12/25/97

Home Schooling

Increasingly, parents who are disenchanted with public schools are educating their children at home. In a study conducted in 1997 by Dr. Brian D. Ray, President of the National Home Education Research Institute, data indicate there are approximately 1,230,000 American children being taught at home.

Reverend Harper, father of 11, switched to home schooling after Todd, his eighth child, ran into trouble after the first grade. In the first grade Todd brought bugs, snakes, lizzards and other critters to a teacher who loved it. She warned him that his interests might not be appreciated later and she was right. Each teacher thereafter commented about his poor attention, behavior and attitude. It was difficult to say to him, "If you behave better you will do better," because he got straight "A's."

In sixth grade problems came to a head. The teacher and principal decided to use Todd's behavior as part of his grade. If he got an "A" but did not follow the rules, his grade was lowered. Rev. Harper considered this an abusive practice on the school's part.

He took Todd to a child psychologist who completed an assessment of his intelligence, learning skills and personality. He noticed letter reversals in his writing for which he compensated well. He also said that Todd had a photographic memory and total recall, so he can remember what he sees or hears the first time. It was the psychologist's opinion that the poor school behavior was due to boredom.

The following summer Rev. Harper and his wife examined six different curricula for home schooling. They talked with other homeschoolers, retired teachers and college professors. The curriculum they chose is broken down into 10 workbook/texts for each subject for each year. The teacher's guides provide complete lesson plans and answer keys. Math guides explain how the answers were calculated.

Todd completed four full years of math and reading material at home during the next two years. His parents are meeting the challenges of high schooling with help from friends and the community. His mother has a medical background and his father taught high school music. They teamed up with a Mexican nanny in the neighborhood for Spanish lessons; took physics from a traveling missionary out of Hartford who set up all the labs; and expanded his social horizons through friends and family. Todd's social skills far exceed those of most public school children, in his father's opinion, because he has become conversant with so many different people while being educated. Todd is also able to command the attention of groups where he is asked to speak.

Reverend and Mrs. Harper have now homeschooled four of their children and will start with the fifth next year when she is three years old. Their seven-year-old, who does third grade work, has never been to school. There's no such thing as "special education" in their home school and everyone gets all "A's."

Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.