well I did it!

yesterday I took Brett and Matt out of school- they are clearing off the table as we speak and we are fixing to get busy on Math... Then we are going to do the American Revolution. I wasnt going to worry with Geography just yet. I was going to do History because its fun, and Math because we need it but that was really it - until we really got a routine. But listening to the news this morning Brett expressed his confusion over how the White house is so close to Virgina when Washington is north of California. this is the 5th grader... But I think I can work the states into the History lesson. Because as we go through it we will see when new ones come in.

I am starting at the begining because I want to incorporate the constitution and the way laws are brought in. Including all the branches of Govt.

Plus, I will pepper spelling in there too. when we have ones I think they might have issues with we will spell them.

The kids are really excited, I am kinda excited too.

I already said this but, you are braver than I am. I am not a teacher, and I have the utmost respect for homeschoolers. There is NO WAY I could do it, honestly.

Go, Chelle! I hope it works out for you. My big worry would be having them take it seriously and not be celebrating thinking they don't have to go to school.

About teaching US geography...when my kids were that age they would receive a letter from their upcoming teacher at the beginning of the summer. They were supposed to watch for license plates from other states throughout the summer, with the goal of finding plates from all 50 states. When they found one, they would color that state in on the map she sent with the letter. It was funny, the kids really got into it. Of course, we live in a high tourism area. We could go up to Mackinaw City and walk through the Ferry company parking lots and find a bunch in one day.

You will be so glad you did...It's suprising what they aren't learning in school nowadays. Wynonna got all the way to her senior year and hadn't learned about Hitler and the holocaust yet or the Vietnam War. If your son is in the 5th grade and doesn't know his states yet, that should tell you what a bang up job the school system in your area is doing. When I was in school we knew all of our states, where they were located and the state capitols in 3rd grade. When Wynonna was in 1st grade she came home one day with this book and began to read, I was so excited! I thought, she's reading! Come to find out they had taught her to memorize the book. They were teaching to read through memorization! I had a fit! I asked the teacher, how was she ever going to learn to read new things on her own if she doesn't know how to sound the words out? I couldn't believe that is how the school was teaching them to read..it's scary..

For geography I would get them one of those desk globes,doesn't have to be expensive,it even comes handy for me sometimes,bmuch better than maps

They do a program here called "writing to read", and they encourage them to spell a word the way it sounds, and never ever correct them. Bayley has friends who CANNOT read or spell, and in 7th grade I find it unnacceptable.

And I thought you were busy before! I wouldn't even know where to start if I homeschooled Devon!
We have two great big maps hanging in our basement, one of Canada and one of the world. Both boys can point out where we live on both maps and where relatives from across Canada live on the map of Canada. We just run downstairs and look when we talk to someone or get mail from them.

Thanks y'all
and yes- its scary what they dont know- and I decided to back smooth up to colanization (yes, I look up all words and their spellings before I show them to the kids)


I have fiqured out already that with out total repitition they dont have comprehension. So thats our first step. We cant read a chapter and discuss it, they just guess at what they think they learned.

So, we are going to learn to take notes. maybe writing it down as we learn it will help.

To add to what Erin pointed out, the Internet and texting have really dumbed down kids. I am so tired of reading "ur" for your and not seeing punctuation and capitalization used. We all have typos now and then, but when you see countless mistakes it turns scary. Oh, I also see a HUGE problem with using inappropriate spellings of the same word...their, there, they're...your and you're. And what the heck, since I'm on a roll now, what's with all the misuse of what used to be common phrases? A phrase like "For all intents and purposes" turns into "for all intensive purposes". I think it's because some of these phrases are heard but not understood. I wish I could remember some of my favorite bastardized phrases. Sometimes they really crack me up and other times they just make me roll my eyes.

Lori wrote:To add to what Erin pointed out, the Internet and texting have really dumbed down kids. I am so tired of reading "ur" for your and not seeing punctuation and capitalization used. We all have typos now and then, but when you see countless mistakes it turns scary. Oh, I also see a HUGE problem with using inappropriate spellings of the same word...their, there, they're...your and you're. And what the heck, since I'm on a roll now, what's with all the misuse of what used to be common phrases? A phrase like "For all intents and purposes" turns into "for all intensive purposes". I think it's because some of these phrases are heard but not understood. I wish I could remember some of my favorite bastardized phrases. Sometimes they really crack me up and other times they just make me roll my eyes.

