My 7-Step Homeschooling Get-Start

Step 1: WHY do you want to homeschool?

• Have a mission/vision.
• Cultivate a homeschool mindset, starting with education paradigm shift.

Step 2: Identify the homeschooling METHOD that fits your family best.

Step 3: Get more information

• Join a SUPPORT group.
• Consider buying the book, iHomeschool.

Step 4: Do you prefer to…

• have DepEd-aligned curriculum thru [accredited] PROVIDER?  Inquire, and enroll with your provider of choice. 

         OR

• CUSTOMIZE? (Refer to step 2.) Choose CURRICULUM...

• under a provider (open curriculum).

                  or

• independently.

Step 5: Acquire books & other materials.

Step 6: Plan your schedule. 

Step 7: DIVE IN!

• Science of Learning
• Jade’s parenting booklist (because relationship is key)

Making noise again

It's been quiet here for quite a while, 10 months to be more specific, but only because outside the blogging world we've been kind of busy. Homeschooling with an infant.  How we did it?  It's just really taking each day at a time.  Very thankful we're using CHC. We stick with the core subjects most days.  The rest of the time, the two boys are left on their own to play.  And, we unschool--among the highlights were kite-flying with the grandfather, and, we've started learning to whittle. This year, we also had a headstart of about 2-3 months (finished early the previous year), so we don't feel hurried with our schedule.

Now that baby J is almost 16 months old, she's also asking for read alouds a lot.  Lots of Mother Goose rhymes and singing.  She pulls books from the shelves and looks at the pictures-- voila! Another bookworm! So, yeah, I have 3 students now under my wings.

I already have most of M1's books for the incoming year, from the same curriculum catalog, CHC.  Additional materials will include a book for picture study, art lessons from ArtAchieve.com, and piano lessons from Hoffman Academy.com (M2 will learn these subjects with him). M1 is asking if he can start inventing already, so I'll probably burn some more cash to get that Little Bits kit.  

For M2, he's in the middle of Kindergarten (K1 & K2 combined, for a year) program, except for Science, and Religion, which he took with M1, grade 1 level.  He works fast, and is enthusiastic most of the time to homeschool. This kid has a great attitude, doesn't complain a lot, and is very kind.

On parenting.  The biggest challenge of parenting, in my humble opinion and experience, is coming to terms with one's self.  Despite knowing that among the keys (and probably the most important) to parent well is to set the example, it has truly been a humbling experience.  After 7 years of being a parent, I see my eldest, and the result of my so-called parenting. He's a great kid, but I also see how I could've done better (or, how I've inflicted damage?).   Now more than ever I realize and feel the impact of that. If there is someone I have to "parent" it's myself first. Sort out all that angst (where did it come from, anyway?).  When time flies so fast and you just have a window, and you don't think you did everything perfectly, you just get anxious sometimes... and that's where I am right now.  Anyhow.  I've managed to get a hold of some books.  If you're like me who's keen to improve parenting skills, and be intentional, these are my run-to reads:

• The 5 Love Languages of Children,by Gary Chapman
• Personality Plus for Parents, by Florence Littauer
• The Whole Brain Child, by Daniel Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson
• How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk, by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
• Building Character, by David Isaacs

How we did the early years to Kinder

We finished Kindergarten level last January, and we’re now in the middle of vacation. We plan to start his 1^st Grade on April. Here’s the long and short of our ‘Early Years’, and how we’ll do it all over again with the 2 younger siblings.

Charlotte Mason’s method was the closest fit for our family. I liked her concepts of the art of gentle learning, and how it seemed so natural-- developing good habits, getting acquainted with nature, exploring with the five senses, growing in their spiritual lives, and playing outdoors. (See SCM Preschool guide).  We patterned our curriculum after Mater Amabilis Preschool (MA).  Sometimes we used  a sprinkling of other methods and materials, as each method offered something appealing. During holidays, and on very laid-back days, we shifted to unschooling.

The early years are formative years. For us, this was about bonding with the kids, and starting them with the right habits, character and faith formation. We read classic read-alouds to them while they sat on our laps. Play (see more play & learn activities) was definitely encouraged. When it comes to toys, I preferred the classic wooden toys for them.  They explored outside. We listened to children & classical music CDs.  And we talked to them a lot. We had no television, and they were not allowed electronic gadgets.  A parent’s self-improvement was also critical at this stage for character formation because these things are caught and not taught. We also got to know their personalities, and learning style better.  For this stage, I would also highly recommend Before Five in a Row. 

For Kindergarten, we used Catholic Heritage Core Curriculum, a couple of its elective materials, and we continued to stay close to MA as much as possible, and also unschool, and continued the things we've been doing for preschool.

