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MHEA 9085 Flamepool Way, Columbia, MD 21045 410-730-0073 voice mail 410-964-5720 fax Email: MSmith@mhea.com
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Why are families doing this? There is no single reason. Each family is unique and one family may homeschool for reasons that are quite different from the next. Most agree that the family is best qualified to supervise and guide a child's development.
What does home education have to offer? Home education promotes a close family life. Family activity can be scheduled around family interests and goals and accommodate the father's or mother's working hours. Children remain in a secure environment and become independent at a comfortable pace. They can also learn at their own best rate, without comparing themselves unfavorably with others. Self esteem remains in tact. There is more time for children to explore, daydream, experiment and question the world around them than is available to their schooled counterparts. Alert parents can build an attractive and effective curriculum based around the interests of their children and which also addresses core studies. In short, home education honors the spiritual, educational and personal integrity of the individual.
What about teaching and learning? Some parents have regular hours for lessons lasting from a few hours to an entire school day following a curriculum purchased from one of many correspondence schools. Other families impressed with the writings of John Holt or Dr. Raymond Moore find that formal lessons are unnecessary, particularly for children under 10. These families spend time with their children in a variety of ways, from going to museums, reading together, or doing family math. They discover that living has all the ingredients for learning. Most parents fall in between these two extremes.
What about socialization? Home schooling families get together for field trips, activities, group study and social gatherings. Children have the opportunity to socialize with members of their family, friends, people they meet during the day, with school children after 3 o'clock, and on weekends. This isn't too different from the life of a school child. More importantly, since homeschooled children spend more time interacting with adults, they tend to model the behavior of people who are responsible, reasonable, and predictable. This kind of stable, caring relationship fosters socialization that is positive and empowering to the child instead of demeaning and stressful as it may often be for children in school settings.
What about subjects that I don't know much about. How do I proceed? Home schooling is as much a boon for parents as for their children! Parents often re-discover their love of learning and proceed to learn right along with their children. There are many people in the community who are more than willing to share their knowledge or enjoyment of a subject with your child. Today you can access a wide variety of resources via the Internet that will address every subject matter imaginable. There are a myriad of on-line courses ranging from Algebra to Zoology with fees that range from free to hundreds of dollars. Through the home education network you will find local support groups in your area that offer support meetings, resource libraries, and even weekly classes. You can hire tutors, create your own group learning experiences for your children, or just open your home for occasional social gatherings. Parents don't need to feel that they must know everything as long as they can direct their children to find what they need. Finally, there are several programs and organizations that can help. For example, The Learning Community International School is a nonsectarian satellite program featuring extensive support for families looking for an independent learning program from K - 12 and beyond. See http://tlcischool.org for more information.
I'm still a little unsure how to begin... Home education, like childrearing, is an empowering act. You have been successfully teaching your children since birth. Your natural inclination to help your children can be enhanced by reading and talking to others, and by closely examining the home environment you provide. Any parent who enjoys the company of their children and is intrigued by home education is qualified to begin...and succeed at...home education. You will learn as you proceed, just as you learned to raise your child from infancy, taking each step as it comes.
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