Hello Friends,

This month I'd like to share some thoughts with you on "keepin' on going" with homeschooling when you don't feel like it or you don't know what to do!

Help and Hope for the Beginner Homeschooler and Veterans too!

Winston Churchill once said, "Never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never give up!" When we started our homeschooling business, STEWARD SHIP, we chose a ship to be our logo, sort of like a mascot. (It's the ship which appears in the left hand corner of our home page.)This ship has a special meaning as the flag bears the inscription "Don't Give Up the Ship". We think of the ship as homeschooling, the vehicle we use to guide your children safely to adulthood, building godly character in them and giving them the education that will allow them to be used for God's purposes without the distractions associated with peer dependency and humanistic teaching in the public arena. It is our goal - our mission here at STEWARD SHIP, to help you stay afloat. We'd like to encourage you with a statement similar to Winston Churchill's -- "Don't Give Up the Ship!"

In the same way you can think of the Unit Study approach as the ship, the vehicle that will allow you to stay afloat in homeschooling so that you might be able to do a great job. Don't give up because you think it's too hard to homeschool.

In our eleven years of homeschooling our children and the seven years experience we've had exhibiting STEWARD SHIP products at curriculum fairs, we've talked to vast numbers of home educators as well as those who are considering educating their children at home. This is what we've discovered:

Those who are just checking it out have a few ideas about what they think they'd like to do, but they are "all ears!" They are often insecure and unsure about not only what's available but what is best for their children and they often wonder if THEY can do it (that's normal!) First, we reassure them that today, in home education, anything and everything is available to assist them in doing a great job! Next, we try to introduce them to the unit study method. Why? Because most often, when folks begin home educating, they choose some sort of traditional curriculum (usually along the lines of textbooks) because of the security it offers (by having things all laid out grade by grade for each student).

Which brings us to our next group of folks who visit our booth. This group are those who started out using a traditional method and then 2-3 years down the line became dissatisfied with the results they saw in their children. If I can help them understand how simple, beneficial and time saving the unit study method is in the first place, they won't have to "spin their wheels" at all!

Sadly, what I see most often, is though parents have heard that unit studies are fun and exciting and kids love them, they've heard they 1) require a great deal from Mom 2) require a lot of planning and creativity. So, they dismiss this option and either continue on for a time plodding through dry material that kids don't retain or worse yet AND quite common, they GIVE UP completely.

If you are in that boat (pardon the pun!), hang on and DON'T GIVE UP! This article is meant to minister to YOU. If you are one who is either just starting our or checking into home education, pay attention - this is important. I haven't talked to too many folks who either aren't there now, or have been in the position, at some point, of feeling like giving up!

First you must reevaluate:

1. YOUR REASONS FOR HOME EDUCATING YOUR CHILDREN. Why did you start teaching at home? If this is a deep seated spiritual conviction, you MUST find a way to continue. PRAY. God knows what you should teach your children and how you should go about doing it! If you are homeschooling because you believe you can do a better job academically in a one on one environment, has this changed because you are struggling?

2. YOUR EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS. Write down what you think it takes to give your child a quality education. Is learning every fact and date important to you or do you want your child to delight in reading, exploring and enjoying God's world (so he can be more effective for His purposes?)Is spending time in meaningful discussion, which helps you instill and develop godly character, a priority in "education?"

In order to thrive with unit studies you will probably have to let go of some of your previous ideas about "school." If you are to provide time for delightful discussions and more hands-on learning, your environment and attitude about "school" must be more relaxed. If you are accustomed to textbooks and workbooks, this will be harder for you to shake off as you feel and FEAR you aren't doing enough. But I challenge you to consider and evaluate whether, your child who is sitting with his textbook, reading a chapter and filling in the answers at the end, how much of it sticks with him and how important and vital the information was. Did he follow you around the house telling you how excited he was about what he just learned? OR?did he just do it because he was supposed to? See, this is the difference in delightful learning which excites your children and just "doing school." If you are just "doing school" you are wasting a lot of precious time and energy.

A good way to develop your philosophy of education is to read books on homeschooling, look at your children, use your experience in home education, compare your own school experiences, attend home school seminars and listen to speakers - time?it takes time too! Take time to develop and write down your philosophy of education and be sure to do it in the light of God's Word. Your educational goals should line up with spiritual goals. Once you have taken this step, you can proceed to decide how to provide the best education you can offer. If your goals include something like "I want my child to be excited about learning, love books, and have a thirst for understanding God's world," consider the Unit Study method!

Whatever you do -- DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP!