Intro to Homeschooling for LDS Families

      

Taking the leap to homeschool your children can be an intimidating one! I've seen many, many homeschool-related forums flooded with questions from beginners wondering how they should get started, what the best curriculums are, or how to do it legally in their state, etc.

      So, instead of answering these questions over and over again, I've written up an overview on everything I wish someone had told me when I first started. Enjoy!

“The most important advice I would probably give someone is to take the leap of faith and let the Spirit guide as Nephi did.
A lot of people want to know exactly what they are doing before they start, but the truth is that, just like when you are learning to play a board game, you don’t really “get it” until you start to play.
With homeschooling, Heavenly Father will tutor you in what your children need, but it takes some trial and error and a lot of prayer.
You need to be willing to let go of cultural and pre-conceived notions of what an education is and research and decide for yourself what is most important.  It takes time to do all of this, but the rewards are well worth the effort!”

— Karen

Kids spend less time waiting around.  Most families spend about four to five hours per day homeschooling total. In contrast, by the time public school children are home with school and done with their homework, it’s almost bedtime.
Schoolwork can get done faster because of the low student-to-teacher ratio, and the absence of time-sucking rituals that larger classrooms require like: waiting on or for buses, car pick up lines, lining up for lunch or recess, changing classes or rooms, everyone taking books out, everyone putting books away, answering lots of unimportant questions, handing out papers, explaining what is expected,  interruptions by phone calls, p.a. announcements, assemblies, testing and assessments. At home, things like testing are almost completely unnecessary at home because you will be well aware of what your child understands and what they need to keep working on.

More individualized Approach  My son’s poor listening skills at school were really affecting his ability to learn.  His teacher often complained that he monopolized her time and that he needed one-on-one attention that they couldn’t give to him.  If he didn’t pay attention to a concept, the class would move on to the next level without him.  Finally, I’ve been able to give him the individualized teaching he needs to help him learn what he needs to. Public schools class sizes have too high a teacher/student ratio for the teacher to give your child the kind of tailored education that homeschooling allows. The learning pace moves as fast or as slow each child needs. Gifted kids will experience less boredom, kids who need extra time won’t be left behind, and kids who need to wiggle aren’t as confined to sitting still.

Parenting is more enriching.  When my son started kindergarten, I felt like my role as mother had been diminished greatly. He was only with me for a couple hours in the evening, and they were spent arguing about homework. Mornings were just a rush to get him out of the door on time.   When he didn’t ride the bus I’d spend at least 2 hours a day driving and sitting in car lines, wishing we could be doing something more productive and enriching instead. Some children thrive in Kindergarten, but my my son only survived. I always asked him how school was that day, hoping for glimpses into the world he now spent the majority of his time in and he’d usually summarize his day like this: “I missed you and my brother all day.”  Now, I feel like I’m more aware of his needs. No more guessing on what he’s learning and experiencing each day. They say that kids who do best in school are the ones with involved parents, and I am more aware of his specific academic and emotional needs are than ever.

You get to learn, too! I never knew much about ancient Mesopotamians or what the names of the bones in your ear were before I had to teach my sons. You’d be surprised how many gaps in your education you’ll get to fill, even in the early years.

Field Trips! - One of my family’s favorite aspects of homeschool! If we are learning about rivers, I can take my kids right down to the river bank to observe what we’ve learned. If there’s a temporary ancient Egyptian exhibit in the local museum, we can go whenever we want. In the last three years we’ve gone on a behind the scenes tour of the airport and restaurants, to the zoo, strawberry picking, a science museum, a civil war fort, civil war re-enactment, children’s museum, an aquarium, alpaca farm, dairy farm, gone on three different swamp tours with biologists, watched a live play and ballet, built motorized creations with legos at bricks-4-kids, held baby alligators, tracked turtles, studied swamp water at a lab, a circus, etc. (And those are just the ones I remember off the top of my head.) These are some of our favorite memories and I just love watching my children’s faces as they discover new things!

Better Sleep Habits A survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that many kids and teens aren’t getting enough sleep, and one of the culprits was homework and late extracurricular activities. A study done by the Journal “Pediatrics”* found that adding even just 30 minutes of sleep helped youngsters have better impulse control and focus. Without early morning rushes and late night homework, children and even parents are more able to get the rest they need to do their very best.
*http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2013/01/sleep_adding_minutes_improves.html

Spending our cheeriest hours together  I was dropping my son off during his cheeriest hours, when he was alert and happy, and picking him back up when he was cranky and burned out.  Each evening was spent pushing him through homework, dinner, scouts, and then bedtime.  Now, daylight is spent together: learning, talking and playing.

Kids have time for creative play and unique interests.  Kids don’t have much time for their own unique interests when in public school.  My nine-year-old can now dedicate time to learning computer programming and has also taught himself how to manipulate electric circuitry, while my six-year-old is learning Spanish.

Freedom and flexibility  When my husband was assigned to Savannah for a month long work assignment, we went right along with him without having to worry about pulling my oldest out of school. If family comes into town to visit, or we want to visit them, we don’t have to worry about them missing anything at school, either. Family vacations can also be cheaper because you can utilize off-season pricing of plane tickets and hotels.  Zoos, children’s museums, libraries, parks, etc., are far less busy on weekdays as they are on weekends.  If your husband works nights or swing shifts, you’ll have an easier time adapting family time to his schedule. Scheduling anything is eons easier—doctor’s appointments, piano lessons, vacations, etc.

