You know what they say … If you want something done, ask a busy person. Kerry Beck, of Curriculum Connection, is one of those people! She has her fingers in so much and does a great job at all of it. Not only is she a wife and homeschool mom, and not only does she run their family’s curriculum company, but she and her husband, Stephen, are exciting and popular writers and speakers.

Wouldn’t you just love to have her over for a chat so that you could soak up some of her knowledge? Well, I’ll help you out. Sit back and enjoy what Kerry has to share with us!

TOS: Hello, Kerry! We’re so excited to introduce you to any of our readers who don’t know you already. On top of your many accomplishments, you were a public school teacher. How did you have to adjust to more of a learning lifestyle? Any surprises?

KERRY: The biggest surprise to me was [that] my approach to teaching did not always provide the best education for my children. In the past few years, I discovered that the public school puts your children on a conveyor belt of academics where every child moves from grade to grade or station to station down the Education Conveyor Belt. As a homeschool mom, I was doing the same thing. I graded my children all the same, expecting the same outcome from each of them. I did not take into account God’s calling for each of them, nor did I personalize their studies for His calling. This discovery made me realize I was not preparing my children to think for themselves or to think biblically. They were merely learning what the author thought about issues. Since this discovery, I re-fashioned our homeschool to show my children how to think on their own from a biblical perspective.

Through this re-fashioning, I saw the importance of choosing biblical priorities in our homeschool. When I started homeschooling, I had the freedom to choose what my children would study. As I pondered this freedom, I realized that my priorities were different from traditional school priorities. I prayed that God would show me His direction for our homeschool as I matched it with Scripture. Our homeschool priorities are seeing our children walk with God, learning “how to think,” and developing a biblical worldview to study everything.

Over the years, I have searched for programs that make it easy on me to instill a biblical worldview and love of learning. Neither of these was possible as a public school teacher.

TOS: Instilling a love for learning is very important to you. What advice can you give our readers that will give them a great start?

KERRY: My first piece of advice is to RELAX! It is natural to compare our homeschool to other homeschools, private schools, or public school standards. But we shouldn’t compare; we need to rest in God for His leading in our homeschool. The first seven verses of Psalm 37 encourage homeschoolers how to prepare for homeschooling. Psalm 37:7 says, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.” Don’t get worked up over what your children “might” be missing. Follow God’s leading and He will show you how to instill a love of learning in your children and prepare them for their future.

To instill a love of learning, you must love learning yourself. When Mom thoroughly enjoys her own learning, her children pick up on this attitude. When Mom studies topics of her own interest, her children see the dedication and priority Mom makes for learning. When Mom excitedly shares her learning, her children become excited about learning too. …

One of the best ways to encourage a love of learning in my own children is pursuing my children’s interests. Children who are interested in their study topic will perform better research, make better projects, and write better papers. Since they are interested in the topic, they “want” to learn more about it.

You may be saying to yourself, “What about all those subjects in which my child has no interest?” Group reading time may help in areas that are important to you but not [to] your children. After breakfast, we start with a flexible group reading time. We often begin with art appreciation, read a poem, move to Truth Quest History, and conclude by reading a classic literature book. My children are not sitting at desks, taking notes, but [are] folding laundry, drawing, building Legos, or knitting while we read aloud. They listen better when they have something to do with their hands.

I could keep going about love of learning, but I’ll stop with these ideas. Most of all, rest in the Lord as He directs your homeschooling paths. Relax and enjoy your children!

TOS: Having teens myself, I’m interested in knowing if you see a future for them as entrepreneurs in the homeschool community. What’s your vision for these future business owners?

KERRY: I definitely see a future for entrepreneurs in the homeschool community. Just to homeschool, you must “think outside the box,” so it is only natural that homeschoolers of today will lead our communities as entrepreneurs tomorrow. Entrepreneurs are always thinking outside the box—that’s why they are entrepreneurs.

I believe Christian entrepreneurs will lead communities back to our Christian roots. It is my hope that we train homeschoolers to lead our society back to God, busting the chops of the wicked, one small business at a time. Stephen and I are dedicated to teaching teens and families how to start their own business so they can gain control over their lives. As this happens, Christian families will enjoy more freedom—freedom to serve God and make a difference where they live.

The last few years, one of our companies, FamilyEbiz.com, has researched the best ways for young people to have their own business, becoming a young entrepreneur. eBay is a great place to start.

When we moved to Idaho, I took advantage of eBay to clean our home of 18 years. I quickly become an eBay Power Seller. My children helped me with all aspects of eBay—writing descriptions, listing, receiving payments, packing, shipping, and recording our profits. I suddenly saw that eBay was the perfect business for kids to start and a great way to integrate practical skills into homeschooling. EBay takes little investment and includes most aspects of a business. That’s when I started teaching other families how they could start their own eBay business.

TOS: How exciting is THAT?! Speaking of exciting, I hear that you have a new book coming out. Tell us about it and how we can get a copy.

KERRY: A couple of weeks ago I released my new book set, Raising Leaders, Not Followers. I wrote these books to help families get off the Education Conveyor Belt by using Leadership Education. Leadership Education guides your children to become leaders who think for themselves and have the tools to learn in the future.

Raising Leaders, Not Followers helps parents provide a Leadership Education with mentoring and classics. This threebook set shows you how to gain your own education, as well as practical ways to guide your students to become leaders. Whether you have young children or teens, these three books provide hands-on tips and a biblical perspective of Leadership Education.

Over 90% of my email list wanted practical ways to implement Leadership Education, so I compiled Hop Off the Conveyor Belt: Tips & Stories, [which gives] tips and real-life stories [about raising] wise leaders who think on their own.

I want to give your readers a free report and free online workshop about Leadership Education. There’s a special box at www.raising-leaders.com where you can sign up for both freebies about Leadership Education, as well as purchase the book package.

Many parents said they can’t find a Leadership Education book with the essential element of biblical guidance. Without a biblical perspective, you do not have the proper perspective for raising your children to lead. Why raise leaders? To rule and reign for Jesus Christ. When your children lead wisely, they can conquer the world for Jesus Christ. Raising Leaders, Not Followers points you to the Bible so your children will lead with wisdom and virtue!

TOS: Thank you for all that you do for the homeschooling community.

Kerry Beck is the author of Raising Leaders, Not Followers and Teach Your Children “How to Think” with Mentoring, which outlines ways you can mentor your children with profitable, Socratic discussions and raise children who become leaders who rule wisely. She would like to give you a free report about Four Keys to Provide a Leadership Education in Your Homeschool at www.raising-leaders.com. Kerry and her husband, Stephen, have three children, live in the panhandle of Idaho, and enjoy traveling to new places

Kim Wolf loves living in a small Ohio town with her husband of 21 years and their two teen daughters. They have homeschooled since 1993 and are very active in the music ministry of their church. She is a Miami County homeschool coordinator, a freelance writer, speaker, and Ohio coordinator for TOS.
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