5 days of Beginning the Homeschool Journey: Debunking the Myths and Accepting the Truths

Wrapping up my 5 days series a bit late due to a sick kid and internet issues :).  Thanks for coming back by!
Today I'm going to try and hit up some of the questions running through your minds as you decide to homeschool.  Not the curriculum questions, but all the other ones that keep creeping up in your decision making.  Some of them are myths, and some of them are truths.  Here are my thoughts on all of them.

1.  What about socialization?  Really, I do not get this question very much myself, but I know a lot of people do.  In fact, it is pretty much the #1 objection from people who think you are crazy for homeschooling.  And, let me tell you, if you want to make sure your child is 'properly socialized' (insert eye roll) there are plenty of ways to do it.

Of course, you have to decide what socialization is and what you want from it.  School isn't realistic socialization for the real world as you have 25 kids, all the same age, stuffed in a room interacting with each other.  That is a form of socialization, but so is sitting in a room with your own siblings and parents interacting with them.  So is going to the park and playing with the other children there.  So is going to the grocery store and interacting with the clerk.  So is going to AWANA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4-H, Bible Club, etc and interacting with the children there.  These are all socialization.  Homeschooling isn't a world without socialization, it's just a world with a little different socialization during school hours only.  This won't ruin your kid.  My Mustang got 1st runner up at our local town fair pageant.  She had to answer questions and blew everyone away with her answers.  Later, I realized that Mustang-my homeschooled, 'unsocialized', kid had just won a trophy at a 'social' competition.  The irony was not lost on me :).

2.  What if I don't have a lot of patience?  Now this one I DO hear a lot.  I don't have enough patience to homeschool my children.  This one always amuses me because I am not a very patient person at all.  In fact, I have often prayed for lots more of it just to get through mundane tasks such as serving dinner to my children :).  It might help to know that we homeschooling mommas DON'T have the hook up on more patience.  We have, however, learned some coping mechanisms that help get us through the tough points.  Planning ahead helps a lot for me, as does playing soft music while I am teaching.  But, most of all, I think the times when I don't need patience helps me the most.  Believe it or not, I don't need near as much patience to teach as I thought I would!

3.  What if I'm not very smart?  I hear this a lot, too. I'm not good at math, how will I ever teach my child geometry, algebra, etc (insert your hard to teach subject, here).  Let me let you in on a little secret...I DON'T have a college degree.  I am NOT good at math, and the idea of teaching high school math scares me, too.  Thankfully, my DH has already volunteered to help with high school math because he was good at it and understands it.  But, if i didn't have him, I would certainly be signing the kids up for an online math course when we got to that level.  The fact is, that if you have something you can't teach, there is something out there (online course, DVD program, tutor, friend, HUSBAND) that can fill that void.  You will also be surprised that learning actually seems to come easier now that I WANT to learn and have a REASON to learn.  If you read the teacher's manual, it will often tell you what to say when and if you stay a lesson or two ahead of your child, you can still teach them.

4.  What if I don't have a lot of money?  This used to be an issue, but it really isn't anymore.  Especially in the younger grades (but even in the older) you do not have to be rich to homeschool. The internet, especially, is packed FULL of free things to school your children with.  There are even full websites that have entire curricula for free.  Two examples are Ambleside Online and Easy Peasy Homeschool Online.  Really, other then a library card, you don't NEED anything to homeschool.  A printer and internet access are very nice, but if you can print off your lesson plans at the library, or write them down, you can take them home.  So I guess you need pens, paper, and a library card.  Also, if you put the word out to friends that you are looking for homeschool materials...you might be surprised at the amount of things you wind up with.  Old textbooks, homeschool books, and even manipulatives can also be found cheap at yard sales and thrift stores.  You just have to look :).

5.  What if I have a small house?  Homeschooling takes as much space as you will let it.  Yep, there are people out there with an entire building next to their house used for school (and yes I drool), but there are people who live in an RV that also homeschool.  The fact is, you have made your small space work for everything else in your life, you can make it work for schooling, too.  It may take some creativity, but it CAN work.

