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INDEX:
“The
main part of intellectual education is not the acquisition
of facts but learning how to make facts live.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes
What
is homeschooling?
Parents begin homeschooling the day their
child is born. They teach him how to walk, how to talk, how
to behave properly, how to say his abc's, how to count to
10 and write his name. Perhaps they even teach him how to
read. Then at age five, they make a decision to continue
home schooling or to send their child to a "real" school.
Here is a brief timeline of education history*:
-
For
over 4000 years, education was received in the home,
parents being a child’s only instructor. Homeschooling
was the norm.
-
During
the next 1600 years, parents continued to teach their
children at home. With the advent of the synagogue, many
Jewish parents sent their male children to teachers at
the synagogue who taught them the law using the rolls
of the sacred Scriptures as their textbooks.
-
It
has only been during the last 400 years that schooling
outside the home has become more of the norm. The first
educational institution outside the home in the American
colonies was established by John Cotton in 1635. The purpose
was to establish a school for poor children and orphans
so that they could read the Bible and obey the laws in
the community. Most families continued to teach their
children at home, while wealthier families hired tutors
to teach their children either at home, at the home of
the tutor, or at small community schools run by the parents.
-
From
the founding of our country until the early 1800s,
the over-all literacy rate was higher than it is today.
(A list of famous homeschooled Americans: Famous
Homeschoolers and Famous
Homeschoolers and their Parents. Very few people were unable to read. Children were taught
a trade by their parent or in an apprenticeship program.
Most children who entered small community schools already
learned how to read and write at home. Colleges were
established in the 1700s but were for biblical and classical
studies.
-
In
1805, DeWitt Clinton helped to form a school for “the
education of poor children, who do not belong to, or are
not provided for, by any religious society.” It
is the first secular school in America. The creation
of a uniform common school system also required standardization
of curriculum and instruction. This is the beginning
of the graded school and graded textbook resulting in
a one size fits all curriculum.
-
In
1856, a German immigrant establishes the first American
kindergarten based on the idea that children should be
trained to be servants of the state.
-
In
1857, the NEA (National Education Association) is formed.
-
By
the early 1900s, the authority and responsibility of education
shifted from the parents to the state.
-
In
1914, World War I begins. WWII follows shortly after and
continues through 1945. During this time, many women in
America work in factories producing equipment and supplies
for the military while their husbands fight in the wars.
This is the beginnings of American women working outside
the home and mandatory public school attendance.
-
In
1930, all states have passed compulsory education laws.
-
In
1934, the Teachers College of Columbia University urges
the remaking of American society through the schools.
-
In
1965, the Head Start program begins.
-
The
return to homeschooling begins in the 1960's & 70s.
-
By
the year 2000, an estimated 1.7 million children are being
homeschooled once again.
-
If you still wonder why you should homeschool, watch
this video: Stupid Schools
-
For
more information on the history of homeschooling,
read
History
of Homeschooling on AtoZ, A
Brief History of Homeschooling,
and Politics
of Survival on HSLDA's site (includes information
on African Americans and the homeschool movement).
(top
of page)
Why
do people homeschool?
The answers are varied. Here are a few:
-
Religious:
A majority homeschool to give their children an education
that includes a Biblical perspective on all subjects.
-
Scholastic:
Statistics has now shown that home educated students do
far better academically than most public schooled children.
The individual attention that the child gets in homeschooling
can help a delayed learner catch up and an advanced learner
go at a pace that will challenge him to work at his potential.
-
Financial:
Parents who would prefer sending them to a private school
but cannot afford the tuition often opt for homeschooling
as the next best alternative.
-
Family
Time and Influence: Many homeschool so that they have
more quality time with their children. Flexible scheduling
allows them to school around the parent’s work
or travel schedule. This in turn helps family to experience
a closeness that is not possible with a normal school/work
schedule.
- To
Prevent Negative Influences: Parents homeschool to keep
them from destructive influences such as unsafe school environments,
negative peer pressure, and humanistic teaching.
Read
these comments about school from some former Noble Prize Winners:
http://learninfreedom.org/Nobel_hates_school.html
Ten
Signs you need to find a different kind of education for your
child:
http://www.edrev.org/tensigthatyo.html
(top
of page)
Is
it Legal?
Oklahoma is the only state with a constitutional provision
guaranteeing the right to home school. Read the actual law:
http://oklegal.onenet.net/okcon/XIII-4.html.
Even though this is the law according to our Constitution,
you would most likely get in trouble withh DHS if you only
homeschooled for three months! It is recommended that you
adhere to the following as recommended by HSLDA:
- Children
must attend school from age 5 to 18.
-
Children must attend 180 days of school.
- Parents
are not required to be or use certified teachers.
-
Parents are not required to use state-approved curricula.
