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Issue 108
I Inside: 1996 Directory of Families and Organizations
,:
Clq.angtng
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Our ldeas
Atout Ourselves P. 14
s
!'& _d
Cl-rristian Llnschoolers Speak Out
Farnilies Volur-r tee ring
A Conversation with Frank Smith Pre.judice from Doctors
Outdoor Programs for Homeschoolers
.
â‚Źortentt News & Reports p.
tf
34
"Homeschool" First Appeared
o VJttte
Christian lJnschoolers Speak Out p. 5-7 Families Volunteer Together p. 8-9
At homeless shelters, with bird researchers
& Concernsp.
10-13
\A/hen Parents Disagree, Prejudice from Doctors,
ADD Child, Mother Under
Stress
FOCUS: Changing Our Ideas about Ourselves p. 14-17
A reluctant reader, nvo shy teenagers, a frustrated writer, and other young people tell how they changed their ideas about themselves and their abilities A Conversation with Frank Smith p. 18-20 "School is based on a false theory of learning," the author of Insult to Intelligence
says
Watching Children Learn p. 2l-24 Clouds and Volcanoes, Bilingual Child, Teaching Herself,Joining the Circus, Work on Dairy Farm, Ideas for Studying Psychology Homeschoolers in College - Understanding the "School Mentality" p. 25-26 Resources & Recommendations p. 26 1996 Directory
of Families and Organizations p. 2846
gq/8
Issur #108 Dr:c. '95,{aN. '96
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MmvM,Lurn, M.+No; Panru, SusrrNN.*r Ssrrprr Aovrson^s ro rnr Bonnl: Tou Masnn, MenyVeN Donrx, N.rxcyWar.rNrr GWS II-t.usrnqrroh-s
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BY EMrr.Y
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N,cNcyAr.LEE As A cr-ctuw. Sl:.r Fo<;us, p. 14.
()rowing Without Schooling # I 08, Vol. I 8, No. 5. ISSN #0,175-5305. Published br' llolt Associales, 2269 Mass. Ave., Carnbridge MA 021-10. Phonc 61736+3100, firx 617-864-9235, enrail HolIG\ 'S@aol.conr. $25,/yr. Date ofissrre: Decenrber I, 1995. Second-class posragc paid ar Rosron, MA and at additional mailirrg ofli, cr. POSTMA^STER: Senrl address changes tr G\4S, 2269 Mass. Ale. (lailrbridge, )tr{ 02140 .{DIIERTISERS: Space resenation deadlines are the lsr ofodd{ilmbere(l monrhs. (top} dendlines arc the | sth. Write fbr rates.
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Access to School Sports, When the Worc
Challenges
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;i::j1",:'.-,{#Jjf:i}, tr" not very mathematically inclined" or "Reading isn't the way I like to learn things." mv first instinct is to
take the statement seriously and to try to respond to it respectfully. I often feel this especially when I'm talking to young people who have just left school and are new to the idea of being in charge of their own learning. At those times, it seems particularly important to encourage young people to listen to themselves and to act on what they hear. So, I say to myself, let the unmathematical student leave math aside fbr a while. Let the one who prefers to learn in other ways than reading learn in those other ways. But there's something that interf'eres with this assurance. It's actually a good kind of interference, because it reminds me that people are even more interesting and complex than that. Here's what gets in the way: what about all those times we thought we weren't good at something, or weren't the sort of person to do something, and then changed our minds because we discoveredwe could do it? I suspect all of us have something like this; I'm thinking, for example , of the many parentswho have written to us saying that they never thought they were any good at math when they were younger, but now they've discovered real pleasure in it. Or they never believed they were musical, or athletic, or good spellers. It turns out that people are flexible, that if someone or some situation gave us the message that we weren't good at something, another person or another kind of experience can give us the opposite message and help us come to a different conclusion.
