Why the Swanson's home school
By K.C. Swanson

It's not that I don't want to talk to you. It's just that I have been asked so many times for the whys and the whats that I decided to write it down. This way, I won't later remember just what I should have said in response to a question, or have to remember to tell you something I think important.  So this is why I home school -- what we do and how its changed over the years.  If you have questions, read this first.

This document is not intended to talk you into anything.  I believe that most who ask me about this are led by God to do so, and that He may have been behind your curiosity.  But it isn't up to me to convince you to do anything.  That's His job.  I do believe strongly that He calls certain people to home school, and perhaps, if you do have numerous objections then this may not be the thing for you.  But don't think I'm trying to make you feel guilty.  If you pray about this, and still don't do it, but feel guilty not doing it, maybe that's His way of making you uncomfortable for not listening to Him, or at least exploring it further.  In any case, it's not up to me, and though I would wish for the joys and benefits that we experience to be yours, I am not laying on the guilt. This treatise is why WE home school, not why anyone does, or even you should.  I'll tell you about the journey we've had, the hard and the easy parts and other stuff, just hold on.

That said, here's our history.

My first child was born in Oct. 1984. Since I had never been around too many kids, his speaking in complex sentences and large vocabulary by the age of two seemed normal to me, and although he was only four, he seemed ready for school by then. So in he went.  He was on the small side physically, however, and has never been much of a pushover in general, so it wasn't long before I noticed that much of the time the teacher seemed to focus on behavior, not academics.  We lived in a large bilingual area, and most of his classmates were taught in Spanish, so that seemed to be a large part of the school day as well.  He learned to read, (but not enjoy it), he learned to write (horribly) and he coped. His teachers told me to have him assessed for the gifted program, but when I did he was only "marginal" (meaning what?  He was sort of smart?). One teacher was concerned because Kyle seemed to enjoy talking to the adults instead of his peers, but could only suggest one kid for whom English was the primary language to be a friend. There just wasn't a connection for him.  Did he have any friends? Absolutely!  His best friend was a neighborhood boy who attended a Christian private school.  But private school has never been an option to this one income family, so we muddled. By the way, that mother is also home schooling now.

In 1989, when my daughter was born, I was attending a church where I overheard a striking conversation:  "I don't think there should be any compulsory school attendance or public schools," was said.^[1]  I knew this lady speaking to be a thoughtful and faithful follower of the Lord, and I was intrigued.  During much dialogue with her over the following weeks, this friend and mentor introduced me to the concept of home schooling. Donna would be the catalyst to our home schooling venture, and when I began to research the concept, I began to be more and more convinced that this was to be the answer for us.

 But I am getting a little ahead.  When my son entered 2^nd grade, the "marginal" giftedness he had began to implode.  He spent time fighting (he got suspended from school for hitting back).  He spent time talking in class - nearly every day the teacher reported to me about his red card or whatever her discipline system was.  He wrote his letters backwards.  He brought home "Homework^[2]," a system of boring the child to death by assigning the exact same busywork he did in school all day, for an hour each night (what did they do all day?) Here he was seven years old and already bored, in trouble and learning zilch.  And this was a kid considered smart! I joined the PTA, I conscientiously followed up on the homework, I talked to the teacher every day, I volunteered in the class.  All these things might eventually make a difference in the way schools do things, maybe, but in the meantime, my kid, the one for whom God made me responsible, was being harmed.  In addition, I seemed to be spending a large amount of time on stuff that the schools were supposed to be doing.  So when I heard about home schooling from Donna, I jumped in to learn as much as I could about it.  I sought the Internet, I read books, I went to curriculum fairs, posted email board notes asking for advice and compiled an impressive amount of information.  Then, trepidatiously, I approached my husband.  I prayed that if this were to be the thing for us, he would at least consider it, not just shoot it down.  I gave him my research to read, and....to my great shock . . . he said, "This looks good.  Do it if you think you want to."  If you don't know him -- this is a ringing endorsement.

