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New To Homeschooling?

When my husband, Dave, asked me to inform him about homeschooling he first wanted to know IF I could homeschool & then he wanted to know HOW I would homeschool.

The question is IF you can homeschool.

1)     Pray. Now that the most important thing is done, take a cleansing breath and try and relax. Read a book about homeschooling. Pray. Join a local homeschooling group (or two). Pray. Enjoy learning with your kids. Keep praying. 

2)       Indiana Laws

Please visit the Homeschool Legal Defense Association.  They are a true advocate for Homeschoolers nation wide. http://www.hslda.com

3)     This body of research was very helpful in our decision.  This is an online report about the way people homeschool & results of it compared to the kids in school.

a)       http://nche.hslda.org/docs/study/rudner1999/Rudner0.asp

4)     Making the decision

a)     Considerations in homeschooling

(1)     http://www.homehearts.com/Considerations.html

b)       Emotional Pitfalls of homeschooling – you may as well know what you’re getting yourself in for – and what to do to avoid common mistakes.

(1)     http://www.homefires.com/farticles/7mistakes.html  (This is an excellent article)

(2)     http://homeschoolreviews.com/cgi-bin/2x6/discuss.pl?noframes;read=6077

c)      How do I start homeschooling? (& a TON of other articles on getting started):

(1)     http://www.texashomeeducators.com/helpineed.htm

(2)     http://homeschoolcentral.com/new.htm

(3)     http://homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/index.htm

The next question is HOW will you homeschool?

Curriculum Choices:

5)     At first it all seems VERY overwhelming.  It helps to know 3 things before you buy curriculum.  Keep in mind:

Ø      Your goals for their education (often answering the question “why do we want to homeschool” helps with this element.)

Ø      Your teaching style.  Very often this is how you learn & do things best.  (Do you always use directions when you put together a project, or dive in.  Do you prefer reading a book on how to do something, watching videos, discussing it with a friend, or getting your hands dirty and just doing it?)

Ø      Your child’s strengths (which you know better than anyone).  This is called learning syle

a)     Goals : What are your goals in considering homeschooling, or “Why are we doing this to ourselves?”

(1)     http://www.nhen.org/newhser/default.asp?id=228

(2)     http://www.lovetolearnplace.com/HomeSchoolFacts/reasonstohomeschool.html

(3)     If you write down some of the answers you come to, and put it on your bathroom mirror and your refrigerator, you’ll be able to answer some of the rest of the questions you may have.

b)     Teaching Style : Here’s a test to take to find your teaching style – it tells you what kind of homeschool you’d be best at.

(1)     http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/6823/Test1234.htm (this is directed for Catholic homeschoolers, but as long as you put the assessment into the following categories, it can apply to anyone.)

(a)     Traditional—Textbook/workbook approach, emphasizing reading, writing, grammar, and spelling through drill and practice.

(b)     Classical—Following the medieval “trivium,” a child’s education progresses from fundamental facts and skills to logic and advanced language abilities. Students study the great works of Western literature.

(c)     Unit studies (instructor-designed thematic studies)—Progress in several disciplines is woven around a particular theme.

(d)     Unschooling / Child-directed / Delight-directed—Allowing a child to learn by encouraging and equipping him to pursue his own interests (guided or unguided exploration).

(2)     http://www.svha.net/LooksLike/index.htm

(3)     http://www.texashomeeducators.com/Approachestoed.htm

c)      Learning Style : These are articles on what kind of learning style your child has.  This can help you narrow down your curriculum (you wouldn’t buy workbooks for a rowdy 7yr old boy who has to touch everything and can’t sit still, you’d buy a hands-on curriculum, etc.)

(1)     http://www.homeschoolchristian.com/FAQ/Styles.html

(2)     http://www.chaminade.org/inspire/learnstl.htm

6)     Curriculum – NOW that you have a clue, you can start to look at curriculum choices

a)     This is a well-respected author on choosing curriculum that’s right for you.
http://www.cathyduffyreviews.com/index.html

7)     How do I get it all done?

a)       http://www.titus2.com/ Managers of Their Homes is a book that helps you ‘fit it all in’.

b)  It seems overwhelming at first (and sometimes second) glance, but with some organization in place, things go much smoother.

8)     Homeschool Organizations:

a)       Fort Wayne Area Homeschool http://www.fwahs.org/ puts out a terrific schedule of events for opportunities for your kids.

i)         If you can get your hands on a recent copy of The Homemade News, you’ll be impressed with some of the opportunities for your children in the homeschool community! FWAHS is $14/yr with a discount if you sign up at the Resource Expo

ii)       They also put together orientation meetings where you can get more info & ask questions.   The dates are on their website.

9)       Homeschool Legal Defense Association

a)       http://www.hslda.org/ has great information about each state. If you want to join, there's a discount through FWAHS.

i)         They have a free pamphlet you can sign up to get, “You Can Homeschool.”

10)   Indiana Association of Home Educators