This topic is one of my favorites.
For as long as I have been a mom I have always known I wanted to homeschool. Nevada has one of the highest drop out rates in the country and that doesn't sit well with me. With G, he has a huge drive to learn new things and is constantly asking questions about EVERYTHING! He knows that he will be schooled here at home and so far he hasn't shown any signs of being upset by that. My main goal with taking this path is that I want learning to be fun for him. I don't want it to be work and I want him to incorporate learning into his everyday routine. I want a trip to the grocery store to provoke questions and deep thought. A fun day at the park can also become a learning experience for him. These are what I want for him. I don't want school to be work or to be a chore.
One of the biggest reasons behind our move was to live somewhere I felt safe enough to let the boys play and explore outside. G has an interest in reptiles and all animals really just like his momma and on our land there is plenty of potential for "herping" or for seeing any type of desert animal around here. We have sat on our front porch and watched a family of Quail run across the yard. We have seen rabbits prance through our trees. It's beautiful. This opens the door to a lot of nature study opportunities.
I think one of the toughest obstacles we have with wanting to homeschool is finding a secular curriculum we like. We are not a religious family and so many of the curriculum's we have found are Bible based. The reason for this I am assuming is that a big part of homeschooling families do so so that Bible/religion study will be incorporated in their learning. There is of course nothing wrong with that I just wish I could find one that didn't include religious overtones.
Being able to teach G how he will learn the best is the most important thing to me. In a school setting often times kids get passed over because they aren't quick enough, or they end up bored because the pace at which they are being taught isn't on the same level as their learning pace. I don't want him to get frustrated and start hating to learn because of one of those things.
Are you a homeschooling family? If so do you use a secular or religious curriculum? What tips would you give us, a first time homeschooling family?