# (Significantly) Pre-Child Homeschool Questions....



## emulkahi1 (Apr 22, 2006)

Hello Everyone--

As my subject says, DH and I are still probably a few years from actually having children, as we are still in the midst of renovation/business start-up craziness. Too much stress to add to that with something as significant and important (and deserving of his/her fair share of attention) as a child. 

But anyway, we've been talking lately about the subject, and the subject of schooling comes up often enough. DH went to a Catholic parochial school, and I went to my small town's public schools. My position is that, given the heck I went through, there is NO way on God's green earth that any child of mine would ever be put into a public school. DH's school experience was fairly positive, though he now works occasionally in high schools (he cleans/repairs microscopes) and is horrified at the behavior he witnesses there. I know of a family that used to live here in town that actually moved to remove their daughters from some relentless bullying that was being allowed to continue at school here (2000 miles away from where I grew up, so not the same school system). 

This leads me to think pretty seriously about homeschooling. Of course, it is all in the hypothetical stage now.....But I guess I am developing my ideas now and want to do so in a productive and realistic way. The scary thing about it is that I don't know what kind of teachers DH and I would make. I love to write and read....but am not so hot at grammar (blech, lol). DH is a math whiz, having gotten a degree in mechanical engineering. But does that mean he'd be qualified to teach a child what they need to do about addition, subtraction....and on down the line to algebra, calculus, etc. HE can do all of that well (just like I can the reading/writing stuff), but does that mean that we'll be able to TEACH it? Since there are so many homeschoolers, I am guessing that there are things that help guide/coach one along on these things.....But I don't want to assume that and then realize down the line that we are very unprepared for such roles. 

Anyway, I guess I am just interested to hear your thoughts on those questions, if you've got a moment to jot them down for me. Thanks!!

Erin


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## meanwhile (Dec 13, 2007)

See if your library has Homeschool magazines. There are several good ones. I prefer Home Education but there are others. Read a lot. Buy a few Homeschool books or check them out from library. Find your local support group and go visit them to ask questions. Rose2005 is right - there are many different styles and many different courses, many ways of Homeschooling! You could even create yet another way. Homeschooling was/is the best thing that our family ever did - that and moving to the country. Good luck.


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## Cheryl in SD (Apr 22, 2005)

I think I would read the threads here about getting started. One thing I did was to pick up homeschooling books on ebay. I often found them in lots. Then I read them all and kept ideas I liked. I have slowly built a nice homeschool resource library. One book to get you started is The Well Trained Mind and its counterpart, The Well Educated Mind. I would also check out Elijah Company's articles on styles of homeschooling. Start building a reading library for you and your children. Watch for classics and read aloud books. I picked up much of my library at second hand stores and Yard sales. Avoid "junk" books and find classics. Ask lots and lots of questions. 

As for whether you can teach them, YES! Most of it is one and one tutoring, which you will have to do if the attend traditional school anyway (my sil was scared she wouldn't be able to teach pre-algebra, so she put her dd into ps. Now she is tutoring her at night and getting my other sil to help her dd figure it out. Other sil had the same situation with learning to read. She did as much or more tutoring than I did with her kids in school.) The really tough stuff you teach them anyway, so don't let a little thing like grammar scare you off.


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## Sonshine (Jul 27, 2007)

There are many books for those interested in homeschooling. I noticed you said you weren't sure if you would be able to be a "teacher". From what I have learned, I was the one who taught my child to walk, talk, feed himself, use the toilet and everything else. Homeschooling is an extension of that. My DS hasn't been able to use any "set" curriculum like Abeka, etc, due to his learning disabilities. Yet through researching his disabilities we have managed to find ways to teach him what he needs to know. You'll do fine because you are conscientious about it.


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## ovsfarm (Jan 14, 2003)

There are so many shades of homeschooling, I'm sure you can find one that would be right for you. You can go from one end of the spectrum and research and write all your own curriculum, or you can do the other end and buy the whole thing on DVD or satellite and just make sure a warm body is on the couch pointed in the right direction. Most people end up somewhere in the middle. Be aware, though, that homeschooling parents always have doubts as to whether we are doing things "right" or providing the very best education. That, IMO, is why it does work so well. We are constantly monitoring and correcting problems as we go along, so very little time is wasted traveling down incorrect paths.

I decided to homeschool before I was even married, let alone a mother. That gave me plenty of time to read up on things and to watch trends. By the time I was ready, I had lots of ideas!


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