Do you think I was scared?  Yes, I was terrified.  I read all I could, Then, I went to talk to the principal of the school that Donna's kids were enrolled in, and met Terry Neven of Sunland Christian School. This was the summer of 1992.  Terry seemed supportive; I knew that I would be covered legally, and have a safety net.  The curriculum company that Donna used, was Sonlight Curriculum.  The basis of this curriculum is called Whole Book learning, but they also used workbooks, and had an aggressive academic basis. Furthermore, I wanted a curriculum that would say: today do this, this and this, tomorrow do this and that. That way, my hand would be held each step of the way.  Kyle and I would be doing American history, reading from many historical novels geared to kids, and have everything laid out step by step. Some of my most precious memories of this time are reading aloud from books such as The Sign of the Beaver,Johnny Tremain,Carry on Mr. Bowditch and Walk the World's Rim.

So that's how it all began. Has it been easy? Sometimes, but not usually.  Have there been changes and difficulties? Of course.  Would I do it all over again?  In a second.

In my initial research, I uncovered a couple of things I want to mention here.  First, a lot of brave people choose to do a thing called "Filing an affidavit" instead of enrolling in an Independent Study Program (ISP) through a private school.  Mr. Neven believes that the strictest interpretation of Calif. State law does not include this option.^[3]  I would rather be safe than sorry.  Furthermore, since Sunland Christian School offers legal protection as part of its tuition, I feel very confident and have since the beginning. Legal protection can be purchased through home school Legal Defense (HSLDA) separately.

Secondly, there are various home school organizations throughout Calif.  I choose SCS because that was where Donna was enrolled. Each year has made me appreciate more and more the balance and support the school offers.  Another very visible organization in So. Calif. is called CHEA. I have stayed away from this organization for several reasons, not the least of which is their tendency to see a conspiracy behind every bush, but you may question me further if needs be.

Now, onto my story.  The first year, spent exclusively with Sonlight Curriculum was the light in the tunnel I needed to see my "marginal man" flourish. He joined Cub Scouts with the previously mentioned Best Friend in the World, started gymnastics, continued in Sunday School and Cherub choir. He made new friends at every field trip, and most important, spent a lot of time together as our family, especially with his dad, since David's schedule as a deputy required him to leave home about 1pm. When their father returned at midnight, the kids were in bed and when Kyle had to leave for school at 7:30am, dad and son spent very little time together.  Suddenly, we were all together most of the day.  Was this a problem?  Would it be for you?  Many modern moms seem to think it is, but I think that this is a contemporary myth. The more time I spend with my family, the more I understand that this was God's plan.  Do we get on each other's nerves? Sure!  But I married my husband, so I must have desired to be close to him.  I can't even describe how precious my kids are to us, so where has this society gone wrong that we look forward to them leaving the house every day?  Having a teenager now, who tends to gravitate toward himself, his privacy, and his friends, I realize how precious this time together really has been. If I had sent him away for the better part of each day, not only would I have missed so many precious times, but the focus of my children's main input would not be our family, but a world which is increasingly and incredibly hostile to God and everything that I hold dear. Our kids are with us for but a breath, and so many of us seem so anxious to push them away, but suddenly, they really are gone. Each of us might ask ourselves if we can follow Deut. 11:18-20 "when you walk and when you lie down and rise up . . . " and teach them about His ways when we have no time to do that between school, homework, sports, lessons, clubs etc.?  My family is a constant.  Yes, we need time alone.  I walk every morning for alone time.  Since my kids are involved in sports and clubs etc, I also use that time for me, but the balance is better.  Most home schoolers have a set of stock questions asked of them by other people like "What about socialization?" or "Is that legal?"  For me, those questions usually don't bother me, but "don't you get tired of your kids all day?" is one question that really irritates me.  I always want to counter with "why'd you bother with having kids?" but I know that this is not constructive.  The irony is that I am a very solitary person, but over the years, I have been drawn to my family as the most important facet of life.  This is maybe something more people today should contemplate.

 Compare and Save                                                                 

 So what about how a home school education compares with a public school education?  I won't compare private school education here, because this has literally never been an option for us. We simply cannot afford it on one income.  If I were to return to work full time to help pay for someone else's time spent with my children, not to mention how I would have to put my preschooler in day care, and likely not see my husband except in passing (he still works similar hours), then private school would have to provide an extraordinary education, well above what I am providing now.  But I will let the researchers do the background on that question. NHERI^[4], a research organization has been doing this for a number of years.  What they have shown is that most private schools do not do all that much better than the public ones, though they do somewhat better, but maybe not as much as would necessary for the amount of sacrifice necessary.  So let me just stick to public schools.  First, I've already outlined the first three years of my son's schooling; did I have any reason to think that it would have improved?