6.  What about sports?  Now, this one I have to admit to be a part myth, part truth.  When your kids are younger, there are plenty of 'non-school sponsored' sports activities to be involved in.  Sign your kids up there.  But, at the high school level, this IS an issue.  I know, there is a law or whatever that says the schools have to let your children play anyways...but in our state, there is a state athletic association that has it's own rules.  Your school can let them practice, but the association won't let them play unless they have so many hours a week at the school.  This has become an issue for some in our homeschooling co-op who have gone ahead and sent their children to school part time.  That said, our own co-op has a basketball team for boys, one for girls, girl's volleyball, and a pom pom/dance team.  So, check around and see what your area has to offer.

7.  I need to sign up for all the co-op classes.  This one is a hard myth to accept.  You DON'T need to sign up for all the classes.  Be careful. The first year or two, especially, it is so easy to sign up for everything.  All of a sudden, you are never home and aren't getting any school done!  Be diligent to only sign up for what is going to work around your homeschooling.

8.  What about college?  Yes, you can certainly send your kids to college after high school!  But, it's going to take a little work.  What you need to do first, is figure out what school your child wants to attend.  Contact them, figure out what the school wants your child to have done in the high school level to attend their school.  So, in other words, don't wait till Senior year to start deciding what to do!  Junior High is probably a great time to start thinking about it!  Also, be sure to check out your local community college.  Our family plan is to send our children part time to the community college starting at age 15.  If they progress well, when most kids are graduating high school, ours will have their associate degree and be ready to take on the world of college :).

9.  All homeschools are exactly alike.  This is a HUGE myth.  You may see some great blogs out there and think, I could NEVER do that.  And you are right.  You couldn't.  I can't do everything I see, either.  But, what I CAN do, is create an education geared specifically for my children.  So can you!!  There isn't a 10 step program to start homeschooling, because each family is unique.  That's what makes homeschooling fun and so important to our society.

I hope that these bits of info, along with the other 4 days, can be of help to you and your family!  I asked before, and will ask again.  Do you have any questions that I didn't cover?  I'd love to help out!

Good luck to all of you beginning your school journey this week or month, and to those of you considering it, it's NEVER too late to start!

Thanks for stopping by!

God Bless,
Lisa

5 Days of Beginning the Homeschool Journey: Just Begun is Half Done

First off, not to digress, but I always thought Mary Poppins said 'Just begun is half done.'  But it seems she might have said well begun or once begun.  I wanted to clarify that before I started for those of you who get annoyed at things like that :).  Okay we can begin then.

You may remember the scene.  Mary Poppins, Jane, and Micheal are looking into the very messy nursery.  The thought of cleaning it up is quite daunting as it appears to be a monumental task that will take the entire day.  The children are overwhelmed at the thought of all the work they will have to do, and they would rather just close the door and run away.  Mary then points out that work that is simply begun is half done.  Then they snap their fingers and everything goes away into it's home.

So, I'm not going to be able to give you any secret keys that allow you to snap your fingers and allow your school year to fall into place, but I AM going to bring Ms. Mary's advice into this series of posts.

"Just begun is half done."  I can assure you that the hardest part of homeschooling, is to start.  You can plan all you want, buy all the things you want, talk all you want, but all you really need to do is to START.  

Now, when I say that starting is the hardest part, what I mean is the decision to start is the hardest part.  The actual work, you may find is waaaay easier then you ever imagined.  

So how do you start?  If you have purchased curriculum, you may choose to write out lesson plans and follow the guides in the book.  But, you may just want to see if homeschooling might work for you before you start planning it all.  I know of many families who have tried homeschooling during the summer time, or even tried after schooling (adding extra learning to the school year) to see if it is something that might work for them.

One idea may be to find something your children are interested in-lets use the moon as an example.  You can help them find books at the library about the moon, look up internet sites about the moon, visit the planetarium or science museum near you, go outside at night and observe the moon.  Ask them to draw pictures of the phase of the moon you observe.  Look at a calendar and see how the moon cycles through the month...the list can go on.  That's just an idea of MINE.  

