Most people acknowledge that the educational system in this country is in poor shape, but no one seems to be able to find a solution that really works. Some people believe that public education can eventually be improved given enough time and money; others believe the system is fundamentally flawed and that the suppression of individual differences that occurs with the current system can only result in mediocrity.
There are many reasons that people are not satisfied with our public educational system and choose to homeschool. Lack of religious or moral instruction, too much or too little integration, not enough quality materials and facilities, repetitious and unchallenging schoolwork, too much or too little testing, a dangerous school environment, negative peer pressure, poor educational standards, special learning needs, etc.; these are all reasons why people choose to keep their children out of public school.
So if you don’t like what the public school system is (or would be) doing for your children, you have several options: you may enroll your child in a private school, hire a private tutor for your child, or direct your child’s education yourself at home. If the first two options are not possible for you, due to financial or other reasons, you may consider homeschooling.
Homeschooling offers many advantages. Few would deny that individualized instruction (such as is provided by homeschooling) is best. This self-paced, customized instruction fosters self-reliance and creative thinking; it is very unlike the public schools’ mass, assembly-line instruction which stifles creativity and encourages dependance on someone else to supply one with all the “correct” answers. Homeschool instruction is flexible; it can also be customized to fit into any schedule. Although expenses vary from family to family, homeschooling is also relatively low-cost, especially when compared to the expense of private schooling. And last, but not least, homeschooling gives parents, not the state, control over their children’s education: parents can control what, how, and when their children are taught.
Most people are not aware that they have already homeschooled their children: from birth through age five, before children are usually sent out for their formal education. Indeed, research shows that these years are critical and that nearly half of all a child’s learning occurs during this period. It’s not clear why, when a child reaches age five, a parent should suddenly become unable to continue to perform this important function in their child’s life.
There is no one “right” way to homeschool. Your homeschool program can be tailor-made to fit the learning style and schedule of each member of your family; that’s what gives homeschooling its greatest advantage over conventional schooling.
Some families set up a rather formal homeschooling program. They use pre-packaged curriculae and texts, and have set study hours each day with mom (or dad) as “the teacher”, much like a mini-school at home. This method has the advantage of being well-understood and better accepted by school officials and the public at large. While this works well for some, many others find that, after a while, the kids balk at this “schoolish” approach, and the parents end up spending many extra hours on formal lesson plans and paperwork.
Other families take a very free and unstructured approach to homeschooling (sometimes referred to as “unschooling”), letting the child entirely direct his or her own learning. They do this in the belief that we all learn best what is of immediate interest and relevance to us, and that, eventually, over the course of a childhood or a lifetime, all necessary information will be learned. Using this method of homeschooling, each child will study different subjects at his own pace and according to his own timetable, even though that may not be the accepted order that subjects are learned in a conventional school.
Many families fall somewhere between these two extremes. The parents act as guides, rather than school teachers, who help their children learn various subjects through reading, discussions, experiments, group projects, outside classes (e.g. sports or music), volunteer work, and other activities. By assessing (either through tests or informally) how a child is doing in a particular subject, parents will know when to make changes: when to challenge their child more, and when to ease up, review, or change approach. The method used will depend on what works best for each individual child. Parents also act to spark a child’s interest in subjects outside the current area of focus, through fun special activities, books, or programs.
Because parents don’t necessarily “teach” their children in the traditional sense, instead they help their children to learn on their own, you needn’t feel that you don’t have the “proper” background to homeschool. Indeed, it is often a good example for your children to see you learning about a particular topic along with them. And for areas where you do not have the knowledge to give your children the answers they seek, there are many resources available to you: books, classes, tutors, friends or acquaintances in a particular field, apprenticeships, etc.
It has been estimated that public school students spend only 20% of their time engaged in actual learning activities (“on task”); the rest of their time in school is spent on administrative and organizational tasks. This means that even if your children spent only one hour a day, each day of the year, learning at home, they would still spend more time learning than the kids in public school! (Of course, most homeschooled kids spend more time than this!)
Additionally, because individualized instruction is so much more efficient than one-size-fit-all instruction, children are often able to master in months what their peers take years to learn in public schools. This is because much more is learned when attention and interest levels are high, and because topics are learned in whole pieces, instead of in little bits here and there throughout the years.
