Homeschool Resource Guide
How Do You Spell Homeschool?There are many ideas about what constitutes homeschooling, how it should be done, and what kind of commitment it takes. Some families feel led to home educate, while others feel called. Some families determine that homeschool for them must be K-12. Still others want to teach only through middle school, allowing high school to be a separate experience. What comes to your mind when you hear the word homeschool? Family preferences definitely influence our response to that question. Whether we spell home school as two words or one—the new way according to Webster’s—our goals and vision for our children are determined by our vision of homeschooling. So, how do you spell homeschool? Here are some thoughts to consider. H=HonorDo you count it an honor to teach your child or children—to have primary responsibility for their education? Being aware of the privilege and blessing of this task, even through tough times, helps us to see God’s hand in all we attempt to do. That He would give us the opportunity to educate His children is indeed an honor. I do not take it lightly. Or would you say ‘H’ stands for hard? We all have those “I just can’t do it” days. The key to successfully surviving lies in maintaining our focus and honoring our commitment to teach our children. O=ObedienceIs obedience evident in your home, children to parents, and parents to the Lord and His Word? Without biblically defined obedience, there can truly be little or no true obedience. A home, and more so, a homeschool, full of disobedient children equals a quick and easy formula for disaster. Children who won’t obey won’t learn. For some, ‘O’ may mean obstacle. Is your day full of seemingly insurmountable problems and interruptions, such as ringing telephones, drop-by friends or stacks of papers? We must learn to distinguish between circumstances, concerns and company that create obstacles and situations that provide us with a much needed break from our daily routine. M=MotivatedIt’s my goal to start and end each school day as a motivated teacher! There have been days when this goal was not realized. My children don’t always inspire me to teach, and I’m sure I don’t always inspire them to learn. I’ve learned that my desire to run the opposite way from my approaching students is a clear indication of my dwindling motivation. It is also an indication that I’m veering too far into my plans and farther away from His. When I prayerfully seek and then follow His plan I stay refreshed and renewed. New motivation automatically spills over to my lesson plans and teaching, and makes it easier to pass on that same motivation to my children. Could the ‘M’ here mean mundane? Perhaps your school area could use a facelift. Take time to evaluate each aspect of your homeschool. Looking at the same environment day after day becomes humdrum after 180 days. Before the new school year begins, reorganize your classroom, change or put up posters, put fresh flowers in your children’s work area, or do something that creates new interest. E=EarnestWhat about the quality of education your child is receiving? I like to remind myself that I must be careful to note what is being learned, how learning is taking place, or if any learning is taking place at all. At day’s end, can I identify progress that has resulted from the time my children and I spent together in class? Is your ‘E’ for extracurricular? Does time away from home appeal to you more than time at home? Do too many outside activities take precedence over your day? Extracurricular activities help to round out our children’s education. Often, outside activities appeal greatly to both teacher and student. But remember to have a “healthy” school we must balance our “appetite” for outside activities with our homeschool obligations. S=StudentOur students come first. They offer us some of the most exciting, challenging and rewarding days we will ever have. Whatever the ultimate goal for our homeschool is, our students will reap the benefits, and whether or not theirs is a dream to continue the tradition with their own families is often influenced by what we model as we teach and train. I occasionally encounter a mom who’s had a very difficult year who would substitute the word sorry for student. Perhaps you’re frustrated by numerous failures or the fact that your student didn’t soar academically. I believe the only reason homeschool success stories outweigh stories of homeschool failure is that many of us who experience failure continue working in those areas until we produce success. Regret about decisions we have made can be resolved one of two ways: correct the decision, if possible, or make a conscious effort to make the most of our mistake. Then, stick with it until things get better. They surely will. C=CreativeKeep your classes imaginative and your ideas fresh and resourceful! The Lord has gifted each of us uniquely and abundantly to accomplish great things within our homes. Homeschooling allows our innate creativeness to take off as we plan for our school year. Whatever happens, don’t let your ‘C’ stand for critical. We all expect projects to be done correctly, papers to be neatly written and assignments turned in on time. However, we all know that