Resources:

• Education Is
• The Early Years: A Charlotte Mason Preschool Handbook
• The Unschooling Handbook
• School starting age:  the evidence

How we started to homeschool

I'm tempted to link to another article on how to start homeschooling (ok, I will... check this out). But let me tell you how did my husband and I start homeschooling our boys.

Homeschooling isn't completely alien to us. It is not a foreign-sounding term, quite self-explanatory, plus we know someone who had tried homeschooling. So, we were aware that there is actually such a thing. But still, we didn't bother to explore the world of home education. Which was why it never crossed our minds to send our kids other than to a regular school. Until we chanced upon a forwarded email, an article about all the wonderful things that this option to educating our kids has to offer. It pretty much openned our eyes, so much so that it convinced us there and then. So, the first step was finding out the reasons WHY we wanted to, and should, do this. Why take on the responsibility of educating them when we could've just worked hard and send them to a good school?

Step 2 was RESEARCH. About anything and everything under the homeschooling sun. Educate yourself. This could be a little time consuming, but not necessarily expensive. That's what the internet is for. I started looking up how to homeschool-- how to and what to teach the kids, lesson plans, curriculums, resources, books, support groups, providers, legal aspect (local rules and the take of the Dept. of Education), how to keep records, etc. Along the way, I also found out that there are actually different methods to teaching your child, different schools of thought when it comes to homeschooling (like Mason, Montessori, Waldorf, eclectic, classical, etc), different learning styles, even good parenting, and childhood development. For starters, things can get overwhelming (and to think, our kids are just toddlers). And when it did get overwhelming, I read articles that gave very sound advice-- not just on the technical aspect of homeschooling, but encouragements that are very much from the heart... just parent-to-parent, heart-to-heart talk. Also, clear up doubts and concerns that discourge a parent from taking this road.

Next was putting all those research to good use. We came up with a monthly, weekly, and/or daily SCHEDULE. Taking hold of teaching materials of our choice. Since we haven't signed up for a provider yet, we had to come up with a GOAL, a checklist of what the kids should've learned by the end of a period. In short, this stage is really about having a definite, solid PLAN, and getting ORGANIZED. Warning: there were lots of revisions, and there's always a need to step back, and do step 2.

Then of course, the action... diving in, and actually homeschooling.

The rest is optional (but can be helpful)... keeping a blog, becoming an advocate, attending homeschool conventions, so on, so forth.

My personal tip while still figuring the whole thing out: if your child is in his early childhood, read to him everyday, bring him out for a walk often, let him play a lot; if he is older and had been attending the usual school, talk with him about your decision to homeschool, ask around for reviews/feedbacks about homeschool providers (Philippine homeschools), and get one. Always spend quality time with them, and really get to know them. Be a good example.

Last but not least, pray... pray for God's blessing and guidance so that we may be successful with this endeavor, and be able to raise children that are not only achievers in every aspect of their lives, but are also pleasing to His eyes.

Homeschooling preschoolers

Some words of wisdom from moms who have been there, done that...
About the preschool-kindergarten years...

"What should a 4 year old know?"

"Homeschooling 3 and 4 year olds"

Our new logo

What's in name?  What's in a logo?  Our homeschool logo was made upon the request of yours truly, the homeschool mom.  

The tree with the scroll is a symbol of guided learning in the home.  The tree nurtures and protects as it is growing, while the scroll is a symbol of scholastic pursuits.  That is why it is aligned with the Latin word Cognoscere meaning "to learn" or "to know".  The connected letters V and M stand for our family names which represent the familial heritage of our children.  They are sprouting to symbolize continued growth and intimate relationships.  Familia, the Latin word for 'family' stresses the importance to us of our bond as a family which is among the top reasons why we homeschool.  Lastly, but not the least, Fides, which means "faith" stands in the center, represented by a golden cross, which puts Christ in the center of our family.  It also represents our pursuit of growing our children in faith, love for the Lord, teaching them core Catholic Christian values, and principles... educating them for eternity.

Priority Status

"Because homeschooling by its very nature is a priority it should be given priority status in our lives. Because children are God's greatest trust to us and teaching them for all eternity is His highest calling, we have an obligation to ourselves to find ways to enhance our responsibility and create joy in the task."

--Catholic Heritage Curricula

For when the time I'll need a little help

By around July to September, I'll be starting M1 with 'formal' homeschooling. I know it's going to be an exciting journey. But I must admit to be, at the same time, a little anxious if Marek will actually sit down to listen and follow instructions. Or have things his way. Here's a relevant article I found thru another homeschooling mom.

• Help! My 5-year-old won't "do" school!