Getting Into Homeschool

In many places it is the beginning of a new school year. So this week lets talk about why we homeschool, our methodology, and resources to help you get started.

Why We Homeschool

Actually, there are about an infinite number of reasons we homeschool. Some interesting ones include: because of socialization, giving our kids a higher quality education, and being able to set our own schedule.

Our children will be comfortable around kids of all ages (and having conversations with adults. And our children can dig deeper into subjects,  and be appropriately challenged. Also, they can work at their skill level rather than grade level. (So a first grader may be doing second grade math, fourth grade reading, first grade phonics, and kindergarten printing practice). Finally, we can do school on a Saturday if it suits us. And spend Mondays doing errands around town when it wouldn’t be as busy. We can start school at 10 am or 3pm. Plus, this gives us the freedom to do things like go to a morning Divine Liturgy every day.

Digging Deeper…

But if I am being honest, the reason we homeschool is because we are responsible to God for our children.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church Catholic defines the principle of subsidiarity (1883). There, it is quoting Pius XI, (Quadragesimo Anno, 184-186). “The principle of subsidiarity states that a community of a higher order should not assume the task belonging to a community of a lower order and deprive it of its authority. It should rather support it in case of need.” This means that if the parents are capable and able to homeschool, this task should not be removed from them, and that the state is only there to support this task in case the parents are in need of it.

Furthermore, the CCC goes on to explain that “Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children” (2222). All parents, whether homeschoolers or not, are going to have to answer to God for the education of their children. And, from experience in the public education system, I cannot honestly tell anyone I believe it is a good environment for children. Yes there are many great teachers out there. But they do not make up for all that is lacking in the system.

So in order to guard the souls of our children, and to provide a strong education, we homeschool.

Our Methodology

For the preschool years, we utilize the Montessori Method. Check out our article on how we preschool. And our video on how we preschool. An Italian Catholic, Maria Montessori’s method suits the life of the family. In particular it supports mixed age groups, hands on learning, and the child participating in family life. (So wiping tables after meals, sweeping the floor, and other practical skills). For more on the Montessori Method read 12 Aspects of Caring for Kids, or Making a Child Friendly Home, and finally Montessori + Byzantine.

For the grades-school years, the Classical Method is our guide. Many great saints were given a classical education. Including our great Apostles to the Slavs, Sts. Cyril and Methodius.

The First Three Stages of Classical Education

A classical education covers material in three stages. When first introduced to material it is the grammar stage. In this stage we learn the grammar of a subject. This includes things like what animals are, how to write a sentence, what are the names of the planets, and addition tables. By learning the grammar of a subject, a child then has the tools for the next stage of learning: logic.

In the logic stage, the child looks at why. Why do some animals eat plants and other eat other animals. Why do we speak in fragments but write full sentences? And why do the planets go around the sun? Why does mathematics work the way it does?

Finally, with the grammar and logic of the subjects mastered, the child is ready to enrage in rhetoric. Now he can write his own opinions on the behaviour of animals. Or critique the works of Shakespeare. Now the child is equipped to engage creatively with the subjects, and even produce material of his own. Although some creative writing and imagination may occur before this stage, this is when creativity blossoms. Even fantasy writers use their real life knowledge and understanding of the world to create other worlds which can sustain a reader’s suspension of disbelief. And indeed, one cannot imagine another world without knowing what a world is.

How The Levels Fit In Grades 1-12

Generally, we divide the stages evenly into sections of four grades. So in grades 1 through 4 we focus on mastering the grammar of the subjects. Then from grades 5 to 8 we challenge our children with logic level work. Finally, in grades 9 through 12 we engage in rhetoric work with the teens. One pertinent fact to note is that homeschool children usually obtain critical thinking abilities on average, four years sooner than institutionally educated children.

However, when introducing a new subject, we always start with grammar level work. For example, if we start to teach a new foreign language in grade 9, we aren’t going to ask them to write an essay in this new language. Instead, we will begin by learning the grammar of the subject.

All new subjects must begin with the grammar stage, regardless of what grade they are introduced in. However, for the general level of school work and methods of inquiry, the classical stage of their grade will be the focus.

How We Do Subjects

In the last few weeks I have been building my homeschooling planner/notebook. When I am finished, I will make a video going through an explaining how I put the notebook together. Also, in the binder I describe how many hours a day we will probably spend homeschooling. It doesn’t take 8 hours to give a child an in depth education at home. Also, as you will see in the planner, we plan to keep it simple! We are trying to be classical, not rigid. And I have listened to a lot of homeschool moms explain reasons behind getting burned out. So I am setting systems in place to avoid that!

By keeping things simple, we can go deep into the subjects we are studying without the pressure of working too hard for too long. And when we need to, there are ideas for shaking things up. (Sometimes, when we are too focused on getting through a subject we forget to stop and look at the bigger picture).

