Home Is Where the School Is

Thanks JJ for posting a link to a story in my local paper! I have to share it as well now, because the author, Gregory J. Millman, just made so many great points.

Home Is Where the School Is

Here are four things that stood out for me:

It’s hard to generalize about home-schoolers, but if there’s one thing we know, it’s that we are changing the world, or at least the world of education choices. Others, though, see us as either misguided or threatening — and probably cheered last month’s California appeals court ruling that all children in the state must be taught by credentialed teachers.

I remember excitedly telling someone a couple of years ago that I was going to homeschool, and he looked at me funny and said, “Is that legal?” That’s when I realized that not everyone shared my enthusiasm.

But “home-schooling” is a misnomer, really. Most of it doesn’t even take place at home, and the schooling has little in common with what goes on in school.

We once made a playdate with another homeschooling family, and we had to schedule it 3 weeks out before we could find a date where we were both available. We have activities, classes, field trips, and fun scheduled at least 4 days of the week. It is such a relief when we have a quiet day together at home. Our experience is typical, from what I have observed of other homeschooling families I know. We all laugh that homeschooling doesn’t happen at home. My husband and I joke that we are basically providing our kids with an a la carte private education.

Though we first tried to teach the children what the official curriculum standards said they ought to be learning in school, we soon realized that this only made sense in the context of a school. So we scrapped dry textbooks and workbooks and found more interesting ways for our children to learn.

This is the key to homeschooling. I think most of us start out trying to re-create, even loosely, school at home. We are worried about keeping our kids “on grade level” and covering all the content and subjects that the schools cover. Then, as we talk to others and observe our own and others’ kids, we begin to understand Millman’s statement. The term “grade level” that was so important when our kids were in school is irrelevant in homeschooling. People who believe education happens in a building, separated from the world, segregated by age, led by experts, just don’t get why we aren’t worried.

The results? Studies have shown that home-schooled children outperform the conventionally schooled not only on standardized academic tests but also on tests of social skills. This, I believe, isn’t because home-schoolers do things better than schools do them but because we do better things than schools do.

Yes! What could be better than customizing an educational approach for each of our children based on what works for them? And that isn’t as hard as it may sound. We learn an amazing amount from everyday life. We have more time together and opportunities to explain and work with our children. We see immediately whether something is working or not working and can adjust our methods on the fly.

According to the article, “Gregory J. Millman is co-author, with Martine Millman, of ‘Homeschooling: A Family’s Journey,’ to be published in August.” I’m looking forward to reading it.

March 22, 2008 | Filed Under Homeschool Issues 

Comments

6 Responses to “Home Is Where the School Is”

  1. Brandy on March 22nd, 2008 4:16 pm

    I agree with this whole post completely, which is why I am unschooling my children. I problem I have is coming up with responses on the fly when people (including family) start in with their 101 questions. Especially when they start in asking the kids what they are learning right now and comparing them to other schooled kids their age. It’s not easy to break down unschooling in subjects on a daily basis (and I don’t feel like I need to).
    BTW, I love reading your blog. It’s my first time to comment, but I’ve been reading awhile!!

  2. Not June Cleaver on March 22nd, 2008 4:58 pm

    Hi Brandy! Glad you spoke up. I have the same problem with coming up with good responses on the fly. Debate isn’t something I’m very good at. I know my reasons and I feel comfortable with them. People who quiz your children are just ignorant. That’s why the whole “grade level” thing gets on my nerves. Grade level is only relevant in schools. Real learning doesn’t happen in chunks doled out to specific ages in a certain order. It is ridiculous to believe that it does. Schools have to do it that way in order to educate the masses.

  3. Robin on March 22nd, 2008 5:04 pm

    I SO agree with the whole post.
    And now you’ve made my weekend even better.
    It’s always nice when you read something that perfectly states what you WISH you could have said the last time the topic was broached!

  4. tribeofautodidacts on March 22nd, 2008 7:41 pm

    Great article and awesome post! Thanks for sharing this.

  5. childsplay on April 16th, 2008 11:01 pm

    hey…i hate tagging, but I love you–ergo, I tagged you, because I’m just dying to know this about you being in Virginia: http://childplay.wordpress.com/2008/04/15/national-parks-week/

    Don’t hate me because I tag you. :)

  6. Not June Cleaver on April 17th, 2008 10:15 am

    When I saw this post on your blog, I knew exactly what I would write about. I just haven’t had the time to write. Hopefully soon!

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