Preparing for homeschooling years out?

[camerong]

Hi everyone,
We have 2.5 yo, a 1.5 yo, and just found out my wife is pregnant with number 3. Here’s my question:

We are considering homeschooling our kids when they become school-aged. I hope we would have a fairly good background for it; my wife is an elementary speech pathologist and I’m a lawyer (so my schedule is fairly flexible). Obviously we have quite a bit of time between now and then. What kinds of things should we be doing in the meantime to help us discern the decision? Is there anything we can do now to be better homeschooling parents or make homeschooling easier, should we go that route?

Thanks everyone!

 

[Kelfa28]

Hi!

My husband and I aren’t planning on homeschooling our children but we have several friends that do. One is just starting to get her feet wet as her eldest is about to start Kindergarden.

They are attending a Catholic Homeschool conference that happens to be within driving distance. She and her husband and planning on attending to see what is out there and to talk to other people who homeschool.

 

[pensmama87]

I know several moms who homeschool, and all of them advise that you wait as long as possible to actually begin formally schooling, because it’s very hard to stop once you start. In my state, schooling is not required to begin until the age of 8. Some kids are truly school-ready before this, but if they aren’t, that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with them or that they aren’t bright, or that they will always be “behind.”

I would say to not worry about it too much right now, but maybe ask a little bit about what resources are available in your area. Get to know what’s available at the library, local museums and the science center, that kind of thing. Learn what the laws are where you live - not just what you are required to do but what the school district may be obligated to provide to you, as well.

Play with your kids, get to know what they’re into, answer questions they have (when they’re not just trying to stall bedtime. ) Involve them in what you’re doing to the degree that it’s safe or practical (e.g. My three-year-old has LOVED helping with our little garden this year - he helped plant, weed, water, and pick - he tells me every day now when something is ripe.) There are lots of opportunities to educate your children and encourage them to be curious and love learning without any kind of formal curriculum.

 

[Auntie_A]

Ask around your parish and community about home schooling and see if some of the families do a “share” where one day or afternoon a parent supervise the schooling or independent study and the other parents gets an afternoon off. Then they rotate.

Maybe your wife can still work in the schools as an SLP one to three days a week and the kids can have their electives elsewhere: music instruction, art, languages, etc.

I have seen many families turn their homeschooling into a bigger network, including grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, church, neighbors, etc. This allows Mom and Dad some breathing room and gives the kids some variety in their education as well, especially at they get older.

Good luck.

 

[Hoosier_Daddy]

This is not as fun as it could be to post because I usually love giving home school advice but honestly I think this is too early to really do anything. When my oldest was 2 and a half we did not even have schooling, home or otherwise on our radar. Just let them be kids for a while. Any prep you do now is lost in reality anyway. We use Seton for homeschooling and honestly, they don’t really start getting into the real schooling stuff until first grade.

But I do know people who totally buy into the “preschool” idea. And it seems to work for them fine. And if you already know you are going to home school. You can always help yourself learn by going to conferences and talking to other homeschoolers.

Knock yourself out!

 

[cjd]

Schooling starts now. And if you are an attentive mother/father, you are likely ‘homeschooling’ them already. Read them books? Let them help around the house (in age appropriate ways)? Take them to places around town like the park, zoo, or library? Talk to them and answer all their questions while leaving them room to ask more?

The only difference is when they get a little older, you are likely to want to put a little more structure on it. Some don’t want that structure and go along an “unschooling” approach. Many others like that more well-defined structure and use a fully formed curriculum like Seton. And there are all versions in between.

So there is nothing you need to do now but keep doing what you are doing. If you are anxious about not knowing what to do later on, try to find a homeschool group near you or a homeschool co-op and see if you can drop in. Most have other kids that are your kids’ age and you likely would be welcomed in with open arms to see how they do it. You can also start peeking around at different curriculum, but, at least for our family, its not really until you work with each kid for a year or two, until you see what is going to work best for you and them, working together. Each child has been different.

Homeschooling isn’t right for everyone, but anyone can make it right for them.

 

[ThyKingdomCome]

Lots of talking, lots of books. Go ahead and start researching homeschooling now. You have lots of time to figure out what philosophy fits you the best (and you may change your mind some time down the line) - Classical, Scholastic, Charlotte Mason, Unschooling, Eclectic…

Work on instilling good habits and virtue in the toddler-preschool years. In “A Catholic Homeschool Treasury” by Wittman and Mack, a homeschooling mother described the most important tasks of preschool as working on obedience, orderliness, and honesty. These are foundational to the the tasks of living well in a home and family, and also education.

Get some books and start getting in the mood about it. The one I mentioned is good. I also liked “Designing Your Own Classical Curriculum” and “The Well Trained Mind.” The last one isn’t Catholic, but has a very well thought out perspective. Books on the other philosophies can also be really helpful. Don’t feel like you need to read these books right away - BUT consider that when you are in the thick of homeschooling, you won’t have as much time to ponder all of the decisions, and you might not have as much energy to do a lot of extra reading. I read these books before my oldest was school aged, and I’m glad I did, because I’d never get to them now.

Some homeschoolers do formal preschool at home, others don’t. Often, homeschoolers will do preschool with their older kids, but not with the younger ones when they don’t have the time. The younger ones aren’t missing out terribly because they have the benefit of tagging along with the structure and activities of their older siblings. There are several good programs out there, some of which require more work from the parent than others. Focus on keeping the preschool years fun, and not pushing the child too early.

Speaking of pushing the child too early, a common mistake that homeschoolers make is to see their child make quick progress early on, and push them to do too much too soon. Sometimes this results in burnout or backfire a year or two down the line. It is hard to be patient, but it is important to remember the benefits on not moving too fast. There will always be time for lots of math, and there will be a time when it can’t be avoided. But there won’t always be time for playing outside all day long and enjoying the carefree life of a young child.

Maybe you are still in the stage of deciding whether or not to homeschool - if so, and if the ideas above overwhelm you, then ignore them. Just pray about this decision, and if you have the opportunity, talk to homeschooling parents and ask them questions about it. God bless!