For many parents, when the need arises to begin preparing a child for school, the automatic thought is public school. Many never consider any other type of school environment – private school, charter school, country school, homeschool, etc. Wealthier families seem to lean toward private school, charter school, all boys school, all girls school while the not so wealthy families lean more toward public school although some may sacrifice more for their children to attend parochial schools.

No matter which option a parent chooses, parent needs to choose wisely as it is education that prepares children for the future. However, we all know that education isn’t the only decision preparing children for the future, but that’s a different conversation.

Anywho, in my family’s homeschooling journey, the options are unlimited. There are free resources, paid program – Abeka, Enlightium, Sonlight, the Good and the Beautiful. With Intenet access, with everything basically at or fingertips, it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the readily- available information flooding the web. Every homeschool mom who has a blog (me included, lol) has posted at least one homeschool blog post. Chances are, she’s probably posted multiple homeschool blog posts. It’s also very likely, that her blog is a homeschooling blog, centering around her homeschool day – schedules, classes, lists for this or that, food menu, organizational tools, tips, typical day, etc.

How do I know this? Because I am her. She is me. I’ve made the schedules. I’ve offered the organizational tools and tips. I’ve made an insane amount of lists, food menus, and schedules. When I first started homeschooling, I was conditioned to follow the rules and keep to the regimented day of the public school system. I was convinced that children needed structure, uninterrupted book learning, and lunch break on a schedule.

And then, I decided that it wasn’t for us. I’ve adapted more of an unschooling homeschooling environment. Yes, we hit our basics – reading, writing, arithmetic. I am adamant that children learn to read, write and do math as these are the prerequisites to any kind of higher learning. But science learning can be found in experiments, hands-on activities, audio/video, and reading. Math manipulatives help the student understand math concepts using the senses. History can be viewed in museums, historical sites, and remembered through reading. Creating and/or following recipes can help practice math – fractions, ratios, etc. I’m a quilter so use quilting as an example – quilting uses fractions and decimals, measuring, cutting, stitching…..just putting a quilt together has given the individual lessons in math, fine motor skills, problem- solving skills, and if following a pattern – reading practice, comprehension, hand-eye coordination. These are just a few examples from our typical homeschool day.

In North Dakota, the state I live in, homeschool laws are not overly stringent. It really is the parents’ responsibility to educate their child/Ren and I’m in 100% agreement. Children are not ‘standard.’ What works for one may not necessarily work for the next. For instance, I have two homeschooled and two in parochial/private school. One in parochial school does not do well with book learning, but she’s awesome with hands-on. The school she attends is a Montessori-based program. Both she and her sister do very well. My oldest homeschooled child, she loves to read and does very well on her own in her computer-based classes. She enjoys some of the book work, the experiments, research, but she hates math.I have learned that we have to do what works best for us not only on an individual basis, but as a family as well. And, you will learn what works best for your family.

To help, I am including some homeschool links. No, I am not including lists, calendars, schedules, daily to-do. I have simply put together some homeschooling links that may be of help to you.

1. https://nationalhomeschoolassociation.com/homeschool-links.php
2. https://www.homeschool.com/
3. https://hslda.org/legal?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwwr6wBhBcEiwAfMEQs1OFYPrV5PcTbLihGq1_kJZ8NsbCdf4jlJfTCWBDSQMhcPdryoecTRoCV3UQAvD_BwE
4. https://simplehomeschool.net/
5. https://freedomhomeschooling.com/7-must-read-homeschool-blogs/
6. https://freedomhomeschooling.com/
7. https://www.khanacademy.org/
8. https://allinonehomeschool.com/
9. https://buildyourlibrary.com/advice-to-the-new-homeschooling-mother/
10. https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/

This list is not exhaustive, but it will help get a parent started. The biggest thing to remember about education is we learn something new every day. Focus on homeschooling laws in your state, but also on what information you deem necessary for your child/ren. There is more than one way to teach a child. Children love to learn, but to much structure sometimes can become a deterrent. Parents are a child’s first teacher. You got this!