Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

I've decided to homeschool, but my child is just a baby. How do I know when to begin? Chairman Michael Farris talks with his wife, Vickie, about getting started on today's Home School Heartbeat.

Mike Farris:


Vickie, a lot of moms wonder when they should start with academics. Some people think that they're homeschooling academically when the child's six months old. That's not exactly what we have in mind here. How early should a mom begin the formal part of academics?


Vickie:


The formal part, ok. Well, you know, I think that depends on the child and how much time the mom has, the interest that the mom has too. I never did very much until our children were actually starting first grade. I did the typical things that all moms can do when they're three and four years old--teach numbers and sometimes letters, shapes and colors and things like that. But I really don't think you need to do that much at that age unless the child is particularly precocious. I always ordered a few books but didn't use them very much, so really when our children were first grade age, that's when I started the daily, formal schooling.


Mike Farris:


Once you began first grade, how much time did you typically spend teaching one of our kids?


Vickie:


Well, I usually work with them for about an hour, maybe an hour and a half, and then they do a little work on their own, so really, you know, not too much more than a couple of hours.