Family Science Discovery at Science City

Winter Discoveries include:

Fighter Pilot I - November 11

Fighter Pilot II - November 18

Dinos Alive! - December 2

Make your own Science Gifts I - December 9

Make your own Science Gifts II - December 16

Dr. Phil Show on Homeschooling

Anyone looking forward to the upcoming Dr. Phil Show on Homeschooling might want to read this.

Update: Still no air date for the Dr. Phill Show on homeschooling, but here is another article of interest. (Article has moved -- it was a more positive view of the Dr. Phil show -- will try to locate and repost link.)

Update: To be aired the Friday after Thanksgiving: Nov. 24, 2006.

Third Time is a Charm

If you've been following, there have been a couple of aborted attempts at keeping a companion blog site for KSHomeschool.net. The main idea behind the blog is to keep a running list of area activities and events that might be of interest to homeschoolers. This will include everything from general places to go and things to see in Kansas, to notification of homeschool specific activities. As well, I will post notifications every time the website is updated and will attempt to link to articles in the news regarding homeschooling or other items of interest as I see fit.

If you come across something you think ought to be listed, please feel free to contact me. I welcome assistance.

The main attraction of the blog (aside from ease of updating on my part) is that you will have the option of subscribing to the blog via RSS feed. If you have a homepage, such as yahoo, for instance, you can add the feed from this blog to your contents page so that you will be able to see updates at the same time you are browsing your news items for the day or checking your stocks --- whatever. Subscription services such as bloglines are also handy if you are a multiple-blog watcher.

College Admissions for an Unschooler

submitted by Ann Vetter

My daughter is eighteen and I just went through the college admissions process with her. We have homeschooled since she was nine and unschooled since she was eleven. We found this about community colleges... all you have to do is enroll and pay. I did have to contrive a transcript for her, and we did have some fun with that, but it wasn't really used for anything. They just needed to have one on file.

For our state university, they required an ACT or SAT score. She wanted to try it, she did fine, could have been admitted, but decided she didn't want to start at such a large school. In fact, she has decided not to go to school at all for now.

Why?

Well, all these years as an unschooler she has played around with all sorts of audio equipment, wrote and recorded her own songs, volunteered in professional studios, and even worked for them part time on an as needed basis. It turns out that a lot of what she learned is much sought after by telecommunications companies. She heard of a job opening, applied, got hired, and is currently being trained by them for free. It is her aptitude and that she was able to explore her interests freely that helped her get a cool job, not college.

So will she ever go to college? Did unschooling perhaps keep her out of college?

My answer is, who cares? She's happy. BTW, she's making an amazing amount of money for an eighteen year old, more than many college grads start out making. The important thing is that she is doing something she enjoys and if later on she decides she would enjoy something else even more, she can pursue that. No doors are closed to her. I wonder if the communications company would have been as impressed with a science class as they were with the real world stuff that she had actually done???

I know one thing, I'm sure glad I didn't invest myself in prepping her for college when she was ten. I do wish I had know about unschooling from the start.

"...when I knew better, I did better"
~ Maya Angelo

Rambling about Strewing

by Justine Browning

I have been randomly reading Sandra Dodd's book. I haven't read it through, like one would read a novel. Rather, I'll find myself in an "unschooling lull" and pick it up for a little "motivation" and some fresh ideas. The other day, I was reading an article that she had written about using the dictionary. This made me think of how Mollie used to love looking words up in the dictionary. So I decided to take the dictionary out of the cabinet in the living room, and put it on the coffee table, just in case she might like to look at it and had just forgotten that it was around.While I was at it, I put out a few of the books I had picked up the last time we went to the library. Instead of just putting the books out, though, I opened them up to pages that I thought Mollie might see and be interested in. A pond book was opened to a few pages having to do with frogs. Sure enough, within only seconds of her plopping down on the couch to watch some TV, I heard her say, "oooo", and she leaned over and picked up the pond book with the frog pages and began to read. She asked a few questions and read it for a few minutes, and flipped through a few pages and set it back down. And, all this made me think of strewing....... (This is starting to sound like an "If you give a mouse a cookie" story:-))

