Archive for the ‘Q & A’ Category
4 May 2009
Is it expensive to homeschool?
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Q & A.
I would say YES and NO to that. YES, in the sense that purchasing a full curriculum from abroad (usually US) may come up to RM3000 for a year’s supply. It can get more expensive as your child moves up to higher grades. And NO, because it is possible to home educate without packaged curricula if you really want to, at least until your kids are preparing for highschool and/or college.
Our experience
When we first started to homeschool our 2 boys, we did not buy any curriculum until they were about 10 and 8. When we finally decided it was easy to pick Sonlight which is literature-based for our homeschool since we were book lovers ourselves. I think we spent about RM2500 and both boys were tutored with that one set of books (almost 90+ books in a box) – paced according to their abilities.
I think we became less rigid with the passing years, and eventually ordered only the minimum books required. We began to supplement with equivalent titles sourced locally and that helped to bring our costs down. We scoured local bookstores like Popular, PayLess, Kinokuniya, Times, and MPH for bargains. We also visited the National Library and carted home piles for our boys. Actually we went to the Library a lot all through our children’s early years (then again, the Library was quite close to where we live).
But when you think about it, if you amortize the amount of money paid for curriculum, it’s reasonable expenditure well-spent. Also, remember that homeschool saves you in other ways – uniforms, all sorts of fees for clubs and extra-curricular activities, endless tuition, canteen allowances, busing kids to-and-from school, etc.
And don’t forget the intangible savings when you homeschool – less stress, fewer anxieties, more security, saving on time, etc.
Go online
These days, there’s so much you can get from the internet and local resources that it’s possible to homeschool without bursting your wallet. A family I know swears by the internet and hardly buys any curriculum (and if they do, it’s used books) and has managed very well, thank you! As a matter of fact, there is no reason to buy expensive stuff for kids when they are still young. I understand the security that a packaged curriculum offers a homeschooling newbie – wah, lesson plans, education and developmental milestones, curriculum goals, self-administered tests, etc – makes any parent feel like yes, this is sooooo very like school. Don’t get me wrong – all this is good.
What I am simply saying is, you can put off buying expensive curriculum in the early years, and the internet is where savings can be found. Forget that 46″ LCD TV or that expensive PS3. Instead, invest in a good pc and get a broadband account. Get online and surf. Learn how to get around the net. If you’re going to homeschool, you’ll have to be resourceful. There are TONS of FREE resources available and the number grows exponentially everyday!
Here’s a little taste of what the wide wonderful world of the internet has to offer a homeschooler: check out DistanceEducation.org. The site recently posted a list of 100 FREE distance learning resources for homeschoolers. Divided into 10 sub-sections, you’ll find excellent links to Lesson Plans, Educational Websites, Test-taking Resources, Science Resources, Math Resources, Reading Resources, Online Highschools, Open Courseware, Social Studies, and Homeschooling Resources. All downloadable and all free for all ages. Okay, the Social Studies Resources may be too American to be relevant (Presidents of the US, Kids guide to US govt, etc) ………..but you get my drift.
So, one last word if you’re scratching your head about curricula: don’t panic.
PS: Just in case you didn’t know. Singapore has an online bookstore for homeschoolers now. Point your mouse at The Home Library.
23 March 2009
Homeschool interviews on radio
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: News; Q & A.
I should have posted this earlier, but better late than never as they say! If you want to catch BFM 89.9 homeschool interview series, here are the details:
KV Soon & Wai Leng (Family Place): About Homeschooling
David & Sook Ching Tan (Homefrontier): A personal account of homeschooling
Chong Wai Leng (Family Place) & Dr Hasnah Toran (Faculty of Education, UKM): Homeschooling children with special needs
13 March 2009
Frustrations and challenges
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Q & A.
At our recently concluded radio interview on BFM 89.9, one of the last questions posted was about our frustrations (if any) and challenges.
Well, to be honest Sook Ching and I couldn’t think of any frustrations – if by frustrations one refers to the sort that depresses and leads to regret. I don’t recall ever having a ‘what if’ situation, and the thought that perhaps we ought not have homeschooled has never cropped up.
But challenges? Sure. I think homeschool is not an idyllic privilege (for the well-heeled?) or a walk in the park; it has its own challenges, of course. Like every family, a homeschooling family goes through cycles of highs and lows. We make mistakes, we pick ourself up. We learn. Sometimes you lose focus, your kids don’t feel motivated, and that’s when you imagine things are not working out.
