For those of you who are considering homeschooling, wondering if you’re qualified to teach your kids:
I wish I had a dime ( more would be fine too) for every time someone has said to me, “It’s so great that you have a teaching degree so that you can teach your kids. I’m just not qualified to teach. I’d never be able to do it. I wouldn’t know how to teach them. I know I’d miss tons of information and they’d never be ready for college.”
Here and now, I would like to debunk the myth that in order to home school your children, you must have a teaching degree or somehow “qualify.”
Here. Use this check list:
- Can you read?
- Do you know your numbers?
- Can you write?
- Do you know where your pencils are?
If you answered “yes” to at least three out of four of the above questions – you’re in. You’re good to go. You’re totally qualified. And if you actually know where your pencils are, you may be overqualified and put the rest of us homeschooling mothers to shame. (To my credit, I do happen to know where some of my pencils are, but none of them – I repeat – none of them are sharpened.)
So, you may ask, what about all the things I don’t know? How will I ever teach my kids history or science or math? I don’t remember half of the stuff I was taught in school.
What? You think that since I have a teaching degree I actually know stuff? Or that I magically remember everything I was taught?
That’s what BOOKS are for.
I don’t remember 7/8 of the information I was taught in school. It doesn’t matter.
I have books. Lots and lots of books. I have software. I have search engines. I have friends who know things. I have a husband who knows things. I have a library.
And sometimes, on a good day, I have a sharpened pencil.
I promise…promise you that if you have the desire to teach your kids at home, that is truly all you need. The desire – and resources. Resources are out there all over the place for you.
You don’t need a degree or 459,392 facts stored up in your head.
If there’s something you don’t know – there is a book that will tell you or someone else you can ask.
You don’t even have to try very hard to find these resources. Home schooling materials of ALL kinds are available out there now. For every type of child. For every type of parent. For every type of home. For every type of learning style. For every type of schedule.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You don’t have to think hard. You don’t have to know much.
You want to know how I teach my kids? We read together. We look information up on the computer (cheering each time we get a Swagbuck!). We talk to each other. We look at what is going on around us. We ask questions.
Never ever feel like you aren’t qualified to be your child’s teacher. You are the person who loves them the most and knows them best of all.
Guess what? You are already your child’s teacher.
And see? You’re doing just fine.
More About Homeschooling
- This post lists some great resources I highly use and love.
Moms (and dads)…please leave comments here letting us know your favorite homeschool resources, aids, curriculums, books – anything you’ve found helpful in your homeschool journey!
Thank you for this. It made me giggle but also encouraged me. Chloe is 3 and I am really wanting to homeschool. I got good grades in school but didn’t go to college or university (unless you count a couple of distance-ed accounting courses).
I’ve been wondering about whether or not I am qualified but you are so right – I am already her teacher in areas more important than academics!
I agree! People think there is something magical about school or about the classroom, but since I’ve been a teacher, I can tell you that a teacher is just a person. A mom is a person too, who happens to love her students more than any teacher will.
Ok, love this post! I’m SO overqualified – I know exactly where tons of pencils are! (I just found them yesterday and put them in the “junk” drawer, so I’d know where they were).
We homeschool through a charter school, so 95% of the prep/thinking/planning work is done FOR me (which I love), but I do have a couple of favorite resources.
I use http://www.edhelper.com/ almost every day. It costs $19.95 for a family subscription for a year, and the spelling list options alone have made the fee worth it. And there are tons and tons and TONS of things besides spelling list tools that make this a worthwhile resource.
I also really like http://brainpop.com and http://brainpopjr.com. We have a subscription through our charter school, so this one is free for us. It’s a bit more pricey than edhelper, but if several homeschool families went in together, it would totally be worth it.
Beyond that, we do the same as you – swagbucks and the library are our friends! :-)
Amen! I don’t remember even 1/2 of what I was taught in school. To be honest, I really didn’t pay that much attention. Thank God for books!! Lots and lots of books. We use Sonlight for our main curriculum and Teaching Textbooks for math, and SOS for some extras. I may not remember much, but my kids have learned twice as much as they ever did when they were in school.
