Advice to New Home Schoolers

It might seem like a "brave new world" out there once you've made the decision to home school and begin the commitment. Here is some advice gleaned from other homeschoolers, in the hopes that it takes some of the fear and sense of being overwhelmed away.
RELAX, RELAX, RELAX! Homeschooling has got to be fun or at least enjoyable for you. If not, you will burn out in a very short time. Don't put too much pressure on yourself (especially if this is your first year and your children have been in public school). Even on your worst days, your one on one tutoring (even if just for an hour or two) is more productive than an entire day spent in a classroom with 20-30 children to one teacher.
There are a lot of books about homeschooling and different methods of homeschooling and how to educate. Set aside part of your day and read. Consider this your professional development.
Talking , giving and getting support from other home schoolers is often essential. Unfortunately it may be hard to find other home schooling Muslims in your area. Christian and non-Christian home schooling support groups can be a good way to over come the gaps. Still there are issues and tasks that these groups are unable to help with. MHSNR is always available for support. We check our email almost daily, often 3 times a day. We are also putting together state and local contacts of Muslim home schoolers. For more information, support, etc. write us: MSHNR@aol.com.
Attend homeschooling conventions, Christian, non-Muslim and Muslim, all will have information that will benefit you and your endeavors. Even attend other education and/or conventions on learning disabilities, etc. Look to them just as a someone teaching in an institution attending conventions does; as something to better their abilities to teach. . . homeschooling conventions are YOUR professional development.
For a new homeschooling parent developing a curriculum may seem like a daunting and impossible task. You may feel more comfortable going with pre-packaged (canned) curriculum or enrolling in a distance learning school for the first year.. It is best to talk to other homeschooling families and see what they are using and doing, ask why they are using it and why they like it or dislike it.
If you do decide to create your own curriculum take into consideration your family style. If you have many children it may be worth while to spend the extra dollars on hard back texts that can be passed down from child to child, than paper back books which in a year could look like it barely escaped from Normandy Beach on D-day.

It is also important to take into consideration the type of curriculum a parent is comfortable with (textbook based or development along themes). One, textbook based, takes very little preparation time. The other, unit studies (themes), takes much more preparation time as a parent must find the books (generally not textbooks) that apply to the theme that is being studied. Then the parent must make sure that all the material (reading, vocabulary, etc.) is ability appropriate. And that there are ample opportunities for hands on projects and question & answer periods.
IQRA, READ! It is important that your children read for at least a half and hour everyday. The ability, speed and ease of reading is only gained through practice. It is a cumulative skill. So set aside time in your homeschooling day for your children to read a novel, a biography, something that interests them, for a half an hour everyday.
Teach from positives not from negatives. The saying you get more with honey than with vinegar proves itself true in so many instances, espcially in education. If your child is having trouble learning something, instead of getting frustrated, look for possible reasons and solutions. Maybe it's in the way you are presenting the topic, look for another approach or ask another person to explain it. Maybe it's because your child has a previously undiscovered learning disability, etc. Whatever it may be look for positive solutions.
It is also quite common for new homeschoolers to stretch themselves too thin. Many times new home school parents unknowingly fall into the "socialization trap". Often it is well meaning family and friends and even society at large that causes sub-conscious feelings of guilt ("By homeschooling my child is not getting enough social time with children his/her own age."). Concerned homeschooling parents go overboard with clubs, teams, lessons, and activities to make up for the "lack" of social activities.
The truth is that many parents report their children having more friends and being more social once they begin home schooling. Why?

Some evidence suggests that children's self esteem actually flourishes in the home school environment. Freed from the demands of peer pressure and the spiraling atmosphere of many schools today, children become more self -assured and self-reliant. They become a strong individual instead of one in the pack.

Parents also are more confident about the associations his/her child is making. No longer worried about the kids their child develops as friends, or their families, a parent is often times more confident about planned actives, saying "yes" more often.

