Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The Different Methods Of Home Schooling
by Ken Snow
There are a variety of methods that can be applied in the area of homeschooling. The method you select will have an impact on the curriculum and style of teaching. The following are some of the most popular homeschooling methods.
The Charlotte Mason method is named after Charlotte Mason, who is known as the originator of the homeschooling movement. She herself was a homeschooler, and she wanted to establish a basic plan for a complete and effective homeschooling program. The Charlotte Mason method emphasizes poetry, fine arts, classical music, crafts, and classical literature. This method is designed to encourage an awareness of literature and involves reading to the child every day. The child is then asked to tell what he or she has heard. This starts at the age of six. By the age of ten, the child is expected to write narrations in a book. Mason encouraged the use of nature diaries as well. The child writes observations of nature in the book as well. This creates a sense of respect for the environment in the child. Mason thought that good behavior and character were critical for a child's complete personality development.
The Eclectic Homeschooling method is a combination of several techniques. Innovative parents rely on their own judgment to select topics that make up the curriculum for their own child. These parents are always looking for the best products they can find to help them meet the needs of their home schoolers. Many of the curricula in this method are improvised. This means that, while the basic curriculum is established, parents change it to adapt to the individual needs and interests of their children. The curriculum is generally established according to the temperament, learning style, and interests of the children. These programs typically include visits to libraries, factories, and museums.
John Holt, a public educator in Boston, developed the 'unschooling' method. Holt believed that children learn best when they learn at their own pace and are guided by their own interests. He wanted to 'unschool' the child by requiring parents to take their cues from the children. This approach has no set curriculum, schedules, or materials. It is the most unstructured of the homeschooling techniques.
The Montessori method had its start in Italy. It was found that children go through extremely sensitive periods in which they experience periods of intense concentration. In these phases, children will repeat an action until they receive some measure of self-satisfaction from it. This method relies on prepared environments to facilitate learning. All materials utilized in this method are meant to satisfy the child's interior desire for spiritual development. Materials for this method range from simple to complex, and they are relatively costly.
Whatever method is selected, the underlying concept is flexibility and a strong interest in the child's own desires. The key is to use children's desire for knowledge to further their education.
To learn more about education and learning visit http://total-education.com
Article Source: http://unschoolers.com/articles/homeschooling/different_methods_of_homeschooling_ken_snow.html
There are a variety of methods that can be applied in the area of homeschooling. The method you select will have an impact on the curriculum and style of teaching. The following are some of the most popular homeschooling methods.
The Charlotte Mason method is named after Charlotte Mason, who is known as the originator of the homeschooling movement. She herself was a homeschooler, and she wanted to establish a basic plan for a complete and effective homeschooling program. The Charlotte Mason method emphasizes poetry, fine arts, classical music, crafts, and classical literature. This method is designed to encourage an awareness of literature and involves reading to the child every day. The child is then asked to tell what he or she has heard. This starts at the age of six. By the age of ten, the child is expected to write narrations in a book. Mason encouraged the use of nature diaries as well. The child writes observations of nature in the book as well. This creates a sense of respect for the environment in the child. Mason thought that good behavior and character were critical for a child's complete personality development.
The Eclectic Homeschooling method is a combination of several techniques. Innovative parents rely on their own judgment to select topics that make up the curriculum for their own child. These parents are always looking for the best products they can find to help them meet the needs of their home schoolers. Many of the curricula in this method are improvised. This means that, while the basic curriculum is established, parents change it to adapt to the individual needs and interests of their children. The curriculum is generally established according to the temperament, learning style, and interests of the children. These programs typically include visits to libraries, factories, and museums.
John Holt, a public educator in Boston, developed the 'unschooling' method. Holt believed that children learn best when they learn at their own pace and are guided by their own interests. He wanted to 'unschool' the child by requiring parents to take their cues from the children. This approach has no set curriculum, schedules, or materials. It is the most unstructured of the homeschooling techniques.
The Montessori method had its start in Italy. It was found that children go through extremely sensitive periods in which they experience periods of intense concentration. In these phases, children will repeat an action until they receive some measure of self-satisfaction from it. This method relies on prepared environments to facilitate learning. All materials utilized in this method are meant to satisfy the child's interior desire for spiritual development. Materials for this method range from simple to complex, and they are relatively costly.
Whatever method is selected, the underlying concept is flexibility and a strong interest in the child's own desires. The key is to use children's desire for knowledge to further their education.
To learn more about education and learning visit http://total-education.com
Article Source: http://unschoolers.com/articles/homeschooling/different_methods_of_homeschooling_ken_snow.html
Different Methods of Homeschooling
School at home: This is where parents try and re-create a public or private school classroom setting at home. There is usually a special room or place set aside just for this. It is very structured, usually using a packaged curriculum, and working around predetermined schedules.
Classical Schooling/Education: This is based on something called the trivium, which means three-fold way or road. The three stages (or ways) of learning are - Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric. Each stage is taught in order, and uses language, rather than images.
Charlotte Mason Method: This method uses "living books" that are full of characters and places that come alive, instead of dry, boring textbooks. It's focus is strongly on the liberal arts.
Unit Studies: A specific topic is chosen, and all subjects - Math, English, Geography, etc. - are integrated into that one topic.
Eclectic: Eclectic learners pick and choose from all the different educational methods to develop a unique learning style that works best for them.
Unschooling: This term was originally coined to describe "not going to school" or "learning without school." They believe that a person does not have to be in a school setting to learn, and that learning is not something that needs to be restricted to a specific time of day.
To see the whole article click here.
Classical Schooling/Education: This is based on something called the trivium, which means three-fold way or road. The three stages (or ways) of learning are - Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric. Each stage is taught in order, and uses language, rather than images.
Charlotte Mason Method: This method uses "living books" that are full of characters and places that come alive, instead of dry, boring textbooks. It's focus is strongly on the liberal arts.
Unit Studies: A specific topic is chosen, and all subjects - Math, English, Geography, etc. - are integrated into that one topic.
Eclectic: Eclectic learners pick and choose from all the different educational methods to develop a unique learning style that works best for them.
Unschooling: This term was originally coined to describe "not going to school" or "learning without school." They believe that a person does not have to be in a school setting to learn, and that learning is not something that needs to be restricted to a specific time of day.
To see the whole article click here.
Unschooling Equals Natural Learning
by Jeff Madison
How do you learn something in your post high school/post college life? If you sit down and think about it for awhile, you will probably discover that you pursue things you are interested in or that will help you in your life's direction. If you really think about it, you will notice that you don't really waste any time on things that don't interest you or that have no value to you. You will notice that pursuing these things are easy and enjoyable and that you sometimes you "loose track of time" when you are absorbed in pursuing these interests.