You know, strewing plays a bigger part in our lives than I once realized. It encompasses so much more than placing things around. Even though it was really neat to watch how Mollie noticed the book last night that was on the table. I think that, as unschoolers, we almost have to look at life through "strewing" eyes. I mean, we are constantly on the look out for ways to "add" some new dimension or piece of the puzzle to our children's understanding of the world in which they live. We do this every time we invite them to help us with a project or task. We do this when we take a Sunday drive as a family to a neighboring little town for ice cream or dinner out. We do this when we run our errands, and do our shopping, all the while intentionally involving them in the processes of our lives and asking their input and answering their questions. We do this when we invite friends and relatives to come to our home and we sit around the table and listen to the stories of their lives. We arrange our lives and our world in such a way as to enable our children to be able get all that they need out of every moment.

When we moved into our home here, we were already unschooling, so many of the decisions we made regarding our new home, were made with unschooling in mind. We moved out of an area where it was very expensive to live to a less expensive area. We paid off bills and didn't take on too big a mortgage, so that we would have a little "extra" to do things with the kids. We still aren't rich, but it's not altogether impossible to take a weekend trip or purchase a cool toy. Some things still need to be "saved" for, but all in all, we have a little more flexibility to be able to "strew" a few more opportunities along our children's paths.We also looked at the layout of our home and chose it because it felt good for creating opportunities for unschooling for our family. I think this is different for every family. What works for one, doesn't necessarily work for another. Initially, I dreamed of a large piece of property with farm animals, etc. But Tom, having done the farm thing when he was younger, didn't feel this would be a good match for our family. It turns out, I completely see the wisdom in his thinking and am grateful to him for sometimes being the voice of reason in our household.

Our home is simple with a little space for everyone. Our yard is perfectly suited for bird and squirrel watching because of all the trees. And not so big that every Saturday must be spent mowing lawns instead of doing local sight seeing, which is what our family would prefer to do.And, it's funny how, when you unschool, even decisions for furniture are so much more important. Because furniture now is not for looks. It's not about impressing the neighbor down the street. Your home doesn't have to look like it could be featured on the cover of a home decor magazine.No, furniture in an unschooling household must be so much more.When I choose a piece of furniture now, I find myself asking how this will foster togetherness for my family - which, I know is the foundation for all learning. And the most important thing to living.

I have come to realize that in times of just relating and talking and being together, my child's heart is so open to new ideas. That in times of fun and games, my child is relaxed and absorbs much more from her surroundings and the activities that she is engaged in. Our couches were chosen because they are comfy - that's mostly it. The kind you sit in with a good book or to enjoy a good movie. They are so comfy that they even make you want to hug or cuddle with the person sitting down next to you! Our coffee table is round. Why? Because it makes a great table for doing puzzles or playing games. And, it doesn't have any shelves underneath it because I wanted to be able to sit on the floor around it and have room for folded legs to fit.This works for me.

My other unschooling friends are all different. I am always amazed and delighted to see the creative ways of arranging house that others I know have come up with. Another thing I ask myself when choosing furniture, is if I will be comfortable with that piece of furniture being used in such a way that it may not maintain it's perfect look or be used in the manner for which it was originally designed. Tables filled with puzzles, toys, yarn, and books. Couches with pillows tossed on the floor to make room for a display of favorite stuffed animals. Appliances covered with magnets and the latest display of artistic pursuits. Rooms with floors and tables where messes can be made and left for a while. Shelves that Mollie can reach and access to whip up a creation that only she has dreamed. And of course, cabinets for storing games and toys and other fun stuff right in the living room, so they are easily accessible, yet I can still "tuck" them away if I start feeling a little too "cluttered". And it was inside this little cabinet that I found the dictionary...that I remembered as I read Sandra's book....which made me think of strewing ... and was the prompting for this rambling.

Experience vs. Being Taught

by Tracy Million Simmons

“Can’t you give me some brains?” asked the Scarecrow.

