Back to Homeschool

Most of us have taken a break this summer, whether for 3 months or just a couple of weeks. We think of August as back-to-school time, if for no other reason than because Walmart tells us it is. It is a good time for reassessing our goals and priorities. Why are you teaching your children at home? What led you to make this decision? Are you still focused on the goal? Often times our reasons change and develop over time. We may begin because we want a better social or academic situation for our child. But after a while, we begin to see the benefits of family togetherness and parental control. Perhaps we started because of a specific need in our child's life, but now we find that they have blossomed and developed in so many areas that we had not even considered. For me, it was a conviction of the heart from the Scriptures: "And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deut. 6:6-7 These verses spoke of three main things to me. First, the Lord wanted parents to direct the training and education of their children. Second, He wanted them to do it all through the day. And third, He wanted it to be based upon the principles and precepts of His Word. Those have been the guiding principles for my home education program from the beginning. But sometimes, we can get sidetracked from what is truly important and lasting. For instance, I have been tempted to become involved in every wonderful extra-curricular activity that comes along. All of them are great! All of them are beneficial! Maybe some of them are even right for my family. But all of them are not for my family. I need to pick and choose those activities which will help me reach my goal: raising up sons and daughters who are mighty in Spirit to the glory and honor of the Lord. For others, homeschooling may have come about because of a desire for superior academics. This is a noble goal. But one can get off course by trying to fit in all the art, music, PE, clubs, social events, presentations, competitions, field trips, and special programs that are available. If you are finding that your original goals are suffering, perhaps it is time to reassess and refocus. Our homeschooling community has grown tremendously over the past 10 years. We now have a wide variety of opportunities to meet the needs of just about everyone. But we must be judicious in our choices for own individual families. I urge you to keep the main thing the main thing. Yes, our children need balance. They deserve a full, rich educational experience. But take the time now, at the beginning of a new academic year, to think through what you want to see develop in your children's lives over the next 8-9 months. You might start by assessing where they are now. Keeping your goals in mind, make a list of their positive characteristics and their areas needing improvement. For instance, you might record that your child is outgoing, confident, and shows initiative around the house. He also excels in math and enjoys studying nature. But he also has a problem with shifting blame. He is sloppy in his schoolwork. And he refuses to read anything but picture books. Now, depending on your family's ultimate goals for this child, you have some areas in which to focus for this fall, both to encourage his strengths and to overcome his weaknesses. This kind of assessment has nothing to do with test scores or percent grades. It has to do with deciding ahead of time where you are going with this particular child to meet his unique needs. Each of our children is a unique gift from God with a special purpose for his or her life. Each of our families are special and unique, chosen by God for what He wants to accomplish through us in the lives of our children. Let's take the time now to prayerfully consider where we are headed and how we plan to get there. Then let's launch into a new homeschool year with clear goals and a vision for the future. - Gayle (AHS Vice President)