Education, Homeschool, Homeschooling - Baby to Toddler, Homeschooling - Early Elementary, Homeschooling - Preschool, How to Homeschool, How to Start, Parenting & Homeschooling

Where Do I Start?

About a month ago, a reader expressed that she was interested in homeschooling but didn’t know where to start. I wasn’t able to see her comment until today and I feel horrible about it. But this post is dedicated to her and her very important question.

“I’m interested in homeschooling, but where do I start?”

Attend a homeschool orientation. Homeschool providers usually give free orientations about their programs and an overview of home education. Attend several if necessary to get a big picture perspective on home schooling in the Philippines. Here are some providers to choose from:

Get connected to other homeschoolers. Join their social networks or email groups. Homeschoolers are very friendly and accommodating. They don’t mind being spied on! You can ask your questions and get answers from a number of people who have “been there and done that.”

Attend the Philippine Homeschool Conference 2012 on May 19, 2012. This is an annual event organized by  HAPI (Homeschool Association of the Philippine Islands) for homeschoolers and parents.

Be in agreement with your spouse about making the decision to homeschool. Homeschooling is a way of life more than it is an education. When a family decides to homeschool, every member of the family participates. Fathers may be in charge of devotion time or physical education, and mothers may handle the majority of the subjects, but at the end of the day, both husband and wife must be 100% committed to home education.

Read and follow blogs by homeschoolers in the Philippines. Homeschooling blogs have useful review on books and curriculum that you can use for your own kids. They also talk about upcoming homeschool events, and give practical tips on parenting and teaching. Most of all, they make people realize that homeschoolers are normal people who have their own struggles, shorcomings and frustrations but manage to successfully educate their children (by God’s grace!).

 Do your homework.

  • Read up on homeschool teaching methods.
  • Call the Department of Education (NCR) to get an updated list of accredited homeschool providers. 928-0104; 921-4274
  • Check out the latest facts on homeschooling by Dr. Brian Ray’s National Home Education Research Institute. NHERI
  • Be aware of the Philippine government’s legal stand on homeschooling

Homeschooling and Open Universities in the Philippines 
Homeschool Legal Defense Association on the Philippines

Consider the cost. Homeschooling will require your time, energy, effort, and positive parenting.

  • Instruction Time: Pre-schooler (1.5 to 2 hours daily); Elementary (3 to 4 hours daily); High school (4 to 5 hours daily)
  • Energy: Being with your kids all day can zap you! Realize, however, that you are making an investment in your relationship with them and their future success.
  • Effort: Homeschooling involves goal setting, planning, scheduling, and actual instruction. You have to prepare for your lessons. Some subjects can be done spontaneously and without much planning ahead. But when you have projects or experiments, you will need to have all your supplies and materials ready. You will also need to understand certain lessons and subject matter before presenting these to your child (especially for older children.)
  • Positive parenting: A good relationship with your child will greatly help your homeschooling. Children naturally respond to parents’ teaching and instruction if they feel loved, accepted, built-up, and when they are disciplined appropriately. A Christ-centered home is the best environment for homeschooling.

If you have the opportunity to, spend a day with a homeschooling family that you know and observe how teaching and instruction happens in their home. See how they set-up their “homeschool area.” Ideally, this should be a family whose children are “good products” of home education. 😉

Pray about it! Make a list of your fears and apprehensions. Surrender these to the Lord and ask him for confirmation and clear leading about whether you should homeschool.

Have the right motivation. Why choose to homeschool? Don’t let your number one reason be an economic one. My husband, Edric, and I decided to homeschool because we want our children to grow up to love, know, serve, obey, and worship God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Every family that wants to homeschool needs to ask themselves the why question.

 

MORE HELP:

Really Good Smart Parenting Articles on Homeschooling you may also find helpful:

Homeschooling In the Philippines – FAQs and Tips for Parents

How to Choose a Program for Your Child

Why Homeschooling Is Best for Your Preschooler

Homeschooling Your Big Kid – 6-to-7-year-old

The Benefits of Homeschooling Your Child

What It Takes to Homeschool Your Child

 

27 thoughts on “Where Do I Start?”

  1. Hello Joy! This is a great post on how to begin homeschooling. This is my first time to visit your blog and it looks good! Thank you for including a link to my blog. God bless you! See you at the HAPI Conference!

