When you were in school, math was either a thing of beauty or a thing of torment. Whichever it was for you, as a homeschooling parent, you get to help your children move towards an understanding of math—whether they end up doing nothing more than tracking their spending as an adult, or get a doctorate in applied mathematics. Knowing this, how does one go about choosing the best math curriculum?
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“I’m failing my child.”
This thought barraged my mind the first year of homeschooling my daughter. As I fought to establish a school routine and complete assignments, I was met by the fierce will of a 5-year-old kindergartener who had other ideas about how to spend her day. Most days ended in both of us crying over schoolwork. I felt completely inadequate as her teacher, and wanted to give up.
I quickly became my own biggest critic.
Instead of enjoying the flexibility and discovery of learning in homeschooling, I became a micromanaging perfectionist and focused on everything we were not doing. I couldn’t teach her. I couldn’t get her to listen. These thoughts severely threatened my decision to homeschool.
As I look back over my seasons of doubt, I realize God has used these times to shape me. To see God’s truths, I needed to identify what was causing my fear of failure. Here are three ways I have fallen into cycles of self-criticism.
Starting on our homeschool journey, I had only the public school model of education. I expected to get through a daily checklist of work while my perfect kindergartener listened intently to every word and attempted every assignment. I’m sure all the veteran homeschoolers are laughing right now.
Most days were spent with me reading while she ran around in circles, seemingly paying no attention to anything I was saying. I don’t know how many times I told my husband, “I can’t do this anymore. Nothing I’m doing is getting through to her.”
My expectations were certainly unrealistic in the beginning. My daughter was too active to sit still and listen. She learned while she was in motion. I still have to adjust my expectations to more realistic goals as we go and circumstances change.
It’s also easy to compare our progress to others. Planning for that first year, I remember questioning kindergarten teachers to determine learning expectations. One teacher mentioned that her class was reading by Christmas break.
While I understood that each child is unique in their development, and that the whole class probably wasn’t reading C.S. Lewis by the middle of their kindergarten year, I still fretted when we were struggling with simple words. I wondered how I could have a college degree but couldn’t teach my daughter how to read sit or sat. My pride was certainly being broken during this time.
Then voices of others in our community began to plant further seeds of doubt in my mind. Teachers from our church would comment on how perfectly behaved and well-mannered my daughter was during class. Surely we weren’t talking about the same girl, right? How could she be so well-behaved for others, and not me?
Words meant for praise I turned into self-criticism.
I thought, maybe if I just sent her to public school, then she would have to sit and listen to a teacher and in the long run get a better education.
My husband and I even sought counsel from others, and one person advised that a school setting might give her a better structure. This opinion caused me to question my ability to continue our homeschool education. While seeking advice from others can be wise, it is also important to weigh it against what you believe God is directing for your family.
As I began to identify my negative thought patterns, I realized that ultimately my fear of failure was rooted in the lies of the enemy meant to undermine the work God had called me to accomplish with my child. I needed to replace these lies with God’s truths. I had reached the end of my own capacity and knew if we were going to continue I needed His strength. I found encouragement in words written in Homeschool Bravely by Jamie Erickson:
“…your difficult one is a work in progress, but so are you. Homeschooling with its oftentimes moment-by-complicated-moment investment can be one of the many tools God can use to bring you to completion.”
These words cut at the very lies the enemy had tried to use to make me feel like a failure and give up. I am a work in progress, and I don’t have to be the perfect teacher. I don’t have to check all the boxes on my daily planner. I just have to be yielded to God’s call to teach my child. He’s already decided I’m the best parent for my daughter. He planned it all before she was even born. In Ephesians 2:10, the Bible says that God has prepared my good works beforehand. I simply walk in them. I can rest in knowing that He has prepared the way for me.
As I reflect on what my daughter and I have learned over the last few years of homeschooling, I can truly celebrate our victories and silence the inner voice of my biggest critic. I realize that we were learning even though it may not have exactly matched my initial picture of schooling. This revelation occurred when she began mentioning tidbits from stories and lessons I had read to her a few weeks prior. Apparently she didn’t need to sit still to pay attention.
