Q&A: I Want To Teach My Children At Home…And I’m Scared to Death!

A: Dear Susan, You are wise to consider it now while they are both so young. It is a decision I have never regretted. It is scary until you actually decide to do it, order the books and get started and begin to think, “Hey, maybe I can do this.” There is so much available now to help you teach. That in itself is overwhelming! But, it’s not as important which curriculum you choose as how you use it. A Beka has a great Scope and Sequence chart– even if you don’t use A Beka, it can serve as a guide. However, each child is different and we let them go at their own rate in each subject.

Home education is a great benefit because of the parent/child relationship that is built. You will get to know your child so well and begin to see what works best for him. Some things that work for some kids just don’t work for others.

It really is a huge advantage to a child to be taught at home. Basically, you need to teach them to read, write, communicate, and how to learn to find information on their own. If you forget some part of a good education, they can learn it on their own later, when they find a need for it. Just do what you feel is best for each one and don’t get uptight about missing something.

God will guide and direct you as you go along. After a year or so it won’t be so scary, and you’ll get more comfortable choosing what part of a curriculum to keep and what part is just busy work and can be eliminated. Have fun doing some simple preschool/kindergarten work and you will gain confidence. Remember to make Scripture your main focus. When kids learn God’s Word at an early age, academics will come much easier later.

Hope that helps some and please feel free to ask me questions along the way.

Blessings,