It is that time of year. Children all over America, and in many other countries, are telling their parents how much they dislike the schools they attend. They beg their parents to try homeschooling. They live for the day they don’t have to go back to school.

Are you going to be one of those parents who tries homeschooling?

Homeschooling is a wonderful, loving thing to do for your children. All too often, however, homeschooling parents give up before they get started. They may try homeschooling for one school year, decide nothing was learned, then send their children back to school.

I knew one family that claimed to be homeschooling, but they never took time to learn their state homeschooling laws. They weren’t doing it legally and nothing educational was planned, not even unschooling. When a family tries to fool the school system by pretending to homeschool, it hurts everyone. The irresponsibility of one family could be used against other homeschoolers who want to do it legitimately.

If you’re going to be homeschooling, take the time to find your state’s homeschooling association. You can Google “homeschooling” with the name of your state, and the right links should be at or near the top of the search results. Learn the homeschool laws in your state and be prepared to follow them. I highly recommend that you consider joining the homeschool association in your state; it can be very helpful to band together with other homeschooling parents.

Another homeschool mother I knew enrolled her son in a charter school. The curriculum forced on the boy didn’t match his needs, and his mother couldn’t get him to do it. Because of this failure she gave up and made him return to school. A few years later she took her unhappy son out of school again and homeschooled him successfully – that effort is ongoing.

If you’re going to homeschool, have a plan. While you’re at it, make a Plan B just in case your first plan doesn’t work out. A contingency plan could see you through the rough spots as you adjust to the homeschooling life.

Don’t give up too easily! The second year of homeschooling is where the best experiences usually begin because you will relax into the roles of parent-teacher and child-student. You’ll find the methods that work for you and eliminate those that don’t work in your situation. Let the situation mellow. Let the children relax and learn to enjoy learning again. It takes time…

While you’re at it, think about the different types of homeschooling. What appeals to you?

Unschooling is also known as child-directed learning. It means that your child will be free to explore the world and find topics that inspire him or her. Then you will help by providing more experiences and learning materials that contribute to that fascination.

Perhaps you’d prefer something more structured, with you leading the show. Eclectic homeschooling allows the parents to choose a variety of learning materials for their children. You can get as creative about it as you want.

What I did was a mixture of unschooling and eclectic homeschooling. I watched to see what my children were interested in and encouraged them to develop their unique talents – plus I provided learning materials and read lots of novels of my choosing. Of course the novels were chosen with their interests in mind.

The most restrictive type of homeschooling is to purchase a fixed curriculum like Calvert or Abeka. The curriculum tells you what to study and when. I never tried this but I’m sure for some children and their families, it works great. Don’t be disappointed if you sink a lot of money into this project and it doesn’t work for you. Just be prepared and know in advance that if you do spend money on a curriculum program, it may or may not work out.

If you’re just now considering whether or not to educate your children at home, you might want to take a look at Andrea Hermitt’s suggestions in Please don’t jump into homeschooling blindly. She gives five great suggestions to help you make your decision.

One thing Andrea Hermitt suggested in her article was that prospective homeschool parents read books about homeschooling. Here are a few suggestions for books that may help you learn enough about homeschooling to make a decision that will be best for you and your children.

Someone asked why I believe it is best to homeschool independently, without the assistance or oversight of government schooling. Here are a few of my heartfelt reactions to that question:

1. In the USA, public schooling is highly regulated by laws imposed by the federal and state governments. According to the Constitution of the United States, the federal bureaucracy should have no laws about education. (see Amendment 10) Yet the feds have created laws like “No Child Left Behind” that are imposed in exchange for federal funding. Of course the states like federal funding, so they accept the mandated laws.

Many people believe that there are parts of the “No Child Left Behind” law that are not truly beneficial to children. For example, part of it is that children have their names reported to Selective Services, so in case the draft is reinstated, the feds will have your child’s name. Nice? Now you see why they’re saying no child will be left behind? Of course public schools should have an opt-out option for parents, and when my daughter enrolled in a public school here in California, I saw the option and of course opted not to have her name reported to Selective Services. But if you’re receiving any kind of government funding or are in any way connected to a public school or charter school, do you know if your child’s name is being sent to the federal government for something that has nothing to do with education?

You gotta watch these government laws and regulations – they’re tricky, and intended to be that way by those who created them. They call the law mandating psychological testing for every American “The New Freedom Act”. Does the impending forced psychotropic medication make you feel freer? And they call the law mandating forced termination of parental rights if a child is kept in foster care for 15 months the “Adoptions and Safe Families Act”. Does that make your family safe if someone makes a false accusation against you? Lots of non-abusive families are being caught up in that scam. See Fight CPS. Likewise, “No Child Left Behind” is more about the dumbing down of educational values rather than the amazing uplifting of all poorly achieving public school children. It is about children passing standardized tests, not about making classrooms more enriching and creatively stimulating for learners.

