CETBEOCFTPGHFT (aka Home School)

One of things God has impressed on me, thanks to books like Shepherding a Child's Heart, is that one of the main things I can do for my kids to ensure a lasting relationship with them is to be the primary friend, authority, and influence in their lives. In order to do this, I want to be around them as much as possible, especially while they are young, to establish that relationship. Our church has an excellent private school (where I went from age 3 through graduation), and our kids may eventually go there, but I plan to start with teaching my kids at home. I actually really hesitate to say we are going to "home school," because that phrase seems to have SO much baggage associated with it! It's like saying you're "courting" instead of dating -- people have an automatic assumption of what it means. I prefer to call it Customized Education to Best Equip Our Children for the Plan God Has for Them. That's much easier to say, isn't it??? ;-)

Please understand that I am not saying that all people should home school, or that I think my way is better than any other. It is simply what God has impressed on us for the time being. Some of my goals and reasons for home schooling:

1. I want to establish my kids in a love for learning. I want their early learning environments to be full of fun and flexibility.
2. I want to be able to tailor their learning to their abilities, interests, and aptitude. Not only do I hope to encourage their interests and strengths, but also to train them to improve in areas of weakness, whether academic or character.
3. I want to broaden their horizons through more community interaction than I had growing up in a typical school system -- more field trips, hands-on learning experiences, community service, etc.

Sara is four, and will be five in November. She would be going to kindergarten next year. Tucker just turned three, and could technically enter the preschool at my church this year. They both know all their numbers (perfectly up to 20, hit or miss after that), letters, sounds, shapes, colors, animals, etc., that they would have learned were they in preschool. Sara can write her name and several other words, can sound out simple words, and is a pre-reader. This is all without any real organized effort. However, this fall I plan to start a more structured regimen. I plan to use the free ABC Jesus Loves Me curriculum. This involves a lot of printables, library books, crafts, Bible stories, songs, and more fun stuff. I am excited! I am going to use the 4-year-old curriculum (what Sara should be using). I bet that Tucker can do most of it, and if not, I will supplement for him with activities from the 3-year-old plan.

I am fortunate to have some friends who plan to do the same thing! I think we are going to do our own stuff on MWF, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays get together and do field trips or group learning. For example, I may teach music, another mom do simple science experiments, and other fun things.

We are blessed with these treasures from God, and I want to be diligent to train them up in the way they should go. I have so many questions, and I am far from figuring this out. I am praying that God will work through me and help me accomplish this task He's given me.

August 22 is our start date! I'm excited!!