Everyone has now gotten a taste of having their kids learn at home. It’s not for everyone, but for some it has raised questions about how to move into home schooling on purpose. We started out school with that purpose and have completed 8 years of in-home education!
A little background to our homeschooling journey: Sam and I both attended public schools. Before kids, I taught in public schools. We believe that public schools run well can lead to a great education. I do not look down on public schools, or those who find them to be the best fit for their families! I will not use this blog to guilt or shame public schoolers, but I hope to offer encouragement and support to those who are considering home schooling or are new to it.
Home schooling for us really came down to two main factors: economics and stability. Once we decided we wanted a large family, we easily saw my teacher’s paycheck would not go very far toward child care. Since I would be staying home with the kids, I may as well teach them, too! And since we are a highly mobile family, home schooling allows us to maintain consistency in our children’s education, no matter where life takes us!
We started school when my oldest was 4. She is a November baby, so she missed the cutoff for public school, but she was definitely anxious to learn and I could not see waiting a whole year to start. That was my first taste of the freedom of home schooling: I was not beholden to school calendars or start dates!
Our early school days took about 15-30 minutes, and happened at our kitchen table. The soft wood of the surface still bears the imprints of her early efforts at writing and spelling. That may be the only thing keeping that wobbly, outgrown table around at this point! Most of her education still came from playing and adventuring. Stay tuned for more early education stories another day!
At Home, On Purpose 