TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 3

Approach with the end in mind. 9

Be basic. 12

Choose your own adventure. 17

Socialize! 21

Conclusion 27

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 INTRODUCTION

The coronavirus pandemic plaguing the world has

changed our way of life in dramatic and sweeping ways.

Instead of what we were envisioning to be a gradual shift

to working and learning remotely taking place over

several years or decades, we have been forced to adapt

to a new normal in just a few short weeks.

While most of us expect to return to how things were

before COVID-19, the reality is that the pandemic will

continue to define the way we live in the next several

years. This is especially true in how our children would

continue their education. If all goes well, a vaccine

might be available for widespread use before the end of

the year. Yet, it will still take months before hundreds of

millions are vaccinated.

We will not be returning to the old normal. The sooner

we come to terms with this reality, the better for us to

start adjusting to our new normal.

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In this e-book, we will be showing you the easy and

simple ways moving forward when it comes to

homeschooling.

To begin, homeschooling is not merely about a physical

transfer of venue from your child’s school to your own

home. There are more factors at play both intellectually

and emotionally—and you will have to play a crucial role

to ensure a fulfilling homeschool experience for you and

your child.

Fortunately, homeschooling is not a new concept.

Millions of kids and parents across the world have already

embarked on this journey for decades—even before the

pandemic—with much success and fulfillment. There are

decades-old methods in effective homeschooling that

have already been proven to work and bear the most

fruit. We only have to learn these methods and more

importantly, for parents like us, to reframe our thinking

on how our children should learn.

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The weight of educating our children befalls on our

unready shoulders, we must be ready to be

“inconvenienced” a lot, because of the following:

• The awesome responsibility for education rests

squarely on us, parents. Many people may be

unwilling or unable to assume the responsibility and

would prefer that it be left to the “professionals”.

• The increased togetherness is a bitter pill to

swallow for some. Imagine a short person tailing you

around the house all day. If you’re lucky, you might

have your own Middle-earth with Frodo, Sam, Pippin

and Merry, and friends, who never stop talking.

• Homeschooling demands more effort than sending

children to school. In addition to basic subjects,

much energy is required to stay informed and

engaged in activities, socialization opportunities,

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 training, and always-updating homeschooling

methods and ideas.

• Our home will look very different when you

homeschool. Some people find this to be much

more difficult than they expect – especially when

they are used to “a place for everything and

everything in its place” mentality.

However, veteran homeschooling parents report that the

advantages of homeschooling outweigh its

“inconvenience” because of these below:

• Parents know their children better than any other

teacher could. Because of this, parents can

customize the learning experience. Our children's

interests, abilities and learning styles can be

accommodated.

• Many find that homeschooling is a positive,

relationship-strengthening process. Over time, both

children and parents change, relax, and come to

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 enjoy being together in a way that is not possible

for those families who are able to only spend

leftover snippets of time together.

• Many families find that learning at home takes less

time than learning at school. There are some school

activities that take away learning time from

children. When we regain that time by schooling at

home, this allows our child to learn more and

pursue personal interests. Simple but life enriching

activities such as leisurely reading a physical book

can be reclaimed and put to educational use.

• Beyond the traditional subjects taught in school,

children can obtain life skills, such as managing

money, cooking, and DIY projects, by participating

in real activities required at home.

• Contrary to what many feel, homeschooled children

can become better socialized than their

traditionally schooled peers. They are not confined

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 to the same-age-only relationships of the school

setting, so they have more experience in getting

along with people of all ages.

• Finally, and the bottom line for many prospective

homeschoolers is that home offers a degree of

safety that no school system can provide. We can

rest easier knowing that our children will not be

bullied or enticed by bad company.

So, you’ve mustered all your courage to go ahead and

nosedive into homeschooling while not giving up your

career, passion, personal happiness and sanity? Great.

Let’s do this! (-ish)

If there is one, and only 1 thing you must take away from

this book, just remember,

“Homeschooling is as easy as ABCs!”

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9
 APPROACH WITH THE END IN MIND

Learning, not grades, is the primary goal. While schools

and even, we, parents have oftentimes focused on

grades as a measure of our child’s progress,

homeschooling is all about learning. The goal is to help

your child reach certain milestones and have a mastery

of different aspects of learning to prepare him or her for

more complicated concepts and ideas in the future.

