Many people, once I answer the previous questions, say, "that sounds great, but...". That "BUT" is followed by many other questions stated as objections. In this post, I will try to address those issues.
I don't think I CAN home school. I am not qualified. The biggest qualification you need is ... DO YOU WANT TO? If you have a firm desire and really WANT to home school, you can home school. There are not many real secrets to teaching. One secret exists and I will reveal it now...zeal and passion. Think back to your schooling years. Which wonderful teachers do you remember? Personally, I remember the ones who had a passion for learning. You may not know all subjects. That is fine, many teachers do not. Resources exist for you to learn and teach a subject or have someone else help your child. Libraries full of books, websites, community classes, private tutors, co-ops, college classes, and the untapped knowledge of friends and relatives are just a sampling of resources available to help you. Teachers, after completing their degree, readily admit that it really takes five years to master the ART of teaching. This ART develops through on the job training. At first, you may have many questions and fears. But, after a few years, those fears subside and you realize that you have gained confidence. As an adult, I spoke to a teacher once about her experiences. She stated this, "I told them that their job was not to learn, it was to make me happy." If she is "happy", she takes the time to do more to help them to learn in a fun manner. But, do YOU want your child's teacher making that statement? I understand her plight in the system she has to work in. BUT, with a low student to teacher ratio in a home school setting, the system is much different. Read common questions and answers now: If you WANT to, you CAN. I can't afford to home school. Isn't it expensive? The direct answer? No. See, many people have a "public school" mentality when their first start homeschooling. They imagine children sitting at desks for hours on end with tons of supplies surrounding them. Or, they think they must send off for curriculum that costs hundreds to thousands of dollars or believe they must pay for classes. I actually spend less on homeschooling than when my children attended public school. Supplying uniforms, fundraisers, lunch money, gas, supplies, lost supplies, extra class supplies, doctor bills, and extra curricular classes, for example, cost us more than homeschooling. We recycle clothes with friends, supply a healthy lunch for much less, do not have a daily commute, carry over our class supplies from the previous year, do not get sick as often, buy books once, and invest in extra curricular classes wisely. What are some examples of frugal homeschooling spending? 1. We bought a violin off of Craigslist for $25.00, repaired my clarinet, repaired a gift clarinet, bought a keyboard off of Craigslist, and cleaned a free trumpet we received off of Craigslist. This was a one time investment we CHOSE to make as a family for music. I teach the children basic music theory. Any instruments I feel uncomfortable teaching, we can hire a tutor or teach ourselves with resources. 2. I love thrift stores! Many times I found our school books at thrift stores. Sometimes they have been brand new. Konos, A Beka, Scott Foresman are just SOME publishing names I have picked up at thrift stores. Online shopping can be exciting too! On Half.com I bought the entire Science Explorer set for around $15.00 in excellent condition Another time, I found The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia for under $10.00 in almost new condition. 3. Since we recycle clothes with friends, I rarely buy clothes. 4. Our community recreation center has a basketball gym, games, and equipment we can use for free. A gymnastic center nearby holds classes for homeschoolers for $5 per child. 5. We go with a group on free or cheap field trips. 6. We use free loaner materials from resources such as the library, National Gallery of Art, or other programs. 7. We trade off teaching skills with friends. 8. This list does not include the many free resources on the internet or other ways to save. There are some times which I have invested in buying new curriculum. I fell in love with the curriculum and I knew I could expand them to last many years. For example, I did buy the entire book set of Story of the World by Susan Bauer with the activity books and test books. I pulled them out, put them in sheet protectors and only use copies. In their elementary years, the total amounted to about $100 for all of the children. We reused crayons, stocked up on construction paper wholesale and hit the clearance on supplies once schools had started. As they approach the higher grades, the cost does increase. Depending on family choices, the cost can range from $100 to $2,000 per CHILD. It will be more expensive if you buy a boxed curriculum. Your child will not receive an inferior education by frugally using materials and seeking out community resources. Educator diligence, passion and