It is almost 14 years since we first stepped into the world of home education. We had gone from believing it was something only the rich did with tutors and the like, but once we found out more about it and realised that it was something anyone could do, we jumped in with both feet.
At the beginning, only Stephanie was home educated. Being new to the home ed scene and not really knowing what I was expected to actually ‘do’ with her or her education, I read everything I could find. She was then only just turning 11 and the next few years turned out to be a learning curve for us both. She learnt to become a more independent learner, more able to follow her natural curiosity and her propensity to question rather than follow, and I discovered that learning does not need to take the form of a classroom environment to be effective. For Stephanie, autonomous learning worked best.
As our confidence in home education as an alternative to traditional schooling grew more, offset by our somewhat declining faith in the latter, we decided to home educate the rest of the children too.
What a decision.
Many thought we were crazy.
Often over the years we have wondered the same.
Home education is not the easy option. Many days have been exceptionally tough indeed. There have been many moments where I have wondered if I am cut out for it, if it is the right thing to do, if the kids are learning enough/effectively/properly…. if… if… if…
If…
So many ifs.
But so many ways to deal with them.
And so many options!
Almost a decade and a half on, so much has changed. The internet has grown over the years, changing greatly from the way it was when we first began. Undoubtedly, it has made the world smaller, more accessible and, as a result, easier to find out information when it is right there at your fingertips.
In the coming months we will be expanding our Education category* further. We will be sharing some of our experiences, tips and valuable resources that we have discovered over the years. We will be sharing new developments, apps, websites and resources. We’ll be answering your questions and providing advice and opinion from experts and more.
Do you have a question to ask? A story to share? Or a resource that everyone else needs to know about? Please email us at family@largerfamilylife.com and let us know.
*Brought to you in conjunction with InterHigh.
