A1:  --- Home schooling is done in a "tutorial" method of teaching. That means that even if there is more than one child in your home, you still will spend far more time with them on any given subject than any teacher would be able to spend with them in the "traditional" classroom. Through observation and survey, I have found that the typical teacher has about 3-5 minutes per day to spend privately with each of the students in her classroom- and that's the maximum, by the teacher's own admission!! As you can see, we parents who home school will have much more time to spend individually with each of our children each and every school day.

-- As the parent/teacher, you will begin to know the strengths and weaknesses in every subject area (and character area) of each of your children. If there is something they have caught on to, and you know for sure that they know this concept inside out, then you will be able to skip over the "busywork" presented in the book. If your child has a weak area, and the book is moving on to something else, you have the luxury to be able to stop, go back, and go over and over this area with your child, until he or she does "get it." Your children therefore will have a much greater understanding of the basics, and will develop more studious habits, and good character qualities, by observing you, and working with you daily.

__  As the Scripture says in Proverbs 9:10, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding." As parent/teacher, you are in charge of the selection of materials for your home school. Therefore, you are free to teach the most important thing to your children, and that is the knowledge of the Scriptures, and lead them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. You can choose materials that are based on Scripture. You can include spiritual training every day in your home school. In fact, we have always had an "unwritten" rule in our home school. If the day is going badly, and we don't have time to get anything done, our first choice will be the Bible. After that, the children must have a strong base in reading, spelling, writing, and math. The other subjects of course are important, but with the base of the Bible and then the base subjects, everything else will follow.

--  Because home schooling takes less time than the classroom, your children will have many extra hours available for service, and to explore their interests. Use these extra hours for computer work, music, art, physical activity, serving in the community, such as nursing homes, and career exploration. Get your older children into an apprenticeship with a local Christian businessman if possible. The possibilities are endless.

--  You will be able to control any destructive influences that may be present in the local school. Some of these areas are: temptation to sin, secular humanism, false teachings, and occult influences such as the New Age Movement. You are also able to shield your children from negative peer pressure in an unsafe environment. Parents are directed in God's Word to protect their children. We can do a great job of that through home schooling.

--  Without the negative peer pressure to conform to the world, the children in your home will have the freedom to think for themselves, with the guidance of the parents and Scripture. They will not be afraid to express opinions that are not "of the world." The children will thus develop confidence in their beliefs and in their accomplishments.

--  Children will learn to communicate with people of all ages. They will be closer to their families, and will stay close to the parents longer, as they will be looking up to the parents for guidance, instead of their peers.

-- Having a flexible schedule will help greatly in planning vacations on the off season, and allowing time for many activities, and working around the dad's work schedule if need be. In Wisconsin, there are no regulations as to times we must home school, as long as we home school 875 hours per year. If you want to conduct your school from 8 am to 1 pm, that's fine. But if you need to have school from 4 pm to 10 pm, that's okay too. Set your schedule to follow your lifestyle.

 

A2:  The answer to that question is a resounding "Yes, you certainly are qualified to teach your children!!" Who knows your children better than you? You know them inside out, and you have their best interests truly at heart, and love them dearly. Many teachers and former teachers have shared with us the fact that their teaching degree did them absolutely no good in teaching particular subjects to their students, but rather, taught them "child psychology," how to deal with many children, and administrative tasks.

God's Word commands us to teach our children His Word, and this is the most important thing that we can communicate to our children. Deuteronomy 6:5-7- "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."

If we are following His command, He will bless us greatly.

If we feel at all inadequate, here are a few things to remember:

-- We will be learning along with our children, and they will respect us greatly when they see our enthusiasm and motivation in teaching.

--  When we don't know the answer, we will be teaching them humility by our example. We will also be able to show them how to research something thoroughly- where to look for the answers, how to develop good study skills. We will also be demonstrating patience and diligence, in pursuing the answer until it is found.

--  There are so many resources that we can take advantage of. There are home school support groups, home school publications, state conferences, etc, etc...

Remember this most of all-- James 1:5-7-  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord."

 

A3:  This is not only the NUMBER ONE question you are bound to hear over and over and over again, but it is also the single aspect of the home schooling movement that is the most misunderstood!!!  Many people have the notion that we home schoolers are "hiding away" our children, that we are overprotecting and sheltering them, and they will grow up to be social misfits, never able to associate or socialize with anyone.

That evaluation could not be further from the truth!! If you look at the recent studies on home schoolers nationwide, you will find that not only are home schoolers excelling academically, but they are also seen as more socially adjusted than their peers in other types of school settings.

Why is that? It is because we parents take God's Holy Word seriously!! The Bible is very clear when it warns us in I Corinthians 15:33, "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." This means that the company we allow our children to keep will "rub off" on them, much more than our children will "rub off" on their friends. When we shield our children from evil companions, we are obeying God's Word, and we are helping our children to preserve themselves morally.

The world seems to assume that children need large amounts of time of interaction with their peers in order to acquire social skills. The exact opposite is true. Extensive peer contact during childhood will cause undesirable peer dependency. Again, young children are much more likely to be influenced by the majority than to be a good influence on them. When children are in the classroom, day after day, they are much more likely to accept their peers' and their teachers' values and ideas over those of their parents.

We have to ask ourselves what we consider proper socialization. Do we want our children to "need" the newest and the latest clothing, with the proper label on it, of course? Do we believe that in order to be socialized, our children must be accepted by all, and worse yet, learn to accept and tolerate all peoples and all views, even when they are in direct contrast to the Bible?

