Homeschool Life: Discovering God's Way To Family-Based Education
Homeschool Life: Discovering God's Way To Family-Based Education
Homeschool Life: Discovering God's Way To Family-Based Education
Va l l e c i t o, C a l i f o r n i a
Copyright 2008
Andrea G. Schwartz
www.StartYourHomeschool.com
I am much afraid that the schools will prove the very gates of hell,
unless they diligently labour in explaining the Holy Scriptures,
and engraving them in the hearts of youth. I advise no one to place
his child where the Scriptures do not reign paramount. Every
institution in which means are not unceasingly occupied with the
Word of God must be corrupt.
- Martin Luther
There is a brilliant child locked inside every student.
- Marva Collins
My heart is singing for joy this morning! A miracle has happened!
The light of understanding has shone upon my little pupil’s mind,
and behold, all things are changed!
- Anne Sullivan
I learned most, not from those who taught me but from those who
talked with me.
- St. Augustine
Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make
man a more clever devil.
- C. S. Lewis
Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed
off some of the originality.
- Beatrix Potter
Table of Contents
Acknowlegments
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1. The Foundation of the Christian Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . 3
TEACHING CHARACTER
18. Standing on Your Own Two Feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
19. Recipe for Failure ∼ Sin in the Camp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
20. Questions I Can’t Answer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
21. Products of Our Culture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
22. Out of the Closet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
23. On Your Mark, Get Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
24. Oh, How I Love Thy Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
25. Lost in Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
26. Fifth Monarchy Men . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
27. Correcting Your Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
28. Call Waiting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
29. As Unto the Lord. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
30. You Get What You Expect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
TEACHING CURRICULUM
31. Some Funny Things Happen
on the Way to Homeschooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
32. Setting Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
33. Redeeming the Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
34. Public Speaking and Leadership. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
35. Incentives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
36. Combating the Humanistic Inquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
37. Why Write? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
CURRICULUM
38. Building a Homeschool Lending Library . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
39. Homeschooling Through High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
40. Categories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
41. A Happy Alliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
42. Recruiting Your Homeschool Faculty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
CONCLUSION
43. Preparing for School:
Homeschool or Christian Academy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Acknowledgments
1
2 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
3
4 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
2. Ibid., 14.
6 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
that the best method of education is a day school rather than home-
schooling their children themselves, their quest should be for a
school that is committed to teaching ALL subjects from a Biblical
perspective. What’s more, regular “dinnertime” and “in the car”
discussions should be maintained in order to evaluate the fruits of
the school’s teaching, not to mention the effect the values and stan-
dards of fellow students have on their children.
What follows is a non-exhaustive analysis of some of the fun-
damental differences between Christianity and humanism as they
affect education, excerpted from Rushdoony’s Philosophy of the
Christian Curriculum.3
Christianity Humanism
1. The sovereignty of the triune God is the starting 1. The sovereignty of man and the state is the
point, and this God speaks through His infallible starting point, and it is the word of scientific, elite
Word. man which we must heed.
2. We must accept God as God. He is alone Lord. 2. Man is his own god, choosing or determining for
himself what constitutes good and evil (Gen. 3:5).
3. God’s Word and Person is the Truth. 3. Truth is pragmatic and existential: it is what we
find works and is helpful to us.
4. Education is into God’s truth in every realm. 4. Education is the self-realization and self-
development of the child.
5. Education is discipline under a body of truth. 5. Education is freedom from restraint and from any
This body of truth grows with research and study, idea of truth outside of us. We are the standard, not
but truth is objective and God-given. We begin by something outside of man.
presupposing God and His Word.
6. Godly standards grade us. We must measure up to 6. The school and the world must measure up to the
them. The teacher grades the pupil. pupil’s needs. The pupil grades the teacher.
7. Man’s will and the child’s will must be broken to 7. Society must be broken and remade to man’s will,
God’s purpose. Man must be remade, reborn by and the child’s will is sacred.
God’s grace.
8. Man’s problem is sin. Man must be recreated by 8. Man’s problem is society. Society must be
God. recreated by man.
9. The family is God’s basic institution. 9. The family is obsolete. The individual or the state
is basic.
3. Ibid., 172–173.
THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHRISTIAN CURRICULUM 7
4. Ibid., 161.
HELP FOR PARENTS
2
A Quiet Revolution
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12 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
Lessons
from the Cuckoo Clock
I love clocks. If you were to visit my home, you’d see all sorts of
clocks in almost every room of the house. Some of these clocks
chime, others ding, some play music, others have a swinging pen-
dulum, while still others display the barometric pressure and
humidity levels. The latest addition to my clock menagerie is a
cuckoo clock, something I’ve wanted for quite some time.