“You don’t need them. You learn something every day. Experience is the only thing that brings knowledge.”
The Wizard of Oz
L. Frank Baum

“Pump your legs like this. Okay. Now forward. Now back. Now forward. Now back. Don’t lean so much. Now forward. Lean into it. This way. Now back again. There you’ve got it! Very good. No back. When the swing goes back, you lean forward. When the swing comes forward, you lean back.”
I was witnessing a “lesson” on how to swing – a well-meaning grandmother and a poor, befuddled, four-year old boy.

“I’m done,” the boy whined.

“You’re not done. You haven’t learned how to swing yet. How is grandma supposed to teach you how to swing if you don’t pay attention and practice? Now forward. Now back.”

Perhaps this is an extreme example, but whenever I step outside of my unschooling community (which I do often), I am always a bit surprised by the still prevalent attitude that children are empty vessels needing to be filled. How will they ever learn if we do not teach them?

“Let the boy swing,” I wanted to tell the grandmother. “Let him feel the wind in his face and experience the dizzying joy of falling through the air until the swing catches him and pulls him up again. His body will begin to understand the necessary motions. His legs will know what to do. Forward. Back. The experience is enough. He’s entirely capable.”

What should we do, as parents or grandparents, until that act of discovery takes place? Just push the darn swing! Swing with him. Find your own joy in the act of reaching your toes to the sky and tumbling back down again.
Children learn. There is no stopping them… and it doesn’t matter if the subject is as trivial as the act of swinging or as complicated as properly punctuating a written paragraph. Children will get further – more joyfully – if we allow them to discover for themselves rather than determining to fill them with the bounty of our own wisdom.

Unschooling families understand this. These are the beliefs that guide our journeys. Children are capable. Children are wise. Children are scientists and great thinkers, artists and inventors. Yet, fears crop up among us. Some days we may wonder if we could make things easier by just giving them a lesson or two.

I recently stumbled over spelling words.

Evie, my nine-year-old, enjoyed reading, but was reluctant to write independently. Maddie, my seven-year-old, who has taken a completely different approach to language and literature, was reading—somewhat—and writing—somewhat—and her wanna-do list was filled with items that required reading and writing at a level much higher than she possessed. There were days when I felt like a frazzled secretary stranded at the keyboard, typing furiously as my children dictated their letters, stories, emails, birthday lists…

Spelling words – tests.

The thought kept running through my head like a pesky critter. If I would TEACH them how to spell, we’d cross this hurdle faster and they’d be freer, right? They’d be able to pursue their interests even better if I could just give them this tool – spelling.

I explained my theory to them and they were open to it. For about two weeks we practiced almost daily. We made word lists and reviewed them. They practiced writing words, and even though I suggested 5-10 times each as I remembered doing in school, they usually opted for three times each and sometimes near the end of the list they opted for one time, or to quit altogether. But surely this was progress.

Maddie started opting out first. One day she decided she’d rather color than practice words. The next day she decided she’d take the test, but she didn’t want to practice the spelling any more. Evie experienced a surge in confidence at the beginning, she already knew how to spell a lot more than she had been giving herself credit for, but soon made it clear that this was a task she did not look forward to each day.

Then the holidays came along and distracted us.

One of my personal rituals for the New Year has long been creating a calendar/journal type book. It has pockets for special items I want to keep, areas to keep track of what I am reading or projects I am working on. The content changes year by year, but I always enjoy the very act of making the book – deciding exactly how I want each page to appear and choosing the papers to print it on.

The kids took an interest this year, and before long we were having calendar/journals bound at the print shop for all of us. We brought them home and we each absorbed ourselves in turning the pages of our very own books. The girls decorated their covers with new markers. Evie began filling in a page with her favorite television shows, the days of the week, times, and channels they were on. Maddie began a “secret” diary entry that had her running between her dad and me for the spellings of things.

We updated our calendars as a family – logging everything from dentist appointments to special date nights with mom and dad. In only one week, I was marveling at the hours my girls had spent writing, unprompted, and the joy the experience was bringing them.

