An Introduction to Homeschooling

Homeschooling. It’s been a hot topic word over the last 17 months around the world. Even though some kids were forced to do online or hybrid school, it wasn’t exactly homeschooling. Let me explain. Homeschooling is not what some think it is. And it’s not what others think it is either. Am I making sense yet? I’ll come back to this.

Last summer, I had several momma friends reach out to me about what homeschooling would or could look like for them and their child. I shared a lot of info and I felt it would be beneficial to write much of what I shared with them here on our blog in hopes it would also bless other families who are praying over their kids and what is the best decision for their education.

Just a little background on why I’m writing this and the perspective I am coming from...because perspective is everything.

I have an elementary education degree in K-8th grade. I taught over 7 years in a nearby county public school. I also substitute taught in many private schools in the area, plus 2 different preschools within the last 20 years. As a child, I went to 2 different private schools and then was homeschooled for 10 years. So, crazy as it is and what was not in “MY” plans, I believe God’s path gave me a perspective that only few have. I’ve experienced all 3 types of school environments. There are pros and cons to all 3.

And I will preface to say, not every family is meant to homeschool. Some parents and children just aren’t meant for it. Some kids do not come from emotionally healthy homes and amazing teachers and coaches have been lifesavers for these kids! But then on the flip side, not every child thrives with learning in a “traditional classroom style” environment, nor with sitting down for hours a day at a desk and with lots of distractions. This decision should be made for each family and each child. And there are seasons when some children in the family hop in and out of homeschooling—they make the decision year-by-year. What I’m saying is, it is not a decision to be made in haste. Take a good amount of time to pray fervently and ask the Lord for wisdom and discernment and for Him to clearly make the decision known to you. And He will because He is faithful.

When someone asked me what my dream job was growing up, I would always say (aside from when I was like 14 and wanted to be a marine biologist to save the whales, ha!) I want to be a wife, a mom, and homeschool my kids. And so I earned an elementary teaching degree so that if the homeschool laws ever changed in our country, I would still be able to homeschool our kid(s). But God had other plans and 7 months after I graduated from college, I landed a full time teaching position at a county school teaching first grade for 7 years. I had 5 principals and 3 superintendents in those 7 years. It was hard, no joke. But I also learned a lot of life lessons that I still carry with me. The last couple of years of teaching though, my conscience just couldn’t stand it any longer. There was SO much red tape in the public school system. Trying to get the REAL HELP some of my students needed. I fought tooth and nail for them! Yet they were still “passed along” and shuffled into the gaps in the “system.” I had kids cry because the lessons and standards were too hard, aka not developmentally appropriate (tis true!). It just crushed my heart to see these kids not having what they really needed. Yes, some needed better home lives. But some had great home lives, and the parents and I were all just doing our best. For some of these kids, learning just came for them differently (and I do not mean IEP—Individual Education Plan for Special Education). And as much as I tried to take advantage of those “teachable moments” I felt like we never had enough time to really let the kids learn through exploring like I would have liked - for them to really foster a deep love for learning!! At the end of the day, there is grace and I’m grateful. But it also started a process of thinking and asking questions in the back of my mind...and from this I really started to research more about different learning philosophies. The more I dug deep, I liked what I read.

Why we homeschool—

William and I feel homeschooling is best for our son because we want his education to come from a foundation of a biblical worldview plus good character development, while also being able to nurture and foster a love for learning in his individualized way that helps him learn the best. We want the freedom to explore and learn with him daily.

Ways to homeschool—

Homeschool info has literally EXPLODED since I was homeschooled in the 90’s!! Resources from Pinterest, TONS of curriculum choices, co-ops, community groups, different learning philosophies, etc!! A few years ago as I was looking into the homeschool world through parent-eyes this time, and I felt like I was just flooded with a million options.

In prepping for our son’s Junior Kindergarten year, I started watching homeschool YouTube videos. Some about curriculum, some about learning philosophies—different styles or “flavors” of homeschooling. Traditional, Charlotte Mason, Montessori, Classical Conversations, etc.

This video was VERY helpful and it’s the main one I have sent to friends who ask about homeschooling: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LKAkKvZIHz4

Some of these learning styles are great for some specific kids, and others are not. Parents are the best at studying their kids and knowing them best, so really take advantage of this choice of learning opportunity for your own child!

Homeschool requirements—

Please note: Each state (and country) has different homeschool laws and requirements so be sure to check where you live. Some states are more lax than others. Here’s a link to what is required for each state: https://homelifeacademy.com/enroll-now/homeschooling-in-your-state/

Here’s a link to what is required for each country (HLA covers 90+ countries worldwide!): https://homelifeacademy.com/enroll-now/international/

A cover school or umbrella school is a really smart idea to do especially when you’re new to homeschool, if you’re in a state or country that has stricter homeschool laws, and or you want to be protected under HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Agency). I chose for our cover school to be Home Life Academy. They have been really great to work with! I have to register our son each year for school with them, submit our learning and curriculum plan for the year, and then at the end of each semester I submit his grades and days of attendance. They sent a helpful email reminder when these items are due! In our state, students are required 180 days of school each year.

Another beautiful thing about the freedom of homeschooling is you can set your own school days schedule. Some families follow the current traditional school calendar and some go year-round with several small breaks. Some have schooldays Tuesday through Saturday because of a parent’s work schedule.

So going back to my first paragraph about what homeschooling is...

Homeschooling is not a traditional virtual zoom class or sitting at a table with a stack of worksheets, workbooks, and assignments to complete for a teacher for hours and hours a day. It’s not cramming to learn specific info to pass “the test.” Homeschooling families are not hermits who never leave their house. Literally, the world is their classroom. It’s about having the freedom to learn in a variety of ways that is unique to each child and at their learning speed. It is a mixture of the steady needed book subjects like math, reading, writing, etc and learning through exploring every day. I think Durenda Wilson (homeschool mom of 8) described it best when she said in her book The Unhurried Homeschooler, “That’s the beauty of homeschooling—our kids have the chance to think their own thoughts and come up with their own ideas, and they actually have the opportunity to experiment. All of this is possible if we give them time.” And she also said, “Children are adept at learning on their own, in their own way, if we allow them the space to do so. Be a student of your child, observing what strikes interest and curiosity in them. Trust and respect their natural ability to learn.”

I’m excited about this section of our blog to share a lot of homeschool related info that I hope will truly bless you and your family, or for you to pass on to a friend who is thinking and praying about if homeschooling is the right fit for their family! Stay tuned for homeschooling posts about tips for various ages, curriculum and book reviews, guest bloggers sharing their homeschooling journey and more! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or just want to brainstorm homeschooling ideas—I’d love to chat with you!