The difference between a homeschooling family and a family with conventionally-schooled children is that a homeschooling family makes their own rules. Because you call the shots and set the pace, you have the flexibility and the time to fix whatever is not going right. Say, a discipline problem, maybe an illness in the family. Maybe a curriculum sucks, or the textbook is so unimaginative turning its pages hurts your fingers.
In the case of a discipline problem, there may be a need to deal with it immediately instead of waiting for Dad to come home. If necessary, suspend your homeschool routine and go away for a while to think and work things out. That’s a luxury hardly any conventional school offers.
If you think a certain syllabus or curriculum is unbearably dull, why, just dump it and switch. If a child is not ready for a certain grade book, slow down and cut the slack. You can afford to be kinder to yourself and your kids. It’s plus points like these that makes homeschool so appealing.
I always tell friends that whether they homeschool or not, life is about picking the balls you want to juggle. As a homeschooling parent, we’ve looked at what most families consider ‘normal’ and we ask ourselves, who decides what’s normal anyway? Why struggle at keeping a dozen balls in the air when we can choose to juggle less?
The articles and cover stories that celebrate super moms who have it all – high-flying careers and high-achieving kids – are sooo inspiring. Dads who’ve been there, done that, and bought the store. You know, that’s just not us. We’re ordinary, imperfect folks blessed with good but imperfect kids, and we’ve decided we want something else, something more. We took a step back and thought hard about what really matters and the price we’re prepared to pay to get there. That would be – better control over our lives, giving our children their childhood, developing values that stand the test of eternity, among other things. So we homeschool.
8 January 2009
Can I homeschool both my sons at the same time?
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Q & A.
A recent email arrived asking about homeschooling 2 children at the same time. I thought it best to let my wife Sook Ching – who’s the primary tutor in our home – take up the question. I’ve revised the query a little to maintain the privacy of the enquirer.
Q: Do you think I can homeschool both my sons who are a year apart? The oldest is 6 and the younger is 5 this year. If yes, do I teach them at the same time or have individual lessons with each? I will be the sole educator as my husband manages his own business, so I won’t be asking him to contribute in the classroom, but perhaps in other areas. Having said that, my oldest son is in final year of preschool this year; do you think I can slowly and tentatively incorporate year one lessons this year? Or am I jumping the gun?
A: I’m Sook Ching, wife to David Tan, and mother to 2 boys, Ethan and Elliot, now 19 and 17 respectively. I do believe that every child is a gift of God and uniquely and lovingly designed by Him, and that’s why we believe that homeschool is a real blessing: because it allows parents to tailor and adapt an education programme to fit a particular child and make learning a joy and a lifestyle! Compare that with the assembly line cookie cutter factory called “School” where every child has to learn the same things at the same time and at the same pace and style. And if a poor child is too fast or too slow by that average standard, or is in anyway different, he or she becomes a misfit and miserable. But that’s not the only beef we have with conventional schooling and I won’t go into all that now!
Yes, you can homeschool both boys: most families do it with more than 1 child, some like my neighbour with 5 and 1 on the way! I started with the same curriculum for both boys till they were older, then the older one did one level higher because he was faster in his math and reading. You’ll have to get to know your children and try out materials with them. If they find something easy, then they can go on a higher level and so on. The beauty of homeschooling is its flexibility: it allows each child to work at his own pace even in different subjects. So Son 1 may be doing Math Level 1 and English Level 3, while Son 2 may be at Math Level 4 and English Level 2. The important thing is to cultivate a love for learning and not study just to pass exams and get some certificates. The goal must to be to develop a person who can think critically creatively and who is also humble to know that he or she does not have all the answers, and therefore continues to be a lifelong learner.
Most mothers are the sole educators especially when the children are younger, though at all times, the presence and support of the father is important. The father can always act as a resource person in his area of expertise (math, computer, accounts, music etc?) and as an authority figure (the Principal) and counselor. When the boys grow older, you’ll find that they’ll be talking more to their dad than to you! The important thing is the building of relationships in the family which will last through the years to come: the sharing and communication that helps understanding and imparting of wisdom for the art of living, besides cold facts and figures. You’ve heard it said somewhere: if a child lives with love, encouragement, acceptance, forgiveness, honesty, etc, he’ll learn all these and grow to become a confident loving and mature person who is able to relate to everyone else in the world.
