The Narrow Path Ministries

Steve,
My daughter is 3 and my wife and I want to homeschool. Were not sure where to begin or what to do. We only know of one other person that homeschools, and we don't know them very well. I don't even know if they are Christians. Is there anyone I or my wife can talk to in reguards to the many questions we have?

Steve, any direction you can turn me in would be a great help.

Hi Sean,

Here's a cut-and-paste from http://www.home-school.com that has some good advice from Mary Pride - a well known speaker/writer in the movement (she'll try to sell you some of her products ).

"So, Where Do I Start?"

1. Locate your state homeschool group. Just click on the word "Groups" on the black menu bar at the top of this page (and at the top of every page on this website!). Then go to your state listing. The group(s) at the top of the page are state groups. Those below are regional and local groups. We have provided phone numbers and addresses as well as web links to as many state groups as possible, so it should be easy for you to contact them.

2. Locate your local support group. For most states, you'll find it right on the "Groups" page you were just looking at! If you can't find one listed on our website, just ask your state group. They'll know where your nearest support group is.

3. Join other homeschoolers online. I recommend you start with our Forum area, not just because it's our website, but because we have a boatload of great forums on all sorts of homeschool topics, including a "Getting Started" forum. Post your questions here!

4. Subscribe to a homeschool magazine. Naturally, we'd like it to be Practical Homeschooling. Nothing gets you "in the swim" as quickly in a new professional area as reading a magazine on that topic. Homeschooling is no exception. The ads are an education all by themselves. You'll find yourself saying, "I had no idea there was a product that taught that!" Even articles on topics you think you will never need often turn out to be useful later on. There's a lot to be said for mentally preparing for high school while your child's still in preschool!

5. Read "how to" books about homeschooling. Carefully read the author's biography (if one is supplied) to see if he or she is a veteran homeschooler who has demonstrated success, or just a professional writer whose publisher assigned the job of creating a book about homeschooling. Anyone can homeschool one child for a few months, but that does not make them a homeschool expert.

6. Locate curriculum providers. To do so, just go to the "Mall" area of this website, where you'll find all kinds of resources organized by type (software, online, or print curriculum), school subject, and more.

7. Request homeschool catalogs. Here are some to start with: Beautiful Feet Books (800-889-1978), Birch Court Books (800-655-1811), The Book Cellar (603-880-6400), Christian Book Distributors (800) 247-4784), Elijah Company (888-2-ELIJAH), Farm Country General Store (309-367-2844), Lifetime Books & Gifts (863-676-6311), Shekinah Curriculum Cellar (903-643-2760), Sycamore Tree (949-650-4466), and Timberdoodle (360-426-0672). And don't forget to visit our own online catalog. You'll also find ads from many major curriculum providers in Practical Homeschooling magazine. They will be happy to send you their catalogs upon request.

8. Go to your local teacher's store. They have great workbooks, educational toys and games, and school supplies. To find a local store with a homeschool section, click on the banner on the top of any "Groups" page on this site.

9. Attend your first curriculum fair. Plan to buy, not just to browse. Go to the Events page on this site to find upcoming homeschool conventions and curriculum fairs. Prepare by reading a book that reviews homeschool curriculum, such as my Big Book of Home Learning or Cathy Duffy's Christian Homeschooler's Curriculum Manual.

10. Now that you've picked out your curriculum and have a plan, you're ready to join HSLDA. That stands for "Home School Legal Defense Association." The cost is $100 per year for your entire family, and well worth it in protecting your (and everybody else's) right to homeschool.

