3 Accountability Rules Of Homeschooling

Often, when considering homeschooling, the focus gets put on the search for the best curriculum. While curriculum is important, an even more important factor needs to be considered before you decide to jump in with both feet.

Acountability

While homeschooling does offer the allure of flexibility of learning materials, delivery and time, these pluses can turn into negatives if it is assumed that no accountability is necessary at all.

3 Rules of Accountability

1. Parent to School Board/Government

We are particularly fortunate because we have multiple school boards that solely serve the homeschooling population in our province of Alberta. This is a tremendous help as we are assigned to a case worker who travels to our house twice a year to consult with us about our goals, curriculum, activities, expenses, etc.

It helps to know that even though we have chosen homeschooling, we are not completely alone. The case worker is also available throughout the year free of charge for questions or advice when difficult situations arise. They also offer great ideas about what is working for other families in similar circumstances.

Another added bonus of this is that our children's education is documented with a public school board that is recognized by the government of Alberta. This makes the transition to high school and college much easier than if we just went it alone. Part of this is our school board does yearly provincial standard testing, which is kept on file, to help make sure our children are either on par or ahead of children in the public school system.

2. Children To Parent

Children that are homeschooled can quickly fall into the trap of thinking nobody is watching whether or not they are completing their lessons and work. We all know that children will test boundaries when the opportunities arise. They may be banking on the fact that their parents are busy working or doing chores around the house and trust them to do the work on their own.

So precautions must be taken to ensure that the accountability is strong in this area. Children should be given deadlines or goals for each area of study daily. As an example, many curriculum are divided into lessons, so as parents, we may tell our children that they are expected to finish lesson 101 in each subject today.

Some curriculum may encourage more than one lesson per day. Whatever you decide is fine as long as your expectations are expressed and you provide all the materials and help needed to successfully complete the work.

Although children may seem like they don't like accountability and vehemently oppose it, in reality, most children are somewhat comforted to know that their parents care enough about them to have rules or guidelines.

We would also suggest that accountability not be solely based on the quantity of work being done but rather on quality also. It is completely reasonable to not only expect a lesson to be completed, but also to expect a certain level of proficiency as well. Just filling in blanks with wrong answers doesn't accomplish anything.

This accountability also requires that there be consequences when work is not done properly. Unless their are attenuating circumstances, like inability to understand or sickness,children need to know that there is a cost to not being accountable. We find removal of electronic privileges work quite well in this regard.

3. Parent to Children

Even though parent to children is number three,that doesn't mean it is the least important. In fact, we believe it is actually the most important of the three. With the first two, you will get minimal results, but when parents are also accountable to their children, homeschooling all comes together.

Eventually, our kids will reach the age to move out and attend college or start life on their own. What kind of education and how well we have provided it to them will be instrumental to them achieving their goals in life.

Homeschooling is not a cop-out or an easy answer to a busy or transient lifestyle. In fact, if done right, homeschooling can be much more labor intensive for the parent than if their child went to public school. As parents, we now replace the teachers and supporting staff to some degree, depending on the curriculum chosen. It is us who must correct, verify, explain, and encourage our children.

The easiest way to accomplish this is by correcting your children's work on a daily basis. By doing this, you can catch potential issues before they grow into bigger problems. This is a major bonus of homeschooling!

If you can explain or even re-teach an area of concern immediately, you will prevent more frustration and confusion down the road. Remember, most courses such as English, Math, and Science involve building-type learning. What the children learn this week is used to build upon next week and so on.

Another important aspect of parents being accountable is that when we show we are involved and care deeply about our children's education, usually in return,they will be more accountable to us. Instead of a potentially adversarial relationship, we are building a more symbiotic one. Yes we are still in charge, but we can do so with love and respect at the same time.

These 3 rules of accountability in homeschooling are your starting point to a great homeschooling environment.

Yes you can do this. We want to help in any way possible. Looking for ideas? Have an article suggestion? Drop by http://www.ucanhomeschool.com and let us know how we can help.

