i am interested in home schooling my children....?

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In Missouri, the laws are quite easy to work with. You can find a lot of information here http://www.hslda.org/hs/state/MO/default.asp and here http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp?State=MO . Basically, you just pull your kids out (notify the school district so a truancy officer doesn't show up at your doorstep) and start homeschooling.

You have to homeschool a minimum of 1,000 hours per year, 600 of which have to be in the core subjects, and 400 of those have to be at the "primary homeschool location". Basically, you have to make the commitment to actually school your kids. :-)

The 1,000 hours a year is pretty easy to meet; my 5th grader exceeds that easily. (I'm in OK.) You do have to keep written records of time spent, evaluations (pretty open-ended, that could mean the tests that come with their curriculum), samples of their work (again, easy to do - just put samples of their work in a folder or portfolio each month), and records of their activities (lessons, Scouts, sports, etc.) There are software products (Homeschool Tracker, Edu-Track, etc.) that can pretty much do this for you, except for the sample portfolio. You just type in the info and it formats it all for you.

There are no special qualifications, you don't have to get permission, and your child does not have to do standardized testing if you choose not to. You are also not tied down to any specific method of homeschooling - you can do what is best for your children.

I highly suggest you get in touch with a homeschooling group or two in your area; just google the name of your city or county and "homeschool group". There will be moms in that group that can answer specific questions, help you with schedule and curriculum questions, and the group will likely offer co op classes for your high schooler(s) and social opportunities for all your kids (game nights, lessons, field trips, volunteer opps, etc).

I hope this helps - please let us know if you have any other questions!...Show more

You and I are in the same boat with the small budget thing. There is no test that you have to take in order to home school your child. I'm in my second year of home schooling and, so far, this is what I have done. I go to Walmart, buy their workbooks, flash cards, etc. I submit (with grade 1 and up) the proposed curriculum for that year: math, reading, grammar, social studies, etc. to the school district, they send a letter letting me know that everything has been approved and that my child is 'excused from attendence' for the school year. As for those people who believe home schooled children have no social interaction, that is entirely untrue and unfounded. We have a group which meets every Wednesday for a play date and once a month, we have a big field trip. The kids love it, it gives us a breather in the middle of the week, and there isn't one child who doesn't interact with the others. Also, these children are well-adjusted and have a higher acceptance rate into colleges across the country. Socially, the older children (jr-sr high school ages) have dances, parties, and even a prom. They miss out on nothing except peer pressure, bad influences at 'regular' school, and the chance to be shot, stabbed, raped, or abused by their classmates. How can any child learn in that sort of environment? I applaud and encourage you in your choice to home school. Be proud! You and your child are going to have the best times, be closer to each other than most other parents and children, and you will both find this a wonderful experience. Keep it up!!! (as for those who frown on home schooling, don't knock it till you've tried it.)...Show more

Personally we love homeschooling-- we love the freedom, the kids love how they are learning, there are so many more fun and social activities to do as homeschoolers than they would ever be able to do in public schools, like taking 4 or 5 group field trips per month or taking classes like video game programming.

Check out the hslda.org website for your state laws. I don't think you have to send notification in MO or get evaluations, but you do have to keep some records and fulfill some required hours (which is easy, because there is so much to do in a day that is educational-- from cooking together (home ec) to watching Mythbusters (science, educational film) to spending the day at the museum (field trip) that required hours can be filled quickly.

As for where to begin, try this article. Maybe it will help you:
http://heartandhomeschool.googlepages.com/first5thingstodo...Show more

I would first look up the law's for your state. Look at HSLDA site for the laws. Here is the link I found for you to see the laws http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp?State=MO . Then from what I hear from other homeschoolers that have pulled their kids out of the PS system (don't take my word though because mine I have homeschooled from the beginning so I could be wrong) you should deschool them first. Which means at first just have them and you get used to them being home and destress from being in the PS and to slowly introduce them to doing homeschool (remember homeschooling is not schooling at home it's different) in the mean time you can find out their interest and find things for them to do with that. This is also a great time to find out how they learn and how you learn. Every child is different and learns differently. This will also help you to realize what kind of teacher you are. There is a lot of resources and curriculum out there so do a google search and find what best fits you and your family. Good luck with homeschooling and remember too the first year is the hardest so just take it easy and get to know one another first....Show more

Homeschooling's been a lot of fun for us; we pulled our kids from public school nearly three years ago and have not looked back. I have a 6yo, a 10yo, and a 12yo -- Welcome!

First, get very familiar with Missouri's LAWS. The best general source of information comes from the following site (which, BTW, is also the site for a great magazine for home educators):

http://www.homeedmag.com/lawregs/missouri.html

Next, you can contact one of these SUPPORT GROUPS, which may or may not be near you, but they will at least be familiar with Missouri's laws and can help you navigate them more easily than most of us can, especially if you are considering a mid-year pullout as Missouri has some specific record-keeping laws you'll need to follow:

http://homeedmag.com/groups/missouri.html

Then, while you are getting your letter of intent to homeschool together, you can start looking at your schooling options. Check out homeschooling books at your local library; libraries LOVE homeschoolers! We often leave our library with basketsfull of books, we volunteer there, and my daughter has been allowed to use their display case to display her various projects she's worked on.

I've provided linkage below to a couple of good books: Teach Your Own, by John Holt and Creative Homeschooling, by Lisa Rivero -- who also happens to have another homeschooling book out this month; keep an eye out for it!

Lastly, look to online groups (there are lots of them) and resources for help, support, and answers to your questions. Email me if you like... Good luck!

Oh, I almost forgot. A great book for your highschooler would be The Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn.

:o)...Show more