There are many educational philosophies in general but not many for homeschooling. Homeschooling for excellence is a way to encourage your children to grow and excel in the homeschool environment. In this podcast, Felice shares tips on successful outcomes in your homeschool journey.

Homeschooling For Excellence – Episode 530

How do you homeschool for excellence when you can barely get your teen kids up in the morning, and yet the younger kids are up before dawn? It can and will happen, but it takes a homeschool-for-excellence mindset. It is the way we think about homeschooling. Listen, no one wants to be told how to homeschool their kids; I get that. As homeschool parents and families, we are very strong-willed and independent people. We are, in essence, swimming against the current, and it would be easier in a sense to send our children off in the morning and let someone else deal with their education. But at what cost? In the society in which we live, many of us are shocked when we find out what is being taught in our schools, especially public schools. This curtain was drawn back during the 2020-2021 school year, and many parents have not recovered from the shock.

Thanks to our sponsor, CTCMath.com, It is due to our sponsors that we are able to bring quality homeschool-focused podcasts and great curriculum providers to your attention. Check them out.

Homeschooling for excellence involves how we regard our homeschooling journey. Here is a short list of reasons why people homeschool.

1. Faith


2. Parents don’t like what is being taught in the public schools.


3. Private and Christian schools are too expensive.


4. A struggling learner needs additional help.


5. Bullying


6. The desire to teach their children with a flexible schedule.

There are so many other reasons why people homeschool. I started because my educational background was in special needs, with an elementary and early childhood education degree. My struggling learner did not fit into the private school mold. Public education was not an option for me; having spent two years teaching in a broken system, I saw firsthand how children were left behind. Over the years, it has changed to a focus on our Catholic/Christian faith, values, and an emphasis on excellence.

Ask Yourself:

1. What are your goals?


2. What is your vision for your homeschool year?


3. What are your expectations?


4. Are your expectations reasonable?


5. How will you attain your goals?

Excellence is a state of mind. It is how we see our homeschool journey going, and it is how we expect our children to succeed.

Years ago, a family came out of nowhere and wrote a book, Homeschooling For Excellence-here. The book highlighted their four children and how they went to Ivy League colleges. This set off a firestorm among homeschoolers. Everyone wanted to be like this family, and this family was put on a pedestal. I watched interviews with this family at the time, and they were surprised by all the attention. Why was this so amazing? Because excellence and success in the outcome results were unheard of at the time. Now, homeschoolers have a track record. Homeschooling is mainstream, many young people in sports homeschool and many young people excel in the flexibility of the homeschool schedule.

I was a conference speaker during this time and was approached by countless parents about my homeschool philosophy and one of the questions they asked, “Do you want your children to attend an Ivy League school?” The answer will surprise you.

“No.”

That was not my goal; my goal for success was well-rounded children who had a good educational foundation, who loved the Lord and their family, and who demonstrated good character and a virtuous life. I wasn’t 100% successful, but I am happy to report that three of my children graduated from college, with their faith intact and strong, with Magnum Sum Laude and Cum Laude honors. Two of these children were struggling learners at one time. One of my sons is an entrepreneur who is highly successful, and the other is a Lyft Driver (currently) who is kind and courteous to his customers and has a five-star rating.

Homeschooling for excellence does not mean all of our children are a “success” by the world’s standards, only by the standards we set as parents.

Here is what I’ve found in my own homeschool journey, as well as those I’ve talked to throughout my ten years on this podcast and thirty-two years of homeschooling. It all starts with us. The parents, the caregivers, and those who want our children to be successful. How do you approach your homeschool? What do you expect out of your children? Do we expect our kids to be the best they can be, or do we just want to get through the day so we can throw in a load of laundry in peace?

What is the Solution for homeschooling with excellence?

The solution is to expect that your children will excel and have the goals explained to each of them. The best way I can explain this is to give you an example of my own homeschooling. I realized early on that my kids were super bright but struggling with reading, spelling or retention of math. Yet, I didn’t throw up my hands and make accommodations for them; I expected them to learn and do it well. Did we take things slower at times? Yes–but progress was still made.

I found a curriculum that worked; when it didn’t, I used something else. I used a hands-on approach, and we had many, many field trips that reinforced what we were studying and learning. My children excelled and looked forward (at times) to homeschooling. They knew what was expected.

The Key Is Expectation.

I know I’m being repetitive, but it works. My grandchildren can be a handful at times. I love having them spend the night and recently had four of them, ages 11 to 5, three boys and one girl, for an evening and an entire day. The first thing I do is explain my expectations, often talking about myself in the third person! “Grandma expects you to listen when I talk and to follow the rules. You must ask me before you go outside, and if you want to go swimming, I need to be with you. I also expect you to be kind to each other with no yelling and talking mean.” Then, I ask them to tell me what my expectations are and ask questions. I then ask the children what will happen if they do not do what is asked. (The threat–which I’ve never had to follow through with is to call their parents to pick them up so that they could go home.)

The kids are young, but they are smart enough to know that they will have a wonderful time here, and being on their best behavior is a small price to pay for having fun.

Kids are smart, and as my husband says, they are gamblers. They are betting that you will not follow through, but I have a track record for following through with their mother and they have all heard the story. It only takes one time of following through to get the results we would like to see and the results are well worth it.

While expectation is key, surrounding yourself with like-minded families is important as well. We encourage each other, and we work together for common goals. But that, too, can be a bit much. I participated in homeschool co-ops only when my children were younger. These were parent-taught and led; we all took turns teaching a specific topic or unit. But, I pulled out of them with all of my children in the high school years. This seems counterproductive and against what I see many parents doing. The reason is that I wanted my children to learn independently and to research without being told what is right and what is wrong, with me available to help, to discuss, and to direct the learning. This independence and direction helped my college-bound children when they found their classmates were sheep wanting to “know” the right answer without challenging the professor. (Yes, this can backfire–but it is important that your children are independent thinkers).

How can we have independent thinkers who are good, wholesome, and honorable? It takes a good foundation. For our family, this foundation is strong in the Bible and in examples of godly men and women who lived virtuous lives. I read my children so many books that emphasized this type of behavior. We had open discussions, and my children challenged me, and I challenged them. My husband and I were available for our children.

Friends, excellence is whatever you make it, stay strong, join our homes