Homeschooling ABC's

I have been homeschooling a really long time. Really, a long time. I think dinosaurs were still roaming the earth when I started homeschooling. But I do remember a few things from those early days. Mainly I remember thinking ‘What the heck am I doing?!?’ I didn’t know where to start, I didn’t know if I was messing my kids up completely, I didn’t know if they needed to be tested yearly, I didn’t know about learning styles and disabilities. I didn’t know a lot.

I did have a friend who was also wading through the minefield with me and I had some friends who’d gone before. Having friends to walk along side me and those to call to me from further down the path, urging me on, made all the difference to me and my homeschool. I think I’d have given up long ago if it had not been for those encouraging me.

Not everyone has that friend to walk with, not everyone has the friend who has gone before. But we do have Terri and Todd Johnson from Knowledge Quest. They have 11 years of homeschooling experience and they are sharing it with you via the Homeschooling ABC’s.

Here is what their website had to say…

In our class, you will...

• Determine YOUR philosophy of education - By understanding what you believe about education, you will be able to impart that education more strategically to your children. And stay more focused and on-track!

• Understand your children's learning styles - We all learn differently, there is no doubt about that. When we understand how our child learns best, we can cater his education specifically to him.

• Learn the ins and outs of buying & selling curriculum - Let's face it, if we need to buy curriculum to successful teach our children, we might as well learn to buy it right!

• Find out how to get and stay organized - You and your children will function better when your school day, school area and school work are well organized.

• Learn how to teach multiple ages at the same time - Most of us do not just have 1 child and so it helps to learn how to teach more than one child at more than one grade level. You CAN excel at this!

• Make the most of field trips - Field trips can take school from good to great. Find out how to optimize learning while still having fun.

• How to handle the "S" question - Socialization - People will constantly ask you how you are socializing your children. Have an answer and a plan.

• How to start each day WELL and keep it going that way - Keep your children motivated, stay cheerful in their attitudes and quick to finish their schoolwork.

• Get hundreds of dollars of free curriculum - Many wonderful companies are partnering with us to bring you the best possible first year experience. They will be giving you substantial portions of their curriculum to get you started right!

I too have been homeschooing for 11 years and I found myself nodding along with what Terri and Todd had to say. I wish I’d had something like this when I first started out. I have read A-R of these weekly ‘classes’ and this is what I would tell you if you came and sat at my table and had tea with me and asked me about homeschooling. It is not overwhelming, it is clear, it is doable.

Not only that but often there are little ‘treats’ at the end of the class. Free downloads and the like for you to try.

In my opinion, if you are thinking about homeschooling or are in your first year or two, this class is worth every single penny of the $10 a month (for 6 months) for these weekly classes.

Go here to check it out.

You can also see what others had to say about it here.