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One of the first questions asked by new homeschooling parents is, “Where do I start?” Most are thinking the answer will guide them to the best set of workbooks, curriculum set, or videos.  As Seventh-day Adventist homeschoolers, we have been blessed with inspired answers on the subject in  Child Guidance   and  Education .   Sadly, this inspired guidance is often ignored and worldly advice is taken first instead.  Don’t miss out on the eternal benefits that come from these valuable first lessons!  They will lay a foundation for a blessed homeschool experience.

Are your children older and you have recently chosen to take them out of a classroom setting?  These  first lessons still hold true!  Focus your ‘deschooling’ transition time on these four lessons as you establish your homeschool,  learn your children’s learning styles and homeschooling needs.  Simply adapt to your children’s age.

There are parents who have learned this information long after starting to homeschool.  They took a break from academics to make these lessons a habit before resuming their regular curriculum.  Sounds radical at first, but makes total sense.

 

The important lessons that come before teaching our little ones to read and write.

 Obedience & Responsibility

Obedience and responsibility are the very first lessons we should teach our children. Diligent, daily work as parents at teaching our young children to obey and become useful, reliable members of the family is essential. These character-building lessons are spiritually important, because they help our children also learn to obey God and take the responsibilities of the Christian life seriously. When the time comes for our children to begin their formal academic education, the transition will be smoother and we as parents will find our new roles as reading and math teachers to be more enjoyable.

 

Bible

As Christian parents, the importance of Bible instruction in the home needs no explanation. What we fail to remember is that this is where we as parents can begin to develop and strengthen our skills as teachers. As we plan our worship and Bible study times for our families, we are working on our lesson planning skills. The time spent on preparing Bible crafts or learning finger plays does more than simply make Bible learning time more special for our children. These creative efforts for Bible study plant seeds for future inspiration – which leads to creative science or history lessons.

Nature Study

The idea of nature study is intimidating to some parents, but the opportunities it affords are priceless. Because we know that nature is God’s second book, we can think of nature study as a supplement to our Bible lessons. As we introduce our little ones to the wonders of the world around them, we are establishing a distinctly Christian worldview in their hearts and minds. In addition, we are gently awakening observation skills, and strengthening thinking and reasoning skills at the same time. We can develop these important learning skills in young ones who are not yet ready for formal academic study.

 

 

Following these principles of True Education will lay a sure foundation for your homeschool.   Put it to prayer.