Liberty Baptist Academy

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6 KJV

Our homeschooling situation has changed quite a bit over the years. We started out trying to "do school" at home, and as many of you who've homeschooled for a while already know, that's not always the best way to do things! We started out with a rigid schedule, and tried to have "class periods", where we would switch to another subject at a certain time, like the public schools do. For us, it was just too much. One child would just be about done with a subject while another might be struggling, but either way, they had to stop, and move on. After all of us becoming rather frustrated, we finally decided that we'd have a much more relaxed day. Now, our children know what subjects they are expected to cover in a given day, and which lessons they are to work on. So, they get started when they're ready, and finish when they're done. I have had to add working part time in the mornings to our situation, so our kids usually get most of their schoolwork done while I'm at work. Anything they don't understand or don't have time for, they work on in the afternoon, while I'm at home. Some of our schoolwork even takes place in the evenings, if it concerns algebra and such, as Brian is much better at that than I am.

I guess what I'm hoping to share with you, is that if you're thinking of homeschooling, there is no ONE way to homeschool. If you find that a more rigid schedule works best for you, then that's what you need to do. If a more relaxed one works better, then by all means, use that plan. One of the nice things about homeschooling is that it can be tailored to fit the individual family.

A note about curriculum: No one curriculum may work with all children, either. You can experiment a bit and see which curriculum works best for each child. Our children are all using A Beka for most of their subjects. We have incorporated Saxon math and other programs for reading, etc. as we've seen fit to do so.

Anyway, our kids are all self-learners, meaning that I can give them work instruction, and usually they can do their work on their own, only coming to me if they need help. Occasionally we will read something together, etc. but their ability to read their work and do what's required, not only helps me, but we feel it helps the children as well, to prepare for college. Like my dear husband said, "When they get to college, they won't have anyone holding their hand, telling them each step of the way what to do. They will be given assignments and be expected to complete them within a certain time frame." Again, everyone has their own opinion on this, and if you like a more hands-on approach, then I certainly don't mean to imply that it's wrong. We all have to do what we feel is best.

Two comments that really bother me, are: "you can't keep your kids in a bubble", or they "have to be ready for the real world". While I will admit, there are families that homeschool, that take "separation" to an extreme, by not allowing their children to interact with other kids, except within their homeschool group, church, etc. we have not taken that approach. We are not homeschooling merely to keep our kids away from bad influences (although that was part of it), but also to help them move along in their schoolwork without having to wait for the rest of the class, or be slower than the other kids, and have noone to help them. Our children are well-rounded, well-adjusted, self-confident individuals who have learned not only to relate to their peers, but to interact with older people and younger people as well. Being in a classroom all day with only their age group is not the "real world". We don't daily interact as adults with people our own age. We have to deal with people of different ages, race, background, etc. and that's what we're teaching our children to do. Our children also are involved in a number of things:

Sarah , our 15 year old, is involved in a youth program, called "Youth in Action", which is a subgroup of "Project Extra Mile", an organization that works constantly to fight underage drinking. She meets once a month with area teens and the Project Extra Mile coordinator, and they discuss ways to prevent underage drinking, and work on campaigns to do so. They speak with school officials, law enforcement, etc. Sarah also plays the violin, and takes Orchestra class through our local public school, every day for about an hour. She's not into sports, although when she was younger, running was something she liked to do. She carries a paper route daily, which helps her interact with people who are older than she is and makes her responsible for her own finances, as well as learning how to deal with customers and their needs. She also sings in our church choir, and helps teach our Jr. Church class, along with another young lady. We're excited about her teaching, as it will prepare her to take on a Sunday School class, etc. if God leads her to, when she's older.

Nate is now 12, and has a paper route, as well. He enjoys being able to earn his own money, and has learned the valuable lesson of "once it's (money) gone, it's gone". LOL! He also plays baseball in the summer, on a city league. In fact, he's now in our "Major League" and is loving it. He has been playing basketball as well, this year, with our local Christian School, which he has really enjoyed. We're thankful that he has the opportunity to learn sportsmanship and compassion (helping up a player he knocks down for example), and teamwork. Nate also sings in our church choir and has a talent for picking out parts in a song after only hearing the song once or twice. I wish I had his talent! LOL!

Hannah is only 9, and is too young yet to participate in some of the activities around our city. She did try playing baseball last summer, which she enjoyed. She was the only girl on the team, and other than being "grossed out" by what some of the boys did, she held her own, bless her heart! She enjoyed learning how to be a "team player", and looked forward to every game she had. She also is very creative. She enjoys making things from ordinary household objects and giving them to people. She's certainly not shy, as she will tell you! LOL!