HOMESCHOOLING: NOT JUST AN EDUCATIONAL OPTION...  

When we begin home-schooling, most of us view homeschooling as one of three options for educating our children – we can choose public school, private school or home school. And we choose homeschooling for a multitude of reasons as the best alternative for our family. It may be that our child needs more one-on-one attention, or that he is being bullied, or that we want to teach academics from a biblical perspective.

Whatever the reason we begin homeschooling, we spend a lot of time focusing on the “schoolish” aspects of education. I even went so far as to pack my children’s lunch and send them out the back door to return via the front door to be welcomed and taught by “Mrs. Karman.” When the bell rang, my children filed into their desks in the schoolroom.

That didn’t last long.

In homeschool support group meetings, we talked about the difference between home school and home education. We realized that, after all, a real education wasn’t dependent on bringing all the trappings of school into the home. Education was:

The...

Premise:  If the right curriculum can be found, it will perform the magic – the abracadabra – to transform a student from ignorant to educated all by itself.

As an experienced homeschool mom, speaker and curriculum writer, I’ve noticed that many believe this and seek earnestly for the genie, or the wand, or the catalog.  And, lest you think I’m loftily looking down my nose, let me add that I was one of them.  In the early days of homeschooling, I was convinced that there truly existed a perfect curriculum, and spent years on a quest, like those in search of the Holy Grail, to find it.

Most of us who invested way too much time and money on this zealous mission have found by now that there is no fantastic carpet ride — only increasing disappointment, discouragement, and often the end of homeschooling altogether.  We wonder why all of our attempts end in defeat, in our children showing distaste and disgust at the results of our valiant effort to find the perfect curriculum.  Convinced that it’s the curriculum that accomplishes the difficult feat of teaching, we continue to crawl toward the...

On April 28th, 2004, the police uncovered a family (father and daughter) deep in the forest in northwest Oregon. Homeless and destitute, the father had opted not to leave his daughter to grow up on the streets. Instead, he took her into the woods, and for four years they lived in a lean-to in the forest. Police were amazed to find the girl clean, healthy, and. . . educated! There in the forest, the father had homeschooled his daughter with nothing but a Bible and a decrepit set of encyclopedias. Officials tested the twelve-year-old and found that she had already achieved a 12th-grade equivalency. Now,ask yourself, how could this be? There was no department of education. No certified teacher. No expensive curriculum. No notice-of-intent to homeschool and no standardized tests. So what was the secret? Police Sgt, Michael Barkley, told reporters, “What was so clear was that their living conditions were unacceptable, but their relationship was a real deep love and caring for each other” (Source www.katu.com).

There are some factors in the education of a child that transcend all others. Because they are so basic and powerful, they eliminate the need for...

A young mom writes:

 “I’m new at homeschooling – I have 2-year-old twins. I want to teach them and get them ready for preschool. Please send me info to help me start off on the right foot. “

Another mom writes:

“I have a 3½- year-old boy, a 2½- year-old girl, and a 7-month old baby boy.  I've read the preschool article on the website, listened to the sessions on beginning homeschooling from the convention, read a few books and magazines, talked to homeschooling moms...but now that I'm really looking at schooling my children, I just get overwhelmed and don't know where to start.  I can see the goal or vision that my children will love to learn, to learn about God, to learn reading, math, problem solving history, art, music, and everything in between but how do you start?  They don't seem to even want to sit still and read a book. They just want to play with toys and...

Whether you are attending a homeschool conference for the first time or just know that you benefit from reminders of what you need to do before attending one, we hope that this article will help you get ready for and enjoy your annual homeschool conference in the best possible way.

Benefits of Attending.

The opportunities brought together in this once-a-year event can renew and expand your vision for teaching and training your children. Be encouraged, rejuvenated, inspired, motivated, and better equipped to homeschool.

• Speakers can broaden your horizons as they expose you to new ideas, methods, materials, and approaches – as well as remind you of the basics.

• Workshops will give you practical training in various and specific topics to make your teaching more efficient.

• Exhibit Halls enable you to examine, compare, and purchase a great variety of the latest and best of home education materials, technologies, and products from hundreds of...

Do your homework! Read several of the publications listed below to gain a solid perspective about homeschooling.

• The Basic Steps to Successful Homeschooling by Vicki A. Brady

• Christian Home Educators’ Curriculum Manual (Elementary Grades) by Cathy Duffy

• Christian Home Educators’ Curriculum Manual (Junior/Senior High) by Cathy Duffy

• The Christian Home School, Revised and Updated by Gregg Harris

• Home Grown Kids: A Practical Handbook for Teaching Your Children by Dr. Raymond and Dorothy Moore

• The Home School Manual for Parents Who Teach Their Own Children by Theodore E. Wade, Jr.

• The How and Why of Home Schooling by Ray E. Ballmann

• How to Home School by Gayle Graham

• Home Schooling: The Right Choice! by Christopher J. Klicka

• When You Rise Up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling by R. C. Sproul, Jr.

• The Whole Hearted Child: A Handbook for Christian Home...

Government-funded programs for home educators are enticing. They provide free materials and educational experiences to homeschooling families. But what price do parents pay to participate in these programs?  You might want to check out the DVD in MÂCHÉ's store, Exposing a Trojan Horse, which uncovers the hidden costs of parents participating in government-funded programs for home educators.

Definition of Home Education

MÂCHÉ believes that true home education takes place when children are primarily taught and educated under the authority of their own parents in their own home. We believe parents, not government, should determine the curriculum and standards for their own children. Home education fulfills its highest calling when parents educate their own children according to Christ-centered, biblical principles.

virtual charter schools

Virtual Charter Schools have increased in popularity in recent years. This taxpayer-funded system attempts to achieve a sort of "compromise" between a public school education and a real homeschooling experience. The idea is that, using a Government-...

What is home education?

MÂCHÉ believes the traditional family is the foundation of society and that parents have the God-given responsibility to determine the proper education for their children. Home education takes place when children are primarily taught and educated under the authority of their own parents in their own home. We believe that parents, not government, should determine the curriculum and standards for their own children. MÂCHÉ believes that home education fulfills its highest calling when parents educate their own children according to Christ-centered, Biblical principles.

What are the advantages of home education?

• Learning together builds strong family relationships. Home education is a lifestyle, not a project.

• Parents have greater opportunity for character training with their children.

• Parents are able to choose the worldview through which they will teach their children.

• Parents are able to tailor a curriculum...

To find the MÂCHÉ Handbook Online:

• If you are a member of MÂCHÉ, make sure you are logged in
• Then click on the Membership tab at the top of the page
• Select the MÂCHÉ Handbook Online

If you are not a MÂCHÉ member, click on the Membership tab at the top of the page, and place a membership in your cart, and pay for the membership. It may take up to 24 hours for your MÂCHÉ Membership to be activated, but as soon as your membership is activated, you will be able to see the MÂCHÉ Handbook Online.

MÂCHÉ works year round to encourage all Minnesota home educators through various events, monitored legislation, and reliable information. While we currently homeschool freely, every session of the Minnesota Legislature and the U.S. Congress introduces bills that would adversely affect home educators.

MÂCHÉ was formed in 1983 to encourage Christian families in accord with biblical principles. Our vision was to assist parents in passing on to their children a godly heritage instilled through Judeo-Christian principles and to "bring them up in the discipline and instruction of...