That's what the young people in this issue's Focus describe. A girl who never saw herself as much of a reader, because she felt slow and awkward doing it, can become someone who voluntarily spends days reading in the Iibrary. A boy whose repeated attempts to write poerry leave him frustrated can find that a friend's example helps him see himself as a poet, too. A quiet, shy teenager finds that traveling gives her a new view of herself and her ability to speak up in new situations. It turns out that it is right to listen to young people and encourage them to value self-knowledge, but it's equally true that we all can grow and change and feel capable where we once felt inadequate. \Arhat we may have thought was immutably true about ourselves turns out only to have been true at one time, or in one situation. That can be one of the most exciting and heartening things about watching children grow, and it's also an important
thinking about educational reform. If it's not irrevocably true that a given student is a poor reader, or shy, or unathletic, then it's important to think about what situations, experiences, activities, and attitudes make the difference. - Susannah Sheffer message for anyone
GnowN<;
Wrnour Scuoor.ruc #108 o Dnc.'95/Jerv. '96
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What we need are excerpts from printed material which include the word(s) in context accompanied by thorough documentation of the source.
Access to School Sports In CWS #105, Nicky Hardenbergh wrote about efforts to allow Massachusetts homeschoolers access to high school sports. Here's some news about similar efforts-in-progress in other states (addresses ofstate groups can be fbund in our Directory of Organizations, p. 42 of this issue): Maine: Elizabeth Farsaci wrote in the fall 1995 issue of the Maine Home Education Association newsletter that homeschoolers are discussing a bill about access to school activities which they hope to present to the legislature this December. Elizabeth writes that last April, Rep.Julie Winn had submitted a bill which would "require that public schools permit participation in school activities and classes by students who are having home instruction." Prior to the submission of this bill, though, the Education Committee of the legislature had appointed a Homeschool Study Committee, made up of school officials and homeschoolers, to look at the question ofschool access. Since this work was already underway, the Study Committee requested that the Legislature table Rep. Winn's bill. They did so, and the homeschoolers then drafted a new version of the bill. which is the one now under discus-
I
sion. Pennsylvarria: The Pennsylvan ia Homeschoolers newsletter asked its readers if they wanted a chanee in the law to mandate that school districts
allow homeschoolers to participare in school sports. The August 1995 issue of the newsletter reported on the responses so far, and they seem to favor avoiding legislative action on this issue and instead continuing to work with individual districts. The newsletter lists 18 districts that are known to allow homeschoolers' participation in school sports, and homeschooling parent Debra Bell wrote a list of suggestions for working with your local district about access to activities. Debra writes that she has a l9-page packet Gnor.rrNc
Wrrnour
that she is willing to make available to other groups working on this issue: Debra Bell, Home School Resource Center, 6 Royal Rd, Palmyra PA 17078. West Virginia: A year ago, the West Virginia Home Educators' Association newsletter reported that several families were working to challenge the rule that homeschoolers cannot play on school teams if those teams are
under the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission. We spoke with Kathy Heflin of the \4V
Home Educators' Association to find out what had happened since last year, and she told us about a recent case in which a homeschooled boy was ruled ineligible to play on a school soccer team. Homeschoolers wrote letters in support of this family and attended the hearing before the Secondary School Activities Commission in June, but so far the ruling still stands. Meanwhile, Kathy reports that some homeschoolers have had success forming a homeschoolers' sports group at the local YMCA, in lieu of participating on school teams. Also, some families have successfully negotiated the right to have homeschoolers participate in other school activities, such as band. Kathy explained that the statute is written to prevent homeschoolers from participatinu in extra-curricular activities, but since band is actually a class, not an extra-curricular, homeschoolers have been allowed to participare.
...
[SS:] I thought this would be a straightforward matter as I picked up a copy of the first issue of GWS, published in the summer of 7977. Only as I began to read it with this goal in mind did I remember that the first issue of GWS actually came before regular use of the term "homeschooling." Readers might be interested in what I wrote to the folks at MerriamWebster. From my reply: ... As I mentioned to you on the telephone, my efforts to answer your question reminded me that at first people didn't use any one term but simply said things like "teaching our children at home" or "keeping them
out of school."John Holt used several such phrases in the early issues of GWS. He also used the word "unschooling," as you can see in the page from issue #2 that I've enclosed. It's
interesting to note that although homeschoolers now use the word "unschooling" to refer to a certain kind of homeschooling that has come to be associated withJohn
Holt (i.e.,
homeschooling without using
a
packaged curriculum, without duplicating school in the home), at the beginning Holt simply used it as a synonym for what we now call
homeschooling.
