Heather
As a parent, we are faced with a myriad of difficult decisions. Should we bottle feed or breast feed? Should we use cloth or disposable? Should we join a play group, send them to preschool, join Mommy and Me classes? The list is never ending! Unfortunately too many parents never get around to asking themselves what is best for their child when it comes to school.
Most Americans simply assume that their children will go to a public school. A small minority will struggle with which private school to send them to, but most will never really sit down and discuss the options at all. When it comes to sending your precious little ones away to be taught and guided for 8 hours a day (or more) by adults you don’t know, shouldn’t this decision warrant a little more consideration?
My Hardest Decision
I personally found this to be the hardest decision I have yet made as a parent. For me, it began long before my first baby was born. You see, I was six months pregnant when I graduated from college with a degree in elementary education. Although I loved my college experience, I was certain as I walked across the stage that day to receive my diploma of two things:
- I could not wait to be a mother
- my daughter should not have to go to a public school
Becoming a teacher was all it took for me to see every flaw in our current educational system. Student/teacher ratios are sky high in most public schools which keeps our children from having the precious time and attention they need from their teachers as they learn. Individualized instruction is a myth that simply can’t happen for most of our students, only those with severe disabilities who are assigned specific learning plans and personal aides.
No Child Left Behind has brought our schools to a new low, solidifying an already crumbling educational system where every learner is now brought down to the lowest common denominator as we focus on helping those who are performing worst. Other than an occasional attempt in schools to allow students to work on thier own level in reading through programs like accelerated reading, most students will never be able to work at their own pace or on their own level, instead having to slow down for the rest of the group or being pushed on without success if they are struggling.
I personally wanted more for my children than to have to be put through that failing system. I began researching alternatives before my daughter was even born. That’s when I began to consider home schooling.
The Merits of Home School
At home, the student teacher ratio is phenomenal! Even if you had a very large family, you would still be doing better than almost every private school in the country. This means the teacher can focus on each student instead of seeing them always as a whole group.
Homeschooling allows us to begin with individualized instruction. I can look at my child as a unique individual who has her own strengths and weaknesses, her own learning style, her own interests, and work from that point forward. She doesn’t have to conform to a standard set for a class of 20-30 kids.
As a parent, we know our children best, so we are better suited for their education than any other professional. We don’t have to wait months to learn their habits, learning styles, or interests. We already know our students intimately! And at home, our students have the freedom to do what works for them. If she works best sprawled on her bed, then she doesn’t have to sit at the desk. If she memorizes facts easiest by jumping rope while reciting them, then she has the freedom and encouragement to do just that.
Our goal is her success. We’ll use whatever means necessary to help her succeed and she gets to work at her own pace. As a teacher, I can focus on each student, giving them just what they need and moving them at their own pace toward success.
Student-Led Learning
I believe strongly in student-led learning. This is a concept that is taught in many teacher education programs, but not free to be used in our public school system due to the extreme regulation of a teacher’s work time and environment. They simply don’t have time for such pursuits when “teaching to the test.” At home, however, we find it best to let the student lead the learning experience at times, so that they are pursuing their own interests in an educational and meaningful way.
This method of learning creates an internal motivation for the student that is unequivocally effective. No amount of coercion by the teacher could ever create such a powerful motivation in students to move forward in their pursuit of knowledge. Although we have a steady framework for learning in our home, complete with a school day schedule and store-bought curriculum, we still have freedom to allow our learners to seek out their own interests.
For instance, right now we are learning about medieval history in our school, but my son has become fascinated with Vikings. His interest has become insatiable. So we began buying books, looking up facts on the internet, even learning how to write runes in Old Norse. In the public school he would be in second grade, and I can guarantee they would not be studying medieval history in second grade, much less allowing him time to take his study further into the history of Vikings.
Here he has the freedom to take control — albeit limited at this time — of his education. He can work ahead in math (he’s halfway through his third grade book) and slow down in spelling. This freedom benefits him not only because he loves school more than he did when he was in public school, but because it allows him more opportunity to succeed.
Because we allowed him to explore his interests, he went from being almost a year behind in reading to two grade levels ahead! His assigned reading material is on grade level, but the extra reading he has done this year as he studies Vikings has propelled him forward since those books are all written at a higher reading level. His internal motivation took him much farther than my (or any other teacher’s) external motivation would have gotten him.
Success Is Our Goal
We want our children to succeed at school – to excel even — and homeschooling gives them the best environment for doing just that. Statistics continually show that homeschooled children perform better than their public school counterparts. They do better on standardized testing in elementary school, on the ACT and SAT. They do better because they have more motivation, more freedom to learn in an environment best suited for them and most of all, because they have teachers who are so willing to have them succeed that they are willing to go against the cultural grain, give up careers and sometimes even social connections in order to help them succeed.
Although some argue that a parent without an education degree is not really qualified to teach their children, I completely disagree. Parents make the best teachers because they know their students better and love them more deeply. Parents are more willing to sacrifice for their students, seek out the best methods and materials, and persevere with their students through subjects that challenge the child until they succeed (as opposed to the practice of moving a child on to the next grade level despite failure as is the habit of our schools today).
I realize that not everyone can, or should, homeschool. But, if you are considering this monumental transition, I encourage you to prayerfully research homeschooling. It took me 10 years to finally fulfill this desire of my heart and bring our children home again from the public school. Fear and doubt kept me from doing what I knew to be best for my children. Our home is healthier and happier than it has ever been and though I think I appreciate it more now than I would have if we had never sent them away to school. I sincerely hope we never go back!
Heather, it sounds like you are doing a great job with your kids’ homeschooling! I completely agree with the benefits of self-directed learning. I remember being horribly bored in school and what you are describing seems like a great situation.
