Questions For Those Considering Homeschooling - Step 5

Once you know where you're going, you can start to plan your route. Having a destination, or goal is the foundation that you can lens all decision making through. That stop along the way may well be part of the joy of the journey, but if it causes you to miss your final destination, are you still glad you went? So, as you start to think about steps and priorities, keep your overall goal in mind. Do they help you reach your goal?

To be honest, when our family started homeschooling, I jumped straight into trying to pick our which curriculum to buy. It was as I searched and tried to teach my kids that I started asking some of these questions. I found that some of what we were doing didn't lead us towards our desired destination. So we did some frequent minor course changes, and some larger pivots before settling into a place that feels right for our family.

These questions I hope will help you take those larger vision goals, and consider them as they apply more specifically to education.

Essentials

1. How would you define a “good education”?

2. What information do you feel is essential for your child to know before leaving home?

3. What skills do you view as essential for your child before leaving home?

4. Are there any skills or information that you think of as ‘nice to know, but not necessary’?

5. What do you dread doing that you think your kids need to learn?

6. What do you think will be easy to teach them?

7. Is there anything you feel nervous about trying to teach your kids?

8. How do you picture your kids' future? What hopes do you have for them?

9. What negative stereotypes or stories do you have of homeschooling?

10. What positive pictures or stories do you have of homeschooling?

Practicalities

1. What further information do you feel you need about homeschooling?

2. How important is it to you that your child be learning what children the same age/grade are learning?

3. How much time do you have to devote to your children’s education?

4. Do you consider play/hobbies as learning?

5. Do you like plans laid out for you, or to make your own plans?

6. Do you feel learning needs to be seen on paper?

7. How do you want to determine what your kids need to learn? ( National curriculum, what you learned, ideas from purchased curriculum, child’s interest or educational goals, college prep, etc.)

8. What people do you know that could be a resource to you?

9. What homeschooling support is there in your community?

10. What financial resources are you wanting/able to put towards homeschooling?

In the next step you will have a chance to read over the most common homeschooling philosophies and consider how they might be a resource to your journey.