HomeSchool - Layton,UT

Hi C.,
I am so excited for you and your children! Home education is a wonderful adventure! We enjoy it so much. I think a huge advantage that you have is that you already have realized that it is not merely "school at home." Most of us have to detox from that thinking, and it can take years to get it out of your thinking/philosophy.
I have been homeschooling for 14 years now. I love how it encompasses all of life, not just textbooks and notebooks. One thing I have found is that the character building is almost automatic because you are together all the time, daily. But, not just their character building. Mine too. ;) We are a team, and we do things together. The olders love the littles. I often "catch" one of the older kids teaching one of the youngers something. I love that. The youngers really look up to the olders and they want to learn from them. They do not have sibling rivalry, feuding, etc. because they are best friends. Are things perfect? No. Do we have bad days? Yes. But, overall, we have wonderful harmony with each other. And, they have a lot of time to develop personal interests. We have the flexibility to do things at odd times when others are strapped to a desk. Feel free to send me a message if you have any specific questions. Enjoy the journey!!

My first advice is you CAN make homeschool fun! Anything you can make fun, do it! I remember my daughter was having trouble counting by two's. We worked and worked on it but she wasn't getting it. So one day we got out all the shoes in the house and made a long line of them. Not only was that fun, but she "got" counting by two's that day! Sometimes kids just need to "see" something before they get it.

My second advice is it's okay to drop something they are totally not getting and pick it up later. My daughter was having trouble with telling time. It was causing tears and frustration on both of our parts so I dropped it. We picked it up 3 months later and she learned it no problem! Sometimes the mind just has to mature to a certain point before they get something. Just waiting a few months can make all the difference. I didn't do anything different when we picked it up later, she was just ready to learn it then.

Also, keep the "big picture" in mind. Some things we move slow on, others quick. The big picture is that she will have all the knowledge she needs by the time she graduates high school. How we get there, when we get there--it doesn't matter! I used to get all worried that she wasn't "at grade level" in some areas. It seems like we move fast, then slow, then fast on subjects and you never know when the "leap" is going to take place and she rockets ahead. This is her journey, and she's going to take it at her own pace. She'll reach her destination in her own way!

Have fun, and good luck!

There is an art and a science to teaching. It's not just about covering content, but it's also about understanding developmental stages of cognition, behavioral development, teaching strategies for various types of learners, etc. To be good at it, it requires study and preparation, not to mention a knowledge of how to assess what your kids are learning and then use that information to tailor the curriculum and methods accordingly.

To be the best teacher you can be, I would recommend picking up some classes here and there to develop some of these skills.

Good luck in your venture.

We've been homeschooling for almost two years now, and so far we love it. Like you said, there are so many approaches that sometimes it gets a little overwhelming; you just have to decide which approach you want to take and go with it. Remember, you can always change it later if you find it doesn't work for you. We are "ecletic" homeschoolers; meaning that we let the kids choose what they would like to study and base our work on their interests, but we also make sure to cover subjects they need to know (like math). My best advice to you is to try and find a homeschooling group nearby where you are. It is a great way to get advice, find out what great activities for homeschoolers are in your area (field trips!) and find other homeschoolers for your child to become friends with.

Also, try not to get overwhelmed, and don't be too hard on yourself. Sometimes we are gung-ho when we start and then get burned out when what we intended to accomplish doesn't match what actually happens. The first year of homeschooling is a learning experience; you experiment with what kind of schedule and routine works best with your kids. Some days are great, some days are not-so-great. It really helps to find support with other parents so you can feel like you aren't the only one in the world who is homeschooling. There are online groups that are great, and a local homeschooling group helps in this way, too. I could write a whole essay, but I won't because it would probably be incredibly boring. :-) Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions. Good luck, and have fun homeschooling!

When I first started my "bible" was The Well Trained Mind from Susan Wise Bauer.
She gives very practical advice, I still follow most of what she lays out.
THe hardest part for me was to let go of the public school curriculum. I pulled my daughter out in 5th, my son in 3rd.

Hear is my daughter's story.
When you work on a concept that is really hard, word problems for instance, and they get it, they learn that yes they can do anything. We took over 2 weeks covering word problems, it was grueling for both of us. But one day she "got it". She was so proud, so happy to be able to do the assignment. Since then she has persevered through a lot tougher problems and is tackling Algebra this year. THis confidence has spilled over into other areas of her life, her swimming, fencing, art, youth group.

Our Youth group leader actually said that my daughter was the one who jumped in with both feet, ready to tackle anything. Three years ago she would melt in a puddle and say No I can't. Before she was the one people looked out for because she was so frail, now they look up to her as a leader. She is still physically frail, but she stands up for what is right and helps out whenever she can.

C.,

Congrats on your decision to Home School. I am a home schooling Mom for 7 years now. If you want to personal message me any time, please feel free.

My first recommendation is to make sure what your state requires. In Texas we have the Texas Homeschool Coalition website to keep us updated on all things homeschool. After you determine what those requirements are, you are free to roam around the homeschool arena.

Please know to take it slow. You will make curriculum/scheduling choices that you will probably change your mind about. That's part of your learning curve and ALL homeschooling Moms have done it (and being completely honest continue to do so). I've done research, knew I was picking "the curriculum" and then it was not a good fit at all. Mainly you have to allow yourself those opportunities to learn. Learn how your children learn. I have one child who is an avid reader and the other not so much. I have one who is more auditory in learning. You will soon make aha moments when it clicks with you what works best for your family. Every family is different as well, so don't think there's something wrong with what you're doing if you need to make changes.

There are a lot of different "methods" in homeschooling. You can do as little or as much prep as you'd like. There are curriculums out there that you can buy the whole year for your student and be done. Some you can do completely online. The method I chose is the Charlotte Mason method of education. You can learn about it on the web. I have a 12 and 8 year old and it works well with us. A great book to look at is Cathy Duffy's Top 100 Picks. She gives a summary of the curriculums and also a great little tool to determine what kind of learners live at your house :) Depending on the size of your local library, it might be available there. If not, check half.com, ebay, or you could buy it new at Barnes & Noble or another book store. I use christianbook.com a lot for my curriculum. Right now they are running some really good sales getting back to the school routine.

I don't know if you have any homeschool conventions coming near you this late in the season, but that would be good to plan for next year if not. There you can see all kinds of curriculum all together. Each vendor has their own booth and can answer questions you have which is really nice too. It's also very nice to be in the company of other homeschoolers.

Lastly, I would encourage you to join a local homeschooling group. In Texas we have TONS of them. They usually meet once or twice a month, have an encouraging speaker, the kids have a lot of fun together and you can learn so much from others who are on this adventure as well.

Again, I know this is long and kind of vague. But if you want more specifics, encouragement or if there's ANYTHING I can help you with, please don't hesitate to message me. Blessings to you as you start this wonderful journey!

L.