The Path to Success
So, you have made the decision to educate your children at home. Congratulations! Before taking the next step, think about the things you shouldn't do. One of the biggest mistakes we make is following current logic or someone else's idea of what is best. Your family has been uniquely designed with a specific purpose in mind. Pray for wisdom in following that purpose as you educate yourself.
The secret to success. As you learn about homeschooling, you will find families who have found success using the Classical approach or following Charlotte Mason's teachings, or by combining methods to create an entirely new approach. But copying others will not bring your family success. The success of your homeschool will depend on how well you do what they did - follow God's design for your homeschool.
Don't let the curriculum form your philosophy. One message many users of the homeschooling message boards see over and over from newcomers is some version of "I've decided to homeschool. What curriculum should I buy?" The responses are generally helpful in pointing out that choosing a curriculum is not the logical place to start. Your curriculum will be your tool - it should not determine your philosophy; rather, it should compliment it. Your curriculum will also fit your children and how they learn. It definitely won't determine that! Work out your philosophy or goals first; your curriculum choices will fall into place.
Give yourself enough time to prepare before you start. There are many things to determine once you have made the decision to educate your children at home. There are methodologies, styles, scopes, sequences, materials, schedules, state laws, evaluations...and expectations. Jumping in with both feet without knowing where you will land can lead to disappointment and frustration for both the parents and the children. Take the time to investigate the world of homeschooling. Take the time to prayerfully develop your approach. Start slow, and enjoy the journey.
Don't bring "school" home. Most of us instinctively gravitate toward the familiar. We have our own idea of what education is, based at least partly on what "school" was for us. This leads many to start their homeschool experience by bringing those influences home. Realize that in a one-on-one tutorial situation there is no need for busywork. To find out if a concept has been understood, a simple conversation can replace a quiz. Historical dates and facts can come alive through rich literature. Grade levels, a modern invention to help manage an increasingly large number of children in an institutionalized setting, are meaningless in the home. Bringing school home will put you on the fast track to burnout!
Don't follow the latest trend. Not unlike fad diets, there seems to be a new homeschooling trend every year. Jumping on the bandwagon can leave you and your children feeling frustrated and disoriented - not to mention the adverse effects on your pocketbook. As more people educate their children at home, more people are looking for and developing approaches that will fit their circumstances. The key is to investigate these approaches on their merits, pick out the concepts that will be useful in your own circumstances and walk away from the rest. One of the beauties of homeschooling is the individualization of the process. One size definitely does NOT fit all!
Don't try to implement everything at once. You've done your research. You've determined your approach. You've carefully chosen your curriculum to reflect your philosophy. Everything arrives in the mail and you start the next day. Not long after, you realize the math program you selected is taking two times longer to complete than you had planned. Language arts would have worked better if you had more time to help the youngest with reading instead of parsing sentences with the oldest. History is far too time-consuming to allow for the science you had planned to occur on the same day. There simply is no time left for the music program you selected. This scenario can be avoided very simply - by implementing one subject or project at a time. Doing so will provide the time you need to tweak your plans before becoming mired down in them and ensure that the methods you have chosen in a given subject will work within the grander scheme of things.
Don't over-extend. Most homeschoolers go out of their way to provide opportunities for their children outside the home. While most of our efforts in this area stem from a desire to provide the best for our children, we can also fall victim to self-doubts propagated by the world's idea of what is best for our children. Before we know it, we run a shuttle service from one opportunity to another leaving little time for family, lessons or worship. Rarely is "more" better; and this would be one of those cases. Instead of filling the schedule with too many extra-curricular opportunities, select one meaningful activity outside the home per child. Or better yet, select one or two activities the entire family can be involved in!
Further Reading
- 10 Mistakes Made by Homeschooling Mamas
"...[S]ometimes, as mamas, we can feel defeated, lost in the process, exhausted, overwhelmed, confused, and frustrated. Do we need to feel condemned? No! Hallelujah, the Lord has made a way for us to 'not lose heart in doing good' (Gal. 6:9, 2 Thes. 3:13), acknowledge Him in all our ways (Prov. 3:5-6), and persevere while looking 'not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen' (2 Cor. 4:16-18), as well as many more truths and promises in God that we can hang on to." Ways to avoid the pitfalls by Maranatha Chapman. - 16 Mistakes Homeschool Moms Make
Cindy Downes lists the 16 greatest mistakes homeschool moms make. - A Christ-Centered Home
Are we relying to heavily on a program or "experts" in our home schools? By Tamara Eaton from CHFWeb.net - Advice for a New Homeschooler
"Most new homeschooling families are worried about finding the best math curriculum or English curriculum. As a veteran who has been there done that, the number one thing to be concerned about is not teaching math or science. It is teaching the heart of your children to love virtue." Welcomed advice from seasoned homeschooler, Christine Miller. - Advice to a New Home School Mom
"We wish we would have clearly settled our resolves from the very beginning of our home schooling. Definite goals would have given us greater strength and courage on the difficult days. Now that our purposes are clearly established we know why we are doing what we are doing, therefore, the how comes naturally. Now we encourage families to teach reading, writing, and arithmetic within the framework of strong relationships, reasoning from the Biblical world view, and clearly established resolves. Then your children will be fully equipped to enter the 21st century." The Quines explain how three different R's - relationships, reasoning and resolves - are essential to the successful homeschool. - From Confusion to Confidence
"...despite my knowledge, purchase and use of the newest and best that the world of home education had to offer my children, uncertainty pursued me. Like a wave of the ocean, I surged upward with each new approach to learning, then sank down as my hopes were not fulfilled. With the second year rolling to a close, my plight became apparent to me: I was awash in a sea of curriculum confusion." What it is - and how to avoid it! Great advice from Camilla Leedahl. - Help! I Have No Idea Where to Begin Homeschooling!
"God has a word for every problem, every need, and every step of our way. The best news that I have for you is that God has a word for you on homeschooling as well!" From getting started, to goal setting, and scheduling this article by Cindy Rushton will put you on the path to success!