One of the other things in this planner is sections explaining the procedure of how we will teach various subjects. Over time, I will also try and include this information in blog articles.

• You can read about how we teach my favourite subject, History, in this blog article.
• We also started articles on teaching language arts/English. The first in this series is teaching writing in preschool.

Starting Homeschooling

Are you interested in getting started homeschooling? Or perhaps you already started. First, here are some questions to consider when building a homeschool plan. Afterwards I will address some of my favourite homeschool resources.

1.  Check out your area’s legal requirements

   •  In Canada, we have the Homeschool Legal Defence Association (HSLDA) which outlines each province’s requirements and how to legally register to homeschool
   • America has their own branch of HSLDA, the main difference being that they spell defence with an s (defense).
   • If you are worried about school boards or governments, or satisfying legal requirements, I recommend joining your local HSLDA. They have free preschool memberships, and I saved up for our family to get a lifetime membership. It is such a relief to know I have guidance in fulfilling legal requirements and properly registering for homeschool. And if anyone objects to our homeschool, their legal team will help us out.

2. How will you schedule your homeschool?

   • Will you homeschool from September to June (the regular Canadian School Year)? Or perhaps homeschool for three months and take every fourth month off? Another option is to homeschool for three weeks and then take every fourth week off.
   • How days will you homeschool a week? You could homeschool three days a week year round. Many homeschool families fit all their subjects into four days a week, and take a fifth day for errands and field trips. Or you could homeschool 5 days a week, but those don’t have to be Monday through Friday.

3. What subjects will you teach

   • First of all, you don’t have to teach all subjects everyday, and you don’t have to start all subjects in your first month of homeschooling. Perhaps you will only do English/Language arts everyday for the first week, and no other school subjects. This could help you get into the routine of homeschooling. When you are confident with English, add math in. Then a week later, history. And a few days after that, science.
   • Homeschoolers have a lot of freedom in picking subjects. Where I live, the only required subjects are Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science. What you choose will largely depend on your own family situation and interests.

   • (Elective Ideas)

     • Obviously, we are going to do Ukrainian. The language of your particular church is always a good idea, or any language your family speaks. Greek, or Church Slavonic might be another good choice for Byzantine families.
     • Latin is also an important classical subject. Latin is at the root of many academic fields, and learning other subjects becomes 50% easier after you learn Latin. If (speaking) Ukrainian is going well, we will add Latin in grade three (after basic reading and writing skills in English are mastered). If Ukrainian is progressing slower than I hope, we will wait until grade 5 to introduce Latin as a subject.
     • Logic and Rhetoric are also subject areas we will teach in their respective stages
     • Memorization is a (short) subject area in the grammar stage. At least, we dedicate at least 5 minutes a day to it.
     • Other Elective ideas: Music, Music Appreciation, Art, Art History, Drama, Cooking, Sewing, Physical Education, Geography, Virtue and Character Development, Creative Writing, Journalism, Debate, Interior Design, Organization, Sign Language, Robotics, … basically any topic you are interested in, your child is interested in, and that you can teach a skill or trace its historical development and present/future applications.
     • You might consider religious education as a part of your homeschool. I might throw apologetics in as a part of rhetoric, but generally I am considering it as a subject apart from homeschool. Especially because learning will often happen on Sundays, which is a day of rest from regular school life. And would continue throughout the duration of school breaks

4. How will these subjects be taught

   • There are many options open to homeschoolers. You can teach classes yourself, have classes taught in a homeschool co-op, hire a tutor, or even enroll your child in a class online.
   • You can use a textbook, a series of different library books, or just pens, paper, and other manipulative to teach any subject. For example, I have written out methods for teaching history (read from our history book, write a summary of what we read, draw a picture related to the reading, and go to the library and check out related books if the child is interested). This system of learning works with any historical text. Someone else might prefer a textbook and teachers manual which says to do this, read this, and have the child do this on such and such a day. How structured your curriculum is, is entirely up to you!

Recommended Resources

Books:

• Catholic Education: Homeward Bound: A Useful Guide to Catholic Home Schooling

• The Well-Trained Mind: Guide to a Classical Education at Home (4th Edition)

• The Core: Teaching Your Child the Foundations of Classical Education
• Teaching From Rest: Teaching from Rest: A Homeschooler’s Guide to Unshakable Peace

Websites:

• Byzimom.com
• Montessori Album
• Homeschool Morning Baskets
• Read Aloud Revival/Teaching from Rest  (get three chapters free of Teaching From Rest online)

The Byzantine Life

Wow, you made it to the end of this very long article! Well, if you enjoyed this week’s article, you might also be interested in reading about Byzantine + the Montessori Method or Home Educating a 2 Year Old. Plus be sure to check out our article on How We Preschool!

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