ME

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2011

helps and encouragement in homeschooling

Here is a list of books I recommend to any Christian mom considering homeschooling or in the midst of homeschooling. As they say, you gotta "eat the meat and spit out the bones" . I do not endorse or agree with every suggestion in these books, but there are some good ideas. That is for you and your family to pray about and pick and choose.

A seminar by Carole Joy Seid. I went to this back in 2004 . Some notes you may be able to find online. (or you can borrow mine)
Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe, by Todd Wilson
How to be a great wife (even though you homeschool) by Todd Wilson
Anything by Karen Andreola
The Charlotte Mason Companion by Karen Andreola
To Train Up a Child by the Pearls
The Strong Willed Child by Dr Dobson
101 Devotions for Homeschool Moms by Jackie Wellwood
Better Late than Early by the Moores
Anything by Raymond Moore (esp if you have boys)
Homeschooling, the Right Choice by Christopher Klicka
A Survivor's Guide to Home Schooling by L. Shackleford and S. White
Beyond Survival - A Guide to Abundant Life Homeschooling by Diana Waring
Life Skills for Kids by Christine Field
The Heart of Home Schooling- Teaching and living what really matters by Christopher Klicka
ANd
The Vaccine Guide by R Neustaeder
Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Balch

homeschool misperceptions

I have been homeschooling for about 17 yrs. I read alot about homeschooling. I have read about How to homeschool,  how to teach boys, how to teach girls, right brain learners, etc.  I am not a college graduate. I do not have a teaching degree. I am not the best reader. Sometimes people look at my kids and say wow. They have this perception that I am this SUPER  Teacher. Well I am not. I am just a woman trying to do what God called me to do.

When I got saved, I was 21 yrs old, with a 2 yr old daughter. A single mom, working my way up the corporate ladder, so to speak. One of my first friends at church was a mother of 3 boys and she homeschooled. This was the first I had ever heard of it. I had been in public school K-12 and taken some community college classes . The Lord started working on me about this and I was interested, my spirit was curious and my flesh didnt want to give up the business work that i had been doing. The Lord allowed circumstances that caused me to come home from work for 3 months, and after 3 months home with my daughter, I didnt want to go back. =-)

Fast forward a few years. I got married, had a few more children. Before Greg and I got married, we discussed children, how we would raise them and school them. We both believed that God wanted us to homeschool.
When we moved to Idaho, we had 5 children - ages 11, 5, 4, 1 1/2 yrs, and an 8 month old. We started our day reading the Bible and praying.
That is my #1 prescription for homeschooling. Read the Bible with the children and Pray. All 5 of my children learned to read using a basic phonics program and a King James Bible. Glory to God.

Now, the misperceptions I am talking about are many.
Here is one of them : "I am not smart enough to teach them. "
Now the public schools and other people would love for you to believe this. Just quit thinking you can do it and throw those kids out for the yellow bus to pick up. Its just not true. God gave you (and your husband) the wisdom to do what needs to be done with your kids.
There are so many I can't write about them all in one post. Todd Wilson hits alot of them in his book, Lies Homeschooling Moms Believe.  I know that many people home school today without any type of spiritual guidance or direction. Many of them are unhappy with what they are getting in the public school setting. As a Christian, I believe if God wants you to do something, then He will help you do it. I have told the Lord many days, I dont know how to do this and I need your help and He helps me.