Top 10 Items for Homeschooling

What are your top 10 items needed for homeschooling? Here's mine. When you're done, write yours and go link up!

1 -Belief in something bigger than ourselves, that His plans and purposes for us and our children are good and that homeschooling is part of His plan. Otherwise, why go through the trial, turmoil and expense  of homeschooling?

2- Vision. We've homeschooled long enough (finishing up year 21) to have gone through some highs and lows as we've gone thorugh this little academic adventure. Without a clear reason about WHAT we are doing and WHY, we wouldn't have made it this far!

3- Imagination. Without the ability to be envisioning what's next, what else is out there, I would go slowly mad. I mean, if math fact sheets were all there were to homeschooling....I like math fact sheets, but they are rather limited in scope. Gotta move beyond the page.

4- Curiosity. Who else is working the program, creating things, formulating ideas, putting things together? How can I glean from them, learn from them, grow and develop as an educator.

5- A husband that believe in homeschooling and creating an educational environment to the point of working double time so that I can stay home and educated our kids. Even when that mean financial and emotional sacrifice for him.

6- The Library. Yours, mine, ours. One of the joys of homeschooling is discovering other bibliophiles who are only too happy to loan you one of their favorite books, CD's or DVD's series. I love saying and hearing these words, "Have you seen/read/discovered X yet? Ohhh! I have a book (CD, DVD) of theirs to loan you!"
7- Writing instruments. Tools of the trade. Pens, pencils, paper, sharpeners, erasers, paper cutters, clips, notebooks, clip boards. Love the stuff. Office supplies stores make me happy. Having the proper tools around, ready to go- priceless.

8- Curriculum that works. I no longer buy curriculum that will be "fun." I buy curriculum based on my educational pedagogy, because I believe that hard work is reward, that my pedagogy is timeless and will work, that my kids need to learn the value of something bigger than fun. I limit myself to a few tried and true curriculum suppliers and L.O.V.E. their stuff. It's like aspirin. "Take two, give it time, works every time."

9- Time. Time to study, think, mull. This is the reason we've unplugged and limited electronics. I'd much rather my kids spent time field walking and tramp jumping and gardening and reading than having their brains filled with someone else's shallow idea of a thought.

10- Like-minded homeschooling families.Invaluable. Homeschooling is a lonely road. Having friends to walk the path with you is worth it's weight in gold.

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