Homeschooling Library

LB: Often the reason we homeschool is to avoid public schools. From being inadequate, to containing information against our religious beliefs--there is no reason to evaluate public school texts in homeschooling your children. Public school standards are so low--why would you want to match that at home? Don't look to the unsuccessful for guidance. If you feel the need to evaluate, look at what other successful homeschoolers have used with their successfully homeschooled children! Just know what your child needs to know, how they learn best, and then teach it the way that's fun for you all! To find out what your state's educational requirements are for graduation and/or college, visit www.homeschoolingrequirements.com and click on your state for full information.

Math

Q: My child is about 2 years behind on math and struggling with remembering multiplication tables. Do you have any suggestions?

LB: Make it fun so it doesn't even seem like learning. I have this super CD of Educational Teacher Written Multiplication Songs. It covers all the multiplication tables, with different rhythmic songs. It goes through the table first (and the song even gives simple hints to help remember), then goes through the song again with a "pause" for the child to sing the answer. We all dance and sing to it--even my two year old!

Preschool

Q: I have two kids, Joshua almost 4, and Sarah almost 2. I'm thinking about starting homeschool preschool with Joshua because I want to keep my kids from experiencing all the negative stuff in public school. I am concerned that I'm not the best discipliner. When I go to show my kids something sometimes they refuse to let me show them.

Ronda McFarlane, MN

Hi, Ronda!

I hear you about trying to avoid the public school system. You're children are very fortunate that you care enough to consider the homeschool option.

You know, Joshua is at the perfect age and with him, it doesn't even need to be like "school". Homeschool can really have as much as or a little structure as you want. And for preschool, you can start just by having fun together doing games and crafts. He doesn't even have to know that he is being "shown" something. He's really way too young to be forced into anything or even to have to think but having fun.

Does he enjoy doing stuff with you? Like, does he want to help you cook or things like that? Well, you'll just be continuing that with him. And, say you want to introduce letters. You can do that by putting sand or sugar in a 9x12 cake pan and drawing letters in the sand. That's fun.

And you can sing songs. Like sing the alphabet or whatever other songs he likes to encourage learning and rhythm. I know a family that has even uses foreign language kids songs and stuff to introduce foreign language. My 2 year old Maegan likes to dance and sing to the multiplication songs CD that I use for my 8 year old.

Read together, go to fun places together.

I really think that for starting with preschool, it should be all fun, exploration, and experience to encourage neural growth before the brain's natural "pruning" coming up. I think that you don't have to worry about discipline, necessarily. Of course, you'll want to instill in them and have them continue your house rules, etc.; but your preschool time can just be a "together" play time. It doesn't have to be a set time or even done everyday.

And you know what will be really great? Sarah will hang around and watch. She'll want to participate in the fun too. And she'll be learning and picking up stuff without even knowing it!

Also to consider, sometimes boys take a little bit longer to mature. So, don't feel like you have to push Joshua at all. My personal opinion is that most preschools are glorified daycares. But if there is something about a preschool that you know of that offers something you'd like Joshua to experience, think of a way to incorporate that or something similar at home.

I think with being home you have the perfect situation going on. Most states don't require compulsory education until ages 5 or 6, so there is nothing formal that you have to do to start. Homeschooling requirements are at www.homeschoolingrequirements.com but I don't have MN published yet. I will forward that to you as soon as it is ready so that you will have links to support groups, etc. in your area.

Good luck, Ronda! I hope this helps. You CAN do this and you'll be really good at it!!!

Laura Bankston

Socialization

Q: My daughter went to public school and she has always been quite the socialization butterfly. She loves to get together with friends. Since we've been homeschooling, she has liked that, but she is already asking to go back to public school for the sixth grade because she misses her friends. She is taking dance that fills her time and we thought would fill her socialization but doesn't seem to be doing the trick. What do you or others do to combat this? We were thinking of putting her in private school but I don't think that would solve some of the issues.

Denise

LB: I don't know what your reasons were for starting homeschool, but if they were for educational reasons, I wouldn't put her back in public school just for socialization. If the friends that she had there were fine with you for character, etc., why does she have to stop socializing with them? She can still talk on the phone with them, have them over, etc. to fill her needs until she has made new friends that she feels close to in her dance class or other activities that you do as a family. It will take a little time for her to develop close enough friendships in her new social circle, and it would be really hard for her to go cold-turkey to nothing. Dance class isn't the same as talking on the phone and going over friend's house etc. But, if the friends in ps were a problem, then I would suggest involvement in your church or elsewhere--maybe girlscouts or 4H or something where she can develop that type of friendship or doing some fun, silly family activities that will fill her need for girl chatting, silliness, and fun.

