Category: Homeschool FAQ

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Homeschooling Seldom Asked Questions

by Rebecca Prewett

Recently I attended a state homeschooling convention. At least half the women there were wearing denim jumpers and had lots of children with them. If I decide to homeschool, will I need to buy a denim jumper and triple my family size?

Well, it depends. Some homeschoolers like to be nonconformists. In order to identify yourself as a nonconformist, you will need to wear the right kind of denim jumper, never cut your hair again, and have a larger than average family. All the boys will need to wear slacks and dress shirts whenever you’re out in public, and the girls will need to wear denim jumpers or pretty flowered dresses. Of course, if you don’t care about being a nonconformist, this doesn’t apply to you; you’re free to dress however you choose.

At the homeschooling convention I attended, some of the women had misplaced their handkerchiefs–which ended up on their heads. Please explain.

While some think this is a phenomena completely confined to the homeschooling community, it really isn’t. Nor is it a novel way to keep a handkerchief available at all times. And, yes, we’re even told that you can be Reformed and wear the prayer veiling at the same time (although we have not yet personally tested this theory).

I’m confused. Who is the real “father” of the homeschooling movement?

Depending on whom you ask, it’s:
a) Raymond Moore
b) John Holt
c) Bill Gothard
d) Richard Fugate
e) R.J. Rushdoony
f) any other guy who mentioned homeschooling before it was “popular”
g) there is no “father”, since it’s the mothers that usually do the homeschooling
h) Charlotte Mason
i) somebody else you’ve never heard about
j) any number of fathers who were homeschooling in the early 70’s
k) any big name you want to drop to make it sound like you know something

How can I spot “twaddle”?

Twaddle comes in many shapes and sizes. Sometimes one mother’s twaddle is another mother’s favorite unit study. However, twaddle can be recognized by the following unmistakable symptoms:
a) it wouldn’t pass muster with Charlotte Mason
b) it has something to do with the fireman being our friend
c) it’s found in curriculum materials catalogs designed for public schools
d) you would be embarrassed to discuss it with the Shearers
e) any reasonably conscious kindergartner already knows it

How can I get onto the cover of the Teaching Home?

Ask the Shearers. They have dedicated years of their lives in an attempt to grace the cover of that well-known magazine and have even written a song detailing their exploits. Then again, maybe you shouldn’t ask them; they still haven’t made it. Your best bet would be to have lots of multi-talented and photogenic children, and to spend your lives doing marvelous things while wearing matching Sunday outfits and posing in your beautifully appointed home.

I simply don’t know what to do. Everybody I know is so positive about homeschooling! I’m overwhelmed at the amount of support, encouragement, financial aid, and resources that all my friends and relatives keep giving me.

Hhhhhmm…that really is a distressing problem. Well, maybe it’s not distressing, but it sure is unusual! Truly a seldom asked question, and one to which we have no answer other than–please send all the good stuff our way.

I’d like to homeschool but I’m worried that my children won’t be isolated enough. You see, in the school they now attend, they are safely isolated from people who aren’t their age, with the exception of their teachers. But I’m afraid if they aren’t safe at school all day, they’ll be meeting all sorts of people in the community. What can I do?

It’s true that, if you homeschool your children, they will probably meet all sorts of adults in the community, everyone from the mailman and various repair men to the people you will meet on field trips. It is also true that they will tend to meet more people who are not their age than people who are. But I have yet to meet one homeschooling family that found this to be a disadvantage. Of course, it depends on how you define disadvantage. Your child may lose touch with the latest juvenile fads and probably won’t keep up on the current lingo. In fact, he may even end up sounding…well, sort of mature.

If I homeschool, will I have to wear Birkenstocks?

Again, it depends on if you want to be a nonconformist or not. It also depends on where you live. Nonconformist homeschoolers on the West Coast all wear Birkenstocks. A style with wide straps is preferable. Brown is usually the color of choice.

If I homeschool, will I have to raise goats and chickens? Will I have to bake my own bread and sew all of our own clothes?

