The essentials for homeschooling your kids are critical to going completely off-grid. Because, if you are off the grid but your kids aren’t, pray tell what the essence is. Even Hitler’s mother loved the poor man. None of your plans is complete until it makes provision for your kids, too — we are, after all, preppers to protect ourselves & those we love.
Why Should You Adopt Homeschooling?
The decision to get your kids’ education off the grid is a special one to your family. For whatever reasons you’re deciding to make the switch, no traditional school beats a system that gives you the opportunity to control what curriculum your kids learn.
Also, preppers have the foresight to see the benefits of homeschooling. A neutral observer only has to look back on the breakdown in the educational system during the covid-19 pandemic to see the advantages of studying at home.
Let us add these to the fact that homeschooling affords the parents a chance to protect their kids more. In an increasingly out-of-control era, having the ability to keep your kids from the bullies and uncontrollable elements is an excellent thing. Homeschooling also keeps your kids off the system, thereby excluding them from the government-regulated spheres of learning.
There’s always the feeling that kids could do better if certain curriculums were considered. There’s even proof too. My grandma read at home & homeschooled my mom too — to an extent — and both are conveniently among the smartest women I’ve ever seen.
Think of not having to pay extra fees or spend additional efforts in training your children for survival scenarios. You can include courses to learn everything about survival in their daily lessons. Smarter, independent kids are hard to beat anywhere.
Beware of Legal Jeopardy!
You need to understand now that pulling your kids out of schools & tucking them into a homeschooling program is not very simple. Understand, too, that while it may cause some hassles, it is best that you are very clear with your intent to implement homeschooling from the start.
Your local district may be uncomfortable with your decision, and it’s only a matter of time before some laws are effected. For this, I advise that you become a member of any reputable homeschool legal defense org. that champions the cause of homeschooling kids.
You can find these organizations in all states, so all it takes is some research to find one. Note here that regardless of how pressing you want to keep everything 100% off-grid, this is a step to take early to avoid disruptions of your plans.
When you’re done with this, it’s time to know what curriculum to stick with. This is largely determined by the kind of education you want for your kids. There are plenty of helpful resources on offer at various institutions like Monarch & Khan Academy.
Essentials for Homeschooling Your Kids — Curriculums to Implement for Your Little Ones
Always, one of the first questions asked by parents new to homeschooling is, “what curriculum should we adopt & how can we find these resources?”
To answer this question honestly, no one solution ticks all boxes in this regard. There’s no ‘best’ homeschooling program to recommend. What you should consider is that every kid is unique. One of the major reasons most parents switch to homeschooling is to free their kids of the strictly tailored curriculums chosen by the government. What you will need is an option that takes away the power of the system to regulate what your children think & believe in. Some parents, meanwhile, just want to avoid all associations with Common Core Standards.
However, for all of the benefits attached to homeschooling, it can be costly to start. The curriculums can be expensive, and it is to this regard that I’ve selected some of the best & yet affordable. The options below are some of the budget-friendly choices on offer to explore.
Horizon Homeschool Curriculum — AOP
The Horizon Curriculum is a workbook program that offers every resource required for your kids to become sufficient in the basics of self-education. The curriculums available cover plans for PreK-12, and the six core subjects are covered too. Meanwhile, you should know that AOP centers the program on Christian values.
Easy-peasy All-comprehensive Homeschool Curriculum
Also, A Christian-tailored curriculum for homeschoolers, this program equally provides you with all resources necessary for kid education. The usual way is a computer with access to the internet, but if allowing your children 24/7 access to the internet does not sit well with you, you can opt for their workbooks.
Evan-Moor Curriculum
Evan-Moor has a range of curriculum bundles & specific workbooks for kids in grades 1 to 6. The program instructs kids in reading, writing, spelling, language, vocabulary, science, math & social studies.
Shell Education 180-day Series
This program is designed to last for 180 days, and during this period, it puts children through reading, writing, science, math, social studies & language. There are various books in this series; each meant to put kids through 180 days of education.
Brain Quest Book Series
The workbooks by Brain Quest are another affordable option for parents with kids still in pre-kindergarten & spreads to sixth grade. The books engage kids through games & exercises in all subjects, thus firmly reinforcing what they are taught. Brain Quest suggests that books in the series are best used as a reinforcement tool and not the main learning resource.
When you’ve selected the curriculum you find ideal, it is advisable to establish a schedule. If you’ll like order & formalities, you should set up study guidelines, which specify the amount of time to be used for studying daily. This is especially important if you have a busy schedule. Otherwise, if you have enough time — that is, the ideal thing would be to adopt a routine that allows your kids to establish a rhythm. If field trips are a part of your learning (and should be), make a calendar beforehand.
Concluding the Essentials for Homeschooling Your Kids
The essentials for homeschooling your kids discussed above are obviously for PreK-12 to sixth graders. In our subsequent article on this topic, we’ll see the best resources to use for homeschooling how to get your homeschooled kids into college. For now, get started with the little ones. Catch them young, they say.