In GWS #9, whose publication date I can guess was December 1978 (GWS didn't date its early issues, but the date I've given is correct, give or take a month), you can see the
When Did the Word H ome s chool First Appear?
hyphenated form of "homeschool" make its first appearance. In the following issue, #10, you can see that
[SS:] We received a letter from Deanna Chiasson of Merriam-Webster, Inc., which said in part:
although Holt still used "unschooling" regularly, readers were beginning to use other terms as well, and one referred to "home-based education" (which some people still use today). By issue #12, which I'd date atJune 1979,
I am writing to you in an effort to determine the earliest recorded use of the word homeschool and its derivatives ( homes chool.er, homes choolin g). First known written uses of words are included in our Collzgiate Dictionary, which is currently introducing the word homeschool to its pages. ...
ScHoor-rNc #108 o Drc.'95/JeN. '96
you can see that the magazine was using "unschooling" and "homeschooling" pretty much interchangeably, and gradually the term "homeschooling" became the more common one. As I mentioned on the
* phone, in GWS it went through the usual progression from two words to the hyphenated form to one word. Homeschoolers still debate whether to write it as one word or two, but one is becoming increasingly common, and that's the form we prefer here (for several reasons).
TV-Free America wants Homeschoolerst Stories [SS:] In GWS #104, we printed a
notice about National TV-Turnoff Week, which a group called TV-Free America organized last April. Lydia Kan of that organization wrote to us saylng that last year's week was a great success and that they estimate between three and four million people will take part this spring. Lydia wrote to us specifically to say that the group's newsletter, The W-Free American, is looking for writing about how television relates to the homeschooling communiry. You don't have to be living without TV entirely for them to be interested in your experi-
Nnws & Rlponts.!'
ences; they say that they want to hear
from people who feel strongly about "removing, reducing, or changing the amount of television they allow into their homes." The group's literature often describes a list of activities families can do instead of watch TV, and it sounds much like the active, rich lives many homeschoolers lead. For example: "go for a walk, play the piano, build a birdhouse, keep a diary, play outside, talk to a friend, start a family photo album, plant a garden, daydream, visit the library, write a letter, invent something ...". I know there are quite a few homeschoolers who live with no TV or who watch very little, but, even beyond this, any issue of GWS shows that whether or not you actually watch TV, you don't lead TV-dominated lives, and no doubt many of the activities on the list I just quoted seem perfectly ordinary to you. That's why I think the newsletter would benefit from homeschoolers' contributions. Their address is 132218 St NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036; tel 202-887-0436, fax 202887-0438, email TVFA@essential.org
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Office News In October, Pat Farenga spoke at the "Diversity in Education" conference in Canada. He did workshops on "Learning Without a Curriculum" and 'John Holt's Life and Philosophy," and he reports that interest in homeschooling and alternative education in Canada is strong. The event sold out, and as many as 600 people had to be turned
away.
will be doing the "Learning Without a Curriculum" workshop in Broward County, Florida onJanuary 27th. Materials from our bookstore will be available. Contact Mary Marlowe, 407-588-8039, for information. Pat
We've sent some letters to people who are respected in the education world and are also q..rnpathetic toJohn Holt's work, asking if they would be interested in writing about the reissuing of four ofJohn Holt's books this fall. If you know someone (or if you yourself are such a person) who could write a piece reflecting on the importance of these books when they were first published and then discussing their continued relevance, and who has a good chance of publishing such a piece in a newspaper orjournal, let us know. Sue Miller wants readers to know that we could still use a few volunteers for the final phase of the enteringback-issues-in to-the-computer project. Volunteers receive a one-year subscription (or extension of their existing subscription) and our deep gratitude. Our fall 1995 catalog asks readers to remember that these are hard times for independent booksellers and small magazines and that if you value our ideas and our work, it helps if you also support us by subscribing to GWS and buying books from our catalog. One reader wrote, "Although I like to save moneyjust like everyone does, I want to support what you stand for. I have in the past ordered books listed in your catalog through Barnes and Noble or gotten them out of the library. Now I will go through you when ordering books to let you know I care." A couple of others wrote something similar, and we extend our thanks; as with so many actions that seem small, your decision to support us does make a difference. l
Gnowrnc Wrrsour Scsoor-rNc #108
r Drc.'95{aN. '96
Christian Unschoolqs Speak Out In GWS #106, Pat Farenga
began to explore
the question "Can a Christian Be an Unschooler?" in respuwe to saggestioru that the hto were incompatible. Nou readers respud zaith their thoughts.
