Section 1: Homeschooling in Louisiana

Topics in this section:
· Some helpful information about home schooling in Louisiana
· How to homeschool legally in Louisiana
· Sample Letter of Intent for Registering as a Private School with the Private School Option

Section 2: Frequently Asked Questions

Topics in this Section:
· Why Homeschool?
· Is it Legal?
· What about Socialization?
· Can I Homeschool through High School?
· What about College?
· What do I say to those who are against it?
· How Expensive is Homeschooling?
· What do I buy? What curriculum should I use?
· How do you do it all and not go insane? (i.e. Organizational Skills)

Section 3: Homeschool Resources

Topics in this Section
:· Jefferson Parish Library Home Page
· Magazines and Newsletters
· Books on Homeschooling
· Web Sites
· Local Shops
· Catalogs

Homeschooling In Louisiana

Topics in this section:

· Some helpful information about home schooling in Louisiana
· How to homeschool legally in Louisiana
· Sample Letter of Intent for Registering as a Private School with the Private School Option

Some helpful information about home schooling in Louisiana

The compulsory school age in Louisiana is 7 years old. You do not have to do anything at all regarding registering as a homeschooler until then.

For your own protection and family's best interest, educate yourselves on an ongoing basis regarding homeschooling. Knowledge is power, especially when dealing with potential intimidation, misinformation and the local school board. Read all you can on homeschooling. Don't believe everything you hear - get the facts first.

How to homeschool legally in Louisiana

There are two ways to homeschool legally in Louisiana (see
http://www.la-home-education.com/ for detailed information).

Method 1: The first is to register as a Home Study program with the State. This involves lots of forms to fill-out, red tape to deal with, and having your children take standardized tests on a regular basis. With this method, you register your child with the state as a "Home Study" student. The state sometimes wants to approve your curriculum. Your child is tested at the end of each year, and you must keep records of all of any homeschool activities your child does. In order to start this program, get in contact with your local principal or school board. Often, this method is the only one your school officials will tell you about, but it is not the only choice you have.

Method 2: The second method is called Private School. With this method, you register yourself as a private school and list the number, not the names, of students whom you are teaching. You are not required to keep records or test your child. The curriculum, or method of teaching, used is up to you. To start using this method, register your home as an in-home private school with the state school superintendent by personalizing the letter of intent (see sample below). You must send this letter once every year. Send in two copies along with a self addressed stamped envelop and a note asking them to stamp and return one copy. See below and/or go to http://la-home-education.com/tahenderso/Louisiana/letter.html.

You may send the letter within 30 days of beginning your private-school homeschool. The 30-day time frame was established as a means for the state to count the number of children in private schools at the beginning of each school year. If you start in the middle of the current school year, don't worry about it. Just send the letter in anyway, and there will be no problem.

Keep in mind that the end result of both the home study and the private school option is the same - the state does NOT recognize either method at the end of 12 years as having completed high school. I would recommend the private school, at least for the elementary and middle school years. Not only do you not have the hassle of all the paper work and testing, but you have the freedom to teach your child in any way, shape or form that you feel is best for her or him. They can work at their own pace. They can excel in their best subjects and take their time in their weaker areas.

For the purpose of receiving TOPS (state paid college tuition), your child must use DURING HIGH SCHOOL ONLY the Home Study program or another program that gives an accredited high school diploma (such as distance learning through an accredited program). This method need be used only for high school -- and so far only for the last 2 years. If using the private school method, you can switch when your child is old enough to enter high school.

Sample Letter of Intent for Registering as a Private School with the Private School Option

If you are choosing to homeschool by registering as an in-home private school (see above), the following is a sample of the letter that needs to be sent once a year (within 30 days of the start of your school year). Be sure to send two copies by registered, return receipt mail.

Date

State Superintendent
Louisiana State Department of Education
626 N. 4th Street
Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804-9064
(225) 342-3473

Dear State Superintendent:

In accordance with Louisiana Revised Statute 17:236, (Name of your school) began its (first, second, etc.) year of operation on (date) . This school is based at our home at (your full home address) and will operate at least 180 days of the year. We have (number of children 7 years of age or older) students in attendance for the school year 2003-2004.