Beyond the work in their calendar/journals, the girls have typed and sent emails, blogged and started “books” entirely on their own. There has not been a single spelling test in our house this year. Nobody has written lists of words for memorization and nobody has sorted words by the sounds of the vowels.

Yet, page after page of real and purposeful writing has taken place. We’ve had discussions on the use of quotation marks. We’ve examined sentence structure and the use of periods (which doesn’t mean Maddie has decided to use them just yet). I am still called upon to spell often, and my days at the keyboard aren’t over (Kaman, my five-year-old has “written” three superhero stories in three weeks, and he doesn’t believe in “short” stories). We’ve discussed the meaning of words, word origins, pronunciation, the structure of a dictionary, and spelling… of course. One experience leads them joyfully to another. Not only are they learning to write, their eyes are filled with a light and zeal that I never saw when we were doing the spelling lists.

In a recent email to her sister, Maddie wrote, “hi evie i love getting e mail do you love getting e mails love maddie ”

She didn’t ask me to spell a thing.


This article first appeared in the March/April 2006 issue of Live Free Learn Free.

How Unschooling Looks with Little Ones

by Tracy Million Simmons

This was part of a conversation involving new unschoolers with very young children. The questions being asked were “How much direction should be provided?” and the discussion centered on how unschooling “looks” in a household with young children. I had a three-year old and a six-month old at the time. (1999)

What do you do with your time? When children are young, they may not be so proficient at “directing” themselves, and they are fully welcome and expected to participate in MY activities. I’ll try for an example to clarify my position.

From the beginning I have been careful to include my children in my daily activities. As small babies, they nestled in a sling while I washed dishes or swept the floor. As they grew older, they sat right in the middle of the clean laundry as I folded it around them. When I was on the computer, they sat on my lap and as they grew older they held their hands over mine.

My daughter, now three, is starting to involve herself in her own activities, but she is still just as likely to be found helping me with mine. Even when doing her own thing, she is often mimicking something that I do or am doing. If I go to the garden, I invite her to come. Sometimes she helps me plant, sometimes she digs in the dirt on her own, and sometimes she ends up going back in the house to do other things. The key, for me, is that I don’t force her participation. I just remain active myself and she participates in the manner she chooses. I imagine as she gets older, she will do more of her own thing.

What I see a lot of people do is exclude their children from daily life tasks. They send them out to play so that they can clean house. They put the babies into playpens with mindless toys or sit them in front of the television for hours. I believe if you want a child to be self-directed, you must first model that behavior. Show your child how your day involves everything from the mundane to the fun and amusing. If you aren’t exploring anything yourself, now is the time to start.

Start with a trip to the library. Explore the stacks together. Check out a ton of books on anything and everything that looks interesting. Go sit in your yard and watch the ants. See if you can follow a trail from the hill to a food source. Take out some bread crumbs and watch the little buggers struggle to carry them away. See how long it takes your child to come see what it is you are doing. Show interest when she does similar things.

When I start trying to describe my approach, people often stop me and say, “but I was asking about unschooling.” I don’t define schooling apart from life. I don’t separate chores from play. I don’t categorize mundane tasks as separate from learning opportunities. They are all one to me, and I believe in being interactive with children in every aspect of my day. Until your child begins to focus on their own passions, share your own. And once they do begin to focus, let them do it at their own speed, their own way. Don’t expect them to fulfill your expectations – let them create their own.

Homeschooling in Kansas: A Beginner's Guide

NUTS & BOLTS
What is required to homeschool in Kansas?
Kansas does not have specific legislation regarding home education. Therefore, homeschoolers in Kansas generally function as non-accredited private schools.

A non-accredited private school needs to:

1. register their name and address with the state board of education (see website link below),


2. satisfy the state’s compulsory attendance laws (enter statute #72-1111),


3. hold classes for a period of time “substantially equivalent to the time public schools are in session” and,


4. have “competent instructors”

See Homeschooling in Kansas, Kansas State Department of Education.


