12/08/2000

Readers Weigh In about Homeschooling

SNET readers express considerable interest in homeschooling; there is an active network of parents in Connecticut who educate their children at home. They share ideas and curriculum materials and run statewide conferences each year. For those who are investigating this alternative, the following letters provide information to expand your knowledge base while deciding whether to take on this challenge.

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We are in our fifth year of homeschooling. We get our material from a school in Texas and my sons are registered in that school. Therefore, I am accountable to them for following the program that they have in their school. Every nine weeks I must send in all the material we have done for the teachers there to correct. I have my own counselor, who advises me on the problems I may encounter or what courses the boys need to take. We pay for these services; homeschooling is not cheap.

The boys take the CAT test every year to make sure they are where they should be academically. As far as high school goes, the materials are provided for chemistry and physics, etc. They send videos, and we have our counselor. I am a registered nurse, so I personally am not intimated by these courses. I know others who don't have my level of education who are also able to homeschool high schoolers with no problem.

I chose to homeschool for Bible principles and because I do some school nursing and don't like what I see. The poor teachers spend most of their time disciplining children. We are happy with our choice. I feel my sons will do well in adult life, because they have one-on-one teaching.

Education is not just academics; it is also life skills. Truly it is a parent's job to instill this in their children; it is not the state's job.

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I have three kids who are all in public school. My oldest child has been receiving special education help since third grade and the school system has helped him dramatically. He is in 7th grade now and is bringing home B's and C's all on his own without receiving any more support! His self-esteem and thirst for more knowledge have gone through the roof!

My middle child, however, has been labeled as "gifted." The school does next to nothing for him. He gets an extra half-hour once or twice a week in an enrichment class and then receives constant criticism from his teacher who tells him to slow down.

I would be very interested in learning more about the possibility of homeschooling him for half the day and letting him go to public school for the other half. I have thought about this a few times but never imagined that was an accepted practice. Is it?

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I am a stay-at-home mom who is contemplating homeschooling for my two younger children. My three older girls have gone through public schooling and failed to thrive, educationally. They're very bright and were extremely bored by the six hours a day they wasted there. As a result they did what they had to to get by and were rarely interested in anything outside the parameters of what their teachers taught them. On the other hand, I've researched homeschooling and have read literally hundreds of glowing accounts of children and parents who both learned something working together.

If I were working outside the home I probably wouldn't contemplate this because it is a big commitment of time and resources. As far as the materials, there are any number of companies that are certified and sell affordable curriculum packages. I found a lot of them in advertisements in "Mothering" and other alternative lifestyle publications. There is also a homeschooling newsletter that I receive via e-mail and homeschooling support groups here in Connecticut.

I'm not interested in homeschooling because of ethical or moral questions about public school curriculum, but because I'd like to share a little more of my children's lives than six hours a day in school makes possible. I would also like to make learning a vehicle for wonder and a way to keep their lives and minds expanding beyond what a school curriculum can offer. And maybe, just maybe, I'll learn a little something in the process as well.

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Thank you for your interest in homeschooling. You will find that as you research this educational option, many different styles of 'teaching' will be identified, just as there are many different types of children. The beauty of homeschooling is that the person who knows the child best,(his or her parent) is also the person who more often than not, is best able to choose what 'curriculum' to use for each child. With the ever increasing popularity of homeschooling, there is a tremendous amount of curriculum now available that was not just a few years ago. Each year my wife and I attend a homeschooling convention in Hartford sponsored by T.E.A.C.H. (The Education Association of Christian Homeschoolers.)

There is also an annual convention in Worcester, Mass., sponsored by MASSHOPE (Massachusetts Homeschool Organization of Parent Educators.)

These conventions last for two days, and parents are able to hear a wide variety of speakers present workshops on teaching and learning styles, challenges facing homeschoolers, and the resources that are available to meet these challenges. There are usually between 50 and 100 vendors at these conventions, where parents are able to examine materials and receive guidance on application and appropriateness for their children.

Two events in the upcoming year are:

• Connecticut's 7th Annual Homeschool Convention & Curriculum Fair
  June 15-16, 2001 The First Cathedral, Bloomfield, CT

• 12th Annual MassHOPE Christian Homeschool Convention
  April 27th & 28th, 2001 Worcester Centrum Centre, Worcester, MA

I investigated homeschooling, but I found it was not for me! I did gather a wealth of information which I am willing to pass along! The reason I did not homeschool is I did not feel confident in my abilities. I do know people who successfully homeschool. For that matter, some a few 14-year-old homeschooled children from the church I attend are taking classes at a local community college. So it is a good method for the right person.

Following is a diverse list of links that might be of interest to homeschoolers.

Links:

http://www.elijahco.com/

http://www.sycamoretree.com/

http://www.dimensional.com/~janf/dumbingreview.html

http://www.naturalchild.com/guest/earl_stevens.html

http://www.snj.com/jhen/

http://members.aol.com/beeme1/

http://www.catholichomeschooling.com/

http://www.expage.com/page/nahomeschool2

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