This depends. Some people think that goats and homeschoolers go hoof in hand. Others suggest you invest the goat money in a good computer. Still others are allergic to goats, don’t like computers, and wouldn’t be caught dead near a sewing machine. But everyone knows that real homeschoolers bake their own whole-wheat bread, even if it’s just once a year.

How can you tell if someone is an “old-timer” at homeschooling?

Experienced and knowledgeable homeschoolers are easy to spot. The real old-timers predate the “homeschooling movement” and, no matter how well they’ve retained their youth, usually don’t look like someone just starting out with their first kindergartner, even though they might still be teaching phonics to one of their brood. The ages of their children, especially if they’ve never attended school, offers another clue. Having a completely homeschooled young adult generally qualifies one as an “old-timer”. These “old-timers” tend to be relaxed, confident, own a ton of books, have an anti-twaddle radar, posses a terrific sense of humor and/or an incredible amount of perseverance and vision, own at least one homeschooling tee-shirt, remember back when it was near impossible to get Christian textbooks, and know more than a lot of homeschooling authors do. The real “old-timers” are stockpiling phonics materials as their homeschool “graduates” prepare to teach the next generation. Or, they’re prepared to teach their adult children how to teach reading with just a Bible and a slate and maybe some index cards. And, if you happen to spot an “old-timer”, consider yourself blessed and glean from her experience. And don’t bother dropping names of homeschooling “fathers” around her; she may well have been homeschooling long before that “father” ever heard of the idea.

If you liked this check out other homeschooling tips and homeschooling humor articles along with homeschooling curriculum reviews here.

Source: Go milpitas

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Why Parents Choose To Homeschool

There are many people who are homeschooling their kids at home via independent studies, charter school or other legal ways to homeschool a child at home. Often time, many parent of public going kids also supplement education via private piano, art and language classes in weekend, that is also sort of like part time homeschooling.

If you are already homeschooling parent then you know the benefits such as pros and cons of homeschooling and why you chose to do homeschooling. For those who are thinking about homeschooling or have little knowledge about homeschooling wonder why anyone would want to home school their child at home. If you are wondering this article is for you. There are many reasons parent may choose to home school a child, here are main popular reasons parents choose to homeschool a child or children at home.

Why Parents Choose Homeschooling?

Everyone’s reasons might vary a little but here are a few main reasons most parents choose to homeschool kids at home via many homeschooling methods.

1. Inadequate public school systems

In America, kids can only go to local assigned public school based on their parent’s address of home or rental places. That often means, prices of home or rental apartment are generally higher in good school district. So, if you want your child to go to very good public school, parents either has to buy a expensive house in the area or rent a place there to legally use local public school.

There are many time intra country transfer can be possible but it is surely complicated process for many. If you want your child to get a good education, you would have to either buy a expensive house in great school district or send them to equally expensive private school. If parent have more than one child, cost can add up and not every one can afford expense of private school or great public school house location.

In top of that many good to better public school systems leave much to desire for many parents, some may have budget cuts, out of date books and curriculum and other funding issues to really make it worthwhile for a few parents. So, they choose alternative education method and one of them could be homeschooling, charter school or independent studies through public school means educating at home.

2. Parent have special need child

While many public and private school have special need child related programs, but getting approved for it or custom fitting to a child may be an issue for some school district. Other problem some parents may feel is if their child is special need, they might be harassed or bullied at public school by some kids. There have been many cased of kids, not only special need but also different races, fat child, small thin child have been targeted by bullies at school. In some cases, kid’s self esteem is damaged or a few unlucky ones have killed themselves.

While many school authority and concern parents have worked hard to prevent such harassment, but still happens. Some parents therefore, want to avoid frustration of their special need child by doing one on one schooling or homeschooling which may work better for kids and themselves.

3. Having more control over Learning

If you are homeschooling, in many states in US parents still have to follow local state’s guideline on what to teach for each grade. However, many parents feel that by homeschooling their children they have more control over their learning and less focus on current trend and fashions. Many Christian and other religious parents may want to teach religion at home as many public and private school do not teach religion or moral values in a class.