And she did learn to read. Through all of the different phonics and reading program methods I tried, the only constant during this time of struggle was the Read-Alouds in Sonlight's History / Bible / Literature programs. Having historic figures like Mary in Mary on Horseback or Louise Braille in Out of Darkness brought inspiration to our studies. And then, after being consistent in reading aloud to her, something clicked, and she started reading on her own. I am truly humbled when anyone comments on how well she reads now, because I remember our times of struggle. I am thankful I stayed committed to teaching her despite my fear of failure.
Each year brings its own unique challenges in homeschooling. Amidst new frustrations and learning challenges (math anyone?), it can be easy to fall into another pattern of self-doubt. However, I am quicker to acknowledge these thoughts as lies from the enemy, and ask God to point me to His truth. God is using every circumstance to shape us and point us to our complete dependence on Him. So, when you doubt yourself, know that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13).
When choosing to homeschool, sometimes making the choice to learn at home may seem like the biggest decision. But perhaps the bigger choices come next: what type of curriculum should you choose? There are a number of homeschool options and a growing number of homeschool philosophies out there. We’ve condensed the main homeschool options and a few key questions here to help make your journey easier.
Whether you’re first starting out on a homeschool journey or you’re a seasoned homeschool family, you may get asked more often than not, “What’s your homeschooling style?” Whether you can rattle off your homeschooling philosophy with ease – or that question leaves you scratching your head a bit – you likely already fit into one or more of the types of homeschooling philosophies listed below.
Classical homeschool curriculum families follow the Trivium, an age-old education style. Students are generally broken up into three age groups:
Classical homeschool curriculum prioritizes great books, subjects like classical history, and Socratic discussion.
Devotees of Charlotte Mason homeschool curriculum may focus their schooling time on high-quality living books (usually narratives or stories, rather than textbooks), nature study, short lessons, dictation, and copy work. Based on the teachings of a British educator from the late 1800s and early 1900s, Charlotte Mason is known for her beliefs that children are born and must be educated as a whole person, not only a mind. She defined education as “an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.” Many Charlotte Mason families focus on spreading a feast of ideas before their children, including art and music appreciation and handicrafts.
Unit studies are a homeschool option that allow you to customize curriculum based on your child’s particular interests. Do you have a child who loves geology? Legos? Minecraft? All three? Chances are you can create a unit study on the topic, or find someone who has. The benefits of unit studies are they’re customizable, flexible, and there are many available in the homeschool community. The downside is they require significant work from parents to piece together, and may leave curriculum gaps.
Conjure an image of traditional homeschooling in your mind. You may see school refashioned at home, built on a complete homeschool curriculum package. This image might include stacks of workbooks or textbooks, pencil and paper tests, a rigid schedule, and a predefined scope and sequence for each specific grade level. Such curriculums are common and a popular homeschool method.
School at home may also be conducted through an online homeschool program, a public school district, or under the umbrella of a charter school.
Montessori is often overlooked as a homeschooling method but many of Dr. Maria Montessori’s (an Italian educator) principles are easily adapted into homeschool life. Montessori homeschool families may focus on long blocks of uninterrupted time, carefully-selected environments that promote learning and hands-on activities. Montessori also encourages mixed-age classes, and incorporates home life as part of learning (such as using actual kitchen items to mix and pour instead of toy kitchen tools). The Montessori homeschool philosophy is particularly well-suited to children with special needs.
Montessori is popular particularly in early education. Sonlight’s new homeschool preschool program, for example, includes Montessori-type materials such as tactile letters, numbers, and shapes that help reinforce pre-writing, pre-reading, and pre-math skills.
Don’t feel like you fit into any of these categories? Or maybe more than one? Chances are your style may simply be eclectic homeschooling. Many families combine approaches from two (or more!) of these styles into their homeschool routine.
Sonlight is a great example. Ask a Sonlight family to describe their homeschool style and many times they may simply say, we use Sonlight! With classical and Charlotte Mason influences and a complete Instructor’s Guide, it’s tough to fit Sonlight into a particular homeschool philosophy. The beauty of homeschooling is choosing what works best for you and your family.
The best homeschool program, much like the best homeschool philosophy, is the one that works best for you and your family. There are not only different philosophies to consider within homeschooling, there are also many different curriculum choices for core subjects such as math, Language Arts, and history. Narrowing down a homeschool philosophy (or two) that you think may work for your children is a good place to begin.