Most of the conversations I have with people whose kids are in public school, aka government schools, center around their frustrations with one aspect or another. Either the children are having difficulties with other kids or the teacher, or they are not learning, or the homework is stupid, or they are constantly hit up with fund-raising, PTA problems, unresponsive administration, class size, playground wars, silly rules (no Tylenol allowed?), dangerous situations, guns, drugs, sex, teen pregnancy, liberal philosophy, teachers who won't, and worse, can't discuss creation as a viable possibility to origins, hours, conflict with schedules between siblings (toddler naps) . . .  well, the list goes on.

Then there are the scholastic problems.  How much more can we add to discussion on poor test scores, overcrowded schools, kids who can't read or write, or teachers who are tenured, but incompetent?  I've been reading about teachers who spend time in class trying to influence grade-school kids on ballot issues guaranteeing the teacher's salaries.  I want my kids to be influenced by the topics that are important to our family.  Most of the time, when these questions come up, the person defends public schools by saying that these problems donut affect "their" school.  But I have talked to a lot of people, so whose schools do these problems affect?  Have you talked to the kids?  Teenagers I know have been very open regarding their friends being drunk or using drugs, and I simply cannot go to the mall without being heartbroken at the overwhelming number of young girls with babies.  What will happen to those babies without even one mature parent (let alone two) to raise them?  I shudder to think that these babies are the peers of my youngest child.  Kids killing kids in schools around the country are no longer isolated incidents.  My sister's three kids attended high school in Littleton, Colorado – as normal a community as there can be, yet 13 kids are dead in that town. Of course, I am not so naive as to think that problems will not touch my children.  After all, they live in this fallen world as much as any of us, but rather than give them over to a government school under whose watch these problems have increased exponentially, at least I am their daily primary authority.  Peer pressures and problems do visit us, but I am there as a balance every day . There is no "Trench Coat Mafia" in my school, and I'd be the first to notice smoking in the bathroom. I need no metal detector and no lunch tickets.  We can either school year around, or not. I can add subjects, or take them away, as the need arises.  Since my children receive more than 20 minutes each of private teacher time daily, they automatically get more individualized instruction than any average child.  I know when test scores are down immediately, and teacher/parent conferences are well attended and at everyone's convenience.

Am I protecting my kids? Of course!  That's my job!  My Lord did not give them to me to turn over to the State in order to be raised in its image.  He instead gave them to me for the task of raising them in His image.  I have had people tell me that I am being overly concerned with what the State's underlying goal is, but they speak in ignorance of the history of the public school system.  In the early years of "public education," communities, united and with similar expectations, hired their own teachers and ran their own schools according to their own rules. If the teacher or school did not do what they expected, they simply chose not to avail themselves of their services. They either fired the teacher or taught their children themselves. As the educational philosophies evolved, however, Humanist activists began a push to remove kids as much as possible from parental authority.  It took nearly 150 years, but now the thinking is thoroughly entrenched that somehow parents are incapable of doing what they had always done, raise their own children.^[5]   Enter compulsory education laws.   Sometimes people imply that my children are being isolated from the "real life," or that somehow the children should be expected to be "salt and light" in the face of powerful adult authority.  Should I take my kids to a Mormon Church so they can be salt and light?  No, this time during their formative years is for nurturing, not for them to be sent out as missionaries.  The foundation is now being built, and the time will come when they will be adults facing adult challenges. Right now, they are still cooking.

I would submit, in addition to this, that the schools are not real life.  During our institution years, we are grouped according to age, march in formation from place to place, ask permission to use the bathroom, are penalized for original thought (or worse, are told that all thought is morally equal) and very often, must fend off unreasonable and outrageous attacks from all manner of uncivilized barbarians (remember the adage how "kids can be so cruel")? How often are you told you are ugly by an adult stranger in a public place?  This kind of institutionalized socialization is nearly nonexistent in the adult world with one notable exception: prison!  In contrast to this, a home school child is on the ground floor of daily life: all ages are together and must get along, interruptions such as the delivery guy or the repair person must be dealt with, the home's organization is experienced first hand such as groceries and daily maintenance, not only is the bathroom available when necessary, but the child must clean it as well. Furthermore, if a child becomes barbaric, there is a consistent and usually swift consequence. Learning how to get along comes from the mature adult role model, not the playground Lord of the Flies . Keeping kids home is not isolation, but simply a better method of teaching the rules of right and wrong. The term socialization means teaching human relationship skills.  Research again shows that home schooled kids are ahead on this score.  My kids are not perfect (duh!)  but they have been repeatedly complimented on their polite manners.