Avoid bullying  My oldest struggled socially in school, and his schoolmates were ruthless.  In first grade he played alone on the playground everyday, and if anyone tried to play with him, he said that that child was threatened with ostracization as well. His anxiety was high and he often chewed through his shirts.  His teacher was not helpful, and stated that there was no bullying going on in her classroom, despite not seeing what was going on on the playground. Now, he plays happily at our homeschool co-op and park days, he stopped chewing through his shirts and he’s smiling again.  Bullying is much more rare at homeschool get-togethers because every child is there with his or her own parent.  Any bad behavior can be addressed and corrected immediately. Our kids have plenty of time with friends, and while disagreements and spats between the kids arise, unhealthy teasing and bullying is not tolerated. It’s not about putting children in a “bubble”, schools want to stamp out bullying and negative peer pressure too, they simply don’t have the manpower to do it as effectively. Added bonus: By hanging out with the other homeschool moms, I get more weekly adult social time, too. That’s a win/win.

Kids learn helpful life skills and manners.  Homeschooled kids are more likely to pick up skills like cooking, cleaning,  finances, home repair, parenting skills, and time management from your daily routines if you take the time to make them into teaching moments.Kids forget to say “please” and “thank you”? Left their lunch mess on the table? Unless an adult catches it, bad manners at school are often left unaddressed. At home and at group functions, you can address problems right as they happen.

Impart the gospel and your morals  About a third of homeschool families choose to do it because they want to make sure they integrate their religious or moral values into their children’s educations. Although, that wasn’t our prime motivation, it is still a freedom that we enjoy that it isn’t possible in a classroom full of families of differing beliefs. For example, we can start school with a prayer and devotional and I can incorporate any relevant gospel or moral topics into a subject when I feel so inspired.

Saving tax money According to the National Home Education Research Institute,  “families engaged in home-based education are not dependent on public, tax-funded resources for their children’s education. The finances associated with their homeschooling likely represent over $24 billion that American taxpayers do not have to spend, annually, since these children are not in public schools.”*
*http://www.nheri.org/research/research-facts-on-homeschooling.html

Disclaimer: Not all of these are issues for every family. Certain circumstances and educational approaches may face less or different challenges than those listed.

Kids 24/7  There's no denying it — if you choose to homeschool, you're going to be with your kids most of the time. If you don't enjoy being together, it may be a problem. Trying to run errands, get visiting teaching done and get to your own medical appointments with all of your kids can also be a lot more tricky and time-consuming.

Stigma  - Having to justify homeschooling to family and friends who oppose your decision to learn at home.

Not Seeing Progress - Dealing with times when it seems they don't seem to retain what you've already covered, or don't seem to be learning anything at all, is hard and frustrating.

Money - While many homeschooling parents juggle working part time, the teaching parent’s working potential is definitely diminished. You may also be spending more on your children's education than you're accustomed to. Costs for curriculums and supplies vary; some are fairly cheap, and some are quite pricey. On the upside, it's cheaper than private school but overall, most families probably spend more than they would if their child was in public school.

More pressure and stress on you - Their entire education and opportunities to socialize with other children now falls mainly on your shoulders, and this is  a lot of pressure. In my experience, most homeschooling parents worry if they're doing enough, and it can sometimes spiral into anxiety.
Tip: Avoid falling into the negative cycle of equating their progress and achievements with your self worth as a teacher and parent.

Less Time  Learning outside of a school environment can consume a lot of mom or dad's time. Most folks visualize that time being spent at the kitchen table with textbooks and worksheets, but that’s not the case all of the time. Hands-on experiences and interesting activities are great as learning tools. However, planning, driving to, and participating in those activities (or waiting for them to be over) take your previously free time. Add this to any calling you hold in your ward, any job or business venture your part of and any other activities you prioritize and you’ll end up being very busy.

Finding good secular science resources - If you want to take a secular approach to science (ie. evolution, dinosaurs existing, the idea that Earth is millions of years old), know that that there are less options for you than if you want to teach from a “young Earth” point of view that many of the Christian-based curriculums teach from.  Some say that there aren’t any strong secular candidates and many piece together a curriculum themselves.

Please note: The LDS church does not take an official stance on evolution. Past church leaders have fallen on both sides of the debate. however it's important to note that almost all major universities teach the theory of evolution, including BYU. This is a quote from a packet addressing the matter that my husband received while studying physiology at BYU:

     “The position of the Church on the origin of man was published by the First Presidency in 1909 and stated again by a different First Presidency in 1925:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, basing its belief on divine revelation, ancient and modern, declares man to be the direct and lineal offspring of Deity.... Man is the child of God, formed in the divine image and endowed with divine attributes (see Appendix, "Doctrinal Expositions of the First Presidency").
     The scriptures tell why man was created, but they do not tell how, though the Lord has promised that he will tell that when he comes again (D&C 101:32-33). In 1931, when there was intense discussion on the issue of organic evolution, the First Presidency of the Church, then consisting of Presidents Heber J. Grant, Anthony W. Ivins, and Charles W. Nibley, addressed all of the General Authorities of the Church on the matter, and concluded,
     Upon the fundamental doctrines of the Church we are all agreed. Our mission is to bear the message of the restored gospel to the world. Leave geology, biology, archaeology, and anthropology, no one of which has to do with the salvation of the soul of mankind, to scientific research, while we magnify our calling in the realm of the Church....
     Upon one thing we should all be able to agree, namely, that Presidents Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H. Lund were right when they said: "Adam is the primal parent of our race" 

And from Gordon B. Hinckley:
“I remember when I was a college student there were great discussions on the question of organic evolution. I took classes in geology and biology and heard the whole story of Darwinism as it was then taught. I wondered about it. I thought much about it. But I did not let it throw me, for I read what the scriptures said about our origins and our relationship to God. Since then I have become acquainted with what to me is a far more important and wonderful kind of evolution. It is the evolution of men and women as the sons and daughters of God, and of our marvelous potential for growth as children of our Creator.” —President Gordon B. Hinckley 

Complying with local legal regulations - Some states make it easier than others, but living in an area with a lot of regulations can make it more difficult.

More effort on your part for social opportunities and P.E.  My home is not equipped with a playground full of 30 kids, a music room or a gymnasium. I have to seek out those opportunities. It’s nice that I also get to pick and choose the activities that will best motivate them to get moving; a football player doesn't have to learn to square dance, and my reluctant athlete can play tag instead.  However, it still takes extra effort and time to make sure it happens.

