Four Problems and Four Solutions for Home Schooling Parents

 Four Problems and Four Solutions for Home Schooling Parents

Home Schooling: A Guide for Parents suggests quality of instruction, family demands, citizenship education and special services for students with special needs present problems for homeschooling parents.

1. Quality of instruction consisting of elements of content, process, learning environments, readiness, interests, materials, programs, and learning styles challenge homeschool teachers.  

2. Family demands of time and money as well as the number of children at home may present challenges for the homeschooling parent.  

3. Citizenship education in a homeschool environment without the presence of other students may limit the student’s exposure to other’s beliefs that may conflict with their own, may not present opportunities to share common experiences with other students, and may not expose the student to the diversity within a democratic society. Homeschooled students may not have as many opportunities to socialize and to learn to cope with the wider world.

4. Homeschooled children with special needs may lose eligibility for special services from the local school district.

Solutions to problems represent compromises decision makers weigh and factor and measure against possible scenarios and projections.  “Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.” Henry J. Kaiser

1. Quality of instruction problems may be resolved by choosing the online program Ignitia which offers 173 courses for grades 3 through 12. Adding a certified, experienced teacher to your homeschool team as a consultant resolves other issues related to teaching and learning.

2. Family demands become bigger problems when families have not established organizational structures. Daily schedules with clear expectations and goals jointly set alleviate disputes and aggravations. Ignitia presents a daily schedule of lessons (lessons with quizzes, quizzes every 3 or 4 lessons, projects and unit tests).  

3. Citizenship education starts with the human family.  Each member of the family has a role to play, has jobs to perform and has responsibilities.  Homeschool teachers need involve their student in the surrounding community starting with family then spiral out to  neighbors, churches, social groups, after school activities (homeschooled students are eligible to participate in after school activities), volunteer and service projects and jobs in their community.  Continue out to county and regional issues, state issues, national issues and world issues. As members of the crew of spaceship earth we must assume responsibility for our life support system. (See  Operating Manual For Spaceship Earth is a short book by R. Buckminster Fuller, first published in 1968 American neo-futuristic architect, systems theorist, author, designer, and inventor.)

4. Special education and related services may be available.  See the Home School Legal Defense Association’s  Special Education Provisions in the 50 States and Territories web site, and click on your state. About 90% of special education funding comes from state not the federal government. The federal government will not allow Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) money to go to homeschoolers.  Some states have enacted laws that provide services for homeschool students. According to Effectiveness of Special Education: Is Placement the Critical Factor?  approximately 33% of special education students spend 80% or more of their school day in the general education classroom.  Another one-third spend 40% to 79% of their day in general education. One-quarter spend 0% to 39% in general education.  The remaining 5% to 6% spend time in separate schools or other programs. How effective is inclusion in the general education classroom?  Does you child like going to school? Are the general education teachers effective in managing special education students in a general education classroom?  Are the academic results meeting your expectations?  Special education consultants can help homeschool parents with special education students.  Umbrella schools such as Almaden Valley Christian School offer home education services for families of children with learning differences, difficulties and disabilities.  Consulting and support groups are available.

Marketplace Mission Learning Center on Marco Island, Florida, offers a one room school of no more than seven students who receive attention and recognition, move at their own pace through our Ignitia  online curriculum and interact with students at different grade levels. Another option is homeschooling.  You can be the teacher using our Ignitia online curriculum.