“Neither do men put new ine into old bottles, else the bottles break and the wine runneth out, and
the bottles perish; but they put new wine
into new bottles and both are preserved.”
Matthew 11: 17
This;year,;the;homeschooling;move-
ment is facing a new wave of home-
schoolers who have been streaming out
of the public schools over Common
Core.;In;many;ways,;those;of;you;who
are new are like the rest of us were at
first, a bit frightened, feeling insecure
and;inadequate,;but;knowing;that,;as;the
parents,;you;are;really;the;experts;con-
cerning your own children. However,
most earlier waves of new homeschool-
ers were people who were gradually won
over;to;the;concept,;and;had;the;time;to
read,;attend;curriculum;fairs,;and;pre-
pare themselves for their new endeavor.
This;time,;many;of;you;made;your;de-
cisions;suddenly,;and;are;entering;the
field of homeschooling with very little
preparation.;Don’t;worry,;though.;There
are plenty of us who have been doing
this for a long time and who can help
point you in the right direction!
The biggest mistake a new home-
schooler can make is trying to re-create
the traditional school model inside the
home. A family and a school are two
very different animals. The first thing
most;parents;try;to;do;is;to;“pick;a;cur-
riculum”;believing;that;the;selection;of
a curriculum is the first essential to be-
gin the process of homeschooling. As
someone with a Ph.D. in curriculum and
The
Ordinary
Homeschooler
Mary Hood, Ph.D.
New Wine Deserves New Wineskins:
Breaking Out of the Public
School Mindset
A family and a school are two very different animals.
