Starting Kindergarten, finishing Elementary, heading for Middle School, stepping onto a High School or University campus, it’s that time of year. As summer heads into fall we prepare for the school year ahead.
I know things have changed since I was in school, but the importance of an education was always encouraged in our home. Growing up we were encouraged to shoot for the stars and nothing we wanted to do, be it artist, doctor, nurse, lawyer, astronaught, musician, historian, yoga instructor, writer, or even the next Bill Gates, was always attainable.
Now computers take a much more central role in education. With Covid19 parents need to choose between distance learning programs like Florida’s K -12 or in person as schools are reopening.
I also have to say if you are homeschooling or considering it, you have my hearty encouragement. My siblings and I started out first in a private school, then public. When I was in 3rd grade that changed. My brother was having challenges. (This was before so many things like ADHD, dyslexia, and others became common knowledge.)
My mother devoted herself to helping us both with anything we needed. Whether just some homework questions, or entire big concepts that we were not understanding in school. By the end of that year she was spending several hours teaching what they were doing at school. She decided that if she had to spend all that time doing the job, why was she sending us to school?
Check here for the rules, requirements and support in your state.
It was one of the best experiences ever! Not only did we learn at a higher level, we had a rounded curriculum that included, music, socializing with a group of 40 families who were also homeschooling, field trips and things not typically taught now. We went to zoos and museums, wrote book reports, we even published our own newsletter.
Birthday parties, libraries, science experiments, and a schedule that still saw us out the door when our friends arrived home thier schools.
When the word homeschooling is mentioned by some, they give a disapproving context. Claims of missing out on the social skills learned in other school settings, is one of the most frequent. I can 100% tell you in my experiences this was absolutely false.
Whatever the case may be the importance of education cannot be denied. Private, Public, Correspondence, Home, or other help prepare you stars to shine brightly in the academic world and later in life.
I’m admitting it, my mother was right! Education helped me become a success later in life. It also taught me to be tenacious while not giving up when life gets challenging. While unforeseen health issues have affected my ability to physically fly to the moon, I have not stopped reaching for the stars.
I hope everyone gets the same encouragement we did. As a help to parents and children everywhere, I’ve compiled the supply lists and provided links to Amazon. Skip the traffic, and the heat while your fingers do the walking. It’s also safer than a crowded store under current circumstances. Get it all shipped directly to your door.
Kindergarten
1st grade
2nd grade
3rd grade
4th grade
5th grade
6th grade
7th grade
8th grade
High School
Off to College?
More coming soon….
No matter what stage or where life takes you learning is a life long endeavour. In a classroom or the halls of life, experience or research, give the encouragement to help theirs or your own star shine as brightly as possible.
