Why choose homeschooling? Homeschooling is more than an alternative form of education, it is a completely different lifestyle altogether. First of all I want to clarify that I am not an expert. I am just a homeschooling Mom of 2 little girls. It is a very individual decision that families make in homeschooling their children. No two families choose this alternative lifestyle for the same reason. Most families that homeschool do share the notion that a loving caring parent can provide a better education catered to their child's individual interest. Why do homeschoolers think this way? A parent knows their child's strengths and weaknesses better than anyone else. With a one to one tutor type relationship, a parent is able to focus on their child and his or her needs. In a classroom of 20 or 25 students, a teacher must spread herself around the classroom. There is not a great deal of time to spend with the individual student and the opportunities to individualize a curriculum are nearly impossible.
The funny thing about the
socialization issue is that it is really just NOT an
issue at all. It has been my family's particular
experience that school socialization proved to be far
more harmful than beneficial. It starts in the early
grades and only worsens over the years. It begins with
simple issues such as "You can't be in our club
because you don't know how to burp and talk at the same
time." Laughable, Right! Not so funny though when
your child is the one who is left out because he hasn't
mastered the burp technique. This actually happened to a
friend of mine. With girls, it may be exclusion based on
how cool you happen to be this week and whether or not
you STILL play with Barbies. In the older grades,
socialization concerns are far more serious and
dangerous. Peer pressure abounds and in the late 1990's
heading into a new milennium, drugs continue to be a
problem for middle and high schoolers. The pressure to
conform and be cool can sometimes be Homeschooled children are not hidden away in the back room and only brought out into the daylight for Sunday school and church services. We actually do take our children in public everyday! Gasp! Without homework pressing down on you every evening, homeschoolers have the opportunity to become involved in many more extracurricular activities. My daughter is currently involved in horseback riding, basketball, art lessons, AWANAS (church group), and she plays with her friends nearly every day. When she was in school every day, we hardly had time to complete homework, eat dinner and bathe before we had to go to bed to get up and do it again. There are many great articles on the internet related to socialization and the homeschooler that you can read right here.
The best advice I can give a new homeschooler is to talk to someone in your area who homeschools. Try and arrange a visit at a homeschooling friends home during their "schooling" time. While no two families "school" alike, it is very helpful to observe an actual homeschool in action. Visit our links page for state and local resources and contact a local representative who will be able to give you necessary information for getting started. One of the most important things that you need to do is to investigate the laws concerning homeschooling in your particular state. I strongly suggest that you visit the Homeschool Legal Defense Assocation web site and check out the laws that apply to you. Every state is different and each has it's own particulars. It is very important that you start off correctly and observe the laws to protect you and your family. Homeschooling is legal in every state. Home School Legal Defense
Association Homeschooling
may sound warm and cozy with images of you and your
children huddle together reading a classic by the
crackling fire. You may envision your eager 9 year old
working away in a workbook while you cook a nutritious
dinner. In reality, that same sweet 9 year old may have
no desire to "do school" and the day will come
when dinner will consists of cold cereal or burned
grilled cheese sandwiches. I think it is very important
to go into homeschooling with REALISTIC expectations of
what your day will really be like and what you can
REALISTICALLY accomplish. Do NOT overplan your day and do
not set UN-REALISTIC goals for yourself or your children.
If you have a "set in stone" schedule with Mt.
Everest type goals, then you are destined to burn out and
so are your children. By all means, take a day off here
and there. If you child has mastered a math concept by
problem 5, do not feel compelled to finish the worksheet.
YOU and you only know what is best for your child. Trust
yourself and RELAX. By entering homeschooling with
realistic goals and expectations, you are much more
likely to enjoy the experience and not to encounter
Once you have overcome the hurdle of "Should we or should we not homeschool our children?" the rest is easy. Take a breath and relax. Take your time thinking about what you want to accomplish by homeschooling your children. I feel compelled to remind you again that I am NOT an expert but just a homeschooling Mom of 2 little girls. *smiles* There are different styles of learning and different methods of teaching. It is very helpful to know what type learner your child is to help you decide how best to teach him or her. Learning Styles is a great web site which focuses on the different ways that children learn. Below are a few more links that should be helpful to you in determining what type learner your child is. Let's
learn about learning styles! These web-sites below will help you explore the different methods and styles of education. A
Comparison of Different Methods & Approaches to Home
Education
Once again, I am not an expert here. My personal experience is with Calvert, Abeka and Five In A Row. There are many concerns when choosing curriculum. For most of us, cost is of course a concern. If you go with a packaged curriculum such as Calvert or Abeka, then you are going to incur signifigantly higher cost than if you put together a curriculum of your own. Several of my friends from my local support group mix and match their homeschool supplies - hodge podge. Unit studies are a great way to go and have a very low burn out rate. I use a packaged curriculum with Calvert but I do not necessarily do every lesson and I "make it my own" by adjusting their lesson plans to fit my schedule and my daughter's needs. The advantages to this type curriculum is that it comes complete with everything you need to get started teaching and that includes a very comprehensive teachers manual which I could not do without. I am not a teacher by trade or any other means. I need all the help that I can get! Calvert enables me to teach effectively and confidently because they have everything all nicely laid out for me. It is a little more expensive than other curriculum sources but it is worth it for me individually. I like having the day "planned" ahead where all I have to do is sit down at the table and teach. Basically parents have the choice of using unit studies, hodge-podge (mix & match), workbooks or textbooks, or unschooling. It is up to you and your family to choose which best suits you and your children's needs best. Check out the scope and sequence pages at World Book to get a general idea of what your child "should" be studying and learning at each grade level. Visit our Curriculum Site for links to curriculum suppliers and check out our review site for the latest information from our internet visitors concerning the different types of curriculum.
I believe that the single most important thing that you can do as a homeschooling family is to join a support group. A support group will provide you with much more than "friendships," although that is a nice benefit also. Our support group offers art classes, gymnastics, choir, track, park days, pizza parties, oral presentation days, standardized testing, graduations, and so much more. I can't stress enough the importance of belonging to a good support group. Homeschooled children whose families participate in support groups definitely are not at a shortage for socialization opportunities. We often find that the opposite is true - finding time for "school" with all of our "social engagements!" Homeschool Christian Organizations I hope this information is helpful to you new homeschoolers or to those of you considering this education option. Please let us know if we can assist you in any way.
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