Why Would Anybody Homeschool?

When people find out that my children are taught at home, they are usually surprised. They have a lot of questions, such as don't I like our local school? (yes, but not for us) And, How are you qualified to do that? (I have been teaching them since birth, just like all mothers) The main question I get is the following:

• I am homeschooling to help my children learn to love learning

• I am homeschooling to allow my children to work at their own levels

All children are different. So, why then do schools insist upon teaching them as though they are all the same? Asynchronous development is a fact of life. My son is good in Science, not so great in Spelling. My daughter reads like gangbusters, and absorbs everything she finds academically. Homeschooling allows me to tailor our studies: we work ahead in subjects that allow it. Part of beauty of homeschooling as it relates to autism, and really, any learning, is going at the child's pace. I can slow down and spend more time on the subjects that don't come as easily.

• I am homeschooling to allow more time for extracurricular activities

In a homeschool environment, you can take horseback riding lessons and call it P.E. You can line up a field trip to correspond with the subject, in order to take it deeper. We studied medieval history, and we were able to visit Medieval TImes for a demonstration of jousting, and a lesson on the weapons of the times. My son was enthralled. You can go outside and watch birds and sketch them in a nature notebook, instead of being indoors reading a book about birds. And, don't forget, if you are having a bad day, you have the option of just setting the lessons aside and going out of doors for a change of scenery.

• I am homeschooling to give my children an integrated view of history.

I love the fact that when we study history, we can discuss what was going on in other parts of the world simultaneously. In public school, with the compartmentalized study, that isn't possible. Each grade studies a different period in history, or a different country, but none really integrate them. Integrating them also means I can show patterns as we learn, and where, applicable, step into church history and the history of Christianity.

• I am homeschooling to be able to spend more time with my children.

The time goes so quickly it seems. My oldest is already 14. My middle guy is going on 10, and my youngest is starting First Grade next year! I don't want to miss anything. I like to know my kids, I like to know their interests. I enjoy talking to them about what matters in their life. I believe that buliding that relationship with them now will keep us closer during the teen years, which can be turbulent. A good foundation will keep the building from crumbling later. So, though things may be dicey during those years, we will eventually find our way back to one another, I believe.

• I am homeschooling to help my children appreciate one another and form a strong bond in our family.

I have friends that homeschool and their children have a very close relationship. I love it, and want that kind of bond for my family, as well. Already, just in the last year, the children have formed a closeness that wasn't there before. I believe when you send your kids to different grades, different schools, all day, they don't really get a chance to know one another well. When they are home together, all day, they have no choice but to get along. And, for the most part, they do! So there you have it. The reasons I am homeschooling. I have thought about it long and hard, prayed ferverently, and am completely convinced that, for now, this is the decision we are supposed to make. Mary Poppins had the right idea. She was firm, but fair, and very much fun! She knew that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. School can both be a drudge and it can be a lot of fun. I hope to balance the two, so that the end result is that my children love learning. I already love teaching them.

Tina Cruz is a writer, wife and mother of three children who are all homeschooled. The two youngest children have high-functioning autism and the oldest is gifted. She advocates for autism awareness and education, as well as acceptance. She views autism as a growth process and the opportunity to connect parents for support as a privilege. She is the editor of the Special Needs . channel here at Typeamom. Her personal blog can be found at Send Chocolate

Photo of books, copyright Rachel Pasch on flickr

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mrshannigan     |2008-08-08 17:35:21 Very thorough. You had me at "love of learning"

Cheryl W  - Becoming a Mother     |2008-08-08 18:14:33 I loved this piece. I am considering homeschooling my 3.5y twins when they hit first-grade level, but am just exploring at this point.

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