Next, consider, do you want your children to spend much of their time learning online? If so, you may want to consider some of the best online homeschool programs. Or are living books more your style? Or, would you like to opt for a little of both? Do you have a child with special needs? One who enjoys being outside, or prefers desk learning? Also, consider your own teaching style. Do you prefer to plan things yourself, or do you enjoy having a curriculum ready for you? How will you handle student assessments or feedback? A helpful site to compare homeschool curriculum providers is Cathy Duffy Reviews, where you can search for various styles and types of curriculum.
To answer this question, it may be best to ask, what works best for your family, for your children, and for you? There are as many homeschool curriculum options as there are types of homeschool moms. You can find complete homeschool curriculum packages, piece together unit studies to suit your family’s interests, or find online programs that engage your student in virtual classroom learning. There is simply no top homeschool curriculum. What is best is what works best for your student. The beauty of learning at home is that it allows you to choose.
You can also add extras into your homeschool routine, such as co-ops that help teach certain subjects, regular field trips, or extracurricular activities that contribute to learning.
If you read through the homeschool options and didn’t see a fit for your family in the homeschool philosophies mentioned, you may consider unschooling. A shift in traditional schooling and homeschooling, this philosophy takes a child-led approach to learning, relying on students to choose their own interests and what they would like to study. Parents are responsible for providing supplies, experiences, and support the child may need to facilitate learning.
Students who might do well with unschooling are self-motivated, self-directed learners, able to be trusted to study on their own. Unschooling families don’t typically use tests, grades, or set schedules. The pro? Some call this philosophy delight-driven and say it offers students more time to pursue their passions. The downside? It may leave gaps in areas of study if students aren’t interested in focusing on a particular topic.
Homeschool costs vary as much as families do! Whether you choose to purchase homeschool curriculum packages, track down resources from your local library, unschool your child, or enroll your child in an online homeschool program, costs can range to hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year, per child.
When choosing a homeschool curriculum, consider the value of what you are purchasing. Investing in your child’s education is an important decision. Proven curriculum providers are a reliable resource, where less expensive unit studies may leave gaps and shortchange tweens and teens.
If you are enrolling your child in an online curriculum, is there a fee per semester? Per course? Per year? Per child? If you are purchasing a textbook and workbook-based curriculum, how many copies of materials will you need per child? If you opt for a hands-on curriculum such as Montessori, materials are beautiful and high quality but can be expensive. If you choose a literary-based curriculum, consider combining students who are close in age in multiple subjects to save money (and time!). Sonlight makes it easy to teach multiple children, and have fun doing so. One initial investment pays off for multiple children as your family grows and/or as your children get older.
Whether it’s the middle of the school year or the middle of summer, you can start homeschooling anytime that’s best for your family. One of the greatest parts of homeschool is the flexibility it brings to the family calendar. Your school year can even go year-round. Read more about your homeschool options and how to schedule a year that works best for you.
What about homeschooling an older student who previously attended public or private school? It’s never too late to start homeschooling if you feel it’s best for your family. There are plenty of people who would choose to learn at home if they could relive their middle school years, and there are some very compelling reasons as a parent why teaching your high schooler at home might be the best option. Taking these years to spend time with your older children, set the bar higher, tailor learning to their interests, and give them a taste of real-life before they graduate are just a few.
Although most homeschool parents will tell you it is at least a part- if not a full-time job, homeschooling your own children is unpaid. A handful of states may allow parents to apply for tax benefits or stipends if educating their child under the umbrella of a charter school (which comes with its own set of requirements), but these are rare.
What is possible is getting paid while homeschooling, by working part-time from home, freelancing, or even homeschooling or tutoring a student from outside your family, if your state allows it.
You can start homeschooling today! Before you begin, check your state’s homeschooling regulations and how to comply. Find other homeschool parents to connect with, who can offer words of advice as you start this exciting chapter. Sonlight has a Sonlight Connections app for homeschooling parents, where you can talk with a Sonlight mentor or advisor.
Still not sure which homeschool philosophy is right for your family? Sonlight makes it easy to get started today. Check out a sample Sonlight Instructor’s Guide. Take a visit to the local library and enjoy picking out a feast of living books. Don’t be afraid to learn more about the homeschool options on this list. Then give yourself some grace as you learn what works best and create a homeschool you love.
