Home School Secrets: Happy, Smart, and Engaged

Matthew Bank

Professor A. J. Milen

P306 School Policies

November 12, 2015

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Home School Secrets: Happy, Smart, and Engaged

Celebrities from artists, entertainers, inventors, athletes, to presidents have been

home schooled. Examples include tennis stars, Venus and Serena Williams; US

supreme court justice, Sandra Day OConnor; inventor Thomas Edison; Franklin

Roosevelt, the 32rd president; and Olympic figure skater, Michelle Kwan. In fact, the

U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics show that the

percent of children who are homeschooled increased 36% over a recent four-year time

span. That percent equates to over 2.5 million school-aged children being educated at

home (Villar). So, why is homeschooling becoming increasingly popular? Home

schooling offers flexibility and encourages individuality even though it requires parental

obligations.

Home schoolings flexibility allows for emphasis on individual learning styles. In

public schools, one teacher tries to adapt to visual learners, auditory learners, and

verbal learners but with perhaps 20-30 students in one classroom, all at the same time.

The teacher normally does not have the time, the resources, or even the patience to

provide three or four different learning methods for the same material. On the other

hand, having 1 to 4 children in the same family in a home-schooling environment

enables the parent, who is the teacher, the opportunity to engage with each child in the

way that he or she learns best. For example, one child may want to read aloud while

another wants to see a video or movie related to the history lesson Knowing each child

and having the flexibility to change or adapt how the lesson is presented will help that

child better learn the material (Allendar).

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Additionally, home schooling creates an environment that encourages in-depth

exploration of individual interests. First period, 55 minutes on science; second period,

55 minutes on business; third period, 55 minutes on math--this firm schedule allows no

flexibility. Every minute of each day is planned for public school students. That student

who really likes science and wants to learn more does not have time for two reasons.

First, the class period cannot be extended past the scheduled 55 minutes. Second,

homework assigned for all classes must be completed after school, thus limiting the

time to continue studying the scientific concept introduced and briefly mentioned in

class. That initial excitement and interest in science may wane. The homeschooler, on

the other hand, who is excited about that science experiment has the flexibility to

immediately read another article on that topic or to research it on the internet, or even to

call someone at the science department at a nearby university to set up a visit.

Another example of the flexibility to pursue individual interests would be the

second grader who is excited about learning to read chapter books. That 7-year-old

could spend two or three hours practicing reading. Perhaps when that 7-year-old

becomes that 12-year old, he will want to spend two or three hours on conducting

Scientific experiments and would be able to. Or, maybe, both the home-schooled and

public-schooled students may be learning about how the government works. The public

school students read the government textbook, maybe see a movie, and are assigned

to write a paper on some aspect of government. But, the home schooled student could,

for example, talk to a local representative, attend a city council meeting, or even apply

to become a page at the state house (Reeves). The home schooling environment

encourages those age appropriate activities and that individual interest exploration.
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That home-schooled flexibility could also be an advantage if one subject comes

easily and the student completes the homework quickly. The home schooled student

will be able to go to another subject and not have to wait until everyone completes that

lesson or be given busy work to fill time waiting for others to complete the assignment.

The home schooler can use that busy work time to delve more deeply into other areas

of interest. Being able to progress at individual rates helps students who need more

time and those who need less time on each learning activity.

Not only are individual interests and strengths encouraged, students who

struggle with learning disabilities can progress at their own rate. In public schools,

when a child is diagnosed with ADHD or Dyslexia, for example, a stigma is sometimes

attached to that child (Norman). The child may be labeled by both the teacher and

peers as a slow learner and that label can impact that student for the rest of his life.

Home schooled students are often not given those labels and can benefit from being

able to progress at their own rates. If the student has a short attention span, then

physical activities can be interspersed. The child with dyslexia will not be made fun of if

he takes longer to complete an activity or mispronounces words when asked to read

aloud (Perkins). All children, including those with learning disabilities, can benefit from

being taught in a way that best fits their individual learning styles.

The home schooling parent with several children will discover first hand the

benefit of using a variety of methods to explain the same thing. The Showalter study

found that adapting to a students learning style will definitely increase that childs

chances for success through college and beyond (Witherspoon). For example,

kinesthics, needing active movement, may be one childs best learning style, so
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frequent physical activity may be necessary. Another child may be a visual learner who

needs to draw pictures to help learn word definitions or use highlighters to annotate.

Yet another may need to read aloud or put facts to a musical rhythm because auditory

learning is the preferred method. Tactile learners, on the other hand, learn best by

touching; for example, building and putting together puzzles.

Being able to adapt to these various learning needs and styles may sound

challenging and time consuming for the parents of home schooled children because it

may be. However, as children grow, it will become easier because the children

themselves will begin to realize how they learn best and will naturally gravitate toward

that preferred learning method. (Ictty). If parents need help determining the various

learning styles and which applies to their children, various books such as The Way They

Learn and online learning style assessment tests are available.

In addition to the freedom of learning by the style that works best for each

student, homeschooled children also have the emotional freedom of knowing that if they

want to emphasize their individuality through a certain appearance such as a dress

style, they can do so without fear of being ridiculed or bullied. Sadly, in many public

school settings, peer pressure and bullies are all part of a typical school day. Maybe a

student isnt wearing the in brands or isnt a part of a popular clique. Homeschooled

kids can dress and act and think the way they want, without fear of ridicule or a need to

"fit in." Their lives are not dictated by adolescent trends and possible peer pressure for

dangerous experimentation.