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Homeschooling Is A Beautiful Thing

As a parent educator, you have the freedom to weave your family's values, your educational goals, and your children's passions into the living journey of homeschooling. You get to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. You do not need to become entangled or even burdened with what the school down the street is up to, because you have the ability to design a program that is perfectly suited for not only each of your children, but your entire family as well.

To be a successful homeschooler you need a foundation, a plan, and sheer determination.

Foundation

This is the most essential piece to the homeschooling puzzle.

You need to lay a solid foundation for your children and your family.

    What does your ideal homeschool environment look like?
    What do imagine your daily routine to look like? How will the house run in the midst of your homeschool day?
    Will your children help around the house?
    What part will both you and your spouse play in their education?
    Will you incorporate your faith into the school day?

If you are a new homeschooler, you should take a few days to consider what your foundation should look like. If you are a brand new homeschooler, understand you may laugh at your ideas a few months from now, but that should not stop you from laying an idea of your foundation.

Plan

It is true, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."

The good news is, in homeschooling the plan is fluid and changeable. You do not need to stick with plans that are failing, but you do need a plan.

    What grade levels are your children?
    What subjects are required in your state?
    What topics would you like to teach your children?
    Will you design your own teaching materials or acquire them from a big curriculum company?
    How long will your school day/year be?
    Where will you find coaching, mentoring, and encouragement?

Sheer Determination

Homeschooling is wonderful, but it is also wonderfully hard. It is a huge undertaking to not only educate your child, but keep your home from falling apart simultaneously. There will absolutely be days when you question everything. There will be more than one day, week, or year that you fear that you are ruining your child's education. This is normal.

Before you go any deeper into this thing called homeschooling, you should:

Determine that you will stay the course.

Determine to never quit out of frustration. When those days come that cause you to believe you should quit, declare it a free play day, go to the library, visit a veteran homeschooler, or go to the zoo.

Just determine to never quit out of frustration.

Understand that homeschooling is hard, but that just because it is hard does not mean that you are unqualified. Honestly there is no one more qualified to teach your children than you are. You know their strengths, weaknesses, and passions better than anyone else.

Homeschooling can be extremely fun, rewarding and exhausting. It is worth every bit of effort to be able to see your child blossom into a curious learner.

If what you are currently doing is not working, go back and look at your foundation and plan.
As a veteran homeschooler, I can assure you that it is very common for homeschoolers to go on tangents. It is also common to throw out topics or whole curriculums that are not a good fit for your family.

Change is good.

Homeschooling is good. It is not for everyone, but it is good!

Sharing tried and true homeschooling resources, templates, tips, advice, and encouragement is our passion. Visit http://abetterwaytohomeschool.com/ today!

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My Kids Do Not Drive Me Crazy

As a homeschooler, when you see me in public you will likely see one to five of my children at my side. It doesn't matter if it is 10:00am on a Wednesday at the grocery store, or 11:30am at a busy doctors office. The kids are always with me.

What baffles me is the reaction of the adults we come in contact with during our day.

Many are dumbfounded that I am wearing ironed clothes and have my hair styled. Most think I should be going crazy.

News Flash

My kids Do Not Drive Me Crazy.

(most of the time)

I always have 1-5 children (ages 8-20) at my side no matter where I go. They are my buddies. I am blessed beyond words!

I find my children to be amazing individuals. Unique, creative, and interesting.

I want to spend time with my boys. They are quirky, fun and entertaining.

I love being the one who gets to hear about all those crazy 'imaginings of childhood'. Why should I be in the dark about what brings them joy?

I appreciate that my boys work side by side with me to manage our home. They understand that we are a team.

Family is the focal point of my children's life.

My kids spend their time around people of different age groups and can readily relate to almost anyone. They are a joy to be around.

I spend so much time with my kids that they are not clingy and needy.

I do not feel like I am missing out on their childhood. I am there to witness the quality moments encapsulated in the quantity of time.

If my kids are hurting, they come to me. They know I can be trusted.

If my kids are afraid, they come to me. They know that I will reassure them.

My children do not question my desire to be a part of their lives.