Or, is proper socialization the ability to have confidence in yourself, and in your beliefs, and to be able to communicate them kindly and firmly to all? I believe that this is proper socialization. Our children will learn to get along with people of all ages. When you observe home schoolers, you will see that most of them are able to carry on a conversation not only with adults, but also with people of all ages.  We parents have taught them to learn to get along with, and be kind to all children, whether they are older or younger than themselves. Home school children are also more respectful to older people. They are with older people more, hence, are able to communicate with them better.

If you want your children to learn proper socialization, be sure to demonstrate Godly principles of interaction with all ages. Show them how to interact with children of all ages, under your supervision. Young people who do have this kind of training have adjusted very well to adult life.

When children have grown up in the home with parents as their role models, most of them are able to do a much better job in the workplace, and be good godly examples to others, even those older than themselves.

 

A4:  I agree fully with the statement that there is no one "right" way to home school. You will have to choose from a variety of methods. Your choices will be based on the following:

--  Ages of your children

--  Subject matter being taught

--  Number of children that you are teaching

--  Learning styles your children work under most effectively

--  Time you have available to prepare and teach material

--  Varying abilities or special needs of your children

--  The motivation that certain methods will provide to your individual children

 

There is a wide variety of methods used in home schooling. You may pick and choose from them, and even mix them depending upon your children's needs. Here are some of the most commonly known methods of home schooling:

 

--  Traditional textbooks-  Quality textbooks are available from a good many Christian publishers. These books will cover each subject in depth and in a logical order of topics. They will cover material in grades K-12.

 

--  Work texts-  Some publishers have combined textbook information with exercises in consumable write-in books.

 

--  Classical Approach-  Children will progress from the memorization of facts and the development of learning skills to advanced logical reasoning and expressive use of language to discuss their knowledge and beliefs.

 

--  Principle Approach-  Teachers and students keep notebooks for each subject containing biblical principles, personal applications, and information acquired from various sources.

 

--  Unit Studies-  Theme-centered units integrate information from several subjects. Language arts and math need additional systematic teaching.

 

--  Books & Life Experiences-  More than just studying the 3 R's, a lot of leaning comes from reading good literature and nonfiction. Everyday activities supplement study and give it perspective.

 

A5:  There are so many choices for home schoolers today out there on the market. There are fine Christian educational materials that have been developed for Christian schools and are now made available to home schoolers, many developed specifically with the home school student and teacher in mind.

A great place to start is by attending your statewide home school conference. Most states host a yearly conference, which includes a full vendor hall. This is where you can browse to your heart's content. You can take the time to look over books, workbooks, supplementary material, and much more.

There are home extension programs offered through local Christian schools. There are also many Christian correspondence courses available.

Be sure to check out our Resources page for many fine vendors carrying curriculum and home school materials.

 

A6:  You may at first lack confidence in choosing materials and methods, but just allow yourself to make mistakes. Your children will not lack any educational training, and you have plenty of time to order new materials and make the necessary changes.

Working with your children in a school setting may be difficult for you at first. Your children will begin to see that you are not only mom, but teacher as well. If you do not have their respect, you will have some difficulty in getting them to listen to you in the "schoolroom."

Do not let this worry you. Work at it one day at a time. God will bless you for your efforts, and will bless your family greatly.

Home schooling is a perfect opportunity for you and your spouse to work together and to pray together. You can work with your spouse on watching videos and reading books together on good, godly child discipline. Learn to train your children properly in God's Word. Even if you begin home schooling with older children, the Lord will work within your family. The children will begin to respond when they see the effort you put in, and when they see consistency in your discipline.

If you have a godly set of grandparents, take time to visit them and to serve them as a family. Teach your children to serve the elderly in the community, especially during the school day. Set aside one day each week to finish your studies early, and take a few hours to help out in the community, especially with the elderly. They will be thankful for your family. They will be excited to see children at that time of day, as there are so many parents out there working during the day, and the kids are in school, that the elderly don't get to see children often.

There is going to be quite an investment of time and energy in this endeavor of home schooling. Self discipline and good organization will help ensure a well-run household. A daily schedule, teaching plan and a chore list will help to keep your home and school well organized.

Commitment must be there in order to home school properly. The family will gain the strength to overcome difficulties when you develop the conviction that home schooling is the best choice for your family and that this is God's will for you. Pray about it as a couple and as a family.

Rather than "prefer" home schooling, you must "commit to" home schooling. Realize that this is a lifestyle, not just a school choice. Of course, you may always choose other options, but the more you home school, the more dedicated you will become.

There will be days when no one wants to learn. This happens in the best of home schools, and in the best of traditional schools!! Children will be children!!! In that case, take a break, take a nature walk, have a special picnic lunch, go to the zoo, serve others in the community-  there are still loads of educational options out there. Sometimes, your children just need a break in the monotony of everyday life, and this will serve to "recharge their batteries" for the upcoming school days. And, it does a world of good for teacher, too!!

Of course, it goes without saying that you may get criticism and pressure from others, even from your closest friends and family members. The best thing to do is to become very well informed, and get your spouse on board also. Learn all you can- attend home school conferences, read, do your homework!! Look at the latest studies on home schoolers- be able to share the statistics on how well home schoolers are doing across the nation not only academically, but socially as well. Your state organization will be able to help you obtain these all-important studies. Invite family members, especially the grandparents to attend the annual home school conference with you. Most states give a discount to grandparents who attend with the family. When your parents and in-laws see the home schooled children and parents, see the wonderful resources out there, hear the great speakers talk about the blessings of home schooling, it is very likely they will be your greatest supporters!!!