Messy House - There are some that don’t struggle with this, but I’m going to be honest, my house is even messier than it used to be. Although my kids are now more involved with daily chores as homeschoolers, they’re still learning how to do them right. I don’t have as much time as I used to to keep up with it. Not to mention all the extra books, papers, science and art projects that are around now.

Consistency, organization AND flexibility are essential - Children flourish under structure and consistency. Even in an unschooling environment, these are essential to success. Yet, it’s something that almost every parent struggles with, definitely including myself.  If we don’t have good self government over ourselves, it’s less likely that our children will learn this important life skill from us. Yet, homeschooling also requires flexibility. There will be interruptions, there will be times when you will need to change your game plan, and unexpected challenges. Finding the happy medium between structure, flexibility and consistency where learning seems to flourish is tricky, let the Spirit guide you.
Tip: Use a program like “leech blocker” or “net nanny” to restrict your access to time-sucking websites during school hours.

Exclusion - This isn’t a problem for every family, but depending on your area, some may find a great homeschool group with enticing activities, resources and field trips that is only open to those who will sign a statement of faith*. Or you may encounter discussions like this. Take heart, there are lots of groups and options out there, you will find one that is good for you and your children. If not, start one!

*A document that exclusive homeschool groups require you to sign upon joining. Some groups bar anyone who won’t sign, while others will allow you to join, but you aren’t allowed to be a parent teacher. Most statements of faith are Evangelical Christian in nature and most require that you have a belief in: Jesus Christ’s atonement,  the inerrancy of the bible, the trinity, etc.

Feeling Trapped - Some find that balancing homeschooling and their other obligations to be too much. Others find that their families are actually fighting more often than they used to because they don't get as many breaks away from each other. Still others may find that taking on the task of teaching a defiant, unfocused or special needs child is putting too much strain on their mental health. In these cases, they may feel that they are ready to put their children back in public school, but struggle with feelings of failure after having committed to homeschooling, and know that they will miss the positive aspects of homeschooling. Remember, that these feelings are unjustified if you come to that place. Everyone needs to do what's best for their family, even if that looks different from what your friends do, or what you envisioned. For some it means, experiencing different methods of educating their children at different times in their life. I don’t think homeschooling has to last until graduation to be successful.

Homeschooling with Babies and Toddlers  - It can be tricky to balance helping your eldest with long division, while trying to prevent your two year old from ransacking the kitchen. However, many, many families have this problem. There’s lots of good advice out there, here’s one article to get your started: http://balancingeverything.com/2011/09/09/homeschooling-with-babies-toddlers/

Q: There are so many choices it’s overwhelming! Where should I start?

People who are just starting sometimes log onto a homeschooling forum and ask:
“I just decided to start homeschooling. What should I do? What’s the best curriculum?”

These questions are hard to answer because they are asking for way too much information without giving anyone any clue about the needs of your family, your teaching style, your children’s learning style, etc.  

Another common mistake:
Start by buying an expensive curriculum prior to having a good understanding of what might actually work for your children and yourself.

Where to start:

Step 1: Get legal - Check your local state regulations to make sure that you know and are following the law. (I talk more about this in the next question.)

Step 2: One popular homeschool website recommends spending two weeks working with and observing your child across all subjects while you consider your choices in terms of curriculum and programs. It is a good idea to start with a free or low cost option like borrowing  textbooks from the library or purchasing new or used books, or a free website like Khan Academy. This will help you to start thinking in terms of how your child learns best and your teaching style. (Remember, each child within a family might benefit from a different method, or different combination of methods)
A webpage with list of free curriculums: http://homeschoolmosaics.com/homeschooling-for-free/

Step 3: Next find some local homeschooling groups and join them! Attend their activities and keep up with online discussions.

Step 4: Talk to other homeschooling parents about the curriculum they use and why they chose it. Most curriculum’s websites have lesson samples and other free materials that you can also explore with your child before buying anything.

This process is ongoing, even after you’ve made a decision on what approach you’re going to take.  Many experienced homeschooling families will switch to another method or curriculum if they notice that their child needs a different approach.

I’m going to be covering some of the popular methods, curriculums as well as include a couple samples of what local parents are doing later on.

Q: How do I legally homeschool in my state?

Each state has different requirements. Some are really easy, like Oklahoma, and others have many requirements, like New York. HSLDA’s website is a good resource for this question. http://www.hslda.org/laws/

Q: How do homeschooled children do academically compared to kids in public school? Do they have trouble getting into college or getting jobs?

A small study compared test scores between otherwise comparable groups of: 1) public schooled children 2) structured homeschoolers, and 3) unstructured homeschoolers. Overall, the structured homeschooling group performed much better than the public school group: A grade level ahead in 5 out of 7 areas,  almost half a year ahead in math, and slightly advanced in reading comprehension.) Unstructured homeschoolers performed a little worse than the public school kids did, though not by enough margin to rule out chance.
    Link: How Do Homeschoolers do in National Tests: Homeschooling gets high marks...when parents provide structured lessons.

Another study looked at the outcomes of adults who had been homeschooled. This is what they found: Aspects of the adult lives of wholly or partly home‐educated people who took part in a study carried out from 1982‐88 are examined. All those who attempted entry to further and higher education courses were successful in achieving this: there is no evidence of prejudice against the home‐educated. In the area of employment the same seems to be true; the importance of personality attributes gained through home‐based education is apparent. The socialisation of home‐educated students is often regarded as a problem by the uninvolved: the study shows that, on the contrary, home‐educated people may be much better prepared socially than some of their schooled peers.
    Link: How do homeschooled adults turn out: The Outcomes of Home‐based Education: employment and other issues.

Q: What about socialization? Will my kids be weird?

