Homeschooling 101

Christine Field, Mark Field

• Publisher: B&H Books
• Year: 2007
• Print ISBN: 9780805444339
• eBook ISBN: 9781433669620
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Religion

Where to begin and how to continue... Homeschooling 101 will help potential and current homeschooling parents caught between a proverbial rock (the expectations of the world when it comes to education) and a hard place (honoring God through the raising and teaching of their children). Veteran homeschool couple Mark and Christine Field write from experience about why homeschooling is best for children and how to make the process a complete success at every step. Chapters include discussions on the uniqueness of each child, practical advice on teaching children of different ages at the same time, the centrality of the Bible in the education process, and approaches to teaching various subjects, and much more.

CHAPTER ONE

Why You Do the
Things You Do

OUR OWN TASK OF MEMORIALIZING why we do the things we do preceeded the celebration of our twentieth wedding anniversary. Happy coincidence, or a God-inspired opportunity to contemplate our blessings? We believe it was the latter.

We began the discussion with the question: Where would we be if we hadn't chosen homeschooling? The consideration was both sobering as well as an occasion for rejoicing.

If we hadn't chosen homeschooling, we don't think our marriage would be as strong as it is, with the range and depth of experiences we have had. Without the calling to homeschool, we would not have the shared commitment to the ultimate home improvement project—homeschooling. While other couples may only get to share decorating projects and vacation decisions, we struggle together through everything from salvation to phonics to algebra. The house we are building is on a solid rock, and we pray that a dedication to the Lord will last far into future generations.

If we hadn't chosen homeschooling, we probably wouldn't have as many children. Christine practiced law until our first child was two years old and our second child was six months old. The siren call of an engaging career was strong and might have won out. If not for the happy arrival of two children seventeen months apart in age and the opportunity for a dream job in a distant city for Mark, we might not have abandoned our status as dual-income parents. Christine's time at home was supposed to be short lived. “The plan” was to be home for a few years, then reenter the courtroom arena. However, God had another plan—to adopt two more children, bringing the total to four. The move from a prestigious comfort zone to home was the values clarifying experience that we both needed. What was really important in life—family or career? The Lord allowed us to see the answer that we pray has brought him the most glory as it has brought us unspeakable joy.

If we hadn't chosen homeschooling, we would know the hollowness of having more “things” but never know the richness of having all of each other. Many times we are tempted to lament our lifestyle of relative simplicity. We need only look at the many upwardly mobile families we know who are blessed materially, but bankrupt spiritually. We make our deposits where it matters—into human beings.

If we hadn't chosen homeschooling, we might not have experienced our own much needed time on God's threshing floor. The challenges of raising and educating a family have been met on our knees, which was exactly where the Lord wanted us. Any vestige of pride or self-sufficiency that lurked in our desperately wicked hearts has been exposed by the rigors of this life. We have fallen before his throne begging for strength and wisdom, and he has answered our prayers abundantly. As mature believers who have weathered our share of storms, we are incredibly grateful for the work he has done in our hearts and the great mercy he has shown us.

If we hadn't chosen homeschooling, we doubt our children would be as close as they are. As different as night and day, they are capable of shining moments of closeness and bonding. The tenderness (and sometimes the terror!) they bestow on one another causes our parent-hearts to leap. Capable of relating to a wide array of people, they often (not always!) choose to relate most profoundly to those they live with.

If we hadn't chosen homeschooling, a foray into teenage rebellion might not have ended so graciously. When one of our brood sought out her birthmother, we prayed for a happy ending, not knowing what to expect. She made contact but got no response, causing our daughter many months of depression, doubt, and distrust. In her pain, she lashed out at us. We loved her through it, and she is now a happy young lady. We shudder to think of the course this incident might have taken if she had been exposed to the sea of adolescent angst and its remedies practiced in the schools. The pain relief she sought might have been found in self-destructive ways instead of in laying it at the feet of her Savior. For this, we are grateful.

If we hadn't chosen homeschooling, our children might not have had the time, freedom, and space to explore and nurture personal interests and talents. A passion for swimming, a flair for acting, an untapped talent for watercolor, and much more have all been nurtured in the greenhouse of our home. Schoolwork can be done efficiently, leaving time for other pursuits, or lingered over at our leisure. Nothing fosters self-discovery like freedom.

If we hadn't chosen homeschooling, our daughter with learning issues might not be the strong, wise, compassionate young lady that she is becoming. She could have been beaten down by a system that had no time to explore or appreciate her considerable strengths. Instead, we had the time to learn how to help her learn, and she is flourishing.

If we hadn't chosen homeschooling, our irrepressible son would certainly have been repressed and labeled. He is a busy, busy boy, and we have learned that he is extremely capable. It so happens that he does not learn well with his behind glued to a chair. With our freedom to tailor-make “school” to meet the needs of each child, he is learning while jumping, walking, fiddling, and bouncing.

We can't live with what might have been. We can't presume to know what the Lord might have done. What we do know is that we stepped out in obedience to answer a call that we are clear came from him.

How has it turned out? Not without its challenges. But we wouldn't have it any other way. We don't linger in the region of “what ifs.” We dwell in the sweet peace of knowing we have answered his call on our life and put our best into it. We have sought to please the only audience whose review matters.