Sincerely yours,

Why Homeschool? And other Frequently Asked Questions

Topics in this Section:
· Why Homeschool?
· Is it Legal?
· What about Socialization?
· Can I Homeschool through High School?
· What about College?
· What do I say to those who are against it?
· How Expensive is Homeschooling?
· What do I buy? What curriculum should I use?
· How do you do it all and not go insane? (i.e. Organizational Skills)

Why Homeschool?

There are as many reasons for homeschooling as there are homeschool families. The quality of education for a homeschoolers is often better than that of many public schools. Perhaps, you want religion in, or out of, your children's education. The closeness of having the children at home is always a nice reason. Maybe you want to be more influential in your child's life and education. Perhaps your child is not doing well in the school setting for one of many reasons. These are only a few reasons to homeschool. Ask the homeschoolers you meet why they homeschool, and you will get a different answer for everyone you ask.

Books on "Why Homeschool?"

Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto

Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense by David Gutterson

Is it Legal?

Yes, Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states. Each state, however, has its own regulations, which can and do change. To find out more about homeschooling in a state other than Louisiana, check out the National Home Education Network site http://www.nhen.org/. They will have general guidelines about each state and links to more informative sites for each state.

To see the current guidelines for homeschooling in Louisiana, go to Louisiana's Department of Education Home School information site: http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/ssaa/1650.html

What about Socialization?

Most homeschoolers meet at least once a week with other homeschooling families. In addition, homeschooled kids are generally also involved in other social activities including church groups, organized sports, music classes, volunteer work, 4-H, dance classed, recreational groups, and much more.

With the freedom to explore these interests and activities, and with time to play and learn with other kids, homeschooled kids often spend more time socializing with other kids than their traditionally schooled peers. In addition, this social interaction is not age segregated as it is in schools. Homeschooled kids also usually feel more comfortable around adults than school children do. In all accounts, most homeschool children socialize in a more positive way than do their regular school counterparts.

Here are a few articles on socialization:
http://www.nhen.org/nhen/pov/editors/default.asp?id=157
http://www.nhen.org/nhen/pov/editors/default.asp?id=158

Can I Homeschool through High School?

Absolutely! There is a trend with many homeschoolers to place their children back into the school system for high school. These parents often feel that homeschool will not prepare their children for college. They feel that a child learns many things in high school that they need to know in order to get into and succeed in college. Some of these things are test-taking skills, writing skills, access to scholarships, and advanced math and science. Another reason parents place their children back into school is the feeling that the children miss out on too much by not going to high school. Prom, sports, and clubs are a few things that parents do not want their children missing.

I'll address a few of these concerns here, but for some you'll just have to trust yourself.
Most skills "picked up" in high school can be taught at home. The fact that most of these skills are not taught in high school but are expected to be "picked-up" should show that high school is over rated to prepare our children for college. Test taking skills are usually not taught expect in the best college prep schools. However, there are many books and video series that teach children more effective study and test-taking skills than those "picked up" in school.

Writing skills can also be effectively taught at home. I did not have a true writing class until college. In school, I had grammar lessons, I was taught the structure of a 5 paragraph paper and how to make note cards for a term paper, but I was never taught good writing skills until freshman college English. Let's be honest, if you had 30 students per class and five classes a day, would you want to read and grade 150 writing assignments two or three times a week. Most teachers give out very few writing assignments simply because they do not have the time to properly grade and correct them. Yet, there are many homeschool writing programs that can teach your child the basics of writing, even if you are not a strong writer.

When it comes to upper level math and sciences, many homeschool parents quiver with a little fear. Yet, there is help. Most homeschool support groups offer cooperative learning classes for the upper grade sciences and math. Some charge a fee; others simply run with volunteers. Even in a small group, there will mothers and fathers who have college degrees in math and science. A college course only meets two or three times a week. A homeschool math or science course can be run using the college model of two evenings a week of lessons.

