Did you have expectations that weren’t met through traditional education?

 

Did "something" happen that prompted you to homeschool?

 

Well, congratulations, you are what we (at Time4Learning) call: "An Accidental Homeschooler"

You are not alone.

Accidental homeschoolers are typically families who had not planned to homeschool and who had initially put their children in traditional schools.  Although many are people of strong faith, they started to homeschool not for religious or philosophical reasons, but as problem solvers trying to do the best for their children.

"I never thought I would homeschool, but my son was miserable in school. We tried to find an acceptable school. After one particularly bad day, we agreed to try homeschooling for the rest of third grade. That was two years ago and it has really worked out for us".

Having heard many similiar comments, Time4Learning started thinking about these families. We now think of them as "Accidental Homeschoolers."

Accidental homeschoolers have the impression that all other homeschoolers are dedicated to homeschooling and that they are unusual in that they are only doing it only because it's the best option for their situation.  Many seem to feel that this sets them apart from other homeschoolers.

One Mother’s Story – From Accidental to Committed Homeschooler 

I had always assumed that my children would go to school, although I recognized that I might have to pay for private school.   And indeed, this was the first route we took when our daughter entered kindergarten. 

Problems at School - Confronted with Socialization Issues

Two months into the school year, her teacher approached us and said that our daughter was too advanced and mature for the class -- had we considered the gifted program?  So, she was shifted to another classroom where my daughter’s academic performance and attitude plummeted due to the teacher’s and the students’ behavior.  

Problem Solving - Let's Try the Private School

The next year we enrolled her and her brother at an elite private school, with a price tag to match.  In spite of this, the first grade curriculum was largely a repeat of what my daughter had learned in kindergarten.  Meanwhile, our son was having struggles of his own as they bounced him between the preschool and kindergarten class.

What's next? Let's try Homeschooling...

And so with some trepidation we embarked on our homeschooling journey.  We faced many challenges early on such as  finding a compatible peer group and selecting curriculum that was consistent with our teaching style and desire for academic rigor.  While there were many homeschoolers in our area, the support groups were all organized by people quite different than us so ultimately, we built our own inclusive homeschooling group.

The Accidental Homeschooler becomes the Deliberate Homeschooler

Over the years, a funny thing happened.  I began to notice that there was nothing accidental about my homeschooling at all. In fact, I had become a huge proponent of homeschooling and was often called on to speak about homeschooling at meetings, libraries and other events.  I noticed that many of the friends I made that first year experienced a similar metamorphosis:  the Accidental Homeschoolers became the Committed Homeschoolers. 

Time4Learning is an internet-based learning system. Kids like that it's computer-based, fun and interactive. Parents like the quality curriculum, reasonable cost, and progress reports. Time4Learning includes a math, language arts, science, and social studies program. Time4Learning is helpings thousands of children in preschool, elementary, and middle school,

We are proud that our interactive curriculum is adopted by so many beginning and experienced homeschoolers.  Gifted students and special needs students find that Time4Learning is often a breakthrough learning tool for them. Take a look at our online demos and look at our online scope and sequence and parents forum.