Welcome to The Educating Parent Beverley Paine's archive of articles about homeschooling and unschooling written over a period of 30 plus years

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Free download a quick guide to getting started with homeschooling and unschooling by Beverley Paine The Educating Parent in this excellent Resource Directory

 

Free directory of Australian homeschooling and unschooling support groups organised by national, state and territories

 
Plan, record and report all in the one document! Always Learning Books planners available in each year level to suit your homeschooling needs, includes curriculum checklists
Australia's original homeschooling manual from veteran home educator Beverley Paine, how to write your own learning plan and curriculum to meet your child's needs
Let Beverley and friends help you design and write your own curriculum to suit your child's individual learning needs, learn how to prepare lessons, unit studies and more, record and evaluate your children's learning in this series of 3 parent workbooks developed on Beverley's popular homeschool manual Getting Started with Home School Practical Considerations
Introduction to
Home Education
  National and State
Support Groups
  Yearly Planner, Diary & Report Beverley's Original Home Ed Manual Series of How To
Parent Workbooks

Support Groups: National SA VIC NSW QLD TAS ACT NT
Registration Guides: VIC NSW QLD SA WA TAS ACT NT

Looking for support, reassurance and information?
Join Beverley's The Educating Parents Homeschooling and Unschooling Facebook online group.

 

Are You Ready to be an Educating Parent?

© Beverley Paine

Before you begin or start worrying about how to legally register as a homeschooling or unschooling family there are a few things you need to consider...

Are you cut out to be an educating parent?

  • Do you really like your kids - enough to spend all day every day with them?
  • Do you enjoy their company?
  • Can you find your way around the library and the internet?
  • Do you understand primary school maths? Can you read and write?
  • Do you find learning easy, challenging, exciting, enjoyable, interesting, an adventure?
  • Do you have the time available to be attentive to your children's needs? Can you make time?
  • Do you have support from family and friends who can step in and supervise your children if you need to work, are ill or need some 'down' or R&R (rest and relaxation) time?

Do you see yourself as a:

  • teacher
  • mentor
  • facilitator (resource person)
  • guidance counsellor
  • parent
  • friend
  • co-learner
  • all of the above?

If you answered the last point ... Congratulations! However, if you mentioned yes to any of the above you already have the necessary qualifications needed to homeschool your children.

Further reading: If You Are a Parent You Are Already Educating Your Child!

What does it take to be a homeschooler?

Anyone can teach their children at home if they are willing...

  • to take the responsibility of being an educating parent seriously;
  • to give their children's education a high priority in their lives;
  • reorganise their schedule to make time for their children's education;
  • be enthusiastic learners;
  • lead by example: model the character traits, manners and habits they wish their children to emulate;
  • be flexible and adaptable;
  • establish workable routines that suit all members of the family;
  • take the time to find out more about home education and how different children learn...

There is no 'one way' or 'right way' to home educate. There is no such thing as a perfect curriculum, or a 'right' or 'wrong' way to teach your child something. Trial and error will help you find what works for your family and each child. And that's okay. It is a natural way to learn and will model essential problem solving skills to your children. You are a learner too - we all are. When we accept that we're learning alongside our children, perhaps not the same things, we build empathy and understanding about the processes involved in learning and are much more sympathetic educating parents.

Life-long learners start their education at home. You taught your children everything they learned before they went to school. Spend a moment thinking about what this means.

" Education is not a preparation for life; Education is life itself."
John Dewey

" I never teach my pupils; I only attempt to provide the conditions
in which they can learn."

Albert Einstein

It is too easy to underestimate or undervalue the teaching skills that naturally come with parenting!

Try this simple de-schooling exercise: Think about everything your children could do and knew before they started school. How did they learn these things? There were no teachers. No special learning aids or specialised equipment. There wasn't even a curriculum.There you were, with no specific teaching skills, and probably less experience, teaching your children, expecting and obtaining success!

Children don't really need schools, or teachers, or books, to learn. They are exceptional learners from birth. You are already a capable teacher!

Further reading:

Don't forget to download my FREE The Educating Parent Resource Directory. It is packed full of information you'll find yourself refering to again and again: lists of support groups and Aussie blogs, books on home education, academic competitions for students, a quick guide to getting started, plus links to resources and materials.