dedication determines the quality of education. Why do some public schools perform better even though they receive the same allotment of money? Many times, the determining factor is the faculty. In your home school, you and your support system form the faculty. Surround yourself with others who support your decision. On doctor visits alone, we have saved a tremendous amount homeschooling our children. How much time does it take? I have a busy life outside my children's school. Quality concentrated education obtains very effective results in a short amount of time. Kindergarten may only need an hour or two of a school day, with no more than an hour of written work total in a day. Higher grades may need up to three to five hours of written work. Even when the child is in higher grades, an educator needs to devote at least two hours a day to the home school. Although many children self educate some subjects, they will need interaction, assistance, and support. Whether it is to help them to stay on topic, answer questions, or assist in research they will need help. In addition, the educator keeps records and makes plans. Someone, at least part-time, will need to be home with the children for schooling. This does not imply that single parents do not successfully home school, they can also. It does mean that time perhaps spent making money elsewhere may be lost. Get creative, perhaps recruit trusted family members to help. Rather than money, time is a much more valuable investment for your children. Interacting and learning under the loving oversight of a caring adult enhances their brain and character. Each day, when children spend a majority of time with their peers, they discover the world around them. Is that what they really need? Can they derive the best quality learning time from a 40 student to 1 teacher ratio? It is said that "time is money". Where do you want to invest? Do I have to have a computer and internet? No. Many wise people have received a quality education through the use of books and community resources. Computers, used as a tool, are valuable. Yet, many times, they serve as a distraction. Children may need to learn computers in today's world. For this, you can turn to someone who has a computer or your local library. The library also contains volumes on how to use the computer, programming, typing, software tutorials, and much more. Also, many libraries offer free internet access. If you do use a computer in your home school, you must ensure that it does not ensnare the household as a distraction. What about socialization? A common misnomer concerning homeschooled children is that they are socially inept. Homeschoolers, usually more confident and less peer dependent, socialize with people of all ages. By not sitting behind a desk all day, many homeschoolers have more time for extra curricular activities and volunteering. Thus, they socialize with many different people in the community with varied interests, ages and genders. This socialization of varying ages and interests renders a "real world" experience. Homeschooling children are not limited to school walls for seven hours a day with only a teacher and many more their age. College and the work force do not follow the public school system set up, the home school system does. Also, homeschooling children develop group cooperation, compromising, and self discipline skills amongst family members and others within the community. This nurtures positive relationships and close siblings. Many times, my children have received commendation on their behavior. Are they perfect? No! Many times, I wonder if this is the right course. After all, we would have more income if I worked and put them into public school. Other times, I feel as if "the grass is greener on the other side." Then, we go to the store. The one pushing the basket runs into the heels of another. The injured one cries and the other apologizes. A lady follows us through the store to commend the one who ran into the other and apologized. She said that she was impressed by the warm affection and sincere apology he conveyed. After her commendation, she admitted that her own son would not have done the same. Experiences such as these remind me that we are NOT perfect, but that the course we have chosen is the right one. What about High School, college or a special needs child? You can still home school. These topics will be discussed more in depth at a later time. In the meantime, you may find help by researching these topics. Disclaimer: This blog consists of what I have learned in homeschooling my children. I am not a professionally trained teacher. I have stated my opinions and experiences. Please make decisions concerning your family under careful consideration. I am not responsible for outcomes. After people ask me the "WHY" question, they next wonder "HOW". Many feel uncomfortable and incapable about the "HOW". HOW do you know WHAT to teach? HOW do you know WHEN to teach it? Can I find something to tell me HOW? These questions inhibit many from taking the "LEAP" to educating their own children.
