A kvetchy list dealing with homeschooling misinformation
I have spent quite a bit of time over the past few months talking to various people about how to go about homeschooling. I always used to think that we long-term homeschoolers were basically understood by non-homeschoolers, but that assumption seems to be incorrect. Based on various conversations both in person and on-line, it seems that the gulf between a traditionally schooled mind set and homeschooling is deep and wide. No wonder people perpetually tell me they don't know how I do it, because what they imagine I am doing is so vastly different from what homeschooling actually looks like.
To help with any confusion, here are some incorrect homeschooling ideas that I am repeatedly addressing.
1. Homeschoolers are affected by Covid, too
I cannot tell you the number of times parents who have decided to homeschool come to the homeschooling community wanting in-person co-ops or classes. My snarkier side wants to point out that homeschoolers are not any more immune to viruses than public school families. As a result, the vast majority of co-ops are meeting virtually, if at all. Declaring yourself a homeschooler does not suddenly mean that you can live as if we weren't in the middle of a pandemic.
2. There is no magic curriculum
Everyone is looking for a unicorn; that magic curriculum that covers everything, that requires no parental help, that will guarantee that your children will learn, and is cheap. While some homeschoolers purchase an all-inclusive curriculum, the vast majority take a little bit from her and little bit from there. We have learned, often the hard and expensive way that each of our children is unique and there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all curriculum. There is even less chance of finding a curriculum that is going to teach the child with no parental effort. Certainly there isn't if you don't want them to sit in front of a screen all day.
3. It is possible to learn and become educated without ever doing a worksheet
This is one of those things I feel shouldn't have to be said because it seems so obvious to me. The past couple of months have shown that there seem to be many parents out there who see worksheets as being the pinnacle of pedagogic theory. When I try (nicely) to point out that there are many other, more effective ways to learn, there are often vaguely aggressive responses that without them, their child will never succeed in school ever again if they miss a year of worksheets. (Seriously, I'm not making this up, I promise, and it's happened multiple times.) Sometimes it's important to know when to leave a conversation.
4. Really and truly, children who have experienced a non-traditional education can and do succeed in college (and life)
I know I'm a little loosy-goosey in our educational style... no tests, no grades, no worksheets. Hearing me say this is enough to push a person well outside their comfort zone as they try to figure out how to fit this information into their own educational beliefs. I'm clearly threatening, in some way, a few people's deeply held convictions. (No, I don't really know why me not assigning worksheets [back again with those dang worksheets] and not giving grades is so personally threatening, but it seems to be.) Once or twice after I've mentioned it, I'm hit broadside with the statement of fact that homeschooled students won't be able to succeed in college if they had a non-traditional education. I will admit it is handy to have children who have done well, and that is about the only time I list my children's accomplishments. (I would be lying if it didn't also bring me some small sense of satisfaction as well.) I do so not just to refute the person making that assertion, because sometimes people with strongly held believes, right or wrong, cannot hear another viewpoint, but there are also all the people who are reading, who might be concerned that they will be ruining their child, who need to hear that all different styles of education can lead to a fully functioning adult who is capable of succeeding. There is enough fear going around these days, no need to add more.
5. Homeschooled students really can get into college
This is a big one. Most parents genuinely worry that opting to homeschool will make it difficult or impossible to be accepted into colleges and universities. This is one of the concerns which show that most people don't really know any homeschoolers, because homeschoolers get into college all the time. With homemade transcripts... and non-traditional credits... and non-accredited curriculum... all those things which people assume are a big deal but really are not. Transcripts are a pain, but not difficult. Many schools welcome homeschoolers with open arms often because of their non-traditional education.
6. There is no need for a homeschooler to get a GED
A homeschooled student who graduates from homeschooled high school IS a high school graduate. They have completed high school. GED's are for students who, for whatever reason, were never able to complete their high school studies. For a homeschooled high school student to get a GED is essentially saying they never completed their schooling; it negates their whole high school experience. Don't do it.