Also, many community colleges offer high school classes to homeschoolers. Delgado currently offers such a program. Then there are correspondence courses. For a fee, your child gets weekly or more contact with a professional teacher in the subject that you feel inadequate to teach.

When it comes to the things you may feel that your children are missing (prom, band, sports, etc.), some of them they can do outside of school, such as local sports leagues. Others, such as band, many local schools will allow your child to participate in. As far as prom and homecoming are concerned, there are many more things that school children miss out on that homeschool children can do. Weekly field trips Watching your younger siblings grow up. Weekly visits to a nursing home or other charity work. Having the free time to really dig into a subject or project. The ability to sleep in whenever you are ill. The lack of pressure to fit in and buy into trends. The ability to be yourself with pride. The option to say that you want to study Egypt instead of China. Actually having a voice and say-so in your own education. Compared to those things, prom seems paltry.

Books about Homeschooling through High School:

Happily Home Schooling Teens By Cafi Cohen

Homeschooling all the way through high school by Renee Mason

Homeschooling the high schooler by Diana McAlister and Candice Oneschak

Homeschooling the Teen Years by Cafi Cohen

Hothouse Transplants by Matthew Duffy
A collection of essays written by Christian homeschoolers who went through high school at home. They relate how their experience affected them and what they are doing now.

Senior high : a home-designed form+U+la by Barbara Edtl Shelton http://www.homeschooloasis.com/

A sense of self : listening to homeschooled adolescent girls Susannah Sheffer

What about College?

Perhaps, years ago, when homeschooling was unheard of by colleges, did parents need to worry about their child getting into college. Nowadays, most colleges simply have different requirements for homeschooled applicants. Many colleges (the prestigious ones among them) are actually seeking out and recruiting homeschoolers and granting homeschoolers full-paid scholarships. Homeschoolers, they are finding out, work in the more independent environment of college better than regular school students. Plus homeschoolers are know for thinking "out of the box," which colleges desire in their students.

But to put your own mind at ease, briefly look into the colleges and universities to see how they accept homeschoolers. Last time I looked, LSU and SLU have very easy acceptance processes for homeschoolers. And Delgado takes students in their early teens, which is a great way to get many prerequisites out of the way before your child even reaches college age.

Homeschoolers can even use the TOPS program. At this point, you have to use the home-study option throughout high school, but weigh it against free college tuition.

Books and Web Sites on "What about College?"

And What about College by Cafi Cohen

The Big Book of Home Learning Volume III by Mary Pride
Although Volume I and II focus on the different curriculum and the early years, V. III of this series looks practically at high school and getting into college.

What do I say to those who are against it?

The underlying question really is that "my mother/father/mother-in-law/father-in-law/sister/etc." keeps hassling me about homeschooling, and I don't know what to say that won't hurt their feelings.

Share the benefits of Homeschooling with them

#1 Safety
Call your school board or the school your child would go to and get the information concerning the number of suspensions and expulsions for possession of drugs and violence for the last year. This information is hard factual evidence that the issue of safety hits to close to home.

#2 Socialization
Let them know that this year he/she/they will be involved in girl scouts, boy scouts, dancing, gymnastics, karate class, music lessons, Sunday school, soccer, baseball, and anything else you involve them with. They will have plenty of time to socialize in all of those activities, plus they won't have to worry about rushing home to finish homework while they're there.
Also, we spend about 3 hours a week with our weekly homeschool support group, who have children the same age as your. Did you realize that 3 hours a week is 1/2 hour more than a week's worth of recess for a regular school kid?
Plus in case you are worry about your child learning to deal with rough kids or bullies, homeschool children are not perfect. But if you see some behavior happen at the park that your child can't deal with by himself, instead of relying on an overworked teacher, who often ignores it to toughen up the children, you can go up to the other kid's parent and say, "I hate to say this, but your child just (threw sand in someone's eyes, hit someone, said a really bad word to all the other kids, etc.). And you know, this method gets more direct results than the teacher method.
If the person has a sense of humor, e-mail them the article on this page: http://www.nhen.org/nhen/pov/editors/default.asp?id=157 It takes a very funny (although truthful) look at socialization.