Some homeschool groups in Missouri:

Missouri Association of Teaching Christian Homes (MATCH)
2203 Rhonda Dr, West Plains, MO 65775-1615
Phone: (815) 550-8641
Fax: (815) 550-8641
Email: match@match-inc.org
http://www.match-inc.org

Families for Home Education (FHE)
P.O. Box 742, Grandview, MO 64030
Phone: 816) 767-9825
Email: 1983@fhe-mo.org
http://www.fhe-mo.org

Christian Home Educators Fellowship (CHEF)
St. Louis, Missouri
Contact: Jon & Candy Summers
Phone: (314) 521-8487
Email: jon.candy.summers@chef-missouri.com
http://www.chef-missouri.com

Christian Home Educators of Carthage
1415 S. Maple St., Carthage, MO 64836
Contact: Stephen & Tammy Alger
Phone: (417) 358-7318

Dent County Christian Home Educators Association
Rt. 2 Box 542, Salem MO 65560
Contact: Rita Whitehouse
Phone: (314) 729-8450

Heartland Homeschool Group
503 South Railroad Street, Oran, MO 63771
Contact: Nelda Tinker
Email: gjet@semo.net
http://www.geocities.com/lovinghandscro ... school.htm
Serving the Scott, New Madrid, Stoddard, Cape Girardeau counties in southeast Missouri.

Junior Explorers Club for Homeschoolers - Carthage Chapter
Based in Carthage, MO 64832
Contact: Cathe Garnett
Phone: (417) 358-4156
Email: caths99@wmconnect.com
http://www.geocities.com/cat9953/jrexplorersclub.html

Lebanon Area Homeschoolers
Based in Lebanon, MO 65536
Contact: Renee Inman
Phone: (417) 588-3537
Email: renee@lebanonareahomeschoolers.com
http://www.lebanonareahomeschoolers.com
We are a Christian homeschool co-op offering a variety of activities for students and parents choosing to home educate.

Network Of Alternative Homeschooling (NOAH)
17 East O'Fallon, MO 63366
Contact: Karen Boyer
Phone: (636) 379-0256
Email: n.o.a.h@earthlink.net

Ozark LORE Society
HC 73 Box 160, Drury, MO 65638
Phone: (417) 679-3391

Parliamentary Debate and Speech Association of Logical Thinkers (PSALT)
Based in the Greater Kansas City area
Contact: Kristina Haines
Email: kristina@psalt.com
http://www.psalt.com
An organization committed to teaching Parliamentary Debate and Speech to homeschool students ages 12-18 in the Greater Kansas City Area (including Missouri and Kansas). Founded by a homeschool graduate.

Raymore Home Educators (RHE)
Based in Raymore, MO
Contact: Jennifer Nichols
Phone: (816) 322-3201
Email: nichfam@comcast.net
http://www.geocities.com/raymorehome_ed/
Raymore Home Educators formed in September 2001 and has been growing strong ever since. Monthly meetings are held to discuss such topics as record keeping, scheduling, homeschooling and the holidays, and RHE offers feild trips throughout the school year.

Relaxed Education Lets All eXcel (RELAX)
9631 E. 9th St, Independence, MO 64053
Contact: Tina Williams
Phone: (816) 252-6352
Email: relaxinkc@comcast.net
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/RELAXinKC/
An inclusive educational support group formed to offer support and encouragement along with various educational and social activities to its members and their families.

Southwest Home Education Ministry
Serving Southwest Missouri
Contact: Patti Hobbs
Phone: (417) 875-6418
Email: info@shemonline.org
http://www.shemonline.org

And some of the legalities for Missouri from HSLDA

Legal Option:
Operate a home school

Attendance:
1,000 hours per year; at least 600 hours in the five required subjects; 400 of these 600 hours must occur at "the regular home school location"

Subjects:
Reading, math, social studies, language arts, and science

Qualifications:
None

Notice:
None required

Recordkeeping:
Maintain records of subjects taught, activities engaged in, samples of the child's academic work and evaluations or a credible equivalent, and a written log showing the hours required under "attendance"

Testing:
None

See MO Analysis for more from HSLDA on the laws for Missouri.

Jim,
Thanks for posting that material from Mary Pride (I highly recommend her book, "The Way Home"). I have been wanting to respond to Sean, but the subject is so large, I was not sure where to start. I appreciate you stepping in.