    Reply

  3. I am interested to promote jhomeschooling among parents in Baguio City. How do I start?

    Reply

    1. Hi guia! If you want to start a program, it would be a good idea to attend the homeschool conference on May 19 so you can connect with other program leaders. If you are interested in homeschooling as a parent, you can start by attending an orientation on homeschooling if you can’t make it to the conference.

      Reply

    2. Also, Tma homeschool does road shows so if you can organize a sizable number of families, Tma may be willing to promote homeschooling in Baguio:)

      Reply

  6. Hi, I’ve been reading and following your blog for some time now and I really find it very helpful and inspiring for homeschooling moms like me. Now, I’m very interested in joining TMA since we are still homeschooling independently. I already attended the orientation conducted by your husband last June and was ready to enroll my child already. However, I was told by the consultant that I should wait a few more years because my daughter is just 3 (turning 4 next month) which got me really confused because the TMA website stated that 3.5 year old kids can be accepted already. And if we decided to enroll her in a trad school, she’ll definitely be in school right now, that’s why I don’t know why the preschool consultant was telling me it was way too early for us. So we’re still homeschooling independently right now which is working for us but i would still prefer to enroll my child in a deped affiliated provider. So I guess my question is, at what age do you accept enrollees?

    Sorry for the long post. I just don’t know who to ask anymore.

    Reply

    1. Hi Cha! I think she said this because required levels of DepEd don’t start until Preparatory (or the level right before Grade 1). We often encourage homeschoolers who are interested to start their children young, to do it independently. First of all, it will save you money because you don’t have to pay for tuition and second, you will have less pressure to meet deadlines and the like. However, if you really really want to enroll your child at 3 or 4 years old, you can. TMA Homeschool does offer nursery and kindergarten. But the advise was probably given on the premise that enrollment isn’t mandatory until Preparatory.

      I do the same with my kids. I homeschool them independently until they are about 5. 🙂

      Check out the checklist I’ve included under the page Ages 2 – 4. It’s practically the same checklist that TMA Homeschool uses. You can keep your child “on track” before formally enrolling them.

      Hope this helps! Joy

      Reply

    1. Hi Katz. As of now, we don’t know. However, there will probably be a big parenting conference 3rd or 4th quarter this year. You can look forward to that. 🙂

      Reply

  8. Hi! Is there any homeschooling offered in Baguio? I want to enroll my son and be his teacher for a year in the house… Please help me,

    Reply

    1. Hi Cindy:) there may be homeschoolers that you can connect with. As for enrolling in a homeschool program, you can enroll with TMA homeschool even if you are remotely located. Here’s the number of Espie Fetalvero. She handles remote families. 09178008261

      Reply

  9. Hello Joy,
    Thanks for this wonderful information about homeschooling, i just do wonder if it is still applicable to average moms like me.. or kailangan ba super talino ng mommy to do homeschooling? I have 4 sons and i wonder if i can still do homeschooling to them.. its 1 of my dream to be a house goddess for my kids and trying to teach them really is a struggle for me. God Bless!

    Reply

    1. Hi Arly! We are all average moms empowered and enabled by an incredible God! You can start off with one or two kids first during your first year and see how that goes. 🙂 Don’t worry about the matalino part. I don’t know alot of things but as I learn and re-learn along side my children, I enjoy studying along side of them. 🙂 Learning becomes a family lifestyle, something we do together. 🙂

      Reply

      1. Thanks Ms. Joy, is it applicable also for masang pinoy…? what will be the average cost per month in homeschooling for 4 kids? Do i need to buy lots of materials like for example in science, experiment laboratories and the likes.. how does it cover?

        Reply

        1. Hi Arly, homeschooling is an option that anyone can choose to do. If you want to lower the cost of your homeschooling, then check out the books at National Bookstore. They have a lot of textbooks that they sell before each school year begins. But choose ones that have answer keys at the back. Another alternative is to use online resources like time4learning.com which charge a monthly or yearly rate that is not too expensive. You can also contact textbook publishers like Vibal Publishing and ask if you can purchase books and teachers guides from them.

          Reply

  11. Hi Joy! I’ve been a reader of your blog for sometime. Now that I am homeschooling our preschooler, it seems that I’ll be more frequent in your page. Thank you for this post…very informative, I still am puzzled about where to start good thing I dig in your post and found this…

    Reply

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  13. Thank you for this post, Ms. Joy! I am interested in homeschooling my child but I am a working mom. Can I just try homeschooling my 2-year old then transition to traditional school when she reaches elementary level?

    You and your family are such an inspiration. God bless!

    Reply

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