#3 Academics
Your child does not yet read: Ask them if of the children they know walked by 11 months or talked by 16 months. Then ask them why they expect all children to read by 6 1/2. When children are ready, it is a breeze to teach them reading, instead of the struggle that it is when they are not ready. Many children read late, and study after study show that they are not affected in the long run by reading a year or two later than average.
Your child is gifted: They think the school would be better than homeschooling because you do not have the resources to teach a gifted child. You can not beat the one-on-one attention that a homeschooler receives. Plus, since they are gifted, they will not fit into the round hole that the public school system tries to fit them in.
Homeschooling will not give your child as good of an education that a school will: Actually, homeschoolers score much higher in all subjects on the standardized tests than regular school students. I think it has to do with the one-on-one teaching a homeschool child gets. Plus we don't move on in a subject until the child really knows it. Check this site out: http://www.hslda.org/research/default.asp by the Home School Legal Defense Association. They always have the latest stats on how well homeschoolers nation wide are doing.
You barely finished High School, so how do you expect to teach your children: Actually, the one-on-one attention your child gets is better than the attention he/she would get in school from a teacher. Plus there is an abundance of homeschool books that will help you teach step-by-step. When you get to the maths and sciences for the upper grades, there are plenty of people who can help or you can use one of the several tutoring services or homeschool classes that are offered in the area.
If you have just started homeschooling, show them magazine articles, books, and internet news that show successful homeschoolers who are similar to you in lifestyle and education. That way the person cannot retort, "But that person has a PhD, and you don't."

#4 You need to go back to work so that you can fill your home with more useless stuff
What is more important is that your husband or wife does not mind that you stay at home with the children. If you've pared your bills down so that you don't need a second income, you don't need to go to work. When I'm old, I would really rather have a mindful of wonderful memories of the time I spent with mychildren, than a houseful of useless stuff.
Plus if times do get rough, there are plenty of things you can do part-time out of your home. I know homeschool parents who run small daycares, sell Avon, do consulting, do maid work, teach music lessons, or sell things on the internet, all from their home. Even in a rough time, putting your children back into school is not necessary.

#5 Temperament
You may have a very active child. If you put them into school, the school will want you to put them on Ritalin or other drugs to calm them down. You know that your child does not need drugs. They just need a little more time than most children to run around and play in order to get all of that extra energy out. After that, they behaves wonderfully. They will not get this special need met in school. From the cases I've heard and the information I've read, Ritalin and similar drugs are given to children NOT because the child has a problem, BUT because the teacher or parent has a problem dealing with the child. The child is usually fine other than being a bit over active.

#6 Real World
They think that homeschool will not prepare them for the "real world." To be honest, regular school does not prepare a child for the real world. Can you think of any environment in the "real world" that is similar to regular school? A place where you are always forced to be at certain places at certain times. A place where even going to the toilet requires special permission? A place where you have no recourse if someone is threatening you or bullying you? A place where you can not even get a drink of water without permission?
I don't know about you, but the closest real world scenario I can think of is prison. I guess school may prepare you for that.
But in our homeschool day, my children see my shop for groceries, prepare their meals, wash their clothes, balance my checkbook and pay our bills. When they are old enough, they will help out with all of that. When they leave my house, I think that they will be better able to take care of themselves than someone who learned how to ask permission to go potty.

If that does not work, and it often doesn't, you'll just have to show them firsthand. As you progress, show the nay-sayer the accomplishments of your children. Overwhelm them with "Susan wants to read a story to you" and "Show Grandma what you learned about the refractive index of color last week." Send them examples of your child's work to keep them involved. This method seems to work with even the most strongest opponents of homeschooling.

