New year a great time to begin homeschooling

From time to time, somebody comes up to tell me they are going to start homeschooling. There is often a mixture of fear and excitement, and that is a good thing. I think it feels kind of like the first time you see that double line on a pregnancy test or stand in front of a judge to finalize an adoption. There is a realization of the enormity of what lies ahead.

I hear of so many reasons families begin the adventure. Kids are struggling. Parents don't like the school. Children are getting in to trouble. Some parents worry that their children are sitting in the back, not making friends. Others worry that their children are making the wrong friends. There are religious reasons, political reasons and philosophical reasons.

Some want to homeschool for a season, to explore the freedom and flexibility. Still others want to spend more time with their children. Childhood is short — though, of course, some days seem longer than others!

January is a good time to get started. A new year challenges us to try something out of the ordinary, to work toward a new goal. The semester system in traditional schools provides a natural break.

Beginners usually ask me about the nuts and bolts. We go over the legal means of homeschooling, and we share my experiences using a public charter school and filing a private school affidavit. Most opt to use a charter school to start out, some worried about getting all the subjects covered, some wanting the flexibility of having some coursework covered by the school.

CORE at The Camptonville Academy is having an orientation session from 4 to 5 p.m. today at 922 G St., Marysville. Interested families can learn more about the center's Personalized Learning program by stopping by or by calling 742-2786.

CORE is certainly not the only charter school in the area that offers a home-study component for its students; it just happens to be the one school having an informational meeting this afternoon, coincidentally, on the same day I'm reminding you that there are several options for learning at home.

Once the legalities are covered, I encourage families to try at least a period of what is called "deschooling." In that time, a child gets used to being at home. This is a good time for pursuing interests, figuring out a course of study and playing around with a schedule. Families can jump into a hobby and use that as a springboard for other learning.

Cooking leads to math, chemistry and reading. Building can encompass geometry and algebraic equations. Right now, our family is on a farming kick, so the children are learning about animal care along with the adults. We're using books and the Internet to glean basic information about new topics and then tracking our successes and failures as we go. There is much to do, much to talk about and more to learn.

There is a new term brewing out there in Internet land that I think describes a lot of my philosophy of homeschooling. Some now call our learning style "worldschooling," denoting the fact that learning occurs everywhere, not just in the home environment. I love the concept, but I worry a bit about yet another delineation that sets one group apart from another.

Think worldschooling is too broad a concept? Then try a standard curriculum and sit at the kitchen table just like we see on the evening news whenever a homeschool family is featured.

Just don't forget to socialize. All the critics tell me socialization is the main reason for going to school these days.

Rose Godfrey is a speech pathologist and homeschooling mom. Check out her homeschool blog.