 Difficulties           

OK, I have extolled failings of government institutes, but the fact remains that most kids, by the grace of God, do turn out all right in the end.  But as soon as it became clear that the government was not our only option, we chose the best option as we could define it.  This does not mean that home schooling is perfect.  Believe me, it isn't.  But it is definitely not as hard as I thought it would be.  It also has shortcomings and failures. Difficulties are universal in life, so let me lay some of ours on the table.

Some of the most common responses to the revelation that we home school is "oh, I'm far too disorganized and "my kids wouldn't listen to me and I'm just not good at math (or whatever)."  Again, these might be reasons not to home school, but coming from the formerly most disorganized and still math challenged me, there is no obstacle that has not been or will not be overcome with God's help.

Regarding organization, I have really come a long way. Housekeeping has never been my forte, but things are improving.  Furthermore, as kids grow, they are more capable of doing more and more in household chores, and I am confident that they will be able to survive on their own when the time comes.  As far as record keeping and planning, though, Sunland Christian School takes on the main tasks and helps as much or as little as one needs.  I have read extensively on this as well, and have found a number of good books on this subject.  Also, I have designed daily work schedules for my kids, and daily school assignment schedules that can be printed out from my computer as often as necessary.  Sunland provides a loose-leaf notebook where everything is kept, as far as calendars and parent meeting handouts.  Time management is not any more complicated than it's ever been --  it's the after school stuff that gets complicated anyway, and most families already have that problem.

Secondly, there is a lot of help when it comes to the actual teaching of a difficult subject.  Many curriculum companies are very hands on, helping a teacher each step of the way and one can use this help as much or as little as necessary. Sunland also provides curriculum help, all the way from grading papers, to testing, to daily accountability, or curriculum planning and tutoring programs, also offering courses that meet once a week and internet courses.  Biola offers high school subjects such as math, science, English or languages that meet once a week.  When my son tackled Algebra, I hired a high school math whiz to help him along.  The following year, his grandfather, a retired chemist,  was his official teacher in Algebra II for semester one.  Semester two we were online with Eagle Christian School (www.eaglechristian.org).  Apologia offers online, and Sunland Christian School has online courses available throughout high school, including honors courses.  In the future, I will avail myself of one of these options for Chemistry ,  and other advanced courses. Video programs abound, and A Beka offers a complete video course from Kindergarten to High School.  My freshman son took Spanish at the local Community College for a total of $7 during the summer and was able to get credit for two years of high school Spanish.  Thru the Bible with Dr. McGee, on radio, is our Bible teacher, and the History, Learning and Discovery Channels round out many subjects.  If I tape the programs, such as TheAmerican Century, the TV can step in for a first hand look at history and science (just monitor it; some educational TV is infected with PCV -- Politically Correct Virus).  Actual pictures of the Hindenburg, WWII, Vietnam or Pearl Harbor make an indelible impression on all of us. Teaching is really what we've all been doing as parents all along, and though it gets more complicated with difficult subjects, there are ways to help.

Now, on the question of the children not listening to you. If your kids don't listen to you, you have an even larger problem if they are in public school.  That means their primary authority is probably a peer group.  Respect for parental authority is becoming extinct, and it all starts in babyhood.  My toddler knows that no matter how tired I am, when he tells me "no" I will be coming toward him. (Actually, the more tired I am, the worse it is for him.) Any time a child won't listen to a parent is a sign that the parent gave up that right.  Yes, some kids are difficult, but it is these tough ones that need us even more . . . take if from a once tough kid.  None of my kids are easy.  My teenager has pushed as hard, and as far as he can or dares, and some days are just plain horrible.  I lose it, he loses it, and the day goes right into the pits.  But because we've established a relationship as teacher and parent, we are still close.  In earlier years, he did test me, and I had times where he would refuse to do his work. Yes, my kids have actually cheated and lied.  But whose to say that wouldn't happen if they were in an institutionalized school?  My best weapon is the fact that my husband and I present a united front.  Were that to change, I would probably take it as a sign from God that I must re-evaluate our schooling. 

