Archive for April, 2010
19 April 2010
2009 survey validates homeschool academic achievements
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Research.
In August 2009 Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) released its latest survey of homeschool academic achievements for the 2007-08 academic year. It’s an impressive survey covering 11,739 homeschoolers throughout the US drawn from 15 independent testing services. Again, results matched the last comprehensive survey conducted over a decade ago: homeschoolers, on average, consistently scored 37 percentile points above public school students on standardized achievement tests.
Significantly, while the education level of the parents made a noticeable difference in a homeschooler’s academic performance, homeschooled children of non-college educated parents still scored in the 83rd percentile, which is well above the national average.
“These results validate the dedication of hundreds of thousands of homeschool parents who are giving their children the best education possible,” said Michael Smith, president of HSLDA.
“Homeschooling is a rapidly growing, thriving education movement that is challenging the conventional wisdom about the best way to raise and educate the next generation,”added Smith.
Personally I find the report a genuine encouragement for homeschoolers who may not know how to deal with detractors. On the other hand, I appreciate that surveys and statistics tend to invite quibbles over methodology and interpretation. Besides, how relevant is a survey of American homeschoolers to us who are educating our own children at home in Malaysia? And then, are we making too much out of academic results and the paper chase?
Mmm. Never mind. The point is, when homeschooling is diligently pursued, there is no reason why a child should not succeed.
Go here to view or download the full 8-page report in pdf.
17 April 2010
No apologies for childhood
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: One From The Archives.
[Issues of child development and early childhood education continue to garner great interest, least of all to homeschoolers. In November 2002 I wrote this piece after attending a workshop on Theology of the Child (organised by Baptist Theological Seminary), and hosting a homeschool dialogue, both held on the island of Penang. It's reproduced here as part of our occasional postings from the Homefrontier archives].
WE HAD JUST FINISHED INTRODUCING OURSELVES when a gentleman at the end of the table asked, “Your sons are both ‘normal.’ So why are you homeschooling?”
We get that quite a bit, usually from parents who assume that only ‘special’ kids need home education. At our dialogue on homeschooling held in Penang, a good number of the 12 adults present were parents of children with learning differences or disabilities.
I tried to explain that while homeschooling is probably one of the best things you could do for children with learning disabilities, it works just as well with any child. Perhaps even better. That’s because homeschool recognises that every child is special, each requiring individual attention that is so critical to learning. In a secure home where love abounds, habits of heart and mind find fertile ground to flower.
When we first started to educate Ethan and Elliot – turning 13 and 11 respectively – at home all these years ago, our primary concern then was the state of the education system. The horror stories were universal. Not knowing any other options, many of our friends and relations ushered their children through a wretched rite of passage, setting aside their better judgment while keeping their fingers crossed at the same time. Could there be another way, we asked?
Thankfully we were introduced to homeschooling, and to quote Robert Frost, taking the less traveled road has made all the difference.
7 years later, we’re more a family now than we could ever imagine. We have reclaimed childhood for our children, and I am happy to report that they are both imbued with a lively curiosity and love for learning. They’re no angels of course, but there is a depth of character that we find encouraging. Besides simply fulfilling our adult roles as teacher, we are humbled by what our children have to teach us as well.
All this came home afresh to me as we sat through a workshop on Theology of the Child held in the Baptist Theological Seminary in Batu Ferringhi, Penang. The 2-day dialogue preceded our homeschooling meet during that long festive weekend and thus provided new insights that confirmed personal convictions. While children and childhood are nettlesome to many parents, I saw how the Bible itself was unapologetic in their affirmation.
For instance, after making a study of situations featuring children in the gospels, Dr W.A Strange in his book Children in the Early Church contends that, “The coming of the kingdom of God did not make children into adults, but affirmed their childhood.” Instead, they were held up as models for discipleship, he writes. Dr Strange also notes that “Jesus’ openness to children was for their own sake, not principally for their potential, and it was something unique to his ministry.” Now, there’s food for thought.
As participating theologians, teachers, pastors and care providers talked about the marginalisation of children, we questioned how the church – of all institutions! – continue to erect structures that put kids in their places without considering the negative signals they convey. The separation of children from adults (and their parents) in a worship service is one example, although there have been positive changes in recent times.
We also looked at how society (usually with the connivance of parents) view children as mere commodity to achieve personal ends. Is it any wonder so many fall through the cracks, sapped of all vitality and purpose? They join the ranks of the disillusioned who cannot reconcile belief with practice. Worse still, these same children grow up learning that ‘face’ matters more than faith.
On the other hand, there’s Jesus of whom Luke 2:52 declares, grew “in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men.” When one looks at the broader context that includes v39, it is quite apparent those qualities were not birthed in the barrenness of good intentions.
Three parties were intimately linked here: Firstly, that Joseph and Mary did “everything required by the Law” provides a significant clue. I’d like to believe Jesus’ parents exemplified a lifetime of daily obedience beyond superficial rites that began with the dedication of their firstborn. To quote Eugene Peterson (who borrowed from Nietzsche), the first task of parenting involves ‘a long obedience in the same direction.’
