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Homeschool Basics South Bay Support Curriculum Site Map |
Frequently Asked Questions
I. IS HOMESCHOOLING LEGAL?Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, although specific regulations vary. In California, homeschooling is not illegal; parents do not have to be certified teachers to teach their own children. Homeschooling can begin at any time. It is not necessary to wait for the end of a semester or school year. Some, including school officials, may not give the same opinion of the legal status of homeschooling. II. WHAT ABOUT SOCIALIZATION?This is the most asked about question, and also the one of least consequence. Because of the academic efficiency of homeschooling, there is ample time for homeschoolers to participate in recreational, educational, and volunteer activities. As one parent said, "Yes, socialization is a problem, but we have learned to cut back and leave time for book work." There are sports leagues, classes and workshops, and clubs for homeschoolers. There are neighborhood kids, church friends, other homeschooling kids, and relatives, librarians, storeowners, veterinarians, and other adults interested in sharing their lives with your kids. In the course of their daily activities, homeschooled children can socialize and work with people of all ages and in a variety of settings--unlike school children who spend most of the day grouped with kids their own age and only one adult role model. Homeschooled children also have the time to learn in the intimate setting of a family. Many adults have forgotten the value of solitude as a tool for creative learning and thinking. Most children love to visit with friends, but also like to spend a lot of time with their parents and siblings. You will find that the demand for constant socialization is only a myth. Homeschooled children display excellent social skills because they have more interactions and more adult role models and more social supervision than schooled children.
Family life often improves with siblings and parents spending more time together. Flexible schedules allow children to work at their optimum learning hours and at their own developmental pace. You can tailor educational instruction to a child's unique learning style. Children with a high need for physical activity or rest, privacy or socialization can move, eat and play with fewer restrictions. There is less peer pressure and more focus on learning, more time to learn subjects in depth, more time for reading. Parents can enjoy watching their kids learn, and they can revive their own joy of learning. You and your children can choose books and activities for learning that excite you. ADHD and learning disabilities often disappear. A relaxed pace means happier kids. Families can take vacations off-season. And there are many more reasons. IV. ARE THERE DIFFERENT METHODS OF HOMESCHOOLING?There are as many different methods as there are families. You can purchase a packaged curriculum, design your own or choose not to use a curriculum. You can structure a school-like setting at home, or unschool with a free, unstructured approach. Many homeschoolers practice an eclectic mix, incorporating some texts or workbooks and everyday experiences to create a learning environment unique to their families' needs, style and expectations. Homeschooling co-ops and support group often schedule educational activities through field trips, travel, informal classes taught by parents with expertise/interests in various fields or grouping together and hiring teachers for specific classes (especially as students get into upper grades). Some prefer to homeschool in the evening and on weekends only. Some other resources commonly used are public television, books which list special programs and camps related to interest areas, community groups such as scouts and 4-H, specialty stores and catalogues (e.g. weavers, science equipment, maps). Each family should explore the possibilities, decide on the right approach, and then continue to evolve their approach as ages, needs and situations change. Often children enjoy a less structured approach with more field trips. Some children have the capacity of more self-directed work, reading and researching on their own. Many children desire co-ops or learning clubs. Homeschooling frees children to learn in their best mode. For some opinions on choosing a homeschool philosophy, see our Labels Page V. IS CERTAIN CURRICULUM, COURSEWORK AND TESTING REQUIRED?A good piece of advice for new homeschoolers is to resist the temptation to rush out and buy lots of curriculum materials; to take time and check lots of stuff out, talk to lots of people, etc. Just as it is important to let the kids take it easy at the beginning, the parent might find it good to do so, too. There are guidelines laid out in the California Education Code for covering specific areas of coursework. However, it is not always necessary to cover the same topics conventionally covered by each grade level for each subject area. If you are in the market for curriculum, you may be able to attend a homeschool conference where can you shop for supplies. Local bookstores and teacher stores are also great sources for supplies. Many private school ISPs may require standardized testing, but it is not a state requirement. Many homeschoolers feel it is unnecessary to test as a way of determining what the student has learned because we enjoy the benefit of daily one-on-one interaction. If you should choose to test, there are private test administrators available in the yellow pages of your phone book, or you could contact the test publisher or distributor for a referral. Some tests are also available for purchase and administration in your own home. VI. HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE TO HOMESCHOOL?A great deal of traditional school time is spent in waiting, behavior management, lunch, recess, etc. In school, it is usually not possible to tailor lessons to each child's specific needs. With the individualized conditions that homeschooling offers, children can learn very efficiently. Also, at home, education happens throughout the day and evenings and often by chance. Often, it takes an observant parent to keep notes and records of learning that