I had already decided to homeschool my kids before I became aware of Y2K problems but now I'm concerned that If I don't get moving I'll get stuck trying to dredge up knowledge from my disfunctional brain that I learned in school and promptly forgot.

My kids are 3 and 1 now but if this crisis lasts for very long, they'll be school age.

I need materials and how-to's, etc. Anyone have any ideas where to go? (be nice).

-- Dianne Smith (benedict@theriver.com), April 29, 1998

Answers

There are a wealth of homeschooling materials available. One of the best is the Robinson. It consists of 23 CD-ROMs that contain an encyclopedia, dictionary, and around 400 books. Everything you need for K-12 except math. A discount coupon for the highly regarded Saxon Math comes with the CD-ROMs. The Robinson is $220(?) complete. The Saxon math is not cheap since it is in hard cover book form, but if you are going to purchase 1-12, the discount on the Saxon comes close to paying for the Robinson. Check out http://oism.org for more info about it. P.S. This IS the same Drs. Robinson that started OISM and the Fighting Chance newsletter.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@primary.net), April 29, 1998.

Oops, several mistakes there! The correct address is

http://www.oism.org I forgot the www.

They have a new page devoted to vastly more detailed information than when I purchased mine at,

http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com I remembered the www. this time!

The system is 22 CDs at $195.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@primary.net), April 29, 1998.

I have been homeschooling 7 years and here's a few thoughts on how to get started. First, look at the website for Home School Legal Defense Association. If you can't find it let me know and I'll look it up for you. You can call them and they will send you information about the laws in your state, give you phone numbers for state homeschool group...who can then get you the phone number for your local group. Once you find someone in your local support group IMMEDIATELY find out when the next homeschool convention/book fair is and GO TO IT! You could also find out about conventions from the state group. There will be lots of speakers that talk about how to get started homeschooling, curriculum, etc.. The best part is that there will be lots of curriculum on display that you can LOOK at, not just read about in a catalog. Pick up free catalogues at all the curriculum provider booths, take them home and start reading. I'll be glad to email you with ideas on curriculum if you would like. I've taught KDG-6th grade so far. GOOD LUCK & GOD BLESS!

Susan

-- Susan (jclont@mastnet.net), April 30, 1998.

The WWW address for Home School Legal Defense is www.hslda.org --Membership is a must for anyone homeschooling. By paying $100 annually you receive legal help in the event that the authorities feel a need to bother you. The $100 is an insurance of sorts and goes to defend the families that find thhemselves in the courts. HSLDA is very helpful. There are support groups at all levels; local, state, etc that conduct Seminars, group lessons and sponsor curriculum fairs. Homeschooling is growing. We find it a wonderful blessing.

-- Pete Beckary (pete@beckary.com), May 10, 1998.