Now cuckoo clocks defy modernity. This one is many years
old and doesn’t need batteries or electricity. Imagine that! It runs
on the principle of two weights attached to a chain that allow the
clock to keep time and make its cuckoo sound on the hour and half
hour so long as you keep the chains pulled. One pull on each chain
should keep the clock running for days.
This vintage clock was an auction item I won at the local
Community Pregnancy Center fundraising dinner. It had been
donated by one CPC supporter. So, when we had some difficulty
making it operate correctly, we didn’t have the benefit of a store to
call for assistance in setting it up. Through trial and error, it even-
tually worked, but not before I was sure I permanently ruined it six
or seven times!
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The lesson here: this clock was so well made that despite my
ineptitude and impatience, it works as its designer intended. A cor-
ollary lesson for homeschooling parents: your children are so well
made that, despite your initial ineptitude and impatience, they can
thrive and learn in the homeschooling environment, even if you are
a rookie.
Many homeschooling parents feel that they might damage
their children irrevocably or mar them in such a way that their
futures will be forever compromised. Some even keep them in a
public school setting for fear of “doing damage.” However, viewed
from a Biblical perspective, just the opposite is the case. Keeping
them in an environment where the holy fear of the Lord is not the
basis and emphasis of all subjects taught is among the most
deceitful and harmful of situations thrust upon children.
Like the craftsman who produced my prize cuckoo clock, the
Creator, Designer, Sustainer, and Redeemer of your children con-
structed His creatures (your children among them) with the
capacity to withstand the bumps and mishaps from operator error!
4
M uch has been written about the spiritual and academic ben-
efits of homeschooling. However, one of the most signifi-
cant assets of a homeschooling situation is the benefit to family life.
Children often find that their best friends end up being brothers or
sisters, and there is much less of a peer-group emphasis, as children
of differing ages make friends with each other readily. Moreover,
family outings and vacations can take place according to the
family’s schedule, rather than only certain periods of time during a
ten-month school year.
A while back, I wrote a parody of the song from the musical
Annie. Instead of “It’s the Hard Knock Life,” I changed the words
to “It’s the Homeschool Life.” Here is my humble rendition:
It's the homeschool life for us!
It's the homeschool life for us!
In the kitchen we learn math
While the baby gets a bath.
It's the homeschool life.
Siblings we always see;
They are classmates perpetually.
Who knows what grade we're in?
We're always with the next of kin.
It's the homeschool life.
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land that the Lord had promised them for a possession. Ten of the
twelve came back having drawn the conclusion that they wouldn’t
be able to prevail against the giants in the land. Their solution was
to walk by sight, not by faith. In a similar way, many Christian par-
ents today, when they are plotting a course of action for their chil-
dren’s “higher education,” have their gaze more fixed on the giants
in the land than on the provisions and promises of the God of
Scripture. In fact, they believe that if they don’t have enough “AP”
(Advanced Placement) courses, or letters of recommendation, or a
high enough GPA from an “accredited” school, that they won’t be
able to get into the “best” colleges. Since their focus is on the wrong
things, instead of making sure their children are strongly grounded
in a Biblical world and life view and are living out the implications
of their faith, they are busy spending oodles of time and money
trying to get the best situation that the “giants in the land” will
deem worthy.
Need I remind all of those who have bought into this philos-
ophy that for the Children of Israel, this resulted in a total of forty
years of wilderness wanderings? Come to think of it, I can’t think
of a better way to describe many professing Christians I know who,
after having graduated from those “best” schools, end up thinking
and acting much like the heathens who run them, while wandering
in a wilderness of their own making. When they “mature” into
adulthood, their decisions and perspectives are more “Canaanite”
than they are Christian.
I am truly saddened that there is no quick fix for this attitu-
dinal malaise. However, I am encouraged that there are many who
correctly discern the war raging against the Christian faith all
around them, and yet continue to persevere in the process of raising
warriors obedient to the law-word of Jesus Christ. Our victorious
hope lies in the reality that by focusing on the promises rather than
the problems, the land will be ours!
7
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24 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
need for the greater body to establish the sort of relationships that
develop in extended families. I’m suggesting that rather than being
uninvolved spectators when we see Satan and worldly allurements
wreaking havoc in the homes of Christian families we know, that we
become active participants, walking alongside both parents and
children, offering them support and encouragement. Providing an
“outside” voice, which reaffirms the Word of God, is a practical out-
working of St. Paul’s instruction in the book of Galatians to “bear
one another’s burdens” and “to do good unto all men especially unto
those of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:1–2, 10).
