Why did I start home schooling?

         I'm often asked: Why did you start home schooling?

         How much time do you have ? My motives have changed over time, but originally I started because I didn't like the way kindergarten was being done around here. Too structured, too much of an academic push too early, they were talking about full-day kindergarten (too long for kids that age) AND the possibility of getting stuck with the afternoon class when it was still a half-day program (we are morning people!). My oldest didn't turn 5 'til December, so I decided to experiment with home schooling starting the second semester that year; if it didn't work out (I mainly feared my own self-discipline), we could still put her in a conventional kindergarten with her age-peers in the fall just as she would have normally.

         By the end of that first semester, she was reading at a 4th grade reading level. (and that without any academic emphasis other than a five minute phonics lesson a day!). Kindergarten took only about 1/2 hour of planned activity. Our family (I had three kids at that time) was free to structure our schedule so we had time together for family, for service in the greater community, and for getting together with friends, enriching activities, etc. There was no turning back for me at that point! I was hooked!

         Since then, I've added many other reasons for home schooling. Still up there on my list is the fact that I can individualize for the academic needs of my kids- we move at their pace, not the almighty "norm" So far all of them test WAY beyond grade level in every area, so we work at their optimum level. Home schooling is so dang efficient- no need for twaddly filler-assignments, unecessary review, etc. When they have the concept, we move on. When they don't, we stay there 'til they do. Impossible in a large group; easy in a class of one. We can accomplish in an hour or two what a "normal" school takes all day for.

Other reasons:
1.Faith: As my kids got older, some of them wanted to go to daily mass (we're Catholic & live just a few houses down from church). Because we home school, they have the freedom to do that- even parochial school students don't have that luxury! We are free to practice our faith without restriction. Holy Days are school holidays for us, by the way.

2. Home life: As more kids came along, home schooling forced me to organize myself with the housework, and train the kids to take part of the load. I honestly think that if the house had been empty all day, I would never have gone through the pain & growth of doing that. (it's easier to "do it yourself" than to teach & monitor kids!) Homeschooling allows us the time to do household chores, schoolwork and extras, and still have the afternoons & evenings free for more enjoyable pursuits.

3. schedule: We "do school" at the time of day best for our family. We can take time off whenever we need to for family issues, without "falling behind". We don't have snow days, but we had "baby days"! Vacations aren't dictated by a school schedule. I use the normal nine months on/three months summer vacation model, with Christmas & Easter breaks, though I know many homeschoolers who have adopted other approaches.

4.Cost- My kids get a supherb private education for a pittance. Because I don't believe in a textbook approach to learning, we use the public library for most of our resources (though I will admit that I'm abook junkie!). Librarians love us. I teach the kids to read & write, then they teach themselves the rest, basically. I simply point them in the right direction & adjust their course as needed. The internet has made it even easier.

5. "Socialization"- Instead of spending five days a week in an artificial age-segregated environment, my kids spend their days in a mixed-age setting. They are socialized by the family and those groups/individuals that we choose to spend a lot of time with, rather than a bunch of undisciplined kids (think kids learn table manners by eating in the school lunchroom?). For us, that means a primarily Christian environment and people that share our values. Much less conflict in life-style. At the same time (because we are so obsessively active in the local community- church, 4-H, neighborhood, community recreation, etc.), they get exposed to controlled doses of a wide cross-section of people who are different than us.

6) Work ethic: My kids learn early on that they are responsible for their own work. They can't hide in the group. If they don't do it, there's no one to take up the slack. We don't have a set time schedule- they are free whenever they finish the assigned chores & schoolwork for the day). Their reward for working hard is that they get done sooner & can do what THEY want. I believe this translates into responsibility in the real work world. My kids all have a reputation for being excellent independent workers.

7.Academic excellence: I'm not tied to some multi-megabuck curriculum purchase like a school district. I have the luxury of picking & choosing the very best materials available in each subject area. And if what I'm using doesn't work, I can replace it immediately, just having lost the cost of a single item. This means my kids actually learn the stuff. There are plenty of resources available out there to supplement the areas that I am weak in, too. (we use the local community college for lab science & advanced math in high school)

There. Aren't you sorry you asked?

**************************************************I recieved the following comment in a review of this piece. I thought I'd include my response here:

I would be worried about doing this myself for a few reasons. 1) The kids would be different to the rest. 2) How would I teach them subjects that I am poor in. 3) I think they would miss out on socializing with their peers.

         Re your personal concerns (not to pressure you to home school, mind you! They are just common misconceptions about home schooling.): As far as kids being different (this covers the socialization issue, too), if we raise our kids with Christian standards & refuse to conform to the inappropriate societal norms of the world around us, then our kids will be different, whether they home school or not. I suppose there may be home schoolers who are hermits, but all the ones I know are actively involved in "normal" activities like scouts, church activities, community athletics, 4-H, music lessons, etc., and we all have a mixture of home schooled and non-homeschooled friends. We don't look or act like freaks, unless being respectful in public is being a freak! Yes, our very bright kids do stand out, but no more so than their conventionally schooled counterparts.

         Re how we can teach subjects we are poor in: I find alternative resources to help me with those.[for instance, my son took an industrial arts class at the local public Jr. High one term (my husband & I are useless with a hammer and nails!), my teens took advanced math & science classes at the community college during high school, and I found internet resources for other subjects I was unfamiliar with.) I know some home schoolers who use correspondence courses for their weak subjects. There are also home school programs that link the parent with a certified teacher consultant who helps them along the way. Then, of course, some of us learn the new stuff right along with our kids! I had a pretty typical American public education myself, which meant I learned nothing relevant about history or literature, even though I was valedictorian of my class & graduated from college with honors in both my bachelor's and masters degrees. It was reading quality materials with my kids that developed a love for history for me. Taking my oldest through Algebra II about killed me (math idiot that I am!), but it got easier with each kid as I relearned all I forgot since high school. I'm even able to help my son figure out stuff in pre-Calculus, though I never took it myself, because I actually understand concepts I used to do just by rote in school. See, even an old dog can learn new tricks!