alone?'we answer:
From Marina Tidwell (CA):
Can a Christian be an unschooler? I consider myself to be both, though I admit I feel uncomfortable with both terms. I hate the negative spin put on "unschooler": wild kids, weak or nonexistent parenting, no real learning. I also find the term not very useful in describing whar we do. Child-led or interestled learning, on the other
hand, are terms that are almost selfexplanatory. The negative connotations of "Christian homeschooler" are just as bad: narrow-minded politics or worldview, spankings as discipline, rigid school-at-home are just a few of the false assumptions made when I
mention that I both homeschool and am a Christian. It's a sorry state of affairs that often leaves me feeling on the defensive. Pat points out that "the way we homeschool" can really encompass separate issues of religious, educational, and parenting philosophies. I think that this is very helpful to keep in mind as we try to dialogue respectfully with people with whom we disagree. But, naturally, in daily living there is no such division of issues. Christ is an inextricable part of our family and unschooling is rooted in that Christianity. We believe that God has a plan for our children that is as much a part of them as the color of their eyes. We also believe that finding that plan means allowing our children the freedom to explore any and all aspects of His creation that inerest them, in the way that is right for them as individuals. So to the question "do you teach your children or leave them GnowrNc WrrHour ScHoor-lNc #108
Yes. We teach them andwe leave them alone. we have structure and freedom, discipline and mercy; the Bible andTY, science experiments and daydreaming, and playtime whenever we want. Life doesn't really have to be that either/
or, does it? From Keuin Rhodes (OH):
We are Christians, but we didn't choose home education for any of the stereotypical "Christian" reasons. We
don't worry about prayer in the schools, we don't feel the need to make sure creationist science is given equal time, and we don't view the U.N. as an active threat to our family life. We homeschool simply because we think it's the best choice for us as a
family. Homeschooling shapes our task of parenting in a significant and welcome way. It both defines and reflects the choices we've made about who we are as a family. We want our lives to be seamless: not a little religion here, a little secularism there, but an integrated whole. That's a goal, you realize - one that's constantly eluding us, but one we value highly enough to
keep pursuing. We began this adventure because our oldest daughter, then 5, was not doing well in the Montessori school we had so carefully selected for its gentle learning environment. We investigated over a dozen different schooling options, all of which would have stigmatized her as a "special student." It was largely out of despair over the dismal prospect that we finally chose homeschooling. It was a difficult choice. My wife fanet had to eat her words that she
. Dec.'95{eN.
'96
would "never homeschool." I had to overcome a perception - akin to the unfortunate public image Pat Farenga describes in GWS #106 - that the only people who homeschooled had guns and cigarettes stashed in the basement for trading in the post-crash economy. Much to our surprise, we quickly discovered that scores ofreally normal, really nice people homeschool, for reasons that are as diverse as their individual personalities. We discovered a previously hidden community populated with deeply caring, thoughtful people who were engaged with their children in a process we instinctively knew was right and good but never knew was possible. This was true even though our first homeschooling contacts were
almost entirely through our church and even though many of them were doing it in large part for stereotypical Christian reasons. We weren't, but this presented no embarrassment to either side. We all muddled along together. Somewhere early in the process we stumbled across the writings ofJohn Holt, and the lights went on. As Christians, we see no tension between our sense of moral and spiritual responsibility as parents and our unschooling approach. None at all to the point where, for me, the most shocking and disconcerting thing about Pat Farenga's question "Can a Christian Be an Unschooler?" is that anybodywould even ask! For us, the answer is an incredulous "Of course!" As we understand it, unschooling never means that you should just leave your children alone so that their innate good nature will assert itself and build a better world. What it principally does require is that we become practiced in what I'll call applied observation: the ability to watch our children carefully enough to understand how they make sense of their world, then introduce them to resources that give expression to that sense.