Anyone can do it. You just have to want to. I find that most people that make excuses don’t really want to, they just don’t want to admit it.
I have to say that you are the first teacher that I have ever heard to speak highly of homeschooling. I love it! Thank you!
Homeschooling levels the playing field in my opinion. I have a Masters Degree in Education and seriously, I told my husband just last week, I got to go to school twice (once myself and once with my kids) just to really learn the stuff!!! Now, I wasn’t an A+ student, but neither was I a C student. But I really learned when I started teaching my kids – I just stayed one step ahead of them… well, most of the time.
Selecting a good curriculum is important, but if you ask around or go on forums, you’ll find it even if you may have to ditch one or two.
I agree. I half finished a Secondary Ed degree. You know what I remember??? A couple of labs from biology, and the fact that the single most important aspect of learning is discipline, because without control, no one can learn anything. There. Everyone reading this is now qualified to teach!!! :P I love homeschooling!! Thanks for the encouragement, Laura.
Love this! So very very true. We love homeschooling. I’m especially grateful for the opportunity to re-learn everything with my kids. We cheer every time we get a Swagbuck too. ;)
Well said! Thank you so much for posting this :-)
One of my favorite sites is homeschoolshare.com. They have a ton of lapbook ideas for free that you can just print. Also internet4classrooms.com is an excellent source if you want your children to get computer time without them playing Lego.com. Learning something while on the computer, what a great idea!! :)
I read this a while back and still think of it from time to time:
If I had a nickel for every time someone has said to me, “But you’re not a scientist. How are you going to teach them biology, chemistry, trigonometry?” I could pay my mortgage and have change left over. I always answer, quite seriously, “Well, I took those classes in high school. Didn’t you?”
“Of course,” the skeptic will say, “but it’s not like I REMEMBER any of it.”
This cracks me up. Sometimes I’ll say, if I’m feeling snarky, “Then surely I can do a better job than your teacher did!”
Read the rest here if you’d like. She’s a gem!
Love it! &hearts:
try again:
♥
=)
See, I’m still learning at age 45 ;-)
I am so glad I read this. This is just the encouragement I needed today.
Oh, Laura…I hear the same thing all the time. I have a degree in elementary education but that has nothing to do with why we are planning to homeschool our children. Thanks for posting! :)
Amen, Amen, AMEN. And, you know I came here to grab your address and link back to you… because there are newbies who need to know where to go. Lo and Behold you’ve written right to them right now! :-) And even added extra links for them to peruse. I may be cruising around here for awhile myself. :-D
Love this!
We have fantastic curriculum and I search out things on the web for resources. Some resources I’m compiling are from http://www.homeschoolfreebieoftheday.com it’s great. You just sign up and they will send you the list of resources for the week and if you are interested you go and download them. We have really received some great resources from this and best of all…it’s free!!
As for the being a teacher, God gave us all the ability to teach our children but overtime the world and selfishness has taken over. I’m definitely not saying everyone should homeschool. There are those that truly should not but a lack of formal education shouldn’t hold anyone back that would like to. Did anyone take Mom classes before having a child? I’m not sure those were offered at my college yet women still have babies. Some things just come natural and I think teaching kids is one of them (if you have the desire). It is so fun to learn things WITH your kids. My 3 year old son has started recognizing words and is doing addition all from listening as his older sister is being taught. It is so great to watch my kids learn and see their little faces light up when they realize they are learning. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!!
Well said, Laura! I try not to let my teaching degree stand in the way of educating my children. In fact, what I really DON’T remember comes from my college courses. When was the last time I drew from my “History and Philosophy of Education” or “Educational Psychology” classes? But, my 14-year old 9th grader is figuring out biology and algebra, because she was taught how to learn. And, how many mothers/fathers have degrees in child development? How many of us are certified dietitians? And yet, we seem to be able to get through various developmental stages and provide nutritious meals for our families.
