… about Home Education

Education, in the traditional sense (as opposed to the ideal sense), refers to a process in which a person obtains information, knowledge, or technique from someone else who already possesses it. It is essentially one-directional and can vary from a tedious rote- learning to an inspirational opening up of intellectual horizons and consciousness.

(Rosenblum, Bernard; MD, [1983]; The Astrologer’s Guide to Counseling: Astrology’s role in the helping professions. CRCS Publications, Reno, NA.)

There are many reasons to Home Educate a child. The most significant is that often the public school system may be ill equipped to teach some children. Public schools are often designed to teach the average child. If your child is not average, eother extraordinary in some subject, or requiring special attention in it, he or she can be left to fend for themselves. While schools sometimes try to remedy this with special education, and classes for the gifted and talented, both are often inadequate for many children. Some teachers are intimidated by the “Profoundly intelligent” and may ridicule or simply ignore that child.

Some parents will become their child’s tutor because they are on the road a lot, as musicians or drivers, and are always disappointed when they must leave their family behind … so they don’t. Some parents feel it is “cruel and unusual punishment” to have their child sit in a buss for an hour-and-a-half just to go to school. These children are then denied the privilege of after-school activities, art programs, and sports. (This does not address the health hazard many busses pose to our children and environment.) Some parents home educate because their child has — or they feel their child has — been abused by an impersonal system desiring only to warehouse their child for financial gain.

Often, a child is home educated for cultural reasons. Some believe children are the sole responsibility of that child’s parents. These parents may have no griefs with the public system, unless it is to feel that the public schools are infringing on their territory. Some, however, are deeply concerned about what they see as the delinquency of the school’s influence over children. They are deeply troubled by reports of poor academic standards of the students the schools are graduating. These parents feel that a home education might be a better expenditure of their hard earned dollar. Others feel that the schools either inadequately or are deleterious in their influence their child’s mental, physical, and spiritual development.

At the heart of this answer are the parents’ own reasons. It is the parent who must choose what is best for the child. They may home educate exclusively, or as a supplement to what the public schools provide.

In all, you have been teaching your child from the day they were conceived. They have learned so much on their own — number skills, language and grammar, negotiating skills — before they are ready for kindergarten. They have learned most of this by watching and participating in those who are in their environment. So, the primary role model, hero and hera (the parents), will set the tone and conditions for an education. The first five years of a young scholar’s life will set the foundation for the next fifty or so. What you do at sixteen months will make the sixteenth year a bit smoother.

The first step is to make the decision. That requires enough information to make an informed decision. Once you have chosen to home educate your child, get in touch with others who are home schooling. They will be always be a valuable asset.

Next, it would help if you could take some classes in child development at a local community college. No, this does not mean that you don’t know anything. this added education will enhance your ability to help your scholar, and help you stay a head, or at least keep up.

Home Education is the process of educating your children at home, with the parents being the student’s primary tutor. This is often called home schooling, and the two terms are interchangeable.

Unschooling is a special case of home schooling, where the child becomes the primary tutor (in Montessori fashion), assisted by the parent. A subject is best learned when the student finds some sort of “personal” interest in it. While it is always good to expose a child to all subjects and environments for learning, the student is best equipped to determine what is best for them. Like the Montessori method, this style of education is self-determined. Unlike the Montessori style, however, there are no preset rules or self-correcting lessons. Learning will happen because the scholar chooses it to.

If you can afford one, and you feel it is the best place for your child to develop, go fo it! Private Schools generally have smaller classes, and higher standards for their scholars. In some states, you must declare yourself a Private school with all the responsibilities required to have permission to home educate your child. And just because a private school is located within a Church does not mean that there is any relationship outside of tenant and land lord. Like anything you want to invest your hard earned money, it is always good to become an informed consumer, and to shop around. Just because a product is expensive does not mean it is worth the price.

Having suffered the satisfaction of bullies, I have some experience with the socialization one may get in a public school. The forces of peer pressure and the struggles of a pecking order can be hazardous to a child’s development. The larger the school's population, the more disastrous the child's socialization skills can be. Public schools rarely directly cultivate aggression as a goal of frustration. Yet by turning their heads and saying “boys will be boys” aggression is rewarded by the satisfaction of a job well done. Schools are also breeding grounds for behavior that is … less than civilized. This is often one of the reasons for home schooling.

