Christiana Homeschool
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • Mission & Statement of Faith
    • Meet Our Tutors & Staff
    • Our Leadership Team
    • Meet our Board of Directors
    • Where are our graduates today?
    • Employment at CHA
  • I'm new here!
    • Curriculum At CHA >
      • Preschool
      • K-2
      • Grades 3-5
      • Grades 6-8
      • High School
    • Tuition 2025-2026
    • What is expected of parents?
  • Student Registration
  • CHA PROM
  • Christiana Family Page
    • Summer Reading List - All Grades
    • Shurley Grammar In-service
    • LATIN >
      • Latin Christmas Songs
    • HISTORY
  • Blog
  • Contact
    • Helpful Contacts

Which came first? History of Public Education & Homeschooling

8/29/2014

0 Comments

 
     My summer reading included many books on education, classical education, public education and homeschooling. As I really began to investigate the eternal question ‘which came first, the chicken or the egg’ or in this case, which came first…public education or homeschooling, I began to understand the educational ‘roots’ in our American culture. And while most of us think that homeschooling is a fairly recent thing, it has been around for thousands of years. A brief history of education may be helpful…
     A ‘school movement’ began in the 1840’s when reformers like Horace Mann (Massachusetts) and Henry Barnard (Connecticut) began statewide ‘common-school systems.’ Mann and Barnard desired to increase opportunities for all children (not just the wealthy who had the benefit of private schools through the colonies). The population was becoming extremely diverse with more immigrants coming into the country from Europe and Asia. Much of their argument centered around the assumption that education could ‘preserve social stability and prevent crime and poverty’ (Chesapeake.edu). The education would be accessible and free to everyone, financed by public funds. At the turn of the century, only about six percent of teenagers graduated from high school. This was the era of ‘inclusivism’ and education for all was becoming the norm. It was in the early 1900’s that school attendance became mandatory, with choices in the parochial schools, private schools or public schools. By mid-century, a new model for efficiency was needed. For this, educators and administrators looked to the efficiency of the factories that had provided so many needed uniforms, weapons and food needed for World War II and the minor wars that followed. A more ‘factory-minded’ approach was needed, both in educating teachers and teaching children. Thus, the first ‘buzzwords’ and cyclical educational programs emerged. Education became big business in America. But, unlike the efficient factories, education has never received the status of being nationally efficient. However, the graduation rate did increase to 85% over the course of the 20th century, school districts rounded out to 15,000, school buses transported children to schools by the 1950’s. In 1925, the Supreme Court ruled in Pierce v. Society of Sisters, that states could not compel children to attend public schools and that children could attend private schools instead. This ruling was seen as an alternative for any group that finds the available forms of education unsatisfactory (Chesapeake.edu). In the late 20th Century, most states gave great attention to their role in raising education standards, but a report in 1983 indicated low academic achievement with students being outperformed on international academic tests by students from other industrial societies.  Statistics also suggested that American test scores have been declining over time. (A Nation at Risk, History of Education).
            Unlike ‘public education’ which seems to have some identifiable beginnings, homeschooling is centuries old. Children have often been educated or apprenticed in specific skills. Books like Johnny Tremain and Hiding Place look to family relationships and training in the ‘family business’ for the children. Girls would learn to cook, sew and manage the house. Parents would teach children to read, usually with the Bible as their source. But probably the first reference to ‘homeschooling’ would be Alexander the Great being homeschooled by Aristotle 2500 years ago. Alexander’s father, Philip, offered this tutoring job to Aristotle and they used the Temple of the Nymphs at Mieza as a classroom. As payment, Philip agreed to build Aristotle’s hometown of Stageira. But, moving forward many centuries, the current homeschool movement probably gained strength around 1960 when John Holt, an Ivy League graduate became unhappy with the public school system. He realized that reforming the school system would be impossible. He also believed that a child should naturally be curious and should not be forced into a structured system. Raymond Moore also became a spokesman for the homeschooling movement, but he was a Christian and claimed that parents should be responsible for their childrens’ education to ensure that Christian education was included.  In the 1980’s, laws that existed prohibiting homeschooling began to be struck down. With private education becoming more expensive, public schools becoming more ‘cookie-cutter’ in their educational regiment, the development of the internet with resources, support groups and a plethora of available curriculum for homeschoolers, this movement to educate children at home began growing exponentially. Today, nearly 1.8 million students are homeschooled in the United States, about 4% of the child population.
            The Classical Education movement is not new either. The world ‘classical’ or ‘classic’ means ‘basic or fundamental, of the first or highest quality, class or rank.’ (Dictionary.com). This classical movement really began about the same time the ‘factory,’ cookie cutter education was beginning. Dorothy Sayers published her article, The Lost Tools of Learning, where she laid out what a classical education would look like and explained the various stages of the classical education. But other authors emerged that have explained the education in layman’s terms, authors like Susan Wise Bauer, whose book, The Well-Trained Mind, has transformed countless homeschool settings and Cheryl Swope, who wrote Simply Classical, encouraging a classical education for all types of children, academically gifted or not.
            So, while many think that homeschooling is the ‘new kid on the block,’ that simply isn’t true…the public education is the ‘new kid’ and while there may be many things a public education can offer, 1.8 million children are being educated the old way…at home!  