And we haven't even touched on the academic advantages.

The goal of our homeschooling is to prepare our children for a life dedicated to God—seeking his will, seeking to glorify him. This is in contrast to a culture drowning in secular humanism that says to glorify ourselves.

In schools, children are statistical entities to justify funding. In the homeschool, they are precious sacred trusts. The world doesn't need more geniuses or star athletes or beauty queens. It needs more committed, passionate Christians

No reasonable adult would envision building a house without blueprints, driving a car without a lesson, or planning a trip without a map. Yet, parenting and homeschooling are two of life's significant activities upon which many parents never spend any significant planning or contemplative time.

Before we had children, we were not specifically in God's grip. We knew of him, but it cannot be said that we knew him. When we first had children, we knew only that we wanted our children to be happy. It's amusing to think about that now. How shortsighted we were! Now we want our children to be godly and mighty in spirit—a far cry from mere elusive happiness.

In line with our shallow focus on happiness, we dedicated little thought to the myriad ramifications of our roles as parents. We were not truly prepared to be our child's first disciplers, caretakers, guidance counselors, housekeepers, chauffeurs, spiritual mentors, teachers, group leaders, etc. Reading a job description ahead of time might have been intimidating, but it would have been oh so helpful! We had no idea what to expect of ourselves or our children.

What do you want your children to become? Why do you want to homeschool? There is an expression that says, If you don't know where you're going, just about any train will get you there. And so it is with homeschooling. At the outset, having a plan and a purpose will help prepare you to make the many decisions that must be made in the coming years.

What's Your Reason?

Homeschooling comes in many shapes, sizes, and styles. We speak at several Christian and nonsectarian conferences each year, and we are always amazed at the variety of people we meet.

Melanie is a single parent from the inner city of Chicago. Drugs and violence have overtaken her son's school, and she fears for his safety. She wants to try homeschooling but doesn't know where to begin. Frantic for some advice on getting started, she attends a regional homeschooling conference and approaches us there with the frequently asked question, “What curriculum would be best for my child?”

Stuart and Leah are Bible-believing Christians. Their first three children were attending private school when Stuart and Leah felt led to pursue homeschooling. Two children later, they are having trouble balancing the demands of their growing family and are seeking ways for all the children to learn together—and preserve Mom's sanity! They ask, “How do we meet all these different needs?”

Noah is some kind of genius. As a homeschooled sophomore, he earned a near-perfect score on the PSAT and is receiving scads of letters from colleges courting his application. His parents stress academics—period—and he looks like a future Nobel Prize winner in science. Homeschooling allows him to study the advanced level math and science classes he craves.

Which of these families has a legitimate reason to homeschool?

All of them!

Each is seeking a unique solution to their unique situation and has found an answer in the practice and prevalence of home education. Many others have found answers they seek on this path, and you can too!

Statistics show that the overwhelming majority of American homeschoolers are Christians who point to their religious faith as a strong factor in their decision to teach their children at home. Somewhere along the line, each of these families first heard a calling, and hearing that calling set the stage for how their homeschooling would unfurl. Only fully understanding that calling will lead to peace and confidence.

Why do we do what we do? Perhaps you are a second-generation homeschooler who is carrying out what you have been taught. The modern practice of homeschooling is old enough that more and more grown children are now teaching their own offspring.

But the fact is, as Christians, we do what we do in response to God's call to teach his truths. The Word says, “The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deut. 6:4-7). Many have heeded that call when they set out to homeschool their children, but after a few months of researching and ordering curriculum and juggling the responsibilities of keeping a home and teaching the children, it's not unusual for a parent to lose sight of what this is supposed to look like.

If loving God and teaching our children about him is to be our first priority, we must first shape our children's hearts, not their minds. What does this mean? Allow me to employ a time-honored methodology cherished by ministers and teachers the world over: the acrostic—HEART.

H Is for Hearts

We must know our children's hearts and do all we can to ensure they are inclined heavenward. This is of far greater worth to us than a prestigious prep school or a perfect SAT score. Unless we have their hearts, their trust, and their obedience, we cannot teach them anything. But if we have their hearts, and if they will listen to God's rebuke, he will pour out his heart to us and make his thoughts known to them (see Prov. 1:23). That, friend, is true education: the pouring of God's heart (and our hearts) into our children.

E Is for Eternity

We believe homeschooling is the best education for our children because it is education with an eye on eternity. We had a discussion about public school versus homeschooling with a Christian brother a while back. At the time he was the principal of a respected suburban high school. He noted that the facilities of our humble home-school could not hold a candle to the high-powered microscopes that allowed his students to see the internal workings of a human cell. True, I said, we don't have the bells and whistles you find at a well-funded public school, but we are able to meet the individual needs of each of our students. We can teach them the way that they best learn, and we can instill i...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Half Title
• Full Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Acknowledgments
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1
• Chapter 2
• Chapter 3
• Chapter 4
• Chapter 5
• Chapter 6
• Chapter 7
• Chapter 8
• Chapter 9
• Chapter 10
• Chapter 11
• Chapter 12
• Chapter 13
• Chapter 14
• Chapter 15
• Home School
• Notes
• Bibliography