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Find advice from other parents on our Homeschool forum. You may also find our round up of the best online learning resources useful.

Find advice from other parents on our Homeschool forum. You may also find our round up of the best online learning resources useful.

Home ed

Convince me that I can home ed...

15 replies

flootshoot · 30/07/2013 17:24

I really would rather send the DC to school. However I've just moved to a very oversubscribed area and DS has not yet got a reception place for sept, and may not have one for the start of term. I am in conniptions over this and I'm trying to get my head around the idea of homeschooling him for a while - to be completely honest this would be the worst case scenario for me but I'm trying to get some enthusiasm going for the idea just in case that's what happens!!

I just don't know where to begin. I've bought him a workbook designed to prepare him for school and plan to work on that for the summer. DD is 2 and fairly distracting and I seem to be terribly lacking in patience at the moment.

I also was counting on school to meet some local people, we know no one at all and DS is in need of some friends. Are there homeschool groups? How would I find one?

Sorry for all the questions; I just feel its necessary to look at all our options.

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YoToast · 30/07/2013 17:37

There are HE groups all over the place. Whereabouts are you? If you post your location, I'm sure somebody will be able to signpost you in the direction of local groups.

Google "education otherwise", they have lists of groups on their website.

You could also search yahoo groups or facebook with home education and your local area although these are often not public groups.

Personally, I wouldn't worry too much about doing formal work, especially as he is only about to start reception. Just do lots of stuff with him, talking, cooking, gardening, playing games, going out and finding out about stuff. If you intend to get him into school as soon as possible, it might be worth doing a little bit of work on letters and reading with him but lots of home ed kids don't learn to read until much later than 4.

Good luck.

flootshoot · 30/07/2013 18:44

Thanks for replying. I will look into groups, it would be good to chat to people, and apart from anything else it would be nice to meet some local children!

He's bright and gets frustrated very quickly, I'm not sure I have the patience to teach him but we shall see!!

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ommmward · 30/07/2013 18:54

I would recommend not putting academic pressure on. You can't be sure how much pressure the school will be putting on for literacy with a reception class anyway.

Like YoToast, I think age 4ish can be very very very informal - read to them a lot; when they watch DVDs put the subtitles on; have them help make shopping lists; make simple recipes (with pictures and numbers) for them to practice sequencing; read to them again; answer their questions; go to the park whenever it is not raining; read to them a bit more; answer more questions.

Saracen · 01/08/2013 07:21

I agree - you don't have to "teach" your ds as such. Talk with him, read to him, take him to interesting places and help him find kids to play with. Just keep doing what you are already doing. Children have such a drive to learn that you couldn't stop him if you tried.

You know there is still no legal requirement yet for you to educate your ds at all anyway, don't you? He doesn't have to be in any form of education until the term after his fifth birthday. Even if he is autumn-born, that would be January. Of course I know you wouldn't try to prevent him learning just because he isn't yet of compulsory school age, I'm just mentioning that in case it helps you relax.

Roshbegosh · 01/08/2013 07:27

Are you saying you will put him in the school if you can but if left with no choice you will home school him? If you have no choice then I suppose you have to do it, what will happen next year though? While there may not be a legal requirement to educate our children (not strictly true) surely there is a requirement for them to be provided with education by a LA.

TwasBrillig · 01/08/2013 07:30

Can you put him on the waiting list for the school? Do you know how far down you are? There's often some movement near here, and a friend did 'homeschool' for half a term while waiting for a place.

However if there's only one form entry and you're say tenth on the list that would be a risky strategy.

TwasBrillig · 01/08/2013 07:32

Are you saying they haven't given you a reception place at all, or just in your choice of school?

flootshoot · 01/08/2013 08:14

Sorry for the delay in replying.

As it currently stands, they are processing our application and if there is no space he will go on several waiting lists. The woman I spoke with made it sound like he may not get a place at all (in any school) for the beginning of term She was very blasé about it and I was not impressed TBH. I've got to ring tomorrow to find out the situation.