Now, would you like to come to Texas and speak at our next Mom’s Night Out? We’d love to have you! (As soon as I find my pencil, I’ll write you in.)
Love this post. Most of the we CAN find a pencil, but can hardly ever find a pencil sharpener to sharpen that pencil. And then if we find the pencil sharpener, we can’t find the right size batteries to make it work, and then we have to load up and go to Publix to get batteries, and then I keep remembering all that I need to pick up at Publix, and then I have a cart full and it is lunch time, so I convince myself (with the kids help) that it would be a more efficient use of my time to swing by Chick Fil A… and on and on and on.
Sounds like “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie”, doesn’t it?
lol…. that’s why our pencil sharpener is plugged into the wall.
I don’t know Laura… I still stand by my hubby’s and I’s decision for our children to go to private school. I wanted our children to have the best education, and for them to be able to do the activities I did in school. And we have excellent schools around here.
Great post! A good thing to remember is just because those people have degrees, doesn’t mean they are any smarter. You only have to get C’s to pass, not A’s. When I was in college, some classes even allowed D’s to count as credit!
Thank you for posting this. I’ve been wondering if I’m qualified to continue with Pre-K for my 3 year old! But you are correct, it doesn’t take a degree. My husband feels like teaching your children HOW to learn is more important than teaching them facts about things they will never put to good use. But if they have the know-how on where to find the answers, then we have accomplished our teaching.
Nice post, while I am qualified to teach up to K in this state, none of that training prepared me for my children. The love to learn, all I have to do is provide opportunities.
And I recently read a lovely note on why schooling kids are missing out- written by a former teacher. (not me)
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=67101716638&id=1153200154&ref=mf
My son is only 7 months old but I am already thinking about homeschooling. Thank you for the words of encouragement!
Thank you for this!!! I REALLY want to homeschool my 8 month old when the time is right, but I’m so intimidated by the idea at the same time. I know I’ve got some time to figure it out(which is good because who knows where the pencils are around here!), but it’s still a bit scary for this momma!!
i thought this very same way, and i was like “ooh i have plenty of time…” but it goes by sooooo fast! so dont take advantage and not look into it. I suggest that if you are thinking about homeschooling, look into things now, and continue to look into it now until you start. I have found that my son, who is almost 3, is more prepared to start learning things, and we are starting to teach him to read! I am still intimidated by the whole idea, but i have lots of homeschooling families that are there to support me and give me the encouragement that i will be needing to chug along! Good luck to you in your journey!
Excellent post! I’m going to keep this in my favorites so I can link back to it the next time someone asks me this question. Well said!
We have pencil issues at our house, too.
I was working toward an education degree, but never finished. I actually believe it’s better not to have a degree in education when you begin to homeschool, because you have to “reprogram” yourself, so to speak. Same goes for any secular college education, in my opinion.
We use: McGuffey Readers with the Classic Curriculum Workbooks for Language Arts, Saxon Math, and then I buy living books using booklists as my guide. I use the Sonlight Catalog (when they were sending me one), and the Veritas Press Catalog/Curriculum to guide me.
Currently, my eldest is using the Institute for Excellence in Writing curricula, and I cannot recommend it highly enough for a good writing education. She is at the point where between that and 45 minutes of personal reading everyday is her LA curricula.
A wonderful web site that offers free unit studies (and some that are not free) is http://www.currclick.com. If you sign up for their weekly email newsletter, you will know what they have for free each week. It is a gold mine for unit study or lapbooking parents. Enjoy!
Thank you for this! With 3 advanced degrees between us, my husband and I feel qualified — but totally overwhelmed! Our eldest is almost 4 and we are already looking in to curriculum and ideas for homeschooling just because of the vast amount of resources available.
My question: when would you suggest seriously starting to 1) research and plan and 2) start schooling (in general — I understand that each child is different!). I found a homeschool group at our church — is it too early to start attending their monthly meetings?
Thanks!
It is never to early to start “playing” school and having fun with your children, but you don’t have to force anything.