Sean,
Sorry not to get back to you sooner. I am a strong advocate of home schooling, and my children who are now 12, 15, 18 and 20 have all been home schooled since birth. Unfortunately, home schooling is very difficult for a single dad with another full-time vocation. Since their mother left 2 1/2 years ago, my younger children have not been very well educated by me (my wife did all the schooling when she was here, and left no instructions for me when she vanished). I am afraid that, for the first time, I will have to put my younger kids in school this fall. This would have been unthinkable for us when our home was intact, but home schooling definitely works best when there is at least one stay-at-home parent. I will be looking for an affordable Christian school.

Your wife is welcome to contact me. I started homeschooling my oldest son when he was 4, then when I went through a divorce, I had to put him in Christian school for kindergarten. Then, for first grade, the Lord provided a way for me to homeschool him again, and I will continue to do so as long as the Lord provides. I have seen such a drastic change in his attitude & obedience since he has been home. I also have a 3 year old daughter who will start school at home in the fall. I have researched many of the different curriculums & options, although I am not a "pro" at homeschooling yet, I would still love to talk to your wife. My email address is: liscanjosh@hotmail.com

Prov. 13:20 "He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."

Hi

Being this thread is a cple years old I dont know how much info you still need.

But I to home schooled my kids. One thing I found as my son (last one) entered into 12th grade we connected with a school online in ann arbor Mi. name ClonLara. They are a private school that backs up home schoolers.

We paid a fee to be connected with them his last year of high school.They sent their overview ( very creative for you to design under) that you could choose to follow or create your own. When your child graduated they were legally able to say they graduated from ClonLara which has a good reputation.

Many colleges are open to kids that graduate through them. They get a diploma and file etc.on record. A teacher connects with you and will help you as much as you would like.

My son was concerned that if he entered into college he might not be looked upon as "official" good school material as a home schooler, so he wanted that xtra covering. I think it cost about 900 dollars for the year ( 2 yrs ago). They have a full ciriculum also thru all the years up to 12th grade if you want to follow theirs. It is not Christian but good. We followed our own that was.

Also for our main schooling. I talked to local principals to find out what our local school systems required for study as the kids went through their different grades. I also went down to the local library to keep informed what the state required. I used it as a back up incase laws changed where they would have to know what the reg. school system required.Or if I had to put them back into the system for some reason.Which I did need to do the year my husabnd died.

It also came in handy when a new law was passed that certain things had to be learned and the state even tried to get a test all kids had to pass before graduating from any high school. It only lasted a couple years and was taken out.. .

We were really pleased with the results though. Have fun! Glow

wow, I am new to this board & didnt realize how old the thread was... I am sure she got her information by now. Any other homeschool moms may contact me though! I will look at what YEAR something is posted next time.

Thanks for the help! Keep it coming.

Hey Sean,

I would highly recommend http://www.nogreaterjoy.org

Micheal Pearl is a KJV only Dispensationalist, which is about as far away doctrinally that you could get from me (although I use a KJV mostly), but his teaching about family life are second to none in my opinion. They have a free magazine called No Greater Joy that is about home schooling and various other family topics.

Of course, not having any kids (except my Bassett hound!) I can't speak very authoritatively on the subject. But I have seen the fruit of his and his wife’s teaching in my marriage, as well as in the families of other homeschoolers (most of my church).

I still haven't figured out the KJV Dispy thing, but they are rock solid when it comes to family life. They have five adult Godly children to show for it too, which says a lot to me. Really good!

God bless,
Derek

I feel like I've really learned a lot from the Pearls in relation to homeschool. I have a four year old and a one year old and although I am far from experienced, I really like the somewhat laid back approach that focuses more on giving our children a love for learning rather than trying to really push them in the elementary years.

I read their child training book and really learned a lot, but I feel like they really miss talking about addressing the heart of the child and getting their heart to be with you. It seems that they did this with their own children, but maybe just didn't stress it enough in their book.

Same with the book on being a wife. It had some very useful things, but no, we don't submit to our husbands so that they don't leave us. We submit as to the Lord and out of obedience to Him.

Anyway, I like what the Pearls have to say about homeschooling! =)