Was this article helpful? Was it worth $1.00 to you? Your gift of $1 or more helps to keep this site operating offering encouragement and reassurance to families wanting better outcomes for their children.

Thank you for your gift contribution!

Beverley Paine with her children, and their home educated children, relaxing at home.

Together with the support of my family, my aim is to help parents educate their children in stress-free, nurturing environments. In addition to building and maintaing this website, I continue to create and manage local and national home educating networks, help to organise conferences and camps, as well as write for, edit and produce newsletters, resource directories and magazines. I am an active supporter of national, state, regional and local home education groups.

"You've been an inspiration to me, I love the way
you really listen to people."
Vanessa

"Whenever I read your writing I always come away
with increased confidence in my ability to provide and
share a wonderful learning journey with my family!"
Davina

"Your guidance, understanding, support and words of
wisdom changed our lives. We now offer support and
organise many homeschooling events for others."
Lesley

"Thank you once again for your prompt and friendly service.
I am convinced that your books are going to add
quality and peace of mind to my journey of teaching my kids
at home! Just from studying your website, until almost
2am in the morning, I 've been encouraged!"
Louisa

"Thank you for all your many,many reassuring words
over many, many years. You probably don't know exactly how valuable you are to the Australian Home Education community. I've been reading your stuff for maybe 8 years or more now. And I'm very grateful."
Gythaa


CLICK HERE if you want to learn
how to write your own education plans
to suit your unique children's individual learning needs?

Or you are looking for quality curriculum and teaching tips...

Welcome to the World of Home Education
and Learning without School!

We began educating our children in 1985, when our eldest was five. In truth, we had helped them learn what they need to learn since they were born. I am a passionate advocate of allowing children to learn unhindered by unnecessary stress and competition, meeting developmental needs in ways that suit their individual learning styles and preferences. Ours was a homeschooling, unschooling and natural learning family! There are hundreds of articles on this site to help you build confidence as a home educating family. We hope that your home educating adventure is as satisfying as ours was! Beverley Paine

3 ESSENTIAL STEP BY STEP GUIDES

Getting Started with
Home Educating Series of

PARENT WORKBOOKS

#1 Create Your
Own Curriculum

#2 DIY Lesson Plans
& Unit Studies

#3 Recording and Evaluation Made Simple

$10.00 each (includes postage)

let experienced home educators Beverley, Tamara and April walk you through HOW to create a learning plan that builds on solid foundations that works for YOUR family AND ticks all the boxes for home educaton registration with part 1 of this getting started with home educating serioes of parent workbooks, Create Your Own Curriculum!
Let experienced home educators Beverley, Tamara and April walk you through HOW to create a learning plan that builds on solid foundations that works for YOUR family AND ticks all the boxes for home educaton registration!

To see the full range of Beverley Paine's books on homeschooling, unschooling and natural learning visit Always Learning Books

Tap into Beverley's experience
through her books

"Your books, your blogs helped me beyond words... they helped me to find comfort in knowing it is ok to choose exactly what is best for my family." Nisha

"Your books and information are mind blowing and already I am feeling good about this new experience." Diane

"Your guidance, understanding, support & words of wisdom changed our lives." Leslie

"I feel specially inspired by Beverley's words and, the more I read her comments, the more inspired I feel, since my need for support, respect for different parenting styles, and information are fully met." Marijo
purchase Beverley's practical and common sense books on homeschooling and unschooling
Connect with Beverley and ask questions
through her online The Educating Parents Homeschooling and Unschooling Facebook support group
.

The information on this website is of a general nature only and is not intended as personal or professional advice. This site merges and incorporates 'Homeschool Australia' and 'Unschool Australia'.

The Educating Parent acknowledges the Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Owners, the Custodians of Australia, and pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people viewing this website.

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Home education is a legal alternative
to school education in Australia.
State and Territory governments are responsible
for regulating home education and have different
requirements, however home educating families
are able to develop curriculum and learning programs
to suit the individual needs of their children.

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Beverley Paine, The Educating Parent
The opinions and articles included on this website are not necessarily those of Beverley and Robin Paine,
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