Homeschooling - It Is For The Faint Of Heart!

We have been homeschooling for the last eight years (I can't believe it has been that long). When I first started out I was terrified. I have two older children that survived the public school system, though one of them just barely so I wasn't all that excited about schooling my children myself. But because my third child was born just past the cut off to start kindergarten the year he was to turn 6 and because when he did start kindergarten and I went to help out in the class room I discovered he wasn't all that interested in paying attention or doing the assigned tasks that I was confident he was capable of, I decided that if he was going to succeed or fail, I was going to be the one responsible.

I also had a few friends that homeschooled thier children so I at least had some help from others in terms of direction. Questions that came to mind were should I use a curriculum or should I just piece stuff together? Over the years I have discovered several things that work for us.

It is our philosophy that if our children know the Lord, read their Bibles and understand the principles thereof, have mastered the fundamentals of mathematics with out a calculator, can communicate effectively verbally and in writing and have an understanding of the skills required to acquire knowledge than we will have successfully educated our children.

To that end we use Math U See for our math. There is a video that you can watch with your child, a teacher's manual, practice sheets and tests. The goal is to see, say, do with your hands and write out the math problem. It is hands down the BEST curriculum out there for math. I am learning things I didn't know about math.

We use the Rod and Staff series for reading. You can order thier curriculum through www.rodandstaffbooks.com.

Winston Grammar for the fundamentals of grammar.

We read for history and pleasure.

The kids are in sports, music, scouting and they play in the neighborhood; they are not isolated or unsocialized. They are exceptionally outgoing and friendly.

We write about things we are interested in or that we have done.

We have a farm so we have science in action most of the time.

We look things up when we have questions. We watch movies together and discuss them. We don't have regular television, but we do have the internet and a local library.

My best advice for anyone who is considering homeschooling their children is to understand why they want to educate their children and most importantly what does success in education mean to you (then write it down) and relax don't try to have school at home. Teach your children that life is about learning. Ask questions as you go through your day. "What did you learn about that today?" "What are you grateful for today?" Questions are a great launching place for learning. Most of all enjoy your time together. Also visit our forum where you can ask questions, start a conversation and share your experiences. We promise to respect your privacy.

If you are at a loss, pray for wisdom, God will give it to you abundantly.

There is a lot of information available on the subject of Home schooling. Our adventure in home schooling presented many questions when we first started to consider the possibility. The biggest was where to begin. Our goal is to provide you with sources to help with that decision if you are new, and more ideas if you are already involved.
What follows is a list of lists you can use to continue your research.

Thinking of Homeschooling 13 selections, most reviewed...Dumbing us down (138 customer reviews)
Imaginative and classic homeschooling resources 8 selections, most reviewed...Monstruos, Inc (906 reviews)
Top 10 Books To Read About Education 10 selections, most reviewed..The Closing Of The American Mind (142 reviews)
Unschooling Resources 8 selections, most reviewed...Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
Homeschool for the gifted child 12 selections, most reviewed...Creative homeschooling; A resource Guide for Smart Families (15 reviews)
Top Ten Homeschooling Resources 10 selections, most reviewed...Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons (536 reviews)
Read To Get Started 6 selections, most reviewed...The First Year...(24 reviews)
Classical Education First Grade 10 Selections, most reviewed...The Well Trained Mind...(237 reviews)