I really enjoyed using http://wwww.hubbardscupboard.org for free christian preschool-kindergarten lesson plans. My son really enjoyed the curriculum and she has everything totally planned by day.
Thanks, Carrie! I’m perusing the site now and it looks great!
I’ve been wondering….
Is it really so much about meeting our kids academic needs that defer -some- from homeschooling or is it the challenge of having a family that workds together, with kids that are for the most part, cooperative?
I’m seeing more parents that haven’t parented effectively immediately dismissing the notion of homeschooling because of the thought of having to overcome their children’s behavior.
I’m learning that most important things I’m really teaching my kids is Learning how to learn productively, having a desire to learn and work in a way that has purpose for theirselves and others. None of that can be done if the parents haven’t established effective discipline in the first place.
Rainbow Resource Center
http://rainbowresource.com/index.php?sid=1267637328-1064017
Get the catalog if you have a big mailbox ;-)
It’s a homeschool curriculum fair in itself. Lots of fine print b/c they actually tell you about most items.
Free shipping on orders over $150.
Timberdoodle is another fave
http://www.timberdoodle.com/Default.asp?Redirected=Y
They are currently offering $4.95 shipping =) Free shipping on orders over $120.
Oh, and I have to toot my horn for TruthQuest History! Love, love, love it! ♥ Especially when your kids get towards upper elementary and are ready for the older guides. We have learned SO much. She also has guides designed for lower elementary to utilize all those yummy American history-related books.
http://www.truthquesthistory.com/
from the website…
# TruthQuest History is a deep and rich literature-based history study…but with a difference. You will not learn the story of mankind; you will learn the lovestory of mankind. You will not focus on the rise and fall of human civilizations; you will focus on the arrow-straight line of God’s unchanging existence, power, love, truth, and plan for civilization. You will not simply ‘meet the culture’ or ‘get the facts;’ you will probe the truths of history so deeply that your students will be equipped to change their world!
# Why? Because mankind is not the prime force in the universe …God is. He initiates; we respond. History, therefore, is not first about what people do. It is first about what God does and says, and secondly about what people believe and do in response.
??Pencils?? :o
I also have a degree in Elementary Education. I don’t feel that it prepared me very much for homeschooling my children. It prepares you to work within the public school system. I don’t feel the classroom setting is the best way to teach and train children. But I think all the lesson planning and making out unit studies did help me some.
I always say the requirements for homeschooling your children are being able to read, write(handwriting), and love your children. Everything else you will learn along the way. I have grown so much spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually from teaching my own children.
We have used so many things that it is hard to give recommendations. But we try to stick to a Charlotte Mason style of teaching. I have used and like “My Father’s World”, Saxon Math, Developmental Math, and many classic books. I get free materials from Math Mammon, Currclick.com, homeschoolshare.com, and notebookingpages.com.
We have home schooled for the past 4 years, my 9 year old is in 3rd and my 6 yr old is in K, and for the most part we have loved it. In the state of VA you need a high school diploma or above and you are qualified to HS but each state is different.
We are considering sending my oldest to private school for the structure that is hard for me to give him with 3 other kids in the house– 2 are still in diapers.
I’d love any tips or insight as well.
I use Enchanted learning alot, its like $20 per year but very worth it: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.shtml
Starfall is a great one for younger kids learning to read etc: http://www.starfall.com/
I just now read on the AVKO website that if you teach your child to speak, which they said is the hardest skill by far, then you can teach them other skills. Goes perfectly with this post. (We use Sequential Spelling by AVKO and love it.) I think the main criteria of homeschooling is wanting to spend time with your kids! Now I certainly have my days where I really just want to be around adults. But I even more want us to be THE main adults that influence our children. There is nothing wrong with school teachers (um, I used to be one) :-) but they aren’t the parent and simply cannot love my child the same way I can. Therefore I can more easily go to the lengths my child needs in order to learn. Anyone can homeschool as long as they commit to it and have the determination. And they are wililng to spend their time with their kids. If you dream fondly for the day all of your kids are gone off to school so you can do x, then homeschooling would be a major mental adjustment.
