Why do we homeschool?
Initially we started home schooling because James was ready to learn, but not ready for a classroom environment. At 5 he was (and still is) very curious about everything happening around him and into exploring the world.
As time goes by, the list keeps getting longer.
Learning has become part of our lives. It is not delegated to a certain time or hour or place. James is very analytical and wants to know all the details. Constantly questioning and wondering how things work and why this person did this or that. Vague answers get more questions. The World Book Encyclopedia has been a wonderful resource for us. When ever he asks a question I can’t answer, we look in the encyclopedia. Many a night he has laid awake waiting for his dad to come home from work, so he can talk to him and ask him questions. He is actively learning and not a passive recipient of information that needs to be regurgitated to a teacher’s satisfaction.
James can work at his pace: speeding through subjects that are easy, taking his time with those that are more difficult, and simply enjoying a leisurely pace with subjects that are fun. In the process both Father and I have discovered things we missed or didn’t learn about during our school years. We are enjoying learning history all over again. When we started studying the ancients, we took a side trip learning about Egypt that lasted three or four months. He can pursue subjects he is interested in. We dropped everything for one month and did a unit study about trains.We give him the individual attention, time and encouragement needed to learn and pursue his passions.
Socially, he easily interacts with everyone and not just his peer group. When Father and I were in school, you only hung out with your grade. It didn’t matter whether you had friends who were in the other grades, you just didn’t hang out with them during school. There is a class structure in schools that you only associate with your age group.
Life isn’t really like that. Do you work, entertain, play, go to church with people only your age. No! His social interactions are by choice and based on common interests.
We can set our own schedule and not have to adhere to someone else’s. James and I are fresh in the morning, whereas Father is a night person. It is nice to take days off when we need it and take vacations while public schools are still in session. We school year round with one week break every 6 weeks and take a month off in May and December.
Fortunately we own our own business, which gives us the freedom to do what we choose. We made the choice before James was born that we would do whatever it took so I could be a stay at home mom. We enjoy spending time as a family.
Another reason is our faith. The lord was leading us in the direction of home schooling since James was born. As parents, it is our God given responsibility to give him a foundation of strong moral principles. James is building a relationship with God and loves to read, hear and talk about him. I wouldn’t want to see that innocence or love squelched.
As it says in Proverbs: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
As time goes by, the list keeps getting longer.
Learning has become part of our lives. It is not delegated to a certain time or hour or place. James is very analytical and wants to know all the details. Constantly questioning and wondering how things work and why this person did this or that. Vague answers get more questions. The World Book Encyclopedia has been a wonderful resource for us. When ever he asks a question I can’t answer, we look in the encyclopedia. Many a night he has laid awake waiting for his dad to come home from work, so he can talk to him and ask him questions. He is actively learning and not a passive recipient of information that needs to be regurgitated to a teacher’s satisfaction.
James can work at his pace: speeding through subjects that are easy, taking his time with those that are more difficult, and simply enjoying a leisurely pace with subjects that are fun. In the process both Father and I have discovered things we missed or didn’t learn about during our school years. We are enjoying learning history all over again. When we started studying the ancients, we took a side trip learning about Egypt that lasted three or four months. He can pursue subjects he is interested in. We dropped everything for one month and did a unit study about trains.We give him the individual attention, time and encouragement needed to learn and pursue his passions.
Socially, he easily interacts with everyone and not just his peer group. When Father and I were in school, you only hung out with your grade. It didn’t matter whether you had friends who were in the other grades, you just didn’t hang out with them during school. There is a class structure in schools that you only associate with your age group.
Life isn’t really like that. Do you work, entertain, play, go to church with people only your age. No! His social interactions are by choice and based on common interests.
We can set our own schedule and not have to adhere to someone else’s. James and I are fresh in the morning, whereas Father is a night person. It is nice to take days off when we need it and take vacations while public schools are still in session. We school year round with one week break every 6 weeks and take a month off in May and December.
Fortunately we own our own business, which gives us the freedom to do what we choose. We made the choice before James was born that we would do whatever it took so I could be a stay at home mom. We enjoy spending time as a family.
Another reason is our faith. The lord was leading us in the direction of home schooling since James was born. As parents, it is our God given responsibility to give him a foundation of strong moral principles. James is building a relationship with God and loves to read, hear and talk about him. I wouldn’t want to see that innocence or love squelched.
As it says in Proverbs: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
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