Homeschooling: Where Do We Begin?

by Martin & Carolyn Forte

With thousands of families more-or-less forced into homeschooling, there is a great deal of confusion as to how to go about it.  As long time homeschool advocates, we get phone calls every day from parents and sometimes teens asking how to begin and proceed with this new way of “schooling.”  The first question is usually about how to homeschool legally, which will be slightly different in every state.  We can answer that question for California, where we operate Excellence In Education Homeschool Resource Center.  For other states, you can go to http://www.hslda.org and look up the law in your state.

Once legality is covered, the next question is usually something about curriculum.  It’s natural to think that is the next step, but homeschooling is very different from a public or private school setting.  To be really successful, homeschooling has to fit the individual student as well as the student’s family.  Therefore, I highly recommend that parents learn more about their student’s learning style before trying to choose a curriculum or learning materials.  A good way to do this is to read Discover Your Child’s Learning Style by Mariaemma Willis and Victoria Hodson and to do the profile referenced in the book at http://excellenceineducationhomeschooling.com/learning-style-assessment/. For a more thorough explanation of Learning Styles visit our website and view the series of Learning Styles tutorials: http://excellenceineducationhomeschooling.com/tutorials/.

Taking this step first can save a lot of money and frustration.  In a school setting where everyone is forced into the same mold, there is a lot of peer pressure to encourage conformity, even when the learning methods used aren’t well suited to an individual child.  At home, however, when the curriculum methods are out of sync with a child’s inborn learning style, there will be a lot of push-back and frustration making homeschooling an unpleasant experience.  The typical school curriculum is only suited to 15-20% of the population.  It only works at school for the other 85% because of coercion and peer pressure.  If your child is not one of the 15-20% and you buy a typical school type curriculum, you may be in for a hard time.

It is also very helpful to read one or more books about homeschooling written by veterans who can make your life easier.  My favorite is The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook by Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore.  This book is based on the Moore’s extensive research into child development and successful homeschoolers’ practices.  Another great resource is Dr. Mary Hood’s The Relaxed Homeschool.  If you need a great guide for the early years, get The Three R’s by Dr. Ruth Beechick.  She also wrote a guide for older children: You Can Teach Your Child Successfully – Grades 4-8.

This next recommendation is one that parents anxious to start homeschooling have a hard time understanding.  Many of the parents who call us are very concerned that their children are “behind” because of the many months of lock-down and “virtual schooling.”  They want to help their children “catch up” ASAP.  When it comes to learning, a student who is relaxed, refreshed and interested, learns very fast.  When a student is stressed or depressed, learning is hampered.  Parents need to evaluate the situation and give their students ample time to detox from any stress left over from school.  This detox time doesn’t have to be free of  learning but it should be a time that is above all, not stressful.  Use this time to follow an interest, start or continue a hobby, learn a new sport, take up a musical instrument, create a business, learn to sew, cook, knit, etc.  Stay away from electronic media as much as possible.  Your student needs REAL experiences.  This detox time can vary from a few days to a few months, depending on your child’s experiences.

While your student is detoxing from school and starting the transition to home learning, you can research, with your student’s learning style in mind, possible curriculum choices.  If yours is one of the 15-20% that is suited to a school type curriculum, you can look at the many choices available, most of which were created for private schools, and find something that suits your tastes and your budget.  Don’t order everything!  These materials were created for classroom teachers and homeschoolers don’t need and won’t use every bell and whistle.  You definitely need the text/workbook and the answer key or teacher manual.  You may not need the tests and other materials.  Unlike a teacher in a classroom, you can see every day whether your child understands the material.  Much of the workbook is busywork anyway to help the teacher fill up a long school day.  It isn’t necessarily an aid to learning.  You decide how much is important.

If your child’s learning style is not suited to the conveyor belt type learning at traditional schools, take heart, there are many good books that outline different teaching or curriculum styles which will be a better fit.

• Here is a sampling of books about different homeschooling styles:
• Moore Formula Method: The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook
• Charlotte Mason Method: A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison
• Relaxed Homeschooling: The Relaxed Homeschool by Dr. Mary Hood
• Classical Homeschooling: Teaching the Trivium by Harvey and Laurie Bluedorn
• Classical Homeschooling: The Well-Trained Mind by Susan Wise Bauer
• Unit Study Method: Unit Studies Made Easy by Valerie Bendt
• Unschooling: Teach Your Own by John Holt (Holt coined the term unschooling to mean learning outside of a traditional school)

Homeschooling is like a vast supermarket.  Remember that you can’t buy or eat everything in the store.  Learn to pick what you need right now and don’t worry about the rest. Most of these styles/philosophies can be adapted to your child’s learning style so when you find something that resonates and looks like a fit, try it out with one subject or one unit to see whether it works for you.  Don’t worry about “falling behind.”  Your student has far more time now to devote to learning than when he was in school and far fewer distractions.  If you eliminate the busy work and allow him to pursue his interests, he can move even faster.  Once he has regained his love of learning, he will amaze you.

In summary, I want to welcome you to the modern homeschool movement.  If done properly you will be amazed at how brilliant and successful your children are.  Don’t forget, your objective is to create a love of learning within your child and the ability to teach himmself.  This will lead to a true lifetime learner, a gift with great rewards in your child’s lifetime.  You will be amazed as to how effective you will be in creating an environment where your child can be done with the formal aspects of homeschooling before 1:00 PM allowing him to use the rest of the day for exploratory activities, much of which can be converted into academic credits for the older student.  Also, do not forget about the wonderful opportunities provided by your local community college where both high school and college credits can be earned.

All in all, this is a wonderful journey that will not only enhance your family relationships, but allow you to better monitor and control the content of your child’s education.

Martin and Carolyn Forte are the owners of Excellence In Education, a homeschool resource center in Monrovia, CA.  They can be reached at eieacademy@gmail.com or by phoning 626-821-0025 during business hours.