Children though develop and grasp concepts at different paces. The public school system attempts to create equality by helping all children to learn concepts at the same time. What about the child who need extra help on multiplication but excels at grammar years beyond grade level? Or what about the child who needs to physically move while learning? A parent knows their child far better than a teacher with a classroom of forty pupils and struggles ensure that no one gets "left behind". But, you still flounder amongst the vast sea of information and desire direction. Thankfully, many have already taken this "LEAP" and new homeschooling families can benefit from their experiences and previous research. Resources abound exist to help with the "HOW". First step? In the homeschooling "lingo" it is called "deschooling". During this time, you may (more lingo) "unschool". It is time to start thinking out of the four walls which ensnare the public school system. Take a specified time, designated by you, to explore learning without worksheets and busy work. For example, plant a garden, learn about the chemistry of the soil, dissect plants, practice math while cooking recipes, discover medicinal or practical uses of different parts of the plant, and institute a healthy ecosystem for garden inhabitants. This may not interest you and your family. Just take this time and rediscover the passion for learning. You may want try something else. As the educator, rekindle that excitement for discovery that fizzled or stoke the fire that still exists. This passion will contagiously instill the same passion into your child. This may seem awkward if you are moving into the homeschooling world from the public school system. THIS PROCESS IS ESSENTIAL! It may take a week, it may take a month, it may take longer. As a parent, you can make that decision. Also, this gives the educator time to begin planning the "HOW". Second step? During the "deschooling" time, create an environment for learning and beginning planning the "HOW" to begin the journey. In creating a learning environment, surround the child in learning opportunities. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO BE FINANCIALLY EXPENSIVE! Designate a small section of the home, a bookshelf or a room, for school. Make library trips, create a home library, gather craft supplies from garage sales or thrift stores, or start buying curriculum. During this "unschooling" and planning period, take out noneducational television programming, video or computer games, and encourage creativity. Although the child may go through withdrawal, this is necessary to foster an environment conducive for immersing the family into discovery. Every family has their "way" of helping tailor education to their child. For my family, we school all year. During our school year, we are structured and "go by the planner" for three months. Then, we take two weeks to a month for "unschooling". At first, the children go through withdrawal and flounder in this unstructured period. But then, a transformation begins. Then, on their own accord, they begin to pen books, create art, learn a new hobby, research animals, and perform science experiments. They have grown to love this period. They can experience it due to a LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. During this time, the educator has time to develop a beginning "HOW" and can now take the "LEAP". At this point, you state, "I need to have someone tell me HOW and I still don't know HOW!!!". Charlotte Mason, a British educator who lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s, believed that education consists of an Atmosphere, a Discipline, and a Life. Guided by that philosophy, a child WILL learn. Whether they have learning difficulties or not, they WILL reach their full potential. So, just relax and enjoy your family. That being said, many people want direction in "HOW". Many options exist. Create your own curriculum, pick and choose from resources, buy boxed curriculum, use the internet for curriculum, and choose. Now, this path is NOT set in stone. You may decide that what you chose is not the right fit, that is OKAY. Don't be afraid to change and use something else. To know WHAT to teach and WHEN, use may guidelines. Use such guidelines for sequences and topics, but use these only as a guide to gain confidence and chart a journey. Read Charlotte Mason's Homeschooling Series online for FREE at Ambleside Onlinehttp://www.amblesideonline.org/CM/toc.html Read The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. You can check it out at your local library or buy it online. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/ Use FREE online Sequences: FREE Core Knowledge Sequences: http://books.coreknowledge.org/home.php?cat=314 You can also get the "What your _____th Grader Need to Know." FREE Charlotte Mason Guide http://simplycharlottemason.com/planning/scmguide/ FREE ABEKA Sequences http://www.abeka.com/resources/pdfs/scopeandsequence.pdf FREE Rod and Staff Sequences http://www.rodandstaffbooks.com/item/1-19118/ What about public school standards? "That is great, but I want to know how they compare to their counterparts in public school".These standards for South Carolina follow the Core Curriculum for the most part. These are the 2006 standards for K-12 before they lowered the standards in 2009.Standards http://www.eoc.sc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/35855B27-77B8-4A64-843A-77B23E8879F7/0/0607ParentStandards.pdfNews http://beauforttribune.com/archives/17963 Many states also offer their practice tests online for their previous standardized tests. For example, here are ones for Texas. http://www.tea.state.tx.us/index3.aspx?id=3839&menu_id=793 