Homeschooling, something very common 1 ½ centuries ago, has gained new popularity, beginning in America and spreading to other countries. In America, as in other parts of the world, the beginning of the movement was first propelled by Christians who saw the need to reclaim their children from a system that is weakening, even destroying the family structure and authority. Seeing the rejection of character training and the degradation of academics, parents began realizing home was a better place for their children to learn.
Character development happens slowly, over the course of years, as a child internalizes all the events and lessons of his lives. If very little of his life is spent with his parents, how can they influence his character? If the time spent away from home is riddled with lessons contradicting his parent's teachings, how can a parent influence a child? As Christians, we are commanded to teach our children. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 sates this very clearly. We are to teach them while walking, while sitting down, while we go about the daily activities of life. Day and night, we are to be teaching our children. Many parents, whether Christian or not, are discovering the need to re-establish themselves as the final authority of their children's education. The result is a resurgence of an old system, parents actively controlling their children's education. Homeschooling.
Homeschooling is growing in popularity, in America and around the world. Many people want to know "What exactly is Homeschooling?" Essentially, it is when a parent 'brings their child home' to study, leaving the traditional school system and guiding their child's education on their own.
This is the short definition. Homeschooling can look vastly different in each family. Some parents do all the teaching themselves. They find curriculum and other resources and actively teach their own children. Other parents do most of the teaching, but find classes for their children to attend elsewhere for some subjects, usually something the parent doesn't know or doesn't feel comfortable teaching. This might be music classes, sports or anything the child is interested in studying. Some families get together with others for some classes or activities, where one or more of the parents teach or where the parents pay a professional to teach the subject. All these, and many more, options have one thing in common. All these options are directed and decided upon by the child's parents, not by a school system overriding what a parent wants for their child. That is what homeschooling is all about, the parent directing their child's learning.
The task seems monumental, though. How does a parent, uneducated in 'education theory' go about teaching their child all he or she will need for the rest of their lives? Put like that, the task seems too big and better left to those trained to 'teach'. The reality, though, is the parent is the best qualified to teach their children, even without degrees and 'training'. You don't have to teach everything your child will ever need. You need to give him the tools to be able to teach himself. Even the best, most educated teacher, cannot teach a student who is not motivated to learn. True education happens because the student studies, not because the teacher teaches. So a parent's job is to teach a child how to learn.
In order to succeed in life, a person needs
They need to know
That is what a parent, or any teacher, needs to teach. All the other areas of study, history, geography, algebra, astrophysics, even tae kwon do, is extra and relates to the specific student and his parent's desires and goals.
Even that list seems a bit daunting, doesn't it? So much of what you need to teach is not academic related, so it is hard to find a textbook. It is about knowing your child, observing and interacting with your child, encouraging your child to continue doing those things he is doing well and to stop doing those things that are wrong or detrimental to him or those around him. It is about teaching your child to think. To think through his choices to what the results will be if he continues. To know what is right and wrong and to chose to do right. To be able to look at two rights or two good things and choose the best for his life. You need to teach him these things, all the while they are things you may be struggling to do in your own life. A bit more daunting than just putting a textbook in front of him and checking his test answers.
But, oh, so much more rewarding.
To be a part of a child's learning how to read can be amazing. To watch a child take money he earned and use it to help a friend, showing he learning what you taught about gererosity and helping others, is so much more rewarding that marking a 100% on a geography test. When you overhear him talking with his friends about sound waves and how they travel through the air and enter the ear, you realize he understood those lessons and you were a part of that understanding. Those experiences, and so many more, are the reward that keeps a homschooling parent continuing this difficult, but rewarding task.
Copyright © 2005 Stephanie G. Shackelford. All rights reserved.