Many people imagine homeschoolers spending everyday at home doing schoolwork and only interacting with their immediate family, but that is not the case for most homeschool families. Homeschoolers can typically finish their schoolwork faster than their peers in public classrooms. This is because homeschooled students spend less time behind a desk, so they have more time to participate in activities outside the home like music, sports, dance, art, field trips and park days. So as long as you utilize the groups, classes and other social connection available to you, your child will have plenty

Socialization in homeschooling families works well because children have more opportunities to be socialized through the modeling of good social behavior by caring adults rather than through peers, who do not know much more than they do.   Parents give their kids the skills they need to interact with other people and also have the chance to protect their children and teach them what is and isn’t an appropriate way to communicate and behave.
Homeschooling children also have the opportunity to join sports teams and go to events like prom. Many homeschool groups hold a yearly “Homeschool Prom”. There is a local group that has an athletic program specifically for the home-educating families of Augusta, Georgia. In many areas, public school services may still be at your disposal.  Need speech therapy, the gifted program, or remedial academics?  Homeschooled kids are often still eligible for all these services.  Some homeschoolers come into public school daily for “specials” like art, music, PE, or the school play.  Depending on your district, your kids may join high school sports teams once they are old enough.
Recommended Reading:

Most studies aiming to measure self-esteem in children show no significant difference in self-esteem between the overall population of homeschooled children and the overall population of children attending classroom school. Two different studies concluded that homeschooled children showed fewer behavior problems and higher maturity levels on average than their peers.

Socialization: A Great Reason Not to Go to School  - http://learninfreedom.org/socialization.html

Homeschooling: Socialization not a problem - http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/13/home-schooling-socialization-not-problem/

Q: What if we are military, and we PCS to a country where homeschooling is illegal or highly restricted (ie. Germany)

Military families outside the United States may homeschool even if homeschooling is not legal in the country in which they live. Many military bases have homeschool groups that can be very helpful in understanding the local requirements for homeschooling. Additionally, the facility will have a school liaison officer who can assist in understanding the ins and outs of homeschooling.

Q: A school teacher has gone through years of training to become a competent teacher, how can I, someone who doesn’t have a degree of any kind (or a degree unrelated to education) teach my children? What if my child wants to learn something I can’t teach?

First, what better teacher is there than someone who loves their child unconditionally as a parent does. Second, you aren’t left to your own devices: many curricula are written by teachers and professors, some in a scripted fashion. Many former teachers are among the ranks of homeschoolers I know and assure me that dedicated parents are up to the task.

You also have the option of supplementing with classes (local co-ops, online, video, support groups, community centers, colleges, etc.) taught by experts.
And when searching for teachers who can mentor your child in certain topics, don't forget about friends, acquaintances, and business people in your community - many are delighted to have a young person around who is sincerely interested in what they do and know.

Q: Is it possible to homeschool more than one child?

Yes, although some methods and curricula make it easier than others. Here’s some online guides to give you a better idea of what it’s like:

Multi-Level Teaching: Homeschooling More than One Child -http://www.hslda.org/earlyyears/MultiLevel.asp

Ten Tips from Homeschooling Moms of Four or More - http://www.welltrainedmind.com/ten-tips-from-homeschooling-moms-of-four-or-more/

Q: Will I mess up my children forever by making the wrong decision?

No. Public school and homeschool are two good ways a responsible parent can use to  ensure their children will get an education. The other thing to remember is that neither choice needs to be a permanent one. Many families homeschool for part of their children’s education and will re-enroll them in public or private school if/when it’s right for their family.

Q: What does homeschooling really look like on a day-to-day basis?

This is a difficult question to answer because days look different for different families who have unique needs, approaches and dynamics. However, I want you to imagine a scene where your children, all neatly dressed, chores done for the day, are sitting around your kitchen table with smiles on their faces, listening quietly to your lecture on grammar, while the baby sleeps peacefully in her crib. You never lose your temper, the house is clean and homemade whole wheat bread is baking in the oven.

Now, rip this scene to shreds, this will never happen! This is more realistic: Kids will complain and try to avoid doing school work and chores. There will be science and art projects filling counter space, dirty laundry, and days where you’re all still in your pajamas at noon. You might feed the baby while you try to explain adverbs to your 2nd grader (for what feels like the 200th time) and he’ll start complaining about how he’d rather play video games or go to the park.
However, there are moments like this, too:

Thank you post card to Mom for teaching him multiplication after a hard day.

The delight of discovery during an ecology field trip.

Working hard on nature studies.

Our Typical School Schedule

Our typical school day starts in the morning around 9am . We start off with a short devotional and then move on to math and spelling, their two least favorite subjects. It's nice to get them done in the morning while their attention span is a little longer. There will probably be complaining, and sometimes frustration if a concept is proving difficult. We try to do at least 45 minutes of math and 20 minutes on spelling everyday. Next, we may work on a short history or grammar lesson, or run off to homeschool P.E. at the gym, depending on the day. After that is "reading time". Fourty five minutes dedicated to everyone in the house picking up an age-level appropriate book and reading. The kindergartener grabs Bob Books to read with me to practice his sight words and sounding out skills.

Next we take an hour break for lunch. Although they are free do do what they want during that hour after they've eaten, video games and TV are not allowed til school is completely finished. After lunch we cover science and electives. During certain days of the week, we may be attending a park play date, or doing hands on projects at our weekly co-op group. Anytime we're in the car, we're listening to the audio version of their history textbook, or children's audiobooks.

Boxed Curriculum - A complete package of curriculum that includes study materials for all subjects for any given grade level. Most of these products offer traditional, scope-and-sequence courses of study that meet national curriculum standards.

Common Core (Common Core State Standards -  CCSS) - A set of high quality academic expectations set by the US government in English-language arts (ELA) and mathematics that define the knowledge and skills all students should master by the end of each grade level in order to be on track for success in college and career. Many available curriculums are Common Core aligned.