Thanks for this post!
Kori
Great post Laura!
No brain surgeons required!—although some may be produced in this process ;-)
My daughter is 3, so I haven’t used it yet but came across (and bookmarked) the website “An Old-Fashioned Education”: http://www.oldfashionededucation.com/
Also, last year I found the book “Kitchen-Table Play and Learn” by Tara Copley and Andrea Custer at Half Price Books, on clearance for $1.00! It’s basically an at-home preschool curriculum; I plan on purchasing some supplies and getting started soon.
Homeschooling was laid on my heart while I was pregnant with our first child Eli, who will be 5 (GASP!) next week. We are using Sonlight with him, and love it. We have also added in Alpha Omega’s Horizon’s Phonics as well as their Math. I’ve been super pleased with our curriculum choices, except I’ve been a little disappointed in the Science portion of Sonlight (but we are only about 16 weeks into the Pre-K curriculum, so I’m not going to be REALLY disappointed yet!)
I started reading the millions of books on and about homeschooling when Eli was about a year old. I wanted to get a well rounded perspective on the different methodologies. For us, homeschooling was more of an attitude of purposeful conversation and interaction until this year. Now he has shown lots of interest in math and reading, so we’ve started down those paths. Lightly. I’d rather him be playing trains than doing phonics most of the time.
My greatest resource? Other homeschooling moms. I am incredibly grateful for them – for their encouragment and the lessons they have learned and passed onto me!
I LOVE being home with my kiddos. I have been teaching them since the first time I held them. I can’t imagine sending my 4 year old away to the care of someone else for 7 hours a day. Someone whose heart I know nothing about. But, that is just me, and I totally understand that others don’t share my feelings.
We are doing core K with a 7 and 5 year old and we love the core K science. :) I didn’t use the pre-k science though so I can’t compare.
That is great to know – thanks! I love the literature portion of the curriculum, and all that the company stands for, so I’ve been hoping that the science would become a little meatier!
Mostly when I say I homeschool, people say they don’t have enough patience to do it. Oh, if they only realized that I have no patience!
But patience is a fruit of the spirit, and I feel like I am facing that struggle head-on by homeschooling. It is such a constant struggle, but this is a fertile time for the Holy Spirit to grow patience in me.
Absolutely! By being obedient to God telling us that homeschooling is what He wants for our family, I am given plenty of opportunities for growth!
Amen.
Just being honest here with the hopes that it will encourage someone else. I was so convicted that we should home school my daughter after a really bad bullying incident that the school would not resolve. I was also equally convicted that my husband and I were not “qualified” because we did not have teaching degrees. I had taught all three of my children 3 subjects each summer, but always sent them to school during the regular school year. I finally took the leap of faith to home school her full time and have been confirmed a thousand times in my decision. We use “The Well Trained Mind” more or less and love it. Now the honest part, we let the “norm of society” and “social issues” scare us into believing we would not have the ability to meet all of her needs. Like you we rely on the library, curriculums and the internet. I think most of us start out insecure in this decision. The fact that I am an attorney and my husband is a masters in math and science pharmacist did not make us immune to doubt. So, don’t let “doubt” or “fear” drive your decision making process. I feel the main requirement to home school is a commitment to provide your child with the resources and tools to achieve his or her best. And of course, God’s Speed.
Thank you for sharing this, Laura! I sometimes feel like when I get interrogated about homeschooling. I feel inferior, although thankfully God reminds me that this is where He wants me. :D
I’m curious to know the opinion of you or your readers about Math U See. I’m considering switching from Saxon but I’m not sure. I like Saxon but have heard good things about Math U See. Anyone else?
We LOVE math-u-see!!! My son is now on the Beta book and my 4(almost 5) year old is doing Primer. The kids love watching the video and then doing their lessons. I love how Steve Demme explains each subject in ways that even I can understand and repeat to my kids.
