Homeschooling

The single most common misuse of any test score is as a sole evaluation tool, contrary to test makers' recommendations.

Tests do not measure what they are said to measure.

Standardized tests cannot measure creativity.

Test scores reward children who have one style of learning, and penalize all other children for having a different style of learning.

Standardized tests cannot measure the ability to think, and actually teach children bad thinking habits, such as trying to outguess the test makers, rather than thinking for themselves.

Standardized tests result in a type of evaluati

I can't believe I am writing an article about socialization. The word makes my skin crawl. As homeschoolers, we are often accosted by people who assume that since we're homeschooling, our kids won't be "socialized." The word has become such a catch phrase that it has entirely lost any meaning.

The first time I heard the word, I was attending a Catholic day school as a first grader. Having been a "reader" for almost 2 years, I found the phonics and reading lessons to be incredibly boring.

You've read about them in homeschooling articles, you've heard them brought up in conversation, and you may have even written a letter or blog entry defending against them - that's right, we're talking about the CONS OF HOMESCHOOLING. (Insert suspense movie music here.)

So many non-homeschoolers stress over their perceived cons of homeschooling, and we explain ourselves again and again. But, the answer is always, "Those aren't cons, those are pros!" I wanna say, "Give me a *real* con to discuss."

So here it is. A list of real homeschooling cons, from a homeschooler who is in the know.

What is Unschooling?

Unschooling is trusting the learner to be in charge of his or her own learning. It is not a method of instruction we use on our children, but a process we adults go through to unlearn the lessons and undo the effects of our years of schooling.

Schooling taught us that learning only happens in a certain place and time, under the direction and/or force of a teacher. Unschooling ourselves restores our child-like curiosity.

We homeschoolers accept the fact that our practice is threatening, even offensive, to many people. Why? Because it's politically incorrect—it's anti-establishment, non¬conformist, even elitist. We are suspected and distrusted because we are questioners, thinkers, doers; we are self-motivated, innovative, creative and (worst of all) unpredictable.

Yup. Agreed.

And not everyone should send their kids to public school.

Not everyone should send their kids to private.

Not everyone should use a charter school.

But…

Anyone can homeschool. Anyone can succeed in homeschooling.

That is not true for the other three.

For, homeschooling can be adjusted any way we need to in order to find success.

The "not everyone should homeschool" stems from the fact that not everyone is willing to be flexible and open-minded about how to go about finding success.

Years ago, John Holt talked about the difference between libraries and public schools—both government-run. He described the difference as largely centered on the attitude of the employees. In libraries, the attitude is ALWAYS, "How can I help you?" There is an understanding that the patron is seeking information, and the purpose of the employee is to help the patron find it. No questions asked.

What is Unschooling?

Unschooling has many, many definitions - probably a different one for each family that calls themselves unschoolers. To me, unschooling means interest-led or child-led learning. There are also many different levels of unschooling. Some families require a set amount of Math and English done each day, and then their child is free to explore whatever subjects he would like. Others unschool totally until their child reaches a certain grade level, and then start requiring some structure.

…Surely homeschoolers need to think about what learning resources to use, when to use them, what are effective approaches to teaching different kinds of learners. Surely it's wise to pool our collective wisdom and experience, to share our experiences with different curricula, to point out the weaknesses in different approaches to homeschooling, and to share the resources we've found most helpful—and those that stank.

Paula wrote: My understanding is that homeschooling is illegal in Germany to prevent the rise of fascist or neo-nazi groups rising again.

Ned responds: One of the many sad results of government schooling is total gullibility. The forcible prevention of homeschooling is a good example of Fascism in action. It is supremely ironic that anyone would give such an excuse for the limitation or elimination of individual educational freedoms. It tells us just how dishonest government is.