| Why bother home-schooling? | | | | poor people and migrant workers home-schooled. |
| Why bother? Well, if you are thinking it is a bother, you | | | | Sometimes children and even adults made fun of |
| might re-think your decision right there. To educate | | | | home-schoolers. But today, that is all changed around |
| your child at home is not a bother, but a wonderful, | | | | remarkably. And this was especially noted when one |
| richly rewarding experience that benefits you and your | | | | year, the home-schooled child won the National Spelling |
| child. So, take the "bother" word from your vocabulary | | | | Bee on national tv, proving that she was the best |
| if you really would like that opportunity. Yes, this is your | | | | speller in the nation. Even after that so many came |
| opportunity and your child's opportunity. | | | | forward on television stating they had been |
| If you are a stay-at-home mom or dad, then you have | | | | home-schooled and were now attending college or |
| the opportunity to have wonderful learning experiences | | | | had graduated from conventional colleges. |
| by home-schooling your child. In most states, | | | | What if you change your mind? If you change your |
| home-schooling is legal, a legal option. There are some | | | | mind about home-schooling, you have a right to have |
| guidelines and rules and regulations that you need to | | | | your child attend public school. Check with your school |
| follow, but after that everything rocks! (In some states, | | | | district. Most times in most cities, every child is entitled |
| there are a certain amount of days that you have to | | | | to a free public education, and most likely you live in a |
| notify the Board of Education that you intend to | | | | city or town like that. So don't worry about changing |
| home-school your child). | | | | your mind -if you find that home-schooling is impossible |
| You cannot simply keep your child from school and | | | | for you to do. |
| decide to home school. You must, almost always | | | | Where can I get supplies or books if I educate my child |
| notify the School Board or the Board of Education. | | | | children at home? |
| You can find out the rules and regulations through your | | | | Look online! Do a search for everything related to |
| government officials or through some wonderful | | | | home-schooling. There are entire companies who |
| home-schooling magazines and literature. Once you | | | | focus on nothing but home-school supplies, books and |
| find out the rules and regulations, you are set to go. | | | | videos. There are plenty of companies out there for |
| Are there benefits to home-schooling? | | | | you to become educated about home-schooling. You |
| Time, Balance, Growth & Togetherness | | | | can become an expert in home-schooling if you want |
| When home-schooling is done in the proper way, your | | | | to be. |
| child will have a fully-balanced education and will | | | | For art lessons, contact the Pearl Paint Store in New |
| become a well-rounded good student. The rewards | | | | York City. They have a mail-order company also and |
| are unmeasurable. First, one of the benefits is that you | | | | you will find every single item you need for any arts or |
| both spend more time together and give each other | | | | arts and crafts lessons that you choose to give. For |
| more attention. The average student sees their parent | | | | math and business and finances, write to the Treasury |
| for probably a few minutes a day during the week, or | | | | Department, the consumer department, you will be |
| at most an hour or two. However, the average | | | | amazed at what is available for free. Write away to |
| home-schooling parent or guardian sees their child on a | | | | Pueblo and ask for the government information |
| regular basis for a few hours a day (when that parent | | | | catalog. This catalog is a hub of wonderful ideas, |
| or guardian is teaching). You will learn together! Now | | | | books, booklets and pamphlets, many that you can |
| that's one of the biggest and best benefits of | | | | use in your school. |
| home-schooling. The teacher and the student learn | | | | Should I home-school my child? |
| from each other. You grow together. And you can | | | | This is the hardest question that you ask. The answer |
| look back on this experience in years to come and | | | | is obvious. Only you and your child know if you should |
| both of you will be happy about your choices and | | | | home-school your child. Know that this is hard work, |
| decisions. Children get to spend more time with their | | | | mixed with lots of fun and great together times. So |
| siblings, and the younger ones will learn while the older | | | | you must be ready for hours of hard work if you |
| ones are learning also. | | | | choose home-schooling. If you are ready for that and if |
| You will have more time for each other. You can | | | | you have the time for that , then you know what to |
| make practically any life-lesson an education lesson. | | | | do. |
| Going to the supermarket or going to a department | | | | Our Experience |
| store is a lesson in buying, purchasing, finances and | | | | In the past I have home-schooled my three children |
| product comparison. Going to a fast food place is a | | | | (before they became of school age), and every one |
| lesson in food, health, and in purchasing and even a | | | | of them went into school way ahead of the class. By |
| lesson in customer service. The fast food process | | | | the time one child was in second grade, that child was |
| shows the children very valuable marketing lessons. | | | | tested and found to be able to read college journals. |
| So things in every day life add to your home schooling | | | | So home-schooling works, even when it is 'unofficial" |
| experience. | | | | home-schooling. The tools that I used were everything |
| Good Education | | | | that was around. . For example, before my children |
