Here is an article about homeschooling that we wrote that recently ran in the Jewish Voice. If after reading the article you would like more information about if homeschooling is right for you, please leave a comment below or email me. We would love to host an information session for anyone who might be struggling with tuition payments, have children who just are not thriving in school, feel that they would like more freedom in their family life and child's education.
Homeschooling-
A Viable Option
When it comes to education
the debate runs deep concerning topics like teaching styles, cost of education,
and religious philosophies of our Yeshivot. Most of us have never thought of
homeschooling as a viable alternative. Homeschooling is on the rise nationwide,
growing between 7 to 15 percent each year, according to the National Home
Education Research Institute. It is estimated that more than 2 million children
in the U.S. are being home schooled, a 75% increase since 1999.
Even
with those statistics, we never thought homeschooling would be in our future,
but after some online research and attending the annual Torah Home Educators Conference
in Baltimore last May we decided to give it a try. It has been an exciting and
challenging endeavor and we are optimistic about its future. Over the course of
the year, we have received many questions and concerns regarding homeschooling.
Here are our responses to the most common questions we have received.
1. What about socialization? Aren't your kids
going to be socially awkward?
We must first debunk the myth that
homeschoolers spend their entire day sitting around the kitchen table pouring
over books. Many homeschoolers complete their lessons in just a few hours leaving time
to pursue interests and chesed activities in social settings. Homeschoolers get together for field trips, organized
sports, academic classes, park days, etc.
The socialization that homeschoolers
partake in happens out in the real world. They learn to navigate social
settings with mixed aged peers and have more opportunities to learn proper
behavior from adult role models. Opportunities constantly arise to model and
discuss proper social skills like treating others with dignity, controlling our
emotions, and dealing with hardships.
Research studies conducted by Dr.
Larry Shyers concluded that homeschooled children have fewer behavior problems
and higher self confidence then their age-matched peers from public and private
schools.
2. What about
academics? How can a parent teach their child everything a school can teach?
Each family takes
their own approach to home education.
Some families feel more comfortable buying premade curriculums and
having official "school" hours. Others follow the path of unschooling
which believes that children have an innate desire to learn and by following their
interests, self directed and independent learners are created. Many families
find a balance between these approaches. Families can outsource for subjects
they do not feel equipped to teach independently by hiring a tutor, rabbi,
using online programs, or by joining a co-op. In addition, students can learn
along with their parent or self-teach with appropriate curriculum.
Research conducted
by Dr. Brian Ray (2009) shows that on average, homeschoolers scored about 37
percentile points higher than the national average on standardized achievement
tests. This study also revealed that factors such as student gender, parents’
education level, and family income had little bearing on the results of
homeschooled students. These results are not surprising since homeschooling provides
true individualized instruction, as Shlomo Hamelech advised "חנוך לנער על פי
דרכו".
3. How do you
find the patience to homeschool your children?
It is a constant work in progress.
We imagine teachers have good and bad days just like we do. What keeps us going
during the trying times is our conviction that we are fulfilling the mitzvah of
ושננתם לבניך. We
feel grateful that we can spend this time with our family building a strong family
unit, imparting a love of Torah, and using the world as our text book. Our
children learn at their own pace and explore topics they are excited about. Much
of our learning is a byproduct of living a meaningful and exciting life
together.
Part
of the impetus for writing this article is to find those few families that
would be interested in this challenging but greatly rewarding endeavor. When
like minded families take on the challenge of homeschooling together a
homeschooling community develops. This allows for pooling of resources and a
plethora of social and educational activities amongst peers of similar values.
To
get a glimpse of what our homeschooling journey looks like, please check out
our blog: http://jewishhomeschoolnyc.blogspot.com/. If you would like more information about
Jewish home schooling, please don't hesitate to contact us. In addition, please
consider attending the Torah Home Education Conference on May 26, 2013 in
Baltimore to get inspiration from other Jewish homeschoolers.
Ilana Masri, M.S.
Ilana917@gmail.com
Speech -Language Pathologist and Owner of Classy
Crafts- a kids crafting and baking program
Daniel Masri M.D.
Daniel.Masri@gmail.com
Diagnostic Neuroradiologist
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