Education Without School

When it comes to history, often our memories stretch only a short distance toward past events. We assume this is the only time that a pandemic affected children’s education. This isn’t our first time, nor will it be the last. Truthfully, over centuries, education has evolved and should continue to do so for the sake of our children. Since 3000 B.C., our species has survived at least 20 terrible epidemics and pandemics and countless less severe ones. These plagues ravaged civilizations and altered the course of humanity. Pandemics are global outbreaks of disease that can affect millions of people. The most well known of such plaques is the Black Death. Also known as the bubonic plague, it occurred during the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in China and spread along trade routes, eventually reaching Europe in the 1340s. The most heavily impacted countries were those in Europe, particularly Italy and Spain, but the disease also spread to other parts of Asia, Africa, and th...

  The history of home education in America dates back to the colonial era, when parents often taught their children at home due to the lack of formal schools in many areas. However, the practice of home schooling, as we know it today, did not become widespread until the latter half of the 20th century. During the colonial period, many families lived in rural areas where no schools existed. In these cases, parents had no other choice than teaching children themselves, or, if wealthy enough, hire a tutor to teach them. This was a common practice among the upper and middle classes, who could afford it. The first known instance of homeschooling in America occurred in the early 1600s, when Puritan settlers in New England began educating at home. At the time, these settlers believed that education was a religious duty, and that children should be taught to read the Bible and understand religious doctrine. This emphasis on religious education continued throughout the colonial period, with...

  © Personalized learning: Home education allows for a personalized education plan that is tailored to the individual needs, abilities, and interests of the child. This can lead to a more engaging and effective learning experience. Flexibility: Homeschooling offers flexibility in terms of both scheduling and curriculum. This can be beneficial for children who have unique learning styles or who may not thrive in a traditional classroom setting. Academic freedom: In a homeschooling environment, parents are able to choose the educational materials and resources that they believe will be most effective for their child. This can allow for a broader and more diverse educational experience. Increased family time: Homeschooling can allow for increased family time, as parents and children can spend more time together. This can be especially beneficial for families with a busy schedule or for those who value spending time together as a family. Improved socialization: Homeschooled children ha...

  What does it mean to get an education, and does it require sitting in a classroom? I didn’t attend a traditional public school past the 5th grade. Despite the negative perception many have about home-educated individuals, I’m not sheltered and unable to function in society. In fact, I’ve worked professionally in educational assessment supervising projects for the last 11 years. So, how did someone who stopped going to school at 10 years old graduate from college and end up with a job in the academic testing field? I believe in learning and how it benefits children, but public schools are not always a perfect fit for everyone. Some kids will do well, and some won’t. I recognize that parents and families need educational options. So why was I homeschooled? My world revolved around competitive figure skating. Every day I would spend an average of 2–5 hours on the ice. And like many lower income kids, I needed to get a job to help my family, and so I could afford expensive ice time a...

                              I still remember, even today, the excitement I felt getting the 120 Crayola crayon box as a little girl. The newfound ability to design and draw with so many colors astounded me. I could color trees and leaves the way I saw them in various shades of brown and green, not just one. I sat on the cool tile floor in our living room with copy paper spread around me like a patchwork blanket covered in a multitude of colorful sketches.       My love for art and expressing my imagination through it increased as I learned more and took more classes. When I reached adulthood, expensive pens, paints, and other materials limited what I could create and how often. The bargain products that produced lackluster results were the ones that I resigned myself to using. At least this gave me the chance to put paintbrush to canvas, and that alone brought me great joy. I agonized o...

More Than A Diploma -- Part III :  Study Resources For Credit By Examination Tests From those who have taken all the courses I have listed as high school equivalents, I’ve learned that the most difficult tests to pass for many are the CLEP History of the United States I and II.  Despite taking many practice tests, some students have found the actual test requires recall of many dates and names of events, a lot to memorize for the short-term study, and they often have to repeat these two tests before passing them.  So for these two courses, I recommend a longer study time with more study resources, aiming for a higher practice test proficiency score.   For example, EBSCO Learning Express, available free online from many public library research and study databases, offers four AP U. S. History practice exams, as well as CLEP combined practice tests for Social Sciences and History.   Ask your librarian if your library system subscribes to EBSCO Learning Expres...

  "It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom; without this, it goes to wreck and ruin without fail. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty. To the contrary, I believe it would be possible to rob even a healthy beast of prey of its voraciousness, if it were possible, with the aid of a whip, to force the beast to devour continuously, even when not hungry, especially if the food, handed out under such coercion, were to be selected accordingly." -Albert Einstein   For those unfamiliar with home education, un-schooling must sound like a strange term. In the realm of home education, un-schooling comes up in conversation in the same way public school does for private school families, as a lower clas...

  The Homeschool Parents’ Gathering As the group of home educators sat around on the lawn, all properly distanced and sporting face masks, each had brought their own snacks and beverages. They began discussing life as home educating parents.  One man questioned several of the other guests, all of whom had chosen to educate their children at home, for this year at least. He wanted to know more about the basic premise of home education. He argued, “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his or her best option in life was to stay home and be a full-time parent and try to teach one’s own children?” After boasting about his career as a contractor, telling how he built bridges, laid roads, sculpted highways, and stacked skyscrapers, literally creating cities, he asked all the home educating parents: “You say you’re moms, dads, and teachers. But be honest, now. What do you really do?” The first to accept his challenge was a mom who replied, “I would describe myself as a...

  Part II :  CLEP OR DSST High School Curriculum Options For example, following the “World Book Typical Course of Study” (see link below) detailing basic curricular guidelines for grades 9, 10, 11 and 12, here are some CLEP courses that a student could take to earn dual credit, fulfilling high school level college prep studies while also earning college credit.  Similarly students can consider DSST,  GRE subject tests  (Graduate Record Exam tests on specific subjects), and AP (Advanced Placement) credit by examination.  At any age students can independently prepare for these credit by examination courses.  One need not enroll in a course at a school, nor online, nor buy a packaged curriculum or preparation course to complete  any of these.  Here is where you will find the “World Book Typical Course of Study” curricular outlines for all grades:   http://www.worldbookonline.com/training/html/tcos.htm The fees noted below are the usua...