PRACTICALITIES Q&A

Kansas Homeschool Network Note: First, we want to make clear that we are not, in any way, offering any legal advice about homeschooling. This is just a collection of answers to questions commonly asked by those new to homeschooling in Kansas. Second, anyone reading this should recognize, upfront, that these answers reflect an unschooling bias. They still have value, even for those who are planning a more structured type of school-at-home, but if you are looking for a more traditional approach to getting started homeschooling you will want to look elsewhere, as well. If you don’t know what unschooling is yet, keep reading. You can never have too many options, or too much information, when it comes to homeschooling.

If I plan to homeschool, when should I register as a non-accredited private school?If your child has never been in school, you will need to register with the Kansas State Board of Education by the time your child is seven years old in order to fulfill compulsory attendance laws. If your child is already attending school and you wish to withdraw them in order to homeschool, you should register as a private school even if your child is under age seven. In this manner, you will formally withdraw your child from the school they are attending and transfer them to your non-accredited private school.

How do I know if my homeschool has been approved?There is no approval process for homeschooling. The State Board of Education recommends that you register as a non-accredited private school and from there, they do not endorse or otherwise give you approval to homeschool. It is a good idea to print your registration confirmation for your files.

My child is already in public school. How do I go about withdrawing them?After registering as a non-accredited private school, a simple letter to the school they are attending is enough. Put it in writing that your child will be transferred to NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL and the date effective. You may request copies of school records, as well, if you wish.

Is it really that easy? Will I have to explain myself?The ease of withdrawing a child from public school depends entirely upon the situation and the individuals involved. Homeschooling is common in Kansas and much of the stigma and mystery that existed even a few years ago is gone. In most cases we have heard of in Kansas, withdrawing a child from public school to be homeschooled is quite easy. You may be bombarded with lots of “advice” and it may be that the individuals you deal with don’t entirely approve, but remember that you are entirely within your legal rights and their approval isn’t necessary.

In cases of children labeled with special needs, additional considerations may have to be made. Seek support groups and find people who have been in similar situations. Remember, as well, that where there is one answer, there are usually many. Keep asking questions until you find the support you are looking for to help make your homeschooling decisions.

We are now a non-accredited private school in Kansas? Now what?Excellent question. The answers you will receive are many and will be varied.

If your child has been in a public school situation, and especially if that situation has been difficult for either social or academic reasons, we recommend a period of deschooling. In short, take a break. Allow your child to take a break. Don’t think about education or learning or tests or requirements… just sit back and do whatever it is your child wants to do. Focus on pleasure (reading, crafts, playing…) or vegging (television, games, watching birds…). We have seen it recommended that you spend one month deschooling for every year your child has spent in public school.

What is Deschooling?
Deschooling for Parents

If you have planned to homeschool your children from the start, good for you! Keep doing whatever it is you have been doing. Read about homeschooling and unschooling. Find support groups (online & in real life) where you are comfortable asking questions.

Everything is Possible

by Samantha Stopple

Last night at the end of our “knockabout“ unschooling day my son asked me to sing Everything Possible, by Fred Small, a favorite bedtime song. “You can dream all the day never reaching the end, of everything possible for you.” This describes a recent lazy yet, busy unschooling day because unschooling makes everything possible.

Jade, age 9, spent most of her day listening to a Box Car Children book on tape in the living room while her brother Corbin, age 7, played on the GameCube™ and decked out his Playmobile™ knights. I spent the day in our family room reading my book, folding the laundry, and crocheting. I was available, of course, to listen to Jade’s explanations of how the Box Car Children lived differently than we do and so that Corbin could show off his knights.

At one point they got bundled up and went outside to play. This ended in a squabble. To console Corbin, he and I played a few games of Mancala, which is one of our new favorite games, I won the first few games but in the end Corbin prevailed and kicked my butt. Corbin returned to decking out knights, I returned to reading, and Jade listened to her Box Car story a little longer.

Later Corbin asked for cornstarch, food coloring and water to make cornstarch goop. He enjoyed swirling it to together and pointing out the colors and patterns he made. His sister joined him in the kitchen, swirling and mixing too. They used forks, spoons and their hands. Both of their hands turned blue and were still blue after they washed them to play Sonic X, a favorite video game.