In addition to some parents value art, music and other form of learning such as cooking, clay making or singing in their teaching can do via homeschooling or take extra classes when in public school as many public school do not offer many artistic education to satisfy some parents.

Reasons Parents Homeschool :

So – WHY Do You Homeschool?

Homeschooling: The Early Years: Your Complete Guide to Successfully Homeschooling the 3- to 8- Year-Old Child

Ten Great Reasons to Homeschool

The Little Book of Big Reasons to Homeschool

What is your reason for choosing to home school?

 

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Homeschool FAQ Homeschooling tips

Learning About Social Concerns of Homeschooling

kidsplay

Image source: psych-your-mind.blogspot.com

There are people who are worried about social skills and social aspects of homeschooling as they tend to believe that child and parent stuck in a room learning all day and student will not have enough time to make friends and create skills. Again and again, I am asked about this and this is really myth.

As a homeschooler, child will get plenty of social interaction during park days, field trip and play group. Homeschool kids gets to take physical education classes, music lessons, cooking lesson, horse riding and so on and there is plenty of opportunity to socially interact with other kids and adults alike, just like we do it real life.

The Home-School Connection: Lessons Learned in a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Community

Social skills is an area of deep concern when it comes to
homeschooling. Many critics point out that since man needs to hone
his social skills, a homeschooling environment where social
interaction is limited is detrimental to his growth and
development. But studies have proved this wrong.

Children put into the fiercely competitive school environments
lack the confidence to hold a conversation. Such children show
little genuine interest in the topic of conversation and don’t
know how to interact with people of various age groups,
especially their elders.

Children who learn at home are more aware of the implications and
the purpose of their learning. They will ask intelligent questions
and make accurate observations. Children begin their life by
imitating their parents. Homeschooled children therefore pick
up the sterling qualities they see in their parents. On the other
hand, they are protected from the detrimental influences of their
peers.

These children are thus better equipped with the tools necessary
to face the world. The positive reinforcement that takes place
in the homeschooling environment as opposed to being abandoned,
embarrassed or ignored in a normal school environment strengthens
their self-esteem. Children turn out to be better balanced and
well-rounded as they progress into adulthood.

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Does Homeschooling Magnify The Family Issues?

Homeschooling Magnifies Family Problems (and That’s a Good Thing)

BY Jennifer Fulwiler

“Okay, guys, it’s time for today’s lessons!” I say in my most positive voice. “We’re going to start with math. Let’s look at—”

“Maaa-aaath? I hate math!” comes a voice from the peanut gallery.

“I’m bored. I don’t want to do homeschool today,” says another one.

Thus began our first day of homeschooling for the season, and it only went downhill from there. The subsequent days have been somewhat better, but I still have to fight at least one battle of wills at the homeschool table every day. I don’t expect perfect behavior, but do ask that I see a slightly better attitude than you might expect from, say, prisoners working on a chain gang. We don’t always get there. And it tests the limits of my patience every time.

After a particularly frustrating session I called a friend who is also a homeschooler, and wondered aloud if we should send the kids back to school. We had tried a public charter school for a semester last year. It wasn’t a good fit for our family for a lot of reasons—reasons that I still agreed with—but I was tempted to go back there just because I was so frustrated with the behavior problems I was seeing.

Thank goodness for wise counsel, because my friend’s response was exactly what I needed to hear. “Homeschooling isn’t causing these problems,” she pointed out. “It’s just magnifying problems that were already there.”

She was right. Before we homeschooled, I was still impatient. My kids are generally quite sweet, but we still had occasional issues with them talking back and not wanting to listen. Sending them to school didn’t solve any of those problems, it just made them easier to forget about since I didn’t have to confront them as often. Having my children’s education taken care of by someone else also led me to be relaxed—probably too relaxed—about what happened in the house on a daily basis. There was no specific goal we were trying to accomplish on a typical day, so if my requests were being ignored here and there, it didn’t feel like a big deal. But when my children’s education became my responsibility, that changed. Suddenly, there was more at stake than whether or not I had help picking up the living room floor in the afternoon—if they continued not to do what I asked them to do, it could impact their entire education.

