"I'm thinking about homeschooling. What can you tell me?"
I've been getting this question a lot lately, so I thought I'd give a basic answer here.
I
always advise that people considering homeschooling start by getting
their own educational philosophy figured out. Start by asking yourself some questions.
-What is education? What does it mean to "have" one? Do I have one?
-How
do I learn? How do my children learn?
-What do I want my children to know? To experience? To become? How can this be achieved?
I have found my educational philosophy is something that has evolved over
time.
Here are some more formal examples from student teachers at UWO
Of course there are many types of homeschooling. Do a google search to see what's up in the world of un-schooling. Find out what's involved in a "school in a box" kit. Look around and see what catches your eye. Read some blogs like this one or this one or this one.
Do
you have a good library near you? Hunt out everything by John Holt, Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Gatto, A Thomas Jefferson Education by DeMille, and something by Maria
Montessori.
Also, see what your community has to offer. Homeschool co-ops? Support groups and
associations? Try not to be discouraged if the perfect thing doesn't exist. You can always create your own community. You can also contact your school board and find out the legal
particulars.
It seems overwhelming now but the
best place to start is with reading, reading, reading. Get your ideas
together and figure out what you want for your kids.
p.s- These freaky pic are ones that were taken kid-style over the holiday. Hilariously terrifying. Kinda like homeschooling.