saxon math: Homeschooling offers many choices
Leslie Valeska has a degree in teaching and experience working as an educator.
"But that training was almost a detriment to homeschooling," said Valeska, who homeschools her four children.
Instead, she has found many resources to help with the homeschooling process, and appreciates the flexibility that it gives her and her children.
Many families now choose to teach their children at home rather than send them to public schools. Some homeschool for religious reasons. Some find their children need special attention. And some feel that homeschooled children learn better and are better adjusted.
A popular choice
Homeschooling has grown in popularity. According to the Florida Department of Education, during the 2004-05 school year, Sarasota County had 763 children in 550 families registered as homeschoolers, while Charlotte had 320 home-taught children in 253 families. Statewide, more than 50,000 children in 35,000 families are learning at home.
The availability of curricula, books and other materials has also grown. The Florida Parent-Educators Association has on its Web site a booklet, "Guide to Homeschooling," that includes lists of vendors with curricula, textbooks and more.
Others have turned to stores such as A+ School Supply, 787 Tamiami Trial in Port Charlotte. Manager Alexis Thompson said, "We carry a full array of homeschooling supplies. We have all the popular curricula such as the Saxon Math series and Wordly Wise vocabulary books." Thompson said that A+ subscribes to a distributor of homeschooling materials and specializes in such supplies.
Thompson practices what she preaches: She homeschools her own daughter, as she did her elder child, who graduated last year.
Some homeschoolers believe that their children are sought out by colleges because they are skilled at independent study. Kathy Walker, a spokeswoman for Manatee Community College, noted that the college does not seek out or keep separate records on homeschooled children, but encourages them to apply.
"We don't have to do any outreach to homeschoolers," Walker said. "They already have a good word-of-mouth network on their own. But we do welcome them in our dual-enrollment program."
Last fall, MCC had 58 high school students in dual enrollment, and this spring there are 72. Some of these are homeschoolers, although MCC does not track them separately.
Dual enrollment is available for high school students and allows them to take college-level courses.
State requirements
Homeschooling does not mean families can just decide on whatever they want to learn. Homeschoolers must meet specific standards and use an acceptable curriculum.
Florida law defines these requirements. Steps that homeschooling families must follow include:
* Send a notice to the school district for each child you intend to homeschool, including name, age and birth date.
* Maintain a portfolio of records of each child's schooling. There are many ways to do this, and several aids you can buy, but the key thing is to make an accurate and detailed record of what your child is learning.
* Make the portfolio available for the school district to inspect upon request.
* Submit an annual evaluation for each child to the school district. The evaluation may be by a certified teacher, a recognized student achievement test, a state student assessment test, a psychological evaluation or another agreed-upon method.
* Preserve each child's portfolio for two years.
By SUSAN E. HOFFMAN
"But that training was almost a detriment to homeschooling," said Valeska, who homeschools her four children.
Instead, she has found many resources to help with the homeschooling process, and appreciates the flexibility that it gives her and her children.
Many families now choose to teach their children at home rather than send them to public schools. Some homeschool for religious reasons. Some find their children need special attention. And some feel that homeschooled children learn better and are better adjusted.
A popular choice
Homeschooling has grown in popularity. According to the Florida Department of Education, during the 2004-05 school year, Sarasota County had 763 children in 550 families registered as homeschoolers, while Charlotte had 320 home-taught children in 253 families. Statewide, more than 50,000 children in 35,000 families are learning at home.
The availability of curricula, books and other materials has also grown. The Florida Parent-Educators Association has on its Web site a booklet, "Guide to Homeschooling," that includes lists of vendors with curricula, textbooks and more.
Others have turned to stores such as A+ School Supply, 787 Tamiami Trial in Port Charlotte. Manager Alexis Thompson said, "We carry a full array of homeschooling supplies. We have all the popular curricula such as the Saxon Math series and Wordly Wise vocabulary books." Thompson said that A+ subscribes to a distributor of homeschooling materials and specializes in such supplies.
Thompson practices what she preaches: She homeschools her own daughter, as she did her elder child, who graduated last year.
Some homeschoolers believe that their children are sought out by colleges because they are skilled at independent study. Kathy Walker, a spokeswoman for Manatee Community College, noted that the college does not seek out or keep separate records on homeschooled children, but encourages them to apply.
"We don't have to do any outreach to homeschoolers," Walker said. "They already have a good word-of-mouth network on their own. But we do welcome them in our dual-enrollment program."
Last fall, MCC had 58 high school students in dual enrollment, and this spring there are 72. Some of these are homeschoolers, although MCC does not track them separately.
Dual enrollment is available for high school students and allows them to take college-level courses.
State requirements
Homeschooling does not mean families can just decide on whatever they want to learn. Homeschoolers must meet specific standards and use an acceptable curriculum.
Florida law defines these requirements. Steps that homeschooling families must follow include:
* Send a notice to the school district for each child you intend to homeschool, including name, age and birth date.
* Maintain a portfolio of records of each child's schooling. There are many ways to do this, and several aids you can buy, but the key thing is to make an accurate and detailed record of what your child is learning.
* Make the portfolio available for the school district to inspect upon request.
* Submit an annual evaluation for each child to the school district. The evaluation may be by a certified teacher, a recognized student achievement test, a state student assessment test, a psychological evaluation or another agreed-upon method.
* Preserve each child's portfolio for two years.
By SUSAN E. HOFFMAN
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