Also remember that there will always be someone whose mind you will never change. Perhaps they have too much invested in the education system, such as a teacher or school administrator. Perhaps they actually want to homeschool and feel guilty about sending their children to school. In order for them not to feel guilt, they will make you feel that you are wrong. Perhaps they know that worst-case scenario of a homeschoolers who did not do well, and that will forever color their opinion. But if you feel that homeschooling is right for you, do not worry about those who are against it. You cannot please everyone all of the time. Do what you feel in your heart is correct.

How Expensive is Homeschooling?

Homeschooling can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be - it depends on your choice of curriculum and your attitude.

If you want to go the frugal route, look in the library for the books you only read once or twice (advice and method books). Can't find them there, then borrow them from a friend.

Most curricula and books through elementary books do not need the teacher's editions or the curriculum guides. We can all count, add, subtract and read 3 to 6 letter words. The workbooks or textbooks alone (without the answer keys and guides) are really not that costly. The most expensive parts of a curriculum are the guides. Think about whether or not you need the guide and answer key before you buy it. If you are unsure, ask a friend who uses the same type of books.

If you have Internet access, you can find lessons for any topic for any grade level at teacher resource sites. Go to Yahoo and search under teacher resources, and you will find many sites with free lesson plans.

Here are a couple:
A to Z Teacher Stuff http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/
LessonPlansPage.com http://www.lessonplanspage.com/
Lesson Plans on the Internet http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/LessonPlansOnline.htm
PBS's Teacher Source http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/

The average homeschool family spends about $200 per child per year. The first year you homeschool is nearly always the most expensive, mostly because we buy loads of books and resources that we never use! But there is always eBay, where you can resell them!!!

What do I buy? What curriculum should I use?

Now that you are set to do it, what do you need? First, before you buy anything, remember that on average your first year will be your most expensive. Why? Because you do not know what you want to use, so you buys lots of "hopeful" stuff that sits on your shelf.

Before you make your first purchase, go to your local library and Check out the guides to homeschooling (see below under the topic Books on Homeschooling). Doing research from the library keeps your cost down and lets you read these books for free, which you usually only read once or twice anyway.

These books will help you figure out what method you want to use, as well as what textbooks go well with each method. So before you ask, "What's the best curriculum?" please, give yourself a month or two to read these books. You may really want to jump in and two months seem like a long time to wait, but in the long run it will save you loads of time and money. Your child does not need to start right now. If you worry about doing nothing while you are educating yourself, have them read good book after good book until you are ready. Ask the librarian for a list of Newberry books in your child's reading level. Supplement reading with an inexpensive math workbook to keep their skills sharp.

Also, read the sections in this web site on "How to Teach" and "How Children Learn." These sections will help you make some important decisions that will affect what you buy and what you need. They will help you organize a mental game plan for how you will teach your children, and without this mental game plan, you'll waste a good bit of time, energy and money.

Remember, educating yourself will only improve your homeschooling experience!!

How do you do it all and not go insane? (i.e. Organizational Skills)

Good question. It is hard to balance all you need to do and include enough personal time that you do not feel hurried, harried and exhausted.

First thing: Start Out Slow. You have no idea how much money and time have been wasted by beginner homeschool families who jumps in before they've done any research or reading. Take a month or two to read, read and read some more. There are many good books available, even at the library. Once you research, you can make an educated game plan on how you want to homeschool. But you have to make this educated game plan before you can even begin to think about the day-to-day schedule.

Once you have a method, plan and books picked out, you can begin scheduling your day. Many of us are schedule impaired. We have no idea how to run a day, and we end up wasting so much time. While my two younger children were babies, it was not so difficult to get everything done in one, but I only had one child who was doing school work, and I still felt exhausted by the day's end. Now that all 3 of mine are doing schoolwork, I either had to schedule or drain myself dry every day.

Someone, who I consider extremely well organized, recommended Managers of Their Home. She said that she had to learn how to organize herself, because it did not come natural to her either. This sentiment gave me hope - one does not have to be born with organizational skills. They can be learned!

I read the book, implemented a schedule, and it fell apart. I waited a few more months and tried again. It fell apart too. So, I thought about why. To be honest, we had a lack of goals, lack of discipline and a lack of focus. There was too much resistance from the peanut gallery. The schedule brought to surface problems in our family that we had been ignoring. We needed to take care of the problems before we would succeed as a homeschooling family. Managers of Their Home even said that this issue might come up, so I did not feel like such a bad parent.

