Mom who has homeschooled for years offers advice to parents teaching kids for first time

As COVID cases surge, some of you are considering home-schooling for the first time. WINK News talked to one mom to see what teaching your kids yourself is like in today’s world.

Despite their parents being tough teachers, 12-year-old Warner and 10-year-old Manning love homeschool.

“This fall will be our seventh year,” said Maggie Troup, a mother of two and a home-school teacher.

Troup said they home-school so they can have a flexible schedule. Dad travels for work and the boys play hockey.

“I cried a lot the first year, wondering if I had done the right thing,” Troup said.

But through trial and error, she figured out what works.

“We’ve tried part-time school, we’ve done a co-op, and this fall we’re going to try Lee Virtual,” Troup said.

She likes co-ops because the groups give you a curriculum and connect with other families in-person.

“A lot of people have the misconception that home-schoolers stay in their house,” Troup said.

But the Troups have taken field trips with other kids from all over. For newcomers, she recommends “Homeschool in a Box.”

“It shows up at your door and all the lesson plans are done; it even gives you a script as to what to say to your children,” Troup said.

All this allows you to set a schedule for your children.

“We start at 8 a.m., then we do a couple of subjects, do some reading, and also do some writing,” said Manning Troup.

All while Mom calls the shots at the table.

She said she has simple advice for new home-schooling parents.

“Just be patient,” Troup said.

“I’ve yelled at my kids plenty of times, I’ve messed up, I’ve wondered if I’m doing the right thing, but we just kept on trying,” Troup said.

Home-schooling parents are responsible for keeping records that are reviewed by a certified teacher at the end of the year, or your child takes the standardized test with regularly schooled children.

Resources for home-schooling:

Classicalconversations.com

Homeschool.com