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FOCUS: The Value of Solitude See p. 14
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Teachers
Mothers After
Reading,
Homeschooling
Music
Family Meetings
Explaining Homeschooling
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School Access, Cooperation with Local Library
Finding Teachers Outside of School p. 6-7 Does homeschooling deprive young people "a community of thinkers and teachers"?
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The Benefits of Family Meetings p. 8-9 How regular meetings can help kids set their own goals and parents figure out how to assist them Challenges & Concerns p. 10-13
Child's Illness, Explaining Homeschooling, Adjusting to First Year FOCUS: The Value of Solitude p. f4-19 Watching Children Learn p. 20-23 Invented Spelling, Learning to Read, Exploring Music, Homeschooling Overseas, Real-Life Math as Teachers
p. 2a-25
What happens when a homeschooling mother teaches a class and a homeschooling teen tutors a school child? Mothers After Homeschooling p. 26-28 What homeschooling means after the children are grown
Additions to Directory, Pen-Pals p. 29-30 Book Reviews p. Issur #1 l1 Jur-.{ur..'96
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Eorron - SuserNa.u SHrrm o PuBLTsHER - Perprr:r FenrN<;e . CoNTRTBurrNc Eorron - DctNNe Rlcs<lux o Booxnrtpr,n & Eononrer- Assrsr,qNr - Meny Mesrr r Orprcr MaNer;rn - Dav FeruNr;a r Sugsr;rrprroN l\[cNeceR - ReNu Krlly r SurpprNc MaNncEn - PHrr. CnA.NsHew r Caralo<; Onncn Pnocssson - Srtlr CoeB . Cr.rm. Boox Rn''u'rpw CoontrNeror - MautErN CanEy. Crxlpurrn AovtNrsrRAT()R - GtN<;i:n FtrzsrultoNs . OFncE Assrstq.Nrs -Jr:NNrrur. Fn zsrvuoNs-G,rucnr, Jur LuN. Sul: Mtt,lrn. Mi\RION Wnssrrn o Cusroor,r.N - AlnrN C.A,nry
Holr Assocnrts Boeru or Drnrcrors: MeunrrN Cenrv, Dev FannN<;e, Perxr<;r F,lrunr;a (Conronelr. PrnsllnNr), Many Mennn, SusaxNen SHErpr,n Aolrsons to tnn Boenl: ToM M,A.Fren, MlnvVeN Dontr, Nenr:yWer.r,x;u GWS h.r.usrnertoNs sv El4rr.v LrNN
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strong, healthy relationship with her boyfriend. "It's hard to explain it," she said to me, "bur I really , fl think it has to dowith howwell I VJttJe V know myself." \Alhat allowed her to gain this self-knowledge? Her homeschooling years, she said (she left school after eighth grade). I promise I'm not making this up just because ir sounds good. She really did make that connection, and I knew immediately that I would have to write it here. No doubt many thines about homeschooling can lead to selfknowledge, but I've suspected for a while that the simple opportunity to spend time by oneself, with oneself, has a lot to do with it. All the GWS Focuses interesr me in some way, but every now and then we hit on one that really seems to get at the heart of what this enterprise (homeschooling, or GWS, orjust growing up) is all about. This issue's Focus on the value of solitude is one of them.
antrt tD E,
News & Reports p. 3-5
flomeschoolers
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has managed to have such a
Fot;us, p. 14.
(;rowinB Without Schooling #l I I, Vol. I 9, n-o. 2, ISSN #04755305. I\rblisherl bv Holt Associares, 2269 Mass. Ave., Cambridge MA 02140. $25lyr. Dak of issuc: Junc l, 1996. Second-class postagc paid at Bostoil, l\,I-A and at additional rnailing offices. POSTI.{,ASTER: Send addrcss changcs rr GWS. 22f;9 Mass. Ave, (iarnbridge, MA 02140 ADVERTISERS: Spacc r escruation deadlines are thc lst ofodd-nunrbered mon!hs. Copy dcadlines are the 15th. Write for rates.
