A Homeschool Primer Sequim WA

A Homeschool Primer

By Nathanael Schildbach
Issue 126, September/October 2004

My five year old is at the kitchen sink, designing and conducting experiments on which things float and why, when suddenly my nine year old rushes in after studying the world map in the bathroom (where else would it be?) to inform us that besides London, England, there is a London, Ontario and an East London, South Africa. Inspired by this find, he goes on to enlighten me about issues of colonization and immigration. The five year old, during a pause in this conversation, begins telling his brother about Archimedes and the golden crown.

Is this a typical day in our home? Is it typical of our homeschooling experience? No matter how many times I'm asked, it's still difficult for me to define what is typical about homeschooling, and exactly what it is that we do.

With homeschooling becoming more visible and with more people considering it as an option for their children's education, the number of inquiries I address has increased. But whether I'm being asked by the merely curious or those just embarking on this journey, their questions seem to be the same:

• What, exactly, is homeschooling?
  Not having any other reference for homeschooling, many people envision literally that: a school replicated in our home. Somewhere, there must be a room with a couple of desks, a flag on the wall, and some alphabet charts. Our days must be broken down by subject into specific amounts of time.

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