Keep clubs and extra actives low, maybe 1 or 2 per child. And don't be afraid to say, "NO". Sometimes neighbors and family can take advantage of a homeschooling parent who is home all day. In emergencies it is essential that one helps out where one can, but on an everyday level remember the children and their education come before a sister who needs to get her hair done every week.
Fathers are an essential part of the home school mixture. If it is impossible, due to work schedules, to teach 1 or 2 subjects, then try to "correct" the work of a few subjects. Also, remember your wife has been home all day, all week, all month, with the children, be available and take off time in your schedule for her to go to a Sisters meeting, a home school meeting, or to get her hair done. She should never feel isolated, her contacts are important too. Also keep in mind that she is now "working.*" You don't live at your job 24-7 nor would you want to. That's an intensity most would never what to experience when it comes to their vocation. But your wife now does, so make sure she goes out to do something she enjoys, without children tagging along, atleast once a week.
Housework is often a sticking point with many homeschoolers. For the most part and for many the house is not as immaculate as before home schooling, but this can be part of a family's homeschooling day too! A child's school day is not taken away from due to an hour of chores, it is actually enhance due to the responsibility and the lessons learned! Incorporate chores into the daily homeschool schedule.
Fathers this is where you can help out too. Remember you are instructed by the Qur'an to help your wife with her household chores. Don't be overly critical that the house isn't as clean as before homeschooling, jump in and help to return it to that state! Home schooling works best when it's an entire family activity
How does one manage a teaching schedule with a large family? There are many ways to do it. One is use a two room approach (or the backyard when the weather is nice). Have one hour of your homeschooling day where all of you are together, this can be during Islamic class or penmanship, social studies, etc. The schedule 1 to 2 hour blocks where it is just you, the teacher, and one child. The other children can go into the other room or to the back-yard and play with the older ones looking after the younger ones. If there is a grandparent in the home, this can work out wonderfully!
During the 1 to 2 hour sessions a parent is doing one to one tutoring, and this is generally the most effective teaching time it also takes less time to cover the same amount of subjects than the 6-8 hours public/private school day -- there are few distractions and 30 other students aren't in need of the teachers attention all at the same time.

Little ones tend to take more time, as they need more help to get through subjects. Older children can more often be given an assignment and left to work on their own. If there are several little ones in the house, one may be able to teach many subjects to them all at once.

Lastly, if your 1 1/2, 2 or 3 year old wants to sit at the table for school, along with his/her older siblings, make room and hand him the coloring books! And let him/her leave the table when they want to do something else. You could ask for nothing better. Education has become a natural part of that child's life as much as breathing is, masha'Allah!

Any advise or suggestions you'd like to add? Send them to MHSNR.

Information on homeschooling prek & k, elementary, middle and high school.
Types of homeschooling. All available soon, insha'Allah

MHSNR affililations and associations.

updated 1/5/97, 12/11/99 and 3/9/2002.

*(I know sisters, you were already working but work with me here <smile>)

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Home Education Radio Network
The first radio broadcast for homeschoolers

HEN Radio is a live, call-in radio program addressing the needs of homeschool families. Hosted by homeschooling mom Vicki Brady, this weekly broadcast features prominent family and educational leaders such as Ruth Beechick, Dean and Karen Andreola, and many others! In addition to call-in questions from listeners, the program also includes helpful segments on:

Teaching Tips
Home Health Care Helps
Organizational Ideas
Memory Methods
Curriculum Reviews
Legal Victories

HEN Radio airs every Saturday,

1pm to 3pm eastern
12noon to 2pm central
11am to 1pm mountain
10am to 12noon pacific

from KWBI 91.1 FM and the Rocky Mountain foot hills campus of the Colorado Christian University. You can also find HEN on Spacenet IIIR, Transponder 7 (Channel 13), Frequency 1.41, or on Shortwave Radio from WHRI at 15.105, and WWCR at 15.685.

You can help bring HEN Radio to your area by organizing a telephone call-in campaign to your favorite radio station.

For more information call Terry Brady at (303) 567-4092 or write to:
Home Education Radio Network
P.O. Box 3338
Idaho Springs, Colorado 80452-3338

This advertisement appeared in the Great Christian Books Catalog. While obviously a Christian radio program Muslim homeschoolers should be able to use and apply teaching tips, organizational ideas, etc. in their own home school classrooms.

When calling Terry Brady mention that you saw the HEN Radio announcement on the Muslim Home School Resource web page.