Moms Talk: Homeschool or Public School?

By Moms Council Member Marla Anson:

Written from my blog, Oct. 13, 2010: “I’ve been contemplating homeschooling the children when it comes time for them to start school. Heck, I’m already doing preschool here at home. I think that homeschool could offer the kids a lot of freedom to learn and be creative, things that gets stifled in a public school setting.

I also love the idea of teaching the kids myself; I would be their teacher! We would really have the time to focus on the things that they are most interested in, while making sure that they concentrate on the other stuff of course.

The truth is, I’m also slightly terrified of doing it. What if I don’t teach them right and they end up being messed up? Not learning valuable knowledge that is crucial to succeeding today. I wouldn’t have any time to myself. I almost want to send them off to school just to have time during the day to clean the house.

Then I remember that little feeling I had inside of me when I was pregnant with Trent. It told me that I could do this, that I could teach my child and make sure that it is done right.

Obviously this is an issue that I go back and forth on all the time. Plus my husband (isn’t really crazy about the idea of them being) homeschooled, though he is open to the idea and would be supportive if that is the road I ultimately decide on.

Luckily I still have some time to do the research and make a good sound and informed choice. Therefore, I was thrilled when the Kojo Nnamdi Show on my local NPR station did a discussion on homeschooling.

I can’t wait until the audio is up on the Internet so I can listen again. It was very helpful and informative as to what is happening in the world of teaching your child in the home today.

Turns out that there are more and more families opting for this choice, and they aren’t necessarily the religious zealots that everyone thinks are doing it. Please do check today’s show and discussion, Homeschooling Goes Mainstream.”

Since writing this blog post back in October, I still feel that I would love to teach my children in my home but have decided to give the school system a chance. My children are very adaptable and social. I believe they can thrive in a school setting.

My own personal experience with school left something to be desired, but I am reminded that they are their own persons and can make their own way in life. They may love going to a school. Plus, the elementary school is in walking

That being said, I would not hesitate to start homeschooling if my children specifically ask me to do so or I find the school systems methods lacking. Children are naturally curious and want to learn and the system that is in place can, in some instances, prevent children from reaching their potential.

I am not too keen on the standards that are set in place telling children when they should or should not know something. Each child is an individual and learns at his or her own pace. Some children start reading at a very young age, some children take years to learn how to do it.

The problem, in my opinion, is placing pressure on these children. Telling them when they should be reading and making a big deal about it if they are not. That makes for neurotic children who may become discouraged and become resistant to the learning process.

This doesn’t happen in all cases, and I am far from being an expert on this subject, but I truly believe that learning should be a fun process for a child. If the schools are not providing this, I think exploring alternatives is a valuable option.

If you would like to learn more about homeschooling in Virginia, there are many, many resources available. It seems that if want to go the homeschool route, Virginia is a wonderful place to live in; lots of help through the state, wonderful support groups where you can ask questions. A thriving community you can really utilize if you need someone to turn to. Some links that I have found helpful:

http://vahomeschoolers.org/ 
http://www.heav.org/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NovaUnschoolers/
http://www.secularhomeschool.com/content/
http://www.leapingfromthebox.com/hs/elists/virginia.html
http://www.unschooling.org/