In effect, you are "schooling" yourself without anyone telling you what to do, or why you should do it, or for how long. In home education circles, this is called unschooling and it is applied to school aged children.
There are many misconceptions about unschooling. Many people think that unschooled children have no structure to their lives and that they sit around all day doing mindless things (usually visions of gameboy, X-box, TV, and movies come to mind). If you will do just a little research, however, you will find that this is simply not true. Parents who adhere to the unschooling methods do not just abdicate their responsibility in guiding their children's education, they just go about it a different way than is generally accepted by the masses.
The hardest part of unschooling is the change it requires in the minds parents. Mom and Dad have to start looking at education in a more holistic way. Everything in life becomes a learning experience, i.e. a trip to the grocery store becomes a lesson in math, consumerism, marketing, etc. Unschooling requires parents to think about education in a whole new way, the way you wish you had been allowed to learn...following your interests with no limits of time, space and age.
The role that unschooling parents play in their child's education is the role of facilitator not teacher. SHOCK! I know but that's because of our preconceived ideas about schooling, how children learn, and our whole role in it. This is not to say that a parent never "teaches" a child anything. The parent just chooses to do it in a way that follows a child's natural desire to learn. In our traditional thinking, a teacher chooses what a child need to know and when and then comes up with a plan to make sure it happens. I know, you are thinking that this doesn't sound too bad and you are right only the difference is in the method of application. In traditional schooling, the child if forced to learn things at a certain time...no matter what their interest or ability. With unschooling, the parent facilitator/teacher takes notice of what the child is interested in and provides them with the tools to make learning possible without an agenda. The parent usually has in mind things the child need to learn to function in society, they just don't stress about timetables and they find ways to intertwine the necessary learning of life into whatever the child is pursuing. Often times, the parent will see that the necessary things are usually learned by the child without much "pushing".
Most parents start homeschooling because they want to foster the creativity and curiosity they see in their child in a natural way. Most times, however, parents get bogged down by the pressure they feel to educate by the prescribed methods that the school system has invented to teach the masses.
Unschooling frees your child to love the process of learning because they are truly interested in what they are doing and are allowed the time to explore. They get to learn what they are interested in at the time they are interested in it. Parents facilitate, teach and guide as their child learns at their own pace...the way you choose to learn things yourself.
Wait. For more tips and helps on Home Schooling including informative articles on Unschooling visit http://homeschooling.tipsandhelps.com/
Article Source: http://unschoolers.com/articles/homeschooling/unschooling_equals_natural_learning_jeff_madison.html
How do you learn something in your post high school/post college life? If you sit down and think about it for awhile, you will probably discover that you pursue things you are interested in or that will help you in your life's direction. If you really think about it, you will notice that you don't really waste any time on things that don't interest you or that have no value to you. You will notice that pursuing these things are easy and enjoyable and that you sometimes you "loose track of time" when you are absorbed in pursuing these interests.
In effect, you are "schooling" yourself without anyone telling you what to do, or why you should do it, or for how long. In home education circles, this is called unschooling and it is applied to school aged children.
There are many misconceptions about unschooling. Many people think that unschooled children have no structure to their lives and that they sit around all day doing mindless things (usually visions of gameboy, X-box, TV, and movies come to mind). If you will do just a little research, however, you will find that this is simply not true. Parents who adhere to the unschooling methods do not just abdicate their responsibility in guiding their children's education, they just go about it a different way than is generally accepted by the masses.
The hardest part of unschooling is the change it requires in the minds parents. Mom and Dad have to start looking at education in a more holistic way. Everything in life becomes a learning experience, i.e. a trip to the grocery store becomes a lesson in math, consumerism, marketing, etc. Unschooling requires parents to think about education in a whole new way, the way you wish you had been allowed to learn...following your interests with no limits of time, space and age.
The role that unschooling parents play in their child's education is the role of facilitator not teacher. SHOCK! I know but that's because of our preconceived ideas about schooling, how children learn, and our whole role in it. This is not to say that a parent never "teaches" a child anything. The parent just chooses to do it in a way that follows a child's natural desire to learn. In our traditional thinking, a teacher chooses what a child need to know and when and then comes up with a plan to make sure it happens. I know, you are thinking that this doesn't sound too bad and you are right only the difference is in the method of application. In traditional schooling, the child if forced to learn things at a certain time...no matter what their interest or ability. With unschooling, the parent facilitator/teacher takes notice of what the child is interested in and provides them with the tools to make learning possible without an agenda. The parent usually has in mind things the child need to learn to function in society, they just don't stress about timetables and they find ways to intertwine the necessary learning of life into whatever the child is pursuing. Often times, the parent will see that the necessary things are usually learned by the child without much "pushing".
Most parents start homeschooling because they want to foster the creativity and curiosity they see in their child in a natural way. Most times, however, parents get bogged down by the pressure they feel to educate by the prescribed methods that the school system has invented to teach the masses.
Unschooling frees your child to love the process of learning because they are truly interested in what they are doing and are allowed the time to explore. They get to learn what they are interested in at the time they are interested in it. Parents facilitate, teach and guide as their child learns at their own pace...the way you choose to learn things yourself.
Wait. For more tips and helps on Home Schooling including informative articles on Unschooling visit http://homeschooling.tipsandhelps.com/
Article Source: http://unschoolers.com/articles/homeschooling/unschooling_equals_natural_learning_jeff_madison.html
What is Unschooling?
by Scott Hughes
Unschooling is a movement in education. Basically, it can be seen as learning without school. Although unschooling may be considered a form of homeschooling, it differs from most homeschooling in that unschooling does not try to recreate the school environment at home.
Unschooling lets the child control his or her own education and learning. Instead of forcing the child to learn certain material in a certain way, unschooling consists of letting the child learn naturally on their own. Usually, this is done without a curriculum, without formal classes, and without teachers, but a child can use any of those resources if and when the child wants.
The unschooling philosophy is based in part on the belief that children are naturally curious and inquisitive. Children want to learn, and they do it best when left to explore their own curiosity.
Unschoolers often believe that schools hinder the natural learning process. In a school, the environment is too rigid and unnatural for children to learn at their best. Additionally, children are often not interested in what is being taught, since they have no choice in the matter. Having an unwanted "education" shoved down their throats turns the kids off to learning. Because children don't like school, they stop wanting to learn at all when forced to go to school.
A major problem with mainstream schools is that they can only offer a standardized, one-size-fits-all education. This does not respect the fact that children do not all learn the same. Children have different learning styles, and also have different interests and needs. In contrast to mainstream schools, unschoolers keep their children at home and allow them to explore their own individual interests in a way that they want.