In our experience, the deliberate practice of applied observation requires a higherlevel of involvement in our children's lives. It simply takes time, and lots of faith, too, especially when this adventure in parenting doesn't seem to be working. In those times. it's much harder to watch
* patiently and wait for understanding than it is to impose hasty solutions that make us feel good in the short term but ultimately have nothing to do with our children's growth. Not that we don't do that very thing, and far too often. It often strikes me that tactics like using worksheets and standardized tests ('just to see how they're doing"), and otherwise trying to create school-like environments, are almost entirely done for the parents' benefit. There are too many times when we panic, worrying that somehow we're warping our children for life. Then we grope for artificial assurance, trying to make sure our children actually do something today that loohs like school. I think we act that way because we lack faith in the process, especially in those critical times of gestation when
nothing visible and measurable seems to be happening. But for Christians, this is no different from those times when our religious faith is challenged. In either case, it takes faith to wait out our momentary anxiety. Otherwise, we become like Saul panicking over Samuel's late arrival, offering unacceptable sacrifices that cost us the
kingdom. To cite a modern proverb, life is a journey, not a destination, and it takes a lot of grace and forgiveness to muddle through. That's true whether the subject is homeschooling or religious faith. Christians, of all people, should be comfortable with the lension betlveen what theologian George Eldon Ladd described as "the already and the not yet": the kingdom already come vs. the kingdom yet to come, our sojourn in this world vs. our citizenship in the world to come, and the many other paradoxes of Christian realiry. The process of unschooling is equally filled with tensions between what occurs in the process as we currently experience it and our expectations of a good outcome. Fortunately, as is true in conflicts of faith, if the process of unschooling baffles us at times, there are "great clouds of witness" to whom we can turn for encouragement. Thankfully, many of their "testimonies" are found in the pages of GWSI
Sadly, issues of exclusivism and sectarianism became real to us lately 6
CunrsrnN UNscuoolrns
{.
when the leadership of our church homeschool group initiated a "statement of faith" requirement. Apparently they felt the group's growth was out of hand and opted to limit membership to church members plus one "sponsored" friend per member. The friend has to sign the statement of faith (church members have already done so implicitly, through the church membership process). Using state-
s Christian+ u)e see no tension betuem our
mnral md spirinal resputwibility as parmts and our wts dtookng approach. sense of
ments of faith to decide who's in and who's out unfortunately has historical precedence ever since the Protestant revolution, and perhaps the leadership reached for this familiar tool without consideration of the perspective Pat Farenga outlines so well. No doubt we will all continue to dispute these issues with great energy, but I fervently hope that in the midst of all the sound and fury we will remember that, after all, we aren't perfect, and we don't need to get it right all the time. I hope with equal fervency that at some point we'll lay down our swords, beat them into plowshares, and get on with the high calling of being parents. Frorn Cindy Gaddis (KY):
Mary Hood writes, "You can't treat the family as if it was a total democracy if you believe in the Christian family structure. You can't let discipline go down the drain in the name of respecting children...". Christian family structure according to whom? How about those of us Christians that believe differently? I don't believe that I have been entrusted with my children to
rule over them but to help nurture, guide, and develop their spirits to be all they can. My family all follow the same rules, we all respect one another, and we all can talk about the feelings that we have. We are not perfect, but my children are self-directed and have more self-control in many ways than the other children I know. We are consistently complimented over the
good behavior of our children in public and at home, and we have five children with the oldest being only 8. Because of the stereorype of what "Christian" is, many of us do not even call ourselves Christian because we may be lumped with that stereot)?e. Some people strongly imply that all Christians are certain rypes of people who hold certain viewpoints and if they do not then they are not a true Christian. This is absolutely false, but I think it will take a long time to dissipate that stereotype and allow the word "Christian" to include all the diverse faiths and personalities within those faiths. From Kathy Ewing (OH):
I guess I would be called a "liberal Catholic" and am not what one normally thinks of as a "Christian homeschooler." That is, I am not fundamentalist or born again and don't usually cite my religion as a reason that I homeschool.
