I love home schooling high school. What I have to share is long, but I sincerely hope it will be helpful info as you make decisions for your family. There is so much to talk about on this subject.

I have been homeschooling for 15 years, and have graduated one son, who is now 19 and attending our junior college, with plans to transfer to a local university to finish his accounting degree. ( I also have 2 younger ones, coming up behind him.) What an incredible journey it has been… this homeschooling high school. I remember how intimidating it was, as I stood on that threshold, right where you are now. But God is so faithful, and He will guide you each step, as you continue to be faithful to His calling on your life to home educate and disciple your children, all the way to the finish line. This season of high school is the harvest season for all the time we have devoted to the basics. At the same time, I believe it is a very important time of discipleship and a most rewarding time as a parent. It will set the stage for your relationship with that child, as a young adult.  Read more...

I love Abeka history.  I thought I’d share a bit of what we read today.  Sounds like good old fashioned common sense to me. ~Anne

Daily Life and Work~Families   

The American home in 1900 was a place where most children learned to honor their parents, to be courteous and honest in their dealings, to be obedient and submissive to authority, and to distinguish right from wrong.  The father was the head of the house, and the mother was his honored companion and helper.  Children were lovingly taught what was expected of them and lovingly punished when they disobeyed.

The Bible was read daily in many homes, and families usually prayed before meals as well as at other times.  Many families were poor by today’s standards, but they were happy, because they had values more important than money.

Children often heard the old familiar sayings whose truths had helped to make America great:

*A penny saved is a penny earned.

*waste not, want not.

*Cleanliness is next to godliness.

*early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

*Honesty is the best policy.

*A stitch in time saves nine.

*Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

*A man’s word is his bond.

These and other sayings, most of which had been part of the American character since the time of Benjamin Franklin and before, helped the children of 1900 to become honest, hard-working individuals who would help our country continue prospering.

It may sound strange to some, but my husband and I never prayed about whether or not to homeschool our children. It was just so obvious to us that this was the only option. We based our decision on God’s commands and advice throughout the Bible and also considered the worldview, philosophy and atmosphere of the government schools today.
There are some things you just don’t need to pray about. If the Bible is clear on something, it would be wrong to pray about it because God will never contradict his own words. Our Christianity is not a mystical thing but is based upon the word of God which is our ultimate authority, compass and guide.

If we happened to watch the news at night or read a newspaper our decision was confirmed again. How could we send our children to be trained and discipled by anyone else when God has told us to teach them? How could we expect our children to grow up prepared and strong in the Lord, if we sent them off to an institution which does not share in these Biblical values and will almost always undermine them.

Some parents we’ve come into contact with have expressed that the Bible does not address homeschooling. Because of this, they will just “pray about it” and see if the Lord gives them peace or not. Some even ask the Lord to “open the door” if it is to be. Although it is true that the Bible does not speak of homeschooling since school had not come into fashion yet, the Bible does have much to say about training and teaching children, and it clearly tells us what is important and what we should prioritize. When we considered the following scriptures we came to the conclusion that homeschooling was the only way to go.

Luke 6:40 states that “A student is not above his teacher, and that everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”  Do you want your christian child to emulate their secular humanist teacher?
We all know Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.  How are you supposed to train your child when you only have about an hour a day to do so?

Duet 6 & 7 states, “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, and when you lie down…So we need to talk a lot about God’s commands….morning, noon, and night.

Psalm 1 reminds us to not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. So…we should not receive counsel from non-believers.

Proverbs 1:7 tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and verse 8 says “Listen my son to your Father’s instruction and do not forsake your Mother’s teaching.” Do you think the schools will teach them to fear the Lord? I think they used to at one time, but not anymore. They do not allow God in their classrooms.

Paul reminds us in Romans 12 to be transformed by the renewing of our minds and II Cor 10:5 commands us to demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.  Will the government schools choose curriculum that will do this?

Paul told Timothy to turn away from godless chatter and opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge. Maybe we should turn away from opposing ideas and godless chatter?

It is astonishing to me and humbling that the Lord would allow us to have this huge responsibility. It is impossible to do without His help. I need His help every single hour of my day…even more than I realize.  Even though homeschoolers have much more time with their children than public school families do….it seems like there are not enough years to do it. My prayer is for wisdom and that the Lord will multiply our efforts.

I know there are folks who believe that they can follow these commands and still have their children in a classroom…but I find this hard to believe. There are just not enough hours left in a day after school, homework, meals, baths, paperwork, television etc. are completed to teach and mentor our children.  In addition, we have to try to deprogram and reverse the damage done each day. The chipping away at the christian worldview is often very subtle and nothing that our children can even put into words when asked, “What did you learn in school today?”

