Your family is simple – mom, dad, child. Homeschooling an only child has to be simple, right? You can get through all of the daily assignments without having to worry about teaching the other siblings, or bouncing a baby in your lap. This isn’t quite the case. Instead, homeschoolers of an only child face their own unique challenges.

Part two of a youtube video discussing various African-centered resources for homeschoolers.

The first step in understanding the state of education today is to review how government came to be the dominant force behind schooling in the United States. From the outset of the first settlements in the New World, Americans founded and successfully maintained a decentralized network of schools through the 1850s. Then, beginning in New England, a wave of change swept across the country, which soon saw states quickly abandoning the original American model of decentralized, private education in favor of government-funded and operated schools.

Can anyone with the means and the will teach their own child academics? Can anyone can teach their own child at home? For most Americans, if you have the means and the will, you can successfully homeschool your children.

Some ideas to encourage those who are homeschooling many children. Discusses how to develop daily plans, integrate your teaching to different age levels, maintain your presence to give your children a sense of stability, and keep your perspective.

North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) 15.1-23-02 - “At least fourteen days before beginning home education or within fourteen days of establishing a child’s residence in a school district, and once each year thereafter, a parent intending to supervise or supervising home education shall file a statement, reflecting that intent or fact, with the superintendent of the child’s school district of residence or if no superintendent is employed, with the county superintendent of schools for the child’s county of residence.” This is a Department of Public Instruction form.

Mary Ellen Carlise shares some creative ways to teach elementary math using items you can find around your home. The focus of this article is mathematics education through second grade.

Various factors drive families to opt for homeschooling, including concerns about school environments, dissatisfaction with academic instruction, and a preference for religious and moral guidance absent in traditional schools. The decentralized nature of homeschooling presents challenges for researchers trying to determine its specific impact on outcomes like academic achievement. Despite these challenges, evaluations consistently point to the positive academic performance of homeschooled students.

A good discussion of the common pitfalls new homeschooling parents face: too much structure or not enough structure. Some of these ideas won't work for everyone, but there are some interesting approaches to a balanced homeschooling learning environment.

Available for purchase, Amanda's topical unit studies offer weekly learning objectives and much more. The daily lesson plans and assignments are included in the book, ready for immediate use. These unit study guides include daily lesson plans, with reading and writing assignments, spelling and vocabulary words, biography and geography studies, projects, reading lists, and Internet sites of interest. Designed for use by all ages, each day's lesson plan is divided into lower and upper levels. For younger children, use only the parts of the plan that fit the needs of your child, and apply the same principle for older students.