While unschooling, the children like learning, and they have fun while learning. For example, a child might see a bug that interests them and the child may then want to go inside and look up information about that bug. An older child who is interested in computers might ask for a kit that would allow him or her to build a computer at home.
Since the children are following their own interests and desires, the child learns what they will want to know. For example, that child who built the computer as a kid may grow up to be a computer engineer. Had the child gone to mainstream school, the child would not have gotten the chance to explore his or her own particular interests at such an early age, and would have instead been forced to "learn" a standardized education.
Not everyone thinks unschooling is better than mainstream, standardized education. At the very least, now you know what unschooling is and some of the reasons unschoolers prefer it.
Scott Hughes owns and operates a website about unschooling at the following URL: http://unschool.info/
The website has Education and Learning Forums, which can be used to discuss education, learning, and unschooling. It's completely free, and all viewpoints are welcome.
http://unschoolers.com/articles/homeschooling/what_is_unschooling_scott_hughes.html
Unschooling is a movement in education. Basically, it can be seen as learning without school. Although unschooling may be considered a form of homeschooling, it differs from most homeschooling in that unschooling does not try to recreate the school environment at home.
Unschooling lets the child control his or her own education and learning. Instead of forcing the child to learn certain material in a certain way, unschooling consists of letting the child learn naturally on their own. Usually, this is done without a curriculum, without formal classes, and without teachers, but a child can use any of those resources if and when the child wants.
The unschooling philosophy is based in part on the belief that children are naturally curious and inquisitive. Children want to learn, and they do it best when left to explore their own curiosity.
Unschoolers often believe that schools hinder the natural learning process. In a school, the environment is too rigid and unnatural for children to learn at their best. Additionally, children are often not interested in what is being taught, since they have no choice in the matter. Having an unwanted "education" shoved down their throats turns the kids off to learning. Because children don't like school, they stop wanting to learn at all when forced to go to school.
A major problem with mainstream schools is that they can only offer a standardized, one-size-fits-all education. This does not respect the fact that children do not all learn the same. Children have different learning styles, and also have different interests and needs. In contrast to mainstream schools, unschoolers keep their children at home and allow them to explore their own individual interests in a way that they want.
While unschooling, the children like learning, and they have fun while learning. For example, a child might see a bug that interests them and the child may then want to go inside and look up information about that bug. An older child who is interested in computers might ask for a kit that would allow him or her to build a computer at home.
Since the children are following their own interests and desires, the child learns what they will want to know. For example, that child who built the computer as a kid may grow up to be a computer engineer. Had the child gone to mainstream school, the child would not have gotten the chance to explore his or her own particular interests at such an early age, and would have instead been forced to "learn" a standardized education.
Not everyone thinks unschooling is better than mainstream, standardized education. At the very least, now you know what unschooling is and some of the reasons unschoolers prefer it.
Scott Hughes owns and operates a website about unschooling at the following URL: http://unschool.info/
The website has Education and Learning Forums, which can be used to discuss education, learning, and unschooling. It's completely free, and all viewpoints are welcome.
http://unschoolers.com/articles/homeschooling/what_is_unschooling_scott_hughes.html
Christian School - Ten Reasons
by Paul A. Kienel
The Christian school movement is the fastest growing educational movement in America today. The U.S.NEWS AND WORLD REPORT and CHRISTIAN LIFE magazines have referred to the rapid proliferation of Christian elementary and secondary schools as the "Boom in Protestant Schools" and "The Christian School Explosion." Christian schools are currently being established across the United States at the rate of two new schools a day.
In California we average one new Chrsitian school each week. Obviously parents by the thousands have opted to send their youngsters to Christian schools as opposed to secular public schools. As a parent who sends my children to Christian schools and speaks to thousands of parents on the radio and on tour, permit me to share ten reasons why you should send your children to Christian schools:
ONE: You are accountable to God for what your children are taught in school. Proverbs 22:6 is a direct command to parents. It says, "Train up a child in the way he should go..." What your children are taught in school should be a direct extension of your parental views. The teachers under whom your children are taught these home should be the kind of teachers you would personally hire if your children were being educated in your home.
TWO: Christian schools offer a better level of instruction. There is no question about it. The test scores over a long period of years are conclusive. The annual Stanford Achievement Test administered to first through eighth grade Christian school students in the western states shows these students to be seven to nineteen months ahead of the national norm in reading, and seven to thirteen months ahead of the national norm in all subject areas.
THREE: The Bible does not teach that children should be exposed to all kinds of sin. We are to train "up" a child, not point him downward. Children do not grow spiritually stronger in a negative non-Christian environment.
Students do not become stronger Christians by being taught non-Christian thinking, but by being taught Christian thinking, and there is no such person as a "neutral" school teacher who neither advances nor inhibits religion. School represents 16% of your child's time. It is prime time, a training time, and Christian school education represents a positive Bible- centered form of instruction that will build a child up in the faith- -not tear him down. Proverbs 19:27 says, "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge."
FOUR: The Christian school is right for your child because the Christian school has not cut itself off from the most important book in the world--the Bible. Without the Bible, education is nothing more than the blind leading the blind. Standards for morality must be taken from Scripture alone, not from situations as often taught in secular schools. As Theodore Roosevelt stated, "To train a man in mind and not in morals is to train a menace to society."
FIVE: The Christian school provides an opportunity for your child to witness for Christ. This surprises some people because they assume all students in a Christian school are Christians. In most cases a majority are Christian; however, in every Christian school there are always some students who need the Savior. Christian students are trained and encouraged to reach these youngsters for Jesus Christ. Witnessing in a Christian school has the support of parents, students, teachers, administration and the school board. Presenting Christ as Savior is not illegal in a Christian school.
SIX: Christian school educators teach all subject matter from a Christian context. They put the Bible at the center of the curriculum and ask students to evaluate all they see in the world through the eyes of God. To quote Dr. Roy Zuck, The secular vs. Christian school issue is really a question of whether a child will learn to view life from man's perspective or God's perspective. From man's viewpoint, history is purposeless; from God's viewpoint, history has meaning. From man's viewpoint, science is the laws of "nature" at work; from God's viewpoint, science is the outworking of His laws.
In a Christian school, a student is exposed to the centrality of God in all of life. In public education, a student is legally "sheltered" from this important dimension of education.
SEVEN:Christian schools support the family as the number one institution of society. Christian school educators train students to respect their parents. These educators agree with the early American patriot, Noah Webster, who said, "All government originates in families, and if neglected there, it will hardly exist in society."
EIGHT: "The atheists have, for all practical purposes, taken over public education in this country." Shocking words, yes, but they were spoken by a prominent public school educator, Dr. W.P.Schofstall, former Arizona State Superintendent of Schools. Paradoxically, many public school personnel openly support Christian school education.