Probably the greatest difficulty of all is my own shortcoming as a parent and as a human.  I get lazy, I get tired, I get sick and I get burnt out.  I have come to treat home schooling as my job, however, and though the pay ain't great, I am enjoying this job more than any other I ever had.  I am discovering all the things I didn't learn in school.  I am learning that I can teach a little one to read and do the multiplication tables. I am learning where Zanzibar is. I am learning about triangles and circles, and the formulas for computing their areas and perimeters.  I am reading stirring accounts of heroes and heroines who conquered great odds to provide freedom in the country in which we live.  I am reading about martyrs and missionaries who I can't wait to meet in heaven.  I actually get angry at what I did not learn about history.  And I finally can do long division.  But I am still occasionally lazy, and some days, I just don't want to go to work.  Did you know that you can actually call in sick to yourself?  I've been known to jump in the car for a completely spontaneous field trip, call a cleaning day "home economics" and use gardening for science, and a walk for PE.  No, I don't do it every day; I might lose my job if I did that. When I am sick, I usually just expect the kids to do a minimum day (they have those in public schools, too) and if absolutely nothing gets done, I mark a sick day on their attendance record. The point is I have learned to be flexible, as well as now understand that my kids are not deprived, but rather enriched by their environment.  It's deprivation to go to a government school.

I've also thought through the question, "If your kids wanted to return to school, would you let them?" Again, God has given authority to parents, and if I continue to think that it is in their best interest to stay home, then they will. Would you ask, "if your kids want to drive when they are 12, would you let them?"  If I in my parental role think that would be unwise, then it is up to me to decide.    God will make me uncomfortable with what I am doing when and if I need to change. So am I depriving them, or being the parent?  So far, almost anything that the schools offer, I can either do better, match it, or find an alternative. I have no football stars for children, but I have a great gymnast.  I don't send my daughter to band, but she is becoming an accomplished pianist and singer, as well as competing in sports. (Sunland offers a choir, too, by the way; Biola offers drama, choir, band and orchestra as well).  My children are active in church clubs and groups, have friends all around the neighborhood and serve others in various ministry capacities. I don't see much of a difference in quality of education.

 Day by Day

Now to shift gears.  People ask me all the time for an idea of how a typical day goes. The truth is, if everything goes according to plan or schedule, then that day is definitely not typical!  We have a general schedule and a school schedule and the kids are to check off the things that they complete.  But as Mr. Neven is so fond of saying, "Children don't do what you expect, they do what you inspect."  So true. So we listen to Dr. McGee, finish household chores, read aloud from a great novel and other history texts, have spelling practice, do workbooks on English grammar, follow a daily lesson in math, read quietly alone, have Bible memorization, take a test on science, read a chapter on art, practice piano, play with the preschooler (oh by the way, we do have "baby duty," a time when each is responsible for watching the little one.)   Mostly, it's just following the curriculum, though I have designed my own curriculum before. All in all, a typical day starts at 8:30 and ends around 3:00. Tuesdays are cleaning days, Fridays are yard work days and all is subject to change.  We usually begin the school year in late August, break for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, observe some holidays, finish around the beginning of June, and do a light summer schedule.  Soccer, swimming, Awanas, Gymnastics and music programs get fit in, and though I still haven't made my goal of attending Ladies Bible Study during the week, I do get to choir.

When I first started, I followed one curriculum -- meticulously-- and tried to do everything the program suggested.  But somehow, we fell just short of finishing everything, and I felt guilty.  As the years progressed, I changed to different types of curriculum, some good, some so-so and some downright terrible or just impossible to follow. I also found out that my firstborn learns tons just through reading books and when doing science experiments was a consistent failure for him, we switched to texts.  My second child needs workbooks and hands on discovery and doesn't seem to retain the straight text information.  Then too, she loves doing math problems, whereas my son loathes them.  (He still does them, though). Their different learning strengths have kept me bouncing between different programs, and I have a variety in our home library.  I'll discuss this further later regarding different texts and programs, and also costs, and where to find bargains.  I have spent precious time and money on failures, but I am better at assessing what would be good by reading catalog descriptions.  I am a catalog junkie anyway, but my natural cheapskate instinct keeps that in check.  I don't worry too much about reference items, but have found a few things helpful, such as a grammar and style book, several levels of dictionaries, and CD encyclopedias.  I use the Internet frequently for literature discussions, or to add information on a science project.

