Our Beginnings
When we first decided to “home school” we believed we needed to duplicate what we had experienced growing up in public or private education. We had the black board and desk, wall decals and any other thing you could think of to have “school” at home. As time went on the Lord showed us that He wanted us to do more than protect our 2 (3 & 4 year old) daughters physical well being. He wanted us to disciple them. He wanted us to keep their hearts towards us and ours towards them. He wanted us to train them to be His ambassadors. We began to understand that our children were put in our family to be trained and taught by the only people that would love them unconditionally and watch out for them sacrificially. Reading, writing and arithmetic became important to us because we saw that this was how the gospel of Jesus Christ would advance and His name would be known through out the earth. No longer did we strive for academic recognition or to get the highest score on all the achievement test. We understood if our children feared the Lord he would give them wisdom (the ability to apply God’s words to ones life) and knowledge (the ability to know truth). This education would make them responsible, independent arrows to be launch into a culture that is always learning but never understanding. May the same be true for you as you seek God for the future of your family.
Beginning To Home “School”?
Pray and ask God for His guidance and wisdom through His word and expect an answer!
Two of the most important lessons your child needs now for the future is self discipline and character training. If your child (or you) lacks discipline, learning will be sporadic and difficult. If character training is lacking, chaos will rule the home and learning will be hard to come by. Both qualities of self discipline and godly character are priceless and become more valuable as our children become adults. Wisdom and the fear of God should be of highest priority for the Christian because we know the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge. Proverbs 9:10
Important steps to take when designing your educational model and/or if you come from traditional school backgrounds:
- Research and study the history of modern education.
- Understand the basic approaches to home schooling: traditional, classical, unit studies and the combination of approaches. Create your own “philosophy of education.” Buy curricula based on your philosophy of education.
- Write down the reasons you want to home school. This will be helpful in the future when you need to refocus or as your reasons change and expand.
- You might want to record specific scriptures the Lord reveals to you about his design for education.
- Set aside time to plan your week. Begin a journal or plan book to record your school’s activities. This can include daily assignments and activities.
- Have goals written down (spiritual, character, academic, physical) for yourself and each child.
- Build friendships with other home schooling families.
- Join Chicago C.H.E.M. to benefit yourself and others.
- Prepare yourself to answer questions and concerns from others.
- A dictionary should be your child’s best friend (the library is yours). It is helpful if each of your children has their own dictionary.