7. Very often, your state board of education is not the best place to get homeschooling information
Believe it or not, state boards of education tend not to be crazy about homeschoolers. They may phrase their information in technically correct ways, but might also suggest other things which could be done but legally don't have to be. It's kind of like a mouse asking the cat how best to not get caught in the mouse trap. Your far better source of information are your state homeschooling organizations. They know the laws of your state and they know what is and is not necessary to fulfill those laws without doing more than necessary. For the sake of long-term homeschoolers, it is important that temporary homeschoolers comply only as much as necessary in order not to encourage more homeschooling legislation that the rest of us will have to live with.
8. Scopes and sequences are not set in stone
We have no national standardized education in the US. This means that what one district decides the second graders will learn is going to be different from what second graders in a district elsewhere will learn. They can be a great resource for ideas, but that's about it. And if you covered community helpers at a time different from the scope and sequence of your district, the world will not end; your child will not forever be behind because of it. If you never cover community helpers, I'm still pretty sure that they will figure out what a fireman or librarian or teacher or garbage collector does.
9. Grade levels are a number on a book
A number I wish they wouldn't even include. If your child is struggling, drop back a grade in that subject to figure out what was missed and give extra practice. If your child is breezing through the material at a breakneck pace, go on and move into the next book. It is okay if your child's textbook grades do not match your child's social grade. Children are jagged in their abilities. Heck, adults are jagged in their abilities. I would be far more surprised if a child was absolutely in their exact social grade level in all subjects than I am when they are ahead and behind depending on subject. You're a homeschooler now; you don't need to worry about the 29 other children in the class. Go at your child's own speed, whether it is fast or slow. It's not a race.
10. There's no such thing as behind
If you homeschool for a year, your child will not get 'behind'. This assumes that there is one correct speed and path of learning for all children. This is hogwash. There is no standardized child. A child making progress at their own unique speed of learning is exactly where that child should be at that moment. No amount of pushing or perfect pedagogy is going to change that. If you are attentive to your child, do things together, read books together, your child will be fine. Besides the fact that everyone during this pandemic is in exactly the same boat. Worrying that your child will be left behind assumes that everyone else is functioning normally. Ha! No one is functioning normally at the moment. Some seasons you just have to get through while hopefully finding some joy along the way. This is one of them.
To help with any confusion, here are some incorrect homeschooling ideas that I am repeatedly addressing.
1. Homeschoolers are affected by Covid, too
I cannot tell you the number of times parents who have decided to homeschool come to the homeschooling community wanting in-person co-ops or classes. My snarkier side wants to point out that homeschoolers are not any more immune to viruses than public school families. As a result, the vast majority of co-ops are meeting virtually, if at all. Declaring yourself a homeschooler does not suddenly mean that you can live as if we weren't in the middle of a pandemic.
2. There is no magic curriculum
Everyone is looking for a unicorn; that magic curriculum that covers everything, that requires no parental help, that will guarantee that your children will learn, and is cheap. While some homeschoolers purchase an all-inclusive curriculum, the vast majority take a little bit from her and little bit from there. We have learned, often the hard and expensive way that each of our children is unique and there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all curriculum. There is even less chance of finding a curriculum that is going to teach the child with no parental effort. Certainly there isn't if you don't want them to sit in front of a screen all day.
3. It is possible to learn and become educated without ever doing a worksheet
This is one of those things I feel shouldn't have to be said because it seems so obvious to me. The past couple of months have shown that there seem to be many parents out there who see worksheets as being the pinnacle of pedagogic theory. When I try (nicely) to point out that there are many other, more effective ways to learn, there are often vaguely aggressive responses that without them, their child will never succeed in school ever again if they miss a year of worksheets. (Seriously, I'm not making this up, I promise, and it's happened multiple times.) Sometimes it's important to know when to leave a conversation.