Secondly, it is the Lord who through his grace and mercy ultimately gives growth. After all, it is the Spirit’s business we are told, to work transformation “with ever increasing glory” in His people (2 Corinthians 3:18). Finally and not surprisingly, the child whose heart is thus prepared grows strong, “filled with wisdom and grace.”
So, am I saying that homeschool is the magic bullet? Of course not. A dynamic tripartite relationship between God-Parent-Child is what counts most of all. But if you are seeking a better way to realize these important goals than that which conventional educational systems offer, you might want to give homeschool some thought, and educate your own children at home .
13 April 2010
Baby brains at risk
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Child Development.
Some years ago I picked up an article in TIME expressing concern over the driven child, children – and babies – pushed to artificially pump up their IQ. Looking back (the piece was first published in 2001!), this disturbing trend has continued and many homeschoolers with young children or infants have not been spared either. Tell me if this piece is outdated or unfounded. Titled The Quest For A Super Kid, here’s an excerpt and link to the whole article:
THE PHENOMENON OF THE DRIVEN CHILD has been coming for a while, but it was in 1994 that the new breed was truly born. That was the year the Carnegie Corp. published a 134-page report describing a “quiet crisis” among U.S. children, who it argued were being ill served by their twin-career parents and their often failing school systems. The report’s findings were worrisome enough, but buried in its pages were two disturbing paragraphs warning that schoolkids might not be the only ones suffering; babies could be too. Young brains are extremely sensitive to early influences, the report cautioned, and the right — or wrong — stimuli could have a significant impact on later development.
Those paragraphs went off like a grenade in the otherwise unremarkable study. The press ran alarming stories about blameless children being left behind. The White House called a conference on childhood development. Parents snapped up news of both, hoping it wasn’t too late to undo whatever damage they had unwittingly done to their kids. “Every parent began to worry,” says John Bruer, president of the McDonnell Foundation and author of the book The Myth of the First Three Years. “They thought, ‘If I don’t have the latest Mozart CD, my child is going to jail rather than Yale?’”
In order to make up for their feared lapses, parents indeed started buying the approved kinds of music — and a whole lot more. A study conducted by Zero to Three, a nonprofit research group, found that almost 80% of parents with a high school education or less were assiduously using flash cards, television and computer games to try to keep their babies’ minds engaged.
Child-development experts, however, consider these sterile tools inferior to more social and emotional activities such as talking with or reading to children. These specialists agree that the only thing shown to optimize children’s intellectual potential is a secure, trusting relationship with their parents. Time spent cuddling, gazing and playing establishes a bond of security, trust and respect on which the entire child-development pyramid is based. “We have given social and emotional development a back seat,” says UCLA’s Tyler, “and that’s doing a great disservice to kids and to our society.”
Trying to pump up children’s IQs in artificial ways may also lead to increased stress on the kids, as the parents’ anxiety starts to rub off. By four or five years old, the brains of stressed kids can start to look an awful lot like the brains of stressed adults, with increased levels of adrenaline and cortisol, the twitchy chemicals that fuel the body’s fight-or-flight response. Keep the brain on edge long enough, and the changes become long-lasting, making learning harder as kids get older.
But the fact is, the kids don’t have to feel so pressured — and neither do their parents. It is true, as the marketers say, that a baby’s brain is a fast-changing thing. Far from passively sponging up information, it is busy from birth laying complex webs of neurons that help it grow more sophisticated each day. It takes anywhere from a year to five years, depending on the part of the brain, for this initial explosion of connections to be made, after which many of them shut down and wither away, as the brain decides which it will keep, which new ones it will need and which it can do without. During this period, it’s important that babies get the right kinds of stimulation so their brains can make the right decisions. The right kinds of stimulation, however, may not be the ones people think they are.
Asked in a recent study what skills children need in order to be prepared for school, parents of kindergartners routinely cited definable achievements such as knowing numbers, letters, colors and shapes. Teachers, however, disagree. Far more important, they say, are social skills, such as sharing, interacting with others and following instructions. Kids who come to school with a mastery of these less showy abilities stand a better chance of knocking off not only reading and writing when they are eventually presented but everything else that comes along as well. “Intelligence is based on emotional adequacy,” says child-development expert T. Berry Brazelton. “The concept of emotional intelligence is at the base of all this.”
[Read the rest of the article here]
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Other related posts that might interest you:
A child’s work is play
Life in the fast lane
Finding balance in a hurried world
Preschool for a headstart?
7 April 2010
Reading to learn
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Homeschooler Profile.
More and more homeschoolers in the country are turning to O Level as the preferred pathway to college and tertiary education. 17-year old Brian Tan sat for his exams last November and outshone many of his peers. The point is not that Brian did well, but that homeschool is no obstacle to education excellence. Above all, it also demonstrates that whatever homeschool methodology/philosophy or curriculum one subscribes to, being educated at home provides a child the necessary space for nurturing right attitude and inculcating a reading habit, both of which are foundational to future success. A big thanks to Brian and his parents Boon Long and Cynthia who also added their two-sens to the Q&A regarding exam preparation.