For example, let’s say you become aware that a family in your
Christian circle is dealing with dress issues regarding their daugh-
ters. Rather than merely sitting back and remembering the bad old
days when you had those makeup, fashion, or dating struggles your-
self, you make it a point to caringly insert yourself into the life of
that family, relating to the girls by demonstrating real interest in
their lives. Just as a biological aunt wouldn’t be put off by a less-
than-smooth initial contact, neither should the spiritual aunt if this
relationship takes time to develop. Once it has been established,
you can courageously speak into the lives of these young women,
imparting the wisdom that you’ve acquired from your own Chris-
tian walk and lifetime of experience. Sharing stories from your own
past, while refraining from lecturing, along with ongoing informal
discussions, lends support to whatever their folks are trying to
address with them (James 5:19–20). It also lets them know that
whatever struggles they are experiencing aren’t unique to them.
My point is that often young people will “hear it” from an
outsider—someone not actively engaged in the struggle—rather
than from their parents, and will hopefully take to heart what
you’ve shared. By upholding the standards they’re being taught at
home, you’ll find sincere gratitude from their folks for your
“bearing this burden” with them. What’s more, a little love and
encouragement from others can do a world of good and help pre-
vent situations from developing into crises.
I intentionally used the word courageous earlier because there
is that distinct possibility that your efforts won’t be welcomed or
received in the spirit in which you offered them. But, like all other
SPEAKING INTO THEIR LIVES 25
Rethinking Education
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28 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
Yet, mothers “stress” over this milestone, as though any delay will
have catastrophic consequences. I wonder how often this is fueled
by the desire to enroll their little ones into a daycare situation.)
It is not unusual to see high school students develop ulcers
because of all their homework, AP classes, and the “need” to suc-
ceed. Many become obsessed in their quest to achieve high SAT
scores and gain acceptance into the “best” universities. However,
they often don’t have a clue as to how to offer a good apologetic for
their Christian faith, and they are altogether ignorant of church
history. This isn’t that surprising because their parents usually are
in the same boat. What we end up with are Christian people who
know much more about the world than they do about their faith.
It should come as no surprise then, when faced with decisions of
whom to elect to political office or which policies should be imple-
mented and those that should be countered, that they don’t have a
Biblical orientation point from which to proceed. Thus, we get
“business as usual,” despite the fact that we live in a country with
so many professing Christians who claim to believe the Bible from
cover to cover!
Why have we allowed learning to be hijacked by the human-
istic concept that grades determine a person’s capabilities and that
getting into the “right” school serves as a measure of personal
worth? The Scriptures instruct us to seek first God’s Kingdom and
righteousness, and then all that we require will be added unto us.
It would appear that many have accepted a counterfeit answer to
the question, What should I do with my life?
The missing ingredient in all this is a lack of understanding
of calling. What exactly is calling? Simply put, one’s calling is the
particular way the Lord has chosen for each individual to personally
glorify and enjoy Him forever. In that vein, it is vital that young
people get a chance to develop according to their giftings and incli-
nations within a context of self-conscious Christian education. In
the process of becoming educated, stress and anxiety need not be
the norm, nor sleepless nights and caffeine-filled days.
RETHINKING EDUCATION 29
Recovery Mode
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32 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
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34 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
Guilt by Association
Fathers
good foundation. And this is true. But, what remains largely unher-
alded and overlooked is that without my husband supporting and
encouraging the entire enterprise, the fruit wouldn’t be as good,
and I would most likely be called a “former homeschooling mom”
rather than the active one I am today.
All this being said, it is vital for the husband/father in the
homeschool to be an expert when it comes to God’s law-word and
its application to his family. Over the years, many a dispute that has
arisen between my children/students and me has been astutely han-
dled by my husband’s patient listening, followed by insightful
comments that, more often than not, open the door to resolution.
These were not whimsical solutions, but ones where God’s enscrip-
tured Word was given prominence and authority.
Lastly, I would be remiss in failing to acknowledge a bit of
envy that often permeates my soul when it comes to my husband
dealing with our children. From the time they were very little, the
deep sound of Daddy’s voice was something that produced imme-
diate change that mine never seemed to accomplish. I’ve always
wanted that deep, male voice when it comes to getting results or
altered behavior in the kids. And this phenomenon didn’t change
when they got older. Even as some were feeling their oats, nothing
brought them back down to earth faster than the God-given
authority of their earthly father using his “get your attention”
voice.
So, here’s a round of applause for all the thousands of home-
schooling dads who propel one of the most significant movements
in our time—one that is sure to realize the furtherance of the
Kingdom of God on earth!
13
For this is a role that will continue until the homeschooled child
reaches a point where he is ready to make significant lifetime
choices and live them out.