On Sonic X they created Chao, animated baby-like animals. Like some animals in real life, Chao start life as an egg. Once hatched, they can be named and given different abilities in order to play games in the “Chao Garden.” In no time the Chao left the game and became real-life imaginary friends, playing in and around the house with Jade and Corbin.

When my husband and I started getting tired, he and Jade headed to her room to finish Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. While Corbin I snuggled in bed together to read The Fat Cat by Dav Pilkey, which we have read every night since we checked it out from the library a few weeks ago. Corbin likes to embellish it with different names for the cat. Then Corbin “read” If You Give a Mouse a Cookie to me almost putting me to sleep.
Then I turned out the lights and as I sang Everything Possible I thought to myself, everything IS possible with unschooling: blue hands, embellishing stories, talking about books, reading, decking out knights, imaginary Chao friends and best of all spending time together as a family. In the end, “the only measure of your words and your deeds, Will be the love you leave behind when you're done.”

This article first appeared in the Nov/Dec 2005 issue of Live Free Learn Free.

Samantha, her husband Stephen, Jade(9) and Corbin(7) live and learn in Lawrence, KS. Her passions and joys included unschooling, reading, writing, spinning, gardening, and spending time with her family.

Starting a Group - Recipe for Success

by Samantha Stopple

Starting a new homeschool group can be fun when you have the right recipe. Samantha Stopple, homeschooling mom to Jade (10) and Corbin (7) and co-coordinator and founder of Lawrence Area Homeschoolers Network (LAHN) shares her recipe for starting LAHN.


Name the group.
As much as I wanted to find a clever name for the group, I think simple has served the group well. Lawrence Area Homeschoolers Network clearly describes what we are and its shortened form, LAHN, is easy to remember. It has inspired three more groups in Kansas, as well. (TAHN, MAHN, and GAHN) If you can think up a clever name, go for it. Otherwise, keeping it simple can be best.

Create a mission statement that describes the group.
Daydream a little. When you imagine the group meetings, what are you hoping for?When I daydreamed about LAHN, I imagined moms talking and helping each other’s kids, laughter, games, and fun. LAHN’s mission statement emphasizes social gatherings as the focus of the group. Our group is only a year old and several families have made lasting connections. I also wanted a group where experienced homeschoolers and new homeschoolers could get support and inspiration when they needed it.

Make meeting times and places consistent.
New families are more likely to attend if they can count on the location and time. Pick consistent meeting days (i.e. 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month) and set a time. In the summer, LAHN meets at a local park that we picked to avoid daycare groups and make it central for the families who attend. GAHN meets at a public library where we do crafts and play games. In the summer time, we head to the park for more playtime and in the winter the group will stay at the library a bit longer. LAHN meets at an old school in the winter where we have a classroom to use as well as the gym. In the classroom, we do open-ended crafts and play games. TAHN will meet at community centers in the winter.

When you meet at a park, make rain date plans. When the group is small and new you might be open to having things at your house. When the group grows too large for indoor meetings at a home, a children's museum or McDonald's playland can be good alternatives. If for some reason you can't find a consistent place to meet, consider creating a schedule a few months in advance.

Additional activities.
Encourage additional activities that support your mission statement. Because I wanted LAHN to be about making friends and having fun, I encouraged several holiday parties including a Halloween Party and a Valentine's Day Party. If you don't have the time or the skill to organize parties, ask another member to do it. When other parents suggest activities that support the group - do it! One mom set up a trip to Great Wolf Lodge, which was a great success. Our group plans to do it again. Another mom in the group suggested we start a Mom's Night Out (MNO). Several moms look forward to this every month.

Start an email list on yahoo or smartgroups.
These free email list services are great because you can store homeschooling information, set up a calendar that lists activities for the group, and send reminders, plan future events, share resources, and keep in touch between meetings. For group safety, you can set up the list so new members can join by approval only.

Advertise, advertise, advertise!
Get your group listed on as many places as you can on the web or in print: National Home Education Network, A to Z Home's –Cool, local city information pages, post information on homeschooling forums, on statewide homeschooling lists, local parenting magazines, the local newspaper etc. The more places your group is listed, the easier it will be for homeschoolers in your area to find you.