I am "all in".

Why Do Children Drive Their Parents Crazy?

They are not used to having their children around them; they are usually at school or daycare.

The heart of their kids life is lived out away from them.

During the school day, kids laugh, cry, and are amazed.

At the end of the day parents ask their kids, "What did you do today?"

The kids say, "Nothing." They do not know how to relate to each other.

With working parents, public school, and extra-curricular activities. Families shuffle from one destination to the next, often marinated in tension because the kids cannot find their shoes, backpack, or sports equipment. Families are fuelled with anxiety.

Children capitalize on their parents time. They need attention. When parents and their kids live their lives away from each other all day, they try to squeeze in their quality time. You rarely get quality time without quantity time. While special moments can be created, spontaneous moments are missed.

They do not know their kids the same way that they would if they spent all their time together. This is a quantity thing. Best friends seek each other out. They invest their best in each other. Next to our spouses, our children should get the most of us.

School is the focal point of the child's life.

Kids spend most of their time surrounded by kids their own age, so they do not readily relate to people of other age groups.

They believe "me time" is essential for daily living. (I believe "we time" is essential. So do my kids)

Bottom Line?

I think our society has been seriously misled. Our children should not be shuttled off to a classroom where they are surrounded by their peer group and force fed information that does not inspire them to learn more.

I know that homeschooling is not for everyone. Honestly, homeschooling is hard. Very hard.

Parents should do everything they can to refocus their kids so that family is the center, not school. This may mean turning off the tv, quitting sports, and renting a rv. I think that kids need to know their parents are "all in". It may take some convincing, but our kids need this!

I think parents need a mindset reset.

    It is good to be around your children.
    It is OK to have many, many, many moments that are unstructured. That's where quality time lives!!
    It is good to snuggle and read together.
    It is good to cook with, clean, and create with your children right by your side.
    It is good to drag bring your kids to the store, to the doctor's office, and to the zoo.
    It is good for your kids to see you laugh.
    Kids are entertaining.
    Kids are a blessing.
    Family time is more important than me time. Almost. Always.

You may be thinking, but you do not know my kids. They want nothing to do with me. You do not need to pull them out of public school necessarily, but your time is ticking. This is one of those mountains worth dying on. Your family is everything. Reclaim your family. It will take time and energy you do not think you have, but it is worth it.

If you know that you cannot homeschool your kids, you can still reclaim your family...

Turn off the TV at least one day a week.

I am not against television, I am just more into my children. The TV stops kids from building, creating, and talking. Its true your home is cleaner and quieter with the set on, but at what cost?

Start eating at the table. Re-establish family dinners. Have the kids help plan and prepare at least one meal a week (or month).

Clear the calendar and establish a Family Game Night.

Wake your kids up early and go watch the sunrise (once a month). Make sure you bring or pick up a yummy breakfast.

Let the kids stay up late and put a telescope in the yard. Sit outside and look a the stars with your kids.

Read aloud to your kids. No matter how old they are. Find a gripping story and stop at a hanging point. Let them enjoy a bowl of popcorn while you read. Need a few suggestions?

Learn to ask questions that cannot be answered with a yes or a no.

Learn to wait for kids to answer. We can be so busy that we do not have patience for our kids minds to form answers.

Teach your kids to do something hard: change a tire, use a weed-eater, unplug a drain, reprogram a computer, build a fence, ANYTHING. Make this a regular habit.

Expect your kids to help around the house. Kids need chores, but they are not slaves. Work alongside them. Put them in charge of background music (Maybe only once a week if you cannot quite stomach their choices).

Set boundaries. Kids need to know you will keep them safe. This means different things for each family. You are the parent. You set the standards.

TURN off YOUR smart phone, laptops, iPads or any screen that pulls your eyes away from your kids. Make it a policy that during your short time together, you will be "ALL IN".

Turn off the house phone during the evening. Family time is sacred!

