These Frequently Asked Questions about homeschooling will hopefully help but the best way to find out more is to contact us about one of our meet ups. WHAT IS HOMESCHOOLING? At a basic level homeschooling is choosing to home educate your child rather than sending them to school. It is a legally recognised option under the Education Act and one that is becoming increasingly popular. WHY DO PEOPLE HOMESCHOOL?
People choose to homeschool for many different reasons. Some of these include:
For many, the deepest and most abiding benefit of homeschooling is the claiming (or reclaiming) of the their family. Homeschooling families spend an incredible amount of time together living, learning and playing. They have the opportunity to develop a depth of understanding and a commitment to each other that is difficult to attain when family members spend their days going in separate directions. Whatever your initial reason, you can be sure that as you get started on homeschooling you will find many other motivations also.
I AM NOT A QUALIFIED TEACHER, CAN I STILL HOMESCHOOL MY CHILDREN? Definitely - in fact very few homeschoolers are qualified teachers. Many have not graduated from University and some did not even finish high school. The only necessary requirements to homeschool are a love for children and an interest in learning. Just as you helped your children to learn to walk and talk by providing models and guidance, parents of homeschooled children help their older children by proving tools and resources. The best support for all children are people who love and care about them and who respect their particular way of learning - people who have the time and the patience to provide one-on-one attention. Homeschooling parents do what teachers wish they could do in the classroom but cannot for lack of time and help and an excess of students. Any teacher can tell you that the children who do well in school are the ones whose parents are involved in their education. Homeschooling is total involvement. WHAT ABOUT SOCIALISATION? Some would argue that it is schools that have a problem when it comes to socialisation. Consider the socialisation issues arising from a child being placed with 25 other children of the same age with a single adult/ authority figure within a confined space for many hours each day. Contrast this with what homeschooling can offer. Homeschooled children have the time and freedom to get to know adults and children of a variety of ages, on their own terms in real world situations. With greater control over their own time and who they choose to associate with, many homeschooled children will become more self reliant, confident and less dependent on peer approval. You, as their parents, along with their broader community (including other homeschool parents) will also have the opportunity to play a greater role in their life. Most homeschooling families participate in homeschool groups, community activities, sporting, dancing, art, music or other structured activities which provide plenty of opportunities for connecting with other people. Basically the good news is that with the support of homeschool groups and/or other community networks a homeschooled child has amazing access to healthy, nurturing socialisation.
HOW DO HOMESCHOOLED CHILDREN LEARN?
The fact is that children love to learn and do so from the moment they are born. Homeschool families learn together and in many different and often unexpected ways. Learning is explored by differently by each family based on a number of factors including which homeschooling approach they pursue. Homeschooling families have the opportunity to experience the world and daily interactions more naturally and spontaneously than their school counterparts. Homeschooled children, with the support of their parents and broader community, are able to see the world, engage with it and are literally always learning. In this way learning does not just happen in a classroom, but through living life, experiencing the world and engaging with people.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO LEARNING THAT YOU MENTIONED? One of the benefits of homeschooling is that it affords so many options. If you choose to homeschool you have the opportunity to find what feels right for you and your children, which also might vary over time. Some of the common approaches include:
If you think of a kind of homeschooling continuum, with ’school at home’ at one end, and ‘learning and living completely integrated’ on the other - you would find homeschoolers scattered along that line with every possible variation of what homeschooling could mean.
WHAT IF MY CHILD WANTS TO LEARN SOMETHING THAT I CAN'T TEACH? This presents a great opportunity. Rather than simply "giving them the answer", when you don't know something you can embark on a learning journey together. This process is powerful and will assist in arming your children with the confidence to access resources and learn more effectively in the future. It can also provide parents space to grow and develop as we rediscover the joy in learning and a passion for following our curiousity. A useful paradigm shift is to see yourself as a facilitator or partner to your children's learning rather than their "teacher".
CAN I STILL WORK AT A JOB & HOMESCHOOL? Homeschooling families have often been portrayed as "Dad going to work, Mom staying at home with the kids." The reality, for many families, is much different: single parents homeschool, working parents homeschool, dads at home homeschool, parents with ongoing illnesses homeschool. Some families homeschool some of their children but not others. Grandparents homeschool grandchildren. It might be challenging to find ways to make it work. It may take a little creative juggling, but often many of the perceived barriers can be overcome with some thoughtful problem-solving. I'VE HEARD OF THE TERM "DESCHOOLING", WHAT IS THAT? Children who have been attending school often go through a process of adjustment when starting to homeschool. From having decisions made for them; being directed to what to learn and do and when to do it; having external motivation of grades and reports etc etc.. All these things and more are often part of a school culture. Deschooling is a term that describes the process of getting used to learning and living without school, particularly for those embarking on a natural learning or self directed approach. Parents may also go through a period of deschooling, again particularly for natural learners this might involve a process of gaining trust in your children's ability to learn and confidence to give them the space to learn what they want when they want. WHAT IF MY CHILDREN WANT TO GO TO UNIVERSITY? A growing number of Universities are very interested in accepting homeschooled students because they are so experienced in self directed learning. There are many different pathways to university entry including completing a bridging program via a TAFE college or equivalent or completing year 12 requirements via a distance ed program. Basically if University is important to your child than there will be ways for them to gain access to whatever course they wish - many homeschoolers have shown that already.
WHAT RESOURCES DO YOU RECOMMEND TO FIND OUT MORE? You can find out more about our group by reading the FAQ about Byron Homeschoolers. The best way to find out more is to meet us! Come along to our meet ups and talk to a range of families who are homeschooling, each of us have had different experienes and use different approaches which can contribute to you finding your own way. You can also visit our links section to explore a range of other resources.... enjoy your journey! (Parts of this FAQ were adapted from a similar doc by the Victorian Home Education Network to whom we are extremely grateful...) |
