you believe school and learning should be like. The book also outlines a very nice reference for curriculum, as well as chapters about dealing with your school, convincing your parents, and getting a social life. It's meant to be a very usable book.