The covering and protection of the father-figure can be aided
by members of his immediate family. In the case of a nonfamily
member taking on this responsibility, he must have the support
and assistance of his wife in making this a family ministry. Showing
up for important events and providing encouragement for the
milestones of life can be a shared activity with his own family. Care
must be taken that no improper bond or relationship develops
between the father figure and the mother without a husband. The
man’s role in this is to fill the “father gap,” not to become a substi-
tute for the love and care the single, divorced, or widowed woman
may desire.
The Body of Christ is a family. Galatians tells us to “Do good
unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of
faith.” This is a tangible way for church members to make a huge
difference in the lives of fatherless children.
14
I have a most faithful friend whom I have known for over twenty
years. During that time, I have only had the pleasure of sharing
time with her in person on two occasions. Yet, this friend has been
there for me in some of the most intense and important experiences
of my life, not to mention times of sweet fellowship that I have
enjoyed with other believers. Most recently her words provided the
very real comfort I needed during an episode of sorrow. Words I
have listened to for over fifteen years were used by God to convict
and encourage me during a moment of overwhelming doubt. And
yet, this friend is not very original in what she has to say. In fact,
she constantly uses Another’s ideas and words to make her point.
You might say that she rarely has an original thought.
If you haven’t already heard of her, I would like to introduce
you to my very good friend. Her name is Judy Rogers, and she is a
songwriter who has produced a body of musical work that is geared
to support and encourage the Christian individual and family to
stand firm in the faith of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You can
get a great sampling of her CD offerings by visiting her website
(www.judyrogers.com). Here is some background on this godly
woman:
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Experts
Y es, we all have them. Those days when we’re sure that nothing
else could possibly go wrong, and then we surprise ourselves.
Expressions like throwing in the towel, bailing out, and running
away from home all float through one’s mind. What to do on such
days?
Within the ranks of Christian women I know, there are those
I can call upon in such times of distress who “won’t let me off the
hook.” These are women whom I trust to be real with me when I
am in a state of frustration and despair. Why have these women
earned my trust? Well, for starters, they don’t have me up on a ped-
estal. To them, I’m just who I am, and they don’t have some unre-
alistic expectation that says, “Nothing must ever go wrong at her
house!” Moreover, they know the details of my life and situation
and aren’t reluctant to point out that I’m whining or rehashing
issues that I need to turn over to the Lord. Some of these “counse-
lors” of mine don’t even live in my state, nor do we get to see each
other in person very often due to the distance between our homes.
That said, they are among my dearest and closest sisters in Christ.
I recommend that all homeschooling moms have a “short
list” of other women to whom they can repair and grant permission
to speak directly into their lives. But these selections should not be
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46 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
made frivolously. Make sure that the person you summon for help
will be the sort of person who uses the Word of God to counsel and
uses it in an orthodox way. She should be ready and willing to
exhort you rather than merely commiserate with you. If she is a
decade or two older, that is a bonus! Most likely she’ll have the ben-
efit of a long-range perspective that gives her insight as to how dire
your circumstance actually is. Chances are you’ll leave these con-
versations with a smile, having reevaluated your problem with a
plan to work out whatever the difficulty was. Additionally, you’ll
have another opportunity to praise God for the sister He has pro-
vided for you!
17
This Wasn’t
on My Agenda Today
Standing on
Your Own Two Feet
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52 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
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54 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
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58 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
N ot sure what it is about young people and the messy room. Or,
better put, why is it that it takes me so long to do something
about the hamper in my daughter’s room that resembles the Tower
of Babel and the “stuff” strewn on the floor that looks like the
Slough of Despond? You’d think by this time I would have come
up with a system to make this sort of question unnecessary.
But, you see, I thought I had. From the time my children
were young, their own laundry was their responsibility, along with
their own ironing. This means, of course, that they were in terrible
straits when they ran out of clean or ironed clothing that was suit-
able for wearing. They were also responsible for seeing to it that
their beds were changed regularly and that their room was dusted
and vacuumed. As a homeschooling mom, I didn’t have the time
or energy to handle these tasks for them. Besides, I always figured
it was a necessary part of growing up, to learn to take care of your
own stuff. To this day, I believe my daughter-in-law appreciates
that my son handles his own laundry.
In any case, this past weekend, my remaining child living at
home announced to me that she was “fed up” with the condition
of her room and that she was going to clean it. Now, you must
understand that it isn’t that big of a room. However, it has been her
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domain for the past fourteen and a half years and exclusively hers
since 1999. Her biggest challenge was her closet, which for the past
I-don’t-know-how-long has teetered on an avalanche whenever
she’s opened the doors. It’s not that she hasn’t cleaned her room in
years and years, but that the closet has been the recipient of any-
thing she didn’t quite know whether to save or relinquish.