However, I do have to add that not all homeschool situations are this ideal. I could name a specific example or two, but I don’t really think that’s appropriate. Suffice it to say that I think it is a case-by-case sort of deal. It would be wonderful if all parents were fit to be homeschooling their children, but sadly, that just isn’t the case. And the unfit ones that I’ve seen are completely oblivious to the fact that they shouldn’t be homeschooling.
I’m not all that aware of the regulations for homeschooling. Maybe they vary by state?? But I’ve been disappointed by some of the situations I’ve seen here in Kansas.
I can’t speak for Heather. But I agree Julie. Some parents don’t supplement with extra activities. And that’s where the socializing and interaction comes into play.
Thanks for your comments, Julie.
Julie,
Yes, each state has their own laws regulating homeschooling. Some states choose to leave the homeschooling parents with full reign over their children’s education while others have a program that includes public school teacher evaluation of homeschooled students. Most states fall somewhere in the middle.
I would like to point out that while it is the case that some parents have not made the best choice by homeschooling their children, that should not sway others away from this option. A responsible parent will evaluate all the options, pursue one, then reevaluate that option to determine if that is still the best course of action for their children. A responsible parent is one that is not afraid to change course if that is the best option for their child.
I am only beginning this journey as we started homeschooling our first grader this summer. My story is very unlike Heather’s. I did not have dreams of being a homeschool mom, let alone a stay at home mom. My husband spent years convincing me to consider those options. It wasn’t till the birth of my first child that my heart was turned toward staying home. At that point I decided to research home education further. I won’t bore you with details of that journey, but suffice it to say, the choice is what we determined to be best for our family. I suggest to any parent to at least give the option of home education full analysis.
I completely agree with your comment on the parent’s responsibility. I’m sure that Heather is constantly evaluating her options to make sure that her kids are getting what’s best for them.
That’s certainly my plan.
I would like to note that there is a way for any and all parents to ensure their child gets the most out of his education, and that is parental involvement at home.
I too congratulate you on your and your children’s success. I liked your 3-point breakdown of the pros of homeschooling. Do you have a follow-up article addressing the cons? I would be interested to read how you’d address the financial aspects (for the parents) and social aspects (for the children) of schooling at home. Do you think there is any way to “fix” the current educational system to lean more toward individualized instruction?
Thanks for the well-thought-out article!
I too would be interested in hearing some cons of homechooling. Maybe next month Heather and Aaron can take the opposite stance. Sounds interesting.
Thanks for coming by, Nicki. I always enjoy hearing what you have to say.
Hey Heather,
I saw the link to Aaron’s post on facebook and I was intrigued. I am not a parent, nor do I intend to be anytime soon you should all be happy to hear. The whole homeschool/public school/private school discussions have been of particular interest to me since I attend two different private Christian schools for pre-school, a private British school in first grade, a private International School for 2-4, an American Private school for 5-7th, and public Texas schools for 8-12, from which I graduated a few weeks ago. My brother was also homeschooled by my mom for several months in France before getting into the American school of Paris.
Heather I believe that you are one of those parents that will, and is, successfully homeschool their children. I could site many a case of people I know that have been unsuccessfully homeschooled by there parents, but as with all forms of education there are always failures. I believe that if a parent is homeschooling for the right reasons and with the right skills they can be successful. Unfortunately, while I agree that every parent knows their children better than any teacher and can be more attune to their children’s study habits and needs, in my experience it has often been a good thing that my teachers were not my parents. I have been pushed further and harder by some of my teachers than my parents ever could. Often it is easier to respect a teacher than a parent, however off that may be.
Tomball High School was in no way a fantastic public school. I had countless confrontations with the administration (mostly because I am a confrontational person). I can honestly say that the bureaucratic public school has improved me as a person. It taught me not to rely on my parents and has prepared me for independence in college. I would have to agree with Aaron about the socialization too. I actually have very little argument against homeschooling your kids in elementary and even early junior high. Yet, after having gone through the absolutely arduous college application process I am strongly against homeschooling in high school.
College application process has become incredibly competitive over the past few years. Although I was an extremely competitive candidate I was rejected from all my top choices, given my top choices where some of the top schools in the nation, but I was forced to settle for less than what I wanted. After researching the college application process thoroughly I have found that most colleges are extremely opposed to accepting homeschooled students and students who graduate early. Top schools want to see that students graduated from a competitive program, and even this doesn’t guarantee you a top spot. Also the quality of the school you attend guarantees you a better counselor for college and a greater chance of getting into the school you want. My counselors were terrible and I had to largely fight for myself, my friends at private schools have the benefit of their high schools reputation, name, and better counselors, who are more likely to have attended a top college and have weight there. While their education at that private school may not have been as good as a public school or even homeschooling simply because they would graduate from a particular private school they would be attending the highly ranked college and I would not. This is completely unfair but this is how it works.
Despite all this I will be attending college with 24-27 credit hours already simply because of the fantastic advanced placement program at my high school. Considering that is 24-27 hours my parents don’t have to pay for they couldn’t be happier.
Thanks for letting me butt in.
Wow! I have a lot of catching up to do! Sorry I’m a little late to this party, I was away on vacation for a while.
I know that we all know families who have homeschooled with poor results (or socially awkward children,) but Katie said it best when she pointed out that all forms of education will have their cases of failure. The difference is that parents carry the full brunt of the blame when homeschooling. If this fact is intimidating, it should be! However, the reality is that all parents should consider it their full responsibility to provide a solid education for their children, even if they are sending them away to school.
As for Nicki’s questions and Katie’s comments on college applications… well, I have a lot more to say. I should probably address those later. I’ll try to gather some solid facts to share with you on those topics.
Thank you all for posting! Keep the thoughts and questions coming!