For missionary families around the world, the education of our missionary kids (MKs) can be one of the most challenging issues we face. The choices we parents make for our MKs can bring our families together, giving us opportunities to serve together and producing well-adjusted TCKs (Third Culture Kids) who love the Lord and are capable of serving Him in many contexts. Or it can take our families off the field and cause lifelong turmoil for our MKs.
So… no pressure, right?!
There are three keys to make a wise, educated decision.
Not so long ago most missionaries felt that boarding school was their only option in educating their children. Homeschooling was unheard of, and resources were unavailable. Missionaries believed that being separated from their children in this way was one of the sacrifices that went along with missionary work.
Some missionary families still choose boarding school for one of two reasons:
While these are valid reasons, the obvious downside to boarding school is the separation. Boarding school requires that missionary parents essentially hand over the raising of their children to the teachers and house parents at the boarding school. However, Deuteronomy 6:7 tells us as parents to teach God’s ways diligently to our children, “when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” From my perspective, that calling is impossible to fulfill if we don’t even live in the same city for the majority of the year.
International schools are private day schools. They usually offer a high quality education, but with equally high fees. My MK husband attended an international schoolthrough 8th grade and enjoyed it very much. To this day he has friends of multiple nationalities all around the world because of his international school experience.
The idea of local school is a bit more complex. In some countries all residents are required to attend local public schools. I have MK friends who grew up attending public school in Europe who today are bilingual and feel very attached to their host country. Attending the local schools helped them be more a part of the culture in which they lived.
On the flip side, these MKs seemed to have a harder time adjusting back to life and college in America since they had been educated in a different language and culture.
In developing countries, public education is not mandatory for missionaries. The education is lacking, and corporal punishment is extreme. For these reasons, most missionary parents in those countries steer clear of local schools.
However, because local schools are a good way for MKs to learn the local language and get involved in the community, some missionary parents still go that route for a short time in order for their young children to learn the language and culture. I have seen families have both good and bad experiences with this. It is crucial to know the situation well before enrolling impressionable missionary kids.
There are many reasons why missionary families choose to homeschool their MKs. Some of these reasons include
Alternatively, some of the reasons missionary parents choose not to homeschool are
For my family, homeschooling has given my children stability in the midst of multiple international moves and allowed them to receive a quality education. Most importantly it has allowed my husband and me to intentionally shepherd them thanks to all the time we spend together.
The literature-based curriculum we use through Sonlight allows my MKs to learn about many different situations through great books, and we are able to discuss the responses of characters and compare them to Biblical responses. I love how it aids us in training our children “when [we] sit in [the] house, and when [we] walk by the way” (Deut. 6:7).
How can we best shepherd our children and fulfill our responsibilities as Christian parents? If we provide our MKs with a great education, great friends, and great opportunities, but fail to train them in the ways of the Lord, we have failed as Christian parents.
That is a scary thought, and the choices can seem overwhelming at first. Yet as we prayerfully seek God’s wisdom, He will guide us in making the best educational choice for our MKs. As James reminds us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5).
When my oldest was five, we went to the doctor for his annual well-check. The pediatrician’s receptionist was an acquaintance, and immediately asked, “Where will your son be attending kindergarten this fall?” I told her we had decided to homeschool. She was aghast and asked me, quite rudely, “What on Earth makes you think you are qualified to do that? How will he ever get into college?”
It was an awkward exchange.
At the time, my son was reading at a third grade level, and I couldn’t bear to send him to school to learn his ABCs. He already knew how to read, knew his colors and numbers, could write, and more, so we figured we were doing okay. It was kindergarten, not rocket science! I really wasn’t thinking about college yet. I just preferred to keep him home longer and work on learning together.
Almost twenty years later, I would love to tell that receptionist this same child got his BA in Communications a month before his 20th birthday, is now married, bought a house, and is gainfully employed in his field after being homeschooled K-12.
While we all have varied concerns about homeschooling, one question many of us get bombarded with is, “How will your children ever get into college or be ready for college?”
Obviously, to them, we are not only weird but permanently jeopardizing our children’s long-term worldly success. I remember thinking, “God is perfectly capable of guiding us through this. We’ll figure it out and make adjustments as needed.”
Of course, I often fretted about the future as well, but my worries proved unfounded.
