I believe that anyone who is willing to put forth the time and effort can successfully homeschool their children regardless of their education or knowledge level. I am discovering that it really is more of a spiritual than an intellectual decision. One really must have a spiritual confirmation that it is the right course of action in order to be successful and not give up when it gets challenging.
As the public schools continue their rapid decline, more and more people are turning to homeschooling. I hope that I can provide a bit of information to help you get started or help you stay on the path and give you confidence that you CAN do it.
One great thing about homeschooling is that you, as mother and teacher, continue to learn as well. My perspective on homeschooling has changed 100% since I first began. As most homeschoolers who were publicly educated do, I tried to model the public school system at home. It was not very fun for me or my son. Reading about what other homeschool families do or have done has helped me change my views and approaches to home education for the better. Home education is more than sheltering your child from the influences at school and more than stuffing them with facts. It's about creating loving relationships in a family, helping them become self-learners and well-rounded, confident individuals. A home educated child doesn't need to be "taught" they teach themselves through reading and life experiences.
The three books that have helped me the most in educating my children are Educating the WholeHearted Child, A Charlotte Mason Companion and The Well Trained Mind. Each are based around Charlotte Mason's philosophy that children are naturally curious and seek to learn and the best way to keep learning exciting is to provide them with living books, rather than stifling textbooks or workbooks.
Educating the WholeHearted Child is a complete guide to Christian home education, it covers everything from why homeschool to how to teach every subject. The Charlotte Mason Companion inspires confidence in using Charlotte Mason's approach and the Well Trained Mind includes a lot of great curriculum resources as well as ideas for each age level.
I am a firm believer that children learn (by learn I mean able to retain and narrate back) volumes more by reading good books than by countless hours of workbooks, textbooks or lectures. Little children love to learn and the world is so exciting to them. It's our job as home educators to keep that excitement alive. If you find your curriculum or methods to be stifling that curiosity or frustrating you or them, it's time to pause and re-evaluate.
I think having a homeschooling mentor is invaluable, someone to bounce ideas off, someone to help you get back on track. I love my friends that I can send questions to, ask advice of and receive renewed inspiration from. As I learn and grow in educating my children I try to share the things that work and that we enjoy through my posts I've written about homeschooling. If you don't have a mentor, and you have questions after reviewing this information, feel free to email me. I'm happy to help in any way that I can! {cariandanthony} at {gmail} dot {com}.
Socialization concerns. This makes me smile, because socialization is such a non-issue. Your children learn socialization from their family, not from their peers. There are many opportunities for socialization at church, sports, reading groups, and other midweek activities. If you are social yourself and are interacting with other human beings on a regular basis, this is not really going to be an issue... If you are not a social person- your kids will become the example you show them regardless of where they go to school (we've all seen socially backward kids who go to public schools), so if this is a concern simply provide them with opportunities to interact with others on a regular basis and set a good example!
Here are some wonderful articles that articulate my view on homeschooling much better than I ever could...
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/144135.aspx
http://www.hslda.org/docs/nche/000000/00000068.asp
http://school.familyeducation.com/home-schooling/human-relations/56224.html
How I Homeschool
My homeschool philosophy has changed quite a bit from when I first began. I originally homeschooled simply because I felt my child could not learn at the speed he wanted and was able to learn at. It has since evolved into more about developing loving relationships with my children, raising people who know and love God and who are confident, creative self-learners. I am currently following more of a Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling and as my children grow and their needs change and I learn and experience more I'm sure our methods will change as well. Click here to see all my posts related to home schooling.
Our 2013-2014 homeschool curriculum.
A few of my favorite Homeschool Resources
LDS Home School Sites:
http://www.latter-dayhomeschooling.com/ (awesome blog with tons of resources)
http://lds-nha.org/
http://www.ldsnhe.com/ (they have an annual conference in Virginia and have awesome transcripts available)
Curriculum Resources
Educating the WholeHearted Child
A Charlotte Mason Companion
The Well Trained Mind http://www.welltrainedmind.com/
Education through literature: http://www.amblesideonline.org/, http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com and http://www.welltrainedmind.com/ Even if you choose not to homeschool, these sites have an extensive list of books that will highly benefit your children
Math U See: http://mathusee.com/
AHA! Math & Science http://learning.com/
Simply Charlotte Mason: http://simplycharlottemason.com/
Discount Curriculum & resources: http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/
Scripture study for children: http://www.bookofmormondiscovery.com/
Homeschool companies NOT aligned to Common Core
What is Common Core and why should I care?
Blogs & Resources:
Ordinary Happily Ever After http://ordinaryhappilyeverafter.com/blog/
The Things I Love Most: http://thethingsilovemost.blogspot.com
Chocolate on my Cranium: http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/
Teach Beside Me http://www.teachbesideme.com/
Our Busy Homeschool http://ourbusyhomeschool.blogspot.com/
Pioneer Woman Homeschool blog: http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling
Beginning phonics and reading (Free): http://starfall.com/ (NEW! http://more.starfall.com/ subscription)
The Old Schoolhouse: http://thehomeschoolmagazine.com/
Workbox System: http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/blog/2009/11/workbox-system.html
Relaxed Schedule: http://www.latter-dayhomeschooling.com/2011/08/scheduling-in-relaxed-home-culture.html
Homeschool Freebies:
Free Homeschool Planner: to organize your day and keep track of attendance and activities
Classic reading list: (compiled from a Thomas Jefferson Education)
Homeschool Education for Parents: a list of books and resources to further your education
