Frequently Asked Questions
Q:What is a typical homeschool day like?
A. Every home and every day are different. We made up a schedule to get us started. We made some changes with time and continue to make changes as we change. We don't always begin our day at a certain time. We try for mornings, but there are times when things come up. Often we are ahead of our schedule, but learning doesn't stop after our "school" day. If you would like to see our current schedule click here.
Q: Is homeschool legal?
A. Yes. States vary in their laws. Click here to find your state or country.. We currently live in Washington where the homeschool laws are terrific.
Q. How do I know my child is learning what he / she should be learning?
A.You can obtain a copy of the scope and sequence from your local schools as a guideline. These vary from state to state. E. D. Hirsch are helpful. They go up to the 6th grade level. I have all the books and from reading through them, they can be used through Jr. High. Ruth Beechick books contain scope and sequence lists as well as hints on teaching subjects and has several lessons. World book has a booklet of the Typical course of Study for K-12. You can use these as guides, but no school is alike. As a military family, we have moved many times. No two schools are alike. The most important thing to remember is to teach our children how the real world works. Make bible the most important study. All the rest will fall in place. I know there are those who use the bible alone as their entire course of study. The basics, reading, writing and arithmetic will follow.
Q. How much does homeschool cost?
A. The cost varies among each homeschool. It depends a lot on your choices, learning styles or preferences, and your budget. A pre-packaged curriculum runs between $200 - $1000 for each child. Designing your own curriculum is cost effective and lets you choose what works for your child and family. See my tips and suggestions.
Q. Where can I find support?
A. Join a local support group, state homeschool organizations, conferences, curriculum fairs, homeschool magazines and newsletters, the internet, newsgroups, homeschool seminars, your local church or post chapel.
How do I know what materials to choose?
Choosing materials is not at all difficult. It may seem overwhelming with all the choices that are available, but keep it all in perspective. Teach the basics that we all need, the Bible, Reading, writing, and math. All the rest is again based on interests. Why do we insist that our children learn anatomy and biology if they don't have any interest? Chances are if they aren't interested, they aren't going to become a doctor or scientist. Train your child in what they are interested in, it will make it easier on both of you and when that child is older, they will have a good foundation in for the future in what they enjoy doing. Being well rounded is good, but excelling in the gifts that God gave you is best!
Are learning styles important?
Learning styles are very important. God didn't make each of us the same. To find out more about learning styles and how to teach them, see my page on learning styles.
Why not use textbooks?
Not all children learn well with the textbook style. You have to be a good reader and be able to understand what is written. Textbooks aim to cram information into our heads. It becomes boring, the teacher is the one with all the answers, the children stop being curious and eventually suffer from burn out.Textbooks are also very costly, especially pre-packaged sets. I highly recommend Ruth Beechicks books for alternatives to textbooks. I think you will be pleasantly surprised and gain a great deal of confidence in yourself as parent and teacher. I must add that textbooks can be a great reference.
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