A College Degree is NOT Required in Order to Successfully Homeschool Your Child

I am proof of that.  I graduated from public high school 30 years ago (back when teachers & principals still had control of  their schools;  but even then, the only Math requirement for high school graduation was to take Algebra I.  I did not take Geometry, nor did I take Algebra II in high school).  I attended a  vocational school from which I obtained my certification in Occupational Child Care & Development.  I  went on to college for a short time, taking more classes in Child Care & Development, as well as a bookkeeping course, and typing classes. I do NOT have a college degree.  I have never taken a college-level English or Math course (not officially, anyway).

So...how was I able to sucessfully supervise the education of my 3 children through high school?  What made it work?   As a Christian, I feel that GOD's GRACE and GUIDANCE were the most important elements of my family's homeschooling experience.  DETERMINATION to see it through to the end and DEDICATION to the cause are also vital to a homeschool's success. 

I first took my oldest child out of public school when she was in 7th grade.  She did great at public school during primary school (K-4).  My sweet, loving child  made straight A's and tested as being "gifted".  That all began to change after she began middle school.  Her grades began to drop and her attitude began to change for the worse.  By 7th grade, her report card was showing C's and B's . Her teachers had her taken off of the gifted list - which didn't make sense to me - either you were gifted or you weren't.  One of her teachers told me that my daughter "could try again in 8th grade" to pass the gifted test.  I thought, "What?  She'd ALREADY passed this test!  Why don't you just try to figure out what her problem is?"  In addition to my daughter's falling grades, she had become hateful to, and resentful of, her family members.   She was also being indecently harassed at school by a male classmate.   In desperation, my husband and I decided to try homeschooling.  We figured we could not do any worse at teaching than her public school teachers were doing.  Chances were, we could do a better job of it.  They obviously were not able to give our daughter any special attention where her falling grades were concerned.  They didn't even seem to want to try. (I later learned, through special testing which I arranged myself, that our daughter was on a 5th grade level in Math & English.  The two years she had spent at middle school had been nothing but a waste of time!)  Concerning her negative attitude - we knew that was a result of spending so much time with her unsaved peers.  She was allowing their bad attitudes and disrespect for authority to influence her.  We knew a change of scenery was in order to combat that.  We took our daughter out of public school in October of her 7th grade year.  We took our 2 younger boys out  before the next school year began.  They began homeschooling in their 5th and 1st grade years.  By the way, during the time my older son  was in public school, he could not spell worth a dime, as his teachers were no longer giving proper phonics instruction. 

As it turned out, homeschooling was the BEST educational decision we have ever made concerning our children.  The rift in our family bond began to heal. As for academics, we focused more intently on the subjects they had problems with.  I ended up learning (or re-learning) right along with my children.  When my children reached high school and math became more difficult, we used various aids: a tutor (another homeschool mom) and VHS videos for Algebra 1, Geometry CDs for use on the computer and VHS video instruction (now available on DVDs, of course), and for Algebra 2 my daughter and I took a class together at our local community college.  Homeschoolers in my state, as well as in some other states,  may take classes at their local community colleges as early as age 16. 

The results:  My daughter and my youngest son chose to go on to college after graduation from high school at home.  Both did extremely well on their Math & English Placement Tests given by the college.  Neither of them had to take any remedial courses at college after their high school (homeschool) graduation.  After my daughter took the tests, the adviser told me "she did BETTER than MOST (public) high school graduates".  After my son took the tests, the adviser told me that he did so well that "he can take whatever he wants" (go into any field of study). My daughter ended up working in bookkeeping/computer at one of our local banks.  (She decided to become a stay-at-home mom before the birth of her second child, and intends for me to help her homeschool her children.)  My youngest son is currently enrolled in college part-time and works part-time.  His major is Computer Software.  My older son (my middle child) decided to go directly into the work force full-time.  He has done well at various jobs, and has now settled into a rewarding career as a Correctional Officer at a Maximum Security Prison.  Despite the fact that this son of mine has never attended college, he frequently tutored his girlfriend  when she was in her last two years of high school and also when she was in college.  She made very good grades on the assignments he helped her with. 

So, parents, don't let the lack of a college degree hinder you from homeschooling your children.  There are various ways to overcome any obstacles you might face.  If you seek God's blessing and guidance, if you are dedicated to the cause and determined to see it through - no matter what - then it will work and the end results will amaze you. 

If anyone questions your ability to teach your children due to your lack of college attendance or due to your lack of having a college degree (and if you have graduated from a public school), you could reply:

"I have graduated from a public, state-run high school.  If my diploma is valid, as the government assures me that it is, then what makes you think that I am unable to transfer my knowledge on to someone else?"

Otherwise, you could just simply state:

"Considering the fact that the majority of  public high school graduates that go on to college must take remedial courses in college, I don't feel that I could do any worse at teaching my kids than the public schools would do."

Case closed!

