Home Schooling

The huge variety of home school supplies available does not make choosing what to buy easier - it makes it harder. With so much choice and brands that promise the earth and yet are often so like one another, parents are often left in a quandary as to what to buy. Before going on to a few tips on buying home school supplies, let us first define what exactly we mean by the term. Many parents beginning on a home schooling program think that home school supplies means everything a children need for their education. Not so. In the case of home schooling all the stationery, arts and crafts materials, computer accessories and so on are left out. These are common to all schooling needs, be they regular school or home schools. When people talk of home school supplies what they are talking about is the teaching material the one thing you as a parent need to be able to school your children at home.

· One size does not fit all. The materials your friends used for home schooling their kids may not work for yours. You know your children's temperament and learning habits best. Choose material that presents what you want them to learn in a way that appeals to them. Having said that, there no harm in consulting friends or support groups on what material they have used.

· Don't forget yourself. As the teacher you have to believe in what you are teaching. If you are not clear about what is presented or unhappy with the way it is, you will never be at ease when teaching your children and an uncomfortable teacher is never a good teacher. And remember kids are smart. If they feel you do not believe in what you are saying, they won't accept it either.

· All education material is biased! Be it the author or the publisher, every bit of educational material will be presented from particular point of view. It does not mean that some are right and some are wrong. It means that every subject can be viewed from many different angles. Make sure the materials you use are the ones that are based on the concepts that made you choose home schooling.

· Expect waste when you first start buying home school supplies. Its as much a learning process for you as it is with your children. You will make mistakes and buy the wrong things. Don't waste time brooding about it. You have learned something that will help you the next time so move on.

· The internet has tons of sites offering home school supplies. Visit them and see what is available but don't start buying right away. Just note down the product details, prices and deliveries. Make a list of what catches your interest. Do some more research on each item to be sure it is what you are looking for.

· If you are lucky enough to have a retail store that specializes on home school supplies take the list down there and see for real what you saw in the screen. Retail stores rarely have the variety of materials on line shops do, but there's no harm in trying.