DOUBTING ONE'S ABILITY TO TEACH

Prospective homeschooling parents often doubt their ability to teach their own children. Unpreschooling parents often share these doubts with a greater intensity because they have less experience watching their children grow and learn. They may think that abstract concepts such as colors, letters, numbers, and shapes can only be acquired through formal instruction. They may not be aware of how many educational toys, tools, and experiences they already have right in their own home. Veteran homeschoolers can help by sharing their own experiences with their very young children (including how they overcame their early doubts and fears), and by sharing resources especially designed for facilitating learning in the early years. (A short list to get you started is included with this article.)