"I Want To Homeschool! How Do I Prepare?" Here are Six Tips
I have been very active in the homeschooling community trying to answer inquiries from people who are interested to homeschool. Homeschooling resources found online can be really overwhelming. Sometimes people don't have much time to search on the Internet the best resources that they use to prepare themselves in their homeschooling journey.
Last May 23rd, 2018, I was invited by Educating for Life to a show and tell event entitled, "Flavors of Homeschooling" held at SMX SM Aura. It is to showcase the educational curriculums and philosophies that a family can choose should they decide to take the homeschool path. I have talked to several parents to explain what curriculum I am using for my son--which is Accelerated Christian Education (ACE)--and I am so glad that they are really doing their homework in seeking the best curriculum that suits the needs of their child. Their children is in toddler years so I am happy that they are planning way ahead of time before they start with their homeschooling journey. I will be coming up with a separate blog about ACE.
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| Our humble booth at "Flavors of Homeschooling" last May 23rd at SMX SM Aura |
However, I've come across some inquiries on how they can start their homeschooling journey because they are still clueless on what will be their first lesson, the educational objectives that they have to attain towards the end of the year, among others. With this, I've thought of coming up with a blog to help families prepare and to further assess if homeschooling is for them.
Here are the six tips to make homeschooling preparation easy-peasy and encouraging:
1. Seek inspiration from seasoned homeschooling families. Seasoned homeschooling families can give you realistic experiences and tips on successful homeschooling. They can serve as your strength to pursue and continue with your homeschooling journey. You can ask all the questions that you have about homeschooling and they will be willing to assist you as you start immersing yourself in the world of homeschooling.
2. Attend orientation and seminars about homeschooling. Seasoned homeschooling families can give you real-life homeschool experiences, but attending orientations and seminars about homeschooling can give you a better overview about homeschooling. It gives you a lot of options and teaches you about homeschooling without any biases.
In addition, you can also attend conferences as you will have an opportunity to learn about the trends in homeschooling, to meet homeschooling families face-to-face, and to hear inspiration from homeschooled kids as they showcase their talents to the public. The Philippine Homeschool Convention will be held on September 22, 2018 at SMX SM Aura. This is the biggest homeschooling event happening annually in the Philippines and homeschoolers around the Philippines bookmark this event on their calendars. Visit www.educatingforlife.co for more info.
3. Look for curriculum and educational philosophy. Part of the preparation that a family must have is to look for the curriculum that you think will be the best for your children. Do not choose a specific curriculum because it's cheap or free; choose a curriculum that address your family's needs. Your choice of curriculum should be based on the educational philosophy that you believe in and be firm in instilling that philosophy to your children. If your educational philosophy isn't well-grounded, you will always find yourself constantly in search for the best curriculum for your children.
4. Prepare your child too! Homeschooling should not only be a decision made by the parents but also by the child/ren. Their minds should be set to the homeschooling environment especially if the child has previous formal school experience. The child might have comparisons, might miss seeing friends on a regular basis, among other concerns he/she might have. Make sure that he/she likes to be homeschooled before pursuing it because in the first place, it is his/her future that we are building, not ours.
5. Be ready for criticisms. Homeschoolers are often view as weird people, unsociable, lacking experience, or depriving the best experience. Be ready for questions by close family members and friends, asking about your decision to homeschool and even proving to you that you have made the wrong decision. Prepare yourself to answer these questions with confidence and never be shaken even if relationships will be severed. If you are easily distraught by the negative comments by other people because of your decision to homeschool, have a heart check as to WHY you want to homeschool. Your decision to homeschool might not be enough that is why you get easily discouraged.
6. Pray. Homeschooling is a calling, so pray to God if homeschooling is best for you and your family. Be patient to wait for His answer, because He also wants the best for your family.
Do not hurry in deciding to homeschool. Do your homework! Ready yourself to the upcoming challenges in homeschooling. If you think that you're equipped with all the basic knowledge for you to commence your homeschooling, then you're ready to soar! May the good Lord continuously guide you on your homeschooling journey.
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