Maybe it would be wise to take a moment to find the true interests of your daughter, what exactly she feels is lacking in her friendships, and find a group that she can join that will give her both while still having the advantage of homeschool.

Sports

Q: If I homeschool my child, will he still be able to participate in public school extracurricular activities such as basketball, football, baseball, soccer, or other sports?

A: The answer depends on your state laws; but you may be surprised to find that your child qualifies to try out for and participate on any teams for are at the public school your child would be attending if not being homeschooled.

Which actually makes sense since, in most cases, your tax dollars are still going to support public schools. So don't automatically assume that homeschooling your child will preclude him from your areas best sport opportunities. The real question may be do you want your child to attend public school sporting events when you're homeschooling to avoid such an environment...

But, for those who are interested, the NHEN has recently participated in legislation in West Virginia against a public school that was preventing a boy from trying out for a team. His exclusion was based only on the fact that he was homeschooled and the West Viriginia courts ruled that his rights were being violated and the school was required to let him try out. Following is an exerpt from the NHEN digest #1585 that provides an abridged version of the case and ruling:

"The judge has finally ruled on the suit brought by the Jones family of Mannington, WV, to allow their son Aaron to participate on the local middle school wrestling team. The judge's decision (excerpted):

'DECISION: For the reasons discussed above, the court concludes that 1)the defendants have breached their statutory duty under West Virginia Code section 18-8-1(c)(3) by failing to make an available educational resource available to Aaron, 2) the defendants have violated Aaron's right to equal protection, as guaranteed by Article III, section 10 of the West Virginia Constitution, because the blanket prohibition on home schooled students participating in interscholastic athletics fails the applicable rational basis test, and 3) the defendants have breached the duty to promulgate reasonable rules and regulations by implementing a total ban rather than crafting fair rules tailored to any legitimate concerns that may flow from allowing home schooled students, who are otherwise qualified, to participate on sports teams fielded by the public school they would be attending if they were not home schooled. Therefore, the defendants' policy of exclusion for home schooled children cannot continue. Each of the foregoing grounds provides an independent, distinct and alternative basis for ruling in favor of the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs seek declaratory relief, injunctive relief and extraordinary relief in the form of writs of prohibition and mandamus. In light of the foregoing, it is hereby ORDERED, ADJUDGED and DECREED as follows: 1. Pursuant to West Virginia Code section 29A-4-2, a court may declare a rule invalid if it violates constitutional provisions or exceeds the statutory authority or jurisdiction of the agency or is arbitrary and capricious. Title 127, series 2, section 3.1 of the West Virginia Code of State Regulations is hereby declared invalid on any or all of the grounds that 1) it violates equal protection, 2) exceeds the statutory authority of the West Virginia Board of Education and the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission, and 3) is arbitrary and capricious in that it is overly broad. 2. The defendants are enjoined from violating the plaintiffs' statutory right of access to available educational resources, which includes participation on an existing school athletic team; 3. The defendants are enjoined from violating the equal protection provisions of the West Virginia Constitution by enforcing the enrollment rule that excludes home schooled students from interscholastic athletics; 4. The defendants are enjoined from failing and refusing to comply with their statutory duty to promulgate and enact reasonable rules for the regulation of interscholastic athletics; 5. A writ of prohibition is directed to the defendants to prevent them from exceeding their statutory and constitutional authority by excluding otherwise qualified home schooled students from participating on sports teams fielded by public schools; 6. The plaintiffs have met the three prerequisites for issuance of a writ of mandamus. Therefore, a writ of mandamus is issued 1. to compel the defendants to comply with their statutory duty to afford the plaintiffs access to available educational resources, which includes participation in interscholastic athletics; 2. to compel the defendants to afford the plaintiffs and their son the right to equal protection, as guaranteed by the West Virginia Constitution, which means that the defendants shall not give effect to the enrollment rule that excludes home schooled students from interscholastic athletics; 3. to compel the defendants to comply with their statutory duty to promulgate reasonable rules, which shall not include an enrollment rule that results in the blanket prohibition against home schooled students participating in interscholastic athletics; and 4. to compel the defendants to allow the plaintiffs' son, Aaron, to try out for and, if successful, to compete on any sports team that is being fielded by the public school Aaron would otherwise attend were he not being home schooled. The objection of any party aggrieved by entry of this order is noted and preserved. The Clerk is hereby DIRECTED to forward an attested copy of this Order to all counsel of record, including counsel for the amicus. There being nothing further, this action shall be DISMISSED and removed from the docket of this court. ENTERED this day of September 2003. Louis H. Bloom, Judge'."