-
Parents must teach the same basic subjects as public schools
but the texts and methods are left up to the parents. Subjects
required to be taught: reading, writing, math, science,
citizenship, U.S. Constitution, health, safety, physical
education, and conservation.
-
Parents are not required to test their children.
-
Parents are not required to initiate contact with, register
with or seek approval from state or local officials.
- Parents
are not required to permit public school officials to visit
or inspect their home.
Note:
This summary does not constitute the giving of legal
advice. For more information, contact HSLDA (Home
School Legal Defense Association) at 540-338-5600 or
www.hslda.org. HSLDA offers legal protection to homeschoolers
across the nation. The cost is $100 per year per family.
Medical
Requirements. Check the Oklahoma
State Department of Health for information on immunization
requirements in Oklahoma.
For
other countries, check out the information found at
Homeschool.com.
and A
to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling.
(top
of page)
Do
homeschooled children get into college?
-
Homeschooled students do go to college at the same rate
as public schooled students.
-
Most
colleges do admit homeschoolers, even ivy-league schools.
-
Scholarships
are given to homeschoolers.
-
Many homeschoolers do not go to college and are perfectly
happy. They start their own businesses, work in the technical
fields, get married, go into ministry, go in the service,
or go in the military.
-
Note:
The biggest problems for homeschoolers as stated by colleges
and schools who have accepted homeschooled students:
(1)
Lack of good skills in advanced math: Use a good curriculum.
Send them to Co-op. Hire a tutor. All colleges require Algebra
I, Geometry, and Algebra II. If the child does not have
it in high school, he will have to take it in college as
a noncredit course.
(2) Composition: Spend more time on composition than grammar.
They can learn grammar while doing composition but not necessarily
true in reverse.
(3) Meeting deadlines and follow through: Get your children
in the habit of finishing assignments. Set deadlines and
insist that they meet them. Have consequences if they don’t.
Set a good example. Don’t sign up for things and then
don’t go - follow through and commitment.
(top
of page)
What
about Socialization?
What do you mean by socialization?
- Do
your children work well in a group or on a team?
- Are
your children awkward in social situations?
-
Do your children use appropriate manners in public?
- Do
your children respect others?
If
the above is what you mean, research during the past 20 years
confirms that homeschoolers are just as well or better adjusted
than traditionally schooled children. I've personally noticed
that if parents (whether public schooling or homeschooling)
are well-adjusted socially, their children are also, and vice
versa. It's not the type of school they attend but rather
the social skills modeled by the parents.
There
are an abundance of social opportunities available to homeschooled
children today including extracurricular
classes, sports programs, co-op classes, support
group activities and field trips,
volunteer
programs, and church activities. After the first year
or two, most homeschool families have problems trying to keep
the number of outside activities under control.
For
more information about socialization, read HSLDA's article
on the research done by Dr. Brian Ray: http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/Socialization.asp
(top
of page)
Should
I Homeschool?
Here
are some questions to ask yourself that may help you decide.
If you answer yes to all of them, then you are a great candidate
for homeschooling. If you answer no on any of these, you might
want to get additional counseling, determine if you can change
that answer, or consider another option.
- I
have the time to homeschool my children. (No one
is going to do it for you.)
- I
have the financial resources to buy curriculum for my children.
(Contrary to some opinions, it does take money to homeschool.
I recommend allowing $300 minimum, up to $1000+ per year.
It will cost more the first year and in high school.)
- My
spouse (and/or custodial parents) and I agree on homeschooling
our children. (DHS may get involved if there is
no agreement.)
- I
love to read and enjoy learning myself.
- I
am able to maintain control of my children in the home.
- I
am committed to work on a schedule and complete tasks as
needed.
- I
am willing to make the commitment to homeschool
(one year at a time).
- If
I have a high school student, my high school student wants
to homeschool. (High school is not the time to
pull your child out of school if your child is not in agreement.
Too much depends on his/her motivation.)
Homeschooling
is a wonderful alternative for many families and its success
has become well documented. However, it is NOT a miracle worker.
It does not guarantee that your child will graduate early,
get a full scholarship to college, obtain a super job, or
become someone famous. None of us are perfect. As parents,
we're not perfect teachers. Our children are not perfect students.
But with the right motivation, a good plan of study, and a
commitment to persevere, homeschooling can be a good solution
for many people. If homeschooling is not for your family,
look into alternatives such as switching schools, private
schools, tutors, or online learning.
Recommended
Reading: 16 Greatest Mistakes
Homeschool Moms Make.
*Sources
of information for Homeschool Timeline:
1. The Right Choice by Christopher J. Klicka.
2. The American School 1642-1985 by Joel Spring. 1986
by Longman Inc.
3. Can’t Buy Success by Marvin Olasky, World Magazine,
May/June 2001. Pgs. 7-14.
4. Our Schools in War Time and After by Arthur D. Dean.
1918 by Ginn and Company.
Go
to Getting Started in Homeschooling
(top
of page)
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