It can be pretty intimidating to switch from traditional schooling to homeschooling several children all at once. On today’s Home School Heartbeat, host Mike Smith and his guest Carren Joye discuss a few ways parents can meet the academic needs of each child.
Mike Smith:
I have the privilege of talking to Carren Joye, author of the book Homeschooling More than One Child. Thanks for joining me this week, Carren!
Carren Joye:
Thank you, it’s a pleasure to be here.
Mike:
Carren, what advice would you give to families who have just pulled their children out of a traditional school and are suddenly homeschooling?
Carren:
When a family first pulls their children out of school, it can be a scary time. Even their own extended family may not be as supportive as they could be, and homeschooling is a big adjustment. They need to surround themselves with other families who are in the same situation as they are. And they could best do this by finding a local homeschool support group or a co-op. There, they’ll be able to find help with issues that they may have and even some they may not even thought of, later. They can fellowship with other families who can share their experiences and then get their questions answered. It’s really important to be around other families with multiple children at that time. That way their children can make new homeschool friends. That’s very important when a family is just starting homeschooling. It’s easy to find homeschool support groups by using the Internet and asking other homeschool families that they may know.
Mike:
That’s great, practical advice, Carren! And listeners, for more information on support groups, please go to HomeSchoolHeartbeat.com. Until next time, I’m Mike Smith.
