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As this school year winds to a close I have heard from several parents who are thinking of homeschooling their children. We are completing our 13th year of homeschooling and over that time I have helped several families weigh their options and get started.  I want to start out by saying homeschooling is not for everyone. Homeschooling is one of the biggest committments you will make as a parent.

The reasons families chose to homeschool are as varied as the families themselves. Many families homeschool because of religious reasons, special education issues or poor local school systems. We homeschool mainly for religious reasons but also because I was a public and private school teacher and I was appalled at the low educational expectations, lack of respect and discipline issues in our local schools.

Before diving in to homeschooling you need to make sure you are ready for the committment. Ask yourself these questions:

• Why do I want to homeschool my children?
• Do I have 4-6 hours a day to focus on my children and their education?
• Can I handle the added responsibility of being mom/wife/housekeeper/teacher ?
• Do I have a support system that believes in the benefits of homeschooling?
• Can we afford to homeschool? Each year we spend more and more money on homeschooling books, resources and activities.

Make sure you can answer these questions and then discuss them with your spouse. Your life will change when you begin to homeschool and you need to both be on the same page each step of the way. Once you are both united in this adventure it is time for you to do your research.

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, though the rules differ from state to state.  A great starting point for learning about your state’s regulations is HSLDA.org, the Home School Legal Defense Association is a wonderful organization of lawyers dedicated to the cause of homeschooling and the rights of parents who chose to legally homeschool their children. When you visit their site click on the tab “About Homeschooling” and start reading.

Next time we’ll look at the most asked question “Where do I get books?”

SpellQuizzer is an easy to use software that helps your child learn their weekly spelling list without having to write them over and over again. Yes, I know writing them is a good way to learn spelling words and kids should spend some of their study time every week writing their words, but SpellQuizzer is another tool that families can use to aid in learning.

Each week you input that week’s spelling list and then your child can study his spelling words even when you aren’t available to dictate the words to them. We used it this week for our Bible class. My boys had to know the books of the Bible in order and be able to spell them correctly. I input they words, it just took a few minutes to set up, and then they used SpellQuizzer to practice the words. It worked great!

The SpellQuizzer website has some downloadable spelling lists that you can use over the summer for enrichment or homeschoolers could use them too. Since you create the spelling list in SpellQuizzer, it works with any spelling curriculum.

SpellQuizzer is very affordable at $29.95 and, since it is customizable it will last for years. If you’re still not sure if SpellQuizzer is for you check out their free 30 day trial. This is a great offer-you get to try it before your buy it.  Go to the website, download your free trial and check it out. If you think this is something you’d like to share with a friend please use the ShareThis button below to share it, stumble it, tweet it or Facebook it. Thanks!

There are many different ways to homeschool and it is almost impossible to list and describe them all. I am going to cover the basics as the others are combinations or tweakings of the basics. Please also know that I am speaking in generalities here. One of the joys of homeschooling is freedom. The freedom to educate our children in the way they best learn.

• Textbook based or School at Home-This is what most non-homeschoolers envision when they think of homeschooling, though I doubt it is the most popularly used among homeschoolers themselves. These families often get all of their curriculum from 1 supplier like Abeka, Bob Jones or CLASS and work systematically through the books in their “schoolroom” or at the kitchen table. This is often how many homeschoolers start homeschooling, especially if their children had attended a public school previously

• Unit Studies- Families who use Unit Studies work in one topic for several weeks or months but they work across the curriculum on that topic. Of ten families who use Unit Studies have each child in age appropriate math but work in history, reading, writing etc into the topic they are studying. Parents can design their own unit studies or there are many pre-designed studies on the market today. Unit Studies are great for working with multiple children of differing ages.

• Unschooling-Unschooling is also known as interest-led or child-led learning. Unschoolers learn from everyday life experiences and do not use school schedules or formal lessons. Instead, unschooled children follow their interests and learn by experiencing, researching and asking questions.

• Charlotte Mason Method-The Charlotte Mason method has at its core the belief that children learn best from real-life situations. According to Charlotte Mason, children should be given time to play, create, and be involved in real-life situations from which they can learn. Students of the Charlotte Mason method take nature walks, visit art museums, and learn geography, history, and literature from “living books,” books that make these subjects come alive.

• Eclectic-Eclectic or Relaxed homeschooling is the method used most often by homeschoolers. Basically, eclectic homeschoolers use a little of this and a little of that, using workbooks for math, reading, and spelling, and taking an unschooling approach for the other subjects.

Homeschoolers also use methods like lapbooking, notebooking and other project based ways of learning to supplement the constant use of textbooks and tests. Most children learn best when they experience something. Homeschooling gives families the freedom to get their hands dirty and learn together.

Do you want more information on homeschooling? My friend Cindy Rushton has completed her Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2009 but, since it is a virtual expo, you can attend any time! I love being able to listen to a seminar when it fits in my schedule and I can listen in my pajamas and no one else knows! To check out the Ultimate Homeschool Expo 2009 just click on th link.