Curriculum Decision
In 1995 I opened a mail-order educational products company called Bright Spark Press. As you can imagine, the company catered to homeschoolers. Every year, mid-July the mad rush to get products in time for the "first day of school" began. Orders poured in. Hours every day were spent invoicing, packaging, and shipping. Curriculum questions arrived by phone, fax, and email at all hours of the day and night.
Obviously home education is the best choice for our family, in our circumstances, at this time. In spite of that, I am not one who believes that public school is the root of all evil. I believe there are positives and negatives in most every institution and most every educational style.
As the “new school year” approaches and, perhaps, you feel compelled to stock up on your supplies, stop for a moment. Ask yourself, “Why?” Are your choices, your teaching style, even your educational timetable determined by habit or by what is really best for your children and your family? Are they really serving you?
Many, probably most, of us are products of public schools. Our educational experiences may be limited in other venues. But before you duplicate a classroom situation, with all it’s structure, in your home, do yourself a favor. Evaluate your educational philosophy. Analyze your family. Sort through alternative teaching methods. Then choose those things, from schools, from other homeschoolers, from life, that will provide the best possible education for your family.
The beauty of homeschooling is in its flexibility. This is your chance for personalized education!
The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child: Your Complete Guide to Getting Off to the Right Start
Homeschooling: Take a Deep Breath - You Can Do This
Revealed Educational Principles and Public Schools
The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home