As a matter of fact, the largest group of parents who send their children to Christian schools are public school teachers and principals. I conducted a nationwide survey among these public school educators. The following statement is typical of the responses I received: "I prefer to send my children to a Christian school because Christ is central to all information taught and caught. The public school is basically humanistic and materialistic in its approach to life and the fundamental questions of human existence and purpose. The Christian school holds a unique position with the home and the church."
NINE: Christian school educators maintain discipline in the classroom and on the playground. Without a reasonable standard of discipline, the process of education is severely hampered. "For whom the Lord loves, He disciplines..." the Bible teaches. And it is within that context of love that discipline is carried out in a Christian school. This important feature of education is rapidly disappearing from the public school education. According to the recent GALLUP POLL OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS EDUCATION, Lack of discipline in the public schools again heads the list of problems cited most often by survey respondents. Discipline has, in fact, been named the number one problem of the schools in seven of the last eight years. New evidence of its importance comes from the special survey of high school juniors and seniors. An even higher percentage of this group names discipline as the leading problem faced by the public school.
TEN: "We believe that our children are gifts of the Lord. We are responsible to train them according to His Word not only at home and in church, but in school as well." This statement was made by a parent in response to a question on an application form for enrollment of his children at Delaware County Christian School in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
More and more parents, especially Christian parents, are coming to the conclusion that secular public education and most of its teachers and principals no longer represent their personal parental views. These parents are exercising their freedom of choice and sending their children to Christian schools and colleges.
Article reprinted from AllonGOD.com, the complete christian resource site with more than 5000 webpages.
http://www.surfinthespirit.com/education/ten-reasons.html
The Christian school movement is the fastest growing educational movement in America today. The U.S.NEWS AND WORLD REPORT and CHRISTIAN LIFE magazines have referred to the rapid proliferation of Christian elementary and secondary schools as the "Boom in Protestant Schools" and "The Christian School Explosion." Christian schools are currently being established across the United States at the rate of two new schools a day.
In California we average one new Chrsitian school each week. Obviously parents by the thousands have opted to send their youngsters to Christian schools as opposed to secular public schools. As a parent who sends my children to Christian schools and speaks to thousands of parents on the radio and on tour, permit me to share ten reasons why you should send your children to Christian schools:
ONE: You are accountable to God for what your children are taught in school. Proverbs 22:6 is a direct command to parents. It says, "Train up a child in the way he should go..." What your children are taught in school should be a direct extension of your parental views. The teachers under whom your children are taught these home should be the kind of teachers you would personally hire if your children were being educated in your home.
TWO: Christian schools offer a better level of instruction. There is no question about it. The test scores over a long period of years are conclusive. The annual Stanford Achievement Test administered to first through eighth grade Christian school students in the western states shows these students to be seven to nineteen months ahead of the national norm in reading, and seven to thirteen months ahead of the national norm in all subject areas.
THREE: The Bible does not teach that children should be exposed to all kinds of sin. We are to train "up" a child, not point him downward. Children do not grow spiritually stronger in a negative non-Christian environment.
Students do not become stronger Christians by being taught non-Christian thinking, but by being taught Christian thinking, and there is no such person as a "neutral" school teacher who neither advances nor inhibits religion. School represents 16% of your child's time. It is prime time, a training time, and Christian school education represents a positive Bible- centered form of instruction that will build a child up in the faith- -not tear him down. Proverbs 19:27 says, "Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge."
FOUR: The Christian school is right for your child because the Christian school has not cut itself off from the most important book in the world--the Bible. Without the Bible, education is nothing more than the blind leading the blind. Standards for morality must be taken from Scripture alone, not from situations as often taught in secular schools. As Theodore Roosevelt stated, "To train a man in mind and not in morals is to train a menace to society."
FIVE: The Christian school provides an opportunity for your child to witness for Christ. This surprises some people because they assume all students in a Christian school are Christians. In most cases a majority are Christian; however, in every Christian school there are always some students who need the Savior. Christian students are trained and encouraged to reach these youngsters for Jesus Christ. Witnessing in a Christian school has the support of parents, students, teachers, administration and the school board. Presenting Christ as Savior is not illegal in a Christian school.
SIX: Christian school educators teach all subject matter from a Christian context. They put the Bible at the center of the curriculum and ask students to evaluate all they see in the world through the eyes of God. To quote Dr. Roy Zuck, The secular vs. Christian school issue is really a question of whether a child will learn to view life from man's perspective or God's perspective. From man's viewpoint, history is purposeless; from God's viewpoint, history has meaning. From man's viewpoint, science is the laws of "nature" at work; from God's viewpoint, science is the outworking of His laws.
In a Christian school, a student is exposed to the centrality of God in all of life. In public education, a student is legally "sheltered" from this important dimension of education.
SEVEN:Christian schools support the family as the number one institution of society. Christian school educators train students to respect their parents. These educators agree with the early American patriot, Noah Webster, who said, "All government originates in families, and if neglected there, it will hardly exist in society."
EIGHT: "The atheists have, for all practical purposes, taken over public education in this country." Shocking words, yes, but they were spoken by a prominent public school educator, Dr. W.P.Schofstall, former Arizona State Superintendent of Schools. Paradoxically, many public school personnel openly support Christian school education.
As a matter of fact, the largest group of parents who send their children to Christian schools are public school teachers and principals. I conducted a nationwide survey among these public school educators. The following statement is typical of the responses I received: "I prefer to send my children to a Christian school because Christ is central to all information taught and caught. The public school is basically humanistic and materialistic in its approach to life and the fundamental questions of human existence and purpose. The Christian school holds a unique position with the home and the church."
NINE: Christian school educators maintain discipline in the classroom and on the playground. Without a reasonable standard of discipline, the process of education is severely hampered. "For whom the Lord loves, He disciplines..." the Bible teaches. And it is within that context of love that discipline is carried out in a Christian school. This important feature of education is rapidly disappearing from the public school education. According to the recent GALLUP POLL OF PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS EDUCATION, Lack of discipline in the public schools again heads the list of problems cited most often by survey respondents. Discipline has, in fact, been named the number one problem of the schools in seven of the last eight years. New evidence of its importance comes from the special survey of high school juniors and seniors. An even higher percentage of this group names discipline as the leading problem faced by the public school.
TEN: "We believe that our children are gifts of the Lord. We are responsible to train them according to His Word not only at home and in church, but in school as well." This statement was made by a parent in response to a question on an application form for enrollment of his children at Delaware County Christian School in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.
More and more parents, especially Christian parents, are coming to the conclusion that secular public education and most of its teachers and principals no longer represent their personal parental views. These parents are exercising their freedom of choice and sending their children to Christian schools and colleges.