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Tell us about yourself and your homeschooling experience.
My name is Brian and I will be 18 this August. I have been homeschooling since Standard 5, i.e. 11 years old.
I liked homeschooling as there was flexibility in my schedule. It was always a holiday during my birthday and my family took holidays during non-school holidays, avoiding peak periods. I’ve enjoyed homeschooling which has made education fun. Spending loads of time with my younger brother and parents, I’ve become close to them and my parents are always at hand when I need advice.
Being an art and reading enthusiast since young, I used much of the break time between studies to draw (by hand and on the computer) and to read. I was read to (when younger) and I read a lot of good literature as part of my homeschooling. I also studied at my own pace.
Did you feel left out socially?
I have been involved in many activities that allowed me to socialise. There was Sunday School, my church Care Group, a Junior Public Speaking Club, Art classes, ice skating classes and badminton (both formal training and socially). I’ve been and am still actively involved in Royal Rangers (an international Christian uniformed group) with lots of activities including camping, hiking, canoeing, first-aid, Christian Service, Community service, various hobbies and opportunities for leadership. At 13, I joined the church Youth Group. I also helped in Sunday School.
When I was 15+, I attended a tuition centre for about a year to prepare for my O level and IGCSE. I also enjoyed the socialisation and learned more of the problems and issues faced by my peers. I also made friends in my church Bible Knowledge classes that I attended for 2 years.
Why O Level, and not SAT?
My parents say that the O Level exam is more widely recognised especially in Commonwealth countries. Local private universities normally advertise a “minimum of 5 O Level credits” as entrance requirement. SAT is mainly recognised for entry into US universities but they also accept O Level qualifications.
How many subjects did you sit for and how did you prepare for your exams?
I sat for a total of 7 subjects: Art, and Bible Knowledge (O level); and Math, English, English Literature, Business Studies and Economics (IGCSE). You could say preparation for English and English Literature began ever since I homeschooled using the Sonlight curriculum and some Singapore workbooks. I switched to IGCSE materials in Forms 4 and 5.
I’ve always used Singapore Math, but in my secondary years I switched to Counts 1-5 and the IGCSE text. For Business Studies and Economics, I started preparation when I enrolled in a tuition centre for about a year.
Prior to the Bible Knowledge exam, I attended my church weekly Bible Knowledge classes for 2 years. The classes actually prepare students for the SPM Bible Knowledge paper but I stayed because it was quite close to the O Level syllabus – Luke & Acts. For Art, I had a teacher for a year who helped me prepare for O Level Art.
I was in the tuition centre until the last 4 – 5 months before my exams. I consolidated my preparation at home by attempting a lot of past year exam papers, read examiners’ reports and comments to get a good view of what the examiners look for.
Your results came out early this year in January. So how did you do, and what’s your next step?
I obtained 7As. In the IGCSE, I obtained As for Business Studies and Economics and A*s for Maths, English and English Literature. In the O level exam (where A*s are not awarded), I obtained As for Art and Religious Knowledge.
My next step is to enrol at the One Academy in Bandar Sunway to pursue my passion in Creative Arts and Design. I’ll be doing a Diploma course in either Multimedia or Animation before going to one of their affiliated overseas universities for a degree.
How would you advise other homeschoolers to prepare themselves for their exams?
O Level /IGCSE normally require 2 years of preparation. I would recommend some tuition classes especially in subjects one is weak at, or where parents are unable to help. The 2 years could consist of a mixed bag of home school and tuition classes.
The tuition classes will also be a good transition from homeschooling to college life as one will be exposed to group discussions and group dynamics.
Finally, intensive practices of O level/IGCSE past year question papers, reading mark schemes, examiner comments and reports a few months before the exams help a lot.
However, homeschoolers should get a good grounding prior to the last 2 years before sitting for the O level /IGCSE.
Pre-O level/IGCSE preparation:
- For Maths/Add Maths, a good program is Singapore Maths from Primary until Form 3 (e.g. Singapore Maths Counts 1-3 or other Singapore Maths texts).
- For the Sciences (Biology/Physics/Chemistry), any Primary program will do but try to do Singapore Science for Forms 1 and 2 or the UK’s equivalent (Cambridge Core Bio/Physics/Chemistry).
- For English/Literature/History, the preparation program is a lot more flexible. Sonlight’s Core curriculum is excellent.
- For Economics and Business which are generally study subjects, homeschoolers should not find these a problem if they’ve acquired good reading/comprehension skills.
- For O level Bible Knowledge, do attend, if available (and normally free of charge) BK classes for SPM students conducted by churches. Syllabus is 90% similar.
Generally, a good base in homeschooling – “Learn to read and then read to learn” – will give homeschoolers the ability to learn independently in the later years, with some guidance from parents/tuition teachers.
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Top Pix: Brian holds forth at a debate
Bottom Pix: Brian (left), Mom Cynthia (centre), and younger brother Kevin (right) agree that homeschooling is fun
Related posts on homeschoolers and O Level
…….and a related post on developing a reading culture at home