Homeschooling
There has been a few questions lately about why I homeschool... or even why I keep homeschooling. I am in my third year of homeschooling. I think some people thought homeschooling was a passing fancy, not something that I would stick with long term. While there are some days even I think I am crazy for embarking on this venture, I love it. Some days are very tough. I don't always feel like homeschooling. Then the days come where I wouldn't trade the time with my kids or the adventures we have for anything.
I first grew curious about homeschooling a few years ago, but I didn't think I could do it. I didn't think I was smart enough. I was under the impression that my kids needed trained professionals to get an education. After all, I had been educated in public schools and had gone on to college. I wasn't a big fan of school, it was just what a person had to do. My husband's school years were something he hadn't enjoyed due to learning issues. Even though I had family that homeschooled, it wasn't even a consideration. My older girls never went to preschool, but as it became more normal for all my friends to send their children to preschool, and as my step-daughter went to preschool, I put my daughter in preschool. That was just what seemed to be an important step in the education of children. Both of my younger sisters worked as preschool teachers, so obviously it must be a great way to give your child a head start in education.
There seemed to be numerous problems with my kids in school through the years. There seemed to be a lot of unnecessary issues. I was frustrated. I had a principal tell me that my child was his from the time she walked out the door till she came back in it. Bullies never seemed to really be dealt with. In fact, they were rarely punished at all. There was more than one trip to the ER over the years due to bullies beating up one of my children. Academically my kids were up and down. Sometimes they would do well, other times they would do horribly. When my step-daughter developed the same learning issues as her father and was diagnosed with learning disabilities, I began to wonder if there wasn't a better way.
Then, after I became a Christian, I met a family at church that homeschooled. I taught the children in Sunday School. Those children were a little different than other children their age. They seemed more mature, were better behaved, were articulate, and had a deep faith. Suddenly, of all the issues I had with school, I wanted my children to receive a strong Christian education. I felt led more and more to homeschooling. Suddenly it seemed that homeschooling was everywhere: in the news, on the internet, in the families I was meeting. I began to purposely research the pros and cons of homeschooling. I read books from the library and read everything I could on the internet. My fear and doubts about homeschooling were slowly disappearing.
The discussions that ensued were monumental. I talked with my husband endlessly. This was a big deal, and we didn't want to make a mistake. We prayed about the decision to homeschool. My husband, after much thought and prayer, agreed we should give homeschooling a try. The day I sent the letter to the school pulling out my third grade daughter was nerve racking. Would I be able to do this? Really? I began to buy supplies and plan how I wanted to educate my daughter.
That first year I was nervous. We probably did way too much. At the end of the year I gave my daughter a diagnostic test. She performed at grade level for math and way above in reading. I was relieved. She was on track with the public school students. The following fall my husband and I were surprised as events unfolded. Within a week we pulled one of our high school daughters from school to be homeschooled. We went from one student to two instantly. It took a lot of trust, both in God and in my daughter, to homeschool a high school student. I knew she would have to be very independent and a self-teacher. In some advanced classes, I knew she was beyond what I could teach. Yet, she excelled at home.
In our third year of homeschooling, we use a variety of methods. I am still learning every day how children learn. Each of my children are different. I am preparing to begin homeschooling my youngest. My high school student has stuck to a more traditional method of schooling. It works for her. That is how she has learned through out her education. It makes it easier to create a transcript. She will graduate this year. My ten year old has been my guinea pig. We have learned that she is right brained dominate. She reads well. She learns best by seeing and hearing, not by just reading alone or traditional methods. She likes some hands-on. She loves being read to. In school she might have eventually been classified as learning disabled, though she isn't in my opinion. She just learns differently. I knew her father was right brain dominate, but was surprised that I was too when tested myself.
I will begin homeschooling my youngest daughter soon. This will be the first time I have ever taught a child to read, and I am a little nervous about that. I will probably buy a step by step program that lays it all out for me. I kind of hope that my youngest daughter never sees the inside of a classroom. Though I believe most of the teachers at public schools are excellent, there are some that are not. The atmosphere of a public school is just not where I want my children to spend seven or more hours per day. I have peace about homeschooling despite the fact that it has required some sacrifices.
Yes, we do school nearly every day. We rarely take snow days. We have a plan and a schedule... for the most part. I test Laura at the end of the year. I keep her reading and doing some math in the summer so her skills don't regress. Laura and I have have studied American History, Geography, and are currently in the midst of World History. We read LOTS of books. We read the Bible and do Bible studies at home. We study history and science from a Christian perspective. We read all sorts of books, though I like to lean to more Christian literature because I feel that the stories of others serving Christ is a very important. We read fiction and non-fiction, biographies, and whatever else grabs our interest. Laura read or had read to her 72 books in the fourth grade. I feel like my daughters are receiving a top notch education. They have the time to form a relationship with God and follow their own interests. School usually takes between three and five hours per day. We are almost always finished around lunch time. There is no homework to stress over in the evening. And, as the years go by and my teaching style changes and adapts, I see Laura developing more and more of a love of learning that my other kids lost somewhere.
One of the benefits that I haven't discussed is how close homeschooling has made our family. Being together as much as they are can create conflict, but it also creates a bond that runs deep. The kids do projects and play games together. My oldest was teaching music to her younger sisters. Dad helped with science. The older ones read to the three year old. One of my favorite times is couch time, when we sit together in the living room and read book after book, having adventures in the books we read. Yes, each child has friends, but that time together has helped to develop a lot of memories and a bond that is truly beautiful.
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