Actually, we only bought a curriculum for our boys when they were 7 and 9 or later. Before that, we used a lot of mix and match, materials from the local bookshops and the library from which we’d bring back piles of books on science, history, geography, and lovely illustrated storybooks. We went out a lot to play, to the playground, the swimming pool, the shopping malls, friends’ homes. They had time to play together and with friends all types of board games, Lego and other building toys, and time to draw and write and talk and just lie down and dream. We provided the environment of learning: books and materials for writing, drawing, and music. We switched off the TV too – it was only allowed on Saturdays when they were young. Back then we had no computers, but all these have to be restricted, so that they have time to read, talk, write, think, dream, be creative and imaginative and relate to people. Studies have shown that boys especially mature slower than girls when younger and do not normally do well in schools: they are more active and playful and to suppress them is to take away their joy and life! But also, children learn more from playing and informal situations.
13 November 2008
Am I qualified to teach?
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Q & A.
I was quite surprised to read that the Education Ministry is once again reviewing the Education Act 1996. It appears there is a bill that requires all teachers in educational institutions (kindergartens to colleges) to be registered with the education department before they can teach anyone. That doesn’t sound too encouraging to homeschooling parents who are already nervous about dealing with mandatory education for primary kids. It does make you wonder what sort of repercussions it will have on parents who educate their own children at home. The new amendment isn’t law yet, but MP for Sungei Siput, Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, has raised it in Parliament in August 25, 2008. You can read it here.
Interestingly, homeschooling mom Momie Tullotes in an article titled Can a Parent Be a Homeschool Teacher Without a Degree, writes that while a teaching degree may be helpful, it is not necessary. What a homeschooling parent needs is determination and dedication. Read her piece here.
Beyond legal issues, parents often wonder if they are qualified to teach their own children. To be qualified means so many things! Common fears cited include a poor grasp of English, lack of education, and an inability to discipline one’s own children. It is unfortunate that many parents in Malaysia feel that homeschooling can only be conducted in English. This is certainly not true. HSLDA has links to homeschooling groups in Taiwan and I am pretty sure a simple search will lead any seeker to more links.
Apart from the issue of language, I can understand the anxiety at the very thought of educating one’s children. Here’s an article I came across that addresses this question: “Am I really qualified to teach my own children?” The writer Richard J. Prystowsky spells out what he sees as crucial links in parent-child teaching. He says:
My intention here is to help parents—especially those new to and those thinking about homeschooling—who are struggling with the questions of whether or not they really are both capable of teaching and qualified to teach their own and whether or not they are (or would be) acting responsibly by homeschooling their children. To this end, I offer a discussion of the following personal traits, which, in my nearly twenty years of college teaching, I have come to see as being essential for anyone to possess who desires to be a good teacher, that person’s profound knowledge of her subject matter or in-depth training in teaching notwithstanding. (Note: one’s being “certified” to teach is not synonymous with one’s being “qualified” to teach.) My greatest mentors possessed these traits, although, to the best of my knowledge, none had taken a single course in educational theory or methods. If you yourself have or are striving to have all of these traits (the following list is not meant to be exhaustive), then you are probably fit to teach your own. On the other hand, if you lack and have no interest in attaining them, then perhaps you ought not teach either your own or anyone else’s children. (Read the rest here)
His is a helpful list (non-exhaustive, as he writes), but again, the stress is on desire and determination. Hmm. Thousands upon thousands of parents who have homeschooled their children couldn’t have agreed more.
26 May 2008
Beginning homeschool
Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: Q & A.
How do you make kids sit down to learn at home? How do parents teach the higher grades? Won’t homeschoolers miss out on socialization? Will it affect their character and social skills? What if I start homeschooling my child after primary school?
Homeschoolers are asked these questions all the time.
I wish I could offer a cut-and-dried response to these common queries put to homeschoolers. There isn’t (simply because every home is different) although it’s probably safe to say that there are some commonalities across the board. Also, there are no perfect situations, only opportunities. Parents who educate their own children at home hope and pray their kids will turn out well. The truth is the journey has only just begun. Our homeschooling kids are at different points and milestones along the way, and who they are or what they will become is just unfolding. So we’re all a work-in-progress -parents as well as their children – counted as `saints’ by our heavenly Father, yet saints in the making.
I think one of the biggest misconceptions about homeschool is that it is schooling’ that is carried out at home. The image therefore, is of a conventional classroom now scaled down but imported or adapted to the living room or kitchen table. Some parents have the idea that the one-on-one situation with mom as tutor and junior as student is an attractive proposition because, a) there’s going to be a lot of attention given to the student b) there’s going to be a lot more Junior will absorb in the personal tutoring process, and c) obviously, the potential for academic excellence is going to be greatly advanced.