I was concerned that it seemed to be too easy and tried Singapore math for a few week, but the wording and jumping from topic to topic drove my son nuts. I love that they stick with one topic and your child can work on it until they really have it down. It is also easy to skip pages or problems if you child is a quick learner (I can’t seem to talk my son into skipping anything though ) or to add the online drills for more review.
Just my two cents.
I have used mathusee for pre-algebra thru calculus and love it!
I homeschooled my children through high school; they’re married now–one has two precious little boys that will also be homeschooled. It certainly required discipline and work (and some days were better than others :)), but it was entirely worth it. The best thing we ever did as a family. We have an amazing relationship with our kids–I’m not sure it would be like that if we hadn’t homeschooled. I thank God so much for leading us to do it.
I loved A Beka’s phonics and grammar curricula. The best in my humble opinion. :)
I also homeschool my 4 children (1st grade, pre-k, 3 and 1). If you LOVE your children you are qualified!! I was a public school teacher for 4 years before I had my children and no one is going to love, care and protect you children as well as you can.
We love:
Math-u-see
Sonlight
http://www.hubbardscupboard.org (free preschool curriculum)
http://www.homeschoolshare.com
http://www.handsofachild.com
and of course the library
Your post inspired my newest blog post. Thank you!
I have felt many of the same things mentioned here. I appreciate your post Laura and agree with all that you said.
I personally love Lindafay’s website: http://charlottemasonhelp.com and use a lot of her ideas.
Great post!
I was homeschooled for high school and absolutely LOVED it.
I begged my parents to homeschool me. My mom was afraid she wouldn’t know enough to teach me high school, and so she felt most comfortable with an accredited, traditional high school program. We researched it a lot, and finally settled on University of Nebraska’s Independent Study High School (http://nebraskahs.unl.edu/). It was excellent! It was challenging, I loved it, and I felt like I learned so much. I also did an AP Chemistry course at my local high school, and took some Japanese language courses at the local Japan-America society along with the PowerGlide Japanese language course, which I liked.
I definitely recommend Univ. of Nebraska’s High School program if you want something traditional; it’s probably the opposite of the “unschooling” approach to learning, but I really loved it.
I can honestly say that agreeing to homeschool my children was one of the scariest things I have ever done. However, this is our fourth year homeschooling and I can honestly say that I LOVE IT! It is my favorite part of our day and I miss it when we are on break. There is something wonderful about being there for the moment that your children understands a difficult or new idea!
My biggest fear was teaching my kiddos to read. My mother bought me 100 Easy Lessons and I have now used it on three children :) When they finish the book we put their name and the date on the inside cover. It’s fun to look back and see how God totally helped me conquer my fear…
I hear you on the pencil thingy…Until recently we spent 10-15 minutes a day hunting for pencils and sharpening them. What’s up with that?!?
This post was so encouraging. However, I have an almost 5 year old, a three year old, and an almost one year old. Is it really possible for me to homeschool? I really want to, but I’ve gotta tell you I AM SCARED. There are just so many little kids around here. I feel like I can barely go to the bathroom. Scratch that. I can’t go to the bathroom. How can I do this?
Oh, your feelings are so normal and very understandable. Definitely yes, you can do it. When I started I had a five year old a two year old and a 6 month old (similar to your children’s ages). It REALLY wasn’t as hard as it sounds like it will be. It’s actually probably easier to homeschool than to find tim to go to the bathroom. :)
I LOVE this question and feel like so many other mamas would benefit from hearing it and knowing that they’re not alone…plus I’d like to share a longer, better answer. Do you mind if I post your question in a future blog post with a detailed answer?
Absolutely, I would love to hear more about this and be happy for you to share the question.
I was one of those who thought I would never be able to homeschool my very active, challenging son – even though I have my M.Ed. In fact, I had no plans to do so. God had other plans, however, and when we moved back to the US, my husband and I decided that we would try a year of homeschool rather than have him gone from home all day at the age of five. After all, if it didn’t work, he could just repeat kindergarten:)
It has been a challenge, and there are days that I am not so sure, but God has blessed. I do feel firmly though that homeschool is something to which we must be called – and for some of us, it is a year by year calling, not a lifelong commitment; just as some parents are called to put their children in private and public schools. No one should choose to homeschool just because it is the trend or because they feel pressured to do what is “right”. God will show us what our child needs.