Thanks to all those who've given tips. The main issue is that DS is very bright and really enjoys sitting down to do things like practice writing and numbers etc. and I'm worried I won't be able to provide him with enough stimulation. He's already going stir crazy at home!

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musicposy · 02/08/2013 22:08

You absolutely can home ed and I suspect if you can find a good local group that might help with the stimulation. We have two good groups on our doorstep and others in fairly easy driving distance. There is always stimulating stuff going on, book clubs, trips to places, nature walks, educational talks at museums, drama groups etc.You could use these as a springboard to other things. Bright children are easy to home educate because they are always desperate for information and knowledge and you can work with that.
If you post your location - even county if you don't want to be too specific - I'm sure people can help. Most people don't feel they can do it at the start, by the way, but that quickly changes. :)

TwasBrillig · 02/08/2013 22:15

You will find tons to do! They won't do all that much sitting down and learning anyway in the first term .

3birthdaybunnies · 02/08/2013 22:37

Bear in mind too that in the average reception class out of 5 hrs a day half of this is required to be 'free play' which in my no not bitter experience is spent using masking tape to put together random bits of recycling to make something unrecognisable to balance on the pushchair home and for other parents to laugh quietly at if your child's is much bigger than theirs. You then need to store it at home until they have forgotten to say hello to it each day.

In the rest of it ours have about 20 minutes phonics a day, some numeracy, pe (which is 10 min everyone getting undressed and then another 10 min getting dressed again with a little running around), plus some topic stuff. The teachers listen to them read once a week, but most of the reading practice goes on at home with a parent, a tedious kipper & floppy book and a glass of wine . The teachers are great and they do somehow get to know all the children's strengths and weaknesses but if you think about it they are there 20 hours a week, 30 children, some of the time is swallowed up by getting little sammy to sit the right way on the mat, assembly, putting on coats, taking off coats etc, each child only gets about half an hour 1:1 or less per week with a teacher.

It might be worth having a 5 min 'school time' per morning - when they both sit on the mat and you do some phonics, and reading easy phonics books from the library/book people in the evening (as you would have to do if he were in school anyway) and the rest of the time enjoy doing little projects, trips out etc. Look on some of the theads (mainly in chat) about occupying children in the summer holidays and spread the activities out over the next few months.

They do eventually have to find him a place, but until yr 1 or higher he won't miss out on doing formal learning and might even be ahead.

musicposy · 03/08/2013 00:00

You absolutely can home ed and I suspect if you can find a good local group that might help with the stimulation. We have two good groups on our doorstep and others in fairly easy driving distance. There is always stimulating stuff going on, book clubs, trips to places, nature walks, educational talks at museums, drama groups etc.You could use these as a springboard to other things. Bright children are easy to home educate because they are always desperate for information and knowledge and you can work with that.
If you post your location - even county if you don't want to be too specific - I'm sure people can help. Most people don't feel they can do it at the start, by the way, but that quickly changes. :)

musicposy · 03/08/2013 00:03

Why did it double post that as soon as I logged back on?

Crazy tablet, sorry! Second what birthdaybunnies says. Reception is very informal and play based. You'll do more without even trying, just because you are on a one to one.

flootshoot · 03/08/2013 14:06

Thanks all. I'm in Staines, but I don't drive. I would like to find a group regardless of the outcome over schools as it would be nice to meet some new people!

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MummyPhus · 10/08/2013 08:15

lol @3birthdaybunnies.

It's true that so much time is "wasted" in school due to the sheer number of small people involved. I have recently (May) started HE my 8 year old son and my daughter (age 7) will be staying at home from September. I still have 3 children who will be in school and quite honestly I am becoming more demoralised about school by the day.

One thing that my youngest DS (aged 4) enjoys is a website called "Busythings.co.uk" - keeps him occupied in a semi-educational way for ages.

Good luck, whatever happens
Soph

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