Alternatively in a network of home schooling families, where the children’s ages range widely, and supervision is more personal, a student may learn better social skills. Figures can lie, and liars can figure, yet the statistics in this area are strongly suggestive. Home educated children are better adjusted, and more socially skilled than many who are educated by the “system.” Think about our great grand parent's generation where children went to school if there was one at the convenience and expense of their parents. Socialization was not a problem for them.

Also, there are many organizations, such as Campfire kids, who can help with the socialization of your child. Not only that, your child can gain valuable experiences on camping trips, and other get-togethers. Better, if you could help with your child’s troop, it will enhance your life, as well as you relationship with your child. (Ps, it is also good to let your young scholar have activities where you are not around. This will give then room to learn some autonomy.)

Do I see an challenging opportunity? First, don’t worry about it. This will give you an opportunity to gain research and development skills for yourself and increase your own knowledge base. Even if you do have knowledge about a subject, don’t just feed your student answers. My favorite line is, “I can’t really say. Why don’t we try to find out together?” Then, with the help of a library, the internet, and an auspicious question (the sort that I would ask myself when I am researching something) will do more than just a retort of the answer, and expecting the child to remember. Cultivating a scholar’s curiosity is the best thing you can do. In the end, you will both learn something new.

This is also where a network of home schooling families and friends can come in handy. Does the scholar want to know something about music? You say you can’t carry a tune in a bucket? Someone in the network is probably quite talented with music. I would suggest you both take lessons. Someone may have a horse they may “feed-lease” to you, and set a small fee or even barter for lessons. And retired attorneys can be a well spring of knowledge on just about any subject, and could enjoy the loan of your children while you rest for an hour.

You may get books of all sorts from several places. While a Library will only allow a limited loan on a book, they invariably have a large supply of them. They are in the business of books, and the librarians can be an invaluable source of knowledge. Some libraries in even small towns will have some computers they will let you use for a limited time, and possibly for the presentation of a library card.

Public and private schools will sometimes sell used and out dated books, on the hope of gaining money for other things while they are making room for new books. They could even buy more books than they need because the per book cost is lower, and sell the surplus to private schools or individuals. I would recommend staying away from books on science that are older than five years, though some books on reading, geometry, and social sciences will not likely be changing very fast.

Fellow home educators will often outgrow the need for some reusable supplies. They might be rather happy to sell something to you for a reasonable cost. Close to some colleges and universities, there are independent book sellers who buy and sell used college level text books. Also, students at these colleges will be unhappy with the buy back rates, and will post their used (or not so used) text books for sale. Sometimes, the college will unexpectedly want a new version of a text book — whose only difference to the old edition maybe the design of the cover — and may have no place to sell the older books they have. These college level books can seem a little advanced for your young scholar. Yet they will live up to your expectations if you are gentle in your impulse.

Then, you may go to any of the online book sellers, such as Barns & Noble.com, who will sell new and used books. I have found that the textbooks are cheaper after delivery than they are at the college after an ASB discount. Sometimes, inquiring with the publisher can provide an even greater discount, especially if there are several in your area who would like that same book.

This is generally regulated by your school district, which in turn is regulated by the state’s superintendent’s office, which is in turn regulated by the state’s legislature, which is in turn regulated by the state’s constitution. Public schools generally do not require attendance until the student is about six years old, (see your local district for details on this). Kindergarten is generally not a requirement, which is why it is generally the most underfunded class on campus. This is sad because preschool and kindergarten are the most important classes for the young scholar.

An issue does arise, though. If a tutor chooses not to take advantage of a learning opportunity; that opportunity may never come again. If your four-year-old seems to have a skill at numbers, or art, or music, seize the moment. If, on the other hand, your child is taking a little long to start reading on his or her own, relax. A developmental assessment may be in order. Your child may just be delayed in that one area of knowledge, yet excel in another. If this is the case, take advantage of the skill, and try to tie the difficulty in somehow … an exceptional math student maybe made a better writer if asked to write out her or his experiences.