As each response came in, it amazed me how, without any prompting on my part (I'd just asked them if getting time
alone was important to them, and if so, why), contributor after contributor brought up self-knowledge: "Being alone helps me understand how and why I'm feeling the way I am," "Being alone allows me to see who I am without having to impress anyone else," "[I value] the freedom to dream, to get to know myself, to reflect on my life." I won't quote them all, since you can read them in full later in this issue. But the cumulative effect is impressive. The young people talk about getting to know themselves
both emotionally (working out their "emotional snarls," as one put it, and their relationships with others) and intellectually or creatively (reading and doing research, designing a project, developing story ideas). It struck me thar even the one respondent who said he didn't particularly like or need to be alone still chose to be alone when he wanted to concentrate on reading, which at this point is still hard for him. Solitude still had value even when it wasn't his first choice. We spend a lot of time in homeschooling publications showing how homeschoolers have opportunities to interact with others, and of course that's important. But these young people make such a strong case for the value of solitude that I think we should consider this a wonderful advantage of homeschooling, something to describe proudly rather than with any sense of embarrassment. Yes, it's true that most school students don't spend as much time alone as these homeschoolers do. But I think the homeschoolers would phrase it as, "The school kids don't gef lo spend as much time alone as I do." In this issue, they talk about how much they'd miss solitude if they didn't get it. They talk about what a beneficial effect it has on their relationships with others and how it gives them renewed energy for group activities. So the value of solitude is part of the answer to the socialization question, a part worth stressing in any conversation or even in our own reflections. - Susannah Sheffer GnowrNc;
Wrrnour ScHoorwc
41 11
.JuN./JuL. 1996
c/bot E,97qortt
Then, as a result of a decision by the U.S. Department of Education in response to an appeal ftom Albuquerque a. Nau Mexico State Department of Education, the Santa Fe School District
now says that no direct therapy services will be offered to children
Access to School Activities
have had to deal with the fast-growing number of home education students. The Florida High School Activities
in Florida Frorn an article in thc 3/14/95 Orlando (FL) Sentinel:
Some homeschooled and private school students will be able to take
part time in Seminole County (FL) public schools next year.
classes
In approving the new policy, the School Board acknowledges a growing trend toward alternative education. Few other school districts in the state allow such an option. The new policy is based on one in Alachua Counry. School Board members said they want to expand serwices to more of the community. Although the board doesn't expect a flood of applicants, some families have expressed an interest in part-time school attendance.
The policy opens classes to all secondary education students but is directed at high school-age students, said Marion Dailey, director of instructional support services. Part-time enrollment is more difficult in lower grades because, among other reasons, some middle school class times change during the year, she said. ... Part-time students must register before the start of a semester. They will earn grades and class credit, and must abide by school rules. They must provide their own transportation, and principals will determine when they will arrive and leave. ... Monte Hancock, chairman of the Florida Parent-Educators Association, said Seminole County's new policy is unusual and he has mixed feelings about it. Parents will have more options, particularly regarding classes they are
not qualified to teach,
Hancock said. But, he said, parents may be tempted to compromise their commitment to a home education
program. Even part-time classes at school could shoot a hole in the day, he said. Gnowrxc Wnuour Sr;Hoolrxc 41 11
... School districts across the state
Association last rveek approved legislation to allow homeschooled students to participate in athletics as of June 1. The vote followed months of discussions among FHSAA officials, state legislators, and home education advocates.
Harder for Homeschoolers with Disabilities to Get School Services l-eddi Sobin wrote in GWS #100 that and her son lrlicholas had signed an Indiaidua,l Education Plan with the school district uhich stipulated homeschooling, uith priuate occupational and physical therapy paidfor (ry the school district. Teddi she
now wriles:
The Santa Fe Public School district has decided to limit selices to children with disabilities who are homeschooled or in private schools. My 9-year-old son Nicholas has a communication delay as a result of a stroke suffered during surgery to correct a heart def'ect. He has received direct therapy selices fiom the school district for three years, while we were
homeschooling.
This past fall, I felt that because of his communication delay it was extremely important for him to develop his social skills. and there were no
homeschooled kids his age in the area, so I enrolled him in a private Montessori school. I placed him there after searching the public schools for appropriate placements and finding nothing. He still has need for therapy to support his educational progress, and this is documented in his Individual Education Plan. The Montessori school accepted him with the understanding that the school district would support his placement with therapy.
