You know your children better than anyone and have the deepest love and concern for them. You also have the most direct and long-term responsibility for your children.

Educationally, one-to-one tutoring of a child has many advantages over the typical classroom where one teacher tries to meet the needs of many children at different learning levels.

Your example and enthusiasm in learning with your children will motivate and encourage them far more than striving to appear as if you know it all. You do not need to know everything in order to teach.

Dr. Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute, conducted a nationwide study of home education in Canada involving more that 800 families with 2,800 children. He found these home educated children scored at or above the 76th percentile in all subject areas. (The national average of all conventionally schooled children is the 50th percentile.)

Dr. Ray says, "The tutorial method has always been the superior method for educating children. Homeschooling epitomizes this method, providing the essentials for success - a close relationship between the student and teacher, motivation, flexibility, and individualization."

Several resources are available to give you on-the-job training:

• Homeschool conferences, workshops, and book fairs at local, regional, and provincial levels provide practical instruction in teaching techniques unique to home instruction. Up-to-date information on these events is a regular feature of homeschooling magazines and the RVHEA newsletter, Learning At Home.

• Homeschooling magazines present articles that inform, encourage, and inspire you in various principles and techniques of home teaching.
  

• Provincial and local homeschool support groups can greatly encourage and help you as ideas and information is exchanged.