You can plan and schedule and make lists until you are blue in the face. But even though I know I gave you a whole list of ways to plan yesterday, I also want to challenge you to not over think this.  Things are not going to go 100% smoothly, and that's OKAY.  Things may change 1/2 way through the year, but that's not something you can plan for right now.  You can ask all the homeschooling moms you know 487,000 questions, but you are never going to know EVERYTHING until you have experienced something.  

You, like Jane and Michael, might be looking at the new world of homeschooling and feeling overwhelmed.  You might imagine all the little things you might have to do, all the challenges that could come up, all the things that could go wrong, and be afraid to start.  You might be tempted to just close the door on homeschooling, sign the kids up for school and be done with it.  But, I would challenge you to not give up so easily.  

Just beginning the journey is at least half the battle.  With everyday, every lesson, every success under your belt, your confidence will grow and you will begin to feel like maybe you can do this!  And, that confidence will help you when you come to tough times in the journey.  

Start simple, start small, start with something you can easily plan and easily finish.  But mostly, the most important part of the beginning the homeschool journey...is to just START.  

Thank you for stopping by!  Tomorrow I will be wrapping up with the some of the misconceptions of homeschooling, and also some of the honest truths that you may have to work through.  Pretty much the 'but I...' questions that I believe are swirling around in your head now, I hope you will come back.

God Bless,

Lisa

Beginning the Homeschool Journey: The New Homeschooler's Questionnaire Cheat Sheet

Thanks for stopping back by on day three of my how to start homeschooling posts!  I mentioned that yesterday was my most important post, but I believe that today will actually give you the most information.  What I want to do is to go more in depth with the questions I gave you yesterday, in case you need more help with your answers.  And, even if you know your answers, this will maybe give you some addition ideas to help you on your way.

1.  Why did you decide to homeschool?  There are a million and one reasons for why families decide to homeschool, so I won't give you the list.  What I DO want you to do is write it down.  Maybe, you just liked the idea and so you don't have a good 'reason,' but I would still challenge you to dig deeper into why homeschooling sounded better to you then sending your children to a public or private school.

This information is very important in setting the ground work for your homeschool environment.  If you are homeschooling because you want your children to be more academically challenged, you want to be sure you are finding curriculum to do that.  If you want more time with your children, you may want to choose a curriculum that is well planned out so you can focus on your kids and not lesson planning.  If you are a family on the go with sports or other activities, you will want to find one that is easy to travel with-maybe that uses a DVD or CD that can travel with you in the car...the list goes on, but be sure to take the time to set out this foundation for your homeschool.

2.  Have your children been in public school (or private for that matter)?  If so, for how long? This is going to make a difference in your homeschool at the start.  Depending on your child, there is going to be a 'deschooling' time that is just a normal part of bringing them home.  The average amount of time is one month for every year they were in public school.  Even if it seems all they wanted to do was come home, they will still be used to school and have some withdrawals.  For the years they have been in school, home has been playtime, so doing school when they think they should be playing will be a bit of an adjustment.

Another thing to consider, especially with slightly older children, is that the school system has to make themselves seem just a little bit smarter and more authoritative then mom and dad at home in order to keep the peace and the kids listening to them at school.  This WILL come into play when you are teaching them at home, so be prepared for it and understand where it is coming from.  It will take sometime for your children to accept that you do know enough to teach them, and they need to listen to you.

3.  Are your children at, above, or below grade level? This is, again, for the child coming home from school.  Sometimes, families choose to homeschool for a non-academic reason.  So, they pull out their child from 3rd grade, and buy 3rd grade curriculum, only to find out that their child is really only reading at a 1st grade level, or needs math at a 5th grade level.  While, you may still have this happen, I would suggest having your child take a placement test before you make any decisions or purchases.  One place I like to recommend is Calvert's placement tests.  They are free, and available for immediate download.  Mom and Dad grade the tests form K-3 and you can send in the tests for 4-8th to be graded (but you could look over them yourself if you would rather).

4-7.  What are your goals for the year?  These include your academic goals, extra curricular goals, your CHILD's goals, and your spouses goals.  Homeschooling should be a TEAM effort.  So, get together and find out what everyone on the team (Mom, Dad, and child) are hoping to gain for the year.  Be sure to set realistic goals, but be willing to at least discuss the lofty goals to see if they could become long-term goals.