We waited a couple of more months, reread the book, worked on discipline and goals, and implemented another schedule. This time we had success. It took several weeks to put the entire schedule into practice. At a glance, we look busier than ever before. But in practicality, we have more free time than we ever did, and we accomplish double of what we had before. In the first two weeks we put the schedule into use, I had enough time to sew three pajamas and two jumpers for my girls! Plus dinner now gets done on time. The laundry is rarely behind and the house is cleaner than it ever been. I would recommend the book simply for its chapter on chores, but it has more practical advice than just that.

On-Line Help:
Fly Lady When you join FlyLady, you will receive daily FLYmail. Your FLYing Lessons will guide you through babysteps to help you set up routines, get rid of your clutter, and put your home and life in order. http://www.flylady.net/
Flying Moths E-list http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FlyingMOTHs/ For those who combine the lifestyle of both the Fly Lady and Managers of Their Home.

Homeschooling Resources

Topics in this Section:
· Jefferson Parish Library Home Page
· Magazines
· Books on Homeschooling in General
· Web Sites
· Local Shops
· Catalogs
· Local Home School Support Groups

Jefferson Parish Library Home Page

Look through the catalog and reserve books on-line: http://www.jefferson.lib.la.us/

Magazines:

Home Education Magazine http://www.home-ed-magazine.com
This magazine is one of the few non-religious homeschool magazines. The articles do not favor any one particular approach (i.e. Unschooling or curricula methods), but instead they take a rather eclectic view. "We read to know that we are not alone." It is important for us to make mental ties with our homeschool community, even if those ties are through magazines and books. In doing so, we doubt ourselves and what we do less and less because we see that there are others out there just like us. If you had to get one magazine, this one would be it.

Homeschooling Today http://www.homeschooltoday.com/ Has more of a religious slant. Does not seem to favor any one method of homeschooling, and has a mini-unit in each issue.

Practical Homeschooling Magazine http://www.home-school.com/ Also has a religious slant. Favors a more traditional approach to homeschooling. Many articles are reviews of recently released curricula material.

The Teaching Home http://www.teachinghome.com/ A 64-page bimonthly magazine devoted to a Christian perspective of home education. Each issue is filled with a variety of practical how-to articles, ready-to-use teaching tips, encouraging letters from our readers, news, columns, resources, and more--all written by practicing home educators.

On-line Magazines and Newsletters:

The Classroom Flyer: http://www.learningcompanyschool.com/

Eclectic Homeschool On-line http://www.eho.org

Homefires®-The Journal of Homeschooling http://www.homefires.com/

Homeschool Fun On-line Magazine http://www.homeschoolfun.com/

The Link: the Nation's Homeschool Newspaper http://www.homeschoolnewslink.com/

Soda Mail http://www.sodamail.com/

Books on Homeschooling:

Check out the Library before buying any books. The library has many of these volumes. The explanations are written by members from our group. For more book ideas, look under the homeschooling methods.

The Beginner's Guide to Homeschooling by Patrick Farenga

The Big Book of Home Learning by Mary Pride
Although written for the Christian homeschool family, this book does give a good and objective overview of most curricula on the market. The editions of this book are updated frequently (every five years or so), so what you read is fairly current. Being able to read the pros and cons of each program in one book was a great benefit in deciding what to pick and choose from. This book is certainly one you will read, then pass on to someone else. So ask around if someone has a current copy.

The Complete Home Learning Sourcebook : the essential resource guide for homeschoolers, parents, and educators covering every subject from arithmetic to zoology Rebecca Rupp

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Homeschooling by Marsha Ransom

The first year of homeschooling your child : your complete guide to getting off to the right start Linda Dobson by Linda Dobson
This book talks about problems most first year homeschoolers experience. It gives practical advice on many issues that pop up the first year. It is geared for parents of all ages of children, not just the wee ones.