Homeschooling isn’t for everyone (as Simcha pointed out in her recent post about the benefits of sending her kids to school). There are a lot of reasons a family might choose a different model of education, but I’ve come to think that a bad dynamic between parents and kids shouldn’t be one of them. I used to think that those daily battles of wills were a bug in the homeschooling system; now I see them as a feature. Homeschooling acts as a magnifying glass, enlarging your view of any cracks that run through the foundation of your family, thus allowing you to address them before they grow larger and deeper.

Source: http://www.ncregister.com/ National Catholic Register

Related:

Help! I’m Married to a Homeschooling Mom: Showing Dads How to Meet the Needs of Their Homeschooling Wives

Looking Backward: My Twenty-Five Years as a Homeschooling Mother

 

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Homeschool FAQ Homeschooling tips

How To Unschool your child

kids-learn

The term “unschooling” was coined in the 1970s and used by educator John Holt who wrote popular book How Children Learn (Classics in Child Development), widely regarded as the “father” of unschooling. While often considered to be a subset of homeschooling, unschoolers may be as philosophically estranged from homeschoolers as they are from advocates of conventional schooling. While homeschooling has been subject to widespread public debate, little media attention has been given to unschooling in particular. Popular critics of unschooling tend to view it as an extreme educational philosophy, with concerns that unschooled children will lack the social skills, structure, and motivation of their peers, especially in the job market, while proponents of unschooling say exactly the opposite is true: self-directed education in a natural environment makes a child more equipped to handle the “real world

Check out resources:

The Unschooling Unmanual

The Unschooling Handbook : How to Use the Whole World As Your Child’s Classroom

Unschooling is the most fluid style of homeschooling. There is no
curriculum and no set boundaries. Many parents feel a bit
apprehensive about such freedom. But, even unschooling has certain
guidelines that make it a great method of homeschooling.

Firstly, allow your child to express interests. Let her select the
topic. If she wants to learn about flowers, tell her about the
various flowers, their functions, parts of the flower, rare flowers
etc. But don’t go overboard. Allow her the freedom to stop when
she has had enough. This process of learning may take a month or a
day. It is up to the child to decide how much she wants to learn.

Expand your child’s areas of interests using videos, books, magazines,
puzzles and games. Go to a museum or take her to a library.
Simultaneously, broaden your own interests. The more you know, the
more the child gets to learn.

Notice all opportunities for learning. When in the kitchen, point out
the vitamins in fruits and vegetables. What makes tomatoes red, and
why are leafy vegetables good? If you don’t know the answers, don’t
worry. Look it up. Lastly, don’t worry if the going seems slow. This
is just the way kids learn. Give them time and lots of encouragement.

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How To Structure the School year

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Image source: Homeschool.com

Okay, you have decided to homeschool and you, kids and family have bought text books, join the homeschool group, set out the room for teaching, Now what? Basic structure of homeschooling can help get you going.

Now that you have begun your homeschooling schedule, there are
various questions that trouble you. Should you study continuously,
take a number of short breaks or a long vacation? What about
public holidays? When should you take a break?

The answer to these questions and many more like these are
actually quite simple: Do whatever suits you best. This is one of
the appealing benefits of homeschooling. You do not have a set
pattern to follow. You do not HAVE to take that autumn break, or
close shop for a prolonged summer vacation. Flexibility is the key
here. For some practiced unschoolers, even a definite curriculum
is not necessary because lessons are a part of their day- to-day
life. But this may not be the case with beginners. Beginners may
need to chart out their activities to fall into a pattern.

Before you plan the structure of your classes, consider some of
the most important issues. What method of homeschooling will you
be following, what is your teaching style and your child’s
learning style, what are the work and play schedules, what are
your vacation plans. Some families plan small 1-week vacations at
different times of the year. Other families prefer to go away for
a month or more. Consult with the members of your family, and
chart out a holiday schedule that most suits you.