However, I can't really distinguish the reasons I'm homeschooling from the rest of me; surely my being Christian has something to do with my dislike oI the authoritarianism, competitiveness, and peer pressure characteristic of most schools. Of course, other very good Christians can disagree with me on these points. I mean only that I can't separate my Christianity from the rest of who I am. Also, my religion wouldn't preclude me from unschooling or any other
homeschooling approach. From now on, I'm going to try to resist calling others "Christian homeschoolers" as though that term describes a narrow category different from me. Like many others of diverse theological and political persuasions, I'm a Christian homeschooler, too.
Gnourrvc Wrrnour Sc;uoouNc; #108 o Dnt;.'95/J,rx. '96
.|. CnnlsrraN UNst;H<tolens FromJeannie McLeod of Ohio:
Of course we all seek the company of those who we feel share our values, but the danger comes when we hear a message that intuitively sounds consistent with our values and then reject it because it comes from a tradition we don't share or redress it in our own terms so that we can only then embrace it. How often have I seen in books and catalogs the warning, "This is a good resource. It is not Christian, but you might find some useful things in it." I would argue that many things that are worthwhile are just as "Christian" as those overtly described as Christian. Christianity and its many expressions may not be confined only to that which is specifically called Christian. Christianity, to my mind, celebrates goodness and tolerance. Sadly, toler-ance is not necessarily the
hallmark of many overtly Christian publications. Our faith has been turned on its head. As Pat remarks, faith is ultimately personal and private. I feel that we do not need to know each other's faith in order to have a deep and meaningful relationship with each other and to learn things that we then apply to our faith, whatever it may be. I have recently moved to an area where the Christian homeschool movement is very strong, and I have felt isolated and bewildered. In looking for contacts, I was told by one individual that because I was evidently not a bornagain Christian, perhaps I was looking for something secular. I took my children swimming at the local \MCA in group lessons and in the locker room, even before asking his name, a boy asked my 9 year old, "Are you a Christian?" Are those without "faith" written on their exterior (or without faith at all) incapable of representing strong, healthy values, or profound insights into the learning process that many a Christian mother or father would find admirable and, more important, consistent with their faith? \Arhat we choose to share with our children should not, I believe, be evaluated according to its stated spiritual credentials but for its intrinsic worth. Goodness, compassion, and tolerance are among the many values we desire in our family for our chil-
*
dren, and while we celebrate our faith in the Catholic tradition, we believe there are many other faiths and traditions that can teach these values as well or better. Many Christian mystics and scholars have drawn much of their inspiration and guidance from other traditions. Moreover, we f'eel that there is no universal claim to the correct path among Christians. To counsel our children that they can feel OK il- the message or messenger is Christian would not necessarily guarantee to them or to us that such individuals or publications represent the values we hold to be imporrant. I realize that in writing these thoughts I am likely offending as I have been offended. But, offense is a reaction of choice. We can also choose to continue to seek bridges. I can only hope that on an individual basis we can apply our faith to openness. Maybe then we will experience the gains
for the homeschooling movement that I feel such openness would bring. From
Orese
Fahq (NM):
I consider myself an unschooler and an aspiring Christian. I have no trouble blending these supposedly opposite ways of life. Our family's unschooling philosophy is one of trying to achieve wholeness - synthesis, if you will. Instead of separating everything out into work, school, religion, home, we are rrying to weave all these elements into a whole cloth, so that our family can experience learning, work, and spirituality throughout the day and throughout life. We read and consider many viewpoints and we don't worry about what category the writer fits into. What we look for, whether in a writer or a
friend, is honesty, truthfulness, and sincerity. We appreciate and try to apply the writings ofJohn Holt,
Charlotte Mason, and every person who speaks out on behalfofsane ways of living and loving in this troubled world. I feel sorry for Christians who will only allow their children to use materials labeled "Christian." They will miss out on all the inspired work by people such as.fohn Holt who did not overly embrace a formal religion but who practiced and taught universal (including Christian) virtues such as
GnourNc WrrHour Scuoolu.rc #108 o Der;.'95/JeN. '96
compassion and honesty.