Even though home schooling has many advantages such as flexibility and

encouraging individuality, for it to succeed, the parents need to be committed and

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completely involved. Even though it may sound obvious, one parent needs to be

consistently available to ensure that the children are gaining the optimum home

schooling advantage. Part of that full commitment may require the parent to be trained

on how to home school. B. Chapman suggested that parents who plan to home school

find at least ten different sources on how to teach children at home and read them all.

Part of that training may be about those different learning styles. Because one of the

advantages of home schooling is that it offers a unique opportunity to tailor teaching to

each learning style, the home schooling parent must know what those learning styles

are and how to adapt to each (Reeves).

One of the frequently mentioned concerns is that if children are home schooled,

they will become hermits and have emotional problems later in life (Scowler). That

doesn't have to be the fate of your child, and it hasn't been for many home schooled

children whose parents have been proactive about planning social activities for them

(Clauson). Parents who homeschool their children have to make sure they are

providing a plethora of hands-on activities as well as social opportunities (Wilson).

So, another parental responsibility is to assure that the home schooled student is

getting a well-rounded education, not only scholastically but also socially.

A variety of options are available for giving home schooled children social

opportunities. Some areas even have a home school co-op group that provides social

activities for the children involved (Wilson). For example, field trips can be planned with

other home schooling families. These trips can be both educational and social

opportunities. New friendships may result from joint ventures with other home schooling

families. As these new friendships develop, the families may begin sharing meals for
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strictly social purposes--complete meals, pitch-in meals, desserts, or even a picnic,

each resulting in another social opportunity. Home schooled children could experience

inviting others into their home, planning the meal and entertainment, and helping with

the set-up and the cooking. Typically the invited families will reciprocate the hospitality,

providing additional ongoing social activities.

Opportunities for socializing on a broader scale would be family fun nights or

activities that many cities and organizations offer and are advertised in newspapers.

For example, a local children's museum might sponsor a free or low cost family night

and have activities for all ages (Mesner). A city's Parks and Recreations Department,

YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Boy or Girl Scouts offer additional social

opportunities for parents to investigate for their home schoolers. Finding special

interests groups centered on a hobby such as stamp or coin collecting or painting and

drawing classes would also provide socializing experiences. Working on projects with

other children in a club or learning new things together helps create bonding

opportunities (Villar). Regardless of how the social opportunities originate, a home

schooling parent must make socializing a high priority and treat it as one of the

necessary school subjects.

The parents must also be committed to providing financial support that is

necessary if the home schooling choice is made. Although not necessary, parents may

purchase standardized homeschooling packages that can cost thousands of dollars.

Additional supplies and equipment may be necessary, but most of these supplies, such

as books and art materials, and equipment such as a computer and printer, are

necessary for both public and home schooled students. Parents who decide to be part
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of a homeschooling group may pay up to $1,000 or more. Being part of a co-op run by

volunteers may lower that cost. Extracurricular activities, including transportation costs

such as for field trips, also create added expenses. Finally, a parent must also factor in

the lost income from choosing not to work in a paid job. Even though the costs may

vary from family to family, the financial impact must be considered.

A recent report in Education News states that since 1999 the number of children

who are homeschooled has increased by 75%. So why is homeschooling becoming

increasingly popular? All parents want their children to succeed and different children

need different pathways and options to find success. Some students thrive in the public

school system; others do not. For those who need another option, homeschooling,

even though it has its own set of challenges, may be that better option.
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Bibliography

Alian, Rick. Home school partnerships. New York: Millennial Publishers, 2012, Print.

Allendar, Phyllis. Why is Home Schooling Popular? Family Education.com. School

Association, 12 May 2012. Web. 5 May 2014.

Clauson, Kevin. Frequently asked questions about home schooling. Los Angeles

Chronicle. 12 Oct. 2012.

EducationNews.org. Home schooling Coalition, 2013. Web. 24 June 2013.

Ictty, Jon. Unexpected Home Schooling Benefits. American Home Schooling Review

83.2 (2010): 23-25. Print.

Mesner, Phyllis Long and short term benefits of home schooling. SchoolNews.org.

School News Report., 29 Oct. 2011. Web. 11 January 2013. Print.

Norman, Elaine. Social Benefits of Home Schooling. New Jersey: Courters, 2012.

Perkins, Max. How to lower home schooling costs. HomeschoolingCurriculum

Resources.com. Homeschooling National, 9 Feb. 2014. Web. 18 March 2014.

Reeves, Ned. How to have a smarter kid. Cambridge: Cambridge IP, 2011. Print.

Scowler, Chris. Learn by Doing: Advantage of Home Schoolers. New Education

Quarterly 12.2 (2012): 58. Print.

Villar Fred. Why I home schooled. Paramount, 2013. DVD.

Wilson, Art. Home schooling Controversy. New York Times. New York Times, 15

Sept 2009. Web. 11 July 2013.

Witherspoon, Tom. Be There. Home Schooling Journal 10.5 (2013) 44. Print.
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