Frequently Asked Questions
Oregon Christian Home Education Association Network (OCEAN) and Oregon Home Education Network (OHEN), our secular friends, have worked well together because of our shared vision: Parents are the best ones to govern their children's education choices. Those choices are the parents' responsibility, not that of the state. That being said, you must know the law in order to honor the government God set over us.
"Children between the ages of 7 and 18 are required to attend public school unless they qualify for an exemption. If you comply with the homeschool procedures, your child is exempt from having to attend public school."
Basically there are two things to know:
1) Notify your local educational service district (ESD) in writing of your intent to homeschool. You need to do it once for each child when they are 7 years old before Sept 1. You can do this online. Willamette ESD serves Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties. At the WESD website, you will find all the information and links to the forms you need. On the left side-bar of the webpage are links to Requirements and Additional Information. Under the Requirements link, you will find a downloadable Notification of Intent to Homeschool form.
2) You are required to have your child tested during the benchmark years of 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 10th grades. See below for further information about testing.
2. What do I do about end-of-the-year benchmark testing?
Again, you are required to have your child tested during the benchmark years of 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 10th grades. On the WESD site there are further instructions on what to do if you pull your student out of school or have an IEP (also under the Requirements link). Our group has used several different state certified testers and we test as a group each year in May, or you may find a tester on the WESD site. Generally, the test is the California Achievement Test for language arts and math only. In Marion county, the test scores are not asked for. You must have the student tested, keep the score for your records, and that is it.
Passing is considered rating above the 15th percentile. Your child will not be taken away if they fall below! Don't worry. There is a lengthy procedure to give you time to get their scores up. See the link for more info.
3. What else do I need to know to get started?
The OCEANetwork.org site is full of information and articles from people much more articulate than I, so I will send you there. Also, on our resource page you will links to our favorite websites for curriculum, co-ops, and activities. If you would like to add to it, let us know.
4. What does a schedule look like or how much should I expect my child to do?
You will have as many different answers to this questions as there are different families! The beauty of homeschooling is that you can do what is best for your child. You can tailor school to fit your season, your family, your needs, your schedule, and your interests. There are so many wonderful curriculum choices and resources that you will find more things to do than you will have time to do them! The first year is the toughest because you have a huge learning curve. Do you have any friends that are first year teachers in a school? They will tell you the same thing. Do your research, pray, choose what you think will work, and get started!
I can't tell you how much to make or let your child do. Each one is different. Arm yourself as a teacher with your own reading and prep material. Read books, articles, blogs, and get in a support group or co-op! That is where you can rub elbows with fellow homeschoolers and see what they do. Does it sound right and doable to you? Then give it a try. If you "fail" then you are in good company! We all do! Try again and again, then try a different approach or schedule. Sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear, but after eleven years of homeschooling, I am just figuring it out for my two students!
5. Seriously, what do I do when my 7 year old is..well...behaving like a 7 year old? An open letter from a seasoned mom to a fresh one.
He is being a young boy. Do "school" in shorter bursts if you really need him to focus and answer. Save read alouds for after lunch or later in the day when the brain needs to rest and snuggling is fine. If it is what he wants to do, let him roll around on the floor, seemingly not paying attention, while you read as long as he can tell you generally what the story is about. Let there be as much activity as necessary to keep him alert, learning and able to focus. Be creative and do the messy stuff because it is what they will remember. We made a chicken mummy about 5 years ago. It cost a lot to do. I t was messy and took a long time but they still talk about it. Draw in shaving cream, make the paper mache hat, read the book with a pirate accent, do those things that will endear your student to you and make them want to be home.
Everyone is different in the abilities and learning styles. Some of what you think they should be doing will come later and some is just a plain old bad attitude. Pray for discernment and act accordingly. Arm yourself as a mom/teacher with books. How They Learn by Cynthia Tobias was so healing to me. Don't compare your school to others in an unrealistic way. Admire, aspire, and add to yours without feeling defeated and jealous.