Read a Proverb every day to your kids. There are 31 Proverbs so you look a the calendar and read that Proverb. If you really want to reclaim your family, you need more of God. Period. Start where you are. Ask God to help you and start reading your Bible. Proverbs is a good place to begin because it is filled with incredible wisdom for your family. No it is not outdated.

Cut out any activities that do not strengthen your family. This can be REALLY hard. Be honest with yourself. There are no One Size Fits All families. What I need to cut in my family will absolutely be different for yours. Just be real.

Family time is precious.

Cut back expenses. This may seem obvious, but it is not. If you cut back your expenses you can carve out more and more time for your family. With some creative financing, maybe you can even afford to stay home!

Start Slowly.

    Set your kids down and let them know you are reclaiming your family.
    Implement one new habit at a time. If you have older kids, let them pick one thing to change first.
    Be consistent.
    Set a reminder in your calendar and re-evaluate your efforts at least once a month.

Which mom would you rather be?

The one who loves being around her children,

or the one who is driven crazy by them?

Make any changes necessary to make the right choice.

It may not be easy, but it is still worth it!

Sharing tried and true homeschooling resources, templates, tips, advice, and encouragement is our passion. Visit http://abetterwaytohomeschool.com/ today!

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Good Reasons Why You Should Choose Home Schooling for Your Kids

By Mandy McCormick

Home schooling has received a lot of criticism over the years. The sad fact is that most of the criticism is not coming from experts or experienced educators but from ordinary people who did not study the matter. Because of these criticisms, many parents have been discouraged from getting this form of education for their children.

If you are a parent then you should not count out the possibility of providing this schooling for your children just because of what you hear from others. For all you know they are just parroting the words that they in turn have heard without really knowing what they are talking about. You should look into what home schooling can do for your children on your own.

To help you to become an informed parent, I have listed here some of the advantages of this. You might see a similar list and it would contain a lot more, but for simplicity's sake I have decided to cut it down to four advantages which basically cover everything. Here are some of those advantages:

Personal Convictions- Whether we admit it or not, our own convictions and beliefs would play an important role in the way that we raise our children. This would go into how they are educated as well. We want our beliefs to become part of the way that they are taught.

This is why people with strong religious or philosophical convictions opt for home schooling for their kids. That way, they can impart the strong convictions that they have to their kids and they can mold their education so that it can be centered on their beliefs. Critics of this would see this as a negative but others see it as something that's very positive.

The Right Kind of Socialization- Critics of home schooling would say that a child undergoing this form of education is being denied the advantages of being able to socialize with children of their own age. Because of that, they are unable to properly develop their skills when it comes to social interaction.

While it might be true that being able to play and talk with children of their own age is beneficial to them, it is not really that much of a necessity. It is also beneficial to expose them to people of other age groups. They could get role models from those older than themselves and they could play role models in turn to those younger than them. You can do this when you opt for this.

Academic Performance- Perhaps the biggest advantage of this schooling is that children who undergo it usually perform better than children who undergo traditional education. That has been proven by statistics that are available for study.

More Time with Family- When children undergo with this they spend more time with their family. That is something that's missing with the usual form of education, which strengthens the socialization of children with their peers at the price of their relationship with their family.

These are just some of the advantages that you can get from home schooling.

Need home school resources to help you home school your children? Lighthouse Home School Resources offers the latest curriculum that you will need. We have a complete line of the most popular resources available anywhere.

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Homeschooling Due to School Violence Discussed

By Lance Winslow

Not long ago, there was yet another Columbine-like mass school shooting in Connecticut. Consider if you will the violence in our schools, the behavior of the kids, and the lack of ability of the school system to give our children the proper education for our technologically advanced society. After this most recent shooting many people said we needed more gun control of assault rifles.

Well, if we are going to charge the tools used by an individual to carry out a crime, then we must take away everyone's car, so they don't use it in a bank robbery. We must close all the school so no one has a place to congregate. And while we're at it we should close all the malls and movie theaters as well. Are you beginning to see my point and how shallow that argument is for gun control?

