Gettingstarted

Home schooling: Can we do it?

This is a very important question. Home schooling is just what it
implies-schooling full-time at HOME. It is a decision that will
affect your entire family-even sometimes your extended family.
As parents we must consider the "cost" before embarking on
such an important and life-altering step for our family. Here are
a few important reminders:

1. Is the Lord truly leading your family in this direction, and at
this time? Pray first as a couple; then as a family. It is important
to include the kids in this prayer, even your pre-school age
children and especially the older kids. There is a time and
season for everything and only the L-rd knows the future.
Perhaps the L-rd has placed a desire in your hearts to
homeschool, but now is not the time. Or, possibly
home-schooling isn't right for your family-or maybe you know you
are to homeschool, but are afraid; either way, the L-rd will give
you the Grace you need and will bless your obedience. It is
important to know for sure.

2. No matter how dedicated or determined you might be about
home schooling-doing it alone or without the full support, or with
little or no input from your spouse is not a wise choice. A close
support network is a necessity-You are not expected to do this
alone and if your husband or wife is not in full agreement, or is
unwilling to be involved in your decision to homeschool, you
either need to wait until he or she is in full agreement-or choose
another alternative your spouse can live with.

3. What do I do if I feel home schooling is best for our kids but
my spouse is not so convinced? Set aside some time to sit down
and talk things out. Address your mates concerns and don't be
dismissive. His or her concerns are legitimate-try writing down
each objection, or apprehension then honestly research them.
Perhaps an on-line school such as the Trent School, which has
full-time teachers on staff, might be the choice for you. Check
out our Curriculum Guide page for more info on certified teacher
aided home schooling. There are many wonderful choices
available today. Above all--Continue to pray together. Be specific
in your prayer and wait for an answer. PATIENCE is a
requirement in home schooling.

4. We have prayed, we're in agreement, we KNOW the L-rd is
leading us in this direction-NOW WHAT? The next thing to do, if
you do not already know and understand the laws regarding
homeschool in your State, is to read the laws for yourself. In the
United States, most if not all of the legislation regarding
homeschool is available to read on-line by going to your State
Government website. If not, then don't hesitate to call your
secretary of State and ask for a copy of the legislation. Don't rely
on hearsay, or on your local school district. School districts are
notorious for asking, or demanding things from homeschool
families that are NOT required by law! See our links page.

5. Next: Find a support group- If you already know other families
that are home schooling, get input from them, ask questions and
find a support group that meets in your area. If there isn't
one-think about starting one. This can be as simple as deciding
to talk regularly on the phone with other parents, or meet
together at a park or someone's house. If you attend shul, talk to
your Rabbi or congregational leaders

about offering the synagogue facilities for a casual support
meeting once a month.

6. If you are pulling your kids out of public school environment,
especially if it is in the middle of the school year, or after they
have already been in school for a while, give your kids and
yourself a couple of weeks to adjust before you dig in to a
schooling routine. Getting used to being around each other
24/7, especially for you and your older kids, is an adjustment, but
a rewarding one!

7. Make getting more intimate with our Messiah and spiritual
growth the center of your academics! If you do not already have
a regular Torah/Brit Chadesha reading-bible study time with your
kids each week, or you are new to all things Messianic--Take a
look at the Moedim pages for info and suggestions. Or, you can
find more info on the Jewish Holy Days at Hebrew4Christians.

8. Make an educational plan that is right for your child. Don't
spend a lot on curriculum up front: The beauty of choosing to
homeschool is that it gives your child teachers that are intimately
acquainted with him/her; this is an advantage not available in a
public school environment. Nobody knows your kids better than
their parents!

9. If you are pulling your kids out of public or private school,
don't rely entirely on your child's past performance, or grades.
Many times these do not truly reflect their knowledge. Especially
if your child was unhappy at school. Most, if not all curriculum
companies offer free placement tests you can either download to
your computer or receive in the mail. You can use these as tools
to help assess your child's weaknesses, strengths etc. Sit each
of your children down in a casual setting and do an "oral"
examination-Ask them some of the questions on the tests rather
than have them take the test in a standard way. You'll get better
insight into what your child needs by this sort of interaction
rather than doing it the traditional way with pen, paper and time
limits.

10. Look for curriculum that is right for each of your kids-and
your budget-It doesn't have to be expensive to be good and there
are many places for you to find used textbooks etc. (See our
Curriculum Guide) If you have more than one child and no matter
what their age ranges, you may want to mix-match with the type
of curriculum you use-Every kid learns differently and one
curriculum source may or may not work for all.

11. Look at the different styles of schooling (there are many) and
prayerfully decide which is best---This may take some trial and
error and some time. Many families follow the Classical
approach, others prefer a more relaxed method called
Unschooling. The key is to be led by the Rauch HaKodesh in all
things.