For the believer, the Bible is really clear. In order to obey these scriptures we have to put in the time with our children. This time is just not available when they are gone from us all day.
In Voddie Baucham’s lecture “Whoever controls the Schools, controls the World” he boldly cries ”  I am raising an army of intercontinental ballistic missiles and one day the silo is going to open over my home and when it does, there will be missiles launched to impact this world who have been trained, armed and honed in my home and not by Caesar.” Amen Voddie!!! Amen!!!

Thanks for reading my ramblings.

~Anne

Found this article and it would affect homeschooler’s as well as single income families with children.

Family Research Council: Stay-at-home parents will not receive Obama’s Child Tax Credit

Today Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council (FRC), just released a new Call to Action for all American families. Here is his call:

When Congress passed tax relief for families in 2001 and 2003, some Members of Congress insisted the tax cuts be staggered and temporary, resulting in a large scheduled tax hike in 2011.

If these cuts are not made permanent,next year American families will face one of the largest tax increases in history. On average, taxes would increase $1,800 per taxpayer, and 48 million married couples will face an average hike of $3,007, with many paying more than if they merely cohabited. A family of four earning $40,000 would see a tax increase of over $2,300. If the President’s tax relief is allowed to expire at the end of 2010, Americans will pay about $280 billion more in taxes each year.

Instead of addressing this problem, President Obama’s recently submitted budget includes a proposal that seeks to increase the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. The proposal is limited only to families making less than $115,000 a year. To be clear, this is not an expansion of the Child Tax Credit, but an attempt to use the tax code for social engineering.  Read more...

Do you have a  particular homeschooling method or style?  Are you  using a  Charlotte Mason, Unit study,  Classical, Textbook,  Principle,  Unschooler, or eclectic approach?  If you are like me you may be unsure, and may say you are drawn to an eclectic homeschooling style.  My dilemma is that I like a bit about every single approach, and refuse to commit to one and make it my own.
Even if I choose a certain curriculum,  I end up only liking some aspects in it,  so I’m  often anxious to “tweak”  it a bit.  For example,  when my boys were younger we used a science curriculum called “Considering God’s Creation.”   We loved the songs,  loved the text, agreed with the message,  but found some of the projects to be a waste of time.  We adjusted it to fit our style.  Same thing for our phonics program.  For phonics we combined “Alphabet Island“, Abeka, and the wisdom of Ruth Beechick.  We probably threw in some Susan Wise Bauer as well.  It accomplished our goal  though and everybody learned to read!!  I guess that’s the beauty of homeschooling…….we have the freedom to adjust the curriculum to fit our family.
When I first read about  Charlotte Mason, I was so impressed.  It seemed so healthy and balanced. We used nature journals and went for walks in the mornings.  We tried to cultivate good habits like she suggested.  Some of them stuck but many didn’t.  We live in the desert……can you imagine spending the 5  hours a day outside in the desert heat as Charlotte recommends ?  I can barely step outside to get the mail!!  I had to remind myself that Charlotte came from Victorian England.  Things were quite different then,  and children could play outside all day in safety. Plus,  it was probably nice and cool and overcast.  My boys learned to cook,  play the piano, draw and make a really good cup of tea. Then I realized they were not little girls!!  I began to ask my husband to teach them to use a bow & arrow, fix things around the house,  and do “manly things” before I turned them into…..well anyway we’ve added some other projects and are working though our Contenders of the Faith curriculum.  Contenders of the Faith are sort of like Boy Scout manuals except from a very Christian perspective.  Read more...

A few years ago,  I had a conversation with one of my nephews that I found very discouraging.  Our discussion turned to cars and I asked him if he knew how to change his oil or do simple maintenance on his new car?  His reply was  “I’ll just pay someone to do all that; I don’t want to get my hands dirty.”   I thought to myself ” What!”  What are you thinking? If you don’t know anything about your car how are you going to know if the mechanic is telling you the truth about the repair he’s just done.   This is something I found very disturbing,  not only then but now.   I also see it as a trend that most young people today seem to look down on those people who make their living working in “blue collar jobs.”   Many simply want to sit in an office all day and make big paychecks, but they for the life of them can’t change a faucet or install a spark plug.  The fact is that the “Blue Collar” guys are going to own you if you can’t even do simple things for yourself.

