Additional Perspectives on Homeschooling

If you’ve read ‘Weighing In”, let’s step back from where you are right now and look at this from a different angle. I think once we became parents many of us felt overwhelmed and a little confused about what education is supposed to do for our kids. It’s so easy to get caught up in the “more-is-better” philosophy; from pre-school age classes in dance, music, art, etc., all the way through to zero-period in high school, advanced placement courses, extra-curricular activities, and community service. All of those are good things in themselves, and probably helpful in getting into college. But are they really something our children will need as adults?

How many people do you know who have a four-year degree, or higher, but what they’ve chosen for their life’s career or vocation isn’t related to said degree? I have a friend who graduated with a degree in marine biology – his life’s work has been owning and working a horse ranch. One of our sons went almost all the way through to a bachelor’s degree in police science, only to drop it in his last semester, and later return to get a degree in computer science, which he’s actually used. Our other son has a degree in English; he is happy as a clam working for a game store that doesn’t carry electronic games – only puzzles, word games, dice games, board games, etc.

You may have heard one of your children ask, “When am I ever going to use this?” It’s not a completely invalid question. When you get a moment, think back to your own school journey and try to pinpoint the things that you learned in a classroom that you’re still using. I learned to type – still using that. My anatomy class was necessary for my childbirth education certificate. I wouldn’t say Art Appreciation was exactly helpful, but it did give me a background when viewing some of the art I’ve been privileged to see as an adult.

I took two semesters of accounting; slightly helpful for the two years or so that I worked as an assistant bookkeeper, but not a necessity for my present life. I also took two semesters of shorthand; I couldn’t have guessed that the Dictaphone would appear on the scene about three months after I left school making that skill obsolete. I took two semesters of college history courses, but I learned most of the history I remember from historical novels or books that I’ve read on my own.

Now, I’m not saying that our kids shouldn’t get as broad an education as possible – but shouldn’t it be a life-long quest, instead of something that only happens in a classroom, with tests involved? From where I sit, I think there’s a fine line between helping them get an education and killing any desire they might have to become life-long-learners.

So, what is really important? Through the years of teaching that parent education class, I had the opportunity to peel away a lot of the layers and try to find what was at the center. Here’s what I came up with:

1) Teach them how to read well and comprehend what they’ve read.
2) They need to know how to add, subtract, multiply and divide – those are the required building blocks for all other math. Not to mention it’s very helpful in handling finances, checking accounts, etc.
3) Teach them to write well, and in a way that others can understand. Which means decent vocabulary and grammar. Hint: when they read, make sure they’re reading good literature; or if they’re young, you’re reading good literature to them. They’ll pick up a lot of things by osmosis – they may not know the rules behind the spelling or grammar, but they’ll know what sounds and looks correct.
4) Help them to speak clearly and look others in the eye – making eye contact will be a very profitable skill in both their personal lives and the business world.
5) Finally, and maybe most importantly, teach them to respect both themselves and others, to be kind and helpful to everyone, and that honesty and integrity will go a long way toward a happy and fulfilled life.

That’s pretty much it in a nutshell, and I was fortunate enough to leave school with most of those abilities under my belt. Some of them I had to learn on my own – which, in my case basically meant the hard way. And, I’m not sure if I could accurately tally what percentage came from the classroom, the home, or just life rising up and smacking me in the face. But I know that none of it would have stuck for very long without a growing faith in a God who loves me and has a plan for my life. And, I do still believe if your kids have a complete set of the above skills, you’ve given them all the tools they need to get wherever they want to go – whatever subjects weren’t covered in school, no matter where school takes place, they can discover and learn on their own. Isn’t that what we want for them?