Homeschooling Your Big Kid (6 to 7 Year Old)

Homeschooling is gaining more and more popularity in the Philippines and many parents are becoming curious about how it works. I personally have received a lot of inquiries from parents about homeschooling preschool, mostly because of my blog.

I don’t claim to be an expert on homeschooling, but I have been able to learn a lot about it through my own research, reading other homeschoolers’ blogs, as well as linking up with other homeschooling families, and homeschool groups like the Homeschool Association of the Philippine Islands (HAPI) and the Catholic Homeschool in Asia Pacific & the World yahoogroup.

There are actually quite a number of parents who home educate their children even beyond preschool, some even going on through elementary school to high school. For those who are interested in knowing how homeschooling their 6 -7 year old kids can work out, get tips from these real homeschool moms:

Jennifer Legaspi-Aspacio, or Jennie, is a web content writer and virtual assistant. She is also a homeschool mom to 6-year old Jed Zachary, and they have been homeschooling since 2009 using the School of Tomorrow curriculum.

According to Jennie, one of the first things parents should do when they decide to homeschool is to choose their curriculum. “Scout for the best homeschooling curriculum that will cater to your child's needs. If you do not believe in the curriculum that you are to use and you think that it lacks here and there, it will be hard to execute a good learning environment for you and your child,” she adds.

Also, Jennie recommends letting your child have his own “school room,” if space permits in your home, and to be in uniform during class. She reasons out: “It is a challenge enough that your class is held at home, which is essentially your child's comfort zone. Having his own nook and wearing his uniform will allow for him to transition from play to school mode. This has worked for us this last couple of years.”

Lastly, this work-at-home homeschool mom also suggests supplementing your kid’s education with extra-curricular classes. “My son has been enrolled in Karate class since last year and he's recently taken voice lessons as well. The variety is doing him good.”

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Homeschooling advantages for the Aspacio Family
One of the things Jennie and her husband like about homeschooling is being able to give their child full, individual attention. “I have always believed that the parent should be the primary caregiver of a child. One of the essential things this pertains to is education,” she says.

“A teacher of a traditional class, however excellent he/she is, will always be incapable of giving the full attention a child needs to maximize learning. There's nothing like being able to raise your child up the way God has called you to,” she adds.

Another advantage is the flexible schedule. Jennie says that having a flexible schedule is liberating. “We love going places and homeschooling allows us to do that.  Homeschooling works for us as well as I work from home,” she quips. Also, not having to deal with the hassles and stresses of traffic gives them the freedom to maximize their learning time at home, rather than spend it in the streets while in transit to and from school.


On socialization
Of course, Jennie also agrees that homeschooling is not for everyone, as she has repeatedly stressed on her homeschooling blog (ChristianHomeschooler.info). She adds: “If your child has socialization issues to begin with, homeschooling is not for him/her. My son has Karate class three or four times a week and attends Sunday School, so his socialization needs is met through those classes. At 6 years old, he is a confident young man and homeschooling has not made him the least introverted, as popular misconception about this alternative education would have it.”  

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Homeschooling big, small and bigger kids
Homeschool mom Michelle Padrelanan, who is also a businesswoman and a blogger at BeyondSilver and Gold.blogspot.com, has been teaching her 4 kids Bethany Anne, 15; Naomi Kaye, 12; Faith Gabrielle, 6; and Joshua Dale, 4, at home for 8 years now. A mixture of preschool, grade school and high school, the curriculum they use is made up of a variety of resources: free resources from the Internet, materials from Alpha and Omega Publications, School of Tomorrow and the products Michelle is able to review on her blog.

Homeschooling four kids may seem like a daunting task, but Michelle says that it is very possible. She encourages newbie homeschool parents, or those interested to begin homeschooling, to first observe their kids if they are already interested to learn. “Don't force them to learn something just because other kids are already doing so in school. Children can learn much from their playtimes,” she adds. Michelle is also an advocate of starting kids on schooling later than earlier.

For families with more than 1 child, Michelle suggests parents let the younger kids hang around while the older kids are being taught by Mom (or Dad). “Many are able to teach themselves just by being around their older siblings,” she explains.

She also reminds parents that they “must take the responsibility of choosing which educational path to take” if their children are very young, as “young children are not capable of making wise decisions for themselves.”

