How to Choose the Best Approach for Your Family

Over the next several week, I’ll share 7-8 approaches to homeschooling.

How do you do it? How do you choose the best approach for your family?

Once again, we go back to praying. Pray, pray, pray some more. Prayer is foundational in making a wise decision about homeschooling.

Read your Bible. You want to line up your approach to homeschooling with Scripture.

Once you choose an approach to homeschooling, discuss it with your spouse. If you’re a single mom, find an older woman.

Does this sound familiar? It should because it’s exactly the same as setting your goals & determining your educational philosophy. However, there are a few more considerations in choosing your approach.

Look at Your Family

Your family will look different from other families. You may share similar views on homeschooling as your best friend, but her approach may not be best for your family.

Think about this situation.

Your best friend lives in downtown Chicago with a single child. She is a stay at home mom who has extra money to spend on her only child’s education.

You live on a farm in East Texas with six kids. You raise cows to provide beef for your family. Your garden is huge so you can provide produce for your family.

  •  Is your lifestyle the same?
  • Do you daily expect the same from your children?
  • Can you spend the same amount of time on each child as your friend?
  • Should your approach to homeschooling be the same?

Not necessarily. There are huge differences between your two families. You may have similar beliefs, but your homeschooling will be implemented differently.

Look at Your Kids

Some kids have special needs that you may need to consider. Others may bloom later in childhood. Kids have different strengths & weaknesses. Consider all these aspects before choosing the best approach for your family. Or, you may need to choose different approaches for different children.

Try to be flexible so you meet the needs of each child.

Look at You

Then finally, who are you? What is your personality?

If you’re a “type A” person, you need a schedule to keep on track. You probably need to check off what you accomplish so you can plan for the next day.

If you don’t mind having piles of laundry in the corner of your room on a regular basis or piles of art supplies you’re using, you may have a different approach than a “type A” personality.

If you’re gifted in homemaking, you might involve your kids in cooking & gardening activities for homeschooling. If you’re gifted in athletics, you might choose more active lessons.

This doesn’t cover all types of personalities & gifts. It simply shows you that different moms will use different approaches to homeschooling.

Take a look at who you are, who your family is and who your children are. This will help you choose the best approach as you fulfill your educational goals.

 

kerry beck - HowToHomeschoolMyChild.comKerry Beck homeschooled all three of her children for 10 years. She is now an empty-nester that encourages homeschool moms online and at live workshops. She wants to give you a free ebook: Everything You Wanted to Know About Homeschooling. She also has a free Passion Week Scripture Reading Schedule for you.

 

 

If you are just starting out, or if you need some encouragement on your homeschooling journey, check out our Teach Them Diligently course on How to Homeschool with Confidence. You can also join Teach Them Diligently 365 for many more resources to help you on your homeschooling journey.