Successful Learning

Homeschooling is great, isn’t it? You have the freedom and flexibility to teach your children according to your own style, schedule, and interests. Thanks to the recent uptick in families choosing to homeschool, curriculum choices, resources, and ideas are more abundant than ever. Still, you may find yourself needing something more for your family’s needs. Perhaps you don’t feel confident teaching a certain subject. Maybe your kids need more social opportunities. Or you wish your children had access to extra classes such as art, debate, home economics, or creative writing. A homeschool co-op sounds appealing, but there aren’t any in your area that seem to fit your expectations. If you have considered starting your own homeschool co-op, we’ve compiled some ideas and suggestions to guide you and help you get started.

[Read more…] about 9 Steps to Start a Homeschool Co-op

Our children are a gift, given to us from the Lord to train for His service. When your children are preschoolers, it may be difficult to imagine them as adults. You are probably just looking forward to the day when they will put on matching clothes or keep their bedroom neat. But in reality, we only have our children in our home for a very short time. We only have a very small window of time to teach preschoolers a biblical worldview, so we must start young because it can be one of the most valuable and foundational beginnings to our homeschool journey.

How do you teach preschoolers to think with a biblical worldview?

Quick question: Who would like to go back and relive their middle school years? No one? I think once was hard enough! We describe them with words like awkward, confusing, sometimes even painful. But you know what? Also amazing. Really. I don’t think of my own middle school years as amazing—but when I look back at my three (now grown) sons, and the hundreds of middle school students I was privileged to teach, I clearly saw God at work in these young people. In the middle of the mess, there were also victories.

So parents of middle schoolers, take hope. You and your children can survive these years of changes and growth without losing your sanity. As my church moms love to declare, God’s got this! Prayer, perspective, a support group, and maybe some deep breathing techniques will be foundational as you learn how to guide your homeschooler through middle school.

Learn about guiding your child through middle school!

The attraction of homeschooling is customization. You are free to plan your day and your year however you want it to be. But that could also be overwhelming. No one else can make this plan for you. The ideas and tips below will help you craft a custom homeschool plan for your family.

Learn how to craft a custom homeschool plan for your family

“Better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.” So goes an Asian proverb that highlights the benefits of traveling. I know there are wonderful virtual and online “tours” available, but there is magic in the words field trip. Visit a state capital. Explore a landmark, historical site, or national park, and windows to imagination and learning fly open. There are so many possibilities! Travel creates memorable learning experiences. So families frequently look for opportunities to take their children on trips. Other families live in another country long term or work internationally, and they want to keep the family together. For families both in the U.S. and homeschooling internationally, it’s a lifestyle that literally takes them places.

Millions of families have found that freedom and flexibility are appealing features of homeschooling. It’s an alternative to public or private school education with unique advantages. If you’re willing to take on the costs, planning, organization, and work of homeschooling, your family will also get the rewards. For one thing, your child’s extracurricular activities will have new, broadened horizons. You’ll no longer be limited by a physical school because you can take your lessons with you wherever you go. The portability of homeschooling is definitely an exciting plus for students and parents, no matter where they live. And then there are families that find the portability of homeschooling is perfect because they are taking it with them.

So if you’re considering homeschooling internationally, what do you need to know ahead of time? What will be different for military or missionary families compared to families who have moved for work or personal reasons? Can you legally homeschool in your destination country?

Learn about homeschooling internationally!