This is one of the main failings of the Public system. In these classes, there is a time for math, and language skills are not worked on during that time. Many an excellent chance is passed up because the teacher wants the student to focus only on math. The primary key is to take advantage of the scholar’s interests at the time of the interest. Cultivate skills and knowledge in an atmosphere of support and encouragement. And always be the model of behavior you would expect out of your children.

The laws and regulations on this are ever changing. Every child that is not in a public school is that much money that school does not get. So, the public system is often “aggressively” opposed to home education. You may go to several places on the Web. The National Home Education Network is a good place to start. Getting in contact with other home schoolers in your neighborhood is equal, if not better. They have been there, and know what to expect in your area. All states have a legislative web site. Using that, and using their search engines will do a lot, even if you are not a lawyer. Who knows, it may be like a computer. Give it to your child and let him or her digest it for you.

If you are new to home education, I would recommend getting involved with a network of fellow home schoolers. Their experiences with the system will better help you learn whether your local school is willing to help or not. Some school systems will want to help; others are aggressively opposed to any competition. Some schools will provide access to extracurricular activities. Some will make supplies available for cost, or a small profit. Others would rather you not involve them.

Some teachers might be willing to help. Their knowledge of human development and the subjects taught, can be of great value. If you want to home school, you would do well to take a teacher’s advice as just that. This is your child, and you have known him or her all her or his life. Theories are grand, though you must make them fit where they will.

Many home schoolers ignore the grading system completely. They feel it is a poor assessment of a child’s abilities. It also ignores the special capacity of some children, either in specific areas or in more global fields of study. The best assessments of your scholar’s accomplishments are those that you and your child give. Who knows your student better than you? Your student! This is best, as they maybe updated from time to time. On a better note, it is best to have your student set goals, with your guidance to ensure they are challenging enough without being too much so. Then, not only is the scholar participating in goal setting, a skill much in need, you may both see when those goals have been met.

Many Departments of Education will have “PDF” files and other sources with information about expectations by grade level and subject. If you feel led to use these, they are often available free on line.

Eh … this page has only so much room for code and information.

The Pagan Home Education Network has a page of Academic Resources that ought to get you started. This web site will also be a resource. I have digested many theories on human development for you to reference and see that your child is normal, for a heathen. Any search engine will take you to resources on home schooling and other academic information.

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It is better not to teach your child Magic, not as a set of “Rules and ways of doing things.” Children are born with an incredible access to Magic. Teaching them the rules and regulations of “Grand Magic” can stifle their development in that area.

It is better to focus on their physical, mental, and emotional development. Allow them to be children. A child must explore the world and get a grasp on their relationship to Her. Help them explore the world. Take them to places, let them get their hands dirty. Let them help you with cooking, and building costumes. When they have dreams, be there to help them sort them out. And, whatever happens, remember that you are human too.

In the end, your child will develop a mastery of Low Magic (a natural and instinctual grasp of the forces of nature and humanity), and can commune with nature and Her spirits. They will trust their instincts, a thing that is most needed by the any Sorcerer. In the end, your child will learn their Craft without any formal lessons.

The Grand Course of Magic is performed under the theater of Ritual and ceremony. Rules are followed and procedure is required. Because rites are social in nature, these procedures are required for those who are not as close to the veils as the Magus is. When the child is about eleven, the responsibilities of the ritual will be something they will understand. They will also be old enough to know when they ought to be serious, and when they can play. That balance is needed in the face of God and Her children.

It would be good to start by teaching the young child myth, lore, and legend, as well as the various symbols and tools. Let them explore and choose the best way to use them. (On a side note, it is best to teach a child a couple of additional languages before they are eight years old. Something about the brain helps them to learn several languages without much trouble. Just leave the symbols for the later date.)

The greatest harm a tutor can do is give a child specific rules about Magic at this time. Rather, show them the general notions, let them learn the various avenues of expression. Then, when they need to be creative, (I mean, they forgot something) they will know in what direction they wanted to go.