Homeschool: Lifestyle of Learning

For our family, home education was all about helping our children discover the love of learning.

If any of you marvelous Mamas who are reading this blog are tossing around the idea of homeschooling, let me say this – You can do it! Who knows your children better than you? Well, God does, of course, but you love them, know them and want the best for them. You will be a fantastic teacher.

Our family’s homeschool journey began in 1986 when our daughter turned four years old. Homeschooling was generally accepted by all states but requirements differed from state to state. We lived in Florida at the time, a homeschool “friendly” state.

We decided to teach at home for a few reasons. The most compelling was simply that we did not want our daughter, at kindergarten age, to be under the influence of someone/something outside of our family/home for so many hours every day. We felt that we could sufficiently teach her for a few years and put her in school later.

The few years turned into thirteen. Her first day of attending school was her first day of college. By then, we were teaching our younger son at home, as well.

I do not hold a degree in education. My field is bookkeeping. I am writing from our experiences as a successful homeschooling family. I want to encourage others who are just starting out. Here are a few things I found helpful.

Support – Are Mom and Dad both wholeheartedly on board?

Heading into our home education plan, I knew I would carry most of the daily work load. I researched and purchased curriculum, set up calendars and schedules, prepared lesson plans and projects, and did the bulk of the actual teaching. I loved doing those things. My husband’s job at that time did not give him freedom to be involved in much of it. However, I knew that he was solid support when I needed it. When there are difficulties with the children, questions and criticism from others, a bit of doubt or fear, or just plain tiredness (And there will be all of those!), it is so important to be able to rely on that support.

If you are a single parent homeschooler, it would be great to find a trusted friend who agrees with your plan for home education and is willing to be your support partner.

The Law – What is your state’s law regarding home education and what will they require from you?

In Florida, we were required to register our intent to home educate with the county we lived in. We had to submit end of year testing results to the county. Also, public schools were required to allow homeschooled children to participate in some sports and other activities, if they desired to do so. You will be able to easily find the homeschool law for your state online.

Scope and Sequence – Are there guidelines for grade levels?

If you are interested in a listing of ideas, concepts or topics that are typically taught for each grade level, you can download a scope and sequence from the internet. I used one as part of my lesson planning. Remember these are “guidelines”. Every child learns at their own pace and the wonderful thing about home education is that your children can develop and grow into learning these concepts on their own timeline.

Curriculum – The possibilities are almost overwhelming!

If you have begun researching at all, you have already learned that there are homeschool curriculums galore. I found it so confusing at first. Workbooks, unit studies, on-line classes (not so much back when we started!), textbooks, library books, manipulatives, flash cards – from traditional to Montessori to eclectic, and more – how does one decide? Actually, we did a little of this and a little of that before we were done. My suggestion is to begin small. I started with my daughter using Pre-K workbooks from a local department store. Try out a few different approaches. You will soon discover what excites your children and how they learn best.

And don’t forget to check out homeschool groups in your area. We found countless resources available to us in co-ops and classes.

For our family, home education was not just about teaching our kids academics at home. It became a lifestyle, a whole new idea about learning. Our intention was to teach our children to discover that they could (and would) love learning. The world God has given us to live in is so delightful, so inspiring. Math and science and history are everywhere we look. When you learn to read, you open the door to amazing possibilities.

Our curriculum included the traditional subjects, but we focused on much more. Character development, how to have healthy relationships with your family, how to handle money, manners, hospitality in our home, how to be a good friend, responding properly to authority, what it means to be a Christian, how to be an effective member of a team – these were all “subjects” integrated into our home education program. I remember many times when we were enjoying a family activity, talking about what we were seeing or doing, when one of the kids would say, “Wait a minute are we having school?”

Mamas, if you feel that home education is what your family needs to do, I encourage you to go ahead and take the next step. I know you will find it enjoyable and rewarding.

I have so much more to say about Homeschool! I will post more soon. Send me your questions.

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