Replies

What about Maria Miller’s Math Mammoth? http://www.mathmammoth.com/about.php

It’s the best math curriculum I’ve found. It is about $30/year, my daughter loves it, and it was developed by a “math teacher turned housewife and homeschooler.”

Or what about Cheryl Lowe (Memoria Press, Prima Latina, etc.)? She was also a homeschooling mom and her materials are reasonably priced, although not free. http://www.memoriapress.com/about/index.html#clowe

I don’t think the author of this article did enough research. I don’t even homeschool, and I am familiar with those two examples of homeschooling moms who developed their own curricula for other homeschooling moms for a reasonable price.

I think homeschooling moms must be inherently self-confident to take on the task of educating their children! Now I just wish my husband was on board and I’d be doing it, too.

I think something which is lacking (in some communities) may be parents with children who are now in their 20s or 30s, who are still willing to get out there and help mothers with 6-year-olds or 16-year-olds. The experience of those who have already done it can be useful to people who are considering making the attempt.

A lot of people do have local networks, but more would always be welcome.

I agree! In my experience, homeschooling moms are a wonderfully self-confident and also an exceptionally creative group. The last thing in the world I personally wanted to do was to follow the curriculum spelled out by anyone else.

There are already on the market excellent publications for use in each subject area. It is a personal decision to select from them according to the needs and interests of one’s own children.

We used Saxon math texts from grade school through to AP Calculus. Sullivan Programmed reading materials (super phonic instruction) are still available for use, but the old McGuffey Readers are easy to locate and wonderful to use as well. Science and social studies materials are a joy to locate (from libraries, online sources, etc.) and truly can be adapted to the interests and enthusiasms of one’s own youngsters.

Elisabeth, my husband was wary of homeschooling also. He agreed, though, to let us try it for just one year. Perhaps your husband would be willing to do the same. In our case, we first tried it only for kindergarten. We never stopped until the kids were off to MIT and Cornell. All along the way, homeschooling was a terrifically fun and rewarding adventure. May you have the opportunity too!