Throughout the day, as I was working on a number of writing
projects, I was continually interrupted with yelps that went some-
thing like:
“I can't believe I forgot I had this doll! Remember her? I always
LOVED her.”
“Look, this is my baseball glove that I got as a present when I was seven.
It no longer fits! I should have used it more.”
“Can you believe this has been sitting in my closet for five years? I could
still wear this hat!”
“I think we need to give away these six pairs of shoes. I tried, but I can't
even get my foot all the way in any of them.”
Periodically, I would stick my head in her room (or try to,
since at times it was hard to get the door opened at all) and
encourage her to shorten this stroll down memory lane and get her
room to resemble more of a pleasant place to sleep than a declared
disaster area. Repeatedly I needed to bring her back to the task at
hand as she would bump into a memory long forgotten.
I must admit, I was extremely amused and encouraged by her
response to all this. Here was my young lady enjoying the memo-
ries of her past—cherished treasures, prized gifts, trophies won, and
clothes she loved. By the end of the day, many of these memories
were packed up and placed for another day and time when she
would revisit them. Others were put in a pile to share with others.
It was as though she was identifying that childhood was a
memory—a good one—but that her life now involved things more
in line with her age and maturity level.
As she made her twenty or so trips to the garbage and recy-
cling bins, she informed me that she thought she got her “pack rat”
mentality from me. She kept blaming it on genetics or environ-
mental causes. “I just find it so hard to throw anything away,” she
pined. Then, she came with a box and asked me what to do with
OUT OF THE CLOSET 63
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much and would cry and cry. Even after I did all the things a mother
knows how to do, the crying wouldn’t stop. This went on for some
time. One night my husband had had enough of this and came into
the nursery where I was leaning over the crib trying to figure out
what to do. In his deep, male voice he said to our child, “Turn over
and go to sleep. Your mother needs her rest.” I thought to myself,
he's GOT to be kidding. This baby doesn't have the faintest idea what
he is talking about. However, I turned out to be the one who didn’t
have the faintest idea of what I was thinking about. Our son stopped
crying immediately and went to sleep. I was dumbfounded, and my
husband just trotted off to bed and went back to sleep. I had grossly
underestimated the reality of a father’s authority with an infant.
How he knew, I can’t exactly explain, but our son knew that his dad
meant business.
Case #2
My youngest daughter is fourteen years younger than her
brother and seven years younger than her sister. (I jokingly used to tell
people I took a sabbatical every seven years and had a baby!) Anyway,
once when she was almost two years old, all three of the children and
I were in the living room. The youngest gave her older sister a big
smack in the face. I immediately slapped her hand and told her that
what she had done was wrong. I then instructed her to apologize to
her sister. Nothing. So, I slapped her hand again and told her she had
done a naughty thing and needed to let her sister know that she was
sorry. Nothing. This happened two more times. Then my son, with
all the wisdom he had acquired in his sixteen years, corrected me,
sure that his sister couldn’t and didn’t understand what I was talking
about. He felt it was ridiculous for me to even imagine she could. I
told him I knew she understood perfectly well, and that she was just
being defiant. He rolled his eyes, certain that he was right. I
reproved her again and told her to let her sister know she was sorry.
Nothing. Again she got a hand slap. Now her sister was assuring me
that the smack hadn’t really hurt that badly and that Dorothy just
“didn’t understand.” She, like her brother, wanted me to drop the
whole thing. Just at that moment, my husband (ignorant of all that
had transpired) walked out of our bedroom and was making his way
down the hall. Dorothy didn’t even see his face, just heard his steps,
ON YOUR MARK, GET SET ... 67
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Lost in Space
T he year was 1984, the place was San Jose, California, and the
excursion was to purchase one of those newfangled computers
everyone was talking about. The unfortunate young man who was
the designated salesman that night at the computer store had no
idea what he was in for. The following is an accurate rendering of
our dialogue:
Salesman: May I help you?
Me: Yes, I’m looking to buy a computer.
Salesman: Great! What brand were you interested in?
Me: I don’t know.
Salesman: Well, what are you going to use it for?
Me: I don’t know. What do you think I should use it for?
Salesman: (blank stare)
Me: Well, what do other people buy computers for?
Salesman: Hmmmmm. I guess it depends on how they plan to use
it and what features they are looking for.
Me: That makes sense.
Salesman: Is there something particular you want the computer to
help you do?
Me: Well, I want one of those that talks to you.
Salesman: (blank stare)
Me: You know, like they used to do on Star Trek? Where he would
ask the computer questions, and things like that.
Salesman: (realizing I was serious) Huh?
