I Am Still Posting Here

Hello Everyone. I know that I have been absent for a long time again, but the hustle and bustle of getting everything accomplished to become the approved foster parents of this wonderful, energetic little boy is finally complete, and I should be able to post here more regularly again. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

So, for today's post I am going to begin a series of posts on "Homeschooling: Questions You Should Ask?" from a little pamphlet that I received with my Old Schoolhouse magazine.

"Are you new to homeschooling and feeling a little terrified? Have you been homeschooling for a while but feel overwhelmed? Are you considering homeschooling but not sure it's the right choice?"

Perhaps you're wondering about curriculum, your teaching style, your child's learning style, or maybe just how to schedule it all in on top of the regular household duties?

First, relax and realize that God has called you to this road less traveled and He will provide what is necessary for your journey. There is no "one size fits all" in homeschooling -- no singular "right" way to provide an education for your children. there are as many varied methods as there are families who homeschool, and they are all doing the job extremely well.

It can still be overwhelming to look down that long road of homeschooling when your vantage point is the starting line. One of the first things to do is establish your thoughts and make some goals. Let's begin to answer some basic questions by asking a few more:

VALUES AND VIEWPOINTS
What are your valuse and viewpoints (your "philosophy") of education--in other words, in the long run, what is important to you and your family? What do you want the education of your children to achieve for them? Write it down. Do you want them well educated in man's wisdom in order to be able to answer every man? Do you want them well educated in God's precepts? Do you want them to eventually go to college, or do you prefer apprenticeship? Are you in favor of workbooks, or would you rather have your child's interests direct the way? What are your personal convictions? How will they fit into your educational goals?

PROCESS
what exactly do you want to accomplish this year with your children? What do you need in terms of books and supplies to fit with what you want to accomplish? For example, if you have a second grader who is not reading yet, your goal may be to teach that child to read. How you do that depends on the curriculum you choose, the learning style the child has, and the resources available. Will you use a book or will you make your own flash cards? Will you use a few workbook pages a day, or will you read and have them sound things out with you? Are they coming home from public or private school? They may be used to a more organized, workbook format. When you have a plan, you can begin looking at how to accomplish that plan with what curriculum, if any. sit down with your spouse to discuss and pray about your educational goals for each child each year, and then write them down.

This will be continued tomorrow with the topics: PERSONALITY, GETTING PRACTICAL, GETTING SUPPORT, and FOR THE TEACHER. This article was written by Deborah Wuehler.