Still, if we can't trust our schools to protect our children, maybe we shouldn't send them to school anyway. First, I'd like to say that our schools are doing a lousy job of educating our kids, and many of the kids and young adults coming out of our colleges do not have the skills, temperament, mindset, education, ability, talent, or anywhere close to the experience needed to make it in our technologically advanced society.

You know this is a problem, and it's not something I need to tell you. Rather what I'd like to suggest today is that perhaps you do your own homeschooling, and rid your kids of these terrible violent challenges in our schools. Not to mention the proverbial "bullying" or prisonlike atmosphere when your child gets a rotten teacher who doesn't care, and is only there due to their tenure.

Indeed, I suppose there are many moms who do homeschooling in that small town of Connecticut where the elementary school Sandy Hook shooting took place. Their kids are alive, well, and safe. They won't have the emotional scars to deal with that those other kids will who did watch their classmates, teachers, and the school staff shot up, and killed. May I ask why we send our kids off to school in the first place?

If the schools are not doing a good job teaching our children, and if there is a chance that they could be hurt or killed in the violent act, then why on Earth would we send them to such a place? There also challenges with child molestation teachers from time to time, and other crazy things which happen. Who needs that for our children? If you love your children, you might consider not sending them to school at all. Why would you wish them to be brainwashed by an authoritative system that can't even protect them?

Rather than taking away everyone's guns because some deranged individual shot up some kids in school, why not take away all the schools, save the money, and tell the teachers unions "we don't need you anymore?" I'd say this latest shooting is yet another good reason to homeschool your kids. Please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on the Future of Education. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net

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How Homeschool Teachers Can Build on Student's Pre-Existing Knowledge

By Dr Rebecca Keller

Pre-existing knowledge is always a factor in how a student learns something new - it's just how we, as humans, are wired. Even babies, with their very limited knowledge, use what they already know to learn new things, such as basic concepts about spatial relationships, movement and facial expressions. Previously learned information functions as a filter through which all new information must flow. During this process it is categorized and connected - sometimes accurately, sometimes not - to fit into the existing framework of knowledge.

Knowing that all students - even our own kids - have very personalized ways of thinking about things based on prior experience and knowledge, the homeschool teacher can use it to his or her advantage in the classroom. Here are three ways that students' pre-existing knowledge can positively affect homeschool teaching.

Environmental Influence

The setting in which a child learns influences how information is processed. For instance, if you have set aside a particular room in your home for teaching or perhaps even a dedicated space where science experiments take place, that association is important to your child. It is up to you, as the homeschool teacher, to ensure that the associations with this space are positive and do everything possible to encourage investigation, exploration and "what if" questioning.

Another way you can use the learning environment to your advantage is by taking your child out on "field trips" to places associated with science and other school subjects, such as a museum. Your child's pre-existing knowledge tells him or her that this place is for both fun and education and that association is a positive one upon which you can build by using innate enthusiasm.

Information Organization

When teaching children, it is important that the methodology help them properly organize new information to fit with pre-existing knowledge. This helps them transfer the new information learned to future, unique situations.

This can be achieved through a building block process of learning where the student is given a strong foundation of core concepts. Only after those core concepts are firmly in place should advanced learning occur so that students know how and where to organize complex information. The solid foundation becomes the pre-existing knowledge to which new information is added over time.

Social Norms

And finally, the way a teacher manages the homeschool classroom (consciously or unconsciously) also has a bearing on the application of pre-existing knowledge to new concepts. Teachers who rule their classrooms strictly and do not encourage exploration set that norm. It could be that you expect so much from your children they are reluctant to ask questions when they don't thoroughly understand a concept you are teaching. When it comes to science, this is often reflected by parents setting a goal of rote memorization (the periodic table, the solar system, etc.) when it's really much more beneficial to help your kids learn scientific inquiry. When you make this the expectation in your homeschool classroom, it will come easily to your students and allow them to expect the freedom to experiment and investigate science.

Pre-existing knowledge always plays a part in learning. Homeschool teachers who discover how to take advantage of this fact by providing the right environment, a learning structure that encourages organization and a set of expectations congruent with exploration will do the greatest good in helping their children learn.