.;ux.,{ul.
1996
enrolled in private or home schools. In spite of the fact that the decision comes from the federal government, I believe it's wrong. IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is civil rights legislation designed to elimi nate discrimination against children with disabilities by school systems. Yet this new loophole condones discrimination against a small group of children based upon their
school placements. One option we have is to enroll my son in public school, but I believe that would undo all the progress he's made in the Montessori school, where he feels safe and essentially designs his own program. Other options parents in this situation have are to obtain therapy services privately and pay for them ollt of their own pockets or through insurance; receive consultations fiom the district and try to do the therapy themselves; lobby to pass a bill in the state legislature that requires school districts to provide ser"vices, paid for by the state. Or file a class action lawsuit, which I'm ready to do because I am extremely frustrated by this situation. Are there any other parents out there in a similar situation?
Cooperation with Local
Librarv Phoebe
Welk (MA) writes:
Our family's relationship with our local library, the Cambridge Public Library, began about eight years ago when I was regularly bringing in my public-schooled stepdaughter for special programs the library offered. The librarians quickly recognized that Meg and I loved good children's literature and so they always piled us with books and wanted to discuss them at our next visit. During one of these conversations, the librarian mentioned that rny son Eoin, then 2, would be heading off to preschool soon. Having
The Bentfrtt of Family Meetings
wrote down lists of things he was thinking about: taking college boards, maybe taking another traditional science class or two at the local
university, taking another English class which emphasized writing, finding out abor-rt financial aid, figuring out what to do about having no transcript, finding "the perfect" school to further his study of foreign language. As Christian's thoughts were clarified, we
A long-time homeschooling mother describes how holding regular meetings helps her children set their own goals and helps the parents figure out how to assist them.
Alison McKee (WII zurites:
ver the years, my husband David and I had established a pattern of meeting with our kids three or four times ayear to discuss their upcoming plans. These meetings gave us an opportunity to sit down with the children and take time to listen to their ideas and goals for the immediate future. We generally called the meetings when we sensed that either child was losing the thread that seemed to hold his or her life together. By sitting down with the child who seemed to he flotrndering. we were able to discuss the life changes that we
stymied by both announcements. In order to help myself understand some of what might have influenced such
saw
taking place, and these discussions seemed to help the children get a better focus on what was happening to them and what they wished to see
dramatic shifts in their direction, I turned to writing. I wrote letters to my sister (who also homeschools), to other homeschooling parents, and to
happen in the near firture. By meeting's end they generally felt refocused and revitalized. During the past four years, our family has been in the rnidst of upheaval. David returned to school to work on his Ph.D. and left his job to be with the children while he studied; I went back to work half-time fbr two
Susannah at GWS. At Susannah's suggestion I reread a piece she had written in GWS #93, "When Schedules and Appointments are Useful." As I
years. Along with these changes, our
children experienced the growth that adolescence necessitates, and in all of this, we unintentionally lost track of holding our academic meetings. Then this past fall both children came to us and announced dramatic shifts in their plans. Georgina said that
she'd like to go to high school next year, and Christian, who'd been planning to move to Yellowstone to as a fly tyer and fishing guide, announced that he'd like to go to college instead. David and I were
work
8
finished it, I realized that David and I hacl Iost track of the academic meetings and that there might be merit in resurrecting them. David agreed. Initially, our intent was to resurrect them with jrrst Christian. Georgina's plans to attend high school, although a bit confusing, weren't going to take the detailed planning that college admissions would. At first, Christian was a bit rellrctant to schedule a planning session. After we reassured him that the meeting was in no way an attempt to take over and manage his lif'e, he agreed to give us time. He told us about his plans for college admissions and we helped him put those plans into a manageable framework. We Gno"rrr.-<;
proceeded to organize his list and cliwy up the tasks among ourselves. By the first meeting's end we had estatr-. lished a workable plan of action and agreed to sit down together in two weeks to see how each ofus was progressing. The form of subsequent meetings has been similar to that first meeting. We discuss new ideas that Christian is thinking about. offer him our opinions and suggestions, and then formulate a revised list of tasks to work on. Always present in our rninds is that these meetings are being convened so that we can help Christian formulate and meet his own goals. For instance, at our first meeting Christian had requested that we purchase the Saxon Algebra Iand Algehra 11books. By the time the second meeting rolled around, I had placed the order but the books hadn't arrived. David suggested that in the meantime Christian might get a start on his math review by l<roking over the Saxon Algebra 1/2 book we already owned. Christian agreed that this would be wise. At our second meeting, he asked us about which colleges we thought might be appropriate for him. He knew that he was looking for schools which would off'er flexibiliq', study abroad, and good language programs. We suggested a few liberal arts schools we'd heard of. Our suggestions gave Christian enough direction so that he
could follow through and do more research on his own. Each of us seemed to be suited to particular tasks that college admissions
requires. I took on the job of creating from the records Christian had maintained these past lbur years. David wrote a statement of our educational philosophy. Christian had to prepare for the SAT and ACT and begin the process of filing college applications while continuing to keep a prose transcript
WrlH1;ur
ScHoor.rrr..r;
O11t .-Jux.,4ul. 1996
pace with his full schedule of activities.
