I receive many inquiries asking where to sign up for homeschools. Many people, as a last hope for their children, try to find a homeschool to send them to. The problem with this is that homeschooling is done by the parent at home.
Although I believe it is important to protect homeschooling as we know it by keeping homeschools independent of the public school system, there are many home educating options available and each family must consider what is right for their children. There are different types of homeschools - different philosophies, beliefs or practices. Maybe one of these options will meet the needs of your family.
Over the years, I've had my children in coop classes, junior high classes two days a week, and even tried an online virtual school, complete with avatars and whiteboards. All the programs I participated in were privately operated and independent of the public school system. Personally, I liked the low-key coop classes. But the junior high classes two days a week and the online school took away too much from my homeschooling time. I didn't feel that I had the control in the education of my children. I'm more from the traditional homeschooling stance, although I see the benefit the other options can offer. The question is, are these other programs diluting the purity of homeschooling as we've known it? Does it put our homeschooling freedoms at risk?
What's your opinion? Should these alternative methods be considered homeschooling?
Photo: Getty Images
Comments
I believe that we must be careful when using programs to homeschool. While many of them are well intentioned, they are still put together by someone other than the parent and may be laden eith philosophies and beliefs different than we wish to impart. I think they can also be dangerous to our freedoms. We have already seen government schools attempting to lure people into their “satellite schools” using online teaching.
I believe that “homeschooling” is an umbrella term for whatever works for you, your child, and your family. I do not believe that one style dominates or that any style dilutes any other style.
Parents use different methods to help their children learn to brush their teeth or ride a bike; do we feel that one method must be protected and given higher status? No. I believe it is the same way with homeschooling.
I think homeschooling is like home cooking. There are meals that are definitely home cooked and meals that are clearly not.
But there are also a range of in between options that would please some and repel others. Take out? TV dinners? Meal in a box?
The difference, of course, being that there is no legislation defining homecooking and no risk that the neighbors calling a meal from Boston Market or Chinese takeout a meal at home will prevent me from making a meal from scratch for my own family.
I agree with Christine. Although it’s great that families have more options today with online classes, parents should be aware that they may not have the freedoms they would enjoy with “traditional” homeschooling.
Those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to homeschool have freedom of choice. Freedom to choose how to teach, depending on the learning style of the child. Freedom to choose what we teach (type of curriculum that works for them). Freedom to choose when and where we teach – at home, usually, but sometimes on field trips, vacations, libraries, co-op classes, etc.
There are online classes available with accredited schools such as Alpha Omega Academy and A Beka Academy.
Each family should choose what works best for them, but make sure you do your homework first.
I think it’s all about the parent’s responsibility. If you sign up your kids for classes with no say over what’s taught or how, they just follow a generic class (whether online or not), it’s not homeschooling.
If the parent has chosen specific classes and geared it to the learning style and interests and skills of her child, then that still falls under homeschooling.
Be careful, many programs say they aren’t part of the public school system, yet they receive money for your children from state and/or federal funds. That means the govt. now has a say over if they inspect the home, if there’s mandatory testing (in our state, it’s not mandatory), and it gets their foot in the door to determine what and how your student gets taught. Small issues at first, then more and more regulation. Just be cautious when looking at classes for homeschooled students.
As for Co-Ops, if it’s taught by homeschool parents or guardians that belong to a group together, and they all make decisions on what will be taught and how and from what perspective, then again, that fits within homeschooling definitions.
In Pa, parents are the designated home school administrator unless they enroll their children in a publicly provided and funded cyberschool program. We have a rich home school community in western Pa with many co-op programs available.
I’ve been home educating my kids for 10 years and have incorporated everything from co-ops to study centers to private online classes to private tutors into my traditional program. I see it exactly as the term implies: I administrate my home school. I determine what will be taught to my kids and by whom. I’m in charge and I don’t conform to just anybody’s expectations. Sometimes we opt out of opportunities even though it seems like the class would be the natural progression from the one just completed.
To speak to one of the concerns mentioned by a previous commenter: We started a classical study center so that we *would* be a part of the decision making regarding curriculum, tutors and philosophy instead of leaving it up to others. We don’t deny that and are in fact transparent about it and all our operations. And we don’t run the center as a democracy or with the assistance of a parent advisory group. It’s all a part of being that the home school administrator I think I’m called to be. I recommend those who feel it’s giving up too much authority to another to enroll their kids in outside programs but who find themselves needing the assistance such programs bring: start your own! You’d be amazed at how many people are desperate for help in their homeschooling efforts.
I am a traditional home school mom with leanings toward unschooling and a highly independent streak. My reasons for home schooling are based on academic, educational philosophy, and religious foundations.
Home School needs to jealously guard their autonomy. Otherwise home school will be redefined until it means doing public school at home and answering at every step to the government run public schools.
I’m a purist. I love sitting on the couch in the morning reading to my boys. I also love reading their papers and laughing at their sense of humor. I have a son that hates math, but at home he gets to take breaks between problems and play his drums, which he loves.
My kids are now hitting the High School years and we sat down and went over all the options…homeschool, private school, public school, “homeschool Academy”…and both my boys chose homeschooling the way we have…I was so happy and surprised.
I think every family knows what is right for them, and for some it’s a “homeschool academy”…I guess it’s just not for us.
I think we must be VERY careful about online options, esp. ones that receive funding from the govt. When one reads all the fine print they will quickly discover that free school isn’t *free*.
That said, I think it can provide a wonderful opportunity for select situations where there is divorce and one parent dosen’t agree with traditional homeschooling. If I am not able to choose what is taught, when and how, I believe it’s far better if they are home with me where I can give alternate information and beliefs therefore lessening the impact of things that are taught.
Very interesting first paragraph. I think if a parent, as a last hope for their children, is trying to find them a “homeschool” to attend, they probably won’t be homeschooling for long. It needs to be a conviction if you’re going to actually do it. Those alternative methods might be O.K. for people who just want to get their kids out of the schools, but don’t really have the convictions.
I agree with Stephanie ~ our school aproach is very organic. We do read on the couch or the patio, we have PE days at the beach during the school year if the weather permits. We also have more structure when my husband teaches Math or my father in law teaches History.
Some aspects of school are very hard when Dyslexic, so classes outside the home and online classes are not even an option for us right now.
We go to a homeschool coop 1 day per week during the school year. All of the classes are parent taught. I see it as a bunch of parents in the community coming together to make our own school since the school system is failing to serve our children well. I don’t think that it’s always best or necessary for kids to be taught strictly by parents, but I see that the current school system is sub-par in many ways. Although personally, I enjoy the family time that we have and I think it’s beneficial to us. I wouldn’t want to sacrifice more than 1 day per week.
The past 7 years we have been homeschooling using Classical Conversations Foundations and Challenge program. This is a Classical Chrisitan Community that meets once a week and to equip parents and encourage students by combining a biblical worldview and classical tools. Our once a week classes with a small class and a trained tutor help to keep the families accountable, learn time management and how to study subjects classically. Classical Conversations programs are meeting nationwide and servicing thousands of families each year. For more information and to find out about CC go to http://www.classicalconversations.com and if there is not a CC near you then get info on the website on how to begin a new program.