We love homeschooling. Really love it. I can't imagine our family unit without it. In the beginning, I thought I was doing it for me. I have always loved teaching. I have B. A. in English Education and a M. S. in Library Science with a certificate in Youth Librarianship. I taught English and information literacy for 10 years at a public university, and I taught private piano lessons for 5 years. I just love the idea of directing others to information and knowledge. So when my own child came along, I knew I wanted to teach her, at least in her preschool years. But over the last 5 years, I have realized that homeschooling has benefited all of us.
I want to have a cohesive family unit that inspires each other and encourages learning.
Homeschooling is an integral part of who we are as a family because it blends
seamlessly into our days. Sometimes it is hard to define where schooling
starts and ends. It doesn't matter if I am teaching the kids how to measure the ingredients for cookies or if
Prairie Dad is teaching us how to use the telescope to see
constellations - learning, fun, and family are all integrated into what I
consider to be a steady stream of happiness. But I think that is the way it should be. Children
should always be learning and craving activity. They should be able to
develop their natural curiosity in a safe environment. And they should
be encouraged whether they are studying or playing.
I believe schooling is for learning, not taking tests.
In our day-to-day schooling, we work on each subject until the children understand and show that they have retained knowledge. We may do some unit tests that come with the curriculum, but I don't rely on them to gauge what my children know. The children demonstrate with their willingness to keep learning. They also aren't intimidated if they don't understand something. They know we will work until they do understand. I don't think there is any standardized test that can accurately gauge a child's knowledge, and I don't want my children to be subjected to the kind of pressure that is required in today's schools. I want them to maintain their youthful innocence and curiosity as long as possible.
I want the children to pursue what interests them and fits their learning styles.
Prairie Daughter loves to listen, and she can retain most of what she hears. She likes to sit on the couch while we study history books and science charts and read aloud novels. While we do use worksheets, she doesn't always need them. Prairie Son, however, loves worksheets. He likes to be hands on and experience his lessons with crafts and experiments. I do what works for them. I also let my children help choose the curriculum. If they want reading/writing time to focus on animals, we incorporate some zoology lessons. Last semester they took a great interest in fairy tales, so we read the originals and viewed several adaptations of each one. When it came time to plant our garden, we read dozens of botany books, and the kids helped to plant the seeds and harvest the crops.
I want my children to advance at their own speeds.
My kids are impatient. Once they master something, they like to move on. They don't appreciate constant review or having lessons presented in overly-cutesy formats. They are down-to-business. With homeschooling, once they master a lesson, we move on. If I feel they don't understand, we keep working on it. I move at their speed, and I don't dictate a stopping place. Because there is no stopping place. Learning is never-ending. Prairie Daughter loves this constant journey, and it causes her to pursue knowledge constantly. While she should be in 1st grade based on her age (she just turned 7), she is on a 2nd/3rd grade level. I don't want to slow her down when she is the one asking for one more lesson or one more book. There is a sparkle in her eyes when a new schoolbook arrives, and that is the way it should be.
I don't want my kids to sacrifice school or their activities.
As my children have grown, so have their interests in extracurricular activities. They both dance and they both love to take classes at the library. They also love participating in art and building workshops. Prairie Daughter attends a class at the local nature refuge each month, and she has taken up running with me and likes to participate in fun runs. Homeschooling allows us to do all of these activities without suffering burnout. If we have an activity, we can cut back on the schoolwork for the day, or we can take a day off before a big trip. Since we have school to fit our schedule, we can have school on weekends and traditional break times so we have free days for activities.
We have health issues.
Both of my children have incomplete immune systems. This means that they are sick a lot with a string of constant viruses. While none have been severe, they still require rest and recuperation. Prairie Daughter needs two full weeks to recover from the flu or a stomach virus. If she were in public school, she would never make the attendance requirement. With homeschooling, we can keep working at a pace that is comfortable and still provide ample rest time. We can also avoid accumulating more germs so we can limit the chance of a setback.
Homeschooling might not be for everyone, but it works for us. Even better, I feel like it enhances our lives and adds strength our family. While my children are growing and clearly developing their independence, there is a unique bond in a our family thanks to the fact that we don't have to differentiate our school life from our home life.
This post is linked up with the Hip Homeschool Hop linky party.
