{home} school

Early in our marriage, Brody suggested I homeschool our future children when the time came. I laughed. {sorry, honey} I have had to learn, the hard way, over the last 6 years of motherhood, that God isn't really interested in what I'm committed to doing.

About the time Korben turned 3, he made the suggestion again. We talked more about it this time and it came down to me not feeling like I could emotionally handle it. My thought was, once our children became school-aged, I would return to school for my Masters (I was applying when we found out we were pregnant with Korben, so those plans were put on hold indefinitely) and start working full-time. I found myself justifying staying at home to others letting them know that I would return to work someday and that seemed to be acceptable to them and seemed to validate the time I was currently spending at home. Eventually, I began to feel a twinge in my heart. Just recently, I have realized that it was a calling from God- one I had no idea I would ever undertake. I have come to see my Mission in Motherhood.

{Home} School is something I have done with my children since they were babies. It was natural for me to teach while playing. We did baby sign language, learned shapes, colors, ABC's... we'd go on "field trips" to the zoo, Children's Museums, Fire Stations, Libraries... As they got older I started doing a "Letter of the Week"-type of curriculum and slowly taught them pre-writing skills. This has been a natural process for me. So why stop here?

Brody and I have not taken this decision lightly. We have prayed, researched, prayed more and more, attended school open houses and truly have felt that, for now, for this time in our children's lives, {home}schooling is what is best for our family. We may only do it for 6 months. We may do it for the next 20 years. We may only homeschool one child, send another to public school and send another to private school... every year we will evaluate the progress and pray again about our decisions for each individual child.

My prayer is that you can find your calling. Is it to work? Stay home? Public School? Private School? Minivan? SUV? Gourmet Meal? Takeout? My prayer is that, as Moms, we can support one another in our differing opinions and lifestyles and not place judgement because "I would do that differently than her".

We have many, many reasons to {home} school and I would be more than happy to share those with you if you are interested. For now, I will answer a few basic questions that have been asked of us recently (and frequently).



What about socialization?

I know, right? I mean, this was my main concern from the beginning. Aren't all home-educated kids nerdy-un-social-misfits who dress like they're from the early 80's and can't interact with other children their age?

Homeschool is not what it once was, and it is not what I first believed it to be.

First, I had to determine what my definition of socialization is. Can I challenge you to find your own definition?

Basically, I don't want my children to become serial killers. My prayer is they can act respectfully in social situations around people of all ages! I have formed the following "definition" for my sake: Knowing how to be polite, thankful, prone to take the initiative, knowing instinctually what to do in social settings, being responsive to the needs of others, respectful, honorable and able to serve unselfishly

So, to get to the root of the issue: will we be holed up, in my house, at our kitchen table for hours on end? Monday through Friday? NO WAY!


*I am joining a co-op of women that will meet weekly to teach Health, P.E. and Bible lessons. We all have kids ranging in age from newborn-age 7

*Eli will still attend Pre-School for his 2nd year

*Each of our kids attends Sunday School and will join a weekly Bible class this fall

*Korben has requested to take piano lessons

*The kids will be enrolled in sports activities throughout the year

*I am on my MOPs Leadership Team and will attend meetings 3 times a month, meaning the kiddos are doing their own activities with their peer groups during that time

*We visit the Children's Museum, Zoo, Morrill Hall, Restaurants, Grocery Store, etc. frequently



Social skills are taught on an on-going basis. To take it further- character lessons, lessons Jesus taught on how we should act / behave are being taught in our family non-stop. These are characteritics we value and want to instill in our children. We also want our children exposed to a wide range of age groups, not just their own peers. We strive to bring up morally, emotionally, mentally and spiritually sound children who can lead and function responsibly. To do this, I have had to yield my heart to God's will. Our goal in homeschooling is to accomplish this: to give our children a solid foundation of truth upon which to build their lives. And this can still be your goal if you send your children to public school! Or private school! But, for us, this is what God has impressed upon us. To start this at-home. At this time.



What will you teach your children?

My favorite thing about {home} schooling is the flexibility it provides you to teach each child on their level. Labels don't necessarily apply (ie: Kindergarten, First Grade, etc.) I can do a curriculum intended for a certain level and change it according to each child's individual needs. We are working through a curriculum now that fits both of my boys, and we can change it up or down to make it fit their learning style, their needs and their developmental stages. Both boys LOVE it and both boys, every day, have a choice in doing the lesson or not. Eli has declared on more than one occasion "Mom, I'm really good at homeschool!" Once we complete this level, we will move on to the next level "officially" for Korben. Eli will have the option of joining us for school on days he is not in pre-school next fall. The main curriculum we use is called My Fathers World. This is a Bible-based curriculum that uses a Classical Education, Charlotte Mason and Unit studies approach.  We will supplement this program with All About Spelling, Level 1, and Astronomy using Apologia.

With Hazel, I will start the basic letter of the week approach I did with the boys when they turned 2.

My goal is to do school each morning, Monday-Thurs, from 9-12. The afternoons are free for playtime, music or sports, and naps for the little ones. Fridays will be our "Field Trip" days, days to catch up on any school that didn't get done during the week, play date time, MOPs, etc.

And on days when "school" doesn't get done, I can rest assured they will be learning about service, patience, leadership and home-ec just by being a part of a family with a new baby!


Is it Legal?

Homeschooling in Nebraska became legal 26 years ago, thanks to some very, very courageous families. Legislation is still changing, but for now, our desire to homeschool is seen as a "non accredited" school. We do not have to do standardized testing, we will create our own High School Transcripts if we are still homeschooling at that age, and our kids will take the ACT or SAT in order to enter college. We must "file" with the state for each child once they turn 6 to meet compulsory attendance laws. The paperwork is extensive and covers what is being taught for each subject and how many hours are spent doing school work.



What about the "Tough" subjects? (High school level, etc.)

Recent studies have shown that, regardless of parent education, home educated children score an average of 20 pts higher than non-homeschooled children on standardized testing. In our area, community colleges offer many courses free of charge to homeschooled children to fulfill their Biology, Chemistry, etc. requirements. We can also choose to enroll our children in the Public or Private schools part-time. This will also enable them to play sports or participate in other extra curricular activities if they so choose. A lot of lessons for High School-aged students, in regards to homeschool, are based on independent learning, online classes, and utilizing community resources. Most colleges and even the Military are actively seeking out homeschooled children to attend their institutions because of their knowledge, self-discipline and leadership skills. Colleges have also been creating special scholarships specifically for the homeschooled child.



...but we're not there yet! It's just Kindergarten!