Homeschooling 101: What is homeschooling?
Basically, homeschooling means learning outside of the public or private school environment. The word “home” is not really accurate, and neither is “school.”
For most families, their “schooling” involves being out and about each day, learning from the rich resources available in their community, environment, and through interactions with other families who home-school.
Essentially, homeschooling involves a commitment by a parent or guardian to oversee their child or teen’s educational development.
Last May 21, 2019, creators of the Philippines Homeschool Convention (PHC), Educating For Life (EFL) mommas organized a pre-PHC event that they called “Homeschooling Unboxed” for their upcoming Philippine Homeschool Convention that will be happening on September 7, 2019, from 7am-6pm at the SMX Convention Center, SM Aura Premier, Taguig City. “No Place Like Home” is their theme for this year’s PHC event.
In the “Homeschooling Unboxed” pre-PHC event of EFL moms Mariel, Michelle, Sanne, and Tina, they discussed if homeschooling really works, how does socialization take place, how to homeschool a preschooler, and what do you do if you feel like giving up already.
Homeschooling 101: Does homeschooling work?
Mom of four children, Michelle Padrelanan believes that homeschooling really does work! Asked if it was worth it, she’ll immediately answer, “Yes, homeschooling is worth it.”
Michelle shared that at the beginning of her homeschooling journey with her children, it wasn’t easy at all. She was ridiculed by her parents, in-laws, and even others around her.
She stated, “My parents said they will pay for the kids’ schooling if there’s a problem with our financial and they tried to show me I was wrong in my decision. With my in-laws they said they never heard about homeschooling, my kids will not grow up to be successful, and lastly home education is only for problem students. While others said they do not believe in homeschooling, my kids will be kawawa, and my kids might feel imprisoned.”
Michelle also shared her struggles and challenges along the way like having a single income so she was really on a tight budget.
She says, “Because we only had a single income, I was not able to buy the books I wanted for my kids for home school, but thankfully there are free online materials that I downloaded and printed. I really even invested for a printer because I was printing books.”
“As I became a home-school material reviewer, we received many free home school materials from the USA,” she added.
She also felt isolation since they just stayed at home, but she discovered a coop for home school families that they can join.
“Of course since we mostly stayed at home, we felt isolated in a way and so I discovered Kreative Kids, Moms and Dad and we joined. It’s a coop for home-school families enrolled with Kids’ World Integrated School. So basically, my kids got to know kids too who are being home-schooled like them and eventually, got to be their friends, too.”
The mom of four also added that she struggled because of very little support from her family and others, plus she had other life roles she needed to portray, and some personal doubts along the way.
But now, she realizes the benefit of homeschooling her children.
“We have a closer family bond because of home school—everyday learning together and doing things together made as really close. Like for example, my eldest Bethany she was invited by her friends to head to Tagaytay to spend some time with them, but she rejected it because she said she’d rather spend time with us her family than with her friends.”
She even shared that Bethany is now a college graduate with honors, Magna Cum Laude from Treston. She happily said, “My family praises me for my work on my children.”
Homeschooling 101: What about socialization?
Rosanne “Sanne” Unson, a mom to her only daughter shared a very important partake to all the parents who attended the pre-PHC event.
“I wish my fourth grade teacher who always said, ‘We are not at school to socialize,’ would please tell that to everyone who asks me about home school socialization.”
She defined that, “Socialization is the process whereby people acquire the rules of behavior and systems of beliefs and attitudes that equip a person to function effectively as a member of a particular society.”
Sanne even shared a meme that said, “New studies show that, contrary to popular mythology the average home-schooled child has no problem ‘socializing’ with other children, as long as he remembers to use smaller words and shorter sentences.”
She also gave a few tips on homeschooling your children:
- Look for a support group or create one yourself.
- Be a model to your child.
- As being a model, you also teach your child life skills.
- Be involved.
- Provide opportunities to pursue your child’s interests.
- Always keep in mind that “there’s no place like home”
Homeschooling 101: How do you homeschool a preschooler?
Mariel Uyquiengco started TheLearningBasket in 2011 and is a parenting resource hub that offers parent education classes, as well as articles on parenting and homeschooling. She believes that there are four Rs in homeschooling your preschooler or your child basically.
She shared, “The real Rs to take note when homeschooling your child are Relationship, Readiness, Routine, and Read aloud.”
Relationship
Childhood is fleeting. It is the time to build a foundation of love and trust with our children.
Readiness
Children learn faster and better when they are developmentally ready.
Routine
Children need to know what will happen next in their day.
Read aloud
Reading aloud is the single bet thing you can do for young children.
Homeschooling 101: What do you do if you feel like giving up already?
Tina Rodriguez believes in passion-led, purpose-filled, lifelong learning, thus she believes that, “Homeschooling is hard work and homeschooling is heart work. When you feel like giving up know what’s in your heart and your kids’ heart too.”
She asked herself, “What should I do when it gets too hard? When I want to give up?”
Tina answered with delight, “Simply, B. R. E. A. T. H. E.”
The self-professed “media missionary,” shared: “B – take a BREAK. Our children deserve to spend less of their lives being tested, graded, and measured, and more time dreaming in the sunshine with someone they love. R – REMEMBER your whys. We don’t educate our children at home to do school with them; we home-school so we can do life with them. E – EXAMINE your situation.”
She continued, “A – ADJUST if needed. It is far more valuable to nurture a love of learning than a love of getting the correct answer. And lastly, T – TALK it out and H – HANG in there.”
“To all homeschooling Moms, I’m not saying homeschooling will be easy. I’m saying it will be worth it,” she advised
Also read: Homeschooling 101: Para sa iyo ba ang sistemang ito?
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