It takes time for teacher and student to get the hang of the routine that works best for both of you. Don't be too quick to judge the year ahead by a less then storybook start. He could be testing you to see your resolve in homeschooling him. Yes, we all idealize our days of what homeschooling COULD consistently be like. It would be wonderful to every morning have an exciting, well loved craft or object lesson and a daily elaborate field trip to make our school SUPER FUN! How wonderful if they would call their grandparents every day and sing your praises as the best teacher in the whole wide world and regale them with all the historical facts they learned that day. Oh, how we long for that, but sister, it doesn't play out like that.
We praise God for giving us the fortitude to get through another day of laundry, cleaning, toddlers, whining, crying, attitudes, and ask Him to show us how to be better, more patient moms and teachers the next day. Then sometimes we have a lesson that went "pretty well", or they finished the three sentence assignment in 20 minutes with only a couple tears and one rolled eyeball instead of the 2 1/2 hours and 3 spankings it took the week before and we realize we had a "good" school day. You are not alone. You will grow in this endeavor as will your child, but growth is not easy. This homeschool thing is not for the faint-hearted and you are sacrificing so much!!!
Feel a godly sense of pride in knowing that you are doing what you feel God has called you to do this year. Take it a year at a time and don't worry about the future. Just get through this day and this week. I do mean that you must be called or you will throw in the towel and put him on the yellow bus. Be the big girl and know this is your job right now and though it could change and no one will judge you, you are going to stay home this year and lovingly, gratefully, some times firmly and a bit begrudgingly "educate" your child.
A big secret that new homeschoolers might not know is that most of us go through a few curricula choices and spend a lot of money, before we find what "works" for us and our students. Sometimes we even go back to an original choice!! In our group, we all use something different, go to different churches, use differing approaches, have different levels of what we tolerate in our homes, but I tell you what, we all love each other, respect each other and the efforts put in, and know we all have a goal of raising lights for Jesus that will engage our culture and make this world and God's kingdom a better place. We exist to support one another so seek out those that will fill you up.
If you have other questions that you would like answered, please use the "Contact Us" form to let us know. Thanks!
"Children between the ages of 7 and 18 are required to attend public school unless they qualify for an exemption. If you comply with the homeschool procedures, your child is exempt from having to attend public school."
Basically there are two things to know:
1) Notify your local educational service district (ESD) in writing of your intent to homeschool. You need to do it once for each child when they are 7 years old before Sept 1. You can do this online. Willamette ESD serves Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties. At the WESD website, you will find all the information and links to the forms you need. On the left side-bar of the webpage are links to Requirements and Additional Information. Under the Requirements link, you will find a downloadable Notification of Intent to Homeschool form.
2) You are required to have your child tested during the benchmark years of 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 10th grades. See below for further information about testing.
2. What do I do about end-of-the-year benchmark testing?
Again, you are required to have your child tested during the benchmark years of 3rd, 5th, 8th, and 10th grades. On the WESD site there are further instructions on what to do if you pull your student out of school or have an IEP (also under the Requirements link). Our group has used several different state certified testers and we test as a group each year in May, or you may find a tester on the WESD site. Generally, the test is the California Achievement Test for language arts and math only. In Marion county, the test scores are not asked for. You must have the student tested, keep the score for your records, and that is it.
Passing is considered rating above the 15th percentile. Your child will not be taken away if they fall below! Don't worry. There is a lengthy procedure to give you time to get their scores up. See the link for more info.
3. What else do I need to know to get started?
The OCEANetwork.org site is full of information and articles from people much more articulate than I, so I will send you there. Also, on our resource page you will links to our favorite websites for curriculum, co-ops, and activities. If you would like to add to it, let us know.