happens throughout the course of the day, and over the course of the year. Older children often keep their own records and work many hours on their own. Many high school homeschoolers desire to study extra hours with specific texts for college preparation. VII. HOW DO KIDS TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO HOMESCHOOL?Often kids are excited to try out homeschooling, even when the adults are nervous. Children seem to thrive in a home environment. However, the longer the child has been in school, the longer it takes to transition to a home learning style. Often children need a "down" time when first coming home. Time to relax, adjust and think. Just spend time on field trips, talking, visiting the library, connecting, or just reading together. Be patient. You'll soon see your child regain his/her love of learning. Some children need more structure and some need less. You need to remain flexible and try to find the right balance. VIII. WHAT ABOUT A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA? WHAT ABOUT COLLEGE?A high school student has many options. Some colleges accept homeschooled teens without a diploma and are very interested in recruiting homeschooled teens. Some colleges require a portfolio or transcript which may consist of essays, detailed lists of accomplishments, subjects and books covered, projects, reports, classes attended, recommendations from others who have worked with the teen in volunteer work, scouts, church, community work, sports, etc. Other colleges will accept a student who has completed community courses, and some will accept a GED or SAT scores that prove the student is competent. Many independent study programs also offer diplomas and transcripts. The key to getting into the college of your choice is the same for homeschooled and traditionally schooled students. Contact the admissions office early. Establish rapport, ask for advice, and participate in co-op, online or early admissions programs. Colleges accept students who have pursued a non-traditional, self-designed course of study, as well as students following traditional curricula. Homeschooled teens often show a great depth of learning, a self-directed approach and a serious attitude about studying, which are traits sought after by colleges. Many homeschooled teens benefit by working or traveling to gain more life experience before choosing to go into college. Some choose to pursue alternatives to a traditional college education such as apprenticeships, internships and online education. IX. HOW DO I GET MY HOUSEWORK AND ERRANDS DONE? CAN I WORK PART-TIME AND HOMESCHOOL MY KIDS?Most homeschooling families consider chores and errands part of the daily learning environment, to help children prepare for adult life. Children participate in the shopping, banking and cleaning. They learn a wide variety of skills by accompanying an adult in the world, or working with a parent. Many homeschooling families trade off for childcare, hire babysitters, or schedule flexible hours of work to accommodate homeschooling. A lot of families have two parents working. Also, be aware that providing a rich learning environment in the home may mean getting used to more mess and clutter, or figuring out ways to organize it, a valuable life skill. One tradeoff for a quality education is a house with much activity and resources strewn around for a few years. Homeschooling is more than an educational alternative; it is a lifestyle change. X. THERE ARE SOME SUBJECTS WHERE MY OWN SKILLS ARE INADEQUATE. HOW CAN I TEACH THEM TO MY CHILD?The best-kept secret of homeschooling is that the adult can learn along with the child. There are many excellent teaching aids today. You can also show your child how to find or research for information you don't have, an important skill in itself. You learn to use libraries, atlases, dictionaries, directories, phone books, and professionals in the field. Libraries are a great help. There are outside classes available, some specially designed for homeschoolers. There are community college courses that can be used as a resource for lab sciences, language classes, music and art classes; i.e. anything of special interest to the student or anything the parent feels unable to cover on their own. There are tutors, computer programs, on-line education, and video and audio tapes. As a child gets older and can read, he/she can work through books on their own, only asking for help every now and then. An important quality for an adult to have in homeschooling is the courage to learn, to find out information, and to be interested in learning yourself. To serve your child best, serve as a resource guide and enthusiast of learning. Be willing to learn. Be courageous to learn it on your own. Or, get help from the many people who are interested in home education.
XI. ARE THERE ARE STATISTICS ON HOMESCHOOLING?There are, but all of this research has been questioned. Surveys done by homeschooling
organizations has been labelled biased. Research conducted by the government, private agencies and
private individuals has been described as limited and not representative of the entire homeschool
community. The problems with accumulating statistics on homeschooling are many. One of the main problems is that there are so many legal ways
to homeschool. Depending on the state you live in, you may enroll in an independent study program or file paperwork
with the school district or state. In some states, there is no requirement to notify the state that you homeschool. In others,
homeschoolers file the same paperwork as private schools. So getting an accurate count on the number of homeschoolers or the number
who have graduated is impossible. Because it is impossible to get accurate figures from the states, some researchers have
used the membership databases of homeschool organizations to survey homeschoolers. Membership in these organizations is
not mandatory, so using this data leaves out many homeschoolers who have opted not to belong. These organizations also
often have members who share one trait in common; some have memberships that reflect a particular religious philosophy; some have
members only in their state; some have only members who belong to a certain school or ISP.
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