I found home schooling to be one of the most intelligent and rewarding experiences I’ve ever undertaken with any of my children in my life. Of three kids, I homeschooled the youngest son. He was extremely intelligent, and a super strong willed child who was failing school. His teachers hadn’t yet discovered that he was a natural multitasker and a fast learner so he became bored rather quickly and would play with his cars in the desk or read a book tucked into his text book. He tested well, but failed the daily school work. He was also known to get up from class, head to the library, grab a book and read something of interest.
He was a good hearted kid who was loyal to his friends and often took the blame for him...he’s still like that to day and he’s in his 40’s now. If you’re his friend, he has your back.
We lived 50 miles from the school so if for any reason he was banned from the school bus, and that did happen often...he got no education. Sometimes being banned from the bus was valid, often not and when it wasn’t, there was a highschooler from a prominent, respected family who would let me know that the real story was.
Fed up, I put notice appropriately with the ‘authorities’ of my intention to home school, We didn’t have money and in those days there wasn’t any internet, home schooling hadn’t taken strong root so resources were slim, but we had books. We had lots of books. One of them was an old McGuffie’s reader from the 1800’s. It was designed for 1st to 8th grade and it was my best friend!
I bought some workbooks for things like math, but mostly I designed his curriculum myself. I designed his tests, myself.
My philosophy with him was “There’s no such thing as failure.” We will practice and study as long as it takes to learn it, and learn it well. In some areas, he was a quick learner, in others a bit slower. Some days all he wanted to do all day was math...so that’s what we did. In addition to paper work, he had practical work. He had to learn to run a tape measure, a saw, a pencil a basic blue print and a hammer. I put him to work building a hen house. He had to use his math skills. I taught him how to manage a checking account using his allowance. I was the bank.
I took him grocery shopping and he had to figure out how to feed the whole family on a small budget so he learned nutrition and budgeting, how to be creative with foods. He’s good at that to this day, and a fabulous cook!!!
You see, the beauty about home schooling is that you aren’t a slave to a class room or a text book. You are free to explore what works with you and yours. You get the insight into how your children’s minds work, and you get to communicate with them in meaningful ways....not just arguments about what they can wear to school, curfews, and whether or not your help with their homework will pass teacher approval.
And when they look at you with admiration in their eyes and faces and say “Mom, YOU are the BEST teacher I’ve ever had!” You know you are headed in the right direction.
I loved the creativity a home school environment provided, and so did he. In six weeks time he caught up to grade level, and before the end of the school year, he was two grade levels ahead of his class. At 7th grade, he was doing highschool and sophomore math...ahead of the pack.
He graduated highschool, went on to study photography and graphic design. And MY credentials? On paper? pathetic. The last class I completed at that time was 9th grade...But..I’d gone to super schools and contined to learn. Later I went to college and graduated with honors. The point is, don’t be intimidated. There are a lot of helps out there today, free, used, new, and a wide variety of learning styles.
You have an inspiring story.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I meant to say also, that I also helped grand kids when they were in school and were struggling in a subject. I often did summer school with them and they went on to do well in school after that. Their mother recognized the value of home school, but her husband didn’t. One of her kids was a math wiz who studied college algebra when she was in 4th grade...ON HER OWN.....and who grew up to become a teacher.
I was fortunate that my state was pretty liberal when it came to home schooling. You could rotate with other parents for example...if you were good at math, but not good at English grammar, you could trade off with another homeschooling parent who was good at the English and you took their math student.
Grandparents often have a grace with their grandkids that parents don’t have...use it!!