4. Really and truly, children who have experienced a non-traditional education can and do succeed in college (and life)
I know I'm a little loosy-goosey in our educational style... no tests, no grades, no worksheets. Hearing me say this is enough to push a person well outside their comfort zone as they try to figure out how to fit this information into their own educational beliefs. I'm clearly threatening, in some way, a few people's deeply held convictions. (No, I don't really know why me not assigning worksheets [back again with those dang worksheets] and not giving grades is so personally threatening, but it seems to be.) Once or twice after I've mentioned it, I'm hit broadside with the statement of fact that homeschooled students won't be able to succeed in college if they had a non-traditional education. I will admit it is handy to have children who have done well, and that is about the only time I list my children's accomplishments. (I would be lying if it didn't also bring me some small sense of satisfaction as well.) I do so not just to refute the person making that assertion, because sometimes people with strongly held believes, right or wrong, cannot hear another viewpoint, but there are also all the people who are reading, who might be concerned that they will be ruining their child, who need to hear that all different styles of education can lead to a fully functioning adult who is capable of succeeding. There is enough fear going around these days, no need to add more.
5. Homeschooled students really can get into college
This is a big one. Most parents genuinely worry that opting to homeschool will make it difficult or impossible to be accepted into colleges and universities. This is one of the concerns which show that most people don't really know any homeschoolers, because homeschoolers get into college all the time. With homemade transcripts... and non-traditional credits... and non-accredited curriculum... all those things which people assume are a big deal but really are not. Transcripts are a pain, but not difficult. Many schools welcome homeschoolers with open arms often because of their non-traditional education.
6. There is no need for a homeschooler to get a GED
A homeschooled student who graduates from homeschooled high school IS a high school graduate. They have completed high school. GED's are for students who, for whatever reason, were never able to complete their high school studies. For a homeschooled high school student to get a GED is essentially saying they never completed their schooling; it negates their whole high school experience. Don't do it.
7. Very often, your state board of education is not the best place to get homeschooling information
Believe it or not, state boards of education tend not to be crazy about homeschoolers. They may phrase their information in technically correct ways, but might also suggest other things which could be done but legally don't have to be. It's kind of like a mouse asking the cat how best to not get caught in the mouse trap. Your far better source of information are your state homeschooling organizations. They know the laws of your state and they know what is and is not necessary to fulfill those laws without doing more than necessary. For the sake of long-term homeschoolers, it is important that temporary homeschoolers comply only as much as necessary in order not to encourage more homeschooling legislation that the rest of us will have to live with.
8. Scopes and sequences are not set in stone
We have no national standardized education in the US. This means that what one district decides the second graders will learn is going to be different from what second graders in a district elsewhere will learn. They can be a great resource for ideas, but that's about it. And if you covered community helpers at a time different from the scope and sequence of your district, the world will not end; your child will not forever be behind because of it. If you never cover community helpers, I'm still pretty sure that they will figure out what a fireman or librarian or teacher or garbage collector does.
9. Grade levels are a number on a book
A number I wish they wouldn't even include. If your child is struggling, drop back a grade in that subject to figure out what was missed and give extra practice. If your child is breezing through the material at a breakneck pace, go on and move into the next book. It is okay if your child's textbook grades do not match your child's social grade. Children are jagged in their abilities. Heck, adults are jagged in their abilities. I would be far more surprised if a child was absolutely in their exact social grade level in all subjects than I am when they are ahead and behind depending on subject. You're a homeschooler now; you don't need to worry about the 29 other children in the class. Go at your child's own speed, whether it is fast or slow. It's not a race.
10. There's no such thing as behind
If you homeschool for a year, your child will not get 'behind'. This assumes that there is one correct speed and path of learning for all children. This is hogwash. There is no standardized child. A child making progress at their own unique speed of learning is exactly where that child should be at that moment. No amount of pushing or perfect pedagogy is going to change that. If you are attentive to your child, do things together, read books together, your child will be fine. Besides the fact that everyone during this pandemic is in exactly the same boat. Worrying that your child will be left behind assumes that everyone else is functioning normally. Ha! No one is functioning normally at the moment. Some seasons you just have to get through while hopefully finding some joy along the way. This is one of them.
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