If you don't know what you are aiming for, you will not succeed in hitting them.  And, you will be forever running around picking up all the things that look fun and educational.  Next thing you know you will have a room full of books and no one will be learning anything!

Breakdown into as many areas as needed.  Math goals, reading goals, science goals, etc.  Get as specific as you can.  Saying 'I want Joe to be better at math' will not help you write lesson plans.  But, 'I want Joe to be able to do 2 digit addition and subtraction' will give you the direction you need to write your math goals.

And, sometimes, there will be one goal-'teach Beth to read' that will trump every other thing on your list.  But, again, break it down so that you can see success in your journey.  'Our goal is to teach Beth to sound out CVC words.'  Then, you will know when you have achieved your goal so that you can write a new one :).

8.  What do you want school to 'look like' at your home?  For so long, school has been a place that you go to.  Away from your home.  We have a stereotypical impression that school is a large room with many small desks, one big desk, a black or white board, books, windows, some bulletin boards, maybe a few carpet squares...you've been there, right?  So when I say school at home, people are trying to figure out how to make an area of their home LOOK like a school.  But, the fact that you are now 'homeschooling' means that you have already changed the meaning of school all together.  Remember that schools are simply buildings that have been used to accommodate the teaching of LARGE numbers of children.  So, unless you have 20 kids (which very few us do) you likely do not need to recreate a school in your home.

Now, it doesn't mean you can't have desks or bulletin boards, many of us like the way that looks and feels.  But, you are trying to accommodate the teaching of only YOUR children in your home.  So-base your school around your children and your space options.  I love looking at this collection of school spaces.  Be careful, some of these moms have been schooling for a loooong time, and have worked on these spaces forever.  So, it's not something to easily recreate.

But what school 'looks like' goes so much farther then just a classroom.  Do you want your children to learn from textbooks, or picture books, or the internet, or do you want them to just go out and touch all the flowers and learn about them by looking?  Do you want school to start at 8 and end at 12 and then go about your other life commitments, or do you want school to be just 'part of life' students picking up a book that interests them and then they pursue it?  (or somewhere in the middle)  The options are endless.  But, in order to give your family some direction, you need to figure out what you think will work BEST for them.

9-10.  Do you like schedules, do you like planning?  Flat out, homeschooling takes some planning, but some styles of learning take a lot more planning then others.  You can avoid some planning by simply buying a box of curriculum that tells you when to teach what.  Some others give you some direction and then you plan the rest.  But, if you know if you want help teaching and planning, you will want to look for curricula that has some of the ground work already done for you.

11.  What are your state's requirements?  While this is *technically* the most important question on this list, I purposefully waited until last.  There are going to be some rules in your state that you have to abide by. But, figure out how to make your family's goals and ideas fit with the guidelines rather then using the guidelines to set your goals.  To find out what the laws in your state are, check out the HSLDA's website.  They have a nice list for each state.

I know I have really just scratched the surface of all the questions and information available to you.  But, I wanted to give you some starting points.  With these goals in hand, it can really help you to narrow down not only which curriculum to purchase (or not), but help you with deciding which co-op activities to join and which other things to incorporate to your school, home, and lives.

Have you come up with more questions? Feel free to ask away! I have a burden for new homeschooling moms and families.  I really want to encourage you in anyway possible, so if you have questions, need help or what ideas, please comment or feel free to email me!!

Also, be sure to check out our Schoolhouse Crew blog hop, there are so many great articles to help you on your homeschool journey!!

Thanks for stopping by!
God Bless,
Lisa

Beginning the Homeschool Journey: The New Homeschooler's Questionnaire

Day two of my Beginning the Homeschool Journey series is, by far, the most important post of my series.  The most common question I get from new homeschool moms is:  'What curriculum should I buy?'  The fact is, I cannot just automatically answer that question.  No two families are alike, no two children are alike.  Just like I can't answer what kind of car you should buy without getting some more information, I can't tell you what curriculum to buy, either.