Co-op (cooperative) - A collective group of homeschoolers working together for a common purpose. All members of the co-op must contribute in some way toward the end goal; usually this contribution is in the form of effort, not money.

Exclusive - Members of an exclusive homeschool group must agree to and sign statement of faith or equivalent.

Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the education of their children and to protect family freedoms.

Inclusive - An organization is open to all homeschoolers, regardless of religion.

Lapbooking - An educational method that involves (usually younger) homeschoolers making "mini-books" about what they are learning. It provides space for drawings, writings, timelines, pictures, graphs, or stories on any topic of current study, and is designed to fit on a child's lap.

Mastery - With a mastery approach, students are helped to master each learning unit before proceeding to a more advanced learning task.

Portfolio - Homeschool portfolios are a form of student record keeping that documents educational progress. Homeschool portfolios illustrate what your child has learned, how it was accomplished, what resources were used and how much progress was made. Some parents use homeschool record keeping as a keepsake of their child’s progress.

Scope and Sequence - An outline of skills and information to be taught, typically organized by grade level or by course. Provides information on what will be covered.

Spiral - Spiral curriculum is an approach to education that introduces key concepts to students at a young age and covers these concepts repeatedly, with increasing degrees of complexity. Instead of focusing for relatively long periods of time on some narrow topic whose time has come, a spiral curriculum tries to expose students to a wide varies of ideas over and over again.

For example: a math curriculum that uses the spiral approach wouldn’t wait until students have mastered addition before touching on other mathematical concepts in a basic form. Algebraic ideas could be taught as early as kindergarten, and the curriculum will come back to touch on algebraic concepts in increasing levels of difficulty as time goes on.

Statement of Faith (SOF) - A document that exclusive homeschool groups require you to sign upon joining. Some groups bar anyone who won’t sign, while others will allow you to join, but you aren’t allowed to be a parent teacher. Most statements of faith are Evangelical Christian in nature and most require that you have a belief in: Jesus Christ’s atonement,  the inerrancy of the bible, the trinity, etc.

Umbrella School - A home school association designed to assist parents who are home schooling their children by providing assistance fulfilling State educational requirements.  These are not tax funded schools.  Umbrella schools often provide report cards, keep attendance records, assist with curriculum, and provide student ID cards. Some states require homeschoolers to operate under an Umbrella School.

Virtual School - A virtual school can be public or private and student services and courses are done online.  Curriculum and requirements are guided by the institution. Some of these are funded by tax dollars, others are funded by private tuition. There is usually no government regulation of virtual schools.

School at home or Common Core aligned
School-at-Home is the style most easy to imagine doing. Most families who follow the school-at-home approach purchase boxed curriculum that comes with textbooks, study schedules, grades and record keeping. Some families use the school-at-home approach, but make up their own lesson plans and find their own learning materials. The school-at-home family follows the schedule established by the curriculum they purchased. For help, school-at-home families contact their curriculum provider. Their children may also turn assignments into the curriculum provider for grading and evaluation.
The advantage of this style is that families know exactly what to teach and when to teach it and it is often aligned closely with what children in public school are learning. That can be a comfort when you are just starting out. The disadvantage is that this method is less flexible and more traditional than other methods. If you are using a public cyber school, you will also have to meet deadlines and requirements as set by the school.
Further reading: http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards/myths-vs-facts/

Classical
The "Classical"approach has existed since the Middle Ages and has produced some of the greatest minds in history. The goal of the classical approach is to teach people how to learn for themselves.
The early years of school are spent learning the basics (reading, writing, math, grammar, etc.) and absorbing facts, systematically laying the foundations for advanced study. In the middle grades (the “Grammar Stage”), students learn to think through arguments. Compositions and collections, serious reading, study and research take place. All the tools come together in the high school years, or “rhetoric stage”, where they learn to express themselves. This classical pattern is called the "trivium”.  The best resource for this method is a homeschooling guide called “The Well-Trained Mind”.

One mother wrote: “I believe that the classical approach is one that gives my child a complete education, one that teaches him/her to think and ask questions. I prefer my child be able to tell me why World War II took place, as opposed to telling me specific facts about World War II. I think this is the biggest difference between classical education and any other method or approach."

Charlotte Mason
The Charlotte Mason method is based on Charlotte’s firm belief that the child is a person and we must educate that whole person, not just his mind. So a Charlotte Mason education is three-pronged: in her words, “Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life.”
For example, Charlotte’s students used living books rather than dry textbooks. Living books are usually written in narrative or story form by one author who has a passion for his topic. Students were required to tell back, or narrate, in their own words what was read in the living book, in order to secure it in their minds. No fill-in-the-blank or multiple-choice for them. She taught handwriting and spelling by using passages from great books that communicate great ideas rather than using just a list of words. She encouraged spending time outdoors, interacting with God’s creation firsthand and learning the living ways of nature.She introduced the work of great artists and composers to her students and let them spend time with each, getting to know their works personally.
Popular books on this method include "A Charlotte Mason Education" and "More Charlotte Mason Education," both by Katherine Levison.

Unit Studies
A cross-curricular educational approach in which learning is focused around a central, common theme.
For instance, a unit study on trains would teach the development and use of early trains (history), train routes (geography),different engine types (science), train-based literature (language arts), train schedules (time and math), and so on. Unit studies allow children of different ages to study the same unit together but in different levels of detail.

Unschooling
Also known as natural, interest-led, and child-led learning. Unschoolers learn from everyday life experiences and do not use school schedules or formal lessons. Instead, unschooled children follow their interests and learn in much the same way as adults do-by pursuing an interest or curiosity. In the same way that children learn to walk and talk, unschooled children learn their math, science, reading and history. John Holt, school teacher and founder of the unschooling movement, told educators in his book, What Do I Do on Monday,
"We can see that there is no difference between living and learning, that living is learning, that it is impossible, and misleading, and harmful to think of them as being separate. We say to children, 'you come to school to learn.' We say to each other, (educators) 'our job in school is to teach children to learn.' But the children have been learning, all the time, for all of their lives before they met us. What is more, they are very likely to be much better at learning than most of us who plan to teach them something."