Real Science-4-Kids frames science in a way that encourages kids to examine opposing models. To find out more about our curriculum, which provides a framework for teaching the process of learning, check out our website. You can see the full text of all our textbooks online for free, so you can decide for yourself if our homeschool science book bundles are the teaching aids you want for your child.

Find out more about the worldview neutral Real Science 4 Kids curriculum created by Dr. Rebecca Keller, herself a homeschool mom, and other home school teaching resources on our Real Science blog.

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Distance Learning for Homeschool High School Students

By Lee Binz

As many high school students consider their options after graduation, more and more are choosing to pursue distance learning. One of the most versatile of the distance learning methods is the College Level Examination Program (CLEP), which allows students to achieve college credit by demonstrating their knowledge through testing. However, this program is not restricted to graduates; many students pursue CLEP credit while still in high school, and go on to enter college with multiple credits already earned.

Although CLEP credit is accepted by a majority of universities, it's important to check the policies of the school your student is interested in attending, so that you comply with their requirements. Testing centers are located at many major universities and in many cities, and you can find the one closest to you by visiting the CLEP website.

There are several ways to find out whether your student knows enough to take a CLEP test. One way is to follow behind your child and track what they have learned naturally from their studies. Many prolific readers acquire knowledge this way. Our youngest son, who read economics books all the time, learned this way, so we gave him a sample economics CLEP test, and he passed it. Then we knew that he could pass the actual CLEP test and get credit for what he knew.

Another way to know whether your child has the required knowledge to earn credit is to plan ahead. With this method, you decide in advance that you want your child to learn a specific class, like Psychology. Purchase books, resources and study materials, and let child study for the subject test. Once you are sure that they can pass it, register for them to take that CLEP test at your local testing center.

There are two different study guides that will be helpful to you, both in learning about CLEP and determining whether your child is ready to test. The first one is the "CLEP Official Study Guide" which gives you a very general assessment. It has one sample test in each of the different subject areas available. This book will give you a quick assessment of whether your child can pass a particular CLEP test.

After you determine that your student will pass a subject test, in depth preparation is the next step for test success. The second book, the CLEP study guide for the particular test subject, is the next resource you will want. There are different brands available, but the one that I preferred was the "REA Study Guide." These seemed to be the easiest to use, and they received the highest rankings for being the most accurate.

Make sure that your student is ready to take the test before they try, because once they take it, they must wait 6 months before taking it again if they don't pass the first time. For complete information on CLEP, check out their website at http://www.collegeboard.com.

Lastly, don't forget to give your student high school credit when they pass a CLEP test! If they have demonstrated a college amount of knowledge, they should definitely get credit for it on their high school transcript.

If you need more help with creating a homeschool transcript, my Total Transcript Solution will show you how to create an AMAZING homeschool transcript that will impress the colleges! In addition to a transcript, having great homeschool records when applying to colleges can help gain college admission and scholarships.

Lee Binz, The HomeScholar, is a homeschool high school expert. Both her two boys earned full-tuition scholarships at their first choice university.

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Homeschooling - You Can Do It

By Phyllis Wheeler

Is homeschooling something YOU could do?

Perhaps you are not happy with your other options, and you are starting to toy with this idea. But you can't imagine yourself doing it. After all, doesn't it take a superwoman to juggle lessons and all the other things Moms have to do?

Take it from a homeschooling veteran, you can do it IF you love your kids. That's the only qualification. As you move through the homeschooling journey, you will develop the skills you need, as you need them. That's how jugglers start--juggling just one thing. Then they add another, and after a while another. And here's another secret: homeschooling can actually be easier than the standard soccer mom routine. Soccer moms are everywhere but home, juggling same-age activities that are different for each kid (unless you have twins). In contrast, when you homeschool, you focus on what you can all do together.

Here's one option for larger families. Homeschoolers look for activities that their kids can share, working with the fact that their ages are different. You can all study one topic, peeling off different layers of it for kids of different ages. You can all study this topic and various aspects of it for a month or so, and then move on to another. This structure is called a unit study. You don't have to invent them, either--plenty of moms who have invented one have published it.