There are some positive benefits in following the traditional
summer vacation schedule. Firstly, your children can benefit from
the various summer activities, camps and classes. Your child’s
schedule will coincide with that of his school-going friends. A
summer job may be possible. A longish summer break also means that
both parents as well as children get a break from their daily
lessons. This could also be a major drawback, as it is sometimes
difficult to get back on track once the classes resume.

On the other hand, there are some advantages to taking numerous
small breaks in the course of a year. Firstly, children do not get
bored since they get time to explore other interests. You can
cover more topics in the extra time that you save. You can also
take family trips and vacations during the less popular periods of
travel. This means lesser crowd and better prices. But beware if
your child becomes restless when other children are enjoying their
long summer vacations.

As far as homeschooling is concerned, you and your family are the
people in charge. Taking care of the individual needs of the child
is the primary focus of this system. So, tailor the school year to
suit your child’s needs. Periodic evaluation is a must. Set some
realistic goals and see if you are able to achieve these goals.
Most importantly, avoid burnout – both in yourself and your
children.

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How to Maintain Discipline in Homeschooling

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Is there such thing as Discipline in Homeschooling? How do you manage it all?

When the child stays at home all day, and mommy is the teacher,
there are certain issues of discipline at stake. It is easy for he
child to misconstrue the freedom he has at home and feel that
homeschooling is just a long summer holiday. This is a potential
landmine and children need to be disciplined right at the start.

Homeschooling gives you and your child a truly immense amount of
flexibility. You and your child decide where to learn, how much to
learn and when to learn. But,these should be decisions made at
the beginning stages. If your child is too little to take an
active part in the decision, chart out a few hours of the day for
the various activities, and stick to it. When there is no outside
agency to supervise and no exams to answer, it is easy to get
sidetracked. If your child is old enough, consult him and find out
when he wants to learn. Apply your parental discretion and come up
with a timetable.

Homework is also a part of homeschooling. What this means is that
once lessons have been taught, the child should be asked to do
some part of the course work by himself without your guidance. You
will need to make sure that your child sits willingly and finishes
his work.

Courtesy, manners and punctuality are some of the various facets
of discipline that a child has to imbibe in the early years of his
life. The school where he interacts with his peers, his seniors
and juniors and his teachers mould these values quite
automatically. At homeschool, the child should be taught the
importance of speaking and behaving in a proper manner and
appropriate corrections need to be meted out if behavior is
unsatisfactory.

It is advisable to keep aside a particular room or a part of the
room for your homeschool. The child should be expected to reach
his desk at the appointed time, in proper attire with all the
necessary material. It is easy to allow the school to become an
extension of play if these ground rules are not laid out and
followed. As the teacher, supervisor, principal and janitor rolled
into one, you should also approach the study area with a cool
professionalism.

Homeschooling is doomed to fail without patience. In spite of all
the precautions and steps one takes, it is easy for a child to get
familiar’ at homeschool. At such times, it may be difficult to
discipline the child and get him to listen to you attentively.
When this happens, switch to something new. Allow the child to
take a breather and enjoy a break yourself.

Homeschooling is not easy. It requires a lot of hard work and
patience. The very informality of the whole procedure sometimes
works against it by making it too easy. If you take steps to
establish rules at the very beginning and adhere to these rules,
your homeschooling experience will be a huge success.

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Montessori Method Of Homeschooling

Montessori education is characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological development. Although a range of practices exists under the name “Montessori”, the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and the American Montessori Society (AMS) cite these elements as essential

  • mixed age classrooms, with classrooms for children aged 2½ or 3 to 6 years old by far the most common
  • student choice of activity from within a prescribed range of options
  • uninterrupted blocks of work time
  • a constructivist or “discovery” model, where students learn concepts from working with materials, rather than by direct instruction
  • specialized educational materials developed by Montessori and her collaborators

In addition, many Montessori schools design their programs with reference to Montessori’s model of human development from her published works, and use pedagogy, lessons, and materials introduced in teacher training derived from courses presented by Montessori during her lifetime.
Developed from the work of Dr. Maria Montessori, this style of
teaching aims at duplicating natural laws that a child faces in
life. Thus the aim of the teacher is to control the environment
and not the child. It was observed that children who are left free
to interact with their environment developed an innate
self-discipline, love for order and natural curiosity.

