Homeschool Lifestyle: Teaching Kids at Home

When Joe Sun's family gets up in the morning, he exercises with his children as they jog around the Milpitas cul-de-sac where they live. When it comes time for school, the dining room becomes a classroom where parents are the teachers. 

In the 2009-10 school year, there were at least 41 students receiving formal education in Milpitas homes. A family of six and 20 other families with five students or less are registered with the California Department of Education. 

For many parents who have made homeschooling their lifestyle, the reasons have to do with teaching values and building character in their children—and flexibility in curriculum and schedule. 

Teaching Morals at Home

"Essentially, we try to put them in a more pure environment where they have manageable role models," said Sun, "because kids are not mature and easily misled" by their peers.

"The main goal is to be with the kids ... and be involved in their lives," said Nia Wong, a Milpitas resident who works part time as a licensed marriage and family therapist.

"I get to teach them what I want them to learn," she said. "Because each child is different, I think it should be the parents' judgment call to decide when to expose certain subjects and issues to each kid, depending on their maturity level."

Being able to teach Christian values and morals is a factor for religious parents, and Wong says her four children can develop stronger sibling relationships in the time they spend together at home than if they were separated by grades in private or public school.

Flexible School Schedule

The homeschool schedule allows room for flexibility, and students can work at their own pace, said Wong.

"We used to be able to finish in the morning," she said. "Now that the kids are older, we do spend more time with school, and it extends into the afternoon." 

At home with four kids, including a baby, their day begins with morning chores, followed by Bible time and school time. Older children can work with the younger ones by practicing reading to them.

Choice of Curriculum

Each year, Wong attends a homeschooling convention where she picks out curriculum. She tried out Singapore math and allowed her child to take a two-month break from it when he needed it.

"It gives you flexibility so you can do this and that, according to kids' talents and interests," said Sun, pastor of the Ark Baptist Church on the border of San Jose and Milpitas. He said half of his congregation, about 100 parents and children, also homeschool.

Parents collaborate to teach topics through homeschool groups. For example, Yumiko Chongsiriwatana and Nia Wong teamed up on a course on California history. The curriculum included a salt-dough relief map of California. They also took five field trips, including to the Capitol and Sutter's Fort.

Trying It Out

"I never thought we would do homeschool, to be honest," said Chongsiriwatana, a Milpitas resident who was raised in Japan. She and her husband, Joe, decided to try with their oldest child after kindergarten and have been doing it ever since. All together, they have three children. 

Wong started when her daughter was in preschool.

"Preschool is really easy," she said. "I think anyone could do it." At 3½, her daughter began reading on her own. But not every kid is like that, she said. "You have to go with the flow."

Before he became a pastor, Sun started homeschooling with his oldest daughter when she was about to enter school, and today in the 10th grade, she takes classes full time at Ohlone College. In a few years, he's hoping she'll transfer to a four-year university.

Standardized Testing

"Once a year, we attend the IOWA test," said Sun, which gauges how they children are doing in English, math, social studies and critical thinking.

Wong chose the Hewitt PASS test designed for homeschoolers. At third grade, her daughter was reading at an eighth-grade level and performing math at a sixth-grade level, she said.

Being Parent and Teacher at the Same Time

Homeschooling is a lifestyle where a parent wears both hats. And it can get complicated, said Wong. Discipline and training of the children carry over into school hours, which can be challenging at times, she said.

"If one child has difficulty obeying mom in finishing her morning chores, she may have struggles obeying mom as teacher, too," she said.   

There are local support groups for parents, such as Families for Him and the Milpitas Homeschool Support Group.

Fremont Christian School offers social gatherings for families enrolled in its private school satellite program.

Private Schools with Homeschooling Options

Some private schools, charters or umbrella organizations are set up so the families can register with in their private home-study programs. For example, the King's Academy in Sunnyvale has 241 students in its satellite program, which allows them to take a class or participate in sports programs.

The Chongsiriwatana family is registered with Ocean Grove Charter School, which provides funds to parents to purchase curriculum from approved vendors. 

In Milpitas, the is an umbrella organization for homeschooling families, providing administrative support, such as transcripts and grades, student IDs and diplomas. As of 2009-10, 47 students were enrolled, according to the California Department of Education.

Online resources

homeschooling.gomilpitas.com

homefires.com/support/alameda.asp

sites.google.com/site/tlciresources/information-resources/homeschooling