Ilive in the small city of Yorkton, lo- cated in southeastern Saskatchewan, which is one of the three beautiful Prairie Provinces of Canada. My husband and I chose to homeschool our two
youngest children, ages six and seven, for
the first time this year. We decided we
wanted to give them an education consistent in discipleship, while instilling valuable characteristics that will benefit them
in all of their future endeavours. With my
husband being a successful homeschool
graduate, we both agree that this is a great
opportunity for us, as parents, to provide
our children with a positive educational experience. As they grow in faith and build on
their unique characteristics, we believe they
will be contributing members to society
with respect and gratitude as they pursue
their future goals.
Since making the decision to homeschool
here in Canada, I have had zero regrets! In
fact, I strongly encourage parents to con-
sider the idea. There are so many charac-
ter values that you can build on with your
child/children that they just don’t get in
public schools. As well, homeschooling of-
fers many options for children: more chal-
lenging curriculums (both Canadian and
American), more focused learning for chil-
dren that need additional assistance due to
a learning curb or disability, a chance for
your child to work and progress at a pace
that is suitable for their individual person-
alities, and stronger relationships with their
siblings, parents, and other family mem-
bers.
I imagine there is not much difference
in homeschooling around the world, other
than certain legal aspects. In the province
that I live in, we are accountable to our
district’s school division. We need to send
them an Education Plan prior to beginning
our school year, and an End of the Year
report upon completion of our school year.
The reports are quite standard and easy to
complete. Also in our province, we have
a lot of support through homeschooling
groups in our community. And we have
a group of lawyers specifically formed to
regulate and enforce the laws involved with
homeschooling, in case parents are ever
asked for unnecessary information or oth-
erwise feel that their rights are being com-
promised. It is awesome to have the support
of my local school district. Legalities differ
from province to province, and financial al-
lowances can differ from city to city.
There are a variety of ways to educate
your child at home. Some people purchase
video lessons, some download curriculum
online, but we chose to purchase the student and teacher kits, so I do parent-led
lessons. I have a chalk board and a smaller
white board that come in handy for homeschooling on the road when we travel.
www.TheOldSchoolhouse.com
by Carrie Carlson
Although homeschooling has definitely had its share of challenges
for us, it has never fallen short of its share of blessings.
Zero Regrets!