Ironically, after homeschooling, particularly thanks to Sonlight and all the History / Bible / Literature levels we completed, I feel my kids were more ready for college work than their peers. They all started college work at age 16.
Obviously everyone’s homeschool journey is going to be different, but homeschooling did not prove to be an obstacle to college for my kids. Our goal was never Harvard or Stanford, so that’s a different story if you’re aiming for the Ivy Leagues. But we are happy with where our kids landed. I believe Sonlight provided my children exactly what they needed for success in college:
Three of my children have already launched into adulthood (after homeschooling K-12 with some community college, etc.). My 13-year-old is still in the homeschool pipeline. Here is a summary of their varied college paths so far.
Child #1—He tested out of most general education credits with CLEP (College Level Examination Program) and DSST (formerly DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) taken at a local military base, and online courses through College Plus. He finished the second half of his degree online after transferring everything into an East coast college that accepted all his credits.
Result: BA in Communications before his 20th birthday. No debt.
Child #2—He took almost a year of community college dual credit through Washington State’s Running Start program and was accepted to all three universities where he applied. Last year during Covid-19, he finished at a four-year Division III Christian university which accepted all his community college credits.
Result: BA in Finance before 22nd birthday. Four years of college golf. Acquired a very small amount of debt.
Child #3 She is completing two full years of dual-credit Running Start. She is continuing to a four-year Christian university this fall for Art: Illustration. This university accepts her AA as a direct transfer, so she has all her general education except a few Bible courses.
Result: Saved cost of two years of college so far and has her AA at age 18.
Child #4 He will probably pursue a Running Start AA during his junior and senior years of high school then transfer to a four-year college.
Result: Time will tell. Right now we are deep in HBL H.
People sometimes forget that not everyone wants or should pursue a college degree. Various other options are equally valid:
So looking back over 20 years of homeschooling, my main takeaways for college and/or adult readiness are as follows:
Schooling is not a one-size fits all. We will not all be rocket scientists or go to Harvard. My overall homeschool style can best be described as haphazard with all the different ages, but we very consistently worked through each HBL Level and read every book.
Many different paths can lead our children to their futures. Consider homeschool an enormous asset instead of an obstacle. And you are qualified because you love your children and are willing to do the work.
Some children love writing and choose to write little notes or annotate pictures they have drawn just for fun. Others are less keen and write only when they must. Reluctance can make writing a battle, and language arts becomes the dreaded subject of the day.
When our children aren’t loving language arts because of the writing, it can make us question our choice of curriculum. But all is not lost. Before we give up, start looking into a different curriculum, or think that our children are never going to grasp the idea of creative writing, there is one method that can provide a solution to many different writing-based issues—being a scribe for your child!
Being a scribe simply means writing for your child. This technique works in many homeschool situations:
In a nutshell, you scribe when you want your child to be able to focus more on the lesson you’re teaching and less on the process of writing.
For example, when your child is still learning to perfect their reading and writing skills, their handwriting may be work in progress. In this case, scribing has a great benefit.
If the point of the writing is to answer a scientific question, the purpose of the learning is that your child understands the scientific principle. The science is what you want them to think about and remember; focusing on the spelling or letter formation can detract from this learning. So, in this case, your acting as a scribe is almost certainly a good idea.
When you serve as a scribe, your child benefits from the homeschool lesson without adding in the complexities of simultaneously perfecting their writing skills.
Simply writing down what your child says is not all there is to being a scribe. There are different ways to scribe, and you may use different methods and approaches at different ages and stages along the way. At any level, there are several different ways to scribe.
In the early years of kindergarten through grades 3 or 4,
In grades 4 and up,
Only you can decide what is the best method for your child, and even then this can vary from day to day and from subject to subject.
By acting as a scribe, you are making your child’s learning easier but not doing the work for them. So, unless there is no improvement in your child's desire and ability to write, then go with your instincts and scribe when it suits you both. That way, they’ll love to learn, and you’ll love to teach!
Are you a homeschool planner or a panster who flies by the seat of your pants? No matter where you fall on the planning spectrum, homeschooling your high schooler requires intentional preparation. The good news is that creating a comprehensive 4-year high school plan doesn't take a lot of work. You can do it! This article covers much of the information you need to create a homeschool plan from the first step to high school graduation.
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