doesn’t always happen. Make your expectations known to your child and encourage him or her to meet them. Unless you discern a deliberately slothful spirit, you may need to praise less than perfect work in order not to be overly critical. H=HeartIt is not possible to homeschool your children day after day unless your heart is in it. It is hard to think objectively when we see frustration in the eyes of a child who can’t seem to grasp a concept, or who is struggling through the same books that another sibling “breezed through” a few years earlier. Our hearts are entangled in homeschooling, not by default but divine order. Our children realize how deeply we love them and love to teach them—not when we give them a litany of our sacrifices but when they see how much of ourselves and our hearts we are willing to commit to them. O=OpenEncourage your children to be open with you. As children grow older they should be encouraged, even charged, with the responsibility (through prayer) of helping to select their curriculum and academic courses. Knowing how our children feel about a certain curriculum, learning tool or class schedule will save us time and wasted effort, plus avoid hours, days and weeks of frustration. Frustration is often borne out of the student’s lack of freedom to express his or her ideas and thoughts regarding decisions that directly affect them. Let’s hope your ‘O’ will never be defined as obstinate. Putting off or forgetting chores, occasionally forgetting or neglecting assignments, and carelessness when the occasion calls for responsibility are pretty normal behavior for most children, and especially teens. However, selfish demands for privileges, independence or rights, willfully neglecting to give honor to parents, and refusing submission to parental authority requires immediate parental attention. These are the makings of a rough storm headed towards your homeschool. Halt class for the day, or the week, if necessary. Deal with the character issues and obstinate spirit, then continue on prayerfully. O=OpportunityYour homeschool should be full of wonderful opportunities for education, experience and exposure for your child. The beauty of homeschooling is the myriad of possibilities to enhance our students’ learning. Keep your child’s learning at his own pace, not your neighbor’s kid’s pace or the children of that most outstanding member of your support group, lest this ‘O’ for you become overwhelming! Trying to keep up with the astonishing learning abilities of others is not the point of home education. L=ListenHaving our children near us throughout the day is such a privilege. Take time to listen to your children with your ears and your heart. Listening to them is one of the most important gifts we can give to them. This ‘L’ could also stand for lessons, however, homeschool should always be defined as more than lessons. Learning is important, but worksheets, assignments and schoolwork are not all there is to school. Field trips, play time, music, read-aloud time, special projects and family time together should be interspersed throughout your homeschool days. There is another ‘L’ word that defines our homeschool; it is love. Without love, our home and school, indeed, will become as empty and hollow as “a sounding brass and tinkling cymbal.” (I Corinthians 13:1) So tell me, how do you spell ‘H-O-M-E-S-C-H-O-O-L’? | ||
Six Truths Your Children Need to Hear (as Often as Possible)In the busyness of homeschooling, planning, juggling and nearly tearing your hair out, it seems that some things can fall through the cracks. Unfortunately, sometimes the biggest things that we let slip are our relationships with the ones we love the most. We pass each other in the hall, each on a mission to complete our tasks for that day, never pausing long enough to say the things on our heart. I, for one, want to change that tendency in my life. I want to make an effort to pause in the midst of my day and look my loved ones in the eye. I want to say the things that need to be said and the things they long to hear. As I have thought about this, I have identified six things I should be saying to my children every time I get the chance. Other than my relationship with God and my spouse, you are my top priority. If you are going to say this, make sure that your life reflects it! My pastor always says that you can look at your calendar and your bank account to determine your priorities. Where are you spending your time? What are you spending your money on? Is your focus always taking you out the door to serve others, leaving your children to feel like they are last on your list? Do you spend every available cent on decorating your house or shopping for other frivolous things? Don’t get me wrong—I’m all for a trip to the spa or a beautiful home. And I think we should be serving at church and in our homeschool support groups. But all of these things need to come behind our families. If you really want to know where you fall on the spectrum, have an honest conversation with your children. They will probably tell you if they are feeling slighted. When you have this conversation, make sure they know they can voice their feelings and opinions safely. You may want to ask your spouse whether you accomplished your goal