2. Public school connected homeschoolers, including those enrolled in government funded charter schools, have lots of paperwork requirements. Instead of spending time having fun with the kids, parents are forced to jump through hoops by filling out paperwork and attending meetings where a public school funded educator supervises their homeschooling efforts. I think that’s ridiculous. Most parents who homeschool their children are savvy and concerned enough to know what they’re doing, and don’t need supervision. They need to spend their time creatively raising their children and giving them educational opportunities. I experienced this supervised type of homeschooling the first year I homeschooled my son, and it sure wasn’t for me. If you’re still putting up with this kind of oppression, and in return getting a few books to borrow and use, or a borrowed computer, or a few measly pieces of art paper for your kid to draw on, basically what you’re doing is selling out for some stuff that’s not worth all that much.

I don’t know about you, but part of why I wanted to homeschool was to have fun spending more time with my children. I really loved our time together, and we went places and did things together all the time. Once I was freed from the need to constantly fill out paperwork and meet with the school system representative, it was much more fun and less stressful for all of us.

3. Some charter school requirements are ridiculous, and they ruin the creativity and fun that homeschooling can provide. I noticed this when my son had a “homeschooling” friend who was enrolled in a charter school. The charter school insisted that this mother use a certain type of curriculum. I think it was Calvert. The mother had a stack of borrowed books including about ten paperbacks that she was supposed to get her twelve-year-old son to read. Both mother and son hated the curriculum, and nothing got done. The books didn’t get touched by the child.

I remember one of the books was The Diary of Anne Frank, which I have read and enjoyed, but this kid had no interest in it and the mother had no opportunity to be creative and assign something he’d be more likely to enjoy, such as “It’s Not About The Bike” by Lance Armstrong, which would have been perfect for him.

No, creativity was not encouraged, and the imposed expectations were high. The natural result was that this boy ended up being put back into public school by a very frustrated and disillusioned mother.

Anything that imposes any type of curriculum I truly believe is not intended to encourage happy homeschooling. As homeschoolers, we know that no one curriculum fills the needs of all children, or all parents. We root around a bit until we find something that works for us and makes the children happy. Every family is different. We need the freedom to be able to choose curriculum that suits our kids.

4. Government funded education is a form of welfare. I know if you’re getting any kind of government help for your homeschool educational endeavors, you probably don’t want to hear that. But it is true. You’re getting a hand-out. Even if that welfare payment consists merely of a few borrowed books or games, a computer, or access to a public school copy machine. Those of us who have discovered the freedom and joy of independent homeschooling pay for everything ourselves, from books purchased at the homeschool store, to karate lessons. Nothing is paid for by the government, so we’re not selling out, giving our time and peace of mind in exchange for a few goodies.

5. When government controls your homeschool, are you able to let your child learn what s/he wants to learn, at his or her own pace, or are there expectations you must fulfill? For example, here in California all fourth grade students in public schools must learn about California. All fifth grade students should study decimals, fractions, and percentages. There are grade level expectations for all the subjects normally taught in school. Are you being forced to meet someone else’s expectations, or are you forming your lessons according to the needs and interests of your child? How controlled are you?

There’s five concerns I have with the government’s control of homeschooling. I could come up with more. I welcome your comments on what I’ve just written, whether you agree, or not.

Making a conscious choice to have a preschool for your children at home is different than being just a stay-at-home-mom looking after your kids. These days many people assume that you will want to, at some time, put your child in a preschool. So as a homeschooling mother of a preschool aged child, you’re bucking the tide, doing your own thing.

Homeschooling your preschooler means assessing their interests, getting them ready for academics, and giving them experiences that enrich their knowledge of the world around them. It means getting a sense of what your homeschooling philosophy is, and eventually putting it down in words. It means going to the library and getting books related to your child’s interests, or other areas of study you want to introduce, and spending hours reading out loud. It means caring about your child’s education as much as you do about providing food and other essential needs.

Homeschooling preschoolers can be a lot of fun. Never lose sight of the adventure. You should never pressure a preschool aged child to do a preschool activity he or she doesn’t want to do. Either it is a game to look forward to, or it is detrimental to your purpose, which is to help your preschool child learn to love learning.

