Homeschooling Basics: How You Can Teach Your Child At Home
By Jennifer James, Special to AOL BlackVoices
Chances are if you have a school-aged child, you've already heard a lot lately about school choice and educational alternatives. School choice comes in many forms these days -- from vouchers to public and private schooling to charter schools and cyberschooling.
Another educational option that is making a strong claim in America is homeschooling. In fact, it is currently the fastest growing educational option in the United States. Of the 1.1 million home-schooled children today, 10 percent are black -- and that number is growing by about 5 percent every year.
Many black families have also begun to homeschool their kids. Are you wondering you can also begin the process of homeschooling? Here are five easy steps to help get you started.
Read! Read! Read!
Making the decision to homeschool is not about being a part of a growing population of families who thinks home education is a novelty. Rather, homeschooling is a serious undertaking, one that requires much thought, preparation and dedication by you -- the parent.
It is important to begin the process by reading as much about homeschooling as possible before you start. Visit your local library and check out books about home education as well as take a trip to major book retailers to grab homeschooling magazines or books. Many options are available to choose from. Here's some recommended reading:
Book:
'Morning By Morning: How We Homeschooled Our African-American Sons to the Ivy League,' by Paula Penn-Nabrit.
Magazines:
Home Education Magazine
www.homeedmag.com
Life Learning Magazine
www.lifelearning.com
Web sites:
African-American Home Schooling
African-American Homeschooling
A large article database with homeschooling articles specific to black homeschoolers
African-American Unschooling.
www.afamunschool.com
The only Web site of its kind hosting an online magazine and resource database for African-American homeschooling families.
Comply With Your State's Law
Although homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, state homeschool laws vary, so you need to follow your state's regulations. Contact your state's homeschool organization (most have two or more) and inquire about everything you need to do to get started. Some states require very minimal documentation and leave homeschooling to the parents' discretion. Other states have imposed more stringent rules about homeschooling and have a pre-determined curriculum and testing requirements that you must comply with. To find out about your state's requirements, visit this Web site.
Talk With Your Child
Deciding to homeschool is not only a decision that will affect your family as a whole, but one that will also intimately affect your child's life. It is important, especially if peer relationships are important to your child, that you sit down and explain why you have chosen homeschooling. Explaining the reasons behind your decision will help make the transition to home education easier and more understandable. It is crucial to reassure your child that homeschooling does not automatically mean losing close friends or an end to participation in extracurricular activities.
Choose a Teaching Method
One of the benefits of homeschooling is that, as a parent, you can choose the way in which you teach your child. There are many philosophies and schools of thought that homeschoolers employ in their home. Some use a Montessori approach while others lean toward a more school-at-home method. Still other families use a relaxed form of learning and others tend to teach their lessons in units. Learn more about homeschooling teaching philosophies at this site.
Start Teaching
Now that all of the required business is out of the way, teaching time is at hand. Many families like to buy homeschool curricula pre-designed and pre-packaged. You can find a list of curriculum vendors at www.learningthings.com or do an Internet search for "homeschool curriculum vendors." Some families like to put together their own heritage-based curriculum by using bookstores, the library and either online or on-site educational and teacher warehouses. For quality multicultural textbooks, visit www.peoplespublishing.com and for a listing of black children’s books visit www.blackbooksgalore.com.
As a homeschooling parent, you can also take advantage of your local museums, zoos, and cultural and education centers. Using field trips is a great way to maximize your child's learning experience.
While most black children are still learning through traditional channels, homeschooling is indeed inching its way into the educational possibilities for many black families nationwide. The important thing to remember is that the best way to be a great at-home teacher to your child is to be well prepared.
About the Author
Jennifer James, a national media commentator and writer on black homeschooling, is the director of the National African-American Homeschoolers Alliance, www.naaha.com.
Feb. 16, 2005