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Benefits of homeschooling for the children
Michelle cites the following advantages of homeschooling, which her own family can attest to:
 
1. Children do not have to wake up very early in the morning. They don't have to be pressured to move fast in order to get to school on time.

2. Children are not subjected to rush hour traffic, pollution, road accidents, rains and floods.

3. They can rest when they want.

4. They learn in a very loving environment - their home with their parents and siblings.

5. They can take time to learn at their own pace. They are not pressured to learn according to the school's schedule.

6. The Home Economics subjects are learned naturally as they help out at home.

Although homeschooled kids may not have peers around on a daily basis to “compete” with, to spur them on to perform better, this can also be an advantage as they will have to learn to motivate themselves, and strive to be better than they already are.


Environmental-based education at home... and everywhere else
Carmela Marie Santos-Belisario, an ESL editor and environmental education consultant, is homeschool mom to Maya, 9 and David, 6. For the past 8 years, she has been using a self-designed environmental education-based curriculum, plus DepEd curriculum-guided and maximized online resources (www.ixl.com and www.amblesideonline.org). Every year she gets accreditation for her kids with a homeschool partner institution.

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Everyday learning at home and outside
For Mommy Carmela, homeschooling is not really about being schooled at home. Oftentimes, kids learn outside the home as well. “Homeschooling is simply learning from the everyday tasks kids do (like on-the-job training) and having fun at the same time,” she says.

Carmela expounds further: “Start from where the children are. While we can guide/ structure the curriculum to achieve milestones, let a child's ability and interest be the center of this curriculum building. If a child is interested in numbers, make rote counting regular and fun (we do our rote counting on the seesaw in the public playground). If a child is interested in reading, choose books that s/he really likes even if these may appear not to be "educational". You can always read along and explain the context/values of the reading material.”

According to her, to make homeschooling work, it may be best to schedule most time-consuming house chores (laundry, dishes, cooking) in the evening, during the naptimes or before the children get up.

Mealtimes and bath times are also good times for teaching your kids – “for music appreciation, or reading aloud of interesting material (Shakespeare plays) or `values’ talks.” “A 6 to 7 year old is bursting with questions and homeschooling gives the child all the time in the world to ask, and search for the answers too,” she adds.

In fact, homeschooling for their family has helped them appreciate more the quantity and quality of time spent together. “Besides the day to day, we get to travel as a family during the year. We visit our families on both sides (in Luzon and Mindanao), and we get to go to places together because we bring the `school’ with us,” Carmela quips.

Also, homeschooling allows the parents to explore the giftedness and interests of each child. For example, their eldest, Maya, gets to learn "outside the home," like this year, she is thinking of helping out with the vet clinic near our home. “She has time for her passions (dogs, ballet, voice).”

The Belisario kids also learn about faith through regular bible sharing and prayer periods. Mommy Carmela is also able to "teach" them environmental principles by letting them manage the family’s compost, and count their recyclables.

Homeschooling also encourages learning through play, like when the kids get to do their "recitations" game-style, or when they are given internet time to work on their modules online.

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Why they love homeschooling
Because of their own family’s experiences, Carmela believes that the interest for learning new things is nurtured in homeschooling. “The gift of self-discovery is something that comes naturally with homeschooling,” she says.

For example, her son David learned about metamorphosis long before she "taught" it to him. She narrates: “One day he found that the leaves of his favorite plant were eaten by a caterpillar, then later he found that there was no longer any caterpillar but there was something hanging under the leaf... and much later he found a butterfly. He was so excited at his discovery!”

Another thing Carmela likes about educating her kids at home is that the values of the children, especially when it comes to faith, healthy food, and being ecologically-friendly, are consistent and reinforced at home (and outside).  Children also grow up independent and responsible because they have daily chores at home (i.e. making up their bed, setting the table, sweeping, gardening etc).

She also has less to worry about when it comes to the kids’ health and well-being. “The children hardly get sick from the seasonal colds and flu because they are not congested in a classroom. Since my children are asthmatic, this used to be a problem before (when we tried enrolling the eldest in outside school because we were new to the place),” she adds.

On the financial side, it may be challenging as the homeschooling parent oftentimes cannot hold a "regular" job. This means greater financial responsibility for the spouse of the homeschooling parent.  The upside though is that one gets to spend one's waking hours with one’s children.

Also, families can save on their monthly expenses. “Yes, there are expenses for books and other resources (online) but at least there truly is value-for-money and no money is wasted on transportation, baon, uniforms and other miscellaneous fees,” Carmela shares.

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On interaction with other kids and activities outside the home
Mommy Carmela, like other moms of 6-7 year olds, agrees that there really is a need for kids that age to have regular friends. That’s why they have an "open house" session every afternoon so that children of the same age can come over and play. David also attends thrice weekly football training at a nearby school so that he can interact with boys his age.


Homeschooling = Unlimited Learning + Quality Time
Mommy Tricia Faustino, a freelance editor, nail shop owner, and homeschool mom to 6 year old Zoe and 2 year old Phoenix, says that they’ve been homeschooling “informally for 6 years,” and “formally” for 2 years with the Catholic Filipino Academy or CFA (www.catholicfilipinoacademy.com), which was founded by Bo Sanchez.

For her and her husband, homeschooling means that their whole family, and not just the kids, can achieve “unlimited learning.” She shares, “Homeschooling can be academically rewarding as I get to enhance my child's strengths and improve on her weaknesses without the added pressure of peers, and even well-intentioned teachers, because lessons are one-on-one. Hence, school time is quality time.”

It’s not just Zoe who learns, but Mommy as well. “As my daughter learns new things, I also discover things about myself,” Tricia says.

She also likes the fact that their family doesn’t have to deal with the stress brought about by having to wake up early, eat breakfast quickly, and rush through traffic. “Not to mention the peso power we get from saving on gas, baon, and uniforms!” she adds.

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Support and tips for the homeschool parent
Tricia says that although homeschooling can make one sometimes feel inadequate and doubt if one has taught her child (or children) well, homeschool parents also “learn” because they have to prepare the lessons and learn to rely on themselves.

It’s a good thing though that there are homeschool groups like the Homeschool Association of the Philippines Islands (HAPI) to help provide homeschool families with the support and resources they need. Also, CFA has “parent coaches” who help homeschool parents implement their curriculum and give other means of support.

Based on their homeschool adventures so far, Tricia extends the following words of advice for parents:

1.    Don't sweat the small stuff. There are times when your patience will be tested. Remind yourself of your reasons for homeschooling.

2.    Focus on the big picture but take little steps. There will be good days and there will be bad days.

3.    Enjoy! It's a blessing to spend time with your kid as they are growing. Make homeschooling fun!


Homeschooling – “Relaxed” experiential learning at its best
Homeschool mom and prepared childbirth teacher Alexandria Hao, who has been homeschooling her 4 kids Amber, Ashley, Allegra and Nicholas for 6 years now, prefers not to follow a strict timeline, but lets her kids work on a given interest.

Over the years, their family has tried Kolbe Academy materials, Sonlight materials and books from FUN-books.com and a lot more from the second hand book stores in Davao, where they are based.

For Mommy Alex, homeschooling ensures that her 7 year old is not rushed into academics or appointments. She explains further: “She gets to choose what she likes to do. She spends a lot of time with me and her 2 other siblings doing a lot of different activities as opposed to a classroom setting if I sent her to school. A typical week for my 10, 7 and 3 year olds would include a trip to the grocery store, book store, swimming pool, yoga time, searching for wildlife in a nearby pond or bird watching, a lot of reading and going to Church plus breakfast, lunch and dinner with the whole family.”

Just like most homeschoolers, Alex encourages parents to let their children “be.” “There is no need to rush or force academics on your kids,” she says.

At the end of the day, homeschooling 6 to 7 year olds (who, by other people’s standards, including my own, may still count as “little,” not “big” kids) may still be a daunting task to many of us who grew up in the conventional, brick-and-mortar educational system. However, for many parents like me who want to make the most of their children’s growing-up years, choosing to homeschool may be one of the best decisions one could ever make.

“...the truth is mothers - and fathers - exert far more influence over their children's intellectual development than is commonly realised. In fact, more than three decades of research shows that families have greater influence over a child's academic performance than any other factor - including schools.” - Family Research Council, The One-House Schoolroom (Sept 1995 issue of Family Policy)



Photography by Tootoots Leyesa