It's always been easy for me to immerse myself in a challenge, and home schooling has been one of the biggest.  The difference has been the fact that this has and will be a continuing passion.  Other passions have passed away, but the welfare of my children has kept me going in pursuit of more knowledge.  Therefore, I have done a lot of reading on education, philosophies of learning, and the how tos of home schooling.  The only problem is my book buying addiction, but that is truly an epidemic in this house anyway.  I have my favorites that seem to do more than give information; they give hope and encouragement.  Probably more than anything else that is what I do when I need a lift, or a reminder of why I do what I do.  I also subscribe to Teaching Home  Magazine, which aside from teaching helps, has a lengthy section devoted to letters from fellow home schoolers, who describe their joys and triumphs as well as their frustrations, trials and shortcomings. More than anything, knowing that there are others out there that have succeeded past incredible odds, or that they are just normal people struggling just like me, and that God is faithful with just us . . . and His amazing grace! Reading is a delight for me.  I enjoy reading my children's books before they do (but this is not always necessary) and I enjoy reading books that teach me, but I also rely on the support group that meets once a month (in my home), and talking and sharing with other home schoolers.  God tells us not to forsake the meeting of others, and this traditionally means our church family, but it helps to have a connection for home schoolers too.  There are the Internet conversations, too, and an incredible series of websites for ideas, boosts and encouragement.  I am not alone.  Since my son has entered high school, I have a whole new set of discussions and concerns and Sunland helps here again.  Every month there is a Jr/Sr. High only field trip and usually its just fun time for them.  We have gone mini-golfing and skating, and have parties and dinners for just that age group. This way, they don't feel weird or like they're the only one's to ever be home schooled, and I can talk to parents who are also struggling through advanced courses or Driver's Ed.  Sunland has been a great help, and I thank God that He sent Donna to steer me toward this special school.  Those who do the affidavit thing must be extraordinarily independent to make it without some support, though most people join some sort of group.  Plus, having others to bounce off, helps to make me realize how normal we are. The yearly testing keeps me on track as far as what the kids need to work on, and what they are great at, or how they compare to other students in the country.  Since my children do fine on their tests, I know that this is working at least as well as the public schools (probably better), certainly not worse, and without all the negatives.  And I am optimistic about the future.  I'd better be -- when I graduate my firstborn, my youngest will still have 11 or 12 years to go.  All in all, I will probably home school for a total of 22 years!!  Oh well, I wonder how the retirement benefits are?

The only objection I can see that would not work with home schooling is that strange condition where someone doesn't like to read. I'm sorry, I cannot relate.  My most hated moments are when I am stuck in a boring place with nothing to read.  So for this malady, I have nothing to offer.

Are you tired of the advantages yet?  Just a couple more.  I am amazed at some family's schedules for their kids.  As soon as the children get picked up from school, off they go to lessons or sports daily.  The toddler is literally always in the car.  The kids do music, they do baseball, they do hockey, they do soccer, they do church clubs (though I have noticed that's the first thing the family drops), then home again for a meal (which nobody eats together), then homework and finally bed, only to be up again at 6 or 7am to do it all again. Now, we actually have time for the extra-curricular.  We sleep in when we've been up late; we adjust school to fit a visitor or a family emergency, a doctor's appointment or whatever.  In the spring of 1999, my son and I went to Hawaii for a gymnastics meet, and I was able to schedule a school vacation to coincide.  Other kids had a mountain of homework waiting for them when they got home.  I sometimes wonder if my kids actually do enough, but that's only when I compare them to the world around them, and since I know they are learning, that's the criteria I must set them up against, not the frenzy of our society.  I'll admit to staying awake some nights agonizing over whether or not I'm doing enough, am adequate to the task, or am doing the right thing.  But God is faithful, and whenever I go through the doubting period, He invariable sends confirmation somehow to keep on keepin' on.

Lastly, we are a family.  There is continuity in our family that though far from perfect, is nevertheless special.  When I go to the store during the day, it seems normal for me to have them with me and be part of my life.  Those times when we can just up and go are not an adjustment; they are a part of life. And if I were to ever get another career, it would never compare to this one.  This one may not have a monetary benefit, but I challenge anyone to compare their hot car and big house to my imperishable gifts.  There just is nothing better.  I like my job.  For some, staying home is not an option, but God has blessed us with the opportunity to home school, and I thank Him.  I also thank my husband for his hard and consistent working, making it possible for me to stay home to do this.  Thank you, honey!