Also, sites offer FREE Curriculum FREE Curriculum http://www.amblesideonline.org/Look at their brochure for a synopsis http://www.amblesideonline.org/files/Ambleside%20Online%20brochure%202008%20double-sided%20tri-fold.pdf FREE List of World History through Literature...did you know that this is how the colleges instruct? http://www.welltrainedmind.com/the-great-books-history-as-literature/ There are many more resources listed on my resources page. Use books picked up at garage sales, thrift stores, or your local library. Or, buy paid boxed curriculum for many courses or pick and choose from paid curriculum providers for each course. Use these as your family has allowable finances, but do NOT feel that homeschooling has to be expensive. Abeka http://www.abekaacademy.org/ Alpha Omega http://www.aop.com/ Apologia http://www.apologia.com/ Bob Jones http://www.bjupress.com/page/Home Calvert http://www.calvertschool.org/ EPS http://eps.schoolspecialty.com/ Easy Grammar http://www.easygrammar.com/ Five in a Row http://fiarhq.com/fiveinarow.info/index.html Geography Matters http://www.geomatters.com/ Green Leaf Press http://www.greenleafpress.com/ Homeschool Journey http://www.homeschooljourney.com/ Living Books http://www.livingbookscurriculum.com/ There are other options such as accredited distance learning private schools or public schools. For example, Texas has Connections Academy http://www.connectionsacademy.com/home.aspx and TXVA http://www.k12.com/txva/ Do understand that these schools are still PUBLIC SCHOOLS! These means standardized testing, no choice in curriculum and loss of certain freedoms. I will approach this topic another time. I hope this post helps to put minds at ease about the big "HOW" question. To supplement my first blog post, I thought I would post this article from CNN.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/04/22/mf.home.schooled/index.html This list is not to compare our children's abilities. Rather, it is to reinforce to others the success of a homeschool education. Not all children will attain such notability, yet success not determined by such. Another quote by Einstein, a homeschooler points out, "A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?" Many people, after hearing that I homeschool, ask....WHY? This is soon followed by...HOW? The best place to start is the beginning. We did not intend this path initially.
We began as many families do, by enrolling our child into a brick and mortar public school in Kindergarten. There, he worked as the teacher's aid since he could already read proficiently and had proven himself far ahead in math. How had he attained such knowledge? Our firm belief that it was our responsibility as parents to train him continually "along the roadway". His boredom caused the teacher to struggle to provide differentiated instruction instead of just MORE work. At the beginning of first grade, he qualified for a public gifted academy. He qualified because his reading level tested as a fifth grade student in the third month of school. At the end of the school year, after final testing, his reading level had decreased. This experience, along with many others, led us to the decision to educate our child at home. Yet, I lost sleep over many questions lingering... "Could I provide the same or superior education?" "We are not college educated parents. Are we qualified?" "Am I ready to leap into the unknown with the fear that I may fail my adult child?" Many fears raced through our minds as we leaped into the unknown with only the determination that our bright child would NOT lose his desire for learning through the "system." Through the years we have had many more children. How do we feel about homeschooling now? It is said that Einstein stated, "Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school." As parents, we hold the grand gift to provide EDUCATION. This, in it's very essence, is very different than learning how to pass a test. For example, as adults, they need to understand the complexities of world events with previous deep knowledge of countries' belief, economic, ethnic, and governmental systems. Along with contemplating current events, they will have the ability to perceive the complexities of the situations. Do you have that type of education now as an adult? Even if you lack that knowledge, you can educate yourself while you educate your children. Another quote I appreciate? "Genius is childhood recaptured." Or, as in the words of Einstein, "It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." Over the course of my public schooling, the desire to learn disappeared. The passion to wonder how the world works fleeted. Einstein never lost that passion and wonder. He was not born a genius. He stoked the fire of that passion and increased his knowledge of the world around him. The list of acclaimed homeschoolers who have received "success", through homeschooling, is long. Leonardo da Vinci, Michelle Kwan, Beatrix Potter, Mark Twain, Robert Frost, Mozart, John Philip Sousa, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Einstein, and many others grace this list. Yet, as a parent, I do not measure "success" by standards others hold. I am determined to do my best to raise well socialized, well educated, and confident individuals who contribute positively to society. If I attain that goal, I will feel that I have succeeded despite the fears that plagued me upon the embarking on this journey that began many years ago. Therefore, the reason WHY we home educate our children has remained the same, for them to gain an education and to witness the wonders of childhood all over again. I conclude with a quote by Mark Twain, "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." |