Here’s a list of twenty-five ideas for homeschooling your preschoolers:

Science

1. Choose an animal to study each week. It could be a mammal, bird, fish, insect, amphibian, dinosaur, or whatever you like. Go to the library and check out a children’s non-fiction book about your animal. Look it up in an encyclopedia, and read it out loud, making sure your child gets a good view of any illustrations. Visit a zoo and look at your special animal, if possible. Draw pictures of them to cover one of your walls. Make an animal mobile and hang a picture of your special animal on the mobile each week. Teach your child to write the animal’s common name, and even the scientific name if your child likes writing that much. Look for children’s picture books and stories that might include your special animal. Visit an expert on your animal to ask questions.

2. Get a tree identification book and start a tree journal. Every time you find a tree you don’t know the name of, take the time to identify it. Then collect leaves, seeds, and possibly a bit of bark. Have your child help with this project by taping the collections into your journal. Your child can write the tree’s name at the top of the page.

3. Teach your child to weigh things. If you use a postage scale, use small things. If you use a bathroom scale, use large things. Keep a list of things weighed, and have your child write down the number on the scale. This is a good way to introduce fractions as well as to introduce the concepts of weight and gravity.

Math

4. Create a wall calendar, or buy a large blank laminated month calendar at your local educational supply store. Cut circles, squares, or some other shape and write the numbers from 1 to 31 on them. Each day, have your child tape a number to the calendar to show which day it is. Your child will learn how a calendar works and how to count.

5. Get a long scroll of paper about 4 inches wide from your educational supply store. Alternatively, cut printer paper in half length-wise. Your goal will be to staple or tape this up along the top of your wall, so it encircles the entire room near the ceiling. Before putting it up, write the numbers on it from 1 to 100. Every day, count the numbers with your child, pointing to them with a yardstick. Alternatively, you could count by 2’s or 5’s. Have fun with it.

6. Does your child like dinosaurs? Go outside with a piece of chalk and find out how long a dinosaur was. Put a starting mark on the sidewalk, then use a measuring tape to mark the average length of dinosaurs. An average Apatosaurus was 75 feet long, but an average Triceratops was only 26 feet. Here’s a dinosaur length chart. If your child prefers studying trains or ships, find out how long they are and measure those lengths instead.

Reading and Writing

7. Use a table or shelf to collect things that start with a certain letter. Each week, choose a different letter. The table for “B” might have a ball, a book, a stuffed bear, a banana, and a box. Label these things by writing the word on an index card and taping the card to your item. Spend all week practicing the B sound.

8. Play a rhyming game. Start with “cat”, then the next person says “rat”, and the next person says “bat”. Continue back and forth until you run out of rhyming words, then choose another: slap/tap/map; stop/cop/bop; light/bright/might; candy/randy/sandy; cook/book/took; mouse/house/blouse; no/go/foe; etc.. This is a great vocabulary builder – you may have to explain some of the words as you go along.

9. For little ones that don’t care much for reading, but love cars: Go somewhere and look at parked cars. Show your child the name of the car, and have him or her write it down.

10. Write a story or poem with your child. Each of you can take a turn adding a sentence. When you’re done, go to a playground and offer to read the story or poem to all the kids in the park. You’ll most likely be surrounded.

Social Studies

11. Go to museums to see what people lived like ‘in the old days’. Ask grandparents to tell the children what life was like for them when they were kids. Show children the difference between modern structures and those built a century ago. Go to historic parks in your state. Stop at historical markers and let your children learn what happened there, long ago.

12. Every week, cook a meal that is common in a foreign country. Read to your child about that country. If possible, dress up in the traditional dress of that country. Go to the library and get a non-fiction children’s book about that country. Help your child learn to write the name of the country.

13. Get a map of your town. Show your child where, on the map, your house is. Put a big star there. Then drive to the store. Put a star at the location of the store. Use a yellow highlighter to show what streets you drove on. Have your child choose any other location on the map, and use your highlighter to mark out the path you’re going to take. Your child would probably appreciate being able to do the highlighting. Then drive there, explaining what streets you’re using, whether you’re turning right or left, and what places you’re passing, especially if they are on the map. If you don’t have a car, you can adapt this activity to walking.

Foreign Language

14. Choose a few words from your favorite language and start using them for a while. For example, one week you could practice saying “abre la puerta” (Spanish for ‘open the door’) and “cierra la puerta” (close the door). Each week, practice another simple phrase or word. Children benefit from learning foreign languages early in life. Don’t make it too complicated. Have a bit of fun with it.

15. Put three items on a table. For example, a book, a toy car, and an apple. Tell your child, ‘bring me the car’ in your favorite foreign language. If your child brings the right thing, give him or her a quarter to put in their savings bank. If he doesn’t bring the right thing, try again in half an hour. If you consistently get the right thing, increase the number of items on the table!