As for curriculum, we use ABeka and Modern Curriculum Press for phonics. I love the MCP practice readers and workbooks. http://www.starfall.com has great phonics resources as well. Still trying to find a math that works for my son – we have tried ABeka and Rod and Staff. Thinking about switching to Math-U-See because of its mastery approach. Science and history are done through unit studies (pirates, knights and castles, etc) and homeschoolshare.com has been a great resource for activities. Our handwriting is currently BJU.
We are taking our journey one year at a time, but it has been a blessing all the same.
I could not agree more with your entire second paragraph! Well said!
Laura,
Your posts are always so thoughtful, honest, valuable and truthful. So often I find they seem to speak to me directly.
I homeschool my 15 yo ASD/Asperger’s son. I started because state school and leaving the house was torture plus they just didn’t meet his individual needs or know him as an individual.
When I started a year and a half ago I was working full-time as a primary teacher so it was quite a struggle fitting everything in. However due to the severe stress and emotional distress Dan had been suffering whilst at school we took things very slowly. Patience has been a key ingredient.
I have now lost my job due to being diabetic and not being able to promise faithfully that I will never had another day off sick (who can?). I am now in the lucky position to be homeschooling whilst trying to build a private tuition business and to write (a childhood dream).
I am a qualified primary teacher not a high school teacher. However through the years I’ve gained life skills, knowledge and determination. I take each day as it comes and I enjoy learning those things I don’t know already or refreshing myself on things I’ve forgotten. It’s a journey for us all and it is one I am so glad I am experiencing. I love learning and homeschooling gives me the chance to indulge my desire to learn about a whole range of diverse subjects.
You DO NOT need to be a qualified teacher you just need patience, perseverence, access to a library and the willingness to succeed. Access to the internet could be considered a necessity as it gives you access to resources and support. Over the last few months I’ve made so many online friends (I don’t get out much as Dan hates me going anywhere) and I’m also now setting up my own website as a resource for all types of educators to give back to those wonderful friends, like you, who’ve helped me so much over the past year and bit.
Anyone reading my personal homeschooling blog will realise that it isn’t straightforward for me but I do think that for many children it is the BEST solution.
Blessings,
Amanda x
Laura, I have a friend who asked me about homeschooling today. Her son needs more love and attention than public school can give understandably. I’m so glad I was able to have just read this and could encourage her to pursue researching the option. I often post some of your blog links on my facebook page so this one was a must. Thank you. It wasn’t just you posting it, it was also your timing… God’s timing.
God Bless.
Thank you. I am so humbled to read comments like this. I love knowing how God is working.
Thank you for this post! It was so very encouraging to me! We are going to homeschool our boys (3.5 and 18 mths) and any other children God gives us!
I even linked it in my link love post today!
I have just spent the last hour (or longer) reading through your website. And I must say – Thank You! I have homeschooled my oldest (13 year old) daughter for two years. But, my other three children are still going to public school. However, this past year, some issues happened at the school that made it clear that we needed to remove them after this school year is over. So, as of next month, I will be homeschooling all four (I don’t know whether to jump up and down or faint!) I know this was written last year, but this particular post caught my attention as it is a question that I’ve asked myself over and over. Thank you so much for this wonderful website.
Terrific article! Loved the humor and it made me feel more confident. I have been thinking about it, but don’t yet have the confidence to start. Some of my friends who homeschool, use a lot of games to help their kids learn. My kids do like playing on http://www.mathblaster.com/parents/math-games or https://www.youcubed.org/category/teaching-ideas/math-apps/, but would like game time limited. That makes me worry about finding the resources to homeschool. I am sure I will start by pooling in resources with the friends who homeschool their kids. I’m sure I’ll be returning to your site. Thanks!