71
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Correcting
Your Children
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and miss the mark, and those that are deliberate actions carried out in
defiance and/or rebellion.
When my children were young, I used the example of playing
darts. The person who tries to hit the bull’s-eye and misses and
accidentally hits the dog is like the person who misses the mark. In
the Greek, that sort of sin is hamartia. However, the person who is
not aiming at the bull’s-eye—but is rather seeing if he can hit his
dog—is not missing the mark, but is aiming to miss. In the Greek,
that sort of sin is anomia. In both cases, the dog has been hit (sin
has occurred), but the motive and circumstances dictate the appro-
priate correction.
The analogy can help you understand which category your
child’s transgression falls into. The first requires that the child take
responsibility for his actions by administering first aid to the dog.
It also involves a time of instruction, along with establishing certain
rules and procedures when dealing with sharp objects, so some-
thing like this (or worse) doesn’t happen again.
In the case of the child taking sport in hurting the animal,
one is dealing with a sadistic act, and discipline in the way of pun-
ishment is in order. Only after the child sees his act as sin can
repentance and instruction take root.
Of course, in order to adequately apply this principle, one
must not be harsher with one’s children than one is with oneself. In
more colloquial terms, parents need to practice what they preach. They
cannot hold their children to a higher standard than they hold
themselves. Additionally, these everyday occurrences are appro-
priate opportunities to share the gospel with your children as you
identify where in Scripture a particular transgression is addressed
(either explicitly or implicitly) and how through the blood of Jesus,
one’s sins are forgiven. I sometimes required an informal essay in
order to cement the point with my children.
Will your emotions or personal shortcomings sometimes
contribute to you applying the incorrect punishment to a given sit-
uation? Sure. What then? Well, once you assess and confess your
own sin to the Lord, it is the responsible and godly thing to make
things right with your children asking them for their forgiveness if
CORRECTING YOUR CHILDREN 77
Call Waiting
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and say is the triune God of Scripture, in whose presence we all will
stand for judgment.
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be
good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14)
30
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Child #1
The first real challenge in his academic life occurred with
fractions. For some reason, this concept completely eluded him.
That is, until I put a dollar sign in front of any math problem he
faced. He was always eager to have and earn money, so this proved
a surefire way to keep him involved. All I needed to do was put the
question in terms of money, and what had previously been an
obstacle became an area he looked forward to, and often wanted to
tackle first each school day.
Child #3
This one had a hard time with numbers early on. The ques-
tion What is 13 minus 3? would stump her. It didn’t seem to help
to use pencils, or paper clips, or other physical objects to commu-
nicate the concept of subtraction. Finally I got creative and made
use of the fact that she had been golfing since she was three years
old. When I posed the question like this: Let's say you are on hole #3
and Daddy is on hole #13. How many holes will it take you to catch
up with him? The answer “10” was out of her mouth almost before
I finished asking my question. After that, I would tell her to think
in golf terms.
But there are upsides to struggling students. Sometimes they
come up with creative explanations for their setbacks. The
daughter whose favorite subject is NOT math is now working on
algebraic word problems. She often comes up with some great one-
liners. For example, we recently had this interchange during an
algebra lesson. The problem stated:
Let's say your brother has been visiting you for the weekend from
college. Five minutes after he leaves to go back to college, you discover
that he forgot his books. So you get in your car and drive to catch up to
him. If your average speed is 10 mph faster than your brother's speed,
and you catch him in 25 minutes, how fast did you drive?
SOME FUNNY THINGS HAPPEN ... 95
Child #2
This child (now about to start law school) demonstrated early
on her proclivity for persuading a jury. She had just received a grade
of 37 percent on her fourth grade science test. I pointed out that
she hadn’t prepared very well, leaving many answers blank. She
immediately challenged my grade and told me she should be eli-
gible for partial credit. “Really?” I retorted. “And how do you figure
that?” She replied without even stopping for a breath, “I should get
partial credit for the ones I left blank. That showed I knew I didn’t
know the answer!”
Home teaching moms, don’t despair when one of your stu-
dents struggles. It will serve as a character building experience for
him and the opportunity for you to become a better teacher. And,
you might get some good laughs along the way!
32
Setting Goals
97
33
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100 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
call our auto university.) You can also use car trips to have
your student read aloud and discuss a lesson or assignment.
5. Make use of the various activities of the family and turn
them into educational lessons. Visits to the vet and
pediatrician can give your students a chance to get questions
answered and see how these professionals conduct their
business. Make sure your students are always ready to “grab
some reading material” for stints in the waiting room. Better
to have them get some schoolwork done than just browse
through mindless magazines.