The Montessori method of teaching is especially suitable to the
preschooler who wants to do everything by himself. Finding ways in
which your child can participate in the cleaning, washing,
cooking, gardening and other ‘adult’ activities sets the perfect
backdrop for the learning experience. By providing such
opportunities for independence, the child’s self-esteem also gets
a huge boost.

Artistic, cultural and scientific activities abound in the
Montessori 3-6 class. There is no TV, junk food, or computer.
Material is selected carefully. The child is never forced to work.
Instead he is encouraged to do things that interest him, and the
teacher picks up the teaching from cues given by the child.  The
Montessori method focuses on the child’s inborn ability to learn
from his surroundings. Thus the teacher aims to encourage the
natural curiosity of the child. He is never forced to learn or
explore. When the child understands why he needs to learn
something, he will love the learning process.

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Is Homeschooling Your Child Legal?

The answer is YES!

Without a doubt, homeschooling is legal in all the 50 States of
the U.s. But, that is just about where the similarity ends. Laws
and regulations regarding homeschooling vary from state to state.
Interpretations of these laws can vary from scholl district to
school district. Additionally, these laws may change every year.

The National Home Education network is a wonderful resource when
it comes to the legalities of homeschooling. It has a listing of
the actual state laws for each state in the U.S. Reading the laws
that pertain to your state is perhaps the best way to get accurate
information about these laws. But, most people need to get the
laws interpreted by a qualified attorney. You can get valuable
information from the support group at your locality. Additionally,
many state education departments have online resources that will
help you in interpreting the state requirements for homeschooling.
The internet is also a good source of information.

It is a good idea to check out your state laws regarding
homeschooling before you start educating your child at home. This
will prevent any nasty surprises on the way. If you have to move,
you will need to be aware of any tests or exams that your child
may need to take.

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When to Homeschool Your Child?

Is there a right age when it is good to start educating them? How about when is the best time to start homeschooling? Let’s look at an Insight on When to Home School Your Children in details.

Nowadays, many parents are enticed to homeschool their children. In fact, recent reports show that more than 1.2 million students in the United States are already obtaining their education through homeschool programs. This goes to show that more and more people are seeing the full benefits of homeschooling their children.

However, for those who are struggling on whether to homeschool their children or not are still on the brink of so many questions. One of the questions is about finding the right time to homeschool their children.

Many parents are wondering if there is a specific age or time to homeschool their children. They want to be sure that by the time they have decided to homeschool their children, they have made the right decision and that it will definitely be for their children’s own good.

However, most experts contend that deciding on whether to homeschool your children or not is not actually a matter of the right time to opt for homeschooling but more on the comfort and personal choice of every parent.

Simply put, there are no appropriate times to start homeschooling. The key point here is that as long as you need to homeschool your children and as long as you feel that your family is already prepared for the matter, then you can start homeschooling your children.

What matters most is that when you have decided to homeschool your children, be sure that you have all the necessary requirements ready and that you are determined to pursue the process no matter what happens.

The problem with most people is that they thought that once their children have started their primary education in a public school, they can no longer opt to homeschool.

The good news is that you can still homeschool your children even if they were already introduced to the typical schooling method. Just be sure that you have prepared everything that is needed for the transition.

Therefore, the question on when to homeschool your children now lies on the reasons why you want to homeschool your children first.

For instance, if you think that you can no longer tolerate the environment that the typical schools have, then now is the right time to opt for homeschooling. In fact, 31% of the parents of homeschoolers have this reason.

Therefore, there are no specific periods to opt for homeschooling. Analyze your reasons and basis for homeschooling, and from there you will know that it’s about time to choose a better alternative to the typical schooling — homeschooling.