Ask the Expert: 5 Down 1 to Go!

Betty Urzua is a veteran homeschooler who has been homeschooling since 1998. I'm currently the director of PPHSA. We started out in California but felt God was directing us elsewhere so we sold the house and bought an RV to start our travels while learning about the US. We were looking for where we should settle. After 18 months we realized it was Massachusetts and we have been here for the last 12 years. I have been blessed with 6 children, 5 boys and the last was a girl. I have dealt with being out of the house many days a week with therapies for my children, as well as severe dyslexia, and medical conditions. My second oldest wasn't able to read his own books until high-school but now chooses to read a new book each month. I have five graduates so far. For the first time in twenty-three I will be homeschooling only one next year.

I am often approached for advice about homeschooling and choosing a curriculum. I truly enjoy helping other homeschooling families navigate the often confusing, overwhelming world of homeschool. However, as much as I would love to be able to take the time to offer individualized advice to everyone, doing so requires more time than I am able to take away from my responsibilities at home. By offering more in-depth help at a fee, I am able to help others while blessing my family.

I have added many resources and pages to help homeschoolers get started on to this website. If after looking around you still have questions or need more individualized help, I am available by phone or email to answer your questions.

Areas of Expertise

Managing a Large Family

Learning how to organize and schedule your homeschool day. How to get everything done without losing your mind. There are some methods I can help you with so that you can accomplish more. Also how to homeschool multiple ages.

Homeschool Methods

There are many methods I'll help you find the ones that appeal to you as the teacher and methods that will appeal to your kids as the students. Finding a good balance between the two will result in the best schooling environment. I can help you determine your teaching style and your kids’ learning styles helping you understand what your best method will look like.

Homeschool Curricula

There are a lot of curricula out there! There are some basic things to look for in a homeschooling curriculum depending on the learning styles, family size, and ages of your students. I can help point you in the right direction to find a curriculum that suits the needs of your individual family.

Encouragement and Support

Sometimes you just need someone to come alongside you to encourage and support you along the way. Help you to see what is going well and that God will bless all that you do. The relationships that you build with your children day by day through shared experiences are priceless.

Here are some other areas I can help you with:

Homeschooling high school
Homeschooling with dyslexia

Homeschool Consulting Services and Rates

Once you’ve decided to pursue a consultation.

Contact me– via email and we’ll work out the details for a meeting time
Provide me with some basic information– Completion and submittal of some assessment forms including what questions you have.
I prepare– by spending a couple of hours reviewing the info you have shared and then researching answers to your questions. Then I will gather ideas for what will be best for your family based upon those results.
We meet– I dedicate an hour of uninterrupted time to meet in person or virtually to share info about how to get started, legalities, some suggestions on where to go from here, also including time for you to share concerns and questions. You can take notes and I will make note of additional questions and suggestions for you. By the time we finish, you will be encouraged and have direction about how best to move forward with your family on this wonderful adventure we call home-schooling.
Follow up email– After we meet, I’ll send along a summary of our time together including any links and suggestions for resources.
What else? – I’ll also give you the opportunity to clarify or ask more questions. If it’s a quick answer, I’ll send it over via email. If it is a longer explanation, then we can talk about another consultation session.

We can meet via Google meet, Zoom, or phone, whichever you prefer. If you are local near Boise, ID we could even meet in person.

The initial rate includes the 2 hours of preparation time and my follow-up email in addition to the one hour in-person/virtual time we spend reviewing the results and answering questions.

Initial Conversation $150

During this one-hour appointment, I can help you determine the top needs of your family and address any of the areas of concern that you may have. We will also discuss curriculum ideas, and suggestions.

Additional fee for help with writing up a curriculum plan. This will include links for placing orders. There would also be additional assessments to find the correct level. Or if you would like additional support to evaluate how things are going and answer any further questions you may have.

Payment is due at the time consultation is scheduled and is billed via Venmo.

To set an appointment or learn more Click HERE

Testimonials:

"Betty is simply amazing! Not only is she a tremendous wealth of knowledge, but she is a kind and generous spirit. She has “been there, done that” and has six amazing children to show for it. If you are looking for advice or support in any aspect of homeschooling (or life in general), I highly recommend chatting with her." -Angel

"Betty truly showed a passion for guiding homeschool families at all levels. Navigating and even simply entering the homeschool environment might come easier for some but can be challenging for others. In either case, Betty is a local and thorough resource who has experience with all ages and varieties of learning styles. Not too long ago, she gave me some sound advice in regards to toe-walking and ADHD." -Amy

"Betty has been such a blessing to our family. She was instrumental in helping us get started with homeschooling. I reached out to Betty about 9 months before actually starting to homeschool. Betty helped me to gain confidence in undertaking the task of homeschooling, and also understanding the process. Betty had a very insightful questionnaire that helped pinpoint my teaching style and my daughter's learning style. We met to talk about the results and the curriculums that would be a fit for both the teacher and the student, based on her findings. Betty has a thorough understanding of a variety of curricula, experience with a wide range of grades, and gentle grace with the beginners on this journey, such as myself. Though my daughter and I decided to put homeschooling aside for a while, Betty continued to provide encouragement. When we finally decided to start homeschooling, 2 months into my daughters' 9th-grade year, Betty helped me to get connected with HSLDA for the process of legally pulling my daughter out of public school. Betty provided encouragement, helped to calm down fears and anxieties, provide the guidance we needed, and helped us in prayer." -Daniela