TSUBATA: Au pair helps with teaching

From the Washington Times, Sunday July13th 2008

Jennifer Zuckman and her husband, Michael, are a dual-career couple. Both attorneys, he works in private practice and she for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The parents of three young children, the Zuckmans naturally are interested in giving them the best quality education.

Problems arose, however, when their oldest, Noah, now 6, resisted the pre-kindergarten program he was attending. Jennifer took stock of his emotional refusal to attend, and finally considered home-schooling — to the surprise of everyone, including herself.

"My husband insisted on having him evaluated at Johns Hopkins, where they found he was a couple of years ahead of his age group academically and was socially well-adjusted. On that condition, he gave his blessing to home-schooling," Jennifer says.

Fortunately, the Zuckmans already were participating in the Cultural Care Au Pair program, hosting a young Australian woman, Joanne Irwin. Having about six years experience in child care, she already had been working with the Zuckmans when they began considering home-schooling.

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