I remember watching an episode of a TV show called” Frasier.” The episode was called “Seat Of Power.”  In this episode Dr.  Crane played by David Hyde Pierce is talking with a plumber who also happened to be  the bully who terrorized him in school.  He  was trying to show how successful he was by telling him he owned a very expensive brand of car. The most amusing part of the scene was that the plumber used to own the same car as the doctor, but found it to small so he bought the bigger model.  Read more...

So often at the end of our homeschool day I ask the question that many homeschool Mom’s ask, “Did I do enough?”  Sometimes my  friend and homeschool mentor will call me and ask “Did you have a good school day today?”  As we sit at the dinner table my dear husband will often ask our  boys “What did you learn today?”

So often I think about what we did not get done.  Let me see….we did not get to our Apologia Science today.  Oh dear,  we did not get to our “Jump In” writing program.  We did not write our vocabulary sentences today….and we did not do our copywork.  Oops, we did not get to our “Daily Grams.”  Yikes!  I did not listen to them read aloud today!

What did we do….how did we spend our time today and did we learn anything at all? Would my boys have accomplished more if they were in a classroom?

Inspite of our schedule, my heart is full tonight.  As I write,  I feel as though we had a really good day, even though our list was not completed.  We talked a lot today.  We talked about the Founding Fathers  and how they shared the Gospel and spoke of the Savior in  their last Will and Testaments.  We learned that most were devout Christians. We discussed what revisionist history meant.  We watched a video on the founding fathers.  Read more...

The definition of a homeschooler seems to have become so blurred, that I feel compelled to write once again about this issue.  I am going to be very straightfoward in order to be clear. Are you a legal homeschooler when you sign up for a charter school program?

Because the charter school programs are calling themselves homeschool programs, true homeschoolers have  been made more vulnerable. For over 18 years now HSLDA has fought for the rights of families to homeschool with minimal regulations.  If homschoolers contiune to rely on these government programs to help them homeschool their children,  homechooling liberties will continue to be whittled away.
When I say that those in charter schools are not true homeschoolers, I am talking legal terms.  Legally, if you are enrolled in a charter school program, you are not homeschooling  but are in the public school.   It may seem as though the words and definitions are no big deal,  but in fact the words we use have huge consequences as they describe what is actually legal and true.  For example,  if one enrolls in a public school charter, HSLDA does not recognize them or even allow them to join. Why is this so? After all you are at home with your children all day.   This is not to be unfriendly but just because it would be futile and silly to defend “homeschoolers” in public school programs. Please know and understand that you are no longer a homeschooler if you are enrolled in a government program. You are infact setting up a little public school in your home.  Read more...

The following is a reprinted article  from the HSLDA website posted January 26,2010 used by permission

Immigration Judge Says Germany Violating Basic Human Rights

In a case with international ramifications, Immigration Judge Lawrence O. Burman granted the political asylum application of a German homeschooling family. The Romeikes are Christians from Bissinggen, Germany, who fled persecution in August 2008 to seek political asylum in the United States. The request was granted January 26 after a hearing was held in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 21.

“We can’t expect every country to follow our constitution,” said Judge Burman. “The world might be a better place if it did. However, the rights being violated here are basic human rights that no country has a right to violate.”

Burman added, “Homeschoolers are a particular social group that the German government is trying to suppress. This family has a well-founded fear of persecution…therefore, they are eligible for asylum…and the court will grant asylum.”

In his ruling, Burman said that the scariest thing about this case was the motivation of the government. He noted it appeared that rather than being concerned about the welfare of the children, the government was trying to stamp out parallel societies—something the judge called “odd” and just plain “silly.” In his order the judge expressed concern that while Germany is a democratic country and is an ally, he noted that this particular policy of persecuting homeschoolers is “repellent to everything we believe as Americans.”  Read more...

As I write this month, I have a lot on my mind and heart regarding this calling of homeschooling. I am reluctant to share some of it, because anytime we share from our gut, we are made vulnerable. I never like that feeling. : ) Yet, I am compelled to share a few things.

I have been praying and thinking about this journey. What is my passion, regarding homeschooling? What are my concerns? Joys? Successes? Failures? What are yours? I realize and respect that the “vision” may be different for each family. Your homeschool journey may look different from mine. You may have different definitions, goals, etc. The circumstances that led you to homeschool may be entirely different from mine. With that understanding, I will share a little of our story. Most who know me well, know that I am passionate about independent homeschooling, K-12. It is my calling. And on days when I don’t “feel” the calling, it is my conviction. So I look to resources that will inspire me and help to equip me for that long journey all the way through high school, help remind me of the costs… both of home schooling and NOT homeschooling my children.