Create a website. A website isn't an essential ingredient, but it offers an additional way for homeschoolers to find your group. You can also use it to share more about the group.

Distribute flyers. Include your group name, the mission statement and contact numbers. Post them anywhere you think might be helpful such as local coffee shops, community buildings, and the library. Hand extra flyers to new families so they can give flyers to their friends.

Tell your children’s librarian about your group. Often families considering homeschooling ask their librarians for information, so introduce yourself to your librarians and let them know about your group.

Make some business cards. I have found business cards useful because they are easy to carry and hand to homeschoolers I meet around town. I use them to pin up on bulletin boards too. I also gave cards to members of the group to hand out to their friends.

Be Patient.
I expect some groups will take longer to get going than others. I was fortunate with LAHN's early success because not only did the kids make friends immediately, the moms did, too. I think our success comes from the camaraderie between the parents who look forward to coming to the group as much as the kids.

Kansas Homeschool Network would like to hear about your recipe for success starting an inclusive homeschooling group in Kansas. Email goobmom23 AT yahoo DOT com.

Additional help for starting a homeschool group:
NHEN-NewSG: The list for people seeking to start homeschool support groups in their area. The list hopes to provide encouragement, advice, and support to those working hard to foster connections between homeschoolers via support networks.

A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling: Starting a Support Group

About Kansas Area Homeschool Network

Kansas Area Homeschool Network was created as a resource for those who have chosen the path of homeschooling, in ALL of its many forms, in Kansas and surrounding areas. We hope to provide a place for families to come for information, connection with other area families, support, and sharing. Specifically, we hope to provide a sense of community and resources for those taking more eclectic paths of homeschooling, including unschooling, child-led learning, life learning, etc.

Would you like to contribute to Kansas Area Homeschool Network? We welcome your submissions, ideas, input, and feedback. Our purpose is to develop a bigger sense of community for Kansans who are homeschooling, especially those who feel they don't necessarily fit within the larger, traditional homeschool community.

It is not our intention to limit this website to any particular type of homeschooler. If you have a different perspective or advice to offer, we'd love to hear from you. We hope to build this as an inclusive site, with many points of view, where all sorts of people can browse and look for answers. We can't do that, however, without your help. Feel free to contact goobmom23 AT yahoo DOT com to submit your articles and ideas.

Kansas Area Homeschool Network is a better place if YOU are involved.

If you are a homeschool group coordinator, make sure your information gets submitted to our directory.

About the Editor:
Tracy Million Simmons brings you the Kansas Homeschool Network, with some encouragement from her homeschooling friends, after years of contemplating the organization of such a group. Also an unschooler, Tracy is mother to three. Tracy likes to write, document her family's history through pictures and stories, take long walks and bike rides, and contemplate what she's going to learn next.

Activites in Kansas by Area

If you would like to see your event listed here, please send an email to goobmom23 AT yahoo DOT com.

Central Kansas
North Central Kansas
Northwest Kansas
Northeast Kansas
South Central Kansas
Southeast Kansas
Southwest Kansas

YEA (Young Explorers Academy)

Updated: 2/3/2009

Note from KAHN: I have received word that this group is currently not active. Please notify me if it becomes active again or if I can add contacts here for people who are interested in connecting with people in the Wichita area.

WIHS (Wichita Independent Home Schoolers)

Updated 2/3/2009

Note from KAHN: I have recieved word that this group is not currently active. Please let me know if there is updated information I can add regarding this group or other Wichita area organizations I can list for people looking for homeschooling support.

Coordinator:
Sandy Gritz
WIHSsite AT gmail DOT com

Meetings:
This group generally meets on Wednesdays, though special events are scheduled throughout the week.