of making the conversation safe. I am praying for you. Do your children know you pray for them? Do you pray for them? Are you facing a hard time with a child—a discipline dilemma, a character issue, an educational decision? Don’t forget in all your striving and debating and emotionalizing to go for expert advice to the One who created you and your child. You will be amazed at the creative solutions He will reveal for those problems. We have the ultimate Counselor to call on, yet so often we forget that simple fact and try to solve our own problems. He is the solution, and we need to be leaning on Him every step of the way. Prayer is simply a conversation with our best friend. Tell Him everything; dialogue with Him as you go throughout your day. Homeschooling is less lonely when you do this! He is an ever-present help in time of need, and the friend who sticks closer than a brother. It is a privilege to have a ringside seat to observe all that God is doing in your life. One of the things I love about the homeschooling lifestyle is the way that it knits the hearts of parents closer to their children. Of course, Satan loves to get between parent and child at every opportunity. Have you forgotten that your job as parent is a privilege? Or, maybe you know it on an intellectual level, but do you verbalize it and act on it at home? Are you celebrating the unique opportunity you have been blessed with to disciple these children, to know their hearts and to delve into their very souls? You are gradually opening a precious gift from God to the world. With proper direction and love, this child can and will do great things for the Kingdom. What an honor to be a part of that! I will do everything I can to prepare you for whatever God has for your future. Your children need to know you believe in them and you see great things in their future. This goes back to the point about privilege. As homeschooling parents, we can tailor our children’s education to their strong points, giftings and goals. We can help them discover who God created them to be and guide them accordingly. We don’t have to follow anyone’s scope and sequence or work on anyone’s timetable other than God’s. There is freedom in that—freedom to truly prepare our children for the life God wants for them. Take time to help them explore who they are, how they are gifted and where God seems to be leading them. Then celebrate with them! The future is something to be excited about, not dreaded. God has entrusted me with the responsibility to protect you. We probably all have different ideas as to what protection looks like. But no matter where you fall, you can communicate to your children what you are protecting them from, and why. Are you helping them to see the bigger picture beyond the here and now? Make sure they know that you aren’t just being a tyrant, bossing them around because you can. Be honest with them about how seriously you take the issue of protection. Let them know that your love for them and your obedience to God determines the decisions you make about protection. Don’t just assume they already know. For us as parents, it is often a stretching process as we learn to let go at times and relinquish our former ways of protecting. I have found that I can practice my professed trust in God by being willing to let go a bit and trust Him to care for my child. He loves our children more than we do. If He is leading a child down a path that scares us, yet is confirming what is His will for your child, then we need to use this time as an opportunity to practice our faith. I am so proud of you. We forget to say it. We assume they know. Yet it does not ever hurt to say it—even when it embarrasses them. They might roll their eyes and shrug their shoulders, yet inside they are swelling up with the love and assurance their souls crave. They need to know that they are fabulous in your eyes. No matter what you are facing with a child, don’t ever let it get to the point that you stop assuring them of your love, your support and your pride in who they are, not necessarily in what they do. The sobering fact of the matter is, most children will transfer your opinion of them to what they perceive is God’s opinion of them. This fact is an even stronger reason to communicate, communicate, communicate! Finally, it is not enough just to say something; you have to reflect it in your actions, too. If you utter words with your lips, but deny them by your actions, you are wasting your time and demolishing your own efforts. Your children don’t need you to be perfect, but they do need you to yell less and hug more. These children are not just your students; they are precious princes and princesses. They are God’s gifts to you. It is too bad that sometimes we forget that. I have challenged myself as a homeschool mom to remember that as I go through my days. And I want to never be too busy to tell my children exactly what they need to hear. | ||