Homeschooling is not about making leaps and bounds,

but rather about taking small steps that accumulate over

time so that your child becomes equipped and capable

enough for further learning and mastery. Without the

focus on grades, you will be able to have a more nuanced

and deeper understanding of your child’s strengths and

weaknesses, enabling you to adjust your ways of

teaching instantly and on the fly.

Set goals for the year and get your child on board. While

the focus of homeschooling might be on learning instead

of grades, there are still goals to be reached every year.

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And the most important thing to remember in goal

setting is to include your child in its planning. Make your

child feel and understand that you are working as a team

and that he or she has a stake and a say in the goals that

you will lay out for him or her. This way, you are

teaching your child the value of being responsible and

that his or her goals can be achieved through his or her

own perseverance and determination.

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 BE BASIC

First time homeschoolers need not start fancy. Most

likely, you already have everything you will need. Start

with assigning a specific space to set up for a school

area.

Ideally, this would be a separate room in your home, but

that’s not always possible. Many homeschoolers work at

the kitchen table or in a place equipped with just a desk.

The thing you need to remember is that homeschooling is

meant to be flexible.

Don’t be rigid with your space. When you have a place

where you only do work, you could be sending the wrong

message to your child and instill in them a sense of dread

when it comes school time. Remember that learning can

occur anywhere at any time.

You may want to have a few brightly colored tubs to hold

school supplies that can be brought out when it’s time

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for learning. Set up a card table with folding chairs if

you need extra space. With whatever space you have

available, establish a school area and set up your

supplies to be easily accessible and organized.

Make sure your space has good lighting and that each

child has their own school supplies. Try a separate box

or bin that can hold pens, pencils, paper, crayons,

scissors, a ruler, etc. Give your child something of their

own.

Along the same line of thought, give the teacher

something as well. You should have a separate box or

bin of your own to hold lesson plans, reward stickers,

books, etc.

With homeschooling as one of the wisest, if not the only

choice we have this year, the availability of materials

these days is almost endless. There are many, many

places where educational materials can be bought or

even procured for free!

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Once, you have identified the most conducive area of

your home for learning, plan your schedule.

Allot only 2 to 4 hours. No more, no less. As a rule of

thumb, limit discussions to a maximum of three times

(3x) your child’s age. As an example, if your child is

seven years old, the maximum time of discussion should

not go over 21 minutes. Provide plenty of breaks and

keep in mind that any time throughout the day is an

opportunity to learn.

Know, and accept, that your child will not sit still.

Being at home lends itself to being comfortable. In fact,

it will be too comfortable for your child that you should

not expect him or her to sit still. He or she is at home

and they should not be faulted if they “feel at home.”

You should instill a sense of discipline and routine upon

your child, remember that learning is your goal, so it is

up to you as a parent to figure things out for yourself on

how to make learning fun and engaging for your child.

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The Internet is probably going to be your best resource

for information both about curriculum and instruction.

You will also be able to find some great homeschooling

support groups online.

Do you need, anything? Looking for inspiration? Need

fresh ideas?

Google got it all for you!

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17
 CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

As if nosediving into homeschooling isn’t adventure

enough, know that there are many different ways you

can approach teaching your child, find which one works

best with your child. If one doesn’t seem to be getting

results, switch to another.

Some educators believe that children learn best through

doing. Others think instruction followed by practical

application is the way to go. Still others take on an

approach that combines all methods. Some children are

auditory learners, others are visual. You need to

determine how your child learns best and then capitalize

on that.

Here are a few ways for you to consider when organizing

your curriculum.

• Traditional method - This approach has structured

schedule focused on working through textbooks and

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 workbooks. This approach is very goal-oriented and

extremely organized.

• Unit Study method – this approach integrates

several subjects focused on one topic or theme. You

can pick a topic that interests your child and create

learning opportunities with the same theme all

throughout.

• Classical method – This approach teaches through

classical languages, critical thinking skills and

western civilizations

• Un-schooling method – This approach surrounds the

child with opportunities to learn in an unstructured

environment. This can also be considered interest-

initiated learning. Your child will learn from real

life experience and encouraged to pursue their

personal interests.

• Community method – The child learns from outside

the home. This method includes participation in

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 youth groups, volunteer work, organized group and

church activities.

• Eclectic method – This is the hodgepodge of the all

the homeschool approaches. Families can mix and

match bits of the different methods.