Speaking as a former teen, that’s as much fun as a torture chamber. Why bother with homeschool then? Might as well stay in a conventional school.
It is possible that some families may homeschool this way (to each his/her own I say) but that’s not how I understand homeschooling to be, nor is this how it is practiced in the homes of most if not all homeschoolers I know. My own home would certainly be dismissed as a slacker’s paradise; parents who imagine homeschools to be a miniature academe peopled by diligent children sitting ramrod at their desks studying, will be sorely disappointed if they drop in our home for a visit!
In the first place, homeschooling is more than academic learning or formal scheduled study. It is providing a child a secure home to realize her potential holistically. It is equipping her for self-directed learning, training her to be resourceful and independent.
Seen this way, the homeschooling parent does not consider herself as a tutor but a facilitator. We’re seeking a balance. Life itself is one big classroom or a laboratory for creativity, discovery, a safe place for learning from one’s mistakes. Conventional schools with their over-emphasis on exams and books and tuition offer little time or space for self-discovery and imagination. The difference between a happy pre-school kid of 4 years and an anxious, bored, schooled kid of 7 years is staggering. Which is tragic considering how many great minds, inventors, and writers, owe their greatness not to hours of mugging but to playing and tinkering about while in their formative years as young children.
Certainly there are sit-down periods, but informal learning constitutes a significant part of a homeschooler’s education. Eventually the role of parents as their child’s facilitator is diminished until personal involvement is no longer necessary or a primary concern. Inculcating this attitude and outlook in a child when she is younger pays off when she grows older. Parents will quickly find that their initial fear of being unable to teach the ‘hard’ subjects becomes irrelevant because the homeschooled child will and often does surpass her tutor.
Taking a child out of school at 13 years to homeschool is not uncommon, but some parents admit to struggling with weaning the teen from an entrenched and usually peer-dependent lifestyle. A lot of families do succeed at ‘deschooling’ a child for home education but it entails more effort since you’re developing a new circle of friends at the same time as picking up a new learning culture.
Then there is the whole issue of learning styles and gender. Different children learn differently according to Howard Gardner’s (among others) multiple intelligences theory (Frames of Mind, 1983). Again, boys are psychologically and developmentally different from girls. Given these variables, parents do their children a great disservice when their idea of education is one-size-fits-all. It isn’t and it doesn’t. The good thing about homeschool is, a child gets to learn at her own pace and in her own style.
It should become clear by now that homeschooling is a radically different way of looking at learning. I often tell friends it is a whole new lifestyle requiring some drastic makeover in my expectations and value system. But what about socialization, people ask? Simple observation confirms that socialization in all its negative modes is precisely why our present schools and society are having so many problems. The right question ought to be, what kind of socialization do I want?
Homeschooling promotes positive socialization. It’s insulation (as opposed to isolation) during a child’s most impressionable years. And contrary to popular myths about homeschool, it takes place in a real world instead of the artificial one that is merely made up of children of the same age. In that unreal walled–up world called ‘school’ with its sterile classrooms, children wear the same uniform, read the same books, pick up the same bad habits and prejudices, conditioned by a system that rates their self-worth against exam marks, and discourages anything but conformity. Urgh. Then there’s that persistent interrupting bell that only Pavlov’s dog could love!
While this is going on, our homeschooling kids are reading a variety of books, getting involved with community service, interacting with people of different ages, building rafts and swimming in the river, traveling, hiking up Maxwell Hill by themselves, helping in the zoo, and participating in debates and mock trials. Sure, we families have to do it ourselves to make all this happen. But that’s where the pleasure lies! Above all as parents we have the time to provide a steadying influence, adult modeling, moderating and interpreting the challenges of life against an agenda set by other parties, institutions, and vested interests.
Finally, I wish I could conclude that homeschool is the answer to our educational and institutional ills. It is not. And it will not be for everybody. It may be that other families and children are doing well following conventional routes – national schools or private, international schools or learning centers.
But those of us who have chosen to educate our children at home believe it is the better way. It is more worthwhile embracing a radical alternative that matches the values we hold – including our love for God – which we hope to pass on to our children. We do this in the process of equipping them with skills to engage the world with more than paper credentials. It appears research is on our side, because homeschoolers are by and large academically above the national average, assimilate well into society, and are unafraid to march to the beat of a different drum.
Homeschool is a long way from becoming mainstream in Malaysia. But things are changing, and opportunities for tertiary education are opening up. Technology and community resources are making education at home more and more viable and accessible. So. Should you homeschool? Can you homeschool? The question our family would ask is, why won’t you?
By David BC Tan