Recommended resources for home schooling?

Pretty much the best resource for homeschooling in Vic is http://www.home-ed.vic.edu.au/

You don't actually need a curriculum altho. you do need to include the 8 Key Learning Areas* in your programme. It can be reassuring though if you're new to home education and especially if you went to school and so only have the school-type model to base your expectations of education upon. Often new homeschoolers start out with a curriculum and then gradually grow more relaxed and informal as their confidence grows and they develop their own educational philosophy.

(*The Arts, English, Health and Physical Education, Languages other than English, Mathematics, Science, Technology, Studies of Society and the Environment.)

If you want an Australian-specific curriculum, try

http://www.homeschooling.com.au/

...

http://www.design-your-homeschool.com/

http://teachingtreasures.com.au/index.html

http://www.waldorfhomeschoolers.com/goldenbeetle

http://www.aussieeducator.org.au/resources/teachin...

In Vic. the School of Distance Education will also sell their materials, lesson plans etc to homeschooling families : http://www.distance.vic.edu.au/

Another option that comes highly recomended within the Home schooling community is Galore Park @ http://www.galorepark.co.uk/ .

There are also some free curriculums online such as Easy Peasy, Ambleside and Core Knowledge (links below).

The Independent Schools Examination Board (ISEB) also has its syllabuses, as used in private schools, available free online.

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Hopefully your son's school uses a phonics based reading programme. Maybe the best thing you can do is ask his teacher for suggested resources you can use at home that are going to fit with the way they teach reading at achool. Otherwise you can always try a programme such as Phonics Australia @ http://www.phonicsaustralia.com.au/index.php?optio... or Jolly Phonics @ http://jollylearning.co.uk/shop (there's a list of Australian stockists on the website).

Boys are very often slower to read than girls so don't worry if he doesn't seem to have 'got it' quite yet.

And it's good that you're keeping up with his first language at home. That'll make him bilingual quicker than any formal language programme ever could. Actually English is not my first language either. I didn't speak or hear a word of English until I was 5 (I'll be 16 next month). I've kept my fluency in my first language too just through using it with my mum at home.

If you wish to help your child understand to learn efficiently, not with TV and movies, computer applications and applications, as well as the institution process is the solution, this system, Children Learning Reading, from here https://tr.im/Tg5xQ is.

For a kid to effectively learn and grasp studying skills they require regular attention from one or equally parents. With this specific in mind, nevertheless, the lessons are kept short from 5 to fifteen minutes a day.

With Children Learning Reading system you may also build and improve your relationship with your son or daughter not merely how to read effectively.

I was homeschooled from k to 8th grade. We used a variety of curriculum. We used Abeka, Bob Jones, and ACE mostly. For each kid, it's different. That's the beauty of homeschooling: you can perfect your child's education so they have a type of each subject that is different to conform to their needs that they understand better.

For science, I used Bob Jones, then Abeka. I tried ACE science but it didn't work very well. I liked Bob Jones science. although it was hard, it definitely explained everything well. It prepared me for college; I read the book on my own then did the Activity Manual and the tests. Mainly i did it all on my own except for the experiments to make it easier on my mom. I tried Abeka and it was a lot of books, kind of more complicated and didn't prepare me well for the tests.

For history, I really liked Story of the World. They have tests and an activity manual too, so it's not just reading or listening on their CDs. I also used ACE, which I didn't like, since it was so much reading and quite boring, honestly. I liked Christian Liberty Press history, it was easy to understand and kind of fun.

For English, I used the PACEs. I went through 6 English programs until 5th grade, when I finally found the PACEs. They thoroughly explain everything and it isn't too much work. Definitely the best English program ever (ACE).

For math, that was the worst :/ I went through 4 or 5 programs until 5th grade, when I also started using Teaching Textbooks. I believe they now have 3rd grade out, maybe not 2nd yet. Teaching Textbooks thoroughly reviews at the beginning of each year, and does a 10-12 minute lecture (if you buy the CDs, which i recommend) before doing 20 or so problems. It introduces new problems but keeps reviewing all year long. If you buy the new version of CDs, it does automated grading so you don't have to plus it shows you how you did it wrong if you got it wrong.

I think that about covers it. If you have extra time and want to add Bible, Health, a foreign language, spelling/vocabulary, etc. then it is a good idea. For Bible, get a good devotional book right age group for your child(ren). Read the assigned reading then discuss it with them. For Health, you can get a few books at the library and read them with your child about dieting and eating healthy, or maybe anatomy books for older kids to supplement their science. Also note that PE is a good idea for children to do; an hour and a half twice a week is what they recommend for the US, so break it up into a few minutes a day. A foreign language really depends on how far you want to go. You can get a simple cheap Spanish or French book at Books a Million or amazon. Don't get any big and confusing program, they will not remember it and you don't want to spend too much time on it, they will have enough time for that in high school! I used ABeka for spelling vocabulary and poetry. Since I was really good at it, I did two years ahead (so when I was in 7th grade i did 9th grade, and 8th grade I did 10th grade, but note that the poetry is dropped out in 11th grade if they are that far ahead).

That pretty much covers it. A few things to note:

Remember that grades and such don't matter much until about 7th or 8th grade. The beauty of homeschooling is that, if your child is ahead, he or she can start taking more advanced maths or sciences by 7th or 8th grade. For example, if your son is in 7th grade and flying through 7th grade math, consider putting him up to Pre-Algebra (an 8th-grade level course), and the next year he can take freshman-level Algebra 1, so when he's in high school he'll only have Geometry, Algebra II, and Advanced Math (Trig & Pre-Calc) left. For science, it really varies. If you are considering homeschooling through high school, you should sign up with a program online to enter grades and talk to counselors about it. Some diplomas require 3 maths and sciences, some require 2 or 4. It really depends.

Good luck and have fun with it, really. That's, again, the beauty of it. :)

You might find this link useful: http://www.homeschoolingdownunder.com/homeschool_c...