Homeschooling Part 4: How Do You Homeschool With Little Ones?

How Do You Homeschool With Little Ones?

I'm not going to lie and say it's easy. You are going to have to get creative. I recommend homeschooling blocks of time while the little ones are napping. I have also found having certain toys, books, and activities that are only for when you're homeschooling help too. I have seen some families make-up a box for each day of the week that has different activities and toys in it. They rotate the boxes to keep things fresh. But remember that homeschooling isn't your child sitting at a desk while you are writing on a chalkboard. You can even school at a park where your toddler or preschooler can play while you're working on math. Truth be told, I've done school at a restaurant like Chic-Fil-A.

Do I Need A Teaching Degree To Homeschool?

There are some more heavily regulated states that offer options if you are a parent holding a teaching degree, but none flat out require it. A teaching degree will not make you more capable of homeschooling your own child. In fact, that can make it harder because teachers are trained to teach in a classroom. That may not work for some children and can be a hard mindset to change. But I have seen some teachers switch to homeschool coop teaching with great success.

Remember you already learned this stuff and what you don't remember you can refresh your memory and learn alongside your children. You already have a greater love and commitment to your child or children than any school teacher could possibly have. Now don't get me wrong, I don't want to badmouth teachers. I had some great ones in school and I have friends who are wonderful teachers who love their classes. But a parent's love is usually going to trump that a 1,000 times over. You have an instinct inside of you to help your children succeed. That qualifies you from the get-go.

How Do I Choose A Curriculum?

I know the choices out there can be a bit overwhelming. But from a veteran's point of view, it is amazing that we have all these choices now. 

First, you'll need to sit down with your spouse and decide what your goals are. What is your vision for homeschooling? Then decide what kind of learner your child or children are; do they learn best by hearing, seeing or doing? This will give you a foundation for what you want to look for in your curriculum. Of course, researching on the internet is a lot of help, talking to other homeschooling families is great too. If you can get to a homeschool convention and talk to curriculum authors, touch the curriculums and test things out-this will help tremendously. Just set a budget and take someone with you that will help you stick to it!

I Don't Think I Have The Patience Or That My Child Would Listen To Me. What Can I Do? 

I hear these things a lot. I even hesitated to add this in, but it is a valid statement and question.  Patience isn't everyone's strong suit. Some parents may become frustrated when one of the kids just isn't getting something that seems simple and you may have explained in 13 different ways. Yeah, it happens. As you get older and more experienced, it will happen less. But let me ask you this, do you think that teachers are always patient and never frustrated? Can you honestly say you never remember a teacher raising their voice or being impatient with you during your entire school experience? 

Think about that when it comes to your child not listening to you when you homeschool. This is a discipline issue and not just on the child's side. Clearly, the child in question doesn't listen already and you're not ready to battle homeschooling on top of the other daily battles. I understand that. 

I can see this issue two ways. First, you need to get your discipline issue taken care of. I'm not talking about punishment; I'm talking about setting boundaries and expectations for you and your kids and following through on those. Each family runs differently but you must deal with that issue. However let me say, you can do that in your homeschooling time too. Often some of these issues are resolved when outside influences from school are removed too. 

Is It Expensive To Homeschool?

Homeschooling can certainly be expensive, but it doesn't have to be. There are so many options with homeschooling. You can buy used through your homeschooling group, curriculum sales and online through sites like Home School Classifieds. There are even sites now where you can rent curriculum like Yellow School House Book Rental. How cool is that?

There are websites, books, and articles to homeschooling on a budget, shoestring or free. You set your budget and make the curriculum choices work for you. Now if you have an unlimited income source, well you can have a lot of fun shopping too! 

What Subjects Am I Required To Teach?

This is something you will definitely need to check out for your home state. Each has its own requirements and they do differ some. I think it is safe to say that math and reading are generally required. Some will have a PE requirement others don't. Make sure to get clarification on subjects like social studies.

Is There Any Funding For HomeSchooling?

At this time I am not aware of any government funding for homeschooling. I don't think most homeschooling parents want this because it gives the government the same sort of control or access to your school as a public school. So that's something to consider. Now I do know that many states have a public school at home option like K12 are available in every state and most have a state-funded option. So your child will be using a curriculum of their choosing and learning virtually through online classrooms and software. 

Do I Need TO Keep Records?

Yes and No. It will depend on your state's regulations. If you don't have specific requirements I would say keep the best examples of your children's work in elementary and middle school. You could decide you don't need to keep anything for those years and that's fine if your state allows it. However, should your homeschooling ever come under investigation it is good to have some proof that it occurred. You could even go high-tech and just keep an electronic copy of what they've done. Things getting a little more serious in high school and you'll need to decide, based on your teaching and curriculum approach, what you'll keep and how you'll configure your transcripts. Most colleges are homeschool-friendly but they won't take your transcripts without some testing, but everyone tests. Some states even require that you keep attendance...this puzzles me but there you go.

Will My Kids Need To Take Any Standardized Tests?

There are states that require it; however, the majority do not. These tests can be a handy tool that you may want to employ from time to time for your own information. Please don't be afraid of the results. It is good to know that some kids test well while others do not. 

