New to homeschooling? All homeschool moms were new at some point. We’ve collected some resources to help get you started! Check out our book, app, and FB group lists, and our tips from our moms below!
Videos:
Homeschooling 101 – This is a video made by Homeschool Alabama and is a great summary of how to get started.
Books:
We surveyed our moms from LCA to find out which books helped them out
the most. Here’s their list!
- “Teaching From Rest” by Sarah Mackenzie
- “Mere Motherhood” by Cindy Rollins
- “Call of the Wild + Free – Reclaiming Wonder in Your Child’s Education” by Ainsley Arment
- “Homeschooling: You Can Do It” – written by a former LCA mom – Kirsten McTernan
- “Education: Does God Have an Opinion?” by Israel Wayne
- “Free to Learn” by Peter Gray
- “Dumbing Us Down” by John Taylor Gatto
- “Ten Ways to Destroy the Imagination of Your Child” by Anthony Esolen
- “Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Child with Confidence” by Jamie Erickson
- “In Vital Harmony: Charlotte Mason and the Natural Laws of Education” by Karen Glass
- “Educating the Wholehearted Child” by Clay and Sally Clarkson
- “What Your Child Needs to Know When: According to the Bible, According to the State: with Evaluation Check Lists for Grades K-8” by Robin Sampson
- “So You’re Thinking About Homeschooling: Second Edition: Fifteen Families Show How You Can Do It” by Lisa Whelchel
Facebook Groups:
- LCA Moms (Open to LCA moms only)
- Rocket City Homeschooling Info
- HSV Homeschool
- Madison County Homeschoolers
- Homeschool Alabama
- Alabama Homeschool Support
Wise Words from Seasoned Moms – “If you could go back in time, what’s something you wish you had known when you started your homeschooling journey?”
“The biggest thing would have been that “when God calls, He also equips” applies to homeschooling too. I went back and forth on whether or not we should homeschool for years before we made the decision because I was afraid I would “mess [my children] up”. Now it has been 5 years, and looking back I see God leading to certain classes, or service, or …. you name it, that I didn’t know were going to be important, but that has lead the girls to choose their desired degrees, or to opening doors, or filling resumes or…. whatever it is. God is leading their path, and isn’t going to let me “mess it up”.” – P. Stark, LCA Parent
“My biggest piece of advice would be to RELAX. Let your children play. Let them skip math because they really want to finish that book they are reading. Let you and your kiddos take a day off to go hang out with friends. Homeschooling is not the same as having a school environment at home with a minute by minute schedule that has to be completed or else. Enjoy the freedom to teach your children what you want to them learn. Cater your homeschooling classes to your children’s interests, strengths, and weaknesses. And have the flexibility to take off whenever you want. Yes, planning and outlining is good. But give yourself enough of a buffer to make the most of mid-week opportunities. And most importantly, pray, praise, and give thanks to God for this wonderful opportunity to raise your children at home. Ask Him to equip you with your every need. And know that He will be there to support you all the way.” – K. Hahn, LCA Parent
“It is ok to switch gears at any point if something is just not working. Sometimes we feel locked into a curriculum or a teaching style or something as simple as where we sit to do school but it is OK to change at any point during the school year!” – J. Lovassy, LCA Parent
“I would have read aloud more and worried about completing the workbooks less. Enjoy the time together because they leave the nest so fast once they start driving.” – J. Wiggins, LCA Parent