You are so right Lori! I can't think of any other examples right now because I am cracking up over yours, but there are lots of them. Kind of like misheard lyrics

I may be in the minority here, but it kills me to listen to any kind of rap music. I used to read and write poetry and to me rap music sounds like badly written poetry..it drives me insane to listen to it. A lot of the lyrics on those songs are spelled incorrectly on purpose (well, I think it's on purpose anyway) JJ listens to Eminem and other rap artists all the time and I can't tolerate listening to it. I tell him that if he wants to listen to it, fine, but he doesn't have to force it on my ears.

How about PROLLY for probably,that one really annoys me.

Rebecca, I need to get some maps- BR has a road atlas that he used when he was a truck driver- and its nice, but its hard to find everything. - unless you really look, its not in the listings for all cities. LOL

Erin, that is just SAD. really freakin sad...

And I am also working on their manners, and not sassin anyone, and being respectful. when one is reading aloud and the other one is pulling his eyelids, I have issues... I am gonna get me a wooden ruler...

OMG- I KNOW I cant spell. but even in texting I cant use 'text speak'.. I will write out a complete sentence instead of that crap.

and as far as rap- yep. that is one of the MANY reasons that my children are now homeschooled and will not participate in baseball this year. I need them away from other children for a while. I dont appriciate when my children come home with some rap song about things I didnt learn till I had been married for 15 years. I mean I used to listen to 'rap' who didnt listen to Tone Loc? or have a pireted copy of some VERY R rated stuff. and I rememeber wanting the beasie boys tape SOOOO bad, but wondering what the big deal was about the writing on the planes tail... And I still know the words to 'fight for your right to party'.

that doesnt mean its appropriate for a 10 year old. LOL I watch desperate housewives, Two and a half men and accidentally on purpose too. But have never allowed my children to see them.



That and the 37lb backback last week really were the straws that broke the camels back. OH and the school threating to have me arrested because I kept my kids home on a day when it was in the 20's. the classrooms never got above 65*, we had no water, and everything was frozen.

I am .... I guess retraining my children, getting their foundation back, before I allow them outside infulences again. they still will have church and 4-H. But both of those have a differnt caliber kid. And yes, I'm a snob. I dont like to mix with the riff raff, I dont care what brand of clothes you wear if you have no manners, no hometrainin and no respect, you can wear all the fancy clothes and have all the right things and your still trash.

My children were ridiculed in class for saying yes ma'am and no ma'am. I dont deal well with that. For holding open a door for someone, for saying thank you, and various other things.

I really dont care how someone else raises their kids, but they dont need to get mad when mine are not allowed around them.

I listened to things my parents didnt like, watched things I shouldnt have, and I took alot of those lyrics/movies to heart and acted on them. there should have been bounderies no matter how much I hated them, when I was a kid.

I looooovvvve all of you! How brave you are Chelle and all of you are absolutely right. As a volunteer for organizations that sometime work with schools, I have serious concerns about what I see and here in today's schools.

Thank you Pearly

Since I made this decision, I've had no less than 3 moms a day IM me on facebook wanting their kids out of our public school.

And then ran into another today. Her kid is currently being called (instead of his real name) the socially unacceptable word for a female body part, a socially unacceptable word for someone of homeosexual persuasion, and a host of other words including 'fairy' and 'prissy pants'.

Why?? because he held open a door for a group of girls. When a normal 10-11 year old begs and cries to not go to school each day its NOT normal. PERIOD. and I dont belive the 'puberty' crap. yes, mood swings happen, yes there is peer pressure, but things have gotten way out of hand.

Today we studied science- watched baby hogs being born, and science, we ran electricity to the barn because it wont warm up around here!!

We also studied a snake that we killed in a tree. (its in the freakin low 50's high 40's!!)

AND, they studied volocity. They got to shoot their BB guns for a few hours.

I think in a little while we will study history/language/reading comprehension a little. We have a really cool book on colonists and how this country started and are having to tear ourselves away from it.


Actually, we had an emergancy that kept us from book learning today. But they did learn. Brett was able to build on what he knew about circuts, Matt was able to learn all about it. and they got to apply that knowledge.