Just Starting Out

Posted June 23rd, 2008 by savinaford

I have been looking into home schooling for a few years but have been nervous about starting. I have recently decided that the school system does not work for my children and that their needs and intrests are not put first. I am still very afraid of not being good enough to teach my children. My friend tlod me about the Thomas Jefferson Education and I hae so far loved everything about it. I am still unsure about doing this my self. I have not been able to find the book in a book store. I am LDS and I am glad to see that there are other LDS mambers that are using this mathod. I would love to have some sort of insight as to how to start when to start and how you incorpoarte teaching the gosple with everything. I still dont have the book but I am looking for it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

‹ What are you currently working on? Another newcomer with a few questions. ›

starting out

On June 27th, 2008 HeatherA said:

I want to reassure you that you are the perfect person to teach your children. Who better than their mom??

I think the general consensus is to not get overwhelmed when you first start. Since your kids have been in school take a while to detox and just get used to being at home together. I would really read up on core phase and focus on family routines and habits. Also before you go out and buy a bunch of stuff I would do a lot of research on books and programs. Ask other homeschoolers you know for suggestions and see what your library has.

Family devotional is a great time with your kids. We do it every morning at breakfast. My kids are still little so we read from the friend and from the Book of Mormon reader and other scripture readers. We also memorize the scripture and theme for primary each month. We also work on learning the Article of Faith songs. We also read stories from the lives of the modern day prophets. We have a manual called "Presidents of the Church" you can get from church distribution. Another idea I had that I haven't followed through with yet is to get a copy of the primaray manuals and reinforce the lessons that they get at church on Sunday.

Another thing we love is family reading time at night with Dad. A great resource for ideas is the article "Core and Love of Leaning: Recipe for success" You can get it from GWCAn abbreviation of George Wythe University (formerly George Wythe College), a private liberal arts college headquartered in Cedar City, Utah, which Dr. Oliver DeMille helped found, and where he formerly served as president. There are also plans underway for building a much larger campus in Monticello, Utah, and plans have also been announced for a remote campus in Alberta, Canada..edu. I think that info is also in the new TJEDRefers generally to the concepts presented in the book A Thomas Jefferson Education, written by Dr. Oliver DeMille. We also have an Introduction to Thomas Jefferson Education available elsewhere on this site. bok that just came out.

Take the time to find a routine that works for your family. Don't feel pressured to get really focused on academics right now. Focus on getting into the rhythm of being home.

Hope that helps.

I agree--you can do it!

On June 25th, 2008 jtiszai said:

I don't know how old your children are or what kind of relationships you have with them, so I'm sorry if this is not what you need, but here's my two-cent's worth. For me, I really had to heal the relationships in my family. If the relationships aren't where they need to be, teaching won't happen. If your children have had unpleasant experiences at school with "learning," they might need some "detox" time.

I have been homeschooling for 4 years, but this last year was the first that I approached it the TJedRefers generally to the concepts presented in the book A Thomas Jefferson Education, written by Dr. Oliver DeMille. We also have an Introduction to Thomas Jefferson Education available elsewhere on this site. style. Before I had studied TJedRefers generally to the concepts presented in the book A Thomas Jefferson Education, written by Dr. Oliver DeMille. We also have an Introduction to Thomas Jefferson Education available elsewhere on this site., my oldest daughter (8 yr. old) hated the "school at home" approach (I did too!) She had some negative baggage from it all, so I just put all my energy into our relationship (laughing with her, playing with her--doing things that SHE wanted to do, and READING great classics to her. We had some great discussions; she became a fan of Shakespeare too--a love we both now share! These classic books are addicting. The stories are so easy to lead into teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ (in addition to your family scripture study) because they are packed with true principles. They make the gospel come alive. Her attitude about homeschool now? She loves it, and she is interested in learning again. The change takes time, but trust the process; I have seen many miracles happen in just the first year.

Looking ahead to the next year, my focus has turned toward my own education. After attending an LDS home school conference in Virginia, I realized that my undergraduate degree really did not prepare me to be the best mentor I can be. After spending the time in the mornings with my children, the afternoons are becoming my time to become better prepared for my mission.

By the way, I found my copy of "A Thomas Jefferson Education" through Amazon.com.

You can do it!

On June 23rd, 2008 batchelor007 said:

I was a newbie once too. We all were! I am also LDS and this is our 4th year educating at home. I have kids that are 16, 13, and 11. I have been posting on our family website (www.batchelorfamily.org) about how we got started in TJEdRefers generally to the concepts presented in the book A Thomas Jefferson Education, written by Dr. Oliver DeMille. We also have an Introduction to Thomas Jefferson Education available elsewhere on this site., our schedule, and how much we love it. Everyone is different and so I do what is best for my family, and you will do what is right for yours. Do not be afraid to follow your instincts, or the Holy Ghost as we often call it.

While your are searching for the book, I have some basic principles I've written about. It is NOT a substitute for reading Dr. DeMille's books, just some basics. I found the book at Latter-day Family Resources, but George Wythe College also carries it.

As far as teaching the gospel, home schooling is an awesome way to integrate the gospel into every day. We have a devotional each day, we follow the Seminary pattern of scripture study to be in sync with our teens, and we are also adding genealogy this year as our main English and History components.

Welcome! You are among friends. ~ Celeste