Dear Debra:

Help! I’m new to homeschooling. Please tell me everything I need to know about doing this right. -- Harried Homeschoolers , TX

Every week I receive a question along these lines. It’s imposssible to cover everything in one e-mail, so here are the basic starting points I emphasize:

What Is Homeschooling? This is a good place to start. I find most folks have a very inaccurate picture of what homeschooling looks like. I actually prefer the word "home-based" education, because to tell the truth - my kids and I are often not at home during the school day. We might be at the library checking out books on our latest areas of interests, or we could be at a family school where I teach English classes, while other moms teach biology, Spanish, or art; or we could be traveling -- getting out into the world to meet people who are experts in their fields or visiting historic sites where the original events can still be best imagined.

Homeschooling is all about the freedom and flexibility to model a child's education to his unique interests, readiness and learning style. So, if you are taking advantage of the full range of flexibility homeschooling allow you, then your homeschool is going to look much different from mine.

The bottom line: homeschoooling is parent-directed education. That doesn't mean, you have to do all the teaching. Most families don't. Rather, you have the control; not the state. You're the one who makes the choices from all the options available to you in homeschooling. And this is based upon what is best for your family and specifically best for your child.

But Aren't There Specific Things I'm Required to Do? Yes, in some states there are reporting requirements you must meet in your homeschool. Visit our State Information page to find links to specific information about your state. However, many parents I meet think there are more requirements than what there really are. No where that I am aware of are homeschoolers required to use specific material, nor to teach according to certain methods.

One of my main objects I have in the seminars I conduct is to set parents free to choose from the full range of possibilities in homeschooling.

What Are Some of These Possibilities? 

No. 1: You don't have to use traditional materials. It is possible to homeschool with just a library card. Go to our discussion on Using Children's Literature to see some of the wonderful titles folks are using in their homeschools.

No 2: You can also use field trips to museums, historic sites, local businesses, etc. as a primary way of enriching your child's content base.

No 3: You can find an expert to talk to. In fact, just about everyone in your sphere of acquaintances is an expert in something -- you and your kids just need to learn how to draw this information out of folks. Senior citizens in particular are an incredible reservoir of information and among the most willing to share from their experiences and knowledge base.

My book, The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling, 3rd edition has just been released and it is filled with scores of ideas and examples of how you can make the most of the flexibility and choice homeschooling affords you.

How Do I Figure Out What Resources to Use? Experience and good advice. There is a learning curve in homeschooling. I tell folks your first year of homeschooling is all about finding out what doesn't work. Most folks never do it the same way again. In fact, after 14 years of homeschooling, no two years of our homeschooling life looked much alike. I'm always revising and fine-tuning. Part of the education you and your kids will gain is found in the process of developing a unique program for your family. With that said, here are some questions to answer that should help you begin to develop a philosophy of education:

You can find out more about choosing curriculum in Part 2 of UGHS as I affectionately call my labor of love, emphasis on labor. (It's a 450 pp. book!)

What Is Your Family Vision? Where are you headed? What targets are you aiming to hit before your children leave home? What values do you want to emphasize in your home? Many families haven't really thought this question through, or attempted to commit it to writing. So our kids are really in the dark about why Mom and Dad are doing this homeschooling thing. They need to have faith for the family vision built into them. Then when they are older, you will find they embrace your beliefs and values more readily. Prov. 29:18 says "without a vision the people perished." One translation I like says "the people are unrestrained."

One goal we have is to raise children who love to learn. I believe that God has created a fascinating and mysterious universe that reflects His awesome nature, and that discovering the vastness and the intricacies of His creation is one blessing He has given to us. I want my kids to approach all their subject manner with a sense of wonder and awe. The patterns and symmetry of mathematics give evidence to the absolute truth and constancy of our Creator. The intricacies and varieties within species point to the attention to intimate detail we can expect of God in each of our lives. The need men of all cultures have had to create art, music, dance and drama, are a reflection of God's own boundless creativity and self-expression. He has left evidence everywhere of His existence and His worthiness of praise. We are fools to suppress this truth in our lives. Learning for us is primarily a means of discovering each day more about the nature of God and ultimately enabling each of us to more accurately worship who He is.
What this means practically is I don't have any time for resources that do not help increase my children's curiosity about the world; nor inspire their awe and wonder of the Creator behind all things.

-- Debra