Coming Home to School

“My hat’s off to you, teaching all those kids. I just couldn’t do it myself.” During my home schooling heyday I heard this comment all the time.

Hey, I’m not Supermom, I wanted to say. Any parent who wants to can homeschool, as long as family circumstances allow. All of us were scared at first. It took a while for us to become confident not only in the benefits of learning at home, but also in our ability to teach.

That’s not to say that every family can or should homeschool. Nor is home schooling all-or-nothing affair.

Although some home schooling families take the cradle to college approach, there are as many others who take each year and each child on an individual basis, praying to receive God’s guidance as to what he would have for each one.

Hence, while I home schooled five of my children for eight years, one year God scattered us: my oldest son to a Catholic high school, four children to a rural public school, and two still learning at home. I couldn’t have explained this choice to anyone with strong opinions about what’s “right” for everyone. But each day confirmed each child was where God wanted him or her to be.

That’s the bottom line: seeking God’s plan for our kids and following through without fear.

Many of my friends have home schooled here and there through the years—with children who needed a little extra help getting their reading skills up to speed, children who had done well in school but had a personality conflict with a teacher one year (yes, it does happen, and it’s not an automatic that the child should endure it), children who were having problems adapting socially—or simply to give the family more bonding or traveling time.

If you’ve ever wondered about the option of home schooling, here are some basic answers:

WHY THEY HOMESCHOOL

If home schooling had a middle name, it would be diversity. Parents give many reasons for teaching at home. For long-term home schooling families, they fall into three categories:

A strong desire to pass on the governing values of the family—whatever those values may be

Home schooling families share a desire to steep their children in the family’s value system before launching them into the larger world. This is not to say that home schooled children remain ignorant of other world views: on the contrary, most learn opposing perspectives, the better to contend for their own when the time comes.

Some liken home schooling to a greenhouse—the safe, nurturing environment provided to a precious plant until it is mature and ready to withstand the rigors of life outside the glass.

A high priority on academic excellence

A few parents are convinced from the start that they can provide their children with the best education available. Some have teaching backgrounds; some are self-starters, adults who have a love of learning and have never quite given it up themselves.

But even those who began home schooling for values-related reasons eventually come to the same conclusion—that their children are receiving a superior education. Surveys of homeschoole’ achievement tests support this claim—resoundingly. In all categories, scores place at or above the 80th percentile (national average is the 50th).

What makes this possible? Granted, the student/teacher ratio is smaller, but other factors are involved. At home, children are free to learn at their own pace, never impeded by the needs of slower or less-disciplined students.

Newcomers to home schooling are usually amazed when their elementary children complete their lessons in a few hours or less. In higher grades, though more time is required, it is still less than a high school day plus homework. These extra hours add up to more time for hands-on experiments, special computer classes, or visits to museums — all of which make their own contribution to those higher test scores.

A concern for the child’s safety or health

Recent years have seen a significant upsurge in parents choosing homeschool to keep their children safe. The sad reality is that schools are not sheltered from the increasing violence in our society. The 1950′s top ten teachers’ concerns—which included nothing more alarming than gum chewing— have been replaced by actual criminal behavior among students. Here is a powerful motivator for many parents to give up a second job and keep their children home.

Also, as home education has gained credibility, parents of children with chronic illnesses, asthma, or severe allergies have seized this new opportunity to minimize the threats to their children’s health, and to maximize their stamina.

Why they continue: Good Results

Regardless of why they begin, home schooling parents observe a common phenomenon: children brought home to learn become easier to live with. Without peer pressure to prove themselves “cool”, they are more comfortable around and respectful to adults, more free to be enthusiastic about their studies. One mother explains she sees her children, and their home schooling friends, developing a love of knowledge that will make them “lifelong learners.”

HOW THEY DO IT

Perhaps the greatest challenge facing potential homeschoolers is making the decision. Parents may face skepticism or downright opposition from family and friends—not to mention their own self-doubt.

But the Whys are powerful motivators—causing growing numbers each year to take up teaching at home. Once their course is set, these parents find a wide variety of resources to build them up and show them how it’s done.

Support groups

Although there is obviously a strong streak of individualism in homeschool families, most recognize the value of networking. No need to give up field trips, art and science fairs, drama and speech meets—parents form local groups to plan activities together, as well as to provide mutual support.

Regional and state groups offer workshops and conferences featuring successful veteran homeschoolers. Since laws on homeschool vary from state to state, these groups also serve as clearinghouses for current statutes and pending legislation.

Perhaps the greatest asset to the homeschool movement has been the Home School Legal Defense Association. This national organization, headed by Michael Farris in Virginia, is a rich resource of studies and research on homeschoolers. HSLDA offers comprehensive information on all state laws, and constantly monitors not only legislation, but also any reports of harassment or intrusion into the lives of home schooling families. Members receive the benefit of legal defense should their right to educate at home be challenged.

Curriculum

New home schooling parents usually approach the uncharted territory of curriculum with some timidity. Once they begin to explore the bountiful world of available materials, however, they are excited at tailoring a specific program for each of their children—and gratified to find themselves quickly becoming experts.

Seven-year-old Johnny may be doing second grade phonics work, but fully capable of fourth grade math. His eight-year-old sister, Elizabeth, may be reading well enough to be out of readers and into classics. With school at home, there are no limits. And if one text isn’t doing the job, recycle and try something new.

Recycle here means making it available at curriculum exchanges (local and state), where families buy, sell, and browse through each other’s used materials.

Community resources

The homeschooler’s community is a rich resource—with opportunities for sports, music, drama. Libraries, museums, church youth groups, Boy Scouts, enterprises such as newspaper routes—all provide a well-rounded cultural background for children. Far from being isolated, many families are more deeply involved with their communities than their conventional counterparts.

Many home schooled teens take classes at the community college. These kids aren’t wasting any time. Now accepted at hundreds of universities—including Harvard and Yale—many will embark on adult careers years before their peers.

KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE

Removing the mystique about homeschool—showing how doable it is—can broaden a parent’s options for their children. But once again, home schooling is not for every family, nor necessarily for any family every year. It’s a commitment best made after careful consideration and prayer— one year at a time.

The benefits of homeschool without homeschool?

For some families, home schooling just isn’t an option. And yet they may have been impressed with the children of home schooling families they know, finding them more teachable, more responsive to adults, less dependent on peer approval. Is there a way to pass on some of the benefits of a homeschool education to children attending public schools?

A year ago I would not have been able to answer this question, but now having experienced both sides, I can.

Looking back over my home schooling years, I see my most treasured memories are of the daily hymn-singing and Bible study my children and I shared.

This year as they are off to other places, we have made sure to allow a half hour before we pile into the car to spend this time remembering the Solid Rock on which our family is built. This has helped keep our family unity and focus as strong as it was before.

Start tomorrow—even if it’s only ten minutes, focussing your children on God and His purposes before they leave for school. Turn off the radio and instead pray blessings over your children, sing songs of praise. These will echo in their hearts all day, keeping them safe and close to home.