Homeschool: How It All Started

It was 1977 and I was 8 years old.  My parents were preparing to go to the mission field, which involved “deputation” – traveling around the States and visiting churches to raise support.  They decided to homeschool me and my brother.

I remember that I liked it.  My mom set up a little schoolroom in a corner of our family room.  We would say the pledge of allegiance each morning, and I think we used a lot of Rod & Staff books.  I loved being able to go at my own pace, and my mom tells me that I completed the 3rd and 4th grades in one year.  We could take the books on the road.

When we moved to the mission field, I attended a tiny mission school for one year, then went to the private school my parents started in 1979.  My parents still taught some of my classes.  My report cards were like a family autograph book with my mom’s name as one of the teachers, and my dad’s signature as headmaster.  I never had to dread showing my report card to my parents – they knew what was on it before I did!

After I graduated we moved back to the States, and I spent some time working for my father’s ministry, often traveling with him to various conferences.  On those trips, we would stay in other people’s homes.  While I enjoyed everywhere we stayed, my favorites were the large homeschooling families.  The kids would tell me how much fun it was to be homeschooled, and the family relationships were close and warm.  I would listen in as the parents would talk about their reasons for choosing homeschooling, and it made sense to me.

So that is the short story of how homeschooling and I met.  Before I even met my husband, married, or had children – I knew homeschooling was for me.

Visit The Homeschool Village to read other people’s responses to when they first heard about homeschooling.