Will My Child Need To Take A GED To Pass High School?

No. I am not aware of any state that requires a homeschooling student to take and pass the GED to be considered graduated, Each state's requirements are different for graduation. Some you simply issue a diploma and they are graduated. I do think that if your high schooler is planning on attending a college that you need to have them take the SAT, ACT or both. These scores often weigh more greatly than your home produced transcripts.

Tune in for Part 5: What About Socialization?

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Homeschooling Part 3: Why Do People Choose To Homeschool?

Why do people choose to homeschool?

This is the question. I think an entire book could be written on why people choose to homeschool. I think that the base for most families is they feel like they want more input and power over the content, curriculum, and lessons that their children are involved in every day. Others want the freedom that homeschooling can offer as far as scheduling, traveling, activities; or simply have a more child-directed learning atmosphere. Other parents simply want to be a greater influence on their child's life than the school system and peers; which may be based in religious and/or political preferences and beliefs. 

What are the benefits of homeschooling?

I touched on that in the first question with the freedoms, more input on curriculum, etc. But homeschooling offers one on one teaching that can be specifically tailored to each student's strengths and interest. 

Most homeschooling parents will tell you that they are homeschooling for full life experience and not for their child to take a test. However, the majority of homeschool students are showing that they are excelling past their public and private school counterparts. Homeschooling also allows a lot of flexibility to pursue extracurricular activities like music, sports, art, drama, 4h, scouting and so much more. 

Additionally, many homeschool families will tell you that they are a closer family unit because of their time together. And hey, you can vacation when other schools are in session and miss the crowds. 

Is Homeschooling Legal In My State?

Homeschooling is actually legal in all 50 states. However, each state has its own set of laws and regulations regarding homeschooling.  I always recommended starting with Homeschool Legal Defense Association for information on a particular state's laws. I do think joining HSLDA is a good idea too; it is good protection for you personally and because they do a lot for the homeschooling at large. You can also check with your local school administration but don't be surprised if you get some discouraging or disparaging remarks. 

What If My Child Wants To Learn Something I am Not Able To Teach?

This is a real concern, especially when you get into high school. I can say that options for subjects you don't feel like you can teach are plentiful, depending on your area. From computer programs to coops to classes, there are many helps for the homeschooling families. You may be able to find a friend, family member or a fellow homeschooling mom that is willing and able to teach topics you are not familiar with. I have found that I can learn alongside y children in many areas. 

Husband/Wife Doesn't Want To Homeschool, Now What?

Homeschooling is a family project. When one of the spouses isn't on board, that is going to make things tough; and that first year is tough enough. 

But I would suggest showing them some statistics, articles and information. Then I would say having them meet some homeschooling families would be a good way of normalizing homeschooling. I think seeing that stats will help with feeling like the kids can get a solid education. Then meeting some families will allow them to see that the kids aren't freaks. 

Stay Tuned To Homeschooling Part 4: How Do You Homeschool With Little Ones?

Homeschooling Part 2: Homeschooling and Learning: What Do You Believe?

Now that we have discussed they why of your homeschooling decisions and some various methods of homeschooling, in this blog we will be looking at some philosophies of education that may shape your choice of homeschooling methods.

Some methods and philosophies may overlap. For example, unschooling is really a philosophy of education because it has to do with how you believe children learn best, but I mentioned it in the last post about methods because it is also a way to homeschool.

Your philosophy of education really has to do with how you believe children learn best and how that affects your style or method of teaching.

Many traditional philosophies of education view the student as the passive learner while the teacher is the active one who imparts knowledge. This is why workbooks, textbooks, and lectures feature prominently as traditional methods of education. The teacher presents information in a carefully scripted way, and the student hears the information and regurgitates it on worksheets or tests.

The classical education philosophy suggests that children learn by training of the mind. This philosophy purposes that children move through three basic levels of learning called the "trivium." This philosophy focuses on different methods during the different stages of learning. For example, the first stage is an absorption of the facts so lots of memorization methods would be used.

Many homeschoolers subscribe to a Charlotte Manson philosophy of education. Charlotte Manson lived in England in the early 1900s. She wrote about a "gentle" philosophy of education where children are allowed to learn and discover things in a natural way during their early years. Charlotte Mason's philosophy was "Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life." Proponents of this philosophy read good, classic, "living" books and use methods such as narration, copywork, picture study, and nature study to teach in a gentle and natural way. You can read about Charlotte Manson and get her original six volumes in modern English, and get a free Charlotte Manson curriculum guide at Ambleside Online.

We have only skimmed the surface here, but these are some of the prominent philosophies of education that homeschoolers are drawing from today. Again, the first and foremost question goes back to your focus. Why are you homeschooling? This will affect your choice of methods and your educational philosophy. 

Resources:

Most unit studies cover all areas of the curriculum except math. Konos and Alpha Omega's Weaver are two Bible-based packaged unit studies. Mystery of History is a popular history based unit study. Sonlight is a popular literature-based unit study curriculum. My Father's World also uses great literature and is a unit study curriculum based on history cycles. Hands Of A Child offers laptop packages for many different unit studies. Homeschool Share has free unit study and lapbooking ideas.

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