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."