This is essentially the approach we plan on taking with Kaitlen’s education:
Jenny is 12 and Ian is 8. Amy is a lawyer who works out of her home and Keith is a software developer.
Although we apply the label “homeschooling” to what we do, it is an inaccurate and misleading descriptor of our approach to education. We’re most often neither “at home” nor doing “schooling”.
One of the many benefits of homeschooling is that each family can choose the approach that works best for the child and the family, and this approach can be adjusted as the child’s and family’s needs change. We have tried wide range of homeschooling approaches: structured “classroom-like” teaching at home, unit studies where we explored a particular topic from all angles, co-op studies with several other families, and child-initiated learning. We currently use an eclectic approach with some structure, some group projects, and a lot of child-initiated learning.
We have found that we are learning at least as much from homeschooling as our children are. One of the first lessons that our children taught us was the distinction between “teaching” and “learning”. “Teaching” suggests that we have wisdom to impart, and that the imparting of this wisdom to our children will accomplish something. While we believe we have some wisdom to share, we’ve discovered that the pearls of wisdom that we volunteer are not always eagerly received by our children, and are rarely integrated into their day-to-day perceptions. On the other hand, the discoveries that they make and the answers to the questions that they ask immediately become part of their model of the world around them. Therefore, we have re-defined our role from that of “teachers” to that “learning facilitators”.
With the exception of some math materials, we use no packaged curriculum. Since our children learn best by doing and exploring, we look for learning opportunities rather than textbooks. For example, we volunteer several hours a week at our local library. In the course of our work there, the children have learned to use the Dewey decimal system, to alphabetize easily, to find books that they want through the computer catalog, to use the computer to place holds and check their circulation records, to work with and take directions from librarians, and to show up on time and do work that is expected of them responsibly in spite of distractions. We don’t have to set required reading lists or reading goals because they find many books that interest them in the course of working with the books and they are self-motivated to explore a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction works.
As another example, we attended a presentation arranged by another homeschooler featuring a woman who survived the Holocaust, wrote a book about it, and now speaks to children about it. This presentation led to more family reading and discussions about the Holocaust, the causes, other countries’ responses, and other “ethnic cleansing” situations. The Holocaust has far more meaning to my children than it ever did to me from reading about it in a history textbook.
Similarly, the presidential election last year and the state legislative session this year have inspired many family discussions, learning about current events, and writing to legislators about issues that concern us. Later this year our daughter will participate in an “honorary capital page” program for children at our state legislature, including tours of the legislature, meeting with representatives, and discussions of the legislative process. The democratic and legislative processes are a bigger part of our daughter’s experience at age 12 than years of civics lessons ever gave us.
Homeschooling also gives our children time to be children. Our children have time to play with other children of different ages and abilities, and to appreciate their differences as well as their similarities. We are also firm believers in giving children time alone to imagine, create, ponder, and integrate all that they are learning into their own framework. Even getting bored has its advantages – it usually spurs the child to find something interesting to explore or to participate in one of their parents’ activities.
Our approach to our children’s education has given us valuable time with our children, the opportunity to build deeper relationships with each another, and the chance to help each child develop their unique gifts according to their own developmental timetables.
