Preparing to homeschool…..

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  • December 7, 2014 at 10:54 am
    futurehomeschooler
    Participant

    This is my first post here on the forums, so I don’t know if this is the right place to post this topic, if mod’s need to move it please do.

     

    I am not a homeschooler yet, in fact I don’t even have children.  However, when I do have children I want to homechool.  I’m already looking at curriculum’s and such just to get a feel for homeschooling.  But since I still have time before I start homeschooling I was wondering if there was anything I could do right now, to help me prepare to homeschool my (admittedly not yet existing) children.  I know Math and Science are a bit of weakness for me so I’m working through the math videos and practice problems on Khan Academy but can anyone think of anything else I could do?  (especially for science, I’m kind of lost there.)  I enjoy reading and am almost always in the middle of a book/audio book.

     

    Anyone have any suggestions?

    December 7, 2014 at 3:21 pm
    retrofam
    Participant

    In my opinion what makes a great homeschool teacher is being a great mom.  When mom studies each child and tailors the learning style and curricula to each, there is great benefit to the child.

    In my mind if I had better character as a person and was more self-disciplined I would be a better teacher. So my advice is to work on your habits and life skills.

    For academics being fluent in a foreign language is very helpful.  Being involved in that culture(Spanish, deaf community for sign language, etc.) is important.

    Even if you hire a tutor for the child, it will be impossible for you to practice with them unless you take classes too. I am learning sign language as an adult and it is a lot more difficult than when I was younger.

    You Tube has a lot of science experiment videos.

     

    Good for you for wanting to start now building your skills.

     

     

     

    December 7, 2014 at 4:38 pm
    sheraz
    Participant

    I think that you are fortunate to know that you want to do this early before you are thrown into the hurly-burly of homeschooling and needing to know it all RIGHT NOW, as I was.

    In hindsight, the one thing that I wish I had had time to before starting a Charlotte Mason education is to really read and understand Charlotte’s actual philosophy and methods. I feel that if I had had time for that my older children’s education would be so much richer. So…to prepare yourself for a Charlotte Mason lifestyle 😉  – Here are some wonderfully helpful books to read and digest, and yes, start doing some of the things in them now:

    Consider This by Karen Glass

    The Living Page by Laurie Bevestar

    The Original Homeschooling Series by Charlotte Mason

    Any of the Handbooks by Sonya Shafer  or the  SCM team – they contain many, many of CM’s quotes on each subject in one place (excellent resources, actually, for that very reason! Not to mention that we love them here!)

    The Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Anderola

    Charlotte Mason Education and More Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison

    Charlotte Mason Study Guide by Penny Gardner

    For the Children’s Sake by Susan Schaeffer Macauley

    Other books that have been recommended on this forum:

    Real Learning: Education in the Heart of the Home by Elizabeth Foss

    Educating the WholeHearted Child by Clay Clarkson with Sally Clarkson

    There are others, of course, but those are the ones that I have read (or are working my way through) while trying to teach.

    Start creating deliberate habits in yourself that will make you a better mom and teacher – daily studying of scriptures and prayer, read a great variety of books on all subjects, especially the ones that are on CM reading lists. This will enrich your life now, but will also stand you in good stead when actually sharing these books with your children.  =)

     

     

    December 7, 2014 at 5:03 pm
    JenniferM
    Participant

    Great ideas above.  I would add Nature Study.  I wish I had a stronger knowledge base for the nature we encounter.  A great place to start is Handbook of Nature Study blog.

    http://handbookofnaturestudy.com/

    I definitely second the advice about cultivating your own habits.

    However, I must say that as a former classroom teacher turned homeschool teacher, much of my learning has taken place “in the trenches.”  It is good to be prepared, but also be prepared to learn new ways to approach learning and life.  And enjoy your children!!

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