Article reprinted from AllonGOD.com, the complete christian resource site with more than 5000 webpages.
http://www.surfinthespirit.com/education/ten-reasons.html
Monday, September 7, 2009
Five Myths About Public Education
by Tory and Barb Shelton
People today tend to deem the public schools the ultimate authority on, and the best place to receive an education. In order to make such an assumption, one would have to believe in several myths, although sometimes (if not usually) unknowingly. In this paper I will present five of these commonly believed myths, along with evidence supporting the fact that public education is not, contrary to popular belief, the ideal form of education.
MYTH #1: "Public schools provide positive, appropriate socialization."
Many people assume that because their children are around other children of the same age, they are getting wholesome, proper socialization. They assume that children are best able to socialize each other, that they are the best examples for each other. But by taking a look at reality, we see that children are superficial: they form in cliques, they ridicule children with less social standing, charisma, talent or looks, and they degrade anyone who is "different." Dr. Raymond Moore, who has collected and studied much research in education, said:
"Negative, me-first sociability is born from more peer group association and fewer meaningful parental contact and responsibility experiences in the home during the first 8 to 12 years. The early peer influence generally brings an indifference to family values which defy parents' correction. The child does not yet consistently understand the "why" of parental demands... So he does what comes naturally: He adapts to the ways of his agemates because 'everybody's doing it,' and gives parent values the back of his little hand."
Chances are that many children lose their self esteem on the playground at recess from the whole "King of the Mountain" scenario. Adults in authority oftentimes stand by and watch this whole process happen because they think it is only "natural," and helps the children learn to be strong and interact with each other, to "toughen them up" and "prepare them for real life." However, in all actuality, what's really happening is that this is grinding down on their self worth, wounding them, and weighing down on them for many years to come. "Survival of the fittest" is the motto of the children on the playground, benefiting the few stronger ones, but devaluing the weaker ones, the majority. Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said,
"I have seen kids dismantle one another, while parents and teachers stood passively by and observed the 'socialization' process. I've seen the socialization theory in action, and it doesn't hold much water."
MYTH #2: "Public education is religiously neutral."
It is commonly thought that the educational material presented in public schools is non-biased and is not partial to any certain belief. In truth, the public school could not be any more biased against God or any of His morals or principles. Karl Reed, a writer on moral and education issues, said:
"Public education has taken on the characteristics of a religion, promising answers for all ills of life and nation. ... That 'religion,' or belief system, incorporates into its dogma a faith in 'The Secular State,' which is now carved in the likeness of God. Along with holding to a belief in 'The State' has come a total lack of confidence in God and his foundation for true primary education. State-run schools have taught Americans to put faith in 'The State' instead of in God and His way."
Horace Mann, who lived in the 1800's, was called "the father of public education." Here is what he saw as being appropriate and ideal and for the future of education of America's children:
"What the church has been for medieval man, the public school must become for democratic and rational man. God will be replaced by the concept of the public good. The common (public) schools shall create a more far-seeing intelligence and a pure morality than has ever existed among communities of men."
Mr. Mann, a Unitarian, couldn't be any further from the truth in his anti-Christian beliefs. He established an abhorrently erroneous standard for the future of educating the people of our country! It's like he took the truth, poured it into a blender, and pulverized it. He then added his own seasonings and fed it to our country. Unfortunately, they drank; they bought into it and accepted his philosophy as the way things should be. The results today are quite obviously not the way God intended education to be. Cathy Duffy, author of "Government Nannies", said:
"Public schools were instituted to modify the behavior of children rather than to educate them... Most of the curriculum being used in public schools is designed to meet educational goals that differ radically from [those of Christians']. So I believe that Christian parents should not send their children to public schools if there is any other option available. I believe that when we do so, in many, but not all cases we are handing our children over to the enemy for anti-Christian indoctrination."
MYTH #3: "Traditional schools have the best methods for providing the highest quality in education."
While some students do well in the public school system, many fall through the cracks, only to become another statistic, never fully achieving their potential. They get lost in the system, with the blame usually being placed on them, the students. They are labeled "underachievers" or "slackers" when, in fact, it may be the system that is hindering them from succeeding. John Taylor Gatto, New York State Teacher of the Year in 1990, said:
"...I began to wonder, reluctantly, whether it was possible that being in school itself was what was dumbing them down. Was it possible I had been hired not to enlarge children's power, but to diminish it? That seemed crazy on the face of it, but slowly I began to realize that the bells and the confinement, the crazy sequences, the age-segregation, the lack of privacy, the constant surveillance, and all the rest of the national curriculum of schooling were designed exactly as if someone had set out to prevent children from learning how to think and act, to coax them into addiction and dependant behavior."
Many people have memories of only the good times they had during their school experience. For example they remember the new crayons, lunch boxes, recess, pep rallies, sports, extra-curricular activities, etc. But on the flip side, they overlook, or have simply forgotten, the sometimes harsh realities of their daily schooling. Ron Thruelsen, a father concerned about the decline of education, said:
"By definition, public schools are supposed to provide a quality education for all children, but this obviously is impossible. Quality education will go to a small group of students whose learning and social style fits the school system. For most of the rest, it will be a dreary marathon to be endured for many years. For the children on the fringe, school is a place of intimidation, frustration, and endless failure to reach someone else's expectations."
MYTH #4: "Better education requires higher spending."
It is obvious every voting year that the public schools think they need more money to be able to give a better education to the children in their care. In reality, more funding is not necessarily what is needed, but instead a better spending of the money they already have. Their money could be better spent if they had more of a concept of what real education is. According to the U.S. Dept. of Education, about $250 billion was spent on public schools for the 1991-92 school year.
This means that approximately $6000 was spent on each pupil in the public schools for that year. Diane Ravitch, a national leader in the area of education, stated:
"Spending is up and achievement is down. Per-pupil spending has nearly doubled from approximately $3000 to just under $6000 per student. However, the SAT scores continue to decline."
It could be thought that this money is well-spent, going toward improving the facilities and conditions in which our children are educated, but here is a shocking statistic I found in a book called "The Right Choice: Homeschooling":
"Only 60 percent of this money even gets to the classroom. At least 40 percent of the money goes to the bureaucracy. According to Albert Shanker, President of the American Federation of Teachers: 'One of the major differences between American schools and all others in the world is that we spend half of our money on bureaucracy, whereas the other schools in the world don't spend more than 20 percent... You know, we have about one teacher to every twenty-five kids in the country, *but we have one supervisor for every six teachers.*'"
MYTH #5: "Education can be complete without God and the Bible."