Waldorf/Steiner
Waldorf education is based on the work of Rudolf Steiner and stresses the importance of educating the whole childn- body, mind and spirit. In the early grades there is an emphasis on arts and crafts, music and movement, and nature. Older children are taught to develop self-awareness and how to reason things out for themselves. Children in a Waldorf homeschool do not use standard textbooks; instead the children create their own books. The Waldorf method also discourages the use of televisions and computers because they believe that computers are bad for the child's health and creativity. Books about the Waldorf method are available from the Rudolf Steiner Bookstore. Waldorf curriculum and support is available from Oak Meadow.

Montessori
The Montessori method emphasizes "errorless learning" where the children learn at their own pace and in that way develop their full potential. The Montessori homeschool emphasizes beauty and quality and avoids things that are confusing or cluttered. Wooden tools are preferred over plastic tools and learning materials are kept well organized and ready to use. For help, the Montesorri homeschooling family would turn to their library to read books about the Montessori method. They might also contact a Montessori school in their neighborhood for suggestions and guidance. The Montessori method also discourages televisions and computers, especially for younger children. Although Montessori materials are available for high school students, most homeschoolers use the Montessori method for younger children. Books and curriculum on the Montessori method are available from American Montessori Consulting (562-598-2321) http://www.amonco.org/

Eclectic
"Eclectic" homeschooling is the method used most frequently by homeschoolers. Basically, it means that they use a mix of methods; whatever works best for each child and each subject. Some may take a more formal approach for math and language arts, but a more child-lead method for subjects like science. Many eclectic homeschoolers use mornings for the "essential subjects"  and afternoons for extracurriculars , hobbies and other projects. Some subjects may align with Common Core, while others are learned outside through tactile senses.
The advantage of the Eclectic method is that parents can make sure that foundational subjects are being covered in a formal way, while keeping some flexibility in other respects . This method also allows the family to choose textbooks, field trips and classes that fit their needs and interests. The disadvantage is that there are so many options to wade through that it’s hard to figure out what to use. It’s also makes some nervous not having a set schedule and not knowing whether their children  are keeping up with others in their grade.

Thomas Jefferson Education (TJED or Leadership Education) - More common in LDS circles. Follows the methods as recommended in “A Thomas Jefferson Education” by Oliver DeMille. It is based on the Seven Keys of Great Teaching and the Phases of Learning. The "Seven Keys of Great Teaching" are Classics, not Textbooks; Mentors, not Professors; Inspire, not Require; Structure Time, not Content; Quality, not Conformity; Simplicity, not Complexity; and You, not Them.

Just a sample of some of the most commonly used resources available to homeschoolers online:

• homeschoolreviews.com - A good place to find curriculum reviews from other homeschoolers.
• LDS Homeschool facebook groups: A place to connect to other LDS homeschoolers, discuss, and learn about any LDS homeschool conferences and resources.  1) LDS Homeschool Connections -   2) LDS Homeschool
• cathyduffyreviews.com - In depth reviews of curriculums from a very conservative evangelical Christian perspective. Tip: Take some reviews with a grain of salt because of the authors evangelical Christian approach. However it’s a good place to read about what kind of religious content a curriculum has as well as how much prep a curriculum requires of a parent.
• secularhomeschool.com Provides information, resources, and a place to share and connect with secular homeschoolers across the world. Tip: Even if you don’t want to take a secular approach, it’s a good place to ask about what kind of religious content a curriculum has.
• http://forums.welltrainedmind.com - Forums for homeschoolers who take a classical approach. (A good resource even if you aren’t a classical homeschooler.)
• letshomeschoolhighschool.com
• thehomeschoolmom.com

Curriculum Supplements Online

• Khan Academy - We're a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education for anyone anywhere.  khanacademy.org
• Time 4 Learning - http://www.time4learning.com/
• Ambleside Online - Free homeschool curriculum that uses Charlotte Mason's classically-based principles.  https://www.amblesideonline.org/index.shtml
• Spelling City - spellingcity.com
• pinterest.com - find a couple homeschoolers and follow them!
• Time 4 Writing - One-On-One Writing Courses Taught by Certified Teachers  http://www.time4writing.com/
• youtube.com - There are too many specific videos to list, obviously. However I will mention that you can find almost all of the Bill Nye episodes there.
• Free Rice is a non-profit that donates 10 grains of rice to the World Food Programme for every quiz question answered correctly.
  http://freerice.com
• Starfall - http://www.starfall.com/
• Teachers Pay Teachers - Good Source for cheap educational worksheets and printables.
  http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/
• “I have seen many asking about LDS Curricula, so I googled like crazy and made a list of all I could find.”  -Lisa
  http://www.hold2therod.com/
  http://www.thelifeschoolfamily.com/
  http://latterdaylearning.org/
  http://www.amazon.com/His-Image.../dp/147855259X/...
  http://www.bookofmormondiscovery.com/
  http://bookofmormonstudyguide.com/
  https://www.kindredlearning.com/
  http://confessionsofaslackermom.com/.../preschool.../
  http://www.brickofmormon.com/
  https://www.lds.org/.../church-announces-2014-curriculum...
  http://www.truelightacademy.com/ldshomeschooling.html

     All-in-one curriculums are far from the only choices you have, LOTS of families piece together their own curriculums using separate resources for each subject (including ours!), however there are far too many choices to list if I listed all the popular titles for each subject. The following is a list of the popular all-in-one, or boxed curriculums just to give you an overview of the options on this category. I'll go over a few of the the resources we use in the next section, and I asked a couple families to share their approach further down as well.

