Homeschooling

There are many varieties of homeschooling. Some people try to imitate the traditional school model ... We fear that this turns a child off as much as going to school. It also separates "learning" from "living". This model is NOT Montessori homeschooling. In a Montessori class, aside from a small percentage of time dedicated to covering the required school subjects (2 hours a a week average) the child is introduced, one-to-one, to activities with which he or she will discover the excitement of learning in all areas, and how all areas are related to each other.

This page has been created at the request of parents, for the purpose of communication between, and with, families who are using Montessori philosophy, practice, materials, to homeschool their children. Due to the fact that we are not notified when these children have grown up, some of the listings are out-of-date.

No wonder the homeschooling movement–the most momentous educational development of the last few decades and one of the most hopeful signs for the future–is starting to catch on in a big way ... Does Ray believe that homeschoolers and their anti-tax ways are responsible for [a bloody rampage]? Might such violence have something to do with why parents are withdrawing their kids from the schools to educate them at home? ... [T]he Time article on homeschooling ... was terribly revealing ... Homeschoolers are diverse, they socialize, they excel academically, and they are sought by top colleges.

Herbert Spencer was born in Derby in the English Midlands ... Except for a period of three months, he never attended school, and was educated at home by his father and an uncle. Thus, his education was very uneven. He learned little or nothing of Latin, Greek, English, or history, but received an unusually firm grounding in geometry, algebra, trigonometry and mechanics. In fact, at the age of fifteen he was already reading Newton's Principia. Spencer's uncle wanted him to attend Cambridge, as he himself had, but Spencer declined, feeling that he was not suited for a university career.

The victory of homeschooled 13-year-old Rebecca Sealfon in the 1997 National Spelling Bee brought new attention to the growing phenomenon of homeschooling. Dissatisfied with the performance of government-run schools, more and more American families have begun teaching their children at home. Estimates of the number of homeschooled children vary widely; the best estimate is 500,000 to 750,000 ... There are two historical strains of homeschooling, a religious-right thread inspired by author Raymond Moore and a countercultural-left thread inspired by John Holt.

Every parent who homeschools has been through the drill: "Oh, you homeschool. Aren't you concerned about your child's socialization?" Even TIME magazine picked up on the question ... Homeschooling parents have known the answer for years: "No problem here!" But critics demand proof. Today, the first generation of homeschooled students has "grown up," and there are enough homeschool graduates to begin to see how they are succeeding in their homes, in their work, and in their lives ... [T]he study surveyed over 7,300 adults who were homeschooled.

Parents who choose to home-school their children are, by and large, not the least bit interested in forging "valuable alliances" with government educationists ... [T]hey have chosen to reject the government-run educational system ... Some find the government education system too secular, too politically correct, too inefficient, too corrupt, too crime-ridden, too sexual, too faddish, too bureaucratic, too incompetent, too dangerous, or any combination thereof. Some, known as "un-schoolers," find the entire concept of "teaching" and "schooling" to be impediments to real learning.

Evans says that "some parents may be competent to teach very young children." ... But [then] he offers the caveat that "competence will wane in more advanced grades ..." ... Any parent who is either homeschooling or planning to do so is quite aware of his own limitations, which is precisely why home-schooling networks provide information on tutorial services offered by fellow members. Those advertising to teach specific subject matter are usually homeschoolers themselves who have learned through personal experience that which Evans shrouds in mystery as the elusive "teacher competency."

If the state does not look after education, who will? ... When people are free, there has been and will be only one answer to the question ...: the family. The institution of family is an outgrowth of individualism and freedom. A man and a woman freely choose to build a life together and raise children. The idea of family without primary responsibility for education is ludicrous ... [A]t first ... schools claimed to value the family. The slow process of centralization and bureaucratization, however, has long removed whatever control families once had over education of their children.

ISIL: You have written 11 books, the "Uncle Eric" series ... I believe these are geared to the home school market? Have you had success in this endeavor?
Maybury: The ... series is read by adults ... but, yes, its main market is home schoolers and charter schools. The response has been amazing. Home schoolers know the government wants children raised by government-controlled schools, not by parents ... A lot of home schoolers do not feel their children are fully educated unless they have both sides of the story and, of course, these people are naturally attracted to the non-statist side.

Marshall Fritz: For about 200 years, Americans educated their children using a variety of church schools, home schooling, charity schools, and dame schools. I am hoping to see a resurgence of dame schools led by homeschool moms who find they really love teaching ...
[H]ome educators must continue to improve their own lives ... When [other parents] see loving, obedient, engaging children ... they know you are doing SOMETHING right ...
Dame schools were popular from the 1600s into the mid 1800s. A woman would have 3-8 children come to her home each day, usually ages 5-8. She taught them to read.