Benefits of Homeschooling

Let's face it.  The public school of today is NOT the same as it was 30 plus years ago.  Back then, teachers had the right to control their students.  Now, they are afraid to touch a child for fear of lawsuits.  Back then, parents were not afraid to discipline their child.  Now, if a parent spanks a child, that child will "tell someone" (as the government encourages), and the parents will be investigated and possibly arrested.  The unruly behavior of problem children goes unpunished, which only perpetuates the problem.  Violence, illegal drugs, and immorality among our public school students has become so widespread that it is mind-boggling.  Police are now being called to come to school to take control of KINDERGARTEN  and  PRIMARY school-aged  kids!  They are being led out in  handcuffs because their teachers are afraid of them!!!  Parents, do you really want your kids exposed to this type of scenario (and on a regular basis)?  What good does it do to control what your children watch on TV, when they see at school the very things you are trying to keep them from watching on TV?  The bottom line is that the government controlled, public school system is not the ideal situation in which to morally (or academically) raise & educate your children.  That is why homeschooling has been becoming more  popular in recent years.

Homeschooling is legal in every state.

Homeschooling: 
                                                                                                                                                              
 1.  Encourages the family bond.

 2.   Promotes individuality and leadership qualities in your child.

 3.  Enables your child to live in the "real world" (home, community, places of business, places of
 interest/recreation, etc.) where he/she can be exposed to and interact with people of all ages &
 backgrounds on a regular basis.

 4.  The worldview (both political & religious) instilled in your child will be that of the parents & family, rather than those of some stranger who may not share your sense of morality.  (If my child becomes  "indoctrinated", then I want to be the one doing the indoctrination!) 

 5.  Costs less than public schooling.  You can homeschool for 13 years (grades K - 12) for LESS than it costs to public school for one year.  REALLY!  I recently sat down and made a list of the curriculum I plan to use with my grandson for each grade level.  I discovered that the total cost of  his curriculum for 13 years would be approximately $6,000 (not counting for inflation).  The government spends around $10,000 PER YEAR, PER CHILD for public school.  (slightly less or more, depending on the state you live in).   The average cost to homeschool a child for one year is around $460.

 6.  Enables the parents  to be able to choose curriculum that would best suit their child's individual needs.  The "one size fits all" philosopy common to public schooling does not fit the majority of children.  This is evidenced by the high numbers of  public  high school "graduates" who must take developmental/remedial courses in college.  

 7.  Keeps the focus of education on academics, career training, citizenship, and charity work (being a good neighbor), rather than on "having lots of friends, being popular, and playing sports" as one teen-age girl I know said was the reason a child should attend public school.  (Hmmmm...30 plus years ago teachers used to tell kids they did not come to school to socialize, but to learn.  Things sure have changed since I went to public school!) 

 8.  Is not restricted to only one place or location; is not restricted to certain hours of the day, days of the week, or months of the year.  It can be done anywhere, at any time that the parent prefers.  You don't have to count "sick days", and you can take your family vacations whenever you want.  Family vacations can often be turned into an educational experience and counted towards the number of school hours completed or the number of school days in attendance. 

 9.  Homeschooled students, on the average, score BETTER than public schooled students on nationally recognized standardized achievement tests.  (84th percentile vs. 50th percentile).


The benefits of homeschooling are too numerous for me to list here.  If you would like, you may leave a comment and add other benefits of homeschooling  that I have not already mentioned.

Homeschooling Using Tutors

In some states it is legal to use tutors to homeschool your children either in part or entirely.  Parents will need to sign a Power of Attorney giving the tutor  the legal right to educate your child during school hours (for example:  Mondays - Fridays, 9 am - 3 pm, Sept.-May of each school year, until the child reaches age 18 yrs. or whatever age you designate.)

More information about this homeschooling option may be obtained from the Home School Legal Defense Association.  http://hslda.org  They will send you a sample Power of Attorney form to use as a guide for writing up your own contract.  This form must be Notarized to become a legal document.

For added peace of mind, it would be wise to include with your Power of Attorney the right of either party (parents or tutor) to cancel the contract for any reason, and at any time through signed, written notification to the other party. 

I will be homeschooling my grandchildren using this Power of  Attorney (in Virginia).

Homeschool Curriculum I Have Tried and Liked...

The list of sources/publishers of homeschool curriculum is practically endless, but the one I buy from most is Christian Book Distributors. (CBD)  http://www.christianbook.com They sell curriculum from various publishers at discounted prices. From them you will find curriculum such as this:

Accelerated Christian Education (ACE/School of Tomorrow) - workbook format, easy to implement & great for beginning homeschoolers who are unsure of what they are doing (which was me at one time! lol!) Actually, it is a good curriculum for all ages if you prefer workbooks.  DVDs with instructors are available for high school math.  http://www.aceministries.com

Great ideas for preschoolers & kindergarten can be found at:  http://totallytots.homestead.com & http://www.busybeekidscrafts.com


Bob Jones University has homeschool curriculum (textbooks) for all grade levels with video/DVD/or online instruction available.  http://www.bjupress.com


Streams of Civilization is a world history course for high school which can be purchased from CBD.