16. How many languages can you say hello in? Take time to learn some new words with your child. Say hello in French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Russian. Make a list of all the ‘hello’ words you learn together. When you’re done saying ‘hello’ in as many languages as possible, start learning ‘welcome’ instead.

Music

17. Collect many types of music and burn them to a CD. Then give your child the opportunity to guess who sang what, or what type of music it is. Is it classical? jazz? folk? country? Who sang it? The Beatles? Rolling Stones? Beach Boys? (Giving multiple choice options helps a lot at first.) Give your child a quarter for every right guess. Instead of making a CD you could try this in the car. Tune the radio to various stations. This could be an ongoing game for a few weeks or a few months. Your kid will get used to it and it will keep him or her busy during long car trips.

18. Help your child write a song. It isn’t hard. Ask what he or she wants to sing about. “Dolls” could be a topic. “Why do you like dolls?” “I love to hold and dress them.” Okay, you have the idea. Ask your child to sing a little song about their topic. If you get a song, write it down. Record it. Sing it over and over; kids love repetition. If your child doesn’t want to sing his or her own song, make one up. “I love dolls – they are really nice; I hold them and dress them everyday.” Enough said – or sung.

19. Do you have a little bongo drum? I bought one for my children at a school supply store. There were lots of other hand-held instruments there too. Buy a few if you can, or make some at home. An oatmeal box makes a great drum, or an empty plastic cool whip bowl. A set of spoons, taped back to back, can make a great clacking sound. A baby bottle with a tablespoon full of beans makes a good maraca. When you’re done making music, put these away in a special place like the back of your closet. Bring them out only on special occasions for family music time.

Art

20. Get a glass pie plate and fill it with water. Put a drop of food coloring in it and let your child stir it around with his finger or a popsicle stick. Notice how it slowly diffuses and then fills the water. Add a few drops of oil. Notice how it glides across the surface in little oil slicks, staying separate from the water. Point out to your child how one substance goes into the water, and one stays out. (A bit of science to go with your kinetic art project.)

21. Make a collage of Autumn leaves. Get crazy with it and tape or staple 100 leaves to the dining room wall – a great seasonal decorating idea!

22. Learn to make balloon animals together. You’ll need to go to a party store and buy a supply of 260’s, often sold as ‘twisty balloons’ for sculpting. You can learn everything you need to know about this art at Balloon HQ.

23. Create a nature window. Collect dry leaves, pine needles, tiny twigs, grasses, and other items. Then get some waxed paper and have your child arrange the collected items in any way pleasing to him or her. When done, you will use an iron at low heat to iron another sheet of waxed paper on top. Of course this is not good for your iron so use some other kind of paper on top and underneath so the wax doesn’t stick to the iron or to the ironing board. Put the finished creation in your child’s window and let the sun shine through.

24. Help your young child learn the basic colors by dividing up the lego blocks or other similar toys you may have. Let your child build something that’s all red, or all blue. Then switch to a different color.

25. What does your child love more than anything else? Is it Care Bears? Trains? Balls? Mickey Mouse? Winnie the Pooh? How about throwing a party on that theme? Have your child choose the decorations or help make them. Be as creative as possible while staying close to your theme. Can you think up train games? Watch a Mickey Mouse movie? Sing one of Winnie the Pooh’s silly songs? This will be your child’s opportunity to share his or her obsession with friends, while learning to plan and decorate for a party.

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Submitted to The Carnival of Homeschooling.

A few years back I considered moving out of California. My first criteria for a state to move to was that the state had to be open to independent homeschooling. I researched quite a few state statutes and finally decided Idaho would be a great choice for a homeschool family to move to, so it is the first state I’m writing about here at Independent Homeschooling.

According to Idaho homeschool law, no homeschool registration or sign up procedure is required. Parents choose and purchase curriculum. No state funding is available.

There is a compulsory school attendance law for Idaho:

Idaho Code 33-202. School Attendance Compulsory.
The parent or guardian of any child resident in this state who has attained the age of seven (7) years at the time of the commencement of school in his district, but not the age of sixteen (16) years, shall cause the child to be instructed in subjects commonly and usually taught in the public schools of the state of Idaho. Unless the child is otherwise comparably instructed, the parent or guardian shall cause the child to attend a public, private or parochial school during a period in each year equal to that in which the public schools are in session; there to conform to the attendance policies and regulations established by the board of trustees, or other governing body, operating the school attended.

The best sources of updated information on Idaho State Homeschool Law are the homeschooling page at the Idaho Department of Education, and an extensive compilation of Idaho homeschool law found at the Idaho Coalition of Home Educators website. If there are any other good sources, please let me know by leaving a comment to this article.