When you want to buy a house, you have a checklist.  You know how many bedrooms, how many bathrooms, if you want a town house or a country house.  You know if you want an old house or a new house, and the list goes on.  With that list in hand, your realtor can now show you some houses in your price range and you can begin narrowing down the search.  Homeschool curriculum is very much the same way.

So, I have come up with a list of questions to help you figure out the focus and goals for your homeschool, which will then give you direction for all the rest of your decision making-including buying curriculum.

1.  Why did you decide to homeschool?
2.  Have your children been in public school?  If so, for how long?
3.  Are your children at, above, or below grade level?
4.  What are your academic goals for the next year for each of your students?
5.  What are your social/extra curricular goals for the year?
6.  Do your children have goals for the year?
7.  What is your spouse's goals for your children this year?
8.  What do you want 'school' to look like at your home?
9.  Do you like schedules?
10.  Do you like planning?
11.  What are your state's laws regarding homeschooling?


And that's my entire post for today :).  Tomorrow I will take each of these questions in depth, but for today I want you to think about these questions without my input.  Take the time to think about them, pray about them, and discuss them with your husband and children.  Knowing the answers to these questions will bring you so much peace and confidence as you enter this new world of homeschooling!

I hope this checklist is a help to you!  I also hope you will come back tomorrow to read my cheat sheet that will help turn those answers into direction for your family.

God Bless,
Lisa

This post is part of a HUGE blog hop hosted by the Schoolhouse Review Crew.  Be sure to check out some of the other topics, too!

5 Days of Beginning the Homeschool Journey: Why You SHOULD Homeschool

This week I am participating in the Schoolhouse Review Crew's five day blog hop.  I chose to do my series for the brand new homeschooling family, or the family who wants to homeschool, but doesn't know where to start.  If you missed my intro post, be sure to go and check it out here.

My very first post is one, specifically, for those of you who are on the fence about homeschooling.  I'd like to make my case for why you should go ahead and take that step and begin your journey.  My opinion on why you should homeschool.

So, yes, I said it, I think that families everywhere should homeschool.  And, before you go thinking I am including the parents who neglect their kids and don't care about them, let's be honest, those people aren't reading blogs about how to be a good parent...so I'm not talking to them.  Everyone else, I am talking to you.

And, no, I'm not going to give you a laundry list of things that are wrong with the public school system.  Nor am I going to give you all the awesome statistics for how some homeschool students performed against some schooled children on a test.  I'm not even going to promise you that your children are going to turn out to be perfect saints that behave 100 times better then all the rest of the neighborhood, because they don't go to school all day.

Why not?  Because, honestly, I'm not a statics kinda girl.  I really don't pay attention to all the articles.  And, because my children are not perfect saints (though I'd like to tell you they are).  But, mostly, it's not about that.  It's about you, your family, your children, and your future.

I want to take a step back to the birth of my first daughter, Mustang.  From day one, I was drilled in that 'breast is best.'  Yes, I ignored them and gave her formula and went back to work...so lets fast forward to Mini Cooper.  With Mini Cooper I was now a stay at home mom. I was able to breastfeed her and did so until she was 18 months old.  I was always hearing how nursing her was the BEST option out there for my babies.  It didn't mean I would be a horrible mom for using formula, but if given the choice I should breastfeed since God had given me the perfect mix of all the good things she needed to grow.

When she was born, and as she grew through the toddler years, it was accepted that the BEST option for her care was to stay home with me-her mom.  Lots of babies have to go to daycare (I sent my first two until Mustang was 3 years old), and it doesn't make you a bad mom if you have to send them, but if given the choice, people will generally say that a baby's mother is the BEST caretaker for her child.  This is because she is the one who cares about the baby the most, she knows her child better then anyone else, the stable environment is good for the child, and overall mom is best.

So, now mom has FED the child, she has taught the baby to WALK, to TALK, to USE THE TOILET, you know some of the most important building blocks the child will need in life.  She has created a solid foundation of trust and routine for the child, and produced the best 3 year old that she can...

