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Live & Learn: What Homeschooling Has Taught Us

2021-10-26T23:15:04-05:00

Five things homeschooling has taught us.

How to Homeschool on a Budget

2021-05-23T15:16:00-05:00

When considering homeschooling, one of the questions you may have is "how much will it cost?"

Which Curricula Style is Best?

2021-04-09T15:10:00-05:00

In the sea of curriculum publishers, no two curricula are exactly the same.

How to Choose Curriculum

2021-03-15T14:13:00-05:00

"What's the hardest thing about homeschooling?" It might not be what you think.

I’ve Decided to Home School. Now What?

2021-02-20T15:43:00-06:00

Now that you’ve made the decision to homeschool, here are some important questions you need to ask.

I THINK I Might Want to Homeschool

2021-02-11T15:42:00-06:00

Are you feeling a tugging at your heart to homeschool?
Or maybe you want to know what's involved first, before making a commitment.

Here are a few things to consider and ask yourself (and your spouse), to get yourself thinking about different aspects of education and schooling at home.

It might help to purchase a notebook to journal your answers to these questions. A notebook will also provide a place for you to write your own questions, organize your thoughts, jot down curriculum recommendations, and can help you jumpstart a conversation with your spouse and others on the topic of homeschooling.

You might not be able to answer all of these questions, and that's okay.

This is not a test. These questions are just a starting point to get you thinking.

As you answer each question, try to be as thoughtful and specific as you can. The more detailed you can be with your answers, the better you will be able to identify your problem, determine if homeschooling is really for you, and how best to proceed.

1. What things do you find appealing about homeschooling?

2. What concerns do you have about homeschooling?

3. Is your child in public or private school, and what are the biggest struggles?

4. What is your definition of “school," and what do you feel school should look like?

5. If you decide to homeschool, what aspects do you think you will find most difficult?

6. What do you think will be the least difficult part of homeschooling?

7. What do you think will be your greatest need if you decide to homeschool?

8. What is the biggest thing you hope homeschooling will do for your family?

9. What is the biggest obstacle preventing you from making the decision to homeschool right now?

10. If you feel that homeschooling is something you are being called to pursue, when do you hope to start?

11. What information do you need to help you figure out if homeschooling is for you?

12. What tools or expertise do you already have at your disposal?

That’s your homework for today.

Once you get those questions answered, you will be ready to delve into the more nuts and bolts questions. I’ll create separate post on each topic so you aren’t overwhelmed.

I’d love to hear your answers to the above questions, especially if there’s some way that I can help. But, knowing the answers to these questions for yourself will give you a starting point for your own home school journey, if that is the direction you see your family pursuing.

The COVID Homeschool Life

2021-01-03T15:44:04-06:00

Never before in history has the world been interrupted by a virus.

12 Things About Me

2020-10-27T13:25:55-05:00

1. If you’re new here, it won’t take you long to discover that I really enjoy tea and dark chocolate. And I mean DARK. The kind that you don’t have to hide from the kids because they think it’s gross.

2. I married my college sweetheart. We met in a political science class. Honestly, I don't know why I signed up for that class. I only remember thinking, “Political Science…hmmm. Sounds interesting."

3. We have “just six” children, and have been homeschooling since 1996. I say "just six" because that's about average for a typical homeschool family. And while 1996 seems like ages ago, the time really does fly quickly. If you have little ones, enjoy this time with them while you can. It might seem like you will never get to the end of changing diapers and cleaning messes, but take heart and treasure these moments. If a child does something that makes you upset, it's probably worthy of a photo.

Take a deep breath and grab your camera. It will give you something to laugh about later. Like that time I put on a load of wash and found Perler beads in the laundry detergent.

4. Our family is still homeschooling. We just graduated our fourth child last year, and homeschooling the youngest two now. One is in high school and the other in elementary, so

we still have many more years of homeschooling before us. And, yes, I can honestly say that I find homeschooling a joyful experience. I love planning for each school year, and always look forward to another year of learning with my kids.

5. I love cooking. Mainly because I like to eat. I am pretty adventurous in the kitchen, and enjoy trying different cuisines. I’m on an

Asian kick, lately. One of our favorite meals is a Korean dish called Japchae. Lean marinated beef, sweet potato noodles, and LOTS of vegetables. Yum! I’ll post a recipe so you can try it out.

6. One of our favorite places to vacation is Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas. The cabins are fully-furnished, have a full kitchen, toilets, hot showers, and a fireplace…my kind of

camping. Petit Jean has some great hiking trails for all levels of hikers, and a cute, little waterfall that isn't too difficult of a hike for the average person.

7. My favorite school supplies are erasable pens. Pure genius. They come in all sorts of colors and are great for color-coding weekly schedules and grading systems.

They erase so well and completely that I have my younger kids use them for handwriting assignments without worrying about messy strike-outs & scribbles.

8. None of our six children learned the same way. Just when I thought I had a curriculum figured out with one child, we’d need to switch gears with the next! I love hands-on learning, and I am a firm believer in the research that shows that kids learn best when they are moving.

Our favorite curriculum, which we still use to this day, is KONOS Character curriculum. I love it so much that I agreed to become a regional sales representative for them years ago. I no longer sell it, but I still use it with my kids and recommend it to others. KONOS has helped me to become a better teacher, and it’s helped my children to become better learners.

9. Our family's ministry is equipping people to educate their children. My hubby and I are founding directors of a regional organization called HEART of Texas, which serves homeschool families & support groups. If you struggle in a particular area of homeschooling, or parenting in general, let me know if I can help.

10. I have a Dr. Seuss collection. I’ll show it to you sometime.

11. I love penguins and the color purple. Those two things don't really go together, but they both begin with the letter "p."

12. I'm a type-A personality and, according to my husband, I never do anything halfway. Whether it's planning for the school year, coordinating a Christmas party,

decorating a birthday cake, or just cleaning out a closet, I go all out. I am not OCD, but I could be on the spectrum.

Now that you know a little about me, please take a few moments to share a little about yourself by sending me an email. I look forward to getting to know you and learning from each other!