How to Make Goals for Your Homeschool

Once you determine what an educated person is, you can determine your goals for your family and your children. This will include both long term goals, such as know, glorify and enjoy God forever and short term goals, such as working on a particular virtue. But you may be wondering how to make goals for your homeschool.

What type of long-term goals might you have for your children?

Obtain a Job
Go to College or Technical School
Prepared for Adult Life
Self-Learner – Independent Thinking
Mature in Jesus Christ

Depending on the goals you have, your homeschool will look different from other homeschoolers. The goals above are just an example of ones you might have. Let’s take a look at how you might homeschool with any given goal.

If your goal for your children is to obtain a job, you will spend time developing work ethic, integrity, perseverance.

Or, maybe you want your child to go to college. In high school, you will spend time preparing them for the SAT & good study habits.

I believe education (or homeschooling) is more than just academics …

What if your goal is preparing your kids for adult life? You’ll spend time on real life skills. These may include preparing them for a job, for marriage, for family, for ministry, for home management. Specifically, you might teach your kids carpentry skills, auto care, home maintenance, taking care of children, cooking & baking skills, sewing, gardening and cleaning.

One of our favorite ways to teach real life skills was through a family business. With our family business, our kids had a variety of learning experiences, learning real life skills.

If your goal is that your children are self-learners, you need to provide the tools of learning and encourage independent thinking in your kids.

One of the most important goals in our family is that our children grow to maturity in Jesus Christ. We want to train our kids in righteousness, true love to follow God’s commands regardless of how difficult it is. That’s an awesome task.

It goes back to wisdom & virtue, along with truth, goodness and beauty. For me personally, I had a full-orbed philosophy of education. I believe education is more than just academics, although academics are a huge part of our homeschooling.

Lining Up Your Goals with Scripture

No matter what your goals are, you need to line them up with Scripture, the truth of God. This includes lining up your academics & your approach to homeschooling with God’s Word.

Let’s take a look at Paul’s words to the Colossians and how they apply to homeschool parents.

Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end, I also labor, striving according to his working which works in me mightily.
~ Colossians 1:28-29 ~

Although Paul is speaking to the Colossians, these are great verses for parents and homeschool moms to take apply.

Teach your kids in all wisdom
Present your kids perfect in Christ Jesus
To this end, you (dads & moms) labor
Striving according to God’s working
Holy Spirit works mightily in you

I want to present my kids perfect in Christ Jesus. This does not mean they are without sin. It means that our kids are mature in Christ Jesus. That is one of our goals – to be mature in Christ, moving forward in their adult life in Christ.

I worked hard to this end. Steve and I both did. But we didn’t do it alone or in our own power. We worked hard in the power of the Holy Spirit, God working in us. He’s the one who works mightily in us. I have to remind myself of this everyday. It’s not me homeschooling, but it’s God working in us.

We want our kids to stand up for their faith. We want them to have critical thinking skills with a wide knowledge of all subject areas. We believe Colossians 1:28-29 summarizes what home discipleship is. I encourage you to put these verses in your home or car where you will see it on a regular basis. Take some time to memorize & meditate on these truths. It will impact your homeschool.

For your children to be useful in God’s work and mature, faithful believers, education is essential. You may find that if you do this and implement home discipleship, it will change the way of life in your family. As you follow God’s leading in your homeschool, you might make some decisions that go against society. But you’ll be following the Holy Spirit and God will reward you.

Question: What are your homeschooling goals? You can leave a comment by clicking here.