6. Be ready to have to change plans on short notice.
Sometimes a great opportunity will arise that requires you to
alter your schedule for the day. A free ticket to a show or
museum and/or an unexpected visit from a relative or family
friend is a good reason to reschedule academics to later in the
evening or the weekend.
Homeschooling is different than day school and some
advance planning can allow for learning to take place in many ways
and venues. I’m sure there are plenty of other sound practices that
are implemented every day by homeschooling moms across the
country. Feel free to share some.
34
Public Speaking
and Leadership
encouraged those in their audience. This was not so that mama and
papa could show off our little darlings. No, it was practice for the
leadership roles we wanted them to assume as they got older.
My advice to parents is to NOT underestimate the ability of
their children to memorize lengthy pieces and present them dra-
matically—in other words with an understanding of what they are
reciting. Even if parents find they aren’t capable themselves, they
should NOT prejudge their own children’s abilities. Take a stab at
it and find out just how amazing your young children are.
35
Incentives
Combating the
Humanistic Inquisition
Why Write?
write will include the gospel message, but ultimately, those with a
Biblical worldview, who understand that the law-word of God
speaks to every area of life and thought, are those who have some-
thing of value to say. By implication, this means that if someone is
going to communicate (either orally or by the written word), what
they have to say, how they say it, why they say it, and when and
where they choose to say it are all relevant questions needing to be
answered.
Now, back to the question of teaching writing. As children
learn to read phonetically, writing out the words they learn and
saying them aloud cements new words into their vocabulary. Like-
wise, as they are provided with challenging and worthwhile reading
material, their vocabulary will increase. It is my opinion that young
grammar-school age children should spend the majority of their
time acquiring knowledge by being given a steady diet of “nutri-
tious” books with ideas meant to stretch their understanding of the
world in which God has placed them. In essence, this is increasing
their arsenal of having something of value to say.
Initially, evidence of concepts and ideas being absorbed will
come in the form of comments, questions, or discussion. It is only
when someone has something of value to say that being able to
articulate those ideas with the written word makes any sense at all.
Otherwise, it just becomes an exercise in putting words on paper
without the intent to communicate something of value. The home-
schooling parent can assist by acting as a secretary taking dicta-
tion—writing what the child says orally—thereby helping the child
see that writing is merely taking what one says and committing it
to paper. Then, the parent can interject suggestions by applying the
rules of grammar and syntax in order to have the child’s ideas put
forth in a clearer and more coherent fashion. This helps the child
see that writing is just another way to communicate. Once the
parent has completed the dictation and suggested rephrasing and
grammatical corrections, the child should take the paper and pre-
pare a final copy in his best handwriting. Now he has produced
something worth reading, and you should seek a greater audience
for it than just you and your child.
WHY WRITE? 109
Building a Homeschool
Lending Library
O ver the years I have used a wide variety of curricula and audio/
video resources to help me in the home education of my chil-
dren. Some of these were used by all three children; others were
acquired to suit the particular needs of one child’s individual
learning style. In the process, I was building quite a good library
and a body of knowledge of the various publishers. Then, I began
to purchase resources (both new and used) that I felt would be
helpful to me to further educate myself to be the best teacher pos-
sible for my kids. In time, I needed more and more bookcases to
house what would become useful tools for my own children, those
I tutored or taught, and eventually to become part of our home-
school lending library. This has been a great outreach for my family
as the library continues to loan out materials for review or a year’s
worth of use to new homeschoolers and veterans alike.
Homeschool families, co-ops, and homeschool-friendly
churches should make a concerted effort to establish libraries to
serve their local cities and communities. With the increasing
number of families making the choice to provide a distinctively
Christian education to their children, being ready to help is a very
proactive and godly endeavor.
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Homeschooling
Through High School
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Categories
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Taking God’s word as the starting point, this DVD course divides
all life according to the days of creation. An exciting, visually rich
experience, it is designed specifically for ages 15 years old and up.
Filmed in locations throughout America’s beautiful Northwest,
Biology 101 is full of accurate and fascinating information
supported by hundreds of captivating visuals and graphics. The 4
DVD set is accompanied by a printable (pdf ) guidebook, allowing
the student to easily review all the information covered in the film.
Each guidebook segment includes a multiple choice quiz and
discussion questions. A 12-page “Course Accreditation Program”
booklet is included for those families who want a year-long biology
course.
Biology 101 was developed and hosted by Wes Olson, Multnomah
Bible College graduate, veteran filmmaker of 15 years, and
homeschooling father. Wes guides you through the world of
“biological science,” unraveling and decoding terms and ideas.
This DVD course of study will help you fully integrate the world
of biology into an accurate Biblical worldview.
