Getting Started with Homeschooling
Practical Considerations for Parents of School-Aged Children
© Beverley Paine
Index
Homeschool
Australia
Researching Other Educational Philosophies
(continued)
Public school philosophies are drawn from current understandings and knowledge of child development, and reflect community expectations. You will the basics are generally much the same as they were twenty or thirty years ago. Most private schools also write their own, and may sell or loan you a copy. You may wish to borrow or purchase the complete documents to give you thorough background understandings of what others believe constitutes education. Although they may differ greatly from your own perspective, they do include much information based on current research into child development and learning theories, and will help you learn more about the educational process.
Alternative educational institutions such as Montessori and Steiner have a range of books and materials available to the general public. Many of them also suggest practical ideas.
Home education is an exciting venture into unknown territory, even for parents with teacher training. There are many excellent books published about the home education experience. It would be wise to read as many as you can as you begin to home educate. Although these books are often full of useful advice and helpful hints, it is important to remember that no two home schooling families are the same. Your experiences will evolve to suit your own particular family situation. What happens elsewhere may not translate to be applicable to you family.
The experiences cited in such books are invaluable for boosting your confidence in becoming responsible in a direct way for you children’s education. They will reassure you that home schooling can be a successful and happy alternative to a school based education.
Talking to other home schooling families is another excellent way to sound out your beliefs and ideas. You will pick up a lot of helpful information. Home schooling doesn’t have to happen in isolation, and shouldn’t. Although still a relatively new phenomena in Australia, several networking groups exist in each state that cater for different needs. Most of these produce newsletters which keep families in touch and publicize events such as picnics, excursions, workshops, competitions, camps and other events.
There is usually at least one or more experienced home educators near to you who act as contact people. There people are willing to share their time and expertise in helping you get started. They offer their homes and families as examples of successful home school models, each uniquely different in style and approach. Again it is important to keep in mind that they are presenting only one model of home schooling – it may not be your style, but there will still be enough helpful advice and examples you can draw on.
In addition to groups there are regular newsletters or journals produced locally, interstate and overseas, specifically for home education. Therese offer practical help, information about current research and outcomes of home education, advice and information about many issues relating to home schooling and education in general. Each year more books on the subject become available, and can be purchased in Australia, ordered from overseas, borrowed from libraries, or borrowed from other home schooling learning families.
 previous page |
Excerpt from Getting Started with Homeschooling, Practical Considerations
© Beverley Paine, 1997