Reuarding the notion that unschoolers are undisciplined: my ex-
perience is that of all the homeschooling "methods," unschooling takes the greatest amount of inner discipline. People should not confuse "fieedom" with "license." Unschooling, which means freedom from institutional in-
carceration and freedom from packaged curriculum, grading, and so on, requires constant awareness and attention, creativity, problem solving, flexibiliry, patience, involvement, giving. sensitivity, and a host of other virtues which I also think of as Christian. We are not doormat parents, nor are our children unattended "like weeds growing in a sidewalk" (Char-
lotte Mason). Our interpretation of "unschooling" is everyone working, living, and learning together, respecting each individual as a unique soul and an intesral part of the whole community. Our "unschooling" is very disciplined. We have (quoting Mary Hood) "clearly defined goals and a firm Christian value system." Our children watch about four hours ofTV a week and they don't call us by our first names. Our children do choose what they would like to study and everyone
in the family supports and helps one another, whether it be with "school" work or with the house and business. I hope we will put aside the desire to label, categorize, and dismiss other people, which imposes limitations on them, on ourselves, and on our children. I hope that everyone who has the courage to leave the limitations of the school system will allow themselves to be free, to be indepen-
dent thinkers and open to the truth, wherever they may find it. I
Families Volunteering
to sleep, lots of books to read, and each other. But I thought my children
Together
everyone was as fortunate as we. A few
Helping with After-School Care Kathy Ewing (OH) writes: \Arhen we began homeschooling eight years ago, I intended to incorporate some sort o[volunteer activily into our days. I contacted Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity and eventually did some work for them myself, but for various reasons the kids
neverjoined me . I still f'eel that Habitat would work well for older homeschoolers. It teaches useful skills and provides great social and work experience. In addition to on-site construction work, Habitat needs clerical help as well. [SS: Habitat for Humanity builds houses for lowincome families. See Rebecca Merrion's essay in Real Liuesfor one homeschooler's experience with the
organization.l
I
Maybe someday I will get my kids to Habitat, but in the meantime, we have found something else. Last year we joined St. Cecilia's, a city parish, whose former elementary school has been converted into transitional housing for homeless families. The New Life Community houses fourteen families for four months at a time. The parents take classes in job and living skills and attend support groups if they have been substance abusers. Their
program is arduous. Volunteers of all kinds are needed to supplement the seven-person staff. We began helping with afterschool care last winter. The very young children from New Life are in daycare until 5:00, but the school kids need aftercare until their mothers are finished with classes. My daughter
Margaret (9) and I would pick up Doug (13) at school (which he decided to try lastyear) and drive down to New Life once a week. There we would play with the kids, help with homework, do crafts and provide a 8
could benefit fiom learning that not weeks before Thanksgiving three years
snack, with at least one and usually several other volunteers. This was fun, but sometimes we had to become disciplinarians because the kids were very wound up and tired after school and would begin fights over the computer or other games. Sometimes I found myself arbitrating a dispute between a New Life child and my son
Dougl Keeping kids under control was not my strong suit when I was a teacher, and I don't relish that role. In summer, New Lif'e kids stay in camp until dinnertime. We changed to an evening shift once a week and now watch about three to eight little kids, usually six and under. We all find this more fun. We fall in love with the babies and little kids and are sorry when they finish the program and move out. They love to roughhouse with Doug and are also very affectionate and cuddly. In addition, I coordinate one Sunday evening a month for my church to cover chilcare while some of the New Life moms attend a
recovery support group. Sometimes I'm tired and would love an excuse not to drive down to New Life on a Thursday evening and cope with a gang of energetic toddlers. My kids, on the other hand, want to
add to our hours. They talk about the kids during the week and tell their Dad the funny things they say and do. They see the children as normal, healthy, and funny, which they are. I
don't think they'll ever stereotype homelessness or homeless people.
