—Homeschooling Mom in Montana

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How to Start Homeschooling in 8 Easy Steps

Choose a Method

You know the saying: "If you aim at nothing you are sure to hit it." Goals ought to be at least thought out if not also written down. Ask yourself: What do I hope to accomplish? What do I want my child to know by the end of the school year? Now, I realize that some of us are born goal-setters. We like a plan. We like those to-do lists that we can cross off. Others are better "firefighters". You rise to the occasion when the pressure is on and expertly deal with one crisis after another. We goal setters have much to learn from our firefighter friends, for they are usually relaxed and much better at spontaneity. So I approach this subject with trepidation, knowing that a firefighter out there may be thinking, Goal setting, huh? Easy for you to say!

But if you first consider why you are homeschooling and what you hope to accomplish, you will be better able to select a curriculum. If you want to focus on developing your child's character, for example, a curriculum based on character traits, such as Bill Gothard's Advanced Training Institute or KONOS (see table) would be appropriate. If your child enjoys history but needs motivation to read, you might find that History Through Literature fits the bill.

Every summer when I am planning the curricula for the fall, I write down goals for myself -- as a wife, a mother, and a teacher. Then I write down goals for each of my four children in the areas of physical, spiritual, character, and academic growth. My daughter was weak in mathematics, so my goal for her was to become more proficient in her math facts. My son is less outgoing than is his sister, so my character-goal for him was to work at shaking hands and making eye contact with people.

It also helps to consider your child's learning style, the number of children you are homeschooling, and your own frustration level. I homeschool three of my children (Anna is only 3) and did not want to use separate texts for history, science, and geography. Also, I considered how kinesthetic my daughters are. They need to touch, feel, and experience. All of these considerations led me to choose KONOS because I could integrate all subjects (except phonics and math) into one, and we could all do projects together. Another mom might consider KONOS too frustrating because of the extensive planning and preparation it requires. In short, anyone can homeschool. We don't all wear blue and bake our own bread. Every parent is different and every child is different. Wonderfully, you can find a curriculum for almost every need and style.

You can easily get confused when you hear about the many different methods of homeschooling. One person says that formal education is anathema and that children learn best from everyday life experiences. Someone else says that students should do seatwork for three hours a day, six days a week. You hear that grammar isn't necessary if the child reads widely. Then you hear a lecture on classical education that recommends spending an hour a day on grammar. The bottom line is -- there is no one right way. Choose a method that appeals to you, fits your children's learning styles, and works well with your family's schedule. The following table summarizes the most common methods and lists resources for each.

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