4. What does a schedule look like or how much should I expect my child to do?
You will have as many different answers to this questions as there are different families! The beauty of homeschooling is that you can do what is best for your child. You can tailor school to fit your season, your family, your needs, your schedule, and your interests. There are so many wonderful curriculum choices and resources that you will find more things to do than you will have time to do them! The first year is the toughest because you have a huge learning curve. Do you have any friends that are first year teachers in a school? They will tell you the same thing. Do your research, pray, choose what you think will work, and get started!
I can't tell you how much to make or let your child do. Each one is different. Arm yourself as a teacher with your own reading and prep material. Read books, articles, blogs, and get in a support group or co-op! That is where you can rub elbows with fellow homeschoolers and see what they do. Does it sound right and doable to you? Then give it a try. If you "fail" then you are in good company! We all do! Try again and again, then try a different approach or schedule. Sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear, but after eleven years of homeschooling, I am just figuring it out for my two students!
5. Seriously, what do I do when my 7 year old is..well...behaving like a 7 year old? An open letter from a seasoned mom to a fresh one.
He is being a young boy. Do "school" in shorter bursts if you really need him to focus and answer. Save read alouds for after lunch or later in the day when the brain needs to rest and snuggling is fine. If it is what he wants to do, let him roll around on the floor, seemingly not paying attention, while you read as long as he can tell you generally what the story is about. Let there be as much activity as necessary to keep him alert, learning and able to focus. Be creative and do the messy stuff because it is what they will remember. We made a chicken mummy about 5 years ago. It cost a lot to do. I t was messy and took a long time but they still talk about it. Draw in shaving cream, make the paper mache hat, read the book with a pirate accent, do those things that will endear your student to you and make them want to be home.
Everyone is different in the abilities and learning styles. Some of what you think they should be doing will come later and some is just a plain old bad attitude. Pray for discernment and act accordingly. Arm yourself as a mom/teacher with books. How They Learn by Cynthia Tobias was so healing to me. Don't compare your school to others in an unrealistic way. Admire, aspire, and add to yours without feeling defeated and jealous.
It takes time for teacher and student to get the hang of the routine that works best for both of you. Don't be too quick to judge the year ahead by a less then storybook start. He could be testing you to see your resolve in homeschooling him. Yes, we all idealize our days of what homeschooling COULD consistently be like. It would be wonderful to every morning have an exciting, well loved craft or object lesson and a daily elaborate field trip to make our school SUPER FUN! How wonderful if they would call their grandparents every day and sing your praises as the best teacher in the whole wide world and regale them with all the historical facts they learned that day. Oh, how we long for that, but sister, it doesn't play out like that.
We praise God for giving us the fortitude to get through another day of laundry, cleaning, toddlers, whining, crying, attitudes, and ask Him to show us how to be better, more patient moms and teachers the next day. Then sometimes we have a lesson that went "pretty well", or they finished the three sentence assignment in 20 minutes with only a couple tears and one rolled eyeball instead of the 2 1/2 hours and 3 spankings it took the week before and we realize we had a "good" school day. You are not alone. You will grow in this endeavor as will your child, but growth is not easy. This homeschool thing is not for the faint-hearted and you are sacrificing so much!!!
Feel a godly sense of pride in knowing that you are doing what you feel God has called you to do this year. Take it a year at a time and don't worry about the future. Just get through this day and this week. I do mean that you must be called or you will throw in the towel and put him on the yellow bus. Be the big girl and know this is your job right now and though it could change and no one will judge you, you are going to stay home this year and lovingly, gratefully, some times firmly and a bit begrudgingly "educate" your child.
A big secret that new homeschoolers might not know is that most of us go through a few curricula choices and spend a lot of money, before we find what "works" for us and our students. Sometimes we even go back to an original choice!! In our group, we all use something different, go to different churches, use differing approaches, have different levels of what we tolerate in our homes, but I tell you what, we all love each other, respect each other and the efforts put in, and know we all have a goal of raising lights for Jesus that will engage our culture and make this world and God's kingdom a better place. We exist to support one another so seek out those that will fill you up.
If you have other questions that you would like answered, please use the "Contact Us" form to let us know. Thanks!