How do you homeschool?
1. Pray! Get on your knees. This is where our families become the strongest. This is where God pours out His grace upon us, making our imperfect efforts produce fruits beyond any of our hopes.
2. Write a mission statement with your spouse for why you are homeschooling and share it with your children.
Questions to consider:
What values do you want your children to live out as adults?
What environment is God calling you to raise your children in?
What type of environment do you want them to learn in?
Why do you want your children educated?
What are the most important things that you want your children to learn?
What do you hope to get from homeschooling? Is it discipline? faithfulness???
What environment is God calling you to raise your children in? authentically Catholic? centered on prayer? serving others????
What type of environment do you want them to learn in? creative? supportive? goal oriented????
What are the most important things you want your children to learn?
What do you hope to get from homeschooling?
3. Curriculum. The process for picking a curriculum can be overwhelming, since we live in a time with so many options. We encourage you to first look to the growing group of Catholic homeschooling resources, then to those without an anti-catholic slant, if you did not find a good fit for your children.
How to make your selection?
- Narrow things down by finding out what method of homeschooling fits your family https://www.catholicsistas.com/homeschooling-methods-101/
- View curriculum choices in person at a conference or ask your local homeschool support group for someone that will show you their materials.
- Pick a curriculum and get started. If still overwhelmed, start with a few subjects in one curriculum and gradually add in others. If you didn’t like your initial choice, switch resources for the other subjects.
4. Commit. Having one foot in the door and the other ready to run is not going to take you very far (in either direction). If your decision is to homeschool, then committing allows you to look at the big picture. Your focus can move from today’s to-do list to working towards long-term goals. That produces fruits instead of frustrations and fears. “My beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” I Corinthians 15:58
5. Join a homeschool support group. Thankfully, you have many to choose from, and they all look different. Choose one that communicates and interacts in a way that works with your life. If you like phone calls, pick one that communicates that way. If you don’t have a car during the day, don’t pick one where most communication happens at in-person events. Remember, you are stepping into a community where service has just as many benefits as being served. You are bound to be disappointed if you only focus on what you get out of the group without adding anything to it. When you join a group, make an effort to ask questions, share information, and get involved.
6. Continue learning. Homeschooling parents that continue to seek information on their faith, homeschooling, and how children learn, will get past obstacles much easier than those that wait for the stumbling blocks to look for solutions. Ways to grow in knowledge are…
- Pray for God to draw your family close to Him and provide you with the grace to do His will, despite anything you encounter.
- Get together with other homeschooling parents to ask questions, share resources, and witness others move past obstacles.
- Attend homeschool conferences.
- Read books, listen to talks, or take a class on homeschooling, education, and the Catholic Faith.
7. Flexibility. If something is not working, be willing to change it! As beautiful as your schoolroom may be, if your child learns better on the patio, go with it. As impressive as your schedule is, don’t lock yourself into a schedule so tight that Jesus can’t visit. If your curriculum makes you (and the kids) want to take a nap, get creative with the assignments, or try a new curriculum, even if the year has already started.