So homeschooling need not take up huge amounts of time in your day. Because you are not tied to an artificial schedule, you can fit learning times into your day wherever they fit best. If both parents work, especially if one parent works only part-time or from the home, schedules can usually be adjusted to accomodate.
Homeschooling need not cost you large amounts of money. It can certainly be much more economical than private schooling or tutoring, and public education is also not without its costs (fund-raising, the “right” clothes and other accessories, etc.) Many materials can be borrowed (from the library, friends, other homeschoolers) or homemade. And there are an increasing number of resources with ideas for homeschooling on a shoestring.
In public schools less than 5% of funds are spent on books and supplies. Adding the costs of all books, materials, classes, field trips, etc., a typical homeschooling family might spend $100-$300 per child annually. With a little creativity, many of the supplies you need can be obtained used, on sale, or otherwise at low cost.
Some “essentials” for homeschooling throughout your child’s school career are a good home library (including an encyclopedia), art supplies, musical instruments, lab equipment (e.g. a microscope, scale,etc.), and various tools. Much more important than having many expensive supplies, however, is having materials and opportunities that are appropriate for your child and providing a nurturing environment for learning.
Yes, in all fifty states. Please refer to later pages for details on the laws and regulations in California.
This is probably the most focused-on and misunderstood concern about homeschooling. Most people assume that school is the best place to learn to socialize, but homeschoolers are quite able to learn all they need to know about how to get along with people in this world, sometimes even better than schooled children.
Upon examination, one often finds that the “socialization” that the school environment provides is mostly negative. Bad habits (ranging from bad language to drugs and other illegal or violent behaviors) may be learned from other children. There is intense peer pressure to wear the “right” clothes and have the “right” accessories, and to look and act a certain way. Children who don’t conform are taunted and ostracized, thus seriously eroding their self-confidence. Even teachers often reward passivity and conformity, behaviors that do not necessarily serve one well in the world. At best, the social environment in school is unrealistic: where else in the world are people only with others of the exact same age? This segregation encourages anti-social behavior toward other age groups (especially toward younger children and adults) while idolizing others (upperclassmen).
Homeschoolers, on the other hand, learn to deal with people of all ages effectively through family activities, volunteer or apprentice positions, sometimes even through their own businesses! Same-age-group socialization also takes place through participation in church and social clubs (scouting, 4H, etc.) Homeschoolers learn teamwork concepts through working on group projects and by participating in sports, musical, or theatrical activities. And homeschoolers learn an additional important social concept which is not learned at school: how to enjoy being alone.
There are many resources available to assist homeschoolers, especially in California where there are over 10,000 of us. Books, magazines, organizations, and support groups abound. Many of these resources are listed later in this publication; they should be able to help you avoid or solve problems such as burnout, which typically results from pushing yourself too hard.
Legally, you may assist your child’s education at home from kindergarten up through high school. Practically speaking, you may continue to homeschool for as long as it suits the needs of you and your children. Parental involvement typically lessens as a child grows older, because the child assumes more and more responsibility for his own education and is often involved in many activities and/or jobs outside the home. Some children attend high school after homeschooling in the early years; but for those who do not wish to do this, many opportunities exist for apprenticeships, tutoring, and sometimes even attending selected classes (such as science) at the local high school or community college. Because a homeschooled teenager is more in control of his life and has a closer relationship with his family, parents often find they experience fewer problems with "teenage rebellion".
Labels such as these are only needed for organizational purposes when dealing with large numbers of diverse students. Because homeschool offers individualized instruction, it is often the best choice for such children. In addition, some problems such as Attention Deficit Disorder may mysteriously disappear when a child is homeschooled, and is no longer forced to sit still for hours listening to topics he’s not interested in. This issue is addressed in several homeschool resources.
The beauty of homeschooling lies in its flexibility. Some children never attend school; others begin school, then try homeschooling, while still others begin homeschooling, then try school. Homeschooling can be tried at any time, then regular schooling may be returned to, if desired.
If you have a young child, particularly excited to try school, then perhaps you should let them try it after a few weeks or months they may not find it as interesting as they thought they would. Conversely, if you have an older child who is reluctant to leave school when you think homeschooling would be more appropriate, you may wish to try homeschooling for a good year or so (children often have an adjustment period of several months getting used to thinking and being on their own again). If, at the end of this time, homeschooling is still not working well for you, and you’ve tried contacting resources for help, perhaps your child would do better attending school. Homeschooling isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.