It is commonly believed that it is not necessary to include God in the curriculum used to educate. But in actuality, education was originally intended for God to be the center and the driving force behind it. George Washington said: "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." His successor, John Adams, said: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
Without God at the helms of education, this country has been in moral decline, and will continue to do so until people begin to wake up to the truth and do something about it. One option would be to pull out of the public school system, with the two alternatives being either to send their children to a private school, or to educate their children themselves at home. Or they can stay in the public school system and try to influence it for the good. Which path they choose would all depend on how they feel God leads them.
In Websters 1828 dictionary, the word "education" is defined as:
"The bringing up, as of a child; instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable, and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties."
With the public schools being in the state they are now in, and with the values they now possess, are they capable of producing God-fearing people or accomplishing what education was really meant to be? It is astounding to think that the institution into which we pour millions of our tax dollars is the same institution which has banned God, and therefore has banned the very principles and morals upon which our country was founded.
Copyright by Barbara Edtl Shelton. This article is used by permission from the author. The Shelton's operate a home-based ministry to homeschoolers from their home in Longview, WA, primarily through the books that Barb has written. All of Barb's speaking and writing is on topics of vital interest to burning-out as well as brand new and wanna-be homeschoolers. Barb's resources reflect her "lite" approach to homeschooling that is based on the verse in Matt. 28:11 in which Jesus says, "My yoke is easy, my burden light." With vulnerability, humor, God's Word, Barb's heart is to inspire parents to pursue God's unique plan for the education of their children, and she offers much practical help in doing so. You'll be challenged, irritated, and moved to laugh, cry, think and re-think your views about education, and best of all, get set free or freer) in Jesus! They may be contacted via their website: http://www.homeschooloasis.com
http://www.surfinthespirit.com/education/myths.html
People today tend to deem the public schools the ultimate authority on, and the best place to receive an education. In order to make such an assumption, one would have to believe in several myths, although sometimes (if not usually) unknowingly. In this paper I will present five of these commonly believed myths, along with evidence supporting the fact that public education is not, contrary to popular belief, the ideal form of education.
MYTH #1: "Public schools provide positive, appropriate socialization."
Many people assume that because their children are around other children of the same age, they are getting wholesome, proper socialization. They assume that children are best able to socialize each other, that they are the best examples for each other. But by taking a look at reality, we see that children are superficial: they form in cliques, they ridicule children with less social standing, charisma, talent or looks, and they degrade anyone who is "different." Dr. Raymond Moore, who has collected and studied much research in education, said:
"Negative, me-first sociability is born from more peer group association and fewer meaningful parental contact and responsibility experiences in the home during the first 8 to 12 years. The early peer influence generally brings an indifference to family values which defy parents' correction. The child does not yet consistently understand the "why" of parental demands... So he does what comes naturally: He adapts to the ways of his agemates because 'everybody's doing it,' and gives parent values the back of his little hand."
Chances are that many children lose their self esteem on the playground at recess from the whole "King of the Mountain" scenario. Adults in authority oftentimes stand by and watch this whole process happen because they think it is only "natural," and helps the children learn to be strong and interact with each other, to "toughen them up" and "prepare them for real life." However, in all actuality, what's really happening is that this is grinding down on their self worth, wounding them, and weighing down on them for many years to come. "Survival of the fittest" is the motto of the children on the playground, benefiting the few stronger ones, but devaluing the weaker ones, the majority. Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said,
"I have seen kids dismantle one another, while parents and teachers stood passively by and observed the 'socialization' process. I've seen the socialization theory in action, and it doesn't hold much water."
MYTH #2: "Public education is religiously neutral."
It is commonly thought that the educational material presented in public schools is non-biased and is not partial to any certain belief. In truth, the public school could not be any more biased against God or any of His morals or principles. Karl Reed, a writer on moral and education issues, said:
"Public education has taken on the characteristics of a religion, promising answers for all ills of life and nation. ... That 'religion,' or belief system, incorporates into its dogma a faith in 'The Secular State,' which is now carved in the likeness of God. Along with holding to a belief in 'The State' has come a total lack of confidence in God and his foundation for true primary education. State-run schools have taught Americans to put faith in 'The State' instead of in God and His way."
Horace Mann, who lived in the 1800's, was called "the father of public education." Here is what he saw as being appropriate and ideal and for the future of education of America's children:
"What the church has been for medieval man, the public school must become for democratic and rational man. God will be replaced by the concept of the public good. The common (public) schools shall create a more far-seeing intelligence and a pure morality than has ever existed among communities of men."
Mr. Mann, a Unitarian, couldn't be any further from the truth in his anti-Christian beliefs. He established an abhorrently erroneous standard for the future of educating the people of our country! It's like he took the truth, poured it into a blender, and pulverized it. He then added his own seasonings and fed it to our country. Unfortunately, they drank; they bought into it and accepted his philosophy as the way things should be. The results today are quite obviously not the way God intended education to be. Cathy Duffy, author of "Government Nannies", said:
"Public schools were instituted to modify the behavior of children rather than to educate them... Most of the curriculum being used in public schools is designed to meet educational goals that differ radically from [those of Christians']. So I believe that Christian parents should not send their children to public schools if there is any other option available. I believe that when we do so, in many, but not all cases we are handing our children over to the enemy for anti-Christian indoctrination."
MYTH #3: "Traditional schools have the best methods for providing the highest quality in education."
While some students do well in the public school system, many fall through the cracks, only to become another statistic, never fully achieving their potential. They get lost in the system, with the blame usually being placed on them, the students. They are labeled "underachievers" or "slackers" when, in fact, it may be the system that is hindering them from succeeding. John Taylor Gatto, New York State Teacher of the Year in 1990, said:
"...I began to wonder, reluctantly, whether it was possible that being in school itself was what was dumbing them down. Was it possible I had been hired not to enlarge children's power, but to diminish it? That seemed crazy on the face of it, but slowly I began to realize that the bells and the confinement, the crazy sequences, the age-segregation, the lack of privacy, the constant surveillance, and all the rest of the national curriculum of schooling were designed exactly as if someone had set out to prevent children from learning how to think and act, to coax them into addiction and dependant behavior."
Many people have memories of only the good times they had during their school experience. For example they remember the new crayons, lunch boxes, recess, pep rallies, sports, extra-curricular activities, etc. But on the flip side, they overlook, or have simply forgotten, the sometimes harsh realities of their daily schooling. Ron Thruelsen, a father concerned about the decline of education, said:
"By definition, public schools are supposed to provide a quality education for all children, but this obviously is impossible. Quality education will go to a small group of students whose learning and social style fits the school system. For most of the rest, it will be a dreary marathon to be endured for many years. For the children on the fringe, school is a place of intimidation, frustration, and endless failure to reach someone else's expectations."
MYTH #4: "Better education requires higher spending."
