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Home Schooling Handbook

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Home Schooling Handbook SSeevveenntthh--ddaayy AAddvveennttiisstt HOME SCHOOLING HANDBOOK 1 BBUUCC EEDDUUCCAATTIIIOONN DDEEPPAARRTTMMEENNTT Prepared by Neal Lawrence Sutherland Education & Training Agency Old Fallings Hall Old Fallings Lane Wolverhampton WV10 8BL Sponsored by British Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Education Department BUC Offices Stanborough Park Watford WD2 6JP © Neal Lawrence 2001 All rights reserved. 2 CONTENTS Preface 5 Introduction 7 SECTION 1: THE BASIS OF HOME SCHOOLING Chapter 1. What is Adventist education? 15 2. Does the Bible support home schooling? 47 3. Why should I teach my child at home? 50 4. How does home schooling relate to the work of the Church? 70 5. Is it legal to teach my child at home? 79 6. What research has been done into home schooling? 90 SECTION2: ADDRESSING YOUR MAIN CONCERNS 7. How do home schooled children socialise? 118 8. What are the financial costs of home schooling? 122 3 9. How can single parents home school their children? 128 10. What if my child has special educational needs? 131 11. How can home schooling prepare young people for careers? 139 12. What are the challenges of home schooling? 152 SECTION 3: MAKING A START 13. How do I set up a home schooling programme? 163 14. What support organisations and resources are available? 197 15. The real life experiences of home schooling families 206 Quick questions and answers 259 Amazing facts about home schooling 262 Bibliography and recommended reading 265 4 Preface My interest and experience in home schooling stretches back over 10 years when I first became acquainted with committed home schoolers in the church. In 1987, I met and became friends with a family that home-schooled their two daughters. They were very enthusiastic and organised in their home schooling. Sending their daughters to school was just not an option as far as they were concerned. I was impressed with the happiness and contentment of both girls, who seemed to be fully in harmony with this chosen option for their education. About the same time, I also had the opportunity to watch a good friend of mine, in my local church, raise her daughter as a single mother, determined to home school her. She was convinced that this was the best option for her all-round education. We talked frequently and I shared my thoughts and insights as an Adventist teacher doing some explorative work, myself, with Christian education principles, in an Adventist school. I recognised the home school as an ideal context in which to develop and exercise these principles, perhaps to an even greater extent than I could in the classroom. These encounters with home schoolers made a significant impression on me, broadening my horizons on what was possible in Christian education. Over the years, I became acquainted with many other Adventist families involved in home schooling, both here and abroad. Most of these families had strong Christian convictions about education, similar to my own. I was able to share ideas, from my experiences as an Adventist teacher. Later, I worked with and helped groups of families set up home schooling programmes. My experiences convinced me increasingly of the need for strong parental involvement in the education of children. Home schooling seemed to provide the best opportunity for this. As I saw conventional education moving progressively toward a rigid, standardised and mass production approach, the beauty of tailor-made, individualised home schooling seemed more and more attractive—indeed, the ideal option. As an Adventist teacher, always looking for new and improved approaches to teaching and learning, certain aspects of home schooling seemed to offer exciting potential for a more dynamic and meaningful learning experience. These include: ” personalised learning at a child’s own pace ” vast scope for learning from real life sources in and outside of the home ” the spiritual development and all-round success of the children 5 ” mutual support and closeness within families ” flexibility to explore and follow a child’s interest ” parents taking full responsibility for their children’s character development ” freedom and happiness of children in the more informal learning setting of the home ” the sacrifice, dedication and commitment of parents, especially mothers. Neal Lawrence. 