0 Comments

HOMESCHOOLING: GETTING STARTED

8/5/2014

0 Comments

 
Are you new to the homeschooling world? Did you just take your kids out of a private or public school? Are you terrified?  Have you always brushed the thought of homeschooling out of your mind because you were convinced you could never do this? 

Homeschooling does not have to be a scary thing. You really don’t have to be afraid! Take heart that you will not ruin your children for life! But there are several good principles to keep in mind. 

If you are in the thinking stages, find several wise homeschool moms that have gone through the process and various stages of homeschooling. Take note of their kids. Do they have discipline, are they respectful, does mom seem fairly calm, do they read? What do they read? I offer these questions because a mom who has disrespectful children who aren’t disciplined to do school work, and instead play video games all day, etc. may not be the one you want to talk with about homeschooling. Certainly there are days in every homeschool that look like the description above, but overall, seek these moms out.

Once you have some mentors, begin to ask LOTS of questions. Ask about their curriculum, what they like, what they do not like. Make lists of books and websites that you would like to study further. Begin to read books, yourself. Read classic books on homeschooling (Susan Wise Bauer, Lost Tools of Learning are some to start with), look for articles and ask others for book recommendations. Armed with your lists and newfound knowledge, consider visiting some homeschool curriculum fairs or seminars.

Next, begin to consider where, in your home, you will ‘do’ school. A dining room, extra bedroom or basement may all have extra space where you can spread out for school. Buy a few small bookcases for organizing your supplies. Stock up on paper, notebooks, pencils, pens, etc. You certainly don’t need to re-create a public school room, but you do need a place for all your books and supplies. Other things you may need would be a good wall map, a chalk or white board, art supplies, table and light…yes LOTS of light. I say this because my first year of homeschooling was in a room without windows and I would not recommend this. Bright rooms, with music (classical is best, but vary your music palate some!) will help to create an inviting learning environment.

Finally, consider the schedule. Morning should include the more difficult subjects. If you continue into the afternoon (middle and high school), consider lighter subjects. Choose one or two afternoons for music, art or sports and consider using the time for errands yourself (groceries, pharmacy, grading papers).  The schedule will serve as a guide…don’t become rigid with the schedule. Be a flexible homeschool mom and consider a spontaneous day off, trips to the library, free-read afternoon or field trip.

One thing not addressed in this article is how to be ‘official’ with your county. Each county in Maryland has a ‘homeschool coordinator’ at the county education office and they all function a little differently. Check on the county website or call a main phone number. The coordinator will send forms that need to be filled out and will ask you to provide curriculum information. You will visit with the coordinator once or twice a year and these visits just insure that schooling is actually occurring at home.

Finally, look for a good co-op or support group that can provide friendships for you and for your children, support and some extra classes that your children may enjoy. Homeschool facebook pages are a good place to start!

Have fun…these years go by so quickly and while some days will be hard or frustrating, consider that you are giving your child much more than knowledge. You are giving them memories, security, time at home to do activities with you, time to invest in personal interests like music or art! Enjoy!

0 Comments

    Blog Contributors

    CHA will be presenting various blogs from tutors, parents and guests.

    Archives

    April 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    August 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2021
    October 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    November 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    Categories

    All
    Alexander The Great
    Catholic
    Classical Education
    College
    College Admissions
    Co-op
    Electronics
    ELEMENTARY
    Engrade
    HIGHSCHOOL
    Highschool Homeschool
    Homeschool
    Homeschooling
    Homeschooling Mom
    Honors Program
    Jesus Christ
    Protestant
    Public Education
    Reading
    Rest
    Sabbath
    Science Fair
    Stobaugh
    Summer
    Transcript
    World War II Factories

    RSS Feed

Picture
Christiana Homeschool                      
1400 Pantherplex Drive                    
Hampstead, Maryland

Christiana is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization

Copyright @ Christiana Homeschool  - 2016