Believers' Home Education Community
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Why Homeschool?

Education Panel Discussion
First Baptist Church of Metuchen MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)
June 8, 2004

  1. NJ Homeschooling Regulations:
    1. Equivalent Instruction.
    2. Starting at age 6.
    3. Generally understood to be 180 six-hour days.
    4. Visit ENOCH (Education Network of Christian Homeschoolers in New Jersey) for exact information. [http://enochnj.org]
  2. Why Homeschool?
    1. God commands us to teach our children God’s word: Deuteronomy 6:6-12 lest they forget the Lord.
    2. You select the appropriate materials and methods that work best for your family. You can cater the curriculum to your educational philosophy and Christian worldview.
    3. Flexible schedule: works around sports teams, dad’s schedule, baby’s naptime, and family illness or crisis.
    4. Family Friendly: learn and practice patience, long-suffering and love together on a daily basis. This is true socialization across the generations. Dad can be more involved in kids’ education.
    5. High Teacher/Student Ratio: 1 mom and how many kids? Most likely better than 1:20 ratio often found in schools.
  3. Hindrances to Homeschool:
    1. Husband against it. Pray for guidance from the Lord. Can you find out why he’s against it? Does he need more information? Is he willing to let you try for a year and then reevaluate?
    2. Lack of faith: Is fear a valid reason for not doing what God would have you do?
    3. Lack of support: meet with another mom to pray and plan via phone, email, playdates or coffee.
    4. Unorganized: Are there things you can do to strengthen your homemaking skills? Can you get a curriculum where everything is prepared for you and you just turn the page for the next day’s activities? What can you do to gain accountability? Can a spouse, friend, or umbrella homeschool group assist?
    5. Lack of finances: Are you sure you need two incomes? Is cable TV and that cell phone really necessary? Can you and your spouse split income-producing and homeschooling responsibilities so that your family is able to homeschool?
    6. Not patient enough: Let’s be honest here...who is? But is God able to sustain you day to day? Perhaps you need a good reason to work on this character trait?
  4. Homeschooling Methods:
    1. Unschooling: student-led; student sets pace. [http://www.unschooling.org/UnNet/]
    2. Traditional School at Home: textbooks, workbooks, regular schedules, school hours/calendar. [http://www.aop.com] and [http://www.abeka.org] and [http://www.bjup.com/onesource/hs.html]
    3. Charlotte Mason: living books, read alouds, nature study, few workbooks and even fewer textbooks, music and art appreciation. Very friendly towards families with young children or multiple children. [http://homepage.bushnell.net/~peanuts/faq1.html]
    4. Unit Study Approach: go into great depth on a topic researching food, costume, music, geography, medicine, literature of a specific topic such as the Civil War or the Medieval Ages. [http://www.konos.com]
    5. Classical Education: rigorous requirements, read works of the masters and "classics", Latin and/or Greek study through the three stages of development. [http://www.welltrainedmind.com]
      1. Grammar: K – 4th grades. "What is?" Basic facts of each discipline
      2. Logic: 5th – 8th grades. "Why is?" Understanding the basic facts of each discipline.
      3. Rhetoric: 9th – 12th grades. "Should it be so?" Arguing/debating the pros and cons and making reasoned judgments in each discipline.
    6. Correspondence School: course work is mailed to the student who completes it and is evaluated by the school. Grades sent back to the parent. [http://www.welcometoclass.com]
    7. Online School: classes conducted online, especially appropriate for high schoolers and difficult subjects. [http://www.classes2you.com] and [http://www.pottersschool.com]
    8. Satellite School: courses delivered via satellite. [http://homesat.bjup.com]
    9. Cooperative School/Cottage School: classes are taught by parents skilled in specific areas. This enables some parents to watch wee ones and others to teach older ones. This is effective for difficult subjects or those when parents want a sense of accountability. [http://cottageschool.net]
    10. Video/DVD School: Some curriculum suppliers have their course work available via satellite or video instruction. Similar to online school but the video is especially handy for very busy parents or children who have reading difficulties. [http://www.abekaacademy.org]
    11. Eclectic Method: mixture of above types so that the weaknesses of one method can be offset by the strengths of another. Our family uses a combined Charlotte Mason/Classical Approach.
  5. What I wish I knew sooner:
    "When I was a child, I used to speak as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things." I Corinthians 13:11
    After all, they are still children!
    "But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." I Corinthians 13:13
    As a parent, my primary role is to love them. The other things will follow.
    Be creative in how I love and teach my children.
    Each child is different.
  6. Advice to those considering homeschooling:
    1. Pray.
    2. List your obstacles. Pray over them. Talk to a friend/spouse about how they could be overcome.
    3. Pray again. What would the Lord have you do? Will you start and not finish? Will the Lord abandon you midway through the year?
    4. Research the topic. Meet with others who are homeschooling. Read up on it. Visit the ENOCH Convention (June 18 and 19) at the Raritan Center, Edison. Take a brochure home and read it. Visit the BHEC Website. [http://go.to.bhec/]
    5. Commit on a year to year basis until you are confident that this is what God would have you to do. We only started with a commitment to age eight.
    6. Most valuable things you can do with your children: read, walk and talk together. Enjoy living and being with your children without the dependency of electronic entertainment (TV, video, etc.).
    7. Don’t overspend on curriculum. Borrow from friends, buy used (the convention will have a used book section!), or use the library whenever possible until you know your educational philosophy better and have narrowed down your choice of educational method.
    8. Look for a friend to encourage. We are blessed as we serve others. Homeschooling is not just teaching your children education; it is modeling Christ-like behavior on a day to day basis.
    9. Get started! See World Book's Typical Course of Study or scope and sequence of subjects organized by grade level. [http://www2.worldbook.com/wc/browse?id=pa/tcs]
© 8 June 2004, Eunice and Ka-Neng Au