Students fight myths about home schooling, 12 August 2007, Green Bay Press Gazette, Green Bay, Wisconsin

For many area families who choose to home-school, the practice is more accepted than it used to be. Still, they often have to fight the myths and misconceptions that can accompany learning at home.

‘Not some hermit’

“The first question almost everyone if they’re a teenager the first question everyone asks me is, ‘Do you wear your pajamas all day?’” Lawyer said with a laugh. “No, I get up, I take a shower like every other civilized person in the world. I do my hair. I put on my makeup, I get dressed. (I’m) not some hermit that lives in my bed all day.”

Teaching in faith

Home-school families cite myriad benefits, from flexible schedules and curriculum to keeping kids away from some of the distractions and perceived worldly messages of public schools. But that doesn’t mean they have animosity toward public or private education, many say it’s simply not for them.

A day in the life

There are perhaps as many approaches to home schooling as stated benefits for families.

Strategies run the gamut from a highly regimented schedule to what’s known as “unschooling,” essentially letting the child decide what he or she is interested in, then supplementing it with parent-directed learning.

Life after home schooling

Just as home-school approaches vary, so, too, do record-keeping techniques employed by parents, college admissions officials say. Some keep transcripts similar to those kept by public or private schools, while some have narrative-style accounts of children’s learning through the years.

When that’s the case, schools have to rely more heavily on standardized test scores and other criteria, said Pam Harvey-Jacobs, director of admissions at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Many home-schoolers take standardized tests like the ACT or SAT, though they are not required.

posted by Valerie