More Families are Trying Homeschooling

By TONI MCDONALD Guest writer for the Jasper Newsboy, Texas

According to homeschooling mom Marcia Cook, the local homeschooling population is increasing…Having homeschooled for 18 years, Cook is a veteran. She has two daughters who now attend college, and a 12-year-old still at home. Asked why she and her husband, Keith, chose homeschooling, she states, "I guess probably the main thing is wanting to be able to raise our children and build character into them." They feel the girls wouldn't have gotten that from public or private school. "It takes one-on-one time to do that," she said.

Fellow homeschooler and former public and private school teacher, Laura Morton agrees. "It's not necessarily because I thought I could do a more fantastic job on the basic subjects. But my overall thing has never been the emphasis on the subject material," Morton said. Like many homeschoolers, Morton and Cook place importance on character training and bringing their children up in a Godly home. Both moms cite lack of peer pressure as a major benefit. Parents interested in homeschooling want to know how difficult the job is going to be. It is "just about the hardest thing you'll ever do, but there is nothing more rewarding," Cook says. Both moms agree that there are resources available now that weren't there several years ago. There are homeschool groups like H.E.R.O.(Home Educators Resource Organization) in Jasper, as well as co-ops, library books, and everything available online. And like riding a bike, the more you do it, the easier it gets.

All homeschooled kids and parents know that the first question they are asked is, "But what about socialisation?" Each family chooses to address the issue differently. Some families participate in outside endeavours. The Cook girls participate in soccer, art classes, music, 4-H, church activities and more. Morton has an even simpler approach. "We haven't made it an issue," she states. Homeschoolers have the advantage of participating in a large variety of activities due to the flexible time schedule they observe. The majority of homeschool graduates will tell you they feel like being educated at home has been a positive experience. Bethany says that she will most likely homeschool her own kids someday. Cook's 19-year-old daughter, Carrie, agrees. Homeschooling moms and dads also tout freedom of curriculum choice as a prime advantage of home education. Tailoring studies to the individual needs of each student, as well as the teaching style of the parent, is both an advantage and a challenge. A multitude of choices in curriculum makes it easy to choose which programs are best for each child.

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Editors comments: After my daughter was born and my maternal instincts fully kicked in, I knew that I wanted to be the one responsible for raising my daughter and be in charge of her education. To me an education is definitely NOT learning from textbooks in a cell, i mean in a classroom. Luckily in England, there are no laws telling you what you must teach a child when home schooling. I will be adopting a very relaxed pressure-free approach without the use of a government made curriculum. I recently made friend with a lady - who’s daughetr also speaks German and English like my daughter - at my daughters Yoga class and her daughter will be going to a Montessori school mornings only when she is 4 years old. Somehow this appeals to me... sessions are paid for, perhaps one or two mornings or afternoons a week may become an option in a few years. Also there is 1 teacher to every 3-4 kids and it is creative learning, very artistic. My daughter is 3 in September and this wouldn’t even be an option before she is 5+ and if I felt she would benefit and if she wanted to go. I would not force her. I am also not home schooling for religious reasons, more because I am a free-thinker and want my daughter to have the freedom she deserves and will be encouraging and supporting her in what she wants to learn. Swimming lessons start in September and I need to find her a gymnastics class. She is so flexible and can do the splits. This was before she even started yoga… anyway, I feel so excited and empowered by my natural choice, and about all the options and prospects available for my daughter and myself. I wont set an age for when home schooling starts- I believe it starts the moment they are born and learn how to speak and walk etc. and that things will just progress naturally and with a bit of encouragement.