Homeschooling overseas- start here first?

[Anonymous]

We are a military family facing a potential overseas assignment. Our 4th grader is twice exceptional, gifted with adhd and dysgraphia. Public school has been a mixed bag- not much help for dysgraphia- but he loves his friends, PE and recess. He also has perfect grades so he feels successful.

There seem to be few to no appropriate private schools available and I don’t think that I want to even attempt to navigate public schools internationally. The IEP battle here has been brutal.

So if you were going to start homeschooling, would you start in the US or would you wait to jump in once you arrived at your new location?

I am reading the well-trained mind now. My husband and I both have graduate degrees in both hard and soft sciences and have experience teaching. We also both lead scout troops, so the content/ teaching aspects don’t really worry is too much. I would have to stop working overseas so I would have time. I just worry that the curriculum decisions would be higher stakes since I would be further from US resources.

I am also looking at the Institute for Excellence in Writing as a writing curriculum- I may need to implement this myself even if we don’t move.

The possible locations include Tokyo, London and Naples.

Thanks for any advice/ opinions/ other resources you can share!

[Anonymous]

I would first look at the homeschooling laws in the possible places you may reside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a military family facing a potential overseas assignment. Our 4th grader is twice exceptional, gifted with adhd and dysgraphia. Public school has been a mixed bag- not much help for dysgraphia- but he loves his friends, PE and recess. He also has perfect grades so he feels successful.

There seem to be few to no appropriate private schools available and I don’t think that I want to even attempt to navigate public schools internationally. The IEP battle here has been brutal.

So if you were going to start homeschooling, would you start in the US or would you wait to jump in once you arrived at your new location?

I am reading the well-trained mind now. My husband and I both have graduate degrees in both hard and soft sciences and have experience teaching. We also both lead scout troops, so the content/ teaching aspects don’t really worry is too much. I would have to stop working overseas so I would have time. I just worry that the curriculum decisions would be higher stakes since I would be further from US resources.

I am also looking at the Institute for Excellence in Writing as a writing curriculum- I may need to implement this myself even if we don’t move.

The possible locations include Tokyo, London and Naples.

Check out Eva Goldstein’s IEW classes at Open Tent Academy. She’s been teaching the IEW curriculum for decades. Your son is at the perfect age to start. My older kids started in late elementary school and are now taking her high school classes. Open Tent also offers some other great online classes that he might enjoy. Note that enrollment will open in March. Her classes fill quickly.

Thanks for any advice/ opinions/ other resources you can share!

[Anonymous]

Check out the homeschooling laws, but I think it’s only Germany that has restrictions.

Get a copy of The Well Trained Mind from the library.

Join the Secular, Academic, Eclectic homeschoolers forums. There are a lot of homeschooling military families.

I’d also recommend listening to the Tilt Parenting podcast. She started homeschooling her 2E son when they moved to Amsterdam. A lot of it is parenting for SN kids, but there’s a good amount about homeschooling.

[Anonymous]

I have a 2e child in a London state school doing really well. By year 6 I’d say the curriculum is at least one year ahead in maths, but our dc was definitely enriched beyond that. (So about algebra I in 5th grade) The reading/writing is really good as well. In year 7 it’s like going to high school. As far as IEPs? Nope. Never got one. But there were some accommodations made and they were very understanding.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

[Anonymous]

I feel like forgoing school would require a lot of social sacrifices that might be more important than the academic advantages, especially overseas.

[Anonymous]

You don’t need to look into country laws, your kids would fall under Defense Education.

https://www.dodea.edu/parents/homeSchooling.cfm

[Anonymous]

https://www.dodea.edu/Offices/PolicyAndLegislation/upload/DoDEA-AI-1375-01-Home-School-Students-Change-1.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Check out the homeschooling laws, but I think it’s only Germany that has restrictions.

Get a copy of The Well Trained Mind from the library.

Join the Secular, Academic, Eclectic homeschoolers forums. There are a lot of homeschooling military families.

I’d also recommend listening to the Tilt Parenting podcast. She started homeschooling her 2E son when they moved to Amsterdam. A lot of it is parenting for SN kids, but there’s a good amount about homeschooling.

You may be exempt as a military family but you need to know that the UK is very strict about homeschooling. They come to your house they scrutinize your curriculum and they have to approve it. They are extremely interfering.

[Anonymous]

Why not DoDEA schools? I went to them growing up--overseas and in remote locations. I have a PhD now and so do a lot of friends who also attended DoDEA schools. We all are rather successful and went to good colleges. I am also dysgraphic btw.

Given how strong the NAEP data is for DoDEA schools, I find the whole movement to homeschool overseas bizarre.