There is one last difficulty I would like to address.  We have not encountered this problem in any great way, but sometimes learning disabilities can make problems.  I am not talking about severe disabilities (for that I refer to SCS), but just lesser hurdles such as having a tough time learning to read or the ever popular ADD syndrome.  Just some thoughts.  First, many tend to defer to "experts' when it comes to kids, never realizing that the most qualified expert on kids is usually the mom and dad who have been there since day one.  Mother's instincts are not infallible, but there are plenty of testimonials to back up the notion that when experts are ready to throw in the towel, mom just plods along and gets results.  That the child will most certainly receive individualized attention at home rather than a school setting is a given, and there are new laws requiring schools to spend as much, do as much and help as much as necessary even if the child is at home.  LD's are obstacles, not insurmountable.

 Curriculum 

On to curriculum. There is a lot written on various styles.  Mostly, I think that one needs to remember that it is all just a tool, and you can use a screwdriver to open a can of paint and not feel bad.  I am a logical, consecutive person; I like to start at the beginning and end at the end.  But, there have been times where I have thrown out the curriculum schedule and made it work for us, not the other way around. 

Here are some basics. Unschooling

 When the home schooling movement started (in the 70's & 80's), a large group, led by pioneer John Holt, started what they called unschooling.  They did everything they could to remove themselves from the mainstream education system and place the responsibility for learning on the student.  They actually did nothing or little to direct or assign subjects or material to their children.  The children were left to their own natural curiosity to discover whatever they wanted to, with minimal adult direction.  For some, this worked.  The whole idea of it is great for a year of decompression for a kid who is barely holding on to sanity after a terrible school experience.  There are some amazing testimonials.  The books to read are John Holt, Teach Your Own, the Colfax's home schooling for Excellence, Agnes Leistico, I LearnBetter By Teaching Myself, Mary Hood The Relaxed Home School, and John Taylor Gatto, Dumbing Us Down. Just because this is a radical concept doesn't mean it's not worth reading about.  We all fall somewhere between different styles, and this is the one extreme.  Another extreme is the present school system.  Where we each fall on the pendulum may be closer to one or another.

Whole Books:

This is the main thrust of the curriculum I started with, Sonlight.  It has some wonderful advantages.  First, the reading of books is a delight, and really brings history alive.  Then too, many of the world's greatest minds taught themselves by reading the masters of their disciplines, and copying their styles.  Benjamin Franklin would read a passage from someone he wanted to emulate, and then copy it.  It is necessary to supplement this method with some sort of workbooks or texts in math and language, however, as Sonlight does, but when this is done, a very complete education can be devised.  The disadvantages can be gaps in the understanding of a whole historical, or scientific perspective, which a textbook can give, and just the time and cost involved in building a library and reading all these books! We also use the city library.  We still use this method to some degree.  Books and resources: Ruth Beechick, You Can Teach Your Child,The Language Wars, home schooling Answer Book, and Learning Language throughLiterature Series.  She is one of my favorite authors.  For the Children's Sake, by Susan Schaeffer Macaully, and theWholeHearted Childby Clay and Sally Clarkson.  Of course Sonlight offers a complete curriculum in this vein, but it's not cheap.

 Traditional Textbooks:

Of these, there are many.  Of the big home schooling publishers, there is Calvert Correspondence School, A Beka, Alpha Omega, Bob Jones and Christian Liberty Press . There are a bunch of smaller companies. The benefit to these is their consistency, scope and sequence.  Usually written from a Christian perspective, they don't miss much, are not overly expensive and do a good job.  The disadvantages are their sometimes dryness.  A good mix of textbooks and reading books is what we do and this works for us.  A few notes: A Beka only sells through their salesmen and catalogs. They have a video program which I've heard doesn't really save time, but it might be helpful in individual subjects. Alpha Omega is mainly workbooks. I like the company, I like the material, but sometimes it tends to busywork, and occasionally, the answers they are looking for don't seem logical.  They also offer much of their curriculum on computer, called Switched-On-Schoolhouse.  We have used both the workbooks and computer programs with mixed results.^[6]  Bob Jones is straightforward, good and relatively inexpensive.  We have used a number of texts and have no complaints.   Christian Liberty Press is another good option and is especially good in price.  They have tests and answer keys for a minimal cost, which is a real time saver.  In fact, all of the companies offer this at extra cost, but this is the one that is usually the best price.  I almost never order anyone's teacher manuals since that is often geared to classroom work, and more expensive.

