How We Homeschool Series

Here are the topics:

Part 1: Getting started with homeschool (preschool)

Part 2: Determine your teaching method and your kids’ learning styles

Part 3: Curriculum planning with multiple kids

Part 4: Homeschooling as a lifestyle

Many readers didn’t know where to begin. Let me share my story.

I never planned to homeschool.

I was lost when I realized that God was slamming every door in. my. face. and forcing me to homeschool Elizabeth. I had been a public school teacher. All my in-laws were public school teachers.

We moved out-of-state – and I couldn’t find a job – and I couldn’t find a school for Liz – and I was pregnant with Tori -I didn’t know what to do!

Elizabeth has an October birthday. The school wouldn’t accept her for another year for Kindergarten. I knew in the back of my mind that Liz would be turning 6 about a month into that school year. She would be bored out of her mind and be a behavior problem. She had corrected her preschool teacher! I worried about her future success in school.

Since we were both home, I told my husband we would just homeschool for a few years. That sealed the deal and there was no turning back. She was reading and doing work several grade levels ahead in six months. She was tested at the end of that first year and her reading level was above 3rd grade. The family got off my back after that.

So, what did I do that first year?

I gathered all these great materials and we did Kindergarten workbooks and readers and an old math book from my mother-in-law. Liz completed Kindergarten in 6 months.

Now what?

I read The Well-Trained Mind cover to cover.

I have no idea how I first came across it. I got Story of the World and followed the plan for 1st grade to the letter. Liz loved First Language Lessons.  She loved all the activities in Story of the World. She loved copywork. She loved recitation and dictation and narration. She was a model homeschool child. She had used A Beka in preschool, so we continued with some of their workbooks since she loved them so much.

I joined all the homeschool groups. In our town, there were many and they had park days on various days of the week. We signed up for amazing art lessons at this little local place. Lessons were completed easily in a couple hours each morning. We went to the library for story time and on field trips. She was just a small 5-year-old, so we blended in with the preschoolers. {until she opened her mouth, that is.}

When Tori came into our lives, we incorporated tot school when she was old enough to do play. Then Kate and Alex joined our family and we continued to do tot school and preschool and Montessori activities.

Next year will be our first official school year with Kate! I plan to go classical style with Tori and Kate, similar to what I did with Liz in the beginning, but with some changes, because every child learns differently. {More info on that in the next post.}

Here are my recommendations about where to begin…

Research. Pray. Ask friends, acquaintances, bloggers {like me!} how they homeschool. Realize they’re not you. Pray with your husband and children for direction. Go to homeschool conventions to see what’s out there. Pray some more. Go to the library and get books on homeschooling and education.

Read some articles on Ambleside Online about beginning school – and great reading lists! They offer an entire K-12 curriculum free on public domain. It’s very advanced and lots of reading lists.

You can homeschool virtually free – especially in the primary years. Many of the sites listed have free or very inexpensive printables. {More on this in part 3!}

Resources:

Tot school and preschool printables galore at 1+1+1+=1

Loads of fun printables at Homeschool Creations

Love the literacy printables at The Moffatt Girls

Great Bible printables at the sites found here: The Crafty Classroom

Great encouragement here: Preschoolers and Peace

These aren’t homeschooling blogs, but they’re awesome. Great themed printables and activities. PreKinders and Making Learning Fun

I renew my membership at abcteach every year because the printables are so great. Lots of Montessori and preschool pages. They often have great membership deals through Homeschool Buyers Co-op.

I also have a membership at Education.com for printable for all ages.

Stay tuned for my next post on determining your teaching style and your kids’ learning styles. It will be paramount to how to have homeschool success.

See our schedules and our school rooms.

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