Getting Started with Homeschooling
Practical Considerations for Parents of School-Aged Children
© Beverley Paine
Index
Homeschool
Australia
Identifying Resources
The most important educational resource available is access to the skills and knowledge of other people. In many educational programs for children this is overlooked or forgotten. Most learning occurs through emulation of example. Make sure you give your children lots of opportunities to talk to, and be with, a variety of skilled people of all ages they can learn from.
An excellent way to increase your list of possible resources is by sharing it with other families, both home schoolers, friends and community groups. This sharing of information quickly becomes a regular and two way process with everyone benefiting. Fostering relationships with places like child care centres, preschools and schools and other educational institutions can result in unexpected gains. Continuously update your list and add to it any new resources you may come across.
Consider the following for sources of information, activities and materials:
- Home education networks. These often have regular gatherings, organised
excursions and social events. Many produce their own newsletters, and some with state
or national circulation. Networks exist to share information about resources and issues
about home education.
- School teachers or friends working in educational institutions. These people
constantly use a huge variety of resources and have access to information which could be
very helpful. Foster friendships by offering information and surplus resources. Being a
home schooling family doesn't mean you have to avoid schools! If you come across
some reluctance to share resources or information reassure the person you are talking to
that you are all working in the best interests of children. Don’t expect something for
nothing; be interested in what others are doing and offer assistance wherever you can.
There are also several associations of specialised teachers which publish journals and
organise regular competitions for students. These can be found in the telephone
directory.
- Libraries. Many public libraries and libraries attached to TAFE colleges or universities have
many titles, audio or video tapes on education and children. You may need to be persistent
with some libraries who do not usually lend to the general public, and some have joining or
annual fees. Schools have reference libraries for their staff and are worth trying to access.
Community libraries are an excellent source of J reference and fictional material, and inter-library loans can be arranged. Many libraries
have access to Internet, and other computer based information. Don’t be shy - introduce
yourself as a home schooling family to the library staff and ask for their advice and help
in locating information and other resources. Librarians are an excellent source of
information about local events, resources and groups in the community.
- Educational Bookstores. Most teachers purchase their own texts in different subject
areas from businesses available to the general public. These include student workbooks
in all areas of learning, as well as ‘how to teach’ titles. Many of them are ‘graded’, or
prepared in ‘themes’, and most are written for Australian students by experienced
teachers. Remember to allow yourself lots of time to browse. Consulting the children
on the type of text they prefer working with before purchase is always a good idea.
Texts often bought impulsively usually don’t get used! Many of the bookstores offer
catalogues, and some have free mailings of new publications on a regular basis.
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Excerpt from Getting Started with Homeschooling, Practical Considerations
© Beverley Paine, 1997
