Parents become teachers the moment their first child is born. Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers learn from everything they say and do. If parents spend time playing, cuddling, looking at books, and enjoying the great outdoors with them from an early age, it's more likely that their children will develop a lifelong love of learning and reading.
While the seeds of enthusiasm for learning and reading start to grow during these early years, a parent's role as a teacher does not end once a child heads off to school. Children continue to watch everything their parents say and do, and learn how to interact with others in the world outside of their homes.
Parents indirectly teach their children in many different ways throughout their lives. No official classroom is necessary; the world is the parents' classroom.
Some parents, however, decide to take their teaching responsibilities to the next level, and actually create a private school setting within their own homes. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 1.1 million children, or 2.2 percent of the school-age population in the US, were homeschooled on a full or part-time basis in 2003.
While I do not homeschool my own children, there are many parents who share their experiences in doing so with blogs and web sites. Because one of the goals of this blog is to celebrate our diversity, and share our unique perspectives, I have decided to interview one of the homeschooling moms I met within the past couple of months.
Diane Whyms, who created the Homeschool-Rewards web site and blog as a family project, has homeschooled all four of her children over the past 20 years! Like many parents who consider this option, her decision was not an easy one; but when I read her words, I couldn't help but be inspired by her choice:
"I have no college education. But I do know how to read and write! With tools in hand, we got through each school year. Always smarter than the year before"
She is a wonderful example of someone who loves to learn, and who shares that love with her children on a daily basis. Diane shows us how powerful lifelong learning can be, especially when shared with your family.
Like many parents who choose to homeschool their children, part of her reason for doing so was the religious or moral component. Her family follows the Christian faith, and religious instruction is an integral part of the curriculum.
As you go through the interview, please keep in mind that I am not familiar with many of the materials Diane mentions, and most of them are based on the Christian faith. As she states on her web site, there is no one "best curriculum" for a homeschooling program and you should "use what works for you and your child." There are certainly many choices, and only you know what's right for your family. The important thing is for you to exercise your right to make informed choices.
If you are thinking about homeschooling your child in the US, please keep in mind that just as there are different public school standards for education by state, the homeschooling requirements and laws also vary by state. You should take into account these rules when you weigh the pros and cons of homeschooling. There is a significant amount of research to be done, but Diane offers you some great insight into starting the process.
And now for the interview:
Dawn: You've been homeschooling for twenty years. What made you decide to do so, and was it all that you expected it to be?
Diane: When our children were little, we learned of homeschooling through our church. A couple of families were homeschoolers and I was impressed with their children's character. During that same time, a "Focus on the Family" broadcast was on homeschooling, and I was hooked. Homeschooling turned out to be more than I expected it to be. Our children are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but their siblings are their best friends, they've excelled beyond my expectations, and yes, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. That comes from a mother who barely kept a "B" average in a small town high school.
Dawn: What advice would you give to parents who are considering this option? How do they start to research the different state requirements and available materials?
Diane: Weigh the pros and cons first. It's not for everyone. But, once you decide it is right for you and your family, overcome any fears you may have and just do it. Start slowly, get the feel for it. Read aloud a lot and enjoy each other. They grow up way too fast, believe me! The best resource for your state homeschooling law is the Homeschool Legal Defense Association.
Dawn: At one point, you were teaching 4 children at the same time, all at different levels. How did you manage?
Good question! They each had their own math and language arts workbook for the grade they were in. But when it came to history or science, it was done together; especially in the early years. We always read together as a family before lunch for about an hour. That was our favorite time because we usually had a great read-aloud book. Once the children reached high school, they were pretty much on their own. There were a couple of times that I had the older ones teach the younger ones. That was a win-win because in order for them to teach, say, the parts of speech, they had to know them first!
Dawn: Can you describe a typical day?
Diane: My day usually starts with getting Dad to work by 7 am. The kids roll out of bed at 8, (or later if they're teens ). They're always at their desk by 9 am to start their math which takes about 45 minutes. We jump right into the English book after that. They always know where they are in their books and are able to just open them up and continue. Break Time! (The little ones especially needed a break after sitting for a while.) By this time it's close to 11 am, our D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) time. That's my time to read aloud a great book which takes us to lunch. After lunch we read the Bible. The afternoons are pretty much open time for their own history or science reading, music practice, foreign language study, drawing, etc. This is also the time they'd work on a 4-H project or an AWANA lesson. Video games don't come out until after 3 pm. (Cleaning, laundry, and meal preparation, etc., are chores shared throughout the week.)
Dawn: Are there any specific homeschool resources that you'd recommend?
Diane: I started homeschooling with Ruth Beechick's 3R Series. Those little booklets are the best if you're starting at the elementary level. My kids liked Math-U-See, Sonlight's history curriculum, Learning Language Arts Through Literature, and Dr. Wile's Apologia science books, to name a few.
Dawn: How did you incorporate picture books and children's literature into your program?
Sonlight (an award-winning Christian homeschooling program) pretty much took care of that. For science, the younger ones really liked the Usborne books. They are colorful, descriptive and our favorite science picture books. Even though my children are older now, they still like to page through them. You always pick up something you missed before!
Dawn: What are some of your children's favorite books?
Diane: The best place to see our favorites is on our homeschool-rewards web site. Many of our favorites are listed by grade and topic. The children helped me to put those recommendations together for our visitors. Enjoy!
Dawn: Your two older daughters are now in college. How did they adjust? Do they have any specific plans yet?
Diane: Yes, hard to believe! They had no problems adjusting to college. Academically, they're both on the Dean's List. Socially, they are involved in a number of activities. One is more involved than the other, but that is an individual choice. Laura plans to go on to graduate school and become a financial adviser. Emily's major is English.
Dawn: What do you know now that you wish you'd known back when you started home schooling?
Diane: That children learn best doing what they enjoy. Worksheets just keep them busy. Let them read something that interests them, There is so much to know these days, one cannot possibly learn it all. Focus on their likes and talents and watch them blossom. Make sure they know the basics (reading, writing and arithmetic) and let their curiosity take care of the rest.
Dawn: What do you consider to be the most important thing you did to inspire a love of learning, creating, and reading in your children?
Diane: Supplying them with quality literature. Honey for a Child's Heart, by Gladys Hunt, and the Sonlight catalog were blessings.
Dawn: I would like to thank Diane Whyms for sharing her extensive knowledge of homeschooling with us, and I welcome any feedback, comments, or suggestions from other homeschooling parents.
Whether you homeschool your children or not, how are you sharing a love of learning and reading with them?
