Thoughts for New Homeschoolers
As the school-year consumer frenzy nears its crescendo I think it’s a good time to remember that schooling and all its paraphernalia are not the important things your child needs in order to learn well. One can easily get lost in the education-consumer world of curriculum, tests and grades, and packaged experiences for children if you’re considering teaching your own children. We published this in GWS 63 (1988) and I think Rosemary’s advice for new homeschoolers is succinct and still important (though now we are saying turn off cellphones instead of TV). Rosemary reminds us that the social aspects of learning are what make learning at home and in one’s community much easier and simpler than learning in school.—PF
Trust Yourselves
Rosemary Holt (“Isolated in Portugal,” GWS 57) writes:
It is nearly the end of our first year of homeschooling our six-year-old daughter. Although we faced two main problems at the outset—our isolation in Portugal, with no contact with other homeschoolers, and a great deal of antagonism from the Americans that we had found here —these problems worked themselves out.
It has been an exciting year! Our two supporters have been GWS and my sister, who is also a homeschooler, in Arizona. “Are we crazy enough to do it next year?” we are often asked. You bet! In fact, we’d be crazy not to. We have learned alongside Dorothea, exploring areas we had a spark of interest in way back when but somehow never really had a chance to get into when we were in school. Right now, we are all learning to do calligraphy and hoping our garden will produce huge watermelons.
Some advice for homeschoolers just starting out:
1. Draw upon other people and their variety of interests. They can teach more than books can.
2. If you feel you need a prepared curriculum, buy one, but don’t feel bound by it; instead, expand on it. We used Calvert although we realize now it was unnecessary. We wanted to prove to others (maybe to ourselves as well) that our daughter was being educated. We didn’t use the curriculum that much, and a lot of the workbooks are unopened. Instead we read extensively (I read aloud since Dorothea doesn’t read herself yet), cooked, worked outside and played. Dorothea’s father is determined to introduce her to computers (l am illiterate in this area) and they do things on the computer together.
3. From time to time, you may hear “I am bored” or “There’s nothing to do.” At these times, I recommend one thing: keep the television off. The time will quickly pass and your child will find something interesting to do.
4. Realize there will always be people who will hold differing views on what education is; it is not up to you to change their minds.
5. Above all, trust your child and trust yourself. Life is the very best teacher.
