from the
Urban Pioneer

Homeschooling

I will probably get a lot of flack for saying this, but the more I read and investigate different interests, the more I realize how our rights as parents to decide what is best for our children and for ourselves has been stripped away....all in the name of "safety" .  We have been given by God the command to teach and train our children...but the government has taken over those rights or rather I should say, we have handed over those rights to the governement and we now have to get "their permission" (at least here in Pennsylvania) to educate our children, to not get immunized, to be able to buy raw milk etc.  How did this slowly sneak up on us?  How come we did not recongnize how these laws could hurt us?  

I believe that every parent is responsible for their child's education....and that public school is not the answer.  So I guess that leaves us two choices...private school which costs an arm and a leg and can sometimes just as bad as the public school education or Homeschooling.

I wish I was more eloquent on the subject...this is one of those topics that is so near and dear to my heart.  I wish that Christians can see what damage the school system is doing to their child...everyonce in a while you hear of a child who has made it through unscathed...but that is the exception rather than the rule.

You can read about my homeschool journey, ideas etc in my homeschool blog: Kay's Homeschool Blog

There are several books I recommend on the topic of WHY you should homeschool:

When Your Rise Up! by R.C. Sproul
Keeping Your Child's Heart by Steve and Teri Maxwell
Teaching the Trivium by the Bluedorns - this is a pretty meaty book
Educating the Whole Hearted Child - by the Clarksons

Homeschool Curriculum

There have been a couple of books that have helped me this year in deciding on curriculum.  The first book is Cathy Duffy's "Top 100 Curriculum Picks".  I must say when I first heard about this book I pooh-poohed it. but then I read a review that made me at least check it out of the library.  Now this book is on my wishlist for a must buy.  This books is not only a list of her top 100 recommendations but it includes invaluable information on how to identify your teaching style and your child's learning style.  It then shows which curriculum suits which style.  This to me was invaluable in helping me decide on next years curriculum.  My oldest daughter is a "Sociable Sue" and my next is a "Perfect Paula".  I was then able to take these learning styles and see if I could find curriculum that would fit both (so I didnt have to buy new curriculum for each child)!

In case you are curious, here is my plan for next year:

MATH:         Math U See Alpha (grade 1) & Beta (grade 3)
ENGLISH:    Rod & Staff Building Wisely (grade 3)
                    First Language Lessons (grade 1)
                    Cursive Handwriting (grade 3)
                    Manuscript Handwriting (grade 1)
SPELLING:   Rod & Staff by Sound & Structure (Grade 3)
PHONICS:    Hooked on Phonics (grade 1, we already own this)
HISTORY:   Story of the World 2 (for both grades)
SCIENCE:    God's Design for Heaven & Earth: Our Planet
                   Exploring Creation through Astronomy
                   Exploring Weather & Outer Space
                   Oceans for Every Kid by Janice VanCleave
LATIN:       Prima Latina
ART:          Art Adventures at Home Volume 1
                   ( I might supplement with Evan-Moor How to Teach                         Your Children Art)
MUSIC:      Story of the Orchestra, Meet the Great Composers 1,
                   Hymns for a Kid's Heart 1 and 2
Health &
Safety:         Abeka's Health, Manners & Safety Grade 3

Page last updated 4/18/2006

Homeschooling Links

The Well Trained Mind
Homeschool Classifieds
Charlotte Mason
Simply Homeschool Links
Classical Homeschooling
Heart of Wisdom
Ambleside Online
Memoria Press
Greenleaf Press
Finder's Keepers
Old Fashioned Education
Homeschool Legal Defense Assoc.
Kay's Homeschool Blog

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