It is obvious every voting year that the public schools think they need more money to be able to give a better education to the children in their care. In reality, more funding is not necessarily what is needed, but instead a better spending of the money they already have. Their money could be better spent if they had more of a concept of what real education is. According to the U.S. Dept. of Education, about $250 billion was spent on public schools for the 1991-92 school year.
This means that approximately $6000 was spent on each pupil in the public schools for that year. Diane Ravitch, a national leader in the area of education, stated:
"Spending is up and achievement is down. Per-pupil spending has nearly doubled from approximately $3000 to just under $6000 per student. However, the SAT scores continue to decline."
It could be thought that this money is well-spent, going toward improving the facilities and conditions in which our children are educated, but here is a shocking statistic I found in a book called "The Right Choice: Homeschooling":
"Only 60 percent of this money even gets to the classroom. At least 40 percent of the money goes to the bureaucracy. According to Albert Shanker, President of the American Federation of Teachers: 'One of the major differences between American schools and all others in the world is that we spend half of our money on bureaucracy, whereas the other schools in the world don't spend more than 20 percent... You know, we have about one teacher to every twenty-five kids in the country, *but we have one supervisor for every six teachers.*'"
MYTH #5: "Education can be complete without God and the Bible."
It is commonly believed that it is not necessary to include God in the curriculum used to educate. But in actuality, education was originally intended for God to be the center and the driving force behind it. George Washington said: "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." His successor, John Adams, said: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
Without God at the helms of education, this country has been in moral decline, and will continue to do so until people begin to wake up to the truth and do something about it. One option would be to pull out of the public school system, with the two alternatives being either to send their children to a private school, or to educate their children themselves at home. Or they can stay in the public school system and try to influence it for the good. Which path they choose would all depend on how they feel God leads them.
In Websters 1828 dictionary, the word "education" is defined as:
"The bringing up, as of a child; instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable, and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties."
With the public schools being in the state they are now in, and with the values they now possess, are they capable of producing God-fearing people or accomplishing what education was really meant to be? It is astounding to think that the institution into which we pour millions of our tax dollars is the same institution which has banned God, and therefore has banned the very principles and morals upon which our country was founded.
Copyright by Barbara Edtl Shelton. This article is used by permission from the author. The Shelton's operate a home-based ministry to homeschoolers from their home in Longview, WA, primarily through the books that Barb has written. All of Barb's speaking and writing is on topics of vital interest to burning-out as well as brand new and wanna-be homeschoolers. Barb's resources reflect her "lite" approach to homeschooling that is based on the verse in Matt. 28:11 in which Jesus says, "My yoke is easy, my burden light." With vulnerability, humor, God's Word, Barb's heart is to inspire parents to pursue God's unique plan for the education of their children, and she offers much practical help in doing so. You'll be challenged, irritated, and moved to laugh, cry, think and re-think your views about education, and best of all, get set free or freer) in Jesus! They may be contacted via their website: http://www.homeschooloasis.com
http://www.surfinthespirit.com/education/myths.html
Top 10 Excuses Not To Homeschool
by Tamara Eaton
1. My kids drive me crazy.
Then maybe it's time you do something so they don't drive everyone else crazy, too! It's easier to ignore problem areas if you send your children off to school each day ~ you don't have to put up with it all the time. Let the teacher and other students do it instead.
But who must answer to the Lord for how you taught and trained your child? Not the teacher but the parent. Homeschooling isn't a "cure-all" for poor behavior but it does give us time together to work out any problems instead of ignoring them, and it eliminates the negative role models and peer pressure which often influences negative behavior.
Or maybe you feel that they DO respect others, just not you? You can tell them when to brush their teeth, get dressed, go to bed ~ just not when to do their math! There is really no difference ~ it's all a matter of obedience and respect.
Ephesians 6:1-2 "Children obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."
2. I don't have enough patience.
Patience comes through overcoming trials and learning to yield to the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25) instead of the fruit of flesh. You'll never develop patience if you continually avoid opportunities that would require you to put it into practice. But you might be surprised how quickly it grows with frequent exercise ~ homeschooling can be that vehicle the Lord uses to work patience in you!
3. I'm not highly educated.
Fine ~ here's your chance to learn right along with your children! There are tremendous resources available to help us teach our own children. Studies have proven time and again that the success of homeschooling is not dependent upon the level of the parents' education. According to Dr. Brian Ray's recent study, "Home educated students' test scores remain between the 80th and 90th percentiles, whether their mothers have a college degree or did not complete high school." [from National Home Education Research Institute. And there's lots more "proof in the pudding" where that came from!]
4. I love my job.
What's more important during this season of your life ~ your children or your job? Your job can wait. Your children can't. Your decisions and priorities are already influencing them every day ~ either for good or bad. I've never heard older people say that they wished they had spent more time on their job. I have heard them say they wished they had spent more time with their children.
If you love your job more than spending time with your children then maybe this is a sign that your priorities need reevaluating.
5. I don't have time.
There is always time to do the will of God. Is He calling you to homeschool? Then He will provide the time. As a result of homeschooling our children, we have limited outside activities and found a simpler lifestyle. We're not forced to succumb to the modern pressures and stresses of our society with its hectic pace ~ instead we are able to slow down enough to enjoy time together as a family, embracing a slower paced lifestyle without sacrificing the modern conveniences of our microwaves, washers, dryers and computers!
6. I'm selfish ~ I need my privacy and space.
Jesus said unless we take up our cross and die to self, we can't be His disciple. (Luke 9:23-24, 14:27) Good parenting requires sacrifices during this season of our life. However, choosing to homeschool doesn't mean that you can never have any privacy anymore. When the children are young, we have regular naptimes and bedtimes so that gives us time apart. Older children are trained to respect the need for quiet time in the afternoons and evenings. The children also have their own activities and playtimes apart from mom during the day at times, too.
7. I can't afford it.
If it's God's will that you homeschool, you can't afford not to! And He will provide all your needs if you trust Him. (Matthew 6:33) We have never been a "high income" family but God has worked in the most unexpected ways to provide our needs over the years. Think of how much you spend now by sending your child off to school ~ don't forget to include the "hidden" expenses of special school wardrobes to keep up with the peers. Homeschooling curriculum can cost as much or as little as you like ~ it all depends on what you choose to do. The public library is free and full of helpful resources for your homeschooling! We have always chosen not to purchase a full packaged curriculum and saved so much money by putting together our own curriculum.
8. I never liked school.
Homeschooling will help you see how enjoyable learning can be in a relaxed, pressure-free atmosphere at home! You don't have to structure your homeschool like a public or private school ~ so don't let your past experience with school hinder you from committing to homeschool your children. Give them the opportunity to experience what you missed out on in your childhood and see how much fun you can have while learning together!
My children are too sociable ~ they'd get lonely homeschooling.