Website:
http://wihs.bravehost.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WIHS

Statement:
WIHS is a secular, inclusive homeschool support group in Wichita, KS. WIHS was created to forge an atmosphere of camaraderie among local homeschoolers. WIHS requires respect for other people's chosen paths and does not endorse any particular religious, political or educational philosophy. WIHS seeks intelligent, open-minded, forward-thinking homeschoolers who choose to explore educational opportunities for themselves and their children. WIHS seeks to provide a place where members can feel free to share homeschooling ideas and resources, ask questions and find encouragement. WIHS requests member participation, but does not collect dues or ask its members to sign anything. This group offers weekly meetings, fieldtrips, parents’ nights out, online chats, and online discussion via a Yahoogroup.

TAHN (Topeka Area Homeschool Network)

Coordinators:
Jen Malcom
tahn AT prodigy DOT net

Meetings:
2nd & 4th Wednesdays of Each Month

Website:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tahn/

Statement:
We are a secular, inclusive homeschooling group whose main focus is facilitating social activities in the Topeka, Kansas area.

We value tolerance, acceptance, and respect for individuals regardless of age, race, or religion. We recognize and celebrate diversity.

Members use a variety of methods to homeschool their children. We recognize learning happens at all ages in a variety of ways and that there is not one right way to homeschool.

updated 1/2/2006

Osage Coop

Coordinator:
Laura Reiman

Meetings:
Occasional group field trips and often information about Topeka area activities that homeschoolers might be interested in.

Website:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Osagecoop/

Statement:
This is an on-line group of homeschool families that structure activities around Five in a Row.

Kansas Prairie Association

Coordinator:
Rebecca Frydendall
rfryendall AT msn DOT com

Meetings:
Will meet one time per month in Salina.
Child geared.

Website:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kpcoop/
http://k.p.association.tripod.com/%20

Statement:
We are an unschooling coop group which means we will be child directed... Examples of this would include; we as parents would decide on a topic such as Johnny Appleseed. We then would have several Centers available for the kids to go too so they can learn as they will by doing activities, crafts, worksheets, or anything else that may interest them in the category that is being discussed.

We will also base fieldtrips on the topic. For example, on this topic we might go to Courtland Apple Orchard. We are looking at a Friday date for the coop at this point. We are also looking at offering a choir and a string band for Christmas and Easter Cantatas to put on for the elderly somewhere here in town.

A Walk in the Park Unschooling Group

Coordinator:
Kandy Crosby-Hastings
coramdeo_intheeyesofGod AT yahoo DOT com

Meetings:
Salina Area
Meets every other Tuesday. For more information, call or e-mail. We're going with what works best for the members involved.

Website:
http://awalkintheparkunschoolinggroup.bravehost.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awalkintheparkgroup/ online discussion forum

Statement:
A Walk in the Park Unschooling Group is an unschooling/relaxed homeschooling parent group and co-op. We are social and academic in nature. We are founded on Christian principles. Everyone is welcome,regardless of belief. One thing that is important is we do not do any type of experiments or projects at the co-op or group itself in which someone or something would be intentionally harmed. That does not mean that someone who does dissecting or insect collections, etc. at their own homeschool would not be welcome to join; just that we do not do these types of things as a group. If a parent would be interested inleading a class such as this, they can definitely contact the members and conduct that outside of the co-op itself. A Walk in the Park Unschooling group would be billed as a compassionate unschooling group.

updated 11/01/2007

MAHN (Manhattan Area Homeschoolers Network)

Coordinator:
Raven Grame
scatterville AT twinvalley DOT net

Meetings:
Weekly on Mondays @ 2pm

Website:
http://geocities.com/ManhattanAHN/

Statement:
Manhattan Area Homeschoolers Network (MAHN) is a secular, inclusive homeschooling group that supports families and encourages homeschooling in Manhattan, Kansas and surrounding areas.
MAHN values diversity and requests participants be considerate to all people and faiths. Our common bond is homeschooling. Most of our meetings are social in nature, although members are encouraged to share their skills through special interest groups, activities, and organized field trips.

updated 5/2/2006

Arrow Homeschool Group

Coordinator:
Diane Van Eaton
dnnvntn AT yahoo DOT com

Meetings:
Lyndon, Kansas

Statement:
We require members to sign a statement of faith. The group is both a social and educational group. All members chose their own curriculum and are totally independent.