Sometimes the stresses of life and the attack of the enemy wear us down, until we are weary and vulnerable to choosing other options for educating our children… options we really are not comfortable with, never thought we would consider. For me, educating my children is a form of discipling my children. So, there is no other option. I am committed. A little like marriage.  Read more...

Are you tempted to join government homeschooling (a charter school or public school independent study program) or do you know someone who is? Read on!

These days, Christian parents who are thinking about homeschooling are often unaware that you can homeschool in most states without public school control. And those who do know are often tempted to join government homeschooling for the supposed goodies. The bait of free materials or the perception of getting help from “real teachers” seems inviting, but having public school employees overseeing your homeschool dramatically alters the spiritual dynamic of the home.

You need to know that there is another form of homeschooling; one that is scriptural. Private biblical homeschooling strengthens God’s design for the family and helps ensure the future right of our children and grandchildren to freely homeschool in a Christ-centered manner.

Homeschooling has always existed in this country — from the native Americans to the first Europeans to form colonies in the New World. Yet it was mostly forgotten as state funded schooling, the purpose of which is to create obedient productive citizens, pervaded the land in the 19th century. But in the late 1970’s and 1980’s, a resurgence in homeschooling began among parents who were mostly Christians. These “pioneer” families often resisted the idea that the state was supposed to control the education of their children. They blazed a path few dared to follow – with parents at the head of their children’s learning.  Read more...

It seems as though the independent homeschooler has become an
endangered species; soon to be as extinct as the Dodo bird.

I’m going out on a limb by sharing now, because I do not want to
offend anyone who has joined up with the charter school program.

I have many friends who are no longer on the same homeschool journey as I am, and I treasure their friendships, yet I feel like I need to take a stand on this issue.

Please, please know my heart….it is to inform so that families can
know the full implications of their decisions. There are hardly any voices left to tell the story of the early homeschool movement. If I don’t speak up who will tell the story?

It seems as though folks everywhere are singing the praises of the charter schools. I feel as though I need to share some of my homeschool journey and my reason for homeschooling independently from the government.

My DH and I went to our first homeschooling meeting in 1982!!!!!! That was many years ago. I’m dating myself, I know. We heard about homeschooling on the radio and at that time it was really a radical thing to do, it was still in the growing and learning stages although it would soon become an option for families.  Read more...

by J. Michael Smith
HSLDA President

The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) estimates there are more than 1.5 million children being taught at home. Furthermore, the DOE estimates that homeschooling has been growing at 7 percent a year for the last 10 years.

Two related questions many people ask are, “Why has homeschooling become so popular?” and “What is motivating parents to take on this daunting responsibility?” In the most recent report by the DOE, parents gave three basic reasons for choosing home education: to provide religious or moral instruction, concerns about the school environment, and dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools.

Regarding the third reason, there is new research showing that the average homeschooler who takes standardized achievement tests is doing very well. The study, commissioned by the Home School Legal Defense Association and conducted by Brian Ray, an internationally recognized scholar and president of the nonprofit National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), is called “Progress Report 2009: Homeschool Academic Achievement and Demographics.”

The study included almost 12,000 homeschool students from all 50 states who took three well-known standardized achievements tests—the California Achievement Test, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the Stanford Achievement Test—for the 2007–08 academic year. The students were drawn from 15 independent testing services, making it the most comprehensive homeschool academic study to date.

The results reinforced previous homeschool studies conducted over a period of 25 years.  Read more...

Pete Chagnon – OneNewsNow – 8/26/2009 4:45:00 PM
An attorney working with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has filed motions with a New Hampshire court, asking it to reconsider its order to send the 10-year-old homeschooled girl into public school.

According to ADF allied attorney John Anthony Simmons, the court acknowledges that the girl in question is doing well socially and academically, but he adds that the court went too far when they determined that the girl’s Christian faith was a “bit to0 sincerely held and must be sifted, tested by, and mixed among other worldviews.”

Simmons contends that parents have a “fundamental right to make educational choices for their children.” However the girl’s parents divorced in 1999, and she is now living with her mother who has been homeschooling the child since first grade. As part of the schooling, the young girl has been attending supplemental public school classes.

As part of parental custody hearings, a court-appointed guardian stated that the child reflected her mother’s “rigidity” on questions of faith and added that girl’s best interest would be served by exposure to a public school setting.

According to the New Hampshire Supreme Court, Home Education is an enduring American tradition and right. ADF concludes, based on that statement, that there is no legitimate legal basis for this latest court ruling.