This course offers instruction in all the areas critical to successful homeschooling. Like the proverb, we don’t give you the fish (a homeschool system), we teach you to fish (effective home education methods).

Topics include:

• Determining your child’s and your own learning style
• Choosing the right resources and curriculum from kindergarten through high school
• Nurturing creativity & thinking skills
• Child growth and development
• Brain research
• Achieving math success (in parent and child)
• Character building and spiritual growth (parent, child, & family)
• Legal and personal requirements
• Developing a personal philosophy of education
• Finding support for immediate and longterm success
• Simple home & homeschool management
• Your questions and concerns

 Upcoming classes
 

Session 1: Chapter 1 Homeschool Foundations: Legal, Personal and Philosophical      
                Chapter 2 Thinking Skills: From Facts to Discernment

• Identify key legal and personal requirements to be effective home educators
• Review the variety of educational philosophies prevalent in America and their effects on home education
• Practice developing effective questioning strategies
• Spiritual Applications: Parents as stewards of their children  and  Biblical thinking (Intelligence v. Wisdom)  

 Session 2:  Chapter 3 Learning Theory: Keys to Understanding

• Overview three learning style theories and their applications
• Practice developing educational activities that apply learning styles techniques
• Analyze other environmental and physical factors which impact learning
• Review the basic components of reading
• Examine the nature of testing and assessment
• Spiritual Applications: Knowing your child’s uniqueness; dangers of comparing  

 Session 3: Chapter 4 Nurturing Creativity: The Other Half of Learning

• Examine the nature of creativity and how to nurture it within the home
• Apply creativity principles in writing and drawing exercises
• Spiritual Application: Creativity & God’s image in Man 

 Session 4: Chapter 5 Child Development and Understanding Math

• Overview the basic stages of human development and their relationship to understanding mathematical concepts
• Examine a variety of methods and resources for math instruction and money management (applied mathematics)
• Spiritual Application: Financial stewardship 

Session 5: Chapter 6 Curriculum 101: From Knowledge to Wisdom

• Determine the academic, personal, and spiritual goals with the 11 required subjects
• Practice developing unit studies
• Review junior high essentials and high school graduation requirements
• Overview multiple educational resources, suppliers, publishers, organizations, and approaches useful to homeschoolers
• Spiritual Application: Biblical curriculum & character development  

Session 6: Chapter 7 Home and Homeschool: Family Management 101

• Examine the goal of parenting: character development
• Overview issues of socialization and homeschooling
• Develop strategies for effective home management and parenting skills
• Analyze key parenting techniques and resources
• Determine the advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling
• Spiritual Application: Parents’ modeling of walking with Christ, Family Mission Statements 

*To receive a certificate of completion, students taking the live class must attend all classes. Those attending via the Internet must complete assignments with a 70% average (optional 30 minute phone appointment with instructor or TA). On-line course should be completed within a college quarter (Sept-Dec, Jan-Mar, Apr-Jun, Jun-Aug)