Please Note:  Most Christian-based curriculums teach from an Evangelical, or sometimes Catholic world view. Pages often included bible verses that they find relevant.  This world view shows up especially in science and history textbooks. Science is often taught from a young Earth and conservative creationist point of view. History texts may primarily focus on Christian history, may skip over or discount the creation of other religions, such as Islam and Mormonism.

Sonlight
http://www.sonlight.com
Christian-based, all-in-one curriculum. They base their programs on the educational philosophy of Dr. Ruth Beechick—structured, yet allowing for maximum real-life learning. Influenced by Charlotte Mason’s ideas, they also wanted to include real books, but at the same time not create a program that required too much time and work from busy parents. http://www.sonlight.com/

27 reasons to buy Sonlight: http://www.sonlight.com/to-buy.html
27 reasons not to buy Sonlight: http://www.sonlight.com/not-to-buy.html

Calvert
Calvert School is a lower and middle co-educational private school with a day school operation in Baltimore, Maryland and an associated homeschooling division that administers a curriculum shipped to families around the United States and the world. The Calvert homeschooling program was originally developed by Harvard graduate Virgil Hillyer, one of Calvert's earliest Head Masters. Pros: everything you need in one box, clear daily lesson plans, excellent math program and books. Takes a school-at-home approach.
http://homeschool.calverteducation.com/

A Beka
Christian-based A Beka Book is a publisher affiliated with Pensacola Christian College that produces K-12 curriculum materials that are used by fundamentalist Christian schools and homeschooling families around the world. https://www.abeka.com/

K12
Full-time, tuition-free online public schooling available in many states. An accredited online private school available worldwide, full and part-time. Over 200 courses, including AP and world languages, for direct purchase. http://ww2.k12.com/mod/exp2/

Georgia Cyber Academy (Not in Georgia? Search the internet or ask for other K12 programs in your state)
The Georgia Cyber Academy is a tuition-free online public school that uses the K¹² curriculum, which is accessed via an online school as well as through more traditional methods. GCA loans students all instructional materials for the program. (Families will be responsible for providing some consumable materials.) Materials are delivered right to the family's doorstep—including books, CDs, and even bags of rocks and dirt. We also partner parents and students with a highly qualified, Georgia-certified teacher to guide and track their progress and achievement through the curriculum. There are frequent face-to-face meetings and events as well. Student-to-student interaction is emphasized, too, so GCA students are provided with a variety of opportunities for social activities and engagement.   http://www.k12.com/gca#.U7vvTKiF9-M

Oak Meadow
www.oakmeadow.com/
Oak Meadow offers an independent education that empowers students to live skillful, innovative, compassionate lives by engaging the intellect, cultivating creativity, and fostering curiosity. Our flexible, self-directed model empowers students to find their most inspired path to learning and to build connections between living, learning, and their community.

Apologia
Christian-based homeschooling curriculum and resources, and hosts online classes to help families learn, live, and defend the Christian faith.
http://www.apologia.com/index.asp?proc=pg&pg=1

Latter-Day Learning
http://latterdaylearning.org/
LDS based curriculum - Art, Music, Science, Geography, History, and literature - doesn’t include math or language arts.
Latter-day Learning’s mission matches the mission of the school which sponsors it—American Heritage School, in American Fork, Utah.
Independent review here:
http://www.lds-nha.org/the-sentinel/2014/4/6/latter-day-learning-family-school-review

Easy Peasy - All in One Homeschool
http://allinonehomeschool.com/
Christian-based Easy Peasy is a free online homeschool curriculum for preschool through ninth grade, generously shared by a homeschooling mom named Lee Giles. More is added to the curriculum as she completes additional grade levels and gets the time to post lesson plans. It is intended to eventually be a college prep program covering all the way through high school. Methodology is an eclectic mix of traditional and "Charlotte Mason" with lapbooking and online resources.

My Father’s World (MFW) Christian-based, offers complete or almost complete grade level programs for preschool through grade 12. MFW embodies methodologies from unit study, Charlotte Mason, and classical approaches with a strong biblical base (Protestant) and missionary emphasis throughout all levels.
http://www.mfwbooks.com/

Ambleside Online Ambleside Online curriculum is a free online curriculum which follows the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason as outlined in her books "The Original Homeschooling Series.” The curriculum is designed for grades Pre K through 12th grade. The lesson plans and many of the books utilized in the curriculum are included within the Ambleside Online website.  https://www.amblesideonline.org/

     My oldest went to public school for Kindergarten and half of 1st grade. He did OK in Kindergarten, but after moving to a new school for first he began to have trouble. My husband was gone for a 5 month training and he was anxious from the change and the move and began to chew on his shirt collars. His teacher complained that he “monopolized her aid’s time” and that he needed too much one-on-one teaching. Kids in his class began to tease him because his shirts were damp from his anxious chewing and noticed that the teacher showed negative feelings towards him. The chewing worsened as he felt more and more ostracized, and he started chewing holes through his shirts.

     Eventually a group of his classmates told him that none of them would play with him anymore, and that if anyone in the class tried to befriend him, that person would be excluded as well. He came home inconsolable. I didn’t know what was wrong at first, but once he stopped sobbing the first thing he said was that if he died no one in his class would care.

     We would only be in the area for a few more months, so I decided to pull him out for the time being rather than try to work it out at school. Within one week of pulling him out, his chewing habit completely disappeared He started to smile and laugh again. The difference was so stark, I decided to try homeschooling longer term as well as try it out with our other son. Although my eldest’s change in demeanor was almost immediate, I wasn’t sure if his academic progress would be positively or negatively effected by homeschooling.

     Time has passed and now that I have the results of his third grade standardized testing scores, I have a clearer picture of his progress:

My son's academic progress by percentile.

     He remained above average in reading, and he still struggles with his listening skills, however it was fantastic to see how much of a difference a one-on-one attention and personalized approach made in every other area!