help her reformulate much of what
Within tlvo months. Christian received a personal invitation from the
she had written, although we did suggest that she might take things at a slower pace. By meeting's end, she
Dean of Admissions at Kalamazoo College (his first choice school) to come for a campus visit. (It's important to note that Christian's unschooled life, including four years spent fishing and fly tying, are what attracted the dean to him. The school prides itself on frnding unique, top notch students.) Yesterday Christian returned from his visit. After meeting with admissions officers, attending two classes, dining with a German professor, and staying in the dorms, Christian says he feels confident that he will be selected as a student for the fall of 1997. I can't help but think that the
time we've spent in academic meetings has really paid off. Not only has Christian had a successful college interview experience, but he's gained a deeper appreciation for his unschooling experiences and the work we can do together in an effort to support one another.
ro
for a moment. When Georgina had come to us with her plans to go to high school, we had suggested that she might think of doing some preparatory work before next fall. Our experience with Christian made it clear to us that academic meetings could also help Georgina formulate and work toward her goals. Her initial response was to refuse our offer. She feared we would take the driver's seat and tell her how to go about preparing for high school. Although we had some specific ideas about what we thought she needed to do to prepare, we assured her that she would be the one who would come to Now
BACK srEP
the meeting with hurplans. We insisted that she try at least one meeting and that she was in charge of the agenda. We half expected her to come to that first meeting with a resistant attitude and an agenda of plans to try out for every drama event in town. Instead she surprised us by presenting us with a carefully written list of academic goals. She had plans to continue working on basic math, reading, and writing along with goals that were directly linked to her aspirations to become more involved with local theater groups. We didn't need to
understood that simply adding rigorous academic study to her life without removing some of the activities that keep her so busy might be a formula for disappointment. She decided to keep her initial plans intact but to make modifications as time passed. Two weeks later, when we met again, she was delighted to report that she'd kept up with her plans. At each subsequent meeting, Georgina reviewed her academic progress (mostly math work with some reading and writing thrown in). As she did so, she began to discover how capable she is, and, ironically, her desire to attend high school began to fade. She is also discovering that academics are not the only thing of value in this world. Her work with a local director in rewriting a script, working with a professional actress in preparation for a two-person dramatic rel'ue in the summer, being an assistant to the assistant director in a local theater group, and spending huge amounts of time studying monologues, Shakespeare, and a wide array of plays and play,vrights seems to remind her that life and life experiences are what really matter, not a high school experience. Clearly our meetings, in which she planned ways to gain theatrical experience and to work on her math skills, have helped her discover her own special abilities. As she experiences new opportunities for growth within the context of her theater work, she seems to understand that she is just as capable as her schooled peers. She has discovered that she is academically capable. but more important, she has discovered that authentic work ofher own can bejust as valuable. Christian, likewise, has discovered that his unschooled life is valued by colleges, and he is confident that he'll succeed in that arena. Finally, David and I have been reminded that the essence of unschooling is that our
children find their way in this world and that we be there to help and guide them.
I
GnowrNc Wrruour Scuoor-rNc 41 1 1 r JuN.,{ul. I 996
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