Every few months, the dumpster fire formerly known as Twitter lets me know that I shouldn't be homeschooling my kids. Condemnation is often hurled from Mount Olympus as a harsh rebuke. “They will not be properly socialized!” They will receive a substandard education! They will be Republicans!
But just recently, Caitlin Baird, Ph.D. caused concern It was more bewildering than contemptuous. She wrote, “Seriously…what makes anyone believe they are qualified to homeschool their K-12 children?” She said she would “never believe it” even though she had “four degrees in both the sciences and the humanities.” [she] I was qualified to teach. ”
“But maybe I'm missing something,” she added.
If you were taught to read well in public school, you can teach your children to read well. And if public schools don't teach you how to read and write well, why would you want to send your children to public schools?
In the spirit of dialogue, I would like to respond to her concerns. Because she's definitely missing something. My goals are modest. For nervous young parents, teeth They are qualified to instruct their children and encourage them to at least consider homeschooling as an option.
First of all, I think it's very strange for educated people to claim that they don't deserve to be homeschooled. I want to ask, “Can you read? Can you write your name? Do you know your shape and numbers? What does the cow say?” If you answered yes, yes, yes, or already to any of these questions, congratulations! You have mastered kindergarten. If a child can add, subtract, and multiply, that knowledge continues into third grade. Throw in some long division and fractions, and you'll probably get by number 5. If you need a refresher on percentages, take a few weeks to relearn them. If Billy Madison can do it, you can too.
On Twitter, some posters argued that it was arrogant to claim that someone is qualified to teach reading just because they know how to read. To them, that's like claiming you're qualified to run a restaurant because you ate at Olive Garden. But that's a bad analogy. In fact, after learning how to run a restaurant for 13 years from a teacher who knows how to run a restaurant and who has been running restaurants all of his adult life, he is probably qualified to teach kids how to run a restaurant. Believe it or not, this is how many family businesses have functioned for centuries.
Similarly, if you were taught to read well in public schools, you can teach your children to read well. And why would you want to send your kids to public school if they couldn't teach you to read and write well in public school?
Second, some parents may feel that they can teach their children reading, writing, and mathematics. But they ask, “What about other subjects like history, science, and art?” I'm only half kidding when I say “they can learn them later.” When I think back to my own public school education, it seems like every year until I was 12, I repeated the same lessons about the Pilgrims, photosynthesis, and torn paper collages.
Be honest, do you really remember all the facts you memorized in your fifth grade social studies class? Chances are, what you retain are the skills you continued to use throughout your life, like drum roll, reading, writing, and math. And so on. Therefore, these are the topics to focus on in the early stages.
Additionally, the internet is full of high-quality content on a variety of subjects. Some are available for purchase, but most are completely free. Take advantage of these tools. You can then add art, music, sports, and foreign languages if you wish. However, most of these activities already take place outside of school hours.
The bottom line is that if your child's elementary school education focuses on the three R's, they're probably fine. Just because your voracious 11-year-old reader couldn't draw Mayflower macaroni art in first grade doesn't mean he's permanently handicapped in American history. And once kids reach high school, there are all kinds of supplemental and concurrent education options, including community college, summer school, and distance learning programs.
Third, how can you avoid the question that homeschooling parents fear most: “What about socialization?”
In one word, it's a “cooperative”.
This frequent, personalized instruction is provided by the person who knows and loves your child better than anyone else in the world – you.
There are thousands of homeschool cooperatives across the country that employ a variety of educational frameworks. They often provide a complete curriculum covering all major subjects, as well as other experienced homeschool parents who can answer questions, point you to resources, and offer advice. Connect with. Between Classical Conversations Cooperative, church, youth group, Trail Life, Science Olympiad, and cross country practice, my children spend a lot of time with their peers. The only “social interaction” they miss is being stuffed into lockers, having their lunch money stolen, and being forced to watch their choir teacher sing a Janet Jackson tribute medley during morning assembly.
Fourth, when people complain that homeschoolers receive a substandard education, they need to ask, “Compared to what?”
To be honest, public schools are not doing well. 2019 only 37% of 12th graders are considered proficient in reading, and 30% did not even reach basic reading levels on national tests. Many parents were extremely dissatisfied with what they witnessed in their children's virtual classrooms during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Since then the study Why is homeschooling not considered a viable education option when it is routinely shown that homeschoolers outperform public school students academically?
Finally, homeschooling has advantages that public or private schools cannot provide. Unless you have your own reality show with a title like “Tim and Gene are 17,” the student-teacher ratio is much lower than what traditional schools can offer. This frequent, personalized instruction is provided by the person who knows and loves your child better than anyone else in the world – you. And you'll be able to build your child's character in a way that public schools can't. Some of my family's most important and educational conversations about science, theology, and economics happen not in the classroom, but in the car on the way to the grocery store.
Homeschooling isn't for everyone. This may not be possible due to financial constraints or your child's special needs. Parents may not really be equipped to teach even basic skills. Your local public or private school may be better. However, I would like to recommend the following to all parents: consider Homeschooling as a viable option, at least for the first few years of elementary school.
Home learning today explode I wish skeptics like Dr. Baird across the country would talk to the few homeschooling families and homeschool graduates in their areas and try to stay open-minded. Just like public school, karaoke, and dad jokes, homeschooling can sometimes go wrong. But it can also be done well. And when it works, I feel more joy and fulfillment than ever before.
