General HSing blog posts. Montessori HSing blog posts.
This is a blog that i can use to keep a track of Jordy’s learning and development as a prelude to me seeing if homeschooling would be right for us.
Part of me thinks that at this age learning is all about play and discovery and a natural progression of understanding as he is exposed to the world and so isn’t it pointless to try to dictate what he learns or to control it?…. but then i think that i want ALL learning to be a natural progression and an extension of his interests and of him himself. So if that is what i want for him as he gets older then it’s only right that we start this journey now…. so i will use this blog as a way to organise myself and keep track of ideas that i get from other homeschoolers (cos i do like a good list! LOL!).
I am attracted to the Montessori method of ‘teaching’ by providing the environment and opportunities for discovery and learning so i intend to use that as a base for our HSing…. and then pick and choose the aspects of other styles like Steiner and natural learning or unschooling (don’t all carry on about the three styles being diametrically opposed! If i am drawn to aspects of all three then who’s to say my children won’t be! LOL!)
Anyway, this is the blog of my son, Jordy, as he discovers the secrets of the universe and hopefully learns a little bit about himself along the way.
WHY WE CHOSE HOMESCHOOLING: (from LL- Sam’s HS program)
ADVANTAGES FOR CHILD AND FAMILY
- Promotes family unity.
- Child-led learning
- One on one learning.
- Kids can work at their own pace.
- Opportunity to individualise curriculum.
- Promotes self-esteem.
- Non-competitive environment.
- Adults, not peers, become role models.
- No segregation between home and academic life – education becomes a continuum.
PARENTS MAKE THE BEST TEACHERS
- Parents are naturally their child’s best teachers.
- Parents understand children better than anybody else (except the children themselves)
- Promotes continuity of educational/personal values throughout the child’s academic years.
- Facilitates communication – no communication loss between parents and teachers as can happen in regular school.
ADVANTAGES OF LEARNING IN A HOME ENVIRONMENT
- Child learns in a home environment – not an institutional one.
- Ability to be spontaneous – can change focus as the need arises.
- No age segregation – reflects the natural world more accurately.
- Maximises opportunities for field trips.
- Opportunity for study of personal belief systems.
- Less stressful learning environment than at school:
o No lines
o No bells
o No constant testing or grades
o No sitting in rows of desks
o No peer pressure
o No bathroom passes
o No rigid schedules
o No noise from other students and classes
o More breaks, longer lunch.
OBJECTIVES IN TEACHING JORDAN AT HOME
The primary objective in homeschooling my son, Jordan, is to provide him with a well-balance and academically sound education.
I feel that homeschooling will provide the ideal learning environment for Jordan to reach his learning potential and develop any abilities or interests he may have.
I am committed to ensuring that Jordan has the bet possible education to fully prepare him for whatever employment or higher education he so desires. My goals are:
- To present to Jordan information from each of the 6 key learning areas as well as teach him how to gain, organise and analyse information on his own.
- To teach Jordan the highest human ideals of equality of rights, opportunity and treatment.
- To give Jordan a love of humanity and a belief in a greater reality.
- To give Jordan the skills to self-teach, self-govern and to be self-reliant, self-motivated, egalitarian, successful in his endeavours, trustworthy, responsible, healthy, adaptable, respectful, intelligent, creative and happy in work and play.
Why choose home schooling? (from Home Education Australia)
There are several reasons why parents choose to educate their children at home.
- Some parents feel that the learning process that began at birth should continue naturally, with them as teachers. They enjoy being with their children and want to be a very active part of their education.
- Some parents may be disappointed by their children’s experiences at school and feel that their learning differences are not being properly catered for.
- With increasing class sizes, some parents prefer to home school so that their children receive more attention than in a class of up to thirty. They believe they can better cater for their children’s learning rates and styles.
- Such parents believe that, whether their children are talented or have learning difficulties, they will benefit from the kind of focused attention that home schooling provides.
- Some children may be withdrawn from school due to negative social experiences, such as bullying. There may even be dangers in the school environment, such as drugs or violence, that parents consider an unreasonable risk for their children.
- While school is considered the norm in some cultures, in others it is unusual. Some parents are concerned that they have less to do with their children in our society and that many social problems exist because of this. They believe that home schooling is a way to reverse this trend.
- Some parents are wary of school curricula and believe that home schooling allows them to better supervise the content of their children’s education.
Benefits of home schooling
Supporters of home schooling suggest that it offers many benefits for families.
- Families spend a lot of time together. Members have the opportunity to understand each other more fully and form a deep commitment to family.
- The flexibility provided by home schooling allows children to learn about what they are interested in at a time when they are ready to learn. There are no preconceived schedules or timetables to follow.
- The flexibility also provides a greater opportunity for both parents to be in paid work and to share the home schooling responsibilities, as schedules can be organised to suit all family members’ needs.
- Holidays and outings can be taken when crowds are smaller and costs are lower. This also means there are more opportunities for children to learn about the world through greater participation in it.
- Children can be educated successfully in a way that is completely attuned to their own individual needs, learning styles, personalities and interests.
- Home schooling is a less expensive option than both private and public school education.
- Home-schooled children in rural areas can avoid many of hours of travelling to and from school that leave them tired and unable to concentrate properly. The same can apply to children in city areas who would otherwise have to travel in heavy traffic.
- For children with special needs, the issue of travel to a specialist school can be of concern.
- Home schooling is preferable to distance (or correspondence) education as children get immediate feedback, and motivation is easier to maintain.
A major criticism of home schooling
The major concern that many have regarding home schooling is that children are deprived of socialisation experiences. Supporters, however, argue that home schooled children have their needs met through interaction with their immediate and extended families and a wide range of community groups (such as those involved with church, Scouts, sport or other social activities).
Supporters argue that home schooled children:
- have more time for socialisation
- are not forced to mix only with children of their own age
- tend to socialise with a broad range of people of many ages and backgrounds
- are often more self confident and less affected by negative peer pressure.