An EXCELLENT reason to educate them at home so you can make sure their "socialization" experiences are positive instead of negative. Homeschooling doesn't require your children to become hermits, but you will have the freedom to select the activities and make sure they are blessings and not hindrances.
10. I could NEVER do that!
If we had known in advance and in detail all the negatives and challenges we'd have to face as parents, who among us would have been brave enough to have children? God gives us the grace, strength and wisdom we need when we need it ~ not in advance! I find great encouragement in scriptures that remind me that I must yield and abide, then He is sufficient to take care of all the needs and enable me to fulfill my responsibilities.
II Corinthians 3:4-5 "And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God..."
John 15:4-5 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing."
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
And the following scripture has always encouraged me when I've been tempted to dwell upon my inadequacies:
1 Corinthians 1:27-31 "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God had chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
Homeschooling, like parenting, requires faith ~ faith that the Lord will give us wisdom and grace as we need it. In His infinite wisdom, He has designed us so that we MUST rely upon Him! Why doesn't He give us all the wisdom we need to be parents right at the start when the child is first conceived? Instead, He allows wisdom and maturity to develop as we grow through trials, the study of His Word, and experiences ~ all the while, pointing out our need of Him daily in order to walk in His ways. Thus, He receives ALL the glory!
May the Lord direct your family in His Ways and give you clear wisdom and direction in the education of your children!
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."
©Copyright 1997 by Tamara Eaton - http://www.chfweb.com/
http://www.surfinthespirit.com/education/10-excuses.html
1. My kids drive me crazy.
Then maybe it's time you do something so they don't drive everyone else crazy, too! It's easier to ignore problem areas if you send your children off to school each day ~ you don't have to put up with it all the time. Let the teacher and other students do it instead.
But who must answer to the Lord for how you taught and trained your child? Not the teacher but the parent. Homeschooling isn't a "cure-all" for poor behavior but it does give us time together to work out any problems instead of ignoring them, and it eliminates the negative role models and peer pressure which often influences negative behavior.
Or maybe you feel that they DO respect others, just not you? You can tell them when to brush their teeth, get dressed, go to bed ~ just not when to do their math! There is really no difference ~ it's all a matter of obedience and respect.
Ephesians 6:1-2 "Children obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth."
2. I don't have enough patience.
Patience comes through overcoming trials and learning to yield to the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25) instead of the fruit of flesh. You'll never develop patience if you continually avoid opportunities that would require you to put it into practice. But you might be surprised how quickly it grows with frequent exercise ~ homeschooling can be that vehicle the Lord uses to work patience in you!
3. I'm not highly educated.
Fine ~ here's your chance to learn right along with your children! There are tremendous resources available to help us teach our own children. Studies have proven time and again that the success of homeschooling is not dependent upon the level of the parents' education. According to Dr. Brian Ray's recent study, "Home educated students' test scores remain between the 80th and 90th percentiles, whether their mothers have a college degree or did not complete high school." [from National Home Education Research Institute. And there's lots more "proof in the pudding" where that came from!]
4. I love my job.
What's more important during this season of your life ~ your children or your job? Your job can wait. Your children can't. Your decisions and priorities are already influencing them every day ~ either for good or bad. I've never heard older people say that they wished they had spent more time on their job. I have heard them say they wished they had spent more time with their children.
If you love your job more than spending time with your children then maybe this is a sign that your priorities need reevaluating.
5. I don't have time.
There is always time to do the will of God. Is He calling you to homeschool? Then He will provide the time. As a result of homeschooling our children, we have limited outside activities and found a simpler lifestyle. We're not forced to succumb to the modern pressures and stresses of our society with its hectic pace ~ instead we are able to slow down enough to enjoy time together as a family, embracing a slower paced lifestyle without sacrificing the modern conveniences of our microwaves, washers, dryers and computers!
6. I'm selfish ~ I need my privacy and space.
Jesus said unless we take up our cross and die to self, we can't be His disciple. (Luke 9:23-24, 14:27) Good parenting requires sacrifices during this season of our life. However, choosing to homeschool doesn't mean that you can never have any privacy anymore. When the children are young, we have regular naptimes and bedtimes so that gives us time apart. Older children are trained to respect the need for quiet time in the afternoons and evenings. The children also have their own activities and playtimes apart from mom during the day at times, too.
7. I can't afford it.
If it's God's will that you homeschool, you can't afford not to! And He will provide all your needs if you trust Him. (Matthew 6:33) We have never been a "high income" family but God has worked in the most unexpected ways to provide our needs over the years. Think of how much you spend now by sending your child off to school ~ don't forget to include the "hidden" expenses of special school wardrobes to keep up with the peers. Homeschooling curriculum can cost as much or as little as you like ~ it all depends on what you choose to do. The public library is free and full of helpful resources for your homeschooling! We have always chosen not to purchase a full packaged curriculum and saved so much money by putting together our own curriculum.
8. I never liked school.
Homeschooling will help you see how enjoyable learning can be in a relaxed, pressure-free atmosphere at home! You don't have to structure your homeschool like a public or private school ~ so don't let your past experience with school hinder you from committing to homeschool your children. Give them the opportunity to experience what you missed out on in your childhood and see how much fun you can have while learning together!
My children are too sociable ~ they'd get lonely homeschooling.
An EXCELLENT reason to educate them at home so you can make sure their "socialization" experiences are positive instead of negative. Homeschooling doesn't require your children to become hermits, but you will have the freedom to select the activities and make sure they are blessings and not hindrances.
10. I could NEVER do that!
If we had known in advance and in detail all the negatives and challenges we'd have to face as parents, who among us would have been brave enough to have children? God gives us the grace, strength and wisdom we need when we need it ~ not in advance! I find great encouragement in scriptures that remind me that I must yield and abide, then He is sufficient to take care of all the needs and enable me to fulfill my responsibilities.
II Corinthians 3:4-5 "And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God..."
John 15:4-5 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing."
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."
And the following scripture has always encouraged me when I've been tempted to dwell upon my inadequacies:
1 Corinthians 1:27-31 "But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God had chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are: That no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."
Homeschooling, like parenting, requires faith ~ faith that the Lord will give us wisdom and grace as we need it. In His infinite wisdom, He has designed us so that we MUST rely upon Him! Why doesn't He give us all the wisdom we need to be parents right at the start when the child is first conceived? Instead, He allows wisdom and maturity to develop as we grow through trials, the study of His Word, and experiences ~ all the while, pointing out our need of Him daily in order to walk in His ways. Thus, He receives ALL the glory!
May the Lord direct your family in His Ways and give you clear wisdom and direction in the education of your children!
Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."
©Copyright 1997 by Tamara Eaton - http://www.chfweb.com/
http://www.surfinthespirit.com/education/10-excuses.html
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