My curriculum picks:

Overall Guide: The Well-Trained Mind - A Guide to Classical Education at Home by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise

     This is a fantastic resource even if you don’t want to use a classical approach. It was written by a teacher who pulled her kids out of school to homeschool them, and her daughter, a now grown university professor who now home schools her children as well. The main criticism I have is that I have yet to meet someone who can keep up with the daily schedule they suggest. So don’t expect to, either.

Math:  Singapore Math
Resources: Khan Academy

Other curricula that lots of families use:
Math-U-See, Saxon Math, Life of Fred

Spelling:
-Sequential Spelling (used this in 1st and 2nd grade)
-All About Spelling (needed a more comprehensive approach for 3rd)

Resources: SpellingCity.com

Grammar
First Language Lessons  - Short (less than 15 min) lessons use scripted lessons to help you teach your child everything about proper grammar they need to know. Easy, no prep-work needed. (Written by the author of the Well-Trained Mind.)
http://peacehillpress.com/grammar/

Art, Music & Poetry
Covered at our weekly Co-op meetings

Religion - LDS - Primary manuals from LDS.org
Brick of Mormon 

Spanish- Duolingo ipad app
Other curricula that lots of families use:
Rosetta Stone software

P.E. - A local gym offers a Homeschool P.E. class 3 times a week.

Science
Too many to list. I piece together my own science curriculum; I start with the most basic, most fundamental concept: atoms and the elements, and build on that foundation with things that are progressively more complex (ie. foundational topics:  molecules, states of matter, simple machines. Complex topics: Ecosystems, cells, human body).

Resources:
-Bill Nye videos from youtube.com
-Nova: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/
-Crash Course (best for older kids) - https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcourse
-Nat Geo Kids - https://www.youtube.com/user/NatGeoKids
-Pinterest.com

Electronics & Computers:
Free sites where you can learn to code in CSS, Java, HTML. (Probably 4th grade-adult)
https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming
codecademy.com

Resources:
-Snap Circuits Kits

Pre-Reading
-Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons (available on Amazon)
-Bob Books - Very short books with easy to sound out words for kids who are just learning to read. (available at Amazon, and sometimes at Costco)

Other curricula that lots of families use:
-Explode the Code
-The Ordinary Parent’s Guide to Teaching Reading - http://peacehillpress.com/the-ordinary-parents-guide-reading/

History - Story of the World - (grades 1-4) World history told in a chronological, story book-like fashion by the author of “The Well-Trained Mind”.
We also use the MP3 audio version and the activity guide.
http://peacehillpress.com/story-of-the-world/

Resources:
-This world history timeline. (This one is a good choice, too)
-Videos from history.com

Geography
-Stack the States app
-Stack the Countries app

“We just started last year, but we used Latter-day Learning, Saxon math, Code Academy, and a lot of library books. This year, we are adding Homeschool Programming, Studies Weekly, Story of the World and Discover the Scriptures. We are also adding a Latin program from PowerSpeak.”

— Tara

“ My favorite curriculum:
http://latterdaylearning.org/the-family-school-lds-homeschool-curriculum/
I like it because it ties in gospel principles to everything you learn - so learning seems (and is) pertinent to your everyday life and not just something you have to do to pass a test. I also like that it allows for teaching all of the children at the same time and not having to separate into “grade level”

My kids have liked different math programs. Currently, my oldest is doing Saxon math - which I think is kind of repetitive and boring, but she likes it, and the other kids are doing Khan Academy (free online).

My favorite, indispensable books are:
Teach the Children: An Agency Approach to Education by Neil Flinders
A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver Demille
Increase in Learning by David Bednar”

Also, I saw this article about homeschooling from the scouting site:
http://www.scouting.org/About/FactSheets/Homeschooling.aspx”

— Karen

“You may be interested in the Hearthstone Plan website that follows an eclectic approach. There are several options for religion, history, science, math and language arts. Here’s a link to the religion page that shows several LDS options: http://www.hearthstoneplan.org/lds-resources”

— Tammy

“I really loved reading “So You’re Thinking About Homeschooling” as an easy intro to many of the different types of methods and various family dynamics/ reasons people chose to homeschool. ”

— Allison

“I am very eclectic. I pick and choose what works best for us and as I am led by the Spirit. We are entering the end of our homeschooling journey as we are going to be doing 12th grade this year. However, and this might be of some help to you, I actually am the publisher of a home and school website, where we take a magazine type of approach. Anyway, I did a post that I have pinned on the front page of the website about Homeschooling For Free. It has LOTS of resources and links to websites that offer FREE curriculum. Some of these are truly great and they can help you get your feet wet in homeschooling and not incur a lot of cost. It might be good to share with those who are interested.”
(Here is the direct link to that post: http://homeschoolmosaics.com/homeschooling-for-free/)”

— Brenda

“We take the TJEd classics approach, Story of the World, Math U See, Life of Fred, National Geographic magazine, and lots of imaginative play!”

— Catherine

 

“I use Sonlight for history/reading/read-alouds/language arts. I also use RightStart Math, All About Spelling, The Reading Lesson (for my youngest), Handwriting for a Reason, Explode the Code, and a variety of curriculum for grammar, science and art. I also love our Geography Songs CD and iPad apps like Stack the States. I also recommend Mark Kistler’s Draw Squad book (for older kids) as well as the Draw Write Now series. We read out of The Friend a lot and use Piano Marvel on the computer/keyboard to supplement piano lessons. I love the opportunity to mix and match resources to meet the needs of each of my children.”

— Jennifer

“My recommended free resources:
http://tjed.org/bonus-gifts/
http://tjed.org/math-sci/
http://tjed.org/resources/classics/
Here’s a place to request a free ebook on family reading:
http://www.tjed.org/family-reading-ebook/
http://tjed.org/simple-homeschool-bundle/”

— Rachel

Have any questions, comments, concerns or resources to add? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. This took a lot of time and effort to put together so thanks for reading!

1 comment Faith, Homeschool, LDS/Mormonism

Share: