Saturday, April 3, 2010

“[Ads by Yahoo!] Homeschooling” plus 3 more

“[Ads by Yahoo!] <b>Homeschooling</b>” plus 3 more

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Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Cooperative helps homeschoolers explore other interests, enjoy field trips

Posted: 02 Apr 2010 09:45 PM PDT

DECATUR - Homeschooling doesn't have to mean all the education takes place at home.

For more than 50 Decatur-area families who belong to a homeschool co-op called the Mid-Illinois Cooperative Adventures in Homeschooling, or MICAH, there are cooperative classes for children age 4 through 12th grade roughly between Labor Day and Easter, field trips year-round and other homeschooling help.

"It's a support group, not just a cooperative," said Julie Crooks of Decatur, who said the cooperative allows her 12-year-old son, Jacob, who is gifted, to do the high school- and college-level work he is capable of while getting the chance to work in a collaborative environment.

"He has enjoyed being in blogging class this spring and seeing who gets the most hits and comments," she said.

While the weekly cooperative classes wrapped up for the school year on Thursday, Crooks said an annual Culmination Day next week where students demonstrate what they've learned is a good time for parents who are thinking about homeschooling to check out what the cooperative has to offer.

President Rebecca Peterson said classes this past year included everything from speech, science, writing, math, French, Greeks and Romans, civics and people around the world to art, cooking, hobbies, books and karate.

"School superintendents are sending people who are homeschooling to us," she said. "We're not just teaching kids in a basement someplace."

Indeed, the setting for classes, offered from 12:30 to 3:20 p.m. Thursdays, is the four-year-old building of Life Foursquare Church because it's one of the few facilities in town that can accommodate the 180-some students enrolled. "We are inclusive, and we are not religious," Peterson stressed.

Field trips on other days of the week take children to such places as Next of Kiln in Mount Zion, the Children's Discovery Museum in Normal, Curtis Apple Orchard & Pumpkin Patch in Champaign and Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site.

Cooperative members do the teaching, and the expense is divvied up according to how many classes children take.

Stephanie Taraszewski of Decatur serves as a teacher's aide and has two children enrolled in classes: Julia, 12, and Benjamin, 11.

She said Julia learned how to play the recorder and is interested in taking piano lessons because of the cooperative.

"I am not musically inclined at all," Taraszewski said. "I felt the co-op would broaden their educations by exposing them to even more than we do at home."

She said science experiments, for one, are better when done in a group. "It's much more fun when they make goo and get to listen to how other children react," she said.

tchurchill@herald-review.com|421-7978

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Lessons expand out of the home

Posted: 02 Apr 2010 09:42 PM PDT


Lessons expand out of the home

Juniata County homeschooling group reflects national trend

By Micaiah Wise Bilger, Sentinel reporter, mwise@lewistownsentinel.com


Article Photos


Fact Box

IF YOU GO

* What: Juniata County Christian Homeschoolers Co-op

* When: Thursdays through April 15

* Where: Cedar Grove Brethren in Christ Church, Cedar Springs Road, Port Royal

* For more information: Call Kelly Yorks 463-0140 or braindrain@pa.net.

MIFFLINTOWN - Fifteen years ago, four Juniata County homeschooling families began to meet once a month for fellowship and support.

Together, the families formed the Juniata County Christian Homeschoolers to provide new opportunities for their children.

Nancy Buonocore, president of JCCH, said the current group includes about 44 families from Juniata County and the surrounding areas.

Every spring, JCCH runs a co-op with classes taught by parents, retired teachers and community members, she said. When there is a large group of high school students, the co-op runs classes year-round, she said.

"It takes all the parents to make this happen," Buonocore said. "What we do is based on the leadership of the parents."

Classes include building skills, and sewing as well as those on specific subjects like the Civil War, speech and plant science.

Those who are not teaching classes assist the teachers, watch young children, organize events and mentor other parents, she said.

Sometimes being taught by someone other than mom "breaks the monotony," said Nicole Bonham, who recruits teachers for the co-op.

"Some years it's hard to find teachers, and other years it just falls in place," Bonham said. "The Lord provides."

JCCH's growth is representative of the expanding national homeschooling movement.

While exact numbers are hard to pinpoint, a study by the National Household Education Surveys Program estimates that more than 1.5 million students were being homeschooled in 2007 - up from 850,000 in 1999 and 1.1 million in 2003. That accounts for about 3 percent of the nation's school-age population, according to NHES.

"The three reasons selected by parents of more than two-thirds of students were concern about the school environment, to provide religious or moral instruction, and dissatisfaction with the academic instruction available at other schools," according to the NHES study.

And the methods of homeschooling are as diverse as the reasons for doing it.

Of the Juniata County families who attend the co-op, the range of study goes from meticulously following a specific curriculum to creating entirely new educational materials, Buonocore said.

For those who are new to homeschooling, the co-op holds a curriculum sale and offers mentoring, Buonocore said.

The weekly co-op also gives students and their parents the chance to interact with other families, she said.

The social development aspect of homeschooling often is criticized, but Buonocore said she believes these students have a better opportunity to interact with people of all ages rather than just their peers.

"The idea that homeschoolers are not socialized is such a misnomer," Buonocore said.

Most homeschooling families make sure their children are involved in community activities, athletics, church, etc., she said. Families who participate in JCCH tend to be very active in the group, too, she said.

"We are one big, happy family," Bonham added.

Another common critique of homeschooling is accountability.

Every state has different requirements for homeschoolers. Up until the 1980s, homeschooling was illegal in 30 states; but in 1993, all 50 states made the practice lawful, according to an article published in Education Week.

"Opponents of the movement worry that there is no way to assure that all homeschooled students receive a quality education," according to the article.

Buonocore said she agrees that homeschoolers need accountability, and Pennsylvania has a number of requirements to prove that students receive a sufficient education.

Before every school year, parents must sign an affidavit and submit a list of educational objectives for every student between ages 8 and 17. Homeschoolers also must follow a list of specific subjects that must be taught during elementary and secondary grade levels. During the year, the parent must keep a log book of daily educational activities and document 180 days of educational time for the student.

At the end of the year, the student must be evaluated by a certified educator, administrator or psychologist and provide a portfolio, evaluation and log book to their local school district showing the child's work.

Homeschoolers also are required to take standardized tests in third, fifth and eighth grades. To receive a high school diploma, homeschooling families also must meet the requirements of a state-recognized home education organization.

JCCH encourages parents to try homeschooling, but they also warn them that the method takes a lot of self-discipline, Buonocore said. And it isn't for everyone, she said.

"For some, traditional school is best," Buonocore said.

Her oldest son, who was homeschooled for several years, decided to finish his education in public school, she said. However, Buonocore predicted that her daughter will finish high school as a homeschooler. Bonham, too, has children who attend private school this year.

For those who choose homeschooling, JCCH provides opportunities like an annual science fair and spelling bee, a gym class, a recognition night and social events like picnics, roller skating and bowling, Buonocore said.

JCCH is made possible by the volunteer efforts of each participating family and by the generosity of Cedar Grove Brethren in Christ Church, which provides the space for the co-op, Buonocore said.

For more information about the JCCH, contact Kelly Yorks at 463-0140 or braindrain@pa.net.

"When you get together like this, and then duplicate it in home school, it's so beautiful for the kids," Bonham said. "They love it."

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

ANALYSIS: Families who homeschool deserve more of our respect

Posted: 02 Apr 2010 09:42 PM PDT


ANALYSIS: Families who homeschool deserve more of our respect

By Micaiah Wise Bilger, Sentinel reporter, mwise@lewistownsentinel.com

A few months ago, my mom asked me if I ever regretted being homeschooled.

"No," I replied quickly, wondering why she even had to ask.

Almost 20 years ago, my parents faced a daunting task when they decided to homeschool me. A movement still in its childhood, homeschooling families faced criticism from communities, government and sometimes loved ones.

"Why do you want to do this?" I heard them say, even as a young child. "How can you teach children better than a certified teacher? How will they develop socially? How will you be accountable?"

Though homeschoolers have gained some recognition since then, families still face criticism. And while I never would say that homeschooling is the best option for everyone, I do believe that the families who choose it do not receive the respect they deserve.

Every critic of homeschooling points to something that they believe children will be deprived of - social development, a well-rounded education, experienced teachers, etc.

But as I look back to my childhood, I find that the opposite is true. There are so many values that I gained from being taught at home.

The first is self-motivation. My mom had four children to teach, and as the oldest I often was left to learn by reading textbooks.

Many times I was antsy to play or read novels or do anything other than school work, but I learned to sit, teach myself and persevere until my lessons were completed. Afterward it was satisfying to finish a difficult algebra problem or get every word correct on a spelling test - I had accomplished something.

The "self-made" man (or woman) who overcomes obstacles and learns for himself is a much-celebrated character in the American culture. Some of our most beloved and respected minds taught themselves - Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison and more.

So, why is this method of learning considered a loss when it is through homeschooling?

With a flexible schedule, my siblings and I also could easily pursue our personal interests. A lot of my "extracurriculars" involved a pen and notebook or a stack of novels.

My brother, Seth, spent a lot of his time studying airplanes. His bedroom always was cluttered with balsa wood, motor parts and other odds and ends that he collected to design and build model airplanes. My mom still finds Seth-designed paper airplanes that got buried under toys or lost behind bookshelves.

He saved his money to take flying lessons; and at age 16, he flew solo. Now studying aviation in college, Seth (sorry to embarrass you!) is ahead of his classmates because his education allowed him to focus on what he loved.

But what about social development and homeschooling?

I dread this criticism because my social skills fall into the stereotype. I'm shy and awkward in public, especially around my peers.

Some people who have met me probably started reading this article and thought: "Oh, she was homeschooled. That explains why she's so shy."

But I think my personality is more to blame than my education.

Mom and Dad always encouraged me to get involved in the community. I played on the town softball team and went to church youth groups. I played at the swimming pool, the playground, the park. My family got together with other homeschoolers for gym class and play time.

Even so, I still often chose a pen and books over group activities. To the critics I would say that even public schools have bookworms.

I hope that people will not misconstrue this little sermon as a chance to criticize public or private schools or the families who choose to send their children there. I did choose to attend public school in 10th grade and stayed through graduation. I learned a lot from those years, too.

I only ask that people show a little respect for families that choose to teach their children at home. In the mind of this reporter, homeschooling was an opportunity that I would never give up.

Micaiah Wise Bilger is the education reporter and religion editor at The Sentinel. She may be reached at mwise@lewistownsentinel.com or 248-6741 ext. 116.

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