Cooking for Homeless Shelter Jody Thomas twote in the Mayffune I995 issue of the California Homeschooler nezusletter:
Although we have struggled financially in order to have me stay at home with our children, we always have the essentials: food, a warm place Gnolvr^*r;
ago, my grandmother, mother, two daughters (then 3 and 5) and I made dinner fbr one of our local homeless shelters. The Transition House (as it is called) takes in families who are struggling to get off the streets and into their own apartments. Conse-
quently, the population of the shelter tends to be mothers with young children and single women, as well as a few men. We made a nice meal and instead of dropping off dinner, my husband, children, and I stayed to dine with the Transition House guests (as they are called). It was hard
for me
to see what a difficult life these people were leading. My daughters were shy and reluctant to leave my side during the meal. It was an experience that butted up against my comfort zone in a huge way. But there was some
satisfaction in it, too. A year later I received a call asking if I would like to prepare dinner again. This time I asked some of our homeschooling friends if they would like to do this. Five families took me up on the offer. We planned the menu and prepared the meal in a church kitchen. Of the eleven children, probably five of them really helped with the actual food prep while the others played together. After transporting dinner to the shelter, lve all stayed for the meal. We purposefully sat at different tables so that we could talk with the guests who were there that night. We heard varying stories about how they came to be there and what plans they had for getting out. Some were frustrated and exhausted and others were optimistic and hopeful. They were just people, of course, like us. I knew that was true, but getting it up close and personal always makes an indelible impact. We recently cooked dinner for Transition House for the third time. There were again five homeschooling families, although not the same flve. This year we prepared the meal in the big kitchen at the shelter itself. We were there for more than five hours and had a chance to meet and interact with many of the guests. The kids were
Wrrnour ScuoolrNc; #108
o DEc.'95{.tN. '96
a huge help this year, too. They washed lettuce, peeled potatoes, mixed meatloaf, sliced and buttered bread, made lemonade, set the tables, served dinner, and still had time to play with the children at the shelter. There were lots of opportunities
for learning, and I don't mean just for the children. How much meat do you need if you are making meatloaf for 60? Do potato skins have vitamins in them? If we have twelve loaves of bread, how many slices do we need per loaf so that everyone can have two pieces? Is it hard not to have any choice about what to eat for dinner? or lunch? or breakfast? Why do the babies have to sleep in a crib? Where do the kids go after school before their parents get back from job hunting or working? Will we ever have to live in a place like that? Mv children have more appreciation for our lifesryle and our family choices which have enabled us to be together so much. They are no longer afraid of the man we see at the library since we met him at Transition House. They are more willing to donate their clothes and toys to Transition House because now they know what happens to those things. And they know they
Homeschoolers prepare a
Tha,nhsgiuing meal at the local homekss shelter.
(l-r: Marina Moses, Christyn Edmundson, Nanq Edmundson, Ethan Moses)
them, and set them free. I really appreciateC the wornan's attitude. She didn't talk down to Nicole or hesitate to allow her to have a full share in the
can make a diflerence in someone else's life.
They still don't know how many pounds of meat it will take to sene 60 people, but there is always next year.
Helping Bird Researcher From Kristin Hart of New York:
What consumes Nicole (10) most of all is nature. She loves and appreciates animals, flowers, trees, bugs, etc. She has decided to form a nature club. Her plans include identi$'ing things that are unknown to her right now. She is starting a collection of things in nature and is writing letters for different causes, such as preventing cruelty to animals. I helped her in this area by finding a woman last fall who
handling of the bircls. It was the highlight of the year for usl We were doing real scientific work and making another memory together. i
Beyond the basics... Calvert School offers supplementary courses for children ages 5-13. A leader in home instruction curriculum for nearly 90 years, Calvert School invites your family to join our creative adventures. Choose one of our specially designed enrichment courses including Melody Lane, a music appreciation course on video for ages 5-8;TheLITTLE HOUSE@ Books Reading Guiiles,based on the beloved series written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, for ages 8-11; and Discotseing Art, an art appreciation course on video with additional hands-on activities for ages 913. Each course comes with an easy-to-follow guidebook and all the materials you'll need to make learning fun. For more information on all of our home study courses, please call, fax, or write for a free catalog.
is a researcher for a bird-banding
project nearby. I asked if Nicole and I could help her band the birds. She agreed to let us catch birds in nets that were set up. We weighed them, measured their wing spans, banded Gnowr^.c
Wrrsour ScHoousc; #108 . DEc.'95/Jar,. '96
cALVERT (41 0)
f r"roo"
243-6030 . fax @10) 366-0674 Deot. GWS5
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