Snippets From Seasoned Homeschool VeteransWouldn’t it be wonderful if we could gather all the seasoned veteran homeschoolers in one room and pick their brains for a few days - ask them question after question and record all the answers to take home with us? That way we could push the replay button on those hard days and be encouraged to press on in our homeschool journey. Below is a compilation of wisdom from some of those vets. It may not answer all your questions, but it will sure help fuel your emotional tank and give you the energy you need to take the next step. Be sure to take the time to visit the websites noted and read the wonderful articles that these snippets come from. On Motivation -
Taken from Joyce Swann’s Homeschool Tips
“I have never tried to motivate my children. They know what is expected of them in school, and they do it. I have found that the love of learning is automatic when school is handled properly…. I have always told my children that life is filled with things that we do not want to do but must do anyway. At times we may have jobs we do not like. It is likely that God will require us to do some things that we would rather not. We are going to have to do lots of things that are difficult, or boring, or exasperating, but we never have any excuse for not doing our work to the best of our abilities.” On Success -
Taken from 10 Good Tips for Homeschooling Your Children by Mary Jo Bratton
“Be generous in your judgment of success. Maybe your family has suffered a financial setback, death, illness, childbirth, or the like (in other words, normal life), and you’ve all had to pitch in to make it through tough times. In that case, “success” may mean a closer relationship between parents and children, and perhaps a talent discovered in carpentry, nursing, or clothing design. These family lessons are priceless and can only be taught at home, not in a public or private school setting.” On Benefits and Disadvantages of Homeschooling -
Taken from The 4 Advantages of Homeschooling by Steve Moitozo
“Over time, after consulting with hundreds of families in my office, after attending support group meetings around the country, and after hearing speeches by supporters, I concluded that reporters and the general public really wanted to hear the simple advantages, and they fell into four broad categories: (1) The advantage of religious/philosophical convictions, (2) The advantage of socialization, (3) The advantage of academics, and (4) The advantage of ‘time as a family.’ “ On Answering Objections -
Taken from Answering Common Objections to Homeschooling by Peter Storz
“How you respond says much about you and may also greatly influence the other persons conception of homeschoolers and even of our Lord Jesus. Take the time to listen to the other person. Ask questions to be sure you understand them. Not only will you get a better idea of what they are saying and the source of their concern, it will also allow you the time to regain self-control, if necessary, and gather your thoughts for a calm, thoughtful response. Make your answer lovingly, but be sure you say what you mean plainly and completely.” On Record Keeping -
Taken from Ten Reason to Keep Records by Barbara Edtl Shelton
“You may also be frustrated by the fact that the scope of record keeping is soooo broad! It's true; there are many reasons to keep records, many methods and styles by which to keep records, and many things to keep records of! What can give you a headache boils down to two things: not knowing your options, and not knowing your own priorities.” On Homeschooling Multiples -
Taken from Home School Families of Twins by Margie Downey
“Although Home School Families of Twins do not fit a typical twins-only family model or a typical home school-only family model, as a demographic group they are very, very similar to each other in parenting values, family stability, income, religious beliefs, family size, and more. The common challenges or child rearing difficulties are amazingly similar throughout HSFT. They are convinced the benefits in the education and character of their children are worth the work it takes in these years.” On Homeschooling Teens -
Taken from The Satisfied Learner: How Families Homeschool Their Teens by Cafi Cohen
“Maybe it's the fear of school violence or the lack of stimulating courses, but the number of homeschooling teenagers is on the rise. Some parents balk at the very thought of homeschooling their teen. After all, it's one thing to teach your daughter how to read. It's quite another to teach her trigonometry.” On Field Trips -
Taken from Homeschool Field Trips at
So, here are just a few common sense guidelines to help your Homeschool group's field trip person. On Burnout -
Taken from Avoiding Homeschool Burnout at
“I asked my team of experts -- dozens of homeschooling moms -- if they experience burnout, and how they deal with it. Their answers may surprise you.” On Schooling Year Round -
Taken from Year-Round Homeschooling by Mimi Rothschild
“The school year begins and instead of feeling tired or dreading the upcoming school session, both teachers and students are rested and ready to work hard the entire time till the next break. How is this done? - Year-round schooling.” Nothing beats the wisdom of a veteran. We encourage you to pull from these resources, but to also remember that there is a wealth of knowledge right in your local homeschool support group. Seek out the veterans there and glean from their experience and wisdom. They have a lot to share and will welcome the opportunity to sit down and talk with you. | ||