But, now that the child is 3 (or maybe 4 or 5 depending on where you live)...all of a sudden Mom, you are no longer good enough.  NOPE, you are not educated enough to teach your child their shapes, colors, and ABC's.  Really?  Now, some communities are much more supportive of moms, but the concept of preschool being there to help your child to 'get ready' to go to school always baffles me!  First of all it IS school, it isn't helping your child get ready for school, it is putting them in school.  But, secondly, why can't mom 'help' her child get ready for school?

Now, as I mentioned before, this is NOT a public school bashing post.  This is, however, a post that will hopefully make you rethink the roll the public school should have in our society and in your home.  Just like breast milk is BEST and formula is the back-up plan, and just like Mom caring for the child is best and daycare is the back-up plan...Mom should be the first option for helping her child get ready for school and preschool should be the BACK-UP plan.

And, YES, I feel this goes beyond preschool.  Mom (or Dad), you are given the right skill set to teach your child.  You know your child more then any teacher ever will.  You know how to encourage your child, what their interests are.  You know what will make them shut-down.  You know what they look like when they are not paying attention, and you care enough to work past their major academic challenges.

I totally get that there are going to be some areas that scare you about teaching your child.  I know that one is how to teach your child to read.  Some claim they don't know anything about math, or they hated science. Keep in mind that primary school teachers have strengths and weaknesses, too.  They still have to teach all the subjects, even the ones that scare them (except maybe Art and PE, if your school has separate classes for those).  What the teachers have done is to look for extra resources to help teach subjects that are challenging for them.  They have stuck straight to a curriculum, or taken extra classes on how to teach that subject.  But, these are things you can do, too.

When teaching your child, all you have to do is stay ONE DAY ahead of your child.  This is easier in the younger grades, but if you have a subject that scares you, you will just need to find a curriculum that works for you and then be sure and understand the lesson you are to teach the day before you are to teach it.  So, as long as you have the drive to figure it out, can read, and are willing to push yourself to find out answers you don't understand, you can certainly stay ahead of your child's learning.

Our general society today believes that teachers and schools are better equipped to teach students how to become useful adults then their parents are.  This is interesting because, they do not trust the students they turned out to then teach a new set of students to be a useful adult.  This school system TAUGHT YOU, and if they did their job, then you CAN teach your child.  If you add that ability to the love, respect, and dedication that parents have for their children, you now have the perfect combination for the BEST teacher for your child.

So, that's why I think you should homeschool.  Not because the public school is going to teach your child to hate your religion, or because I think that they won't learn anything if they go there.  Public school is a GREAT option for your child.  But, it should be just that...an option.  The back-up plan.  Because there is no place BETTER then home.

I'm so glad you stopped by!  I hope you will come by to checkout the rest of my series.  Tomorrow, I will be going over the 'new homeschooler's checklist.'  And, no, it's not a list of things to buy :).

Also, be sure to check out the other 89 blogs that are participating in this blog hop!!  That should keep you busy all the way until tomorrow!  You get to them by clicking the banner below.

God Bless,
Lisa

5 Days of Beginning the Homeschool Journey

I am so very excited to be participating in the Schoolhouse Crew 5 day blog cruise.  I get a lot of people asking me about how to homeschool, so I thought I would create this 5 day series to answer all of the general questions I receive.  This way, I can direct them to these answers when they ask :).  You may be considering homeschooling, or know someone who is, so I hope that this series will be of help to you, too!

This week I will be answering questions such as Where do I start? What do I buy? What curriculum do I use?What about socialization? plus a lot more things you probably haven't even thought of.

The line up of titles are:

1.  Why you SHOULD homeschool (for those of you on the fence)-the non public school bashing reasons to keep your children home.

2.  The new homeschooler's questionnaire.

3. The new homeschooler's questionnaire's cheat sheet.

4.  Just begun is half done.  Mary Poppins on homeschooling.

5.  Debunking the myths of homeschooling, and accepting the truths.

I do hope you will join me this week!  If you don't already, you might want to consider subscribing to my blog to be sure you don't miss any of the series.  But, either way, please pass on this info to anyone you know looking to start their homeschool journey.

Thanks so much!!

God Bless,
Lisa