A CHECKLIST FOR A GOOD START
by J'Aimée Rogers

Just as every family is unique and special in the Lord's eyes, so will our approach be to how we educate our children. Here are a few things you can do to get off to a good start for the school year.

1) Pray for God's wisdom and guidance as you make the many decisions about curriculum, methods and your children's education.

2) Talk and pray with your spouse about upcoming decisions that need to be made. Even if one person is doing most of the research and planning, both should be informed and of one mind. Also, make sure that you plan to take the time to nurture your marriage relationship. Although you have added responsibilities and new distractions, a strong marriage is essential for a good teaching home.

3) Consider your own family situation when making curriculum choices. Consider the number of children and their ages and how much time you can realistically devote to preparation beforehand. Then choose your curriculum accordingly. Some materials are pre-planned and ready to use, while others require the teacher to develop their own lesson plans. Be realistic about what you will actually do, especially if you are just starting out.

4) Take inventory of where your children are at academically and spiritually and plan goals for their progress. It is no use going on to new material when they have not mastered the foundational lessons in a certain area. Don't get caught up in "grade levels"; rather tailor the curriculum to what each child needs. Obtain a publisher's Scope and Sequence or review the table of contents of books you are planning to use to see what would best suit your child.

5) Plan and budget for curriculum and school supply purchases. There are a few "up front" expenses in starting out, but homeschooling can be very economical if you purchase discount, used and reusable resources. You can conceivably home educate with merely a Bible and a library card if absolutely no funds were available for anything else. However, it would take a lot of preparation and work on the teacher's part.

Homeschooling can definitely be cheaper than private school and possibly public school when you factor in transportation costs, school lunches and special school wardrobes.

Some further ideas for saving money:
a-You can combine classes like History, Science, Bible. Art, Music and Health with a few different grades as these subjects don't depend on sequential progression of skills like Math and Reading.
b-Shop used, traded, thrift store or yard sale whenever possible.
c-Use non-consumable texts and resources that can be passed down, traded or resold next year.

6) Take time to educate yourself on what is available for homeschoolers. Write and or call for catalogs and product information so you can get an idea of what you have to choose from. Read "how to" books and supportive magazines and glean from the wisdom of more experienced home educators. Plan on attending a seminar or convention to receive instruction and encouragement. At the very least, try to listen to tapes about homeschooling.

Talk to experienced homeschoolers and ask lots of questions. You don't have to take every bit of advice you get, but working "cafeteria style" you will fashion what works best for your family. Consider joining a support group so you can continue to ask questions and be encouraged when the going gets rough and the newness has worn off.

7) Organize and de-clutter your home and designate a place to store your books and supplies. This will save time trying to track down things during your school hours.

8) Simplify your life and schedule so that you are able to get the important things done. Include a plan for the children to help you with the household duties, as this is a great time to teach important life skills and character lessons. Establishing a good routine of regularly keeping the main living areas neat will help keep the atmosphere of your home conducive to learning.
Don't plan too many outside activities, classes and field trips until you know that you can successfully handle the basic core subjects. Remember you are homeschooling!!

9) Learn about the laws and records that you will be required to keep. Join HSLDA (Home School Legal Defense Association) for legal protection and advocacy. Compulsory attendance laws effect children who turn 6 by Dec. 2nd of the school year up to age 18. If you are filing your own affidavit the deadline is October 15th (although you can begin homeschooling at any time during the year, filing this time will draw the least amount of attention.)
*SEE CHEA's Introduction to Home Education manual for an in depth explanation of the above.

10) Plan your year's calendar and decide what kind of schedule to follow. Plan on approximately 175-180 days of school. (This is how long the public schools are in session, but include field trips, holiday learning and teacher enrichment days, etc.) You may want to stick to a traditional 10 month schedule to coincide with the neighborhood children's schedule or to have a summer break for trips or other projects. Or you may choose to school year round, taking breaks when family events dictate (i.e.. birth of a baby, visiting relatives, etc.) Many homeschoolers enjoy taking vacations during the off season when regular schools are back in session to get cheaper rates, avoid the crowds and get better service. Schedules can vary tremendously (e.g.. 5 days of school a week with a week-long break every 9 weeks; 4 days of school a week and one day off as a "catch-up"/housework day, etc…)

***If this is your first year homeschooling consider starting early in the summer to give yourself a headstart and time to ease into a routine. Start with the core subjects first- Language Arts and Math- and gradually add other subjects as you establish a routine into your day. Remember, you don't have to do every subject every day! For example, you can alternate semesters of History and Science in the same time slot. Or alternate the days each subject is taught (e.g.. Mon. & Wed.-History/ Tues. & Thurs. -Science in the same time slot.)

11) Determine your lesson planning/record keeping method.
Some options include:
a. Buying a pre-planned curriculum package
b. Planning Unit Studies based on a theme
c. Divide the number of pages in a textbook or workbook by the number of school days (use 170 days. as a safe # so you have some make-up days) to determine how many pages a day you need to do to complete the book in a year. You may want to further divide your year in quarters to make sure you are keeping on track.
d. Keep a journal of what you actually accomplish each day as a record of work completed

12) If you are homeschooling a high school student, you have a little more planning involved. Check for the number of credits needed to graduate and make a four year plan of how you will accomplish the required courses. If you have a specific college or specialized area of study in mind, it may be helpful to contact someone in admissions who could tell you what they look for in prospective students. Helpful resources are the CHEA Introduction to Rome Education and The High School Handbook by Mary Schofield, also available through CHEA.

13) Don 't try to imitate school at home! A lot of classroom methods necessary to manage a large number of children are not necessarily the most efficient way to teach your children. Children can actually learn to read snuggled next to their mom on the couch just as well (or better!) than at a school desk.
Along the same lines, do what you feel God is leading you to do for each child. Some children, especially boys, are not ready for the fine motor skills tasks like writing or reading at the pre-school ages that is in vogue today. Others are ready very early. You are the parent and know your child best (or should strive to do so)!

14) Plan special days and events to make the school year fun and give incentives to complete goals. (e.g.. first day of school party, quarterly family field trips, park days, etc.) Children often take their attitude cues from their parents. If you are careful to point out the positive aspects of home schooling, your children will probably share that view.

15) Hang in there! The first year is the most confusing and holds the most decisions. Also, life changing events (new births, moving, graduations, deployments, etc.) may disrupt our momentum for a while. But they are all part of "real life" and powerful lessons for the Lord to use to mold and shape our families.
Give yourself time to get used to your materials and new schedule before trying something different. It is O.K. to change as you see something is not working for your family. But jumping around mid-year to many different curriculums will provide little progress. Pray for balance and wisdom here.
Be assured that even the most experienced homeschooler has at one time shared the same doubts and fears that you now have! And they reappear every so often. Home educating does require a great amount of faith and dependence on the Lord. But you will be the better for it, having learned to trust m Him!

Galatians 6:9
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not"

Resources:

The Teaching Home Magazine April/May 1993, Special Section: Getting Started

An Introduction to Home Education by Susan Beatty & Karen Woodfin Middleton (available through CHEA)

Home Education~ A Vision for Excellence, seminar by Donnie & Becky Winn, Heritage Christian School, San Diego, CA.

"A Homeschooler's Checklist" and many other articles by Tamara Eaton on the Christian Homeschool forum web page. http:llwww.gocin.com/homeschoollwee1:24.htm

Home Education Myths by Karl Reed, (1992,Christian Home Ministries, P0 Box 100, Mammoth Springs, AR 72554-0100)