If you are considering home schooling check out this state approved program that Missouri offers. I almost enrolled my children this past year. I have home schooled them for 5 1/2 years but stopped due to some family issues and they have done well in public school. I know that when our family starts to travel for ministry reasons that we will home school again. I thought I would pass this site on to you. Also look for another forum with a collection of sites to help with home schooling, teaching your preschooler or just home work help!

Keep Smiling!

Any questions email me at stacy.stlmoms@gmail.com

http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/movip/

We do this, actually.  My son, Zack, is in the 2nd grade through MoVIP.

We're about halfway through the year now, and so far we like it pretty well.  There are some points of frustration, but they're sort of 'growing pains' things, issues that are probably due to the fact that the concept is new and we're all learning as we go. 

Still, I think it's a good program, and I'd encourage anyone who would like to Homeschool and either A) can't afford it, or B) feels uneasy about doing so without direction to look into it.   Most of the materials are state-funded, so it's paid for with the tax money you're spending anyway.   What I really love about it is that my 2nd grader is taking 3rd grade math, and that's not a complicated issue.  In a regular school, letting him take a higher level math class would be a hassle for his teachers.

Jenny

Here, let me try that link again:

www.movipandme.com

THERE we go.  It'll even open in a new window and everything.

Anyway... If you're considering homeschooling anyway, and the cost of the curriculum is daunting, I would absolutely recommend MoVIP.  If you're facing a bad schooling situation and you're looking for an alternative, MoVIP can be a great option, but you'll need to realize (especially in the lower grades) that it really isn't that much different from homeschooling.  You'll still be the one doing the instruction and overseeing the assignment work.  The main difference is that your schedule is mapped out for you, and you'll be required to send certain assignments in to your child's teacher every month. 

Like I said, too, there are bumps in the road here and there.  They're nothing earth-shattering, but I sometimes have to remind myself that this a very new program, and they're working out the kinks as they go.