We are homeschoolers! My oldest is working mainly at a 1st grade level so it's a bit easier than 3rd. 

I'm going to be coming back for homeschool advice myself! I was homeschooled and now I'm married and pregnant with our first. I'll probably make the decision to homeschool unless we are based (military) somewhere where I like the school system. My mom pretty much made her own curriculum on me because i was the oldest. Then she started using a mennonite curriculum that was more inexpensive but really effective... from Christain Light Publications. Now she's found something else that she likes even better, which is K12 and it's provided through the state. Each of the kids learn on their own with personal computers which were also provided.

We used all Christian based curriculum growing up (I never spent a day in "real" school until college...homeschool graduate, baby!) like Lighthouse, A Beka, and Bob Jones.  For math we mostly used Saxon, and I would highly recommend them...I think I would have failed math without them!

I've never been home schooled, but my step sister who was is an actress at the moment who has gained quite a bit of fame in the Dallas theater, and is now in New York trying out for many shows. Just giving encouragement to your son's acting career; homeschooling is a good choice for performers who are away a lot.

If you desire education in a socially much more wholesome atmosphere, homeschool them. Government school priorities are assuredly not the priorities you have if you think about it. Homeschooled kids learn History and Grammar  and all sorts of things that parents tend to take for granted but are actually very weak or nonexistent in government school.  Math texts available to the homeschooler are far superior to those in Government school.Homeschooled kids have adults as role models and learn to be adults. Public school children are among other children exclusively and take them for their role models. They learn to  be  children. For that, we have what is becoming the social norm in America, children who never grow up emotionally; thirty-year-olds who still think in 3 second bursts and have little feeling for the future or the past.

We've used Saxon Math for 20-some years and love it; hard work, but our kids have learned, and do well:

http://www.homeschooldiscountbooks.com/search/label/Saxon%20Math%203

Good luck.

I'll start homeschooling this year for pre-K.  I'm going to try out the Calvert curriculum.  They are a bit on the expensive side, at least it looks that way to me, but it comes with everything all in one and has teacher support.  They also have online options as the grades go up.  The only problem I can see with it is it only goes from pre-K - 8th grade.  Though now with all the links that have been given if we decide to homeschool past 8th grade I won't have a problem finding a curriculum.

We home school our kids, but its a bit different than some others.  We do most of their teaching, ect, but they also go to a center for home schooled children.  It has specialized classes that can't be taught at home, and obviously also offers important things on a social level - being around other kids, working in groups, and really just being outside the home environment.  I wouldn't trade it for anything, I love having such a hands-on role in my kids education!  We started using the k-12 site when my oldest daughter started center, as it was reccommended to us by a friend.  I love it!  Its very user friendly and my husband and I easily trade off days.

For the most part we have used ABeka most of the time. Around 5th grade though, my son started getting bored with it; each year they covered a lot of the same things as far as history, science, and health only in more detail.  We started implementing other resources and changed the way we did things; I guess it just depends on what works best for your child.  Sometimes you have to experiment with things a little to find what curriculum works best, and even then, you may have to change a few things here and there.  ABeka may seem a little advanced for some kids; I know my son tested really high compared to the public school kids when we put him in a private school for sixth grade.  Good luck, I hope you find something that works for you!  My niece did modeling and acting when she was younger; a great way to earn collage money (just have to be picky about some of the jobs) . . . she's all set to go!   

Many homeschoolers use our books and teaching tools which are educational and internet linked books and reference books. They list the trusted websites that update information and have videos for children who want to find out more and go into further study about the subjects. We have lots of encyclopedias for many different levels from toddlers to teens. The Smithsonian Institute uses them and IBM uses them to update their software.  They are award winning. Check out the awards on www.suesbooks.info

Good luck with homeschooling.  Working part-time does take a lot of time away from school.  If they know and understand his situation and that it is due to his modeling jobs, and can make the exception for him, that is the best.  As long as he gets the tutoring in between and is able to keep up with his curriculum at school, then it shouldn't be a problem. Have a talk with the school and see if there is any way to compromise and do what is best for your son.  It is a shame to let your tax dollars go to waste. Since you both work, wouldn't this be the better solution?

I use a mix of different things. We used Abeka for language arts/reading until the end of first grade. While a comprehensive curriculum, it was a very repetative work load. My son felt bored and drilled to death doing the same type activities every day for 2 years with no change in the 2nd grade workbooks (mark the vowels, circle the special sounds). So we switched to Christian Light Education this year for 2nd grade and love it. It's also a comprehensive curriculum, only it has more variety of lesson activities and study skills built in. I'm going to be starting my daughter in CLE's Learning to Read program this fall. I use Math-U-See for math and WinterPromise for history and literature. WinterPromise is expensive but worth it. They have great selections of books and activity books in their programs.

@dorelynn@xanga - you know what's funny? he has done quite a bit of modeling for Scott Foresman catalogs.  That is the curriculum used currently in his grade school too.  :)

for everyone, thank you for all of the info!  We are still deciding about this, but the resources help!  I can say that first, I do not want a Christian-based or religion-based curriculum.  Second, I myself was homeschooled 8th grade-highschool.  Graduated Valedictorian in my state actually.  Received a state diploma too (no GED required).  But I am only familiar with that upper grades curriculum, so that's where I'm lost on the younger ages.  Thirdly, it looks like I have alot of research to do before we choose the best course of action for our family... and again, thank you for ALL of your info!  I knew this was the place to ask this question!!