Some companies specialize in subjects.  Saxonis our choice for math.  When the kids are done with that, they really know what they are doing.  Sometimes, the explanations are not quite as layman friendly as I need, though.  A new one is Apologia Ministries which has high school science like Biology, Chemistry and Physics.  We've only done Biology so far, but I am sold on it. It is written particularly for home schoolers, of course with a creation perspective.  I spent the extra on the lab program and got a good deal on a microscope and slides, etc. that I will be using for years.  Next year we hope to avail ourselves of their online Chemistry program.

One other style of teaching is called Unit Studies.  This involves picking a subject or time period , and studying all the history, science, language practice, or spelling words to be connected to this unit.  It can be a lot of work, but it can be fun from what I understand. I've never tried it. KONOS, and Weaver are a couple of suppliers.

Probably the hardest part is knowing what fits, and how to choose from so many options and catalogs.  Maybe I just rely on prayer, here.  I probably change my mind a dozen times each year before I order any material, but when I do finally order, I can only do so with trust in the Lord. If it is an unfamiliar publisher, I can often get it at ATCO^[7] , and thus preview it.

I also am always on the lookout for used books. Christian Discount Book Center has a used book section that I always peruse, and have found a lot of good texts (like a barely used hard back of How Then Should We Live?  by Francis Schaeffer for $4.00) I check out garage sales, used curriculum and library sales. Sunland has a Used Curriculum sale. I have shopped on-line, by fax, by phone and by mail, always comparing prices.  We use the library some as well, but mostly just for reports, or for fun. It's not always reliable for finding specific books, or books written from a Christian perspective.

As far as curriculum goes, just remember the tool thing.  When my children start to hate school, it's time to evaluate.  Sometimes they are just being kids, and I tell them to stop their bellyaching.  Other times, it is the curriculum and I have to evaluate if it's really doing its job.  Not long ago, I was very frustrated with the Geometry program from Switched on Schoolhouse.  We were spending far too much time with it, and not making progress. That day, I simply stopped it, went for a shower, and prayed.  God's answer was clear.  Throw out all the tests and quizzes and schedules and do one section a day.  If it works, that's what matters.  For the problems that don't work, just skip them. We experienced a great freedom and my son went on to get a 93% in the course.

Well, there it is. The rest is up to you and God. 

Other web sites:

www.highschoolscience.com
www.abeka.org/th
www.bjup.com
www.sonlight-curriculum.com
www.atco1.com
www.home schools.org
www.TeachingHome.com
 

 ^[1] Before compulsory education in this country, literacy rates were up around 95%, now after 100 years, that rate has fallen to the basement.  There is some merit in this idea.

^[2] I think homework is important in the latter grades, but assigning kindergartners with busywork accomplishes nothing.  Instead of having time to play or just be a kid after hours of school, they assign more of the same for another hour or two after school.  What should be a delight (being read to, learning basic arithmetic) becomes a chore, something to be hated and dreaded.  Furthermore, the time many mothers spend with their kids doing Ahomework@ actually equals the time spent home schooling them in these early years!

^[3]For a discussion on this, see the website  www.home-schooling.org

^[4]  www.nheri.org

^[5]The Father of Public Schools, John Dewey, was intrinsically involved in the Humanist Movement.  That movement is Man Centric rather than God Centric, with the State being the ultimate teacher and nanny for the child.  All totalitarian governments follow this philosophy by taking the children from parents as early as possible. As America veers to the left, The American Library Association(ALA) and Planned Parenthood are both welcomed into your child=s school and both attempt to circumvent your authority in moral and philosophical arenas.  For a discussion on ALA, see  www.drlaura.com and for the humanist perspective in your local school, see Government Nannies, by Cathy Duffy, and www.humanist.net.  I challenge any educated Christian, home schooling or not, to review the Humanist Manifesto to learn just exactly what the public schools are founded upon. I have a copy if you like.

^[6]  Alpha Omega is at www.home-schooling.com.

^[7] ATCO is at 425 E. 6^th, Ste.105, Corona, CA 91719, (909)272-2926.  Almost anything mentioned here can be reviewed and purchased there.  This is a fantastic resource. They offer catalog sales as well.