Taking the 'Schooling' Out of 'Homeschooling'

Regina wanted to know more about homeschooling, so I think it's the perfect time to address the topic. (Yes, I do take requests!)

First, though the term 'homeschooling' is widely used, homeschooling does not mean copying a classroom exactly. Many people feel overwhelmed by the thought of homeschooling because they picture lectures, tests, and six hours of books and paperwork. Yes, it can involve those things, but it doesn't have to. Teaching one child is very different from teaching twenty or thirty. Many of the methods used in a traditional classroom were designed to maintain order in a large group. For example, a test is a way to assess every student when a teacher cannot sit with each child for ten minutes at a time. But for a mother with one or two children, you can take the time to assess your child individually. You will know if your child has understood and learned the material. And activities that are more active and hands-on are much easier to do with a few children. Field trips, games, crafts, and many other fun projects are much more feasible in a homeschool, while worksheets are more suited for a small room full of thirty children.

Another way to think about this is to take the 'schooling' out of 'homeschooling'. Although you want your child to know 'reading, writing, and 'rithmetic', your main goal is fostering a love of learning and discovering the God-given gifts in your child. Your child doesn't have to follow state standards (again, set up for the general populace) and he doesn't have to be a Baby Einstein. You are teaching your child how to understand and interact with the world. Language, math, history, and science play a part in that, but they are not everything in life.

Second, whether you are just curious about homeschooling or already immersed in it, I highly recommend the book I Saw the Angel in the Marble by Chris and Ellyn Davis. This short collection of essays is insightful, practical, and encouraging. It is my 'homeschooling handbook'; I read it every summer to remind myself of the real goal of teaching my children at home. Try to find it at your library (I know Dublin has it because I requested that they purchase it) or you can buy the book on Amazon.

In the book, the authors list seven reasons why parents in general choose to homeschool. I have made a (slightly) shorter list here of the reasons why my husband and I chose to homeschool our children.

1) The best kind of teaching. There is no argument that one-on-one teaching is better than teaching to a large group. A child receives more individual attention, as well as tailor-made explanations and assessment. Taking learning out of a classroom teaches that learning is something done anytime and anywhere (and from anyone!), and that it is applicable to everyday living. It is not just about 'jumping through the hoops' to get an A or a diploma, but about being curious and growing the mind.

2) Teaching to the individual. Unfortunately, some children fail in school because they are not the sit-down, take-notes kind of learners. My daughter is an active, hands-on six-year-old who needs to touch and move as she is learning. Her mind works very differently from her brother's, and so I present information to her in a different way. If it takes her longer to grasp a math concept, there is no quiz at the end of the week marking her as a failure. We simply continue with the math concept, or leave it for a while and return to it later, until she has an understanding. Meanwhile, her brother's mind is geared for math. He can learn the lesson in one week, then move on to something new. In homeschooling, there are no 'tracks' or 'labels' (your child is 'slow', my child is 'gifted', etc.) because each child is an individual. One may be college-bound while another may choose to pursue a vocation, but neither is better than the other.

3) Control of the curriculum. I hear stories about new curriculum that teaches sex ed in elementary school, or introduces the idea of a family with two mommies to a group of kindergarteners. I don't want my children learning about those kinds of things until they are really ready for it. I'm not an overprotective and sheltering mother; I just don't want my children exposed to mature materials before they are mature enough to handle them. We don't throw our children into a war zone because it will teach them about 'real life'.

4) Relationship with our children. Until they are grown and married, I know my children better than anyone. And because I know them, I can be a better nurturer and guide for them. My prayer is that when they are teenagers, they come to me with their problems before going to another teenager. And the other thing I love: my children are great friends with each other, despite age differences. Because they are not separated from each other all day, they know how to work and play with each other.

5) Guarding our children from harmful influences. I didn't remember this one until last night, as I was reading a chapter in Dr. James Dobson's Raising Up Boys, because this reason has less to do with curriculum and more to do with socialization. As I observe each of my children's personalities develop, I become very aware of the social dangers that could lead each child astray. My daughter is the best example of this: a natural leader (sometimes bordering on bossy), she can take charge and be her own person, but she is also very attracted to older girls and their habits. In a public school, she would definitely run with the trendy, older crowd, and that's not a price I am willing to pay. I hope to give her a solid foundation in her pre-teen and early teen years so that she will be able to distinguish between superficial vanities and admirable qualities, and become a true leader.

Today, homeschooling resources are very common. There are books, curriculum, conferences, on-line help, local groups and co-ops, even private schools that are part-time homeschools. If you want to know more about homeschooling, start with I Saw the Angel in the Marble and see if God leads you to be a homeschooling family. Keep in mind also that there are many different methods of homeschooling. One person's method and style may not be yours, but that does not mean that you cannot homeschool.