EDUCA'TION, n. [L. educatio.]
The bringing up, as of a child, instruction; formation of manners. Education comprehends all that series of instruction and discipline which is intended to enlighten the understanding, correct the temper, and form the manners and habits of youth, and fit them for usefulness in their future stations. To give children a good education in manners, arts and science, is important; to give them a religious education is indispensable; and an immense responsibility rests on parents and guardians who neglect these duties. Noah Webster's Original 1828 Dictionary
There are many reasons we homeschool.
First and foremost, the Bible says that parents will be held accountable for what our children learn. We believe this means spiritual, moral, and emotional as well as academic education. We can give away our authority to teach, but never our responsibility for what our children learn. And if you want something done right it is best to do it yourself.
Second, we teach our own because we like our children and enjoy being with them. I would miss them if they were gone six or more hours per day. I want to keep it that way. Too many parents today, although loving their children very much, don't really like them nor enjoy their company. Modern society believes that a child is born perfect, or at least evolutionarily more advanced, and unless his parents ruin him, will grow to be an unselfish, productive adult. The Bible teaches that we are all born selfish foolish. God has ordained parents, fallible as we are, to mold our children into unselfish, productive adults, (Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6) It is not something that happens accidentally or by itself, but by careful training and attention from the parents. By homeschooling, we can institute this Godly training full time that will insure our continued enjoyment of our youngster's company.
Third, we believe God placed children in families for a reason. Society at large has acknowledged that orphanages are bad for children. They do far better in a family environment. Yet most of us send our babies to part time orphanages for thirty or more hours a week. The Bible says He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. (Proverbs 13:20) and Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. (Proverbs 22:15), and Be not fooled, bad company corrupts good morals. (1 Corinthians 15:33) I can think of few things more filled with foolishness than a room with 30 eight year olds! Personally, I want my children to be wise, not destroyed.
The family unit is the perfect learning environment. If a child in traditional school has a problem in a subject, does the school send him to a room with fifty instead of thirty students so he can learn better? No, of course not. They send him to a tutor with one to four children in a class. Every one acknowledges that the smaller the teacher/student ratio the more efficient the learning process. Our children are not Fords. Assembly line education doesn't produce the best for each child, only a low average, at best. Each child needs an individual course of study in order to achieve their best. A home school parent has the freedom to tailor each child's education to that child's strengths and the world to draw from for resources. A traditional classroom teacher can only aim for the middle and hope to hit as many as she can; and then is restricted to materials approved by the local and state school boards.
Children are more mentally stable if they are not constantly changing major care givers/authority figures. The studies that have proven this were focusing on preschool ages. However, we do not believe that a child magically becomes able at the age of five to switch affection and respect frequently from one caregiver to another without harm. In fact, the only study I know of ever done to determine the best age for a child to begin to leave their home for long periods of time on a regular basis (go to school) concluded that a child should not begin before nine, and eleven is better! (Learning is different than going to school. Children are learning from birth and academics can start long before a child is ready to handle going to school.)
We also strongly disagree with the philosophies taught in public school today. There is no such thing as teaching without teaching religion and morals. The very act of teaching teaches that ignorance is bad, a moral statement (one most people agree with). Our public schools teach the religion of Secular Humanism (politically correct term for Atheism.) and situational ethics. Even if they have a Christian teacher, neither the teacher nor the child is allowed to speak of God or life's most important questions during class hours (Why are we here? What is the purpose of life?). Especially in History and Science, to teach without God is to teach there is no God. We want our Lambs taught Christianity and absolute, Biblical morals. The best place for them to learn this is in our own home.
From the most important to the least; Homeschooling provides our family with a great deal of flexibility. If we want to take a vacation, say in February, the children will not miss any school. We will take school with us, use the trip as a very long field trip, or count that as vacation time instead of the traditional vacation time. If my husband were to change jobs to one where he worked nights or weekends, we would simply adjust our school day to correspond to his workday. Our children would miss no Daddy Time.
To read more or buy the book see http://homeschoolwwh.com/
There are many reasons we homeschool.
First and foremost, the Bible says that parents will be held accountable for what our children learn. We believe this means spiritual, moral, and emotional as well as academic education. We can give away our authority to teach, but never our responsibility for what our children learn. And if you want something done right it is best to do it yourself.
Second, we teach our own because we like our children and enjoy being with them. I would miss them if they were gone six or more hours per day. I want to keep it that way. Too many parents today, although loving their children very much, don't really like them nor enjoy their company. Modern society believes that a child is born perfect, or at least evolutionarily more advanced, and unless his parents ruin him, will grow to be an unselfish, productive adult. The Bible teaches that we are all born selfish foolish. God has ordained parents, fallible as we are, to mold our children into unselfish, productive adults, (Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6) It is not something that happens accidentally or by itself, but by careful training and attention from the parents. By homeschooling, we can institute this Godly training full time that will insure our continued enjoyment of our youngster's company.
Third, we believe God placed children in families for a reason. Society at large has acknowledged that orphanages are bad for children. They do far better in a family environment. Yet most of us send our babies to part time orphanages for thirty or more hours a week. The Bible says He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. (Proverbs 13:20) and Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child. (Proverbs 22:15), and Be not fooled, bad company corrupts good morals. (1 Corinthians 15:33) I can think of few things more filled with foolishness than a room with 30 eight year olds! Personally, I want my children to be wise, not destroyed.
The family unit is the perfect learning environment. If a child in traditional school has a problem in a subject, does the school send him to a room with fifty instead of thirty students so he can learn better? No, of course not. They send him to a tutor with one to four children in a class. Every one acknowledges that the smaller the teacher/student ratio the more efficient the learning process. Our children are not Fords. Assembly line education doesn't produce the best for each child, only a low average, at best. Each child needs an individual course of study in order to achieve their best. A home school parent has the freedom to tailor each child's education to that child's strengths and the world to draw from for resources. A traditional classroom teacher can only aim for the middle and hope to hit as many as she can; and then is restricted to materials approved by the local and state school boards.
Children are more mentally stable if they are not constantly changing major care givers/authority figures. The studies that have proven this were focusing on preschool ages. However, we do not believe that a child magically becomes able at the age of five to switch affection and respect frequently from one caregiver to another without harm. In fact, the only study I know of ever done to determine the best age for a child to begin to leave their home for long periods of time on a regular basis (go to school) concluded that a child should not begin before nine, and eleven is better! (Learning is different than going to school. Children are learning from birth and academics can start long before a child is ready to handle going to school.)
We also strongly disagree with the philosophies taught in public school today. There is no such thing as teaching without teaching religion and morals. The very act of teaching teaches that ignorance is bad, a moral statement (one most people agree with). Our public schools teach the religion of Secular Humanism (politically correct term for Atheism.) and situational ethics. Even if they have a Christian teacher, neither the teacher nor the child is allowed to speak of God or life's most important questions during class hours (Why are we here? What is the purpose of life?). Especially in History and Science, to teach without God is to teach there is no God. We want our Lambs taught Christianity and absolute, Biblical morals. The best place for them to learn this is in our own home.
From the most important to the least; Homeschooling provides our family with a great deal of flexibility. If we want to take a vacation, say in February, the children will not miss any school. We will take school with us, use the trip as a very long field trip, or count that as vacation time instead of the traditional vacation time. If my husband were to change jobs to one where he worked nights or weekends, we would simply adjust our school day to correspond to his workday. Our children would miss no Daddy Time.
To read more or buy the book see http://homeschoolwwh.com/
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