We've always homeschooled... so we are going on 10 years of home schooling. It isn't always easy... trying to find what works best for your kids. Making sure you are challenging them enough - or not too much. Making sure we are doing things right....
I could keep going with questions that, sometimes, keep me up at night. But something that we have realized is that we need to do what is right for our kids and our family. And that can be many, many different things for each family. What works for me, may not necessarily work for you. What is working out amazingly for us, may be something that will never work for your family. But, in the end, what matters most is that your children are learning, reading and doing the best they can... and that YOU (the parent) are also learning, reading and doing the best YOU can do.
So when we started thinking about possibly moving to where the need is great, we never thought twice about what we would do for the girls schooling. We'd keep doing what we have been doing. Which is exactly what we've been doing.
Since our move was "only" for six months, we couldn't, and didn't want to, bring all our books. So we did some research and thought about what subjects were the most important and the ones that we needed to keep working at. The girls, for a second, though we weren't going to do any schooling here. That bubble busted quite quickly :) For now, we are only focusing on three main subjects; Reading, Math and Science.
Keilani is doing an online program. Raquel has a couple of workbooks that we go over together. Then we use the App OverDrive, which connects to our library card in the Nashville Public Library System. We are able to check out as many books as we like. So the girls use that for reading.
Once arriving here, we did take off a couple extra weeks to get situated. Then, school started!!! (Girls bubble busted, once again lol). We do school twice a week, but try to do four days worth of work in those two days. Since we are only doing three subjects, it is much easier to do this. Leaving more time to service, study and learning as much as we can about this country and its' people.
I do have to say that I think my girls have learned so much - not book learning - but LIFE learning. They have met so many people of different back grounds, lifestyles - just a large array of people... other Witnesses and some that are not Witnesses. This has been an amazing experience for them - and for all of us!
I am not writing this post to get everyone on the 'band wagon' and start homeschooling... Again, you have to do what is best for you and your family. However, if you feel like, maybe, one day, you too, would like to serve where the need is great, in another country or even in your own country but a different area... but think that because your kids are in school, it is an automatic "No". It does not have to be that way!! It is 100% doable!
If you have any specific questions about homeschooling in general, or what we do here... or anything at all, please feel free to ask!!