By Christian homeschooling is a tricky subject to discuss because of the obvious negative connotations that are associated with it from the perspective of a public school stalwart. The common view of anybody not familiar with either Christian teaching or homeschooling is that the former is rife with warped viewpoints that are a detriment to a child’s education, and the latter is a cloistered bevy of ulterior motives that leave the child unable to cope with the real world once they are out from the overarching wing of their parents.
There are more than enough cases to lend credence to both of these viewpoints but the idea of Christian homeschooling as a way to avoid either the ‘school’ aspect or the ‘public’ aspect of public school ultimately misses the point. For one, the legal bindings surrounding prayer in school are already more than enough for even the most liberal-minded of Christian parents to take matters into their own hands. Whether or not prayer is allowed or encouraged in school is not the only deciding factor, however, for many of these parents, after all, a child can pray silently to himself/herself at any time of day in school.
The teaching of evolution over intelligent design is another reason for the choice of homeschooling for a Christian family. With homeschooling, a parent can stress the education of Solomon, Salome, and Saul over Darwin, Dawkins, and Descartes.
But what of the classic argument that children that were homeschooled are less able to fit in with the real world upon ‘graduation’. Many studies, along with common sense, cite that children who were homeschooled end up being less able to function in society because they hadn’t grown up with peers or learned the classic playground rules that carry over to adult life. Interestingly enough, proponents of Christian homeschool, and typical homeschool as well, say that children that were homeschooled in fact can function better in the real world than children raised in public schools. For one, the child has the ability to gain more education per grade, or go at their own pace. For another, the chance to take a ‘field trip’ to anywhere from the market to the museum allows the child to see people of all ages functioning in society. In a public school, argues the homeschool crowd, children are forced to interact only with their peers and are therefore unable to relate to anybody besides their age.
While there are arguments on both sides of the fence that are very sound, perhaps the most important thing to remember is that the parent of a child ultimately has the final say in the outcome of that child’s education. What is good for the gander doesn’t apply to every goose, and the right of a parent to sculpt his/her child’s future carries far more weight than popular opinion.
As a Christian parent, you may have various reasons for deciding to homeschool. You may have already tried the public school system, and found yourself shocked by the effect the classes were having on your children, or at the inability of teachers to control undesirable elements in the class. On the other hand, you may have decided from the moment your children were born that you wanted to keep them within the influence of a Christian home. Whatever your reason is, once you have made the decision, you find yourself faced with the problem of choosing the right Christian homeschool curriculum for your children.
Nowadays, parents looking for a Christian homeschool curriculum are confronted with a bewildering array of choices, far more than there were 20 years ago. However, this wide choice, far from helping, can make things more difficult. For a start, groups who are not totally Biblical in their emphasis provide some curriculums marketed as ‘Christian’. How much does this matter to you? If it does matter, how can you make sure you are choosing a curriculum with the right Biblical emphasis for your family?
When you are choosing a curriculum as a Christian, there are two criteria you need to use, and both are equally important. One criterion is the perspective from which the curriculum comes, that is, whether it comes from a truly Biblical perspective. One way of checking this is to use homeschool review sites where curricula are reviewed. When you read reviews that appeal to you, you are able to check the profile of the reviewers to ensure that they are reviewing from a sound Christian perspective. If so, you know that this is a curriculum you could consider. There are also Christian message boards and forums where Christian parents can share their experiences. If you use one of these forums to ask for recommendations for a curriculum, you will receive plenty of helpful suggestions.
The second criterion, of course, is the learning needs and learning styles of your children. Are they slow or fast learners? How do they learn best? Some children learn best through doing things and acting out, others by seeing things set out in front of them, others again by hearing the lessons and then reviewing them. Different curricula fit different learning styles, so you should not assume that a single program would be suitable for all your children. Once you have identified your family’s learning needs to the best of your ability, the best thing to do is to attend a homeschool curriculum fair, or convention, in your area. Here you can see the whole range of what is on offer, and talk to other parents and to the representatives of the different Christian providers to find out the details of how each curriculum can best be used.
Almost every Christian homeschool curriculum will provide you with an amazing amount of resources and materials such as CDs, downloadable materials, books, or a combination of all of these. In addition, there should be plenty of ongoing support and help, and you should make sure you choose a program where this is available. Nevertheless, you must not underestimate the amount of time, effort and sheer hard work involved in schooling your children at home. You must certainly be prepared to treat it as a full-time job, and give it everything you have and more. Your reward, as thousands of Christian parents will testify, will be in your strengthened relationships with your children, and the oneness you experience as a Christian family.
