The homeschooling journey can be quite daunting. With so many teaching methods, curricula providers, and learning styles, it can be overwhelming to figure out how everything fits together. No one knows this better than homeschooling mom Crystal Vance.

For the last eleven years, through trial and error Crystal has worked through the gamut of choices and come away with some great insights into making the homeschooling journey one that is both incredibly rewarding and surprisingly enjoyable. With a down-to-earth style, she provides practical suggestions for overcoming many of the obstacles that you face as a homeschooling parent. She offers an inside look at the homeschooling struggles she personally experienced while teaching her four children. Whether you’re just getting started or are a veteran homeschooler, Crystal’s advice is sure to provide a framework for a successful homeschooling journey.

Whether we are building a sand castle at the beach, participating in an intense game of Jenga, or beginning work on our dream home, the key to the success of any building project is a firm foundation. The same is true when it comes to building a lasting, effective, God-centered home school to train and teach our children. It is not something we just wake up one day and decide to do. On the contrary, if your story is anything like mine, the decision to home school your children was one bathed in prayer and careful consideration. The process is so much more than choosing a curriculum and staying committed to teach that curriculum for the next nine months. Before moving forward with daily lesson plans and buying new pencils and notebooks, we first must lay a firm foundation. In other words, we must clearly understand why we home school and what we hope to accomplish by taking on such a huge responsibility.

Crystal is the mother of four homeschooled children, ranging in age from five to fifteen years of age. She is married to Mike Vance, the children’s and outreach pastor at Lakeview Church. She and her family live in Indianapolis, Indiana.