Figure out your child’s learning style and rejoice in their

learning. Stop comparing them to a preconceived notion

of having to learn XYZ by a certain grade or age. You are

going to be with them a lot and you will know what they

know and what they don't know right away. No need to

worry that they are missing something essential.

Once you get your child’s learning style, it’s much easier

to pick how you will teach them as well as what you will

teach them.

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 SOCIALIZE!

“It takes a village to raise a child.”

Most people think that children who are homeschooled

aren’t given the social opportunities that their peers are

thus making them almost “freaks”. This is where

homeschooling support groups come into play. These

groups are families who are just like you – and children

who are like yours.

Many homeschooling groups get together for group

outings, picnics, parties, etc. They give parents the

opportunity to talk with other homeschoolers and they

give the kids a chance to be around others who are just

like them.

But, no thanks to this pandemic, socialization must

happen over online platforms, for now. A lot are on

Facebook, join ones whose culture you align with. Just

make sure that whatever group you join should be safe

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from fake profiles and fake news. Also, beware of con

artists posing as parents or guardians.

Make sure that the group you join enriches you and your

child with valuable experiences that will help, support

and strengthen you both as you go through this first year

in homeschooling. Having professional educators and

childhood development experts within the group would

be great, too.

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 WHEN PROBLEMS OCCUR

When you are faced with difficult times in your

homeschooling experience, consider the following

points:

1. Remind yourself of the reason your family chose to

homeschool in the first place. This is the most

certain choice your family made these uncertain

times.

2. When homeschooling isn't working, hold family

meetings to find out where the problems lie and

how to fix them. The solutions to these problems

are within the family.

3. Establish traditions so that your children can count

on them as a regular event in their lives. Practice

daily reading aloud as the most important

component of your family traditions; it's the best

method for teaching any subject.

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4. Celebrate unusual holidays and incorporate history

into your home school. For example: March 16, 1521

is the day Ferdinand Magellan discovered the

Philippines. Have a fun Spanish-themed merienda

cena. Be silly together, eat Spanish bread. Build the

memories your children will look back to when their

goings get tough. Also, weaving events and

celebrations into your study will bring interest and

creativity.

5. Always ask your children what they want to study.

So often the conflict in homeschooling is created by

children being forced into tasks they have no

interest in doing. Trust yourself to help them find

the way and trust your children to learn through

their own passions.

6. Give yourself permission to free the children of a

curriculum or program if it isn't working. A plan that

has everyone stressed out, crying, and fighting is

not a good plan at all.

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7. Accept chaos as normal! If you wait to homeschool

until life is neat and tidy, it will never happen.

8. Take a break! If home schooling isn't working, drop

what you are doing and play. Just pausing to

breathe can bring a fresh perspective on everyone's

attitude.

9. Parents must fill up their pitchers before they can

fill up their children's cups. Do something for

yourself. Netflix and chill, every once in a while.

Date your spouse. Have a long relaxing nap.

Exercise. If we are running on empty, we have

nothing to give our families.

10. Have faith in your family and faith in your

conviction to homeschool. Stay in touch with your

support group for enrichment and good ideas.

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 CONCLUSION

Homeschooling can be daunting, confusing, and

challenging. It can also put pressure on us as parents

since the responsibility of educating our children has

suddenly been entirely upon us.

But remember that we don’t have to go at it alone. The

best part of homeschooling is that it’s been practiced for

decades; we are definitely not the first to go through all

this.

We are in uncharted times and the uncertainty of it all

can make you feel inadequate and not up to par when it

comes to homeschooling. This is why we need each

other’s help more than ever.

Choose to celebrate your family. Choose to spend what

time you have together in a constructive way instead of

survival mode.

Treat homeschooling as an effort to take back your lives

and have time for the things you want to do. Those

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things don’t have to be the big things. Often, it’s the

small parts of life that prove to be the most important

and memorable to our children. Little things like more

time to bake, more time to garden, not having laundry

on the weekend, not being too tired to do an evening

activity that you want to do are welcome pockets of

sunshine.

Sit back, remember what’s important to you, and put

those things first in your life. We won’t be able to do

this without some sacrifice. Watching our children grow

intellectually, morally, spiritually is rewarding by itself.

Only through being there for each other can we

overcome not just the novelty of homeschooling, but also

the challenges of this school year that has been thrust on

us all.

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