Homeschooling – A Viable Alternative to School

This is the time of year that many people are preparing for the new school year.

In the Bay Area, there's an increasing number of children who don’t go to a traditional school, but receive their education largely from their parents at home.

With the budget cuts and falling standards, schooling at home is becoming increasingly popular. Many parents, most without a teacher qualification, think they can teach their own children better than the public schools.

What about Socialization?

There are many homeschool support groups in the East Bay. The biggest, with a membership of over 500 families,  is a Yahoo group called Tri Valley Explorers. In addition, many homeschoolers get together for classes or co-ops, for such things as 4H, drama club, or special interest groups. In addition, homeschoolers can join in all the after school activities available to children in school.

Many homeschoolers are able to socialize easily with children of all ages, and adults. This comes from not being in specific grades with a narrow age of children.

Why do parents homeschool?

Many parents think their children will do better educationally if they are schooled at home. Others have had a bad experience in school. Many people homeschool because they want to teach their children their own religious viewpoint. There are a significant percentage of homeschoolers who would be classified as special needs in school who do well in a more relaxed home environment.

Homeschooling gives the opportunity to find out your child’s learning style and teach them in the way that they learn best. Children at home have the opportunity to learn from a variety of different methods of teaching, and at their own pace.

Is it legal?

In California, children legally have to attend school. You can register your house as a home-based private school and, as long as you keep the required paperwork, you can educate your own children.

Some school districts, including Pleasanton, have a home study option where you can teach your own child, but report to a teacher from the school district.

Charter schools are another option. This is where you can work with teachers from other school districts.

Can Parents Teach All Subjects?

In the early years, most parents feel they can teach all subjects. Homeschoolers learn to be good students and can often teach themselves in the high school years. There is a lot of specially designed curricula so that the homeschooled child can work through on their own. There are many subjects on DVDs, computer learning or online classes.

In addition, many homeschoolers are getting together for organized classes by homeschooled parents, or having lessons with specialty teachers willing to teach homeschoolers.

It’s fine for you, but I don’t think I could homeschool

Many people tell me they don’t think they could homeschool. If you can help your children with their nightly homework from public school, then I’m sure you will be able to homeschool them. In some ways homeschooling is easier because you get to work with your children in the morning when they are more awake and not after school when they are tired and often grumpy.

How do you teach multiple children at different grade levels?

Many subjects, such as social studies, can be taught at the same time to children of different grade levels. Writing can be taught to multiple children at the same time, you would just expect better quality from the older children.

Children have a mixture in their day of working alone and working with mom. When you need to work alone with one child, you can give another a task they can do by themselves. Also, if one child is an early bird, you can work with that child while the others are asleep. Schoolwork doesn’t have to be done at the same time as the public school day.

How much does it cost?

The cost of homeschooling for a year is about the same as the cost of one month of private school. Some homeschoolers buy a pre-packaged curriculum that is more expensive, while others predominantly use the local library and spend less. Joining a homeschool charter school cuts down the cost of homeschooling.

What about testing?

Private schools are not required to test, although many homeschoolers do choose to test their students each year.

How Do I Get Started?

Contact California Homeschool Network (800) 327-5339 or read their webpage.

Tina Razzell is the author of Homeschooling Boys – Gaining Maximum Success from Minimum Cooperation.