Getting Started

Kelley asks: We're considering homeschooling or participating in a partial home study through a private school. I have a 1 year old son and a 3 year old son. What advice can you give to someone just barely venturing down the homeschool road? Resources? Suggestions? Cautions? I just don't know where to begin!

Melissa asks: Can you possibly give a paraphrased lesson on how to establish the 12 year overview of what needs to be taught.

Heidi answers: Whew! I might get a little wordy here...

I think the first thing a person needs to do is write down why they want to homeschool. You might not have a long list at first. It may just be a rough sketch of general ideas. Everyone is different. You might have a child who is struggling socially or academically in school. Health issues (diabetes or severe allergies), academic goals that don't mesh well with schools available to you, educational philosophies that differ from traditional schools, a desire for flexibility or family time....whatever your reasons, write them down. After much thought (years), I've written my 'why's' here.

Next, put some thought into your educational philosophy. You made need to do some reading and research on this one. A few of my favorite books are Family Matters: Why Homeschooling Makes Sense, The Well-Trained Mind, Cultural Literacy, and For the Children's Sake. Check your local library for additional titles.

There are many different methods for learning at home: unit studies, boxed curriculum, online schools, unschooling, Classical, Charlotte Mason, the list goes on. If you haven't found something in your research that feels right to you, the resource options may be unbearably overwhelming!

In the early years, while you are reading and researching, I would spend (and have) as much time as possible reading aloud to your children. These books can be about art, science, geography, or simply tell a delightful story. Make books accessible to your children to look at on their own. Utilize books and stories on CD.

A daily routine and good discipline strategies are priceless to a homeschooling mom. Spending time to develop these two things will pay you back again and again. (Learn from my mistakes....)

I mentioned the 12-year overview when I wrote about 'Defining Your Big-Picture Goals' in Homeschool Planning the Heidi way. I think defining your educational style, goals, and expectations is an important step in choosing to homeschool. There are so many variations, and each family will come up with something a little different depending on the above choices as well as the needs of each student.

If you are looking for a basic list of the curriculum standards and requirements for each grade, World Book has a Typical Course of Study outlined on their site. Many families find helpful such books as the Core Knowledge What Your __Grader Needs to Know. Home Learning Year by Year: How to Design a Homeschool Curriculum from Preschool Through High School is an often recommended book for those searching for a complete homeschool planning resource.

As for me, I read The Well-Trained Mind before Levi was born, and it was right on target as far as style and content. I've tweaked small things here and there to suit our family, and I'm sure we'll make more adjustments as we go along. I've enjoyed reading about other educational philosophies such as Charlotte Mason and Cultural Literacy (or Core Knowledge). The wonderful thing about homeschooling is that as parents/teachers, we are free to take the best of what we discover and implement it in our own homes.

The following is our very basic 12-year outline (based mostly upon the course of study defined by The Well-Trained Mind):

Grammar Stage

First Grade:

Phonics

Grammar

Handwriting

Math

Ancient History and Literature

Biology

Art and Music (Begin Piano Lessons)

Religion

Second Grade:

Spelling

Grammar

Handwriting (Cursive)

Math

Medieval/Early Renaissance History and Literature

Earth Science and Astronomy

Art and Music (Continue Piano Lessons)

Latin

Religion

Third Grade:

Spelling

Grammar

Writing

Handwriting

Math
Late Renaissance/Early Modern History and Literature

Chemistry

Art and Music (Piano Lessons)

Latin

Religion

Fourth Grade:

Spelling

Grammar

Writing

Math

Modern History and Literature

Physics

Art and Music (Piano Lessons)

Religion

Logic Stage

5th-8th Grades:

Continue Spelling, Grammar, Writing, and Math

Repeat History, Literature and Science rotation at appropriate levels

Latin and Spanish

Formal Logic Study

Typing

Art and Music (connect with history studies) (continue piano or begin study of new instrument)

Religion

Rhetoric Stage

9th-12th Grades:

Grammar, Vocabulary, Writing, Math

Repeat History and Literature rotation with a Great Books study

Repeat Science rotation at appropriate levels

Language Study (Latin, Spanish, French, or student's choice)

Rhetoric, Speech, Debate

Art and Music according to student's interests

Junior and Senior Projects

Life Skills

(PSAT/SAT Prep)

Wow, did anyone make it to the bottom of this post? All that and I'm sure I've omitted something important. I'll cover specific resources and where I find them in future posts. Any other related questions? Kelley, did I answer your question, or did I get off track?