How we came to homeschool Pt 2

Our first year in Australia we homeschooled again. This time it was not our decision but more that we couldn’t get master 5 into the school we had chosen.

Why were we even considering school? Well we came to Adelaide with an 8 week old baby a 2 y.o, 3 y.o and not quite 5 y.o. The baby was a “high needs” infant who would these days fit snuggly in the aspergers spectrum and demanded 90% of my attention and…we were tired out/exhausted!




Still as I said we homeschooled that year!... I used all my old Price Milburn readers to teach reading we read all our favourite books (baby listened too!) and mostly coped!!

At the end of the year we found a Christian school and the two oldest began there the next year. Second son followed the following year. We adjusted to kindy and a new baby and then came time for our 4th child to start school.


By now we were getting pretty strong messages that this possibly wasn’t the right school for the older three. The school had recommended we enroll them in “the gifted and talented” association for children and were supplying said association with tests/records etc when came our interview for Master Four to start school.




We were quite sure that the schools policy of starting children at 4 ½ would not work with this child and were about to suggest waiting a year when the principal suggested homeschooling!! Actually he suggested we homeschool this child and gradually withdraw the others, but he wasn’t exactly reluctant when we committed to starting with all four!(lol)













I think our reasons for homeschooling have changed over the years as our family dynamics have altered likewise. Initially it was probably for academic reasons but I think family life was important too.(It was so nice not having to do the kindy/school pick-up run).

We have used a variety of methods too; workbooks such as Alpha Omega’s lifepacs, unit studies(Konos and Fiveinarow being two favourites!) plus reading so much literature together and using Charlotte Mason’s proven methods of narration, copybook and studied dictation in our language arts. The children have memories of attending a Dutch Master’s exibition at our local art gallery and dressing up in Sunday best to attend a performance of the Mikado just to name a few.







I think I have become a lot more relaxed in my homeschooling. Today for instance because the house was really “bugging me “we had a free day. Master 7 says “I know that we’ll still do our violin and piano practice but do you think if we have enough time I could possibly do some maths”!!
I hope that this answers one of my followers queries as to why we homeschool.

Please feel free to ask away if you want more specifics…sometimes I have all the words in my head but some of them may get lost somewhere before they reach a post!!