This new program challenged and corrected me in the very
first segment. Keep in mind that I’ve been homeschooling for
twenty-five years and have never embraced the evolutionary
mindset in teaching science; yet, this product quickly unearthed a
premise I hadn’t challenged in all those years. Simply put, it is erro-
neous to classify human beings in the same taxonomic “kingdom”
as the animals. By subconsciously accepting this, I had given cre-
dence to the false teaching man is just an “advanced” animal. In
teaching my older two children, I never fully challenged the taxo-
nomic classification that I had been taught during my years in
school. Genesis clearly states that man is categorically different from
the animals, however similar some structures may be. I had failed to
filter biological classifications through the lens of Scripture.
Homeschooling parents should make a concentrated effort to
examine ALL the presuppositions that they hold in all areas to see
if they inadvertently hold a view that doesn’t have agreement with
the Holy Word of God. Not sure where to start? Well, Chalcedon’s
materials, including its bimonthly magazine Faith for All of Life is
a good place to start, as are the Biblical worldview materials from
American Vision and Vision Forum.
Don’t put off or abandon homeschooling until you are
totally in line with the Bible in all areas. Learn alongside your chil-
CATEGORIES 121
dren, and take advantage of the head start you have on them, as you
organize their education in a categorically Biblical fashion. As Prov-
erbs 3:5–6 promises:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart;
And lean not on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and He shall direct your paths.
41
A Happy Alliance
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124 THE HOMESCHOOL LIFE
Recruiting Your
Homeschool Faculty
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The teacher who does not grow in his knowledge of his subject, in
methodology and content, is a very limited teacher, and his pupils
are “under-privileged” learners. (133)
The teacher as student is, above all else, a student of God’s word.
To be a student means to advance and grow. (134)
Our growth in teaching requires our growth through and under the
teaching of the Holy Spirit. We must become good learners as a
step towards becoming good teachers. Our profession is a very
great one in Scripture: our Lord was a Teacher, and the Holy Spirit
is our continuing Teacher. We cannot treat our calling lightly, nor
grieve the Spirit by abusing our calling. (135)
The homeschooling parent needs to be prepared to be the
source and conduit of what students need to learn, and to create a
syllabus that includes subjects that demonstrate the truth of God’s
Word in all subject areas. Even though I used much curricula that
wasn’t 100 percent to my satisfaction at all times, I was able to sup-
plement and round out important areas as a result of my own study
and application of the Word of God to my life. The resources avail-
able from Chalcedon helped me tremendously and made it so that
our homeschool life was consistent with our church life, our sports
life, and our professional life.
In the end, it’s not only about cost or logistics when choosing
between homeschool and a Christian academy. It’s about what is
the best way to train your children to be ambassadors for the Chris-
tian world and life view. There is no more important responsibility
than this one that the Lord has entrusted to us.
Appendix
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1. Vox Day, “The mother’s war,” WorldNetDaily, May 14, 2007. Reprint permis-
sion granted.
Index
abilities to homeschool, 43–44 Biblical worldview. See also
ACT test, 116. See also testing God’s law-word
American Vision, 120 comparison to humanism,
6–7
answers for difficult questions,
55–56 in curriculum, 31–32, 44, 53–
54, 69–70, 118–121
anxieties about homeschooling,
21–22, 116 immersion in God’s Word,
129
athletic opportunities, 116, 124
writing skills and, 108
babies, 65–67 Biology 101: Biology According
to the Days of Creation,
“The Battle Belongs to the
119–120
Lord” (Collins), 2
Biblical references
Daniel 2:34–35, 74 calling from God, 28, 72, 124,
Ecclesiastes 12:14, 85 131
First Peter 5:8, 34 Canaan, 21–22
Galatians 6:1–2, 10, 24 catechisms, 42, 54, 72, 104, 109
Hebrews 5:13, 5
Chalcedon Foundation, 1, 55,
Isaiah 40:31, 81
118, 120, 123, 131
James 5:19-20, 24
John 7:24, 69 ChalcedonStore.com, 118
Matthew 11:28-30, 33 challenges for parents, 23–25,
Matthew 25:23, 48 45–46, 87–89
Matthew 7:21, 5 Christ, Jesus. See Jesus Christ
Numbers 13 and 14, 21 Christian doctrine, teaching,
Proverbs 22:29, 83–84 55–56, 104. See also Biblical
Proverbs 22:6, 59 worldview; God’s law-
Proverbs 3:5-6, 121 word
Psalm 119, 69
Christian Reconstruction, 73
Psalm 127:1-2, 29
Revelation 5:5, 34 Christian schools, 7, 42, 84, 116,
Romans 3:3-4, 70 123–124
Second Corinthians 10:4-5, Christian worldview.See
12 Biblical worldview
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