Any experience in Home schooling in Ohio

After several problems with my children's school I am looking to either home school them or go with one of the online schools like that K12 I see everywhere. Anyone have experience with either? My kids are finishing K and 1st grade at the end of May.

I was hoping that I could get some information on how to go about it and some materials that both keep their minds open and would be accepted by the state of Ohio as acceptable courses.

a reply to: jholt5638

We have used Time4Learning

a reply to: jholt5638
I do know that you just missed (by a couple weeks) the homeschool convention in Cincinnati--we homeschool our son (and soon our daughter when she's of age), but we're across the Ohio River in Norther Kentucky, so our laws are different.

My wife has done quite a bit of research concerning homeschooling in Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, and has found Ohio to be the most strict on its homeschooling parents (requiring the most reports and whatnot).

I would suggest looking up groups on Facebook for homeschooling parents in your area. We are part of a co-op where different homeschooling families come together once a week and some parents teach certain subjects in a somewhat classroom setting--it helps give the kids a change of learning venue, they do field trips, there is a nursery for the younger kids, and it allows socialization for the kids that they wouldn't get if they just were learning in-house all of the time.

You have many options that hopefully exist for you to reach out to people in the homeschool arena in Ohio, and I wish I could give you specifics, but you should be able to find homeschooling online communities for Ohio pretty easily. Reaching out to them should yield you the details for which you are looking.

One caveat is that, for the most part, homeschooling curriculum is often very biblically based, including history (much of it is based on creationism). If that's not what you want to teach your children (and it's not for me, but my wife is religious, so it give a good balance in our house), just be warned that secular homeschool curriculums can be hard to find.

Also, keep a lookout for homeschooling curriculums for sale that are used--they can be quite expensive when purchased new. But that's the type of thing that being a part of a co-op or group helps out with. Borrowing is also a good way to get curriculum--again, that's generally only a practice in tight groups or co-ops, though.

Good luck, with it--it can be a daunting task getting started.

Also, contact your local school district. Generally, you have to notify the district that you are homeschooling so that a "missing child" from their district isn't presumed to be truant, which can have ramifications on you, personally, as well.

Hello! I struggled in public school- and in high school it became worse to the point where my anxiety prevented me from doing anything on time and I was worried I wouldn't graduate.

I begged my mom to look into ECOT the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow (Spoiler alert, I graduated from ECOT instead of my public district I had attended since the start)

There are teachers, and classes, and a curriculum already set up. Parents don't have to do much except hold their kids accountable and be of course good encouraging parents. There is certainly room if you wish for you to sit with your kid the whole time and learn with them, help, whatever the case may be. A few of my friends, parents, did all the work for them because apparently there wasn't a shot in hell of my chicas ever doing anything for themselves. Needless to say I was kinda bummed when my mom said she wasn't going to just let me get out that easy. I was made to do it all on my own. But that was for the best, that's what it's REALLY for anyways.

They sent me a computer, and a printer. I had to log a certain amount of hours each week, at my own convenience, and all of the learning material was right there available to me. There were homework assignments you could scan in through your printer/copier/fax that they provided. There were essays, tests, etc....

I found personally it fit me better. GERD makes me sick every morning for at least an hour or so after waking up. So I could get a little bit more sleep than normal. I could eat at my convenience, go outside and see nature at my convenience, and do my work and study AT MY CONVENIENCE. I didn't have to worry about how my makeup looked, if I was dressed cool enough or hot enough for my peers, or worry about the constant groups being loud and always talking during classes distracting me. (Yes i was one of those strange kids that cares too much about what others think... WAS)

It did wonders for my depression, my anxiety, and every other issue i had in public schools.

I graduated on time ('09) and got to enjoy more of my day than my friends did.

I loved it. So if you're considering it, maybe ECOT would be a good fit for you and your child. If not there are other options out there but this is the one i have experience with. I can't thank ECOT enough even though I was only in it for the last half of my Senior year.

-Alee

a reply to: jholt5638

My wife and I use K-12 in Ohio. Its excellent in regards curriculum and one on one learning. Our daughter was just tested by the state and she scored twice as high as the average student in math and reading.