There are quite a few helpful homeschool organizations and homeschooling support groups in Idaho:

Idaho Home Educators Association

Boundary County Homeschoolers, PO Box 723, Bonners Ferry ID 83805.

CHAMP, 2451 Watts Lane, Payette ID 83661.

Christian Home Schoolers of Idaho State (CHOIS), PO Box 45062, Boise, ID 83711-5062.

Emmett Christian Homeschoolers’ Outreach, 638 Monte Vista Dr., Emmett ID 83617.

Family Unschooling Network, 1809 N 7th St, Boise, ID 83702, (208)-345-2703.

Haven Homeschoolers, Mountain Home group, 930 North 13th East, Mountain Home ID 83647.

Heartland Home Educators – Central Idaho , Cascade: (208) 382-5561; Council: (208) 253-4496; McCall: (208) 634-3460; New Meadows: (208) 347-2463.

Home Educators of Idaho, 3618 Pine Hill Drive, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815, (208) 667-2778.

HOPE of the Palouse, 307 North Monroe Street, Moscow ID 83843, (208)882-1049.

Idaho Coalition of Home Educators, PO Box 878, Eagle, ID 83616.

Inland Northwest Christian Homeschoolers.

Magic Valley Home Educators, 2226 E. 3775 N., Filer ID 83328.

North Idaho Home Education Association, PO Box 1133, Post Falls ID 83877-1133.

North Idaho Home Educators Association (Christian), PO Box 2885, Hayden, ID 83835-2885.

North Idaho Unschoolers.

Palouse Home Learning Alternatives, 802 E White Ave., Moscow ID 83843-3923, (208) 882-1593.

Pocatello Regional Christian Home Educators, P.O. Box 3033, Pocatello ID 83206, (208) 226-5381, or 13191 N Smith Rd., Pocatello ID 83202-5225, (208) 237-8163.

Port Cities Home Educators, PO Box 2052, 1880 Old Spiral Hwy., Lewiston, ID 83501, (208) 743-0891.

Rexburg Area LDS homeschoolers.

Snake River Home Education Association, 204 5th St., Idaho Falls ID 83401.

Southeast Idaho Homeschool Association, 1440 Eastridge, Pocatello ID 83201.

Southern Idaho’s Great Homeschool Tracker, 2226 East 3775 North, Filer ID 83328.

Southwest Idaho Homeschooling Information.

Spokane Homeschoolers (includes homeschoolers in Eastern Idaho).

Treasure Valley Homeschool News, 5301 W. Amity Rd., Nampa ID 83687, (208)887-6770.

…

If you have an Idaho homeschool website or group that isn’t listed here, or if you are an Idaho blogger, let me know so I can include your link here.

[Updated July 13, 2007 to include the Idaho Home Educators Association at the top of the list.]

Michael Pakaluk wrote an excellent op-ed entitled A Father Asks: Should I Homeschool? It was published recently in the Boston Pilot. Pakaluk is a professor of philosophy in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Upon seeing the headline my first reaction was to think, “Of course you should homeschool – it is the best thing ever for kids. If you love them, you keep them close and teach them from the heart.”

But then I caught myself and remembered that homeschooling may not be for everyone. I’m not totally discounting the idea it could be for everyone. In my ideal dream-world, every parent is devoted enough to his children to spend time teaching them. In reality, too many parents lack confidence, or are distracted and too busy.

In his article, Pakaluk gives some well-reasoned points about homeschooling and I highly commend his article. Today I’m going to comment on only one thing: the expectations many homeschool parents have that their kids will excel and out-do public schooled kids.

Pakaluk started his article by writing that over two million children are now being homeschooled in the USA, and that they are doing well academically compared to their public schooled peers. While that is true in general, it was not my experience with my children. Both my homeschooled children were in need of special-ed type education. Though I think they got a great education for the unique and beautiful people that they are, and I’m proud and happy that I homeschooled them, they are not at the top of their classes by a long shot. So though I think having your child excel above other children in their age groups is a noble and idealistic objective, be aware it doesn’t always turn out that way. That doesn’t mean homeschooling is wrong for your kids; it only means that not all homeschoolers are top achievers so don’t be disappointed if your kids turn out to be more normal.

It is OKAY to be normal! Your kids don’t have to be THE BEST to be happy or to do well in life!

Does that take any of the pressure off? I hope so!

Homeschooling gives us an opportunity to bond with our children, to respond to their individual needs, and to help them be the best they can be. This “best” should be the ultimate goodness for each child; it should not have to be a matter of competition with others. Competition is a public school concept. Let’s leave it there and enjoy each day with the children we live with and learn with.