Transcript

Welcome to the last module in this course! In this section, we will go over common questions and worries when it comes to homeschooling your preschooler.

I have 5 common questions we’re going over.

1. How will I know my child is on track as far as academics goes? We touched on all the components to preschool in the first module. I hope that gave you some understanding as to what is to be expected during the preschool years. If you’re worried about this, here’s what I suggest: 

• Use a simple assessment at the beginning, middle, and end of the year to see if your child is progressing 

• Meet with someone who is a teacher and express any concerns with them 

• Talk with other homeschool parents and voice any concerns. The warning with this is do not compare your child to theirs. It’s like comparing an apple and an orange. Each child is different, so don’t stress out if their child is reading and yours is still learning the alphabet. 

 2. What do I do about people in my life that are against homeschooling? It’s very common to have friends and family members question you on why you want to homeschool. It really is such a shame because it’s a personal family decision. I know that sometimes it’s not easy to ignore, especially if they question if you are qualified if you don’t have a teaching license. Here are my tips for this scenario: 

a. try your best NOT to think about their opinions. I know this is easier said than done. I am someone who gets affected by people’s words. I have to really ignore any negative voices I hear. Thankfully I have mostly positive voices surrounding me, but in case we do have someone question our decision, I do my best to remember that we made this decision because it’s best for our family and children and it doesn’t matter what they think. 

b. Share your “why” with them – they may not understand, but if they ask you can always share your reasons. But remember DON’T begin with a snippy response. It can be hard not to get emotions involved if people are negative towards you, but try your best! 

c. Show them statistics – if you want to get technical, share with them any research you’ve done to support your decision to homeschool. I’ll link a study done in the video notes for you to read on why homeschooling works: https://hslda.org/content/docs/study/comp2001/HomeSchoolAchievement.pdf 

 d. Answer with a short answer – honestly, if you don’t want a lot of questions try answering with this: “This our family’s decision, and I prefer to not answer questions about our decision.” 

3. How can I homeschool with other kids at home? This is a tricky thing to manage if you have other ages at home. If the children are older, it is easier because they are most likely able to do independent work. If you have younger children, try to do school work when the younger children are napping. You can also involve the siblings and modify activities for them. I know that means it’s more to balance for you, though. I know some families that have hired a babysitter to watch other siblings during school time. That may not be in your budget, but I wanted to mention it in case it is an option. I would make sure you have 20-30 minutes to dedicate to just your preschooler. Preschoolers need lots of attention and help with activities. It’s important to have that direct instruction with them. 

4. What do I do if my child wants to go to school? This may just happen. They may have friends at school or see school on a TV show. I would make sure to be prepared to this and also have an answer ready. Remember the why you thought of in an earlier lesson? Perhaps you can share that why with your child. If you feel like sending your child to school is the next best step, that’s totally fine! Nobody says you have to homeschool for life. 

 When my oldest was kindergarten-age. We thought about homeschooling and sending him to public school. We eventually landed on doing a dual enrollment, where he would go to school in the morning and then I picked him up after lunch and we did math at home. It worked great, but then one day he asked if he could go to school full time. After discussing this with my husband, we decided to try it. It was a great decision and he thrived. Now several years later, we’ve decided to try homeschooling again. He actually asked to homeschool and we discussed this and decided it would be best for our family. Nothing is set in stone forever. We’ve always said we would take it year by year. 

There’s a lot of factors into making this decision: 

 • Your child’s desire 

• Your family’s needs 

• Learning disabilities 

• The options for schools where you live 

• Financial investment for private schools And more! 

5. Am I qualified to teach? YES you are! If you are passionate about teaching your own child through homeschooling, then you have the drive and motivation to teach. There are so many resources and options out there to help you know how to teach. When I was growing up in the 80s there weren’t as many options. Now we have Pinterest, different courses, homeschooling conferences and co-ops. You certainly don’t need a degree to teach, although it can come in handy. The data are in on this as well. Having more professional and academic resources at your disposal does not guarantee a better education. The curriculum you choose should prepare you enough to teach. Otherwise there are courses you can take or your kids can take online courses. I know I would be nervous to teach my kids Algebra in the later years, but knowing there are so many options out there eases my worries.

Homeschooled children have the gift of learning in freedom. For my kids, this means pursuing those subjects that interest them for as long as they wish. They don’t have to do homework, when they get to the older grades, because they are able to retain information quickly without distractions. They sleep a little later, and are thoroughly rested as they begin each day. You also have time to have a social life, spending lots of times with friends and other activities. Honestly, a homeschooler’s education is well-rounded and complete; the basics are easily covered and time is not wasted on unnecessary tasks or discipline issues that are common in a classroom. I hope this lesson gave you some encouragement. 

It’s not easy to go against the grain of society. If you remember just one thing, it’s to stick with your WHY and not to listen to negative voices.