Answers in Genesis has a host of creation science curriculum/DVDs  http://answersingenesis.org
and Christian Liberty Press has curriculum for all grade levels  http://christianlibertypress.com , also available from CBD. 

For the last half of my homeschool journey, I used books/DVDs/videos from various publishers.  I did not buy all of my curriculum from just one publisher.  I shopped around in order to find curriculum which would appeal to each individual child, which would suit his/her needs the best, as well as what was more cost effective.  I was so glad when I discovered Christian Book Distributors.  They have just about everything a Christian homeschooling family would need. 

I have heard good things about the Horizons curriculum for the lower grades, and Teaching Textbooks for upper level Math, and Mystery of History for middle school.   I plan to use these later, as I homeschool my grandchildren. 

Please feel free to leave a comment with your own homeschooling curriculum favorites.

Home School Legal Defense Association

The Homeschool Legal Defense Association is an organization which has been formed for the sole purpose of defending the rights of homeschooling families if/when they are faced with problems with public school officials, social workers, etc, over their legal right to homeschool.  Yearly membership fees are minimal (approx. $115 or so).  For this low fee, their lawyers are there to help you with any homeschooling problems/questions you may have.  They will supply you with info on how to get started with homeschooling in your state, including the proper forms to fill out for filing with your local school board, as well as defending you in court if the need should arise.  You can find them online.

The Home School Legal Defense Association has been a big help to me over the years as I homeschooled my own children.  Their legal support has given me confidence and peace of mind during my homeschooling journey.  No family should attempt to homeschool without them!

http://hslda.org

"What about socialization? You must send your kids to public school so they will be properly socialized!"

Ummmmm...REALLY?  Stop for a moment and think about what you just said.  Think about how the majority of kids at public school behave.  Do you REALLY want THESE  kids to teach YOUR kids THEIR socialization "skills" (or lack thereof)?  Hmmmm?

Children cannot learn proper social skills from another child.  "If the blind lead the blind, they shall both fall into the ditch."  - Jesus Christ , Matthew 15:14.    "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."  - Proverbs 22:15.

How can someone who is foolish and inexperienced teach your child anything of value?  The "rod of correction" by many Christians is interpreted to mean "firm discipline".  Proverbs 22:15 could be paraphrased to mean "Proper behavior is learned through firm discipline."  Will other children provide your child with firm discipline?  I think not.

Proper social skills are learned from caring adults who have the child's best interest in mind.  These social skills are then practiced at home, at church, and in the community under the supervision of these caring adults.  No public institution, no government-controlled school, regardless of how "degreed" or "credentialed"  its teachers may be,  can properly supervise or guide a child towards proper behavior as well as a loving parent or guardian can.

"Salt will lose its savor if dirt is being dumped into it everyday."

Many Christian parents have the mistaken belief that their Christian kids will be "salt & light" to the unsaved kids at public school.  While this is certainly possible, it is more than likely not probable in most cases. Christian kids are "babes in Christ".  They are not yet mature Christians who are rooted and grounded in their beliefs.  Christian kids, like all kids, are just that...kids!  They do not always make wise choices.  They need the guidance of  mature Christian adults (preferably, their parents) to lead them toward spiritual, mental, and emotional maturity.  The environment of our public schools today is like a battlefield.  When armies go out to battle, do they send the children to fight?  Of course not!  When Christian churches send out missionaries to witness to people living in lands ruled by communists/dictatorships, do they send out children?  Of course not!  When Jesus sent out his disciples to witness, did he send out children?  No!    Crime, drugs, violence, and immorality are rampant in our public schools..  Rebellion against parents and authority figures is the norm among students educated by our public schools.  Whose responsibility is it to turn the hearts of these children to the Lord?  Jesus did not tell the children to go out into the highways and hedges and compel people to come in that His house may be full.  Jesus commissioned adults that He had TRAINED WELL to do His work.  Notice that Jesus' disciples did not go out to do serious witnessing  to others soon after their conversion.   They were still "babes in Christ", new to the faith, not yet rooted and grounded in God's Word.  To send them out as babes in Christ would have been a disaster.  The devil would have had a hey-day out of them.  As it was, even after 3 years of intense teaching by Christ, living with Him, watching Him perform miracles, all of the disciples still scattered in fear when Jesus was arrested, one completely betrayed Him, and one vehemently denied Him.  To send our Christian kids to public schools is no better than throwing them out to the wolves.  Public school kids spend more time at school, with their same age, mostly unsaved peers, than they do with their parents at home.  At public school they will absorb more negative influences than their parents will have time to combat.  At public school,  Christian kids will be indoctrinated into socialistic/liberal views that their parents will  try, in vain, to deprogram from their children's minds and hearts.  Why do this to your children?  Why do this to yourself?  Why have kids if you are going to just give them over to the government to raise?