No matter where you live, you have access to information, local and national support groups, news and political issues, supplies, books and so much more. At the touch of your fingers, you have the world available on your monitor, even if you live in a remote and isolated cabin.

There are a number of websites that cover the step by step issues regarding teaching your children at home and since each state has their own regulations and paperwork, I won't cover this here. What I will describe is some insight on getting through the first year, especially if you have removed you child(ren) from the traditional schools.

You have considered homeschool as a viable option in your home, you and your family have prayed about it, discussed it and decided it is for you, the next step is what do you teach. Not what curriculum to use, but what are your family goals in instructing your children at home. Usually, the first thing parents do is to say that they will have school at home. For example, a desk per child, a set number of lessons with a rigid schedule, resembling a one room schoolhouse. Though there is nothing wrong with this, as it has been done, home schooling has so many more possibilities and options that you should consider. Setting goals helps you establish your curriculum, how and what you should teach and how to integrate it into your family. Some parent want their children to learn the classics, classic literature, living books, Latin and Greek, ending the year at the local museum with the Roman culture exhibit. Others might wish to focus on ecology, outdoor skills, hands on science, learning bird calls and the big year end field trip is backpacking the Appalachian trail. These two extremely different learning goals do not disrupt reading, writing, math, history and science! As a matter of fact, each goal integrates all of these into their learning, providing a well rounded education. Want to do it all? Well, why not. You now have control of their education. This isn't for you? A good solid foundation in the fundamentals, is a worthy goal too, especially when your children are just starting out. Depending on their age, you can encourage your children to participate in this goal searching too. What better way to encourage learning than to let them be a part of establishing goals for their education.

Another factor is faith. Probably the most important lessons are what we pass from generation to generation. This teaching should be part of each and every day, integrated into your lessons and built into your lifestyle. Though this is a short paragraph, it should play a major part in your home school and family life. I cannot encourage you enough to take a biblical view of education.