So you think you can homeschool?

Thinking of homeschooling but not sure if you’re up to the task? Good news, you are.

Coming from a 19-year-old highschool grad with no children to speak of, this may not be very convincing. But after spending years watching both of my parents homeschool me and my four younger siblings and observing the way my homeschooled friends were raised, I’ve seen firsthand some of the struggles that go along with homeschooling.

If you’re thinking of homeschooling your kids, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all of the information out there. The most important thing to do is get in touch with a local homeschool group. The local group will most likely have a “leader” of sorts, a coordinator who can sit down with you and talk you through the basics.

Math

The foundation of most homeschooling curriculums is math. So, it stands to reason that if you’re choosing your curriculum, math should be one of the first ones you pick. As I’ve mentioned before, I was taught using Math-U-See, which is a very simple math program that allows for the student to go at their own speed. Another well-known curriculum is Life of Fred, which is a hit with everyone I know who’s used it. Saxon and Abeka are two other popular programs, but they’re ones with plenty of negative reviews.

Whichever math program you choose when you’re starting out, remember that you don’t have to stick with it. If it doesn’t work with your child, find a new program.

Reading

Reading is the backbone of learning. Encourage your children to read, even if they hate it. Find a book series they like, be it Calvin and Hobbes or Lord of the Rings. If your child can read, your child can learn. It doesn’t matter if all of their books are ‘school books.’

Play

Let your kids play, or arrange a system where they get to play/have free time when they’ve completed some of their work. Happy kids will be more productive, and they’ll learn to get along with siblings and manage their time better with some freedom.

Language

It’s easy to let grammar lessons fall to the side, but coming from a homeschool graduated college student—DON’T. I absolutely hated doing grammar lessons once I hit highschool, but let me tell you, they paid off. I can find a dangling participle and have a pretty good grasp on commas, and I know the proper “they” to use in a sentence. These are skills that your kids need to learn. My mom used Spelling Power and Explode the Code for me when I was younger, and I highly recommend them. Explode the Code was one of the workbooks I would do just for fun. And in highschool, Excellence in Writing will have your kids writing better than most people in university.