1.5 million homeschoolers in 2007

The number of home-schooled kids hit 1.5 million in 2007, up 74% from when the Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics started keeping track in 1999 as stated in this USA Today article a year ago.

I wonder what the statistics are now three years later....I'll keep looking.

Update: I found this:
"There were an estimated 1,700,000 to 2,100,000 children (grades K-12) home educated during 2002-2003 in the United States. Homeschooling appears to still be the fastest-growing form of education."
– Brian D. Ray, Ph.D., Facts on Homeschooling.

That was for 2002 and they say up to 15% increase per year. Haven't found any current data for 2009 as they may not have that ready to publish. If there are approximately 73 million children in the U.S. having over 2 million homeschool doesn't seem like a whole lot, but then again, not all cases are reported since some are categorized as private schooled. So ... I give up since I can't get accurate numbers, but at least I have an idea now of the potential percentage.

The Home School Legal Defense Association study shows higher academic level than public school counterparts.

Project Day with NEACH

Gabriel and his homeschool friends of NEACH (North East Atlanta Christian Homeschoolers) sang a Spanish song for project day. They were adorable.

Gearing up for First Grade

After hours and hours, days and days of research, I think I've finally come to a place of understanding of what there is to offer in terms of first grade curriculum and what may work best for Gabriel. A homeschool chat group I belong to has been extremely encouraging, uplifting and helpful in terms of resources (even more so than the real life homeschool group, but that may be due to the nature of online and less about the group itself).

I've read the book Top 100 Homeschool Curriculums by Cathy Duffy and have pinpointed the six major philosophical teaching methods as well as the four main learning styles. They have charted out the philosophical approaches married with the child's learning style so clearly. We will go to either or both of the GHEA Conference and Southeast Homeschool Expo at Cobb Galleria to explore, touch and talk with veterans and publishers of each. For now, this is where I've narrowed it down to...of course the caveat being my husband who may change everything! LOL....

Reading - Explode the Code (or Spell to Read and Write)
www.explodethecode.com/02_how/

Writing - Create a Story
www.createpress.com/pages/story.htm

Math - MathUSee
www.mathusee.com/default.php?langua...

History - Ultimate Geo
www.rocksolidinc.com/catalog/the-ul...

Science - AIMS edu
www.aimsedu.org/

or seriously considering a unit study program called KONOS
www.konos.com/index.html

We may still supplement with other Language Arts materials, and he still has a Time4Learning account which is fun to do together online (www.time4learning.com/) and of course, while this includes most of his academics, he is also in the midst of spring soccer, looking for an art/drama/music camp to join, starting golf in summer and we are teaching him swimming and tennis. We want to start piano and cub scouts come fall as he needs to be six years old for each.

I'm super obsessed about his education which from time to time drives Jimmy nuts. I just can't help getting so excited about the endless opportunities!!

Easter 2010

We seem to be the home on our street where neighbor friends gather with their children for holidays like Easter and Halloween – and honestly, we LOVE it!! We have the fathers hide the eggs in the front yard and do a little egg-hunting, playing, talking and eating lots of chocolate. It was beautiful weather and we all commented on how the wind blew the flowers off the tree that morning decorating it for us so beautifully.