Planning for Fall

It's that time of year: time for graduations and picnics, wrapping up the schoolyear, and looking forward to enjoying the summer. Yet it's also time to think about the fall. Maybe we don't want to think about crisp autumn air and falling leaves right now. But we can still start planning what we're going to do about school when that time comes.

Yesterday I placed my orders for my two high schoolers for the coming school year. If you're interested, you can read that post at my personal blog:
http://margmary.blogspot.com/2007/05/were-committed.html

But maybe you don't have high schoolers and consequently aren't remotely interested in what I'm doing for high school. Whatever the age of your child, I would like to share some thoughts with you...some questions, perhaps, that you can ask yourself, whether you're new to homeschool or whether you're a veteran like me.

What method of homeschooling appeals to you for your child? Do you picture your homeschool as being like a school in the home? Do you prefer to have pre-packaged lessons plans and textbooks? Or does a more creative or flexible approach appeal to you? If you tried a more creative approach, would you take the initiative to provide plenty of learning opportunities and to make sure your child learns basic skills?

What religious convictions do you want to pass on to your child? What books, materials or methods will best support your family values? What personal talents and interests do you have that you can you share with your child?

Now, you will want to find what materials are compatible with your preferred methods, beliefs and values. And how you can get those materials in the best accessible medium for your student. There isn't one right answer to these questions and challenges. There is no easy answer for some of them.

In subsequent posts, I will try to explore some of the various options.