Where Do I Start Homeschooling?

Choose Your Philosophy

Your philosophy shapes everything. It answers the question, what is the purpose of education? Is it to check boxes, or to cultivate wisdom, character, and a love for learning? A strong philosophy will guide your decisions and give you confidence when methods and opinions compete for your attention.

Choose Your Methodology (homeschool style)

Your methodology is how your philosophy is lived out day to day. This is where you decide what your homeschool will look like in practice. Will you use living books, hands-on discovery, narration, nature study, or traditional textbooks, graded worksheets and tests? Your method should support your philosophy and nurture your peace and your child’s love for learning.

Choose the Subjects

Once your philosophy and method are in place, choosing subjects becomes simple. You are not trying to do everything. You are choosing what matters most and teaching it in a meaningful way.

Begin with the basics, or the three R’s, so to speak. Reading, wRiting and Math (aRithmatic). We call reading and writing English language arts. The purpose for language arts is to equip students to read well and write well, not to conjugate verbs, diagram sentences, or identify parts of speech in isolation. Language arts includes reading literature and poetry, handwriting, writing, spelling, vocabulary, grammar (usage, punctuation, syntax), and literary devices. Ideally, you will use one program that develops strong writing while weaving in these elements naturally (such as Living Verse).

Before you do any formal language arts program, your goal is to teach your child to read. If your child is not yet reading, that’s your primary academic goal, while read-alouds and play should be your child’s primary occupation.

Learning to Read Programs: Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, Explode the Code

Literature ~ Read Alouds and Books to Read (my reading lists)

Poetry

Language Arts Programs (my recommendation: Living Verse, English for the Thoughtful Child)

‍ ‍ Vocabulary should be taught based on what is read in literature

‍ ‍ Spelling can be taught separately, but should always be a focus of copywork

‍ ‍Handwriting is taught and reinforced through copywork

‍ ‍ Writing is taught progressively (ideally through notebooking) as an extension of what your child is reading, not as a separate, unrelated, out-of-context subject

‍ ‍‍ ‍Grammar should be taught as a part of their writing curriculum. The purpose of grammar is progressively more complex writing. This is accomplished more naturally through reading quality literature than any other way

Math (my recommendations)

For K-8, beyond reading, writing, and math, you will want to find curricula to teach:

Bible (my recommendations) - Start each day by grounding your children in truth, turning their hearts to God, and building a solid foundation of faith. I recommend a family-style program where you can all read, learn, and grow together.

Science and Nature Study (my recommendations)

History (my recommendations)

Geography (my recommendations)

Art Education and Appreciation (my recommendations

Handicrafts and Skills (my recommendations)

Music and Composers (my recommendations)

Foreign Language (my recommendations)

High School Recommendations Coming Soon!