Homeschool Your Child for Free by Laura Maery Gold and John M. Zielinksi
What a wealth of information!!! A lot of value and use and can be a point of reference and an open door to ANYTHING on the Internet. (critique by Gina Beck)

Homeschooling: A Patchwork of Days by Nancy Lande
Ever want to peek into the window of a homeschool family and "see what they do all day?" This book gives you the chance to peek into 30 windows. It provides a "day in the education" approach for 30 different homeschooling families, each written by the family. This book gives a wonderful answer to the question that we are always asking -- "what are other families doing?" The families go from all extremes from the unstructured to the super structured and from the small one or 2 child family to families with 8 and 10 children. I learned a lesson from each family.

The Homeschooling Book of Answers by Linda Dobson

Homeschooling for Excellence by David & Micki Colfax
This is the story of one of the pioneers of homeschooling. Living on a large homestead in northern California, the Colfax family homeschooled 4 children (2 of their own and 2 adopted minorities) into scholarships from Ivy League universities (Harvard & Yale). Their methods were very practical with farm life - i.e. they learned as they worked. This book gives a great view into a wonderful homeschooling success story with a family using very untypical means. Get it from the library, it is another read once or twice book.

Homeschooling, the early years : your complete guide to successfully homeschooling the 3- to 8-year-old child by Linda Dobson

Homeschoolers' success stories : 15 adults and 12 young people share the impact that homeschooling has made on their lives Linda Dobson

How your child is smart : a life-changing approach to learning by Dawna Markova with Anne Powell

In their own way : discovering and encouraging your child's personal learning style Thomas Armstrong

Real life homeschooling : the stories of 21 families who make it work Rhonda Barfield

What your ___ grader needs to know : fundamentals of a good _____-grade education edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.

Web Sites:

Louisiana's Department of Education Home School Information http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/ssaa/1650.html The State's information on Home Schooling.

LAHEN: Louisiana Home Education Network http://www.la-home-education.com/A site full of info and support on home schooling in Louisiana. Has all of the information you will need to start home schooling in Louisiana.

Home Education Magazine State Information File http://www.unschooling.com/resources/states/louisiana.shtmlThe sections of Louisiana's laws that apply to home schooling.

National Home Education Network http://www.nhen.org/ This is a great group, well worth joining and keeping up with. They are strong advocates for homeschooling in very positive and constructive ways.

Local Shops:

Teacher's Stop, Inc 4315 Bienville Avenue, New Orleans, 483-7867

Educator, 1760 Stumpf Blvd, Terrytown, 367-8660

Catalogs:

Classroom Direct 1800-248-9171 http://www.classroomdirect.com/ Inexpensive classroom supplies for hands-on work in art, physical education, math manipulation, elementary science and more.

Critical Thinking Books and Software 1-800-458-4849 http://www.criticalthinking.com/ The books this company makes are most likely the definitive work in homeschool critical thinking skills workbooks.

Discount Home School Supplies 336-236-6993 http://www.dhss.com/

The Elijah Company http://www.elijahco.com/ 1888-2-ELIJAH A well put together catalog. A company who only sells products and books they believe work.

Frey Scientific 1-800-225-FREY www.freyscientific.com A huge catalog of selling any scientific instrument, tool or kit you can think of. From forensic "Who done it" kits to slides to telescope to dissection animals. Everything you need for science equipment.

McGraw Hill Press 800.417.3261 http://www.mhkids.com/index.shtml Produces inexpensive, very easy to use and simple workbooks which you can use to supplement different methods.

** Rainbow Resource 888-841-3456 http://rainbowresource.com/ Discount home-school supplies and books. Most of us look here first for the lowest price in homeschool supplies. You may here "Is that even cheaper than Rainbow?" said in exclamation!

Sycamore Tree 1-800-779-6750 http://www.sycamoretree.com/

If any links are broken, please e-mail me.Most of this FAQ was borrowed (with permission) from the Learning Garden homeschool group on the northshore. Thank you for sharing this great information with us!