How to: Create Your Ideal Homeschool Philosophy-Part One

I’ve learned so much over the last two years coordinating a homeschool co-op that I wrote a two part series for those who are just beginning their homeschool journey or those who need a little refresher! Part two will follow next month!

So, you’ve decided to homeschool. Congratulations! Welcome! We’re glad you’re here! What curriculum are you going to use? How are you going to do this? How many hours should we devote to this thing? Can my kids really learn from me? What if I can’t handle it?

Stop. Take a deep breath. I promise it’s all going to be ok! In fact, I guarantee that by the end of this post you’ll walk away more confident and more equipped to teach your kids than you were ten minutes ago!

Lets lay a little ground work before we wade into the really deep stuff of homeschool curriculums and philosophies. Firstly, let me introduce myself. I’m Rachel, the director of Lux et Vita Homeschool Co-op. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education (Birth through age 8) with my primary focus being in toddlers through kindergarten. I was a classroom teacher for 8 years where I taught Kindergarten and Preschool. For the last decade I’ve been a nanny to two different families. During this time, I’ve home educated all my toddler charges before they moved onto full time kindergarten. I also work at Fortress Lutheran Church where I run our co-op and the children’s ministry of the church. I am ridiculously passionate about home education and supporting those who have made this choice for their families. If you ever want to discuss early childhood development, I’m your girl!

Now that the intros are out of the way…let’s jump into the fun stuff! How and what are you going to teach these sweet children of yours?

De-School Yourself

The very first thing you’re going to need to do as a brand new homeschool family (or even veterans!) is to take a step back. Seriously. School at home does not and should not look like a traditional school classroom. Disconnect yourself from the vision of children sitting in desks and rows from 8 am until 3 pm. In fact, kids in traditional classrooms are not even sitting in desks for that long! Between transitions in the school building, recess, moving between subjects, bathroom breaks, teachers correcting behaviors and other distractions students in a traditional classroom get between 2-3 hours of focused learning time in a day. Read that again. Two to three hours of focused learning in ONE DAY! Once you’ve wrapped your head around that idea, it doesn’t seem that hard to homeschool around the hours you have in your home.

De-schooling is a process that will help you learn more about how your children learn and grow. If they’ve spent years in the traditional classroom, you may have very little information about their learning style or how where they are academically.

During this de-schooling time I want you to stay off of the internet. I mean it!

Don’t read any homeschool blogs, don’t talk to your friends about their plans for the new year, don’t buy anything, and promise not to Pin any pictures of cute homeschool rooms!

Instead you’re going to spend time with your kids playing, baking, going on trips to the library or park, take a day trip to a museum you’ve always wanted to visit. Read all the books on your kids shelf! Spend time getting to know your kids without the pressure of schooling and homework. Find ways to connect each day with each kid. You’re going to deeply find out how your child ticks before you spend a dime on any type of curriculum!

Observation Time

During this de-schooling time, I want you to grab a brand new notebook. Dedicate a section for each child. In these sections you will write down every observation you have of your child. In the education world we call these anecdotal notes . (This article includes photos and amazing information on this process!)

You can ask your child questions to find out what they are interested in and what they might be interested in learning. This is also a fun way to document the funny things your kids say that you’ll forget about one day!

It is widely accepted that the full de-school transition period should equal one week for every year your child was in public school. De-schooling can also happen after you’ve already started home education and have hit a rut or you suspect your children could benefit from a new type of educational technique.

Research Time

Now that you’ve spent quality time with your children documenting their every move, I’ll finally allow you to get back onto the internet! Pull out the notebook again because you’re going to research all the things!

State LawsHomeschool laws vary from state to state. In Texas, there are very few requirements. However, if you are a military family, I suggest you keep records of everything in the event that you move to a more restrictive state. A few websites that can facilitate this are: Texas Homeschool Coalition and Homeschool Legal Defense Association
Homeschool Models and CurriculumI now give you permission to pin to your hearts content! Read up on different types of home education. I’ll recommend some books at the end of this series.
Co-op and Classes Naturally I’m a little biased on this one! There are many many options of groups to join on Facebook. If you’re in Bell County Texas, I recommend: Ft. Cavasos Christian Homeschoolers or Bell County Homeschoolers There are always events, playdates, and classes posted in these types of groups. If you don’t find something you want, feel free to suggest it!
SportsThis is a big one for some families. Again, check the Facebook groups. There is always something being promoted!
Why/HowTime to ask yourself from really deep questions: Why are you homeschooling? Does your child need to catch up and get back into public school? Do you feel your child is behind or ahead? Do you want to spend more time with your children? Are you concerned about the state of schooling in America?How are you going to implement this plan? Will you hold school in the morning or afternoon? Who will be in charge of making sure things get done? Will you homeschool year-round? Brain dump everything into your notebook. Do not be afraid to ask the hard questions. Be as honest with yourself as you can. Write down how you want your homeschool to feel, look, and operate. At this point, write it all down! Nothing is off the table. Focus on your strengths as a teacher. Focus on your children’s interests.
Figure Out Your Family Rhythms In your notebook (your new best friend) answer a few more questions about the day to day aspects of home education: Are you sharing responsibilities with a spouse? Do you need to work during the school day? What are your school hours? How strict will you be about meals and snacks? Will you allow interruptions during the day? (Like playdates and outside classes or visits from friends) Where will you have your school day? When will your “school year” begin and end?
Define Your Non-negotiables Pick three things that you will do every day, no matter what. When you have a rough day you can point to these three things and call your day a win! For me and the kids I nanny they are: Getting outside (even in the hot and cold weather!), reading books, and making something. Making something can be as simple as a block tower or drawing a picture! Even if we don’t get to any type of “learning” activity, I can feel that we accomplished something if we do just those three things.
Pick Your Method of InstructionOnce you’ve decided on how you want your homeschool to look and feel then go about finding a method that fits how you want to teach your children! Things to keep in mind during this time: Your teaching style, your children’s learning style, how much time you have to devote to homeschooling and your budget.

I’m going to end on a little bit of a cliff hanger here as you digest all that I’ve thrown at you! Next month I’ll be back to go through all the types of instruction methods available to homeschool families. We’ll talk about what type of family each one is a good fit for and some resources on each method!