Jewish homeschoolers (and homeschooler-maybes)

One of our homeschool rooms in a previous house

My kids have been homeschooled for over a decade already. Wow!

I know that because I have been contacted by a lot of friends about how to do it since COVID-19 made its way into our lives. After a few more got in touch this week thinking ahead for 2020-2021, I thought I’d write out some of my advice. Please add anything else in the comments!

First, crisis homeschooling and planned homeschooling are different. Because you hated or loved crisis homeschooling, possibly involving innumerable Zoom or Team meetings, it doesn’t mean you will hate (or love) planned homeschooling. They are different animals.

That said, getting a taste of what it’s like to be at home more might have given you an idea of what works (or doesn’t) for you and your family.

Each kid is different, and each state/country is different. If you are considering homeschooling, the first thing to do is look up what your requirements are. Some states/countries are lenient and some are more strict, and that will absolutely affect your options.

The state I live in requires regular instruction in a core set of subjects. You can be supervised directly by the county or by an umbrella group. Then you have to notify your county of your intent to homeschool (or continue homeschooling) and track enough so you can meet the requirements. There are different options, but the point is that you have to choose! You can’t just skip this part. Once you’re official…

Think about your goals. For my high schooler, we want an accredited diploma. So he keeps his hand in some of our activities and learns history on his own for fun, but he also spends most of his time at the computer working. For my other kids, we do a lot of work together (with age-appropriate follow-up work), workbooks, projects, and classes. Different kids have different classes outside the house. I sit down and talk with each kid about strengths and weaknesses and we plan what to do. They are involved and it’s a team effort. But in general, how involved do can the adult be? How much movement does the child need? Do they learn well from workbooks? Do they need outside time or friend time? How much can you budget? All these things affect what you can do.

Things might look different next year. Their regular activities might be canceled. But it’s a cumulative thing, so some time off isn’t the end. While we will miss ballet, tae kwon do, sewing club, art, etc, we’ll have to figure it out as we go.

The benefit of this kind of eclectic schooling is how individualized it is for each kiddo. The detriment is that it can be overwhelming for new homeschoolers!

If you’re new (or feeling overwhelmed):

  • Reach out to locals and online for support. Even if you can’t see them in person, having someone who knows your situation and reading about others with similar situations can be an important resource. There are homeschooling groups everywhere!
  • Remember that you can course correct as needed. Give something a reasonable time, and if it isn’t working, try something else. Don’t be a slave to those workbooks!
  • Try starting small. Especially if your kids are small, what they need most isn’t boxed curriculum. You can work a bit more in at a time as you learn how your child learns best and what they need to learn. If they aren’t small, ease in with a couple of things for a week, then a couple more, until you’re doing what you need to do. The start of the year is always chopping because of the scheduling of the Tishrei holidays. You can make it work for you!
  • Whether homeschooled, ivy league schooled, or unschooled, know that there are always going to be gaps. It’s unavoidable. If you help a child toward self-sufficiency, they will be more able to fill in those gaps themselves.

With all that said, here are some (secular) resources:

For grades K-12 all in one secular curriculum, try Timberdoodle. I’m not an affiliate, but I really like their all in one packages, and it’s not just workbooks. When I was starting out, I used them, and it helps with anxiety over not covering the right things. (Note: they do have Christian curriculum sets as well, so be sure to select the correct option.)

An all workbook based curriculum bundle is available from CriticalThinking.com, too. We use individual books from them when needed, and they are great, creative workbooks – things like critical thinking, editing, Latin and Greek word roots, etc.

Other all-in-one options:

If you are looking to gather your resources and cobble together an individualized curriculum, Cathy Duffy does widely recognized reviews of tons of options. Below are some places I recommend:

Secular

  • Timberdoodle (for workbooks, kits, games, art sets, etc. – their curriculum bundles are great!)
  • Handwriting without Tears (HWT) All my kids went through this as they learned to write.
  • Reading Eggs / Math Seeds (Game-ified reading and math for younger kids)
  • Art – try Talya’s Art Studio: All the live art classes you can take, plus recordings of past courses for $39/per month – that covers the whole family!
  • Open Tent Academy: Such a great bunch of classes! They are offered a la carte, but you can cobble together a lot for your kiddo of any age to love. We’ve done the writing (IEW, which is kind of dry but a solid foundation), history, Lego engineering (kid LOVED), Art, study skills, grammar, science, etc. Run by Jewish owners, but secular content that avoids the holidays!
  • Outschool.com for individual classes in all kinds of subjects.
  • Kids Cook Real Food – videos and books for your kids to learn to cook! (Or try the free download of 10 snacks kids can cook.)
  • Local schools – they will often let your kids join after school clubs and activities, and sometimes join for a class or sports team or music session, too. Check the local homeschool groups and lists, too.
  • Amazon – lots of workbooks and curriculum kits.

Jewish

  • Melamed Academy : We tried this, but it wasn’t a good fit for us. We needed more contact and different content. There are people who love it, though! Definitely worth a look. In theory, it’s all in one secular and Judaics.
  • Jewish Online School : Chabad flavor. Students are online at set times, so there is some sense of classmates.
  • Bonim B’Yachad: Full Jewish and secular curriculum options for 3-12 grade.
  • Gesher Judaic Studies: Online (live) parsha, reading, and chumash classes.
  • i-Kodesh: New for 2020-2021, seems to be full Judaic and secular.
  • Mizrahi Torah Academy: Live classes online, K-8th grade
  • Jewish Virtual Academy: New 2020-2021 option for Jewish learning for 5-8th grade.
  • Behrman House : Curriculum and workbooks to be taught. Some online and digital content.
  • Yahadus Living Lessons: Textbooks and workbooks on halacha and Jewish learning
  • Bright Beginnings: Chumash and Gemara workbooks
  • L’havin-u’laskil: Skills based Chumash
  • Torah4Children: Gemara, Chumash, Kriah, and Hebrew School books and support
  • Capit-It: Hebrew letters and reading learning
  • Tel-Am: A great way to learn Hebrew from a Hebrew speaking teacher.
  • Ani V’Ami: Jewish Homeschooling curriculum – only complete for elementary, but other ages in progress. Great list of books and resources.
  • Torahtutors.org: Hourly tutoring and teaching options.
  • Israel Bookshop: They’ll help you choose curriculum and get you sample pages. Great resource!
  • Local options (We had some local middle school boys meet with a Rabbi to learn 3-4 mornings a week. Put the word out in your community if you are looking for this and see if you can make it happen!)

There’s so much to be said on this, but it can get overwhelming. Start with the big picture and work your way down. And you can always reach out with questions! Homeschoolers are ready to welcome you to the fold for however long you plan to stay.

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