The hardest part of homeschooling often isn't the homeschooling!
With a great curriculum like Sonlight, teaching is the easy part! The harder part is clearing the hurdles to get started in the first place.
We’re here to help you push past these worries that many homeschool parents face. In this blog series, we’ll debunk the most common hurdles to getting started homeschooling.
We’ll give you tips to overcome and advice to thrive, plus we'll share stories of real homeschoolers who have cleared these hurdles.
My children will be behind academically
Homeschoolers tend to do better than their traditionally schooled peers on standardized tests. There are many reasons for this: the tutoring model of homeschooling keeps kids from falling through the cracks, you can tailor your child’s education to their specific needs, the home is a safe and calm place to learn, kids do better without being taught to the test, and so on.
Here are a few resources to debunk this common misconception about homeschoolers.
FROM THE SONLIGHT BLOG
- Is My Child Learning Enough?
Every homeschool parent occasionally wonders if their children are learning everything they need to know. Since a literature-based learning approach doesn't use traditional testing, it can be even harder to objectively assess what your children are learning. If you are feeling concerned, it is important to take a step back and examine what is causing that feeling. Chances are, your child is learning even more than you realize! - 4 Reasons to Pursue Academic Excellence in Your Homeschool
I know that education is not about test scores. I love that homeschooling lets you tailor your plans to your family. But ultimately, what is the goal of homeschooling? I believe it is to equip children to do whatever God calls them to. And with few exceptions, equipping children for their callings includes the pursuit of excellence in everything, including academics. Such excellence will mean different things for different children (and may or may not result in great test scores). But the point is that when we challenge our children academically, we are helping them reach their individual, God-given potential. - Nine Reminders for When I Think I'm Failing My Children by Homeschooling
Many homeschool parents get discouraged and fear that they are failing their children by teaching them at home. To ease your fears about failing your children, remind yourself of these truths. - Honoring God with Academics: The Goal of Christian Homeschooling
When you hear the term academic excellence do you get a stuffy image of grading scales, tests, timers and No. 2 pencils—maybe even ivy-covered buildings? I'd like to make a case for the couch academic and how relational, delight-driven homeschooling and academic excellence are not mutually exclusive. Just because we don't emphasize tests and grading as the spine of Sonlight's approach doesn't mean we're half-hearted in the area of scholarship and the life of the mind.
FROM THE SONLIGHT PODCAST
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My children are light years ahead of their peers and recommended for honor College. Sonlight equipped us exceptionally well for a strong academic future. Hello presidential scholarships, merit scholarships, rotary scholarships, police department scholarship, private foundation scholarships—the list goes on and on!
L. Family Sonlighters
My children won’t get into college
If part of you wonders if your children will be prepared for college, be encouraged to know that thousands of others have been. If you and your student both see college as a goal, homeschooling can actually give your children a distinct advantage in preparing for college. Many homeschoolers tend to outperform their peers in terms of college GPA and graduation rates.
Here are some of the ways Sonlight has helped prepare students for college.
FROM THE SONLIGHT BLOG
FROM THE SONLIGHT PODCAST
VIDEO
To ease your fears about homeschooling, pair this encouragement with a time-tested homeschool curriculum. Let Sonlight equip you and give you the confidence to do it well.
With all your materials and plans laid out for you to just open and teach, you do have what it takes to homeschool! We are so happy to be part of your homeschool and walk alongside you in this journey!
If you are considering a new direction for your children’s education or have doubts about your homeschool and want personalized reassurance, we have experienced homeschooling moms who would love to talk to you. With our Sonlight Advisors, you'll get one-on-one help, new ideas, and renewed confidence.