Other options include using workbooks and curriculum so that each child has something to work on that is appropriate for his age, such as at K12.com. These all come with an answer key--you don't need to be a college graduate to make sure your kid is getting the right answer. In fact, many homeschoolers do almost no direct teaching--their kids learn from the book or workbook. (This is a great study skill for college!) There are also correspondence schools that do all the teaching for you, if your child needs that. An example of that is LaurelSprings.com.

For Christians, there is plenty of available curriculum. Alpha Omega Publications produces a broad range of workbooks, and they include activities you can do together. Sonlight produces a curriculum that focuses on historical fiction. If you buy one module, you can use much of it for several children who are less than about four years apart in age. There are also curriculums that focus on high academic achievement, such as Covenant Home Curriculum. I used both Sonlight and Covenant Home and was pleased with them. I used plenty of curriculum from A Beka to fill gaps as well.

Here's an example of a unit study for Ancient Egypt. You head to the library and check out lots of books for the different ages of your kids, all about Egypt. You figure out math problems related to building pyramids--all about triangles, for instance, or calculating the barley harvest in 2000 BC. For art you can observe and copy Egyptian paintings, using high-quality markers and background grids to help you transfer the image (the Egyptians used grids too). You can study hieroglyphics and what sounds they stand for. You can read about Egypt together. For the older kids you can have them read a mystery about Ancient Egypt called Mara, Daughter of the Nile, and discuss whether you think the people in the book behave like modern Americans or like ancient Egyptians. If you are Christian or Jewish, you can work in Joseph and his story. You can give writing assignments on Egypt appropriate to the age of your kids, and go over lists of spelling words for them using the effective method outlined in a multi-age spelling book called Spelling Power.

If this sounds like more than you want to create on your own, just look around for a published unit study on it. Go to a search engine and type in "unit study Egypt homeschool," and you will see quite a few options for you.

Structuring your day is a question for you to ponder. Many homeschoolers get all their less-fun schoolwork done in the morning, leaving the afternoon for projects, goofing off, housework, or whatever. If you want to include your child in an organized activity, you can join regularly schooled children in their sports teams in the late afternoon. But there are daytime activities too. You can also ask around--some of these activities providers are creating daytime classes (in gymastics, for example) for homeschoolers. You do have to be careful to avoid burnout here, though. If you the parent are teaching in the morning, grading in the early afternoon (or near bedtime), and operating weekly field trips in the afternoon, you have to watch how much soccer-mom running around you do. You can't do it all.

But you do want your children to be "socialized." Here's a question homeschoolers get all the time: "Aren't you worried about socialization for your child?" Here's the answer: you have the ability to choose whom your child socializes with, unlike parents of schooled children. You do have to go out of your way to set it up. And you can count socialization with adults--that's the best kind, after all. Adults are generally well-mannered and kind. Unsupervised schoolkids often are not. Homeschooled kids are usually quite comfortable talking to adults! Don't you want your kids to be like that?

A homeschool co-op is one of the best solutions to the need for socialization. If you meet once a week with other homeschoolers for class or field trips, your child gets well-supervised social interaction, and can learn and grow socially in a way that a schooled child cannot. Bullying is simply not a problem for homeschoolers! So how do you find a co-op? You have to ask other homeschoolers. If your area has a homeschooling convention, by all means go to it, and go to workshops if they have any. You need to network with other homeschoolers until you find or can create a co-op.

Lastly, how will you find support? Homeschooling is not for the faint of heart, and it's not for the unsupported parent, either. You will need to find someone to share your challenges with. Many homeschooling parents support each other online. There are plenty of discussion forums attached to homeschooling Web sites. There are plenty of e-mail groups for homeschoolers also. Again, ask around until you find the right one for you.

Here's the answer to the homeschooling question: You can do it!

Phyllis Wheeler writes books for homeschoolers aged 8 and up, including fun computer science curriculums Take a look at a sampling of articles on homeschooling she has for you.

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