What Everyone Needs to Know About Homeschooling

When I tell people that I homeschool my daughter, many times I find that they are amazed. They ask me how I can do that or they ask how I got started. They want to know why I homeschool. There are always a lot of questions. So, here, in a nutshell, is what everyone should know about homeschooling.

One of the first questions I am inevitably asked when someone finds out that I homeschool my daughter is if the state provides the curriculum. The answer is a resounding NO! And, I wouldn't want them to! I don't send my child to public school because I don't like the curriculum that they use or the way that they carry it out. I certainly don't want them to make me use it at home! And, the state does not pay for my curriculum either. That would be nice in some ways. I pay taxes so it seems like I should get something in exchange for it. But, on the other hand, if the state paid for it, I'd probably have to follow some rules I don't like so it's probably just as well that I buy my own stuff!

So, then, they want to know where I do get my curriculum from. Well, I can get whatever I want from wherever I want. I can say that life is learning and leave it at that. I can buy books from publishing companies. I can borrow books from the library. I can buy books off of ebay or similar sources. In short, I get whatever I want from wherever I can find it!

The state I live in requires that I teach my child the same subjects that are taught in public school. They define 7 subjects I must teach: math, science, social studies, language arts, art, music, and physical education. I can teach whatever I want about these subjects as long as I cover all 7 subjects every year. Other states have different requirements. Some have no requirements at all!

The state I live in requires me to do one of three things with my child if I choose not to enroll her in public or private school. There are 3 options for homeschoolers. I could either pick a certified program of homeschooling and enroll in their correspondence course and have them oversee my homeschool program. The second option is to choose an umbrella school and have them oversee my program. And, the third option is to have a portfolio of the child's work reviewed by the county in which you live. This is the option I have chosen and for 2 years now, it has worked out just fine.

Many people tell me that they could never homeschool their own child because they don't have the patience. Or they tell me about the "happy dance" that they do every day when they put their child on the bus. That works for them and that's fine. But, as for me, I WANT to be WITH my children. I ENJOY my children. I've been TEACHING my children since birth. School age teaching seems like a natural extension to me! I take it day by day. Some days I simply don't have much patience. Those may be the days we drop all the books and head for the park.

Which brings up my next point about why you may see us around town during the day. Well, my kid usually finishes more work in 3 hours than most public school kids do all day. My kid works on "book learning" in the morning or sometimes in the afternoon, depending on our schedule for the day. The rest of the time is dedicated to "life learning." If this means we are at the grocery store at 1PM then that's just part of our schedule for the day. And, if we are at McDonald's for lunch, well, we have to eat lunch, don't we? Why shouldn't we go to McDonald's if we want to?

Most people are very concerned about socialization. I ask them to define "socialization" for me. The dictionary says that socialization is the "process involved when young children are becoming aware of society and learning how they are expected to behave." Does sending my child to school help her meet this goal? I don't think so. Kids in school are placed with kids that are within 1 year of their own age and they are told not to talk during class and in many schools, they are told that they can't even talk at the lunch table. Doesn't the teacher always say, "Be quiet, this is not the place to socialize?" So, what makes people think that kids are socialized in school. How does this help children become socialized? Not only that, but do I want my kid hanging out with kids who may be bad influences on my kid? Is that the KIND of socialization I want for my kid?

Does this sound like real life? When you go to work, are all your co-workers the same age? My kid hangs out with kids from birth to age 18. Plus, there are always lots of adults around and my child knows how to talk with them as well. Is my kid perfect? Heck no! My kid is learning to become socialized but at least she is learning it in the real world! Homeschoolers hang out with kids of multiple ages and they learn to work together and teach each other in a way that you will never see public school kids do!

My kid gets to go on field trips and go to holiday parties. My kid gets to participate in group sports and other classes. She gets to act in plays or sing in the chorus if she wants to. There are so many groups of homeschoolers in my area that there is always one that will be doing something that my child wants to do.

And, still, my child is learning! I do not push her beyond where she is ready to be but my child is learning every day. Some days she learns by doing sit down "schoolwork". Some days she learns on a field trip. Some days she goes to classes or has informal gatherings with other homeschoolers. And, some days, we just hang out and watch movies we've rented from Blockbuster! Everyone has days like this and it is OKAY!