6 Introduction This handbook is a comprehensive and practical guide on home schooling for Seventh-day Adventists (hereafter referred to as Adventists), within the British Union Conference (BUC), in various capacities: H for parents considering or currently home schooling, it’s a vital resource H if you’re looking for a better way in your child’s education, it will help you H those wanting to know God’s plan for the education of children, and how to make it a reality, will discover a fresh approach H if you’re in the field of education, working with children, it provides valuable insights into an interesting and effective alternative H as a church leader who wants to be more informed on the subject, it gives answers H perhaps you’re concerned about the decision of a relative or friend to home school their child—it can clarify the issues H or maybe you’re just fascinated to know what it’s all about. Well, whoever you are, this handbook seeks to address your questions, concerns, interests, fears, doubts or mere curiosity. If you’re not already, it may help you to become an informed supporter of home schooling. The handbook explains all of the important aspects of home schooling and the surrounding issues. Many illustrations, practical experiences and ideas for carrying out home schooling are included. The handbook has been set out for either extensive reading or quick access to specific information. Key points are shaded for emphasis. The Bible and the writings of Ellen White are the main sources of the principles outlined and the quotations given. 7 Addressing your questions ” “What’s home schooling all about?” ” “Are parents really the best teachers of their children?” ” “What’s home schooling got to do with Adventists?” ” “Is home schooling better than formal schooling?” ” “How do I start, practically?” ” “Is it biblical?” ” “What’s the financial cost?” ” “Is it legal?” ” “How can single parents home school?” ” “Why do parents choose this option?” ” “Is it really worth the bother?” ” ”and many more….???” 8 What is home schooling? The term home schooling probably strikes different chords in different minds? What does it mean to you right now? Home schooling is simply: … the education of children at home rather than at school. Usually the parents, especially mothers, are the main teachers. It is in many respects tailor-made education, adapted to the specific character, circumstances and needs of the individual child. Above all, home schooling was God’s original plan for education and still remains His ideal today. Home schooling tends to vary considerably from one family to another. While some families follow the regular school curriculum quite closely, most opt for a more creative and flexible approach. Much depends on the reasons, experiences and abilities of parents when starting to home school. Home schooling or home education? In Britain today, the term home education is most widely used. This is largely because of a desire to move away from the narrow conventional school related concept of education. In America, the term home schooling tends to be more common. In practice the two terms mean the same thing. However, most Adventists in Britain are familiar with the term home schooling largely due to the American influence on Adventism in Britain. The two terms are used interchangeably in this handbook, although home schooling is the most widely used. Home-based education Home schooling could more accurately be described as home-based education. Many families use home as a base from which to engage in a wide range of out-of-home community-related activities and investigations rather than simply duplicating the conventional school programme at home. Some children are home schooled all the way through their compulsory education years (5 to 16), while others are home schooled for just a part of this time. The early years up to 10 or 11 are seen as being especially important for some parents who want to retain control 9 over the formative stages of their children’s characters and lives. Others, after initially putting their children into school, may start at any point along the age range. Why teach your child, yourself? The reasons for parents choosing to home school their children are wide ranging. They include deeply held religious, political and philosophical convictions, dissatisfaction with the school programme, concern over academic standards, avoiding peer pressure and geographical isolation, amongst others. Research evidence from home schoolers in Britain, has revealed the following reasons: H over half related to school, such as ‘unhappy with current school education’, class sizes too large’ and ‘bullying’. H almost a third of reasons listed were child-centred; e.g. ‘we wanted to stimulate our child’s learning’, ‘its the child’s choice’, ‘it meets our child’s needs H one in five parents describe their motivation in terms of their beliefs, referring to their ‘ideology’, ‘lifestyle’, their faith and ‘the lack of morality in society’. H some families adopted a more philosophical approach, often believing that the present education system needed reform. H close family relationship and being together and learning together H freedom and flexibility to do what we want, when we want H letting the children learn in their own style and develop naturally. F see chapter 3 on reasons and chapter 6 on research A growing revolution In Britain, America and many other countries a quiet but growing home school revolution has been taking place, in recent years, as more and more parents opt out of mass education into a more ‘do it yourself’ approach.
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