Posted on 12/06/2004 8:19:13 AM PST by LadyShallott
It took Pam Rudolph about six months of consideration before doing something that changed the way her family lives.
“It’s not a decision you make lightly by any means,” Rudolph said.
When Rudolph’s son, Clay, 13, was in fifth grade, she was concerned about how preoccupied he was with with his clothes and other trends at school.
“It really upset him ... It started affecting his grades,” she said.
Knowing two families in which the children were homeschooled encouraged Rudolph in making the decision to homeschool her own three children.
“I saw how happy their children were,” she said.
After being homeschooled for two or three weeks, Rudolph said, Clay, who had been withdrawn, was totally relaxed and happy — a “totally different child.”
“I knew that a home environment would be so much better for him,” Rudolph said.
The decision, Rudolph said, felt right to her. One reason for the switch to homeschool was Rudolph’s concern about what her kids might encounter in school.
“I wanted to instill Christian values into them so when they become adults, those values will be planted there, and they will know right from wrong,” she said.
A lot of parents think they couldn’t do it, Rudolph said.
“I always thought that, too, but it takes determination,” she said. “It takes a huge commitment ... Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
There are plenty of resources for parents considering homeschooling, and curriculum materials are available in Tulsa, she said. In the Rudolph’s living room is a bookcase filled with educational materials and cookbooks. The Web site www.edhelpher.com offers help with curriculum, she said. It took about two years for Rudolph to decide what curriculum she liked. Developing a routine also took time; Rudolph said the first year of homeschooling was the hardest.
Sometimes Rudolph learns along with her children.
“You cannot teach these concepts unless you know them yourself,” she said. In the past few years, Rudolph said, she has learned more math than she ever did before. Before each math lesson, she looks at what Clay will cover, and if she doesn’t know it, she learns it before giving him the lesson. In other subjects, she can read along with him.
As Clay and his siblings, Chance, 8, and Cristin, 5, grow older, Rudolph said, she has to do things differently for each.
“It’s something I have to work on every day as far as finding what’s best for them,” she said.
Rudolph’s investment into homeschooling her children isn’t just time; it also meant giving up her job. The family now drives older cars, purchases fewer new clothes and eats out less often than before, but Rudolph said there are more important things than money, and she thinks the sacrifices are worthwhile.
“I feel rewards from this every day,” she said.
One of the rewards Rudolph believes homeschooling offers is being closer as a family.
“I see ... how much happier your children can be when they’re learning at home with their family,” she said.
Rudolph said that she also wanted her children to have a chance to be kids. When they finish their curriculum, they are done for the day. With the one-on-one instruction, Rudolph said, she can be sure that they’ve covered their curriculum and understand it.
“They get to be children after five o’clock,” she said.
During the time that they aren’t involved with homeschool, the Rudolphs raise, sell and butcher rabbits and keep chickens. Like their grandfather, Rudolph’s children and her husband, Michael, race flat-track motorcycles. (Five-year-old Cristin is just starting to ride.)
“We have many, many projects here at home,” Rudolph said. If she worked and her children attended public schools, Rudolph said, they wouldn’t have time for all of their home projects.
Cooking, sewing and music are among the pursuits that occupy the Rudolphs’ time. With such activities, Rudolph said, her children learn without realizing it.
“It’s just part of their day,” she said.
The family is also involved in Homesteaders 4-H, and they have opportunities for things such as art classes, gymnastics lessons and band through Heartland Home Educators, a homeschool co-op. Field trips to places such as zoos and science classes are available for homeschoolers.
“We are so busy in this house with homeschool activities I have to turn them away,” she said. The number of activities available can be overwhelming, she said, and it is necessary to pick and choose. Now that Clay is getting ready to start on high school curriculum next year and has more material to cover, there is less time for field trips than there used to be.
Even with the limitations on how many activities the family can participate in, the co-op is important to Rudolph. For homeschoolers, she said, a good support group is a must. It is important that parents teaching their children at home don’t feel like they are the only ones doing so, Rudolph said; they need to be around others who are going through the same thing and share their concerns. Her children have also made friends through the co-op.
“The mothers need some form of support,” she said.
People who are considering homeschooling and don’t have a support group can call her, Rudolph said.
Twice a year, members of the co-op meet from 12:30-3:30 each Friday for eight weeks. Some of the parents teach classes such as Spanish, bridge-building, geography, physical education, photography, ancient civilizations, music and Oklahoma history. About 72 families are involved in the co-op. There are approximately 180 children.
Julie Atteberry, the leader of Heartland Home Educators, has been homeschooling her children for 12 years.
“I think a student can learn best one-on-one,” she said. Homeschooling is efficient, she said, because once a child understands a concept, he or she can move on immediately.
However, Atteberry doesn’t think homeschooling is right for everyone.
“People need to do what works for them,” she said.
The decision so homeschool has to be made in the child’s best interests, she said.
“It’s a very individual decision,” she said.
Atteberry said she never expected to homeschool her children for as long as she has.
“Each year I knew I was supposed to do it that year,” she said.
A time and life commitment are required to homeschool, Atteberry said. Parents making the decision should know it is what will occupy their day, and they must feel called to do it, she said.
“It is very much a full-time job,” she said.
The time spent preparing lessons, teaching her children and grading their work is the only possible disadvantage to homeschooling, Tricia Scott said via e-mail. However, she said, she enjoys this, and it is just part of her routine.
Scott has been homeschooling her children, Elise, 15, Nicole, 11, and Victoria, 10, for nine years. The biggest challenge was trying to determine each of her children’s learning styles and what would motivate them to complete their work, she said. The ability to try different strategies until finding how a chid learns best is one advantage to homeschool, Scott said.
Each day Scott uses a computer program to generate her children’s assignments in subjects such as grammar, reading, spelling, writing, math, history, science, piano and Spanish.
Scott’s husband works out of the home, so the whole family can do many activities.
“I strongly believe that our family is closer because we do everything together,” Scott said
Ping to the long lost homeschooling thread. :) How ya doing girl? Ready for Christmas?
Homeschooling is the answer. Parents must control what's being put into their babies beings...ultra important!!!
Traditional values and an environment where the children can actually learn. I have friends that home school and their kids are polite and seem to be quite bright. They move along at their pace, not the pace set in the public schools designed for the dumbest kids.
The family now drives older cars, purchases fewer new clothes and eats out less often than before, but Rudolph said there are more important things than money, and she thinks the sacrifices are worthwhile.
There are more important things than the frenzied consumerism that has gripped our country. These home schooled kids will probably/hopefully be the countries future leaders.
Home school ping.
Semper Fi
Hey!!!!
I've been looking for you!
We're great, How are you?
I was glad to see your post. I've been homeschooling for 15 years and am new to FR. Two oldest have graduated and gone on to bigger and better things; four youngest still helping me slog it out. PTL! I love homeschooling!
read later
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.