Last week provides a good example of why I love homeschooling.  Child #2 left Friday morning to spend the weekend in New York City with friends.  Just because.  Two Broadway shows, the Museum of Natural History, Rockefeller Center, Liberty Island, the Statue of Liberty….a fair amount of educational opportunity there.   And add all of the educational resources of New York itself–like what happens when the cab driver doesn’t like his tip or what wind chill really feels like. 

The freedom that comes with homeschooling, for both parent and child, is something that my family and I have come to treasure.   That freedom includes the freedom to use the programs that work for my children–each child individually.   I have used a different phonics program with each of my children, because I was able to evaluate each child’s particular strengths (and weaknesses) to help me to choose what would work for that child.  I was able to look at each one as an individual person–not as a member of a group of 20 ( or 20+) children, who all had to move together.

 I am also able to move at speeds that vary by subject and by child.  We have never had to wait for the rest of the class to catch up–nor has the rest of the class had to wait for my child.  Once we have mastered a subject, we have mastered it.  We move on.   If something in what we are learning attracts my child, we can spend more time on that–we can add lessons at will.

We also change subjects at the drop of a hat.  With the presidential elections coming this year, politics and the American system of government have become big topics at our house.  When one of the states is having a primary, we can take breaks and watch coverage–and then go back to science (or whatever the current “school” subject is).  We can discuss why the candidates say the things they say when it is happening, instead of two hours later, when everyone has lost interest.

But most of all, my children have had the freedom to begin to take responsibility for their learning.   I oversee the process, and make sure that they are applying themselves, but they know that what they put in is what they take out.  Because they share in choosing (to some extent–I know what needs to be taken over the long haul, and we always work towards that) what they are learning, it is easier for them to invest themselves in learning. 

And they all do, even when they are waiting for a bus at Battery Park.

Posted: February 19th, 2008 under learning, opportunities.
Comments: 1

Well, it’s 2008, and we’ve begun a whole new year (though not a new school year) of homeschooling.  There are a lot of new things happening…

 My oldest at-home child is a senior this year, and is looking at college as being closer rather than farther away.  We’ve completed the admissions application, the scholarship application and I’m working on the FAFSA that I’ll have to file for both of the college age children (for those of you who don’t have college age kids, I won’t explain the FAFSA right now.  Once I’m through for the year, maybe I can look at it more objectively).  Getting the Admissions/Enrollment people at the university to remember that the applicant is homeschooled is no small feat.  Although UL-Lafayette has a number of students who were homeschooled as high school students, it seems as though they feel compelled to re-invent the wheel for every entering student (see the last post for my first experience). 

 Oh, well, we’re over the worst now.  Hopefully it will be smooth sailing from this point on.  At least the university has definite standards for homeschooled students–when my oldest was applying, the standards were just coming into being, so we had to keep adjusting the way we applied (and this despite the fact that we knew at least 5 other homeschoolers who were currently enrolled at UL).  This time, although there were some glitches, none were serious and none involved having to use a different application process.

The senior has been the focus lately, since we’ve had to start planning the graduation ceremony and everything that goes with that.  Hopefully, that can go on automatic pilot pretty soon, and I can begin taking the long view of their schooling and plan for the next couple of years.

Posted: February 3rd, 2008 under Uncategorized.
Comments: none