How to Start Homeschooling in 8 Easy Steps
by Gail FelkerChoose a curriculum and plan a schedule.
If you delight in planning hands-on projects, it's out there. If you'd rather open a teacher's book and say, "Today we're going to..." -- it's out there. I recommend collecting catalogs and becoming familiar with everything available. First, decide the subjects you wish to cover. Traditional textbooks have that already figured out for you. If you choose a different route, you need to look at a standard scope and sequence. These are available from books, your state department of education, or as a last resort your local school district. The Core Knowledge Sequence by E. D. Hirsch (The Core Knowledge Foundation (800) 238-3233) covers what should be studied at each grade level. In the elementary years you should hit the 3 Rs hard (unless you choose the delayed academics approach or one classical method which delays the study of math.) Once again, decide on a method but understand that it's perfectly okay to change methods when you try one that isn't working. All of us have partially-used curricula on our shelves that just didn't fit us.
Cost is another factor to consider when choosing curricula. According to Dr. Brian Ray in Strengths of Their Own (NHERI Publications, 1997), homeschoolers spend, on average, $546 per child. That is, of course, a fraction of what states spend on public school students and a fraction of the cost of private-school tuition. But many homeschoolers have done it successfully on less. When planning your budget, include outside lessons such as piano or dance. Ask your state homeschool organization about used-curriculum fairs and don't forget to utilize your local library. Remember, you can sometimes reuse a curriculum with younger siblings or sell it when you're finished. Here are some books that list curricula and resources:
The Complete Home Learning Source Book by Rebecca Rupp (Crown) Big Book of Home Learning by Mary Pride (Crossways Books) The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling by Debra Bell (Tommy Nelson) The Christian Home Educator's Curriculum Manual by Cathy Duffy (Grove, 2 vol.)
Next, write out a schedule for a typical week. This helps you pull it all together and plan how you will manage. You will soon discover that there are very few days that you strictly follow your schedule, but at least you have a routine developed. Experience helps you roll with the interruptions and accept those interruptions as character-building lessons for your entire family. Here is a diary of a recent morning in the Felker household:
| Time | Activity |
| 6:30 | I awake and go downstairs to read my Bible, pray, and have a cup of tea. |
| 7:00 | My two youngest children awake and toddle down to play together. I begin breakfast preparations. |
| 7:30 | I call the rest of the clan to come and eat. My dad is visiting us and joins us at the table. He, my husband Steve, and my son Ben want to go fishing today, so I announce that we'll have a shortened school day. (Believe me -- the children are NOT crying with disappointment!) |
| 8:00 | The children head back upstairs to do morning chores while I put together a lunch for the men. Chores consist of getting dressed, making beds, straightening bedrooms, feeding pets, bringing down laundry, and collecting the garbage. |
| 9:00 | Ben (11) and Rachael (9) begin their math while I give a phonics lesson to Lydia (5). My dad helps Anna (3) paint on the easel. She's eating up the one-on-one attention! |
| 10:00 | We all meet on the front porch to read Homer Price. I read aloud while the children listen. Then I send Rachael across the street to the general store to pick up a newspaper. Ben and Rachael look through the want ads and choose a job for which to "apply." Their assignment is to write a mock letter of inquiry explaining why they would be good for the job. |
| 11:30 | By this time Steve returns from his duties at the office and begins collecting the fishing equipment. Ben and Dad hurry to load the boat onto the van. The girls and I wave goodbye and wish them luck. I pray a prayer of thankfulness for the flexibility homeschooling affords us to allow my son go off on a school day with his dad and grandpa. Ben doesn't get to his other lessons today, but that precious relational-time with the men in his life is the best lesson of all. |
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