Why Homeschool

We invite you to reimagine education for your child. Most parents want an education to equip their children to become good people who contribute positively to the world. What you may not realize is that you yourselves may be the ones best positioned to provide an education like that for your family. 

Which books do students read? What’s the social atmosphere at the school? How much homework is assigned? Too many conversations about education are limited to such questions. Expand your idea about the types of questions you could be asking about education. What if you stepped back and first identified your core values, and then found, or even created, an education which aligned with those values? 

Homeschooling allows you to do that very thing. You can design an education for your children that reflects the truths which you value, the faith which you espouse, the family culture which you desire, while also addressing a child’s individual needs and interests. As idealistic as it may sound, you can offer an education that feasts on what is good, and true, and beautiful. Especially for a parent who is a Christ-follower, home education gives you the opportunity to cultivate your children’s habits, tend their hearts and help place their loves in order. At the same time, you will be able to introduce them to whole arenas of study, as a fellow-learner yourself. Homeschooling is both a gift and a responsibility. 

Consider who, rather than what, you want your children to become. As a parent, you  steward their lives and potential. What foundational beliefs, character traits and habits of heart do you desire for them to exhibit and embrace? How you choose to educate them – in the broadest sense of that word – will make all the difference. No one is in a better position than you to make decisions which shape their formative years.

Admittedly, homeschooling is hard. It is not for the faint of heart. It requires sacrifice. It requires intentionality and perseverance. Homeschooling has a way of humbling us. But it also bears remarkable fruit over time: Inquisitive and capable students, students who can teach themselves, students who relate equally well with peers, older and younger children, and also adults. If you have never imagined yourself as a home educator, you may be tempted to ask why you would do it. As you think about your children, perhaps the better question to ask yourself is why you would not do it.

Want to think more deeply about the WHY of education? Here are some resources on spiritual formation from a variety of Christian traditions.