I highly recommend using k-12. You also receive a computer all scholastic materials and guidance. Our experience thus far is tops.

a reply to: jholt5638

Hmmmm, reading the others comments and such, I have to ask..........have you considered moving? I know that doesn't seem to be a popular option with folks these days, but really, Ohio?

Texas has pretty crappy public schools, but homeschooling here is awesome popular and easy to do. Its become specially popular with English-only speaking families. Just saying, its something you might want to consider.

a reply to: NerdGoddess

I've enjoyed reading some of your posts..........so I just have to ask.........1) what is GERD and 2) after graduating, did you go on to pursue college? If so, how's that working out?
Thanks

a reply to: BlueJacket

Thanks, I think me and the Wife are leaning that way. Seems like the best of both worlds.

a reply to: TonyS

I wish I could move out of here. However, with my parents getting older, and the general lack of funds beyond what is needed. Moving just isn't possible right now.

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Thanks for the starting points and advice. I just don't think my kids will actually learn anything in the public school system. I gave them a chance despite my better judgement.

originally posted by: TonyS
a reply to: NerdGoddess

I've enjoyed reading some of your posts..........so I just have to ask.........1) what is GERD and 2) after graduating, did you go on to pursue college? If so, how's that working out?
Thanks

From google "Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is a digestive disorder that affects the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), the ring of muscle between the esophagus and stomach"

Thanks!

So what it means is, I wake up with intense heart burn usually to the point where I have to vomit. Once I start vomiting, I have trouble stopping but I think that's just a personal problem and not GERD related, the length of time anyways. Then throughout the day I sometimes have IBS symptoms. It's manageable though- just annoying.

I did go and try to be an RN cos that's what daddy wanted me to be dontchyaknow- but as it turned out I was totally uninterested. I just paid all that debt off without graduating last year- however I'm considering doing online college for an IT degree, i'm really really into tech and all that.

-Alee

a reply to: NerdGoddess

"however I'm considering doing online college for an IT degree, i'm really really into tech and all that. "

Go for it!!!!!!! That could be a lot of fun! Maybe you could be a game developer!
Good luck, its a great idea!

Sorry to hear about the GERD thing. That's awful. I occasionally have acid reflux and while I don't have IBS, I have to be extremely careful about what I eat. I eat the wrong thing and..........things can get explosive, if catch my meaning.

What I've learned? Sad to say, but.........I rarely, if ever, eat out at restaurants. Preservatives in the off the shelf food they serve outa the giant Commercial Food Service buckets causes me extreme distress. For certain things, like Asian foods, I've been able to find little mom'n pop operations that serve fresh food with fresh ingredients.......but I've learned I have to actually engage them and talk to them to find out if that's what they're doing. I can easily tell by taste and texture if they're lying and its just warmed up Commercial Food Service crap loaded with complex salt compounds to keep it from spoiling while it sits in a warehouse for 6 months.

I seem to recall hearing of a relative who had GERD and they got an operation to relieve their problem. Maybe that's a possibility?

a reply to: jholt5638

Your child also receives a diploma rather than an equivalency in k-12

My high schooler used Connections Academy when we moved to Ohio. Public online school - they even provide a laptop and a bit of money to pay for internet each semester.

a reply to: jholt5638
Yeah, it was the school system here in Boone County, KY that was the last straw for us. But, at the time, we didn't realize that our son had pretty severe ADHD and Asperger's, so we couldn't be appropriate advocates on his behalf--I do wonder if they could have been accommodating enough to make it work, although I have my heavy doubts.

We pulled him out after third grade. We tried putting him back in to public schools (different school) at the beginning of this current year (7th grade), but he couldn't handle it, and I blame the design of the school day. In the effort to advance students prematurely (which most schools push), they synchronized their schedules with the adjacent high school so that some middle-school kids could take high school courses. Of course, that removed recess, and with a child with anxiety issues in crowded rooms and a need to get outside and release energy, it just wasn't a good fit for him, and he lasted nine days before having emotional breakdowns when he would get home after school--he held it together during school, and faked it well, but it was just too much of an emotional drain on the poor guy, so we kept on trucking with homeschooling.

By all means, if you can, do what's best for your child, and if that's homeschooling, just understand that it is not easy, and the transition from public school could be a tough one, because now you are not just mom or dad, you are the teacher(s), too, and it's a tough distinction to make and uphold sometimes.

I wish you the best of luck.