| Another benefit is a great education. You see first | | | | learned to read, we both would be walking down the |
| hand what your child is learning without the need for | | | | street and come to the stoplight. The light was marked |
| PTA meetings and without the need for a strangers' | | | | with the word, "STOP", and that , to me, was and is a |
| report on your child's progress. You choose your child's | | | | reading lesson. We would read all the words that we |
| education. If you want to teach your child spiritual | | | | passed as we walked down the street. I was doing |
| lessons, you can do that. You can teach religion as | | | | the home-schooling thing as my child and I walked |
| history and history as religious lessons. (Look at all the | | | | along the sidewalk. That was "Reading 101". |
| Christians in history and look at the impact they made | | | | Simple and fun as this was - this game of reading, this |
| in our land). You can teach fun science lessons and | | | | was the game that enabled my children to enter |
| math lessons. A trip to the bank and to the ATM will | | | | school reading years before their classmates learned |
| be a great business math lesson. | | | | to read. So home-schooling, even basic |
| You can even take a trip to the Treasury Building and | | | | home-schooling works wonders in children's lives. |
| other related places. Your child will benefit first hand so | | | | You have probably read about home-schooling and |
| much more in seeing and doing rather than relying on | | | | you might have talked to other parents or guardians |
| mostly book-based education. (Yes, you need books | | | | who have home-schooled their children. But no matter |
| and you use books, but you do not depend on them | | | | what you have heard, there is more to home-schooling |
| solely as your only education tool). Socialization | | | | than just reading. When you check with your local |
| happens just as easily with home-schooled children as | | | | school boards you will have the details about |
| it does for children who attend school in school | | | | government regulations (and there are many) |
| buildings. Many times when we do television shows, | | | | regarding home-schooling. When I first thought about |
| we invite the home-school children, parents and | | | | home-schooling, mysecond child was in the older |
| guardians to come into our studio, take a tour and be | | | | grades. I thought about it lots because the school was |
| on the show. So, your options are wide open and your | | | | polluted and it had to be shut down temporarily. We |
| world is your education. Another benefit is a focused | | | | went back to conventional schooling after the building |
| education. You are the teacher; you are in charge. | | | | was almost re-built. My child and I learned so much |
| That gives you lots of options and lots of opportunities. | | | | from just observing nature and from visiting parks. |
| What are the problems related to home-schooling? | | | | Your Experience |
| There are few problems to home-schooling, and these | | | | Only you know what your own experience will be like. |
| are some: | | | | You know yourself and you know your child better |
| Your child might miss the classmates if your child | | | | than anyone else knows them. So decide according to |
| started out with regular education and now switched | | | | your needs, wants and lifestyles and your time |
| to home-schooling. | | | | schedule. Only you know the answer to whether you |
| How do you solve those problems? | | | | should home-school or not. Some home-school through |
| The way to overcome this is to have your child | | | | a temporary need; perhaps a child has a broken leg |
| interact as much as possible with the children from the | | | | and cannot attend the local school. They begin |
| other schools. Invite the children (with parents' | | | | home-schooling and find that both the parent and |
| permission) to come on some day trips with you . Or | | | | guardian and the child like the experience, so they |
| invite them over after school. Have your child enroll in a | | | | apply to home-school on a regular basis and everyone |
| hobby that he or she likes . (Children take up piano or | | | | is happy. |
| bowling, or art , and in these hobbies the children make | | | | One thing for sure, do not let anyone make this |
| new friends and have interaction with children their | | | | decision for you, and do not let anyone make you |
| own age). Use your own imagination and you will find | | | | have negative feelings about home-schooling. If this is |
| ways to have your child interact with other children | | | | what you want, this is what you should do. Try it, you'll |
| and still be home-schooled. | | | | like it. And if you do not like it, or if you feel it is too |
| Testing | | | | much of a responsibility, then it is your decision to |
| Most school districts require specific tests for | | | | change your mind. You will never know unless you try. |
| home-schoolers. But the tests are no harder than | | | | You might want to try it during summer vacation or |
| those given to regular school children. So, prepare for | | | | during the holidays. This offers you the opportunity to |
| the tests. They also usually require that a licensed | | | | educate your child and yet neither of you miss any |
| teacher observe or give the tests. This can all be | | | | regular schooling or regular work |
| arranged. If you are determined to home-school, there | | | | You should try home-schooling if you have the time to |
| is nothing that should stop you from at least trying this | | | | do it. And you? So, what are you waiting for? Now is |
| option of education. | | | | the time to investigate, prepare for and begin to |
| Stigma | | | | home-school for your child if that is what you both |
| Years ago, there used to be a stigma attached to | | | | want to do. |
| home-schooling. Years ago, most times farmers and | | | | |