I have not been posting in this blog for some time (although I do post regularly at my Home School Book Review blog, http://homeschoolblogger.com/homeschoolbookreview ), primarily because we have been moving over the last month or so, and I have been extremely busy with that as well as making trips to South Carolina to see about my late father’s property to get it ready for putting on the market and also bringing some things back here.
I have been working on a series of talks, some of which I have given at homeschool support group meetings and homeschool camps. I am available to give them at homeschool support group meetings or other special events, and even at conferences. Here is a list with some descriptions and outlines.
1. “Why Homeschool?” What are some of the reasons that are propelling more and more families into this adventure? Being reminded of why we do what we do will help us when the going gets a little tough or we become discouraged. Here are some of the reasons:
I. Some homeschool because they feel that the classroom model of instruction is inherently wrong.
II. Some homeschool because they feel that they can provide a better education than the public schools do.
III. Some homeschool because they do not want their innocent children to be exposed to the humanist-socialist-elitist-leftist asgenda that seems to control much of what is done in public schools today.
IV. Some homeschool because they do not want their children to be “socialized” during their most formative years with the wrong crowd.
V. Some homeschool because they just want their children to be safe.
VI. Most who begin homeschooling for whatever reason continue to do so because they find it a welcome return to family-oriented and parent-directed education.
2. “Advice for Homeschooling Dads.” As a homeschooling father, I feel a passion to help other homeschool dads to become more involved in their children’s education and to be more supportive of their wives’ efforts. Here are some of the suggestions that I have for homeschooling fathers along with advice for how to accomplish these goals:
I. Exercise godly leadership in the home
II. Support your wife in fulfilling her homeschooling responsibilities
III. Recognize the importance of nurturing and protecting children
IV. Assist children in preparation for life skills
V. Be a good example to your children
VI. Strive to maintain effective but loving discipline in the home
(includes my list of “Ten Things that Homeschool Dads Can Do with Their Children”)
3. “How Should We Then Teach?” This is not a discussion of methods or curricula. Taking the thought from Francis Schaeffer’s famous book, we shall look at the importance of approaching all subjects, and education in general, from a Judaeo-Christian or Biblical worldview. There will be suggestions as to how to approach from a Biblical worldview the following subjects:
I. Reading/Literature
II. Grammar
III. Mathematics
IV. Science
V. “Social studies” (history/geography)
4. “What Kind of Literature Shall We Choose?” As a professional reviewer of youth literature, I have read all kinds of books intended for young people. Do we want our children reading that which is exciting but worldly? That which is “godly” but insipid? Or are there other choices? What the world considers great is not necessarily what God considers good. I discuss several issues related to this choice.
I. The different methods available to choose reading material
II. How to determine the worldview of a book
III. Some suggestions on how to decide what to read
5. “Homeschooling: Is It Worth It?” A look at the benefits of homeschooling that is designed to encourage us to keep on keeping on.
I. Family cohesiveness
II. Opportunity of discipleship
III. Seeing God’s hand in everything
IV. Protection
(Ends with my own story of encouragement, “The Parable of the Homeschool Family; or Is It Worth It?”)
The above are the presentations that I have been developing. However, I have also given the two following presentations that can be adapted to homeschooling in churches.
Dangers Facing Our Society: Why It Is Important for Godly Parents to Consider Homeschooling
One reason why many choose to homeschool is that today, our society in general, and especially those who wish to be followers of Christ, face various dangers in the spiritual realm resulting from prevailing attitudes and philosophies in our culture that have had a definite effect on our public schools and may affect the thinking of our children. This lecture looks at a few of them.
I. Subjectivism and relativism
II. Modernism
III. Immorality
IV. Materialism
V. Multiculturalism
VI. Indifference
The Adventure of Homeschooling
We recognize that God has given parents, not the government, not public schools, not even the church, the responsibility of raising children. Homeschooling is where parents take primary responsibility for the education of their children. Raising children and educating them at home can be viewed as a chore or as an adventure. This presentation looks at some of the goals parents pursue in the adventure of homeschooling in addition to learning how to read, write, and cipher.
I. Spiritual life
II. Family life
III. Social life
Homeschooling Methods
This is a presentation that I used to give each year at our annual “New Homeschoolers” seminar with the St. Louis Homeschooling Activities, Resources, and Encouragement (SHARE) support group in St. Louis, MO. There is really no “right way” or “wrong way” to homeschool. Every family is different, and the beauty of homeschooling is that each family can choose the method and curriculum that best suits its needs. If you are considering homeschooling or just getting started, here is some information about homeschooling methods that you might find useful.
I. The “traditional” or “scope and sequence” method,
II. “Distance” homeschooling
III. The “living books” or “habitual” method based on the writings of Charlotte Mason
IV. The “classical” or “trivium” method
V. The “project” or “integrated” method, also known as “unit studies”
VI. The “principle” method
VII. The “environmental” or “unschooling” method, also called “invited learning”
VII. The eclectic method that may use several of these
And I am currently working on one with the tentative title, “How to Introduce Your Children to the Great Music of Western Civilization, Even If You Don’t Know a Treble Clef from an Eighth Note.”
If anyone is interested in my presenting these things at your event, you can contact me at wswalker310@juno.com .
Oh, by the way, you can find my speaker’s profile at The Old Schoolhouse Speakers Bureau: http://www.homeschoolspeakers.com/search/?name=Wayne+Walker&state=AL&searchby=name&x=36&y=12
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