Hear from some of our current homeschooling families on why they prefer to homeschool

The family dynamics are much healthier when we are homeschooling.

•When the kids go to regular school all day, most of the time we spend together as a family is in the evening when all of us are tired and worn out.   Much of our parenting time is spent doing logistics, herding, and being a taskmaster.

•When we are homeschooling, we have lots of family time when we are fresh instead of tired. We spend a higher proportion of our time teaching.  I find I am forced to develop a higher degree of patience and I have to be a better listener.  I spend much more time giving my kids my undivided attention.   Our kids view us differently…more as a source of knowledge and skills and less as a taskmaster. They learn to listen better as well, and to value our opinion more.  Our family functions in a more peaceful, respectful, and fulfilling manner.

Homeschooling is a very different educational experience.  It is not just schooling in a different building.

•Personally, I think there are some good aspects to both “regular” school and homeschool.  In school they learn to stick to a schedule and relate to different kids and teachers.  They learn some skills, which are very useful in the working world and not very reproducible in a homeschooling environment.  Also, the schoolteachers are professional and knowledgeable and can teach some subjects much better than me, as well as having lots of training in teaching kids with different learning styles.

•In our version of homeschool the kids have more freedom, less tests, and less deadlines.

•They learn to like learning better, learn to teach themselves, and learn to take advantage of all sorts of different learning opportunities.  I believe that homeschooling helps them to become life-long learners.  Learning doesn’t just happen during school hours.

•We can tailor our kids’ education to suit them.  For example, if they love cooking, we can learn through cooking... measurements, chemistry, fractions and so on.  We can also chose subjects that might not be offered at school or at their age, like building electrical circuits in Kindergarten.  They do not have to try to keep up with others and if they are ahead in subjects they can advance and not have to wait until others have caught up.

•The school environment can be loud and there can be distractions.  If your child is sensitive to these things, homeschooling means you can work in the quiet and comfort of your home.

•Sometimes the sun is shining and it's just a beautiful day.  We can take our books to the beach or on a hike (or leave them at home!).  There is always an opportunity to learn new things.  You do not have to stick to a set curriculum and it teaches them to think outside the box.

•Some subjects are best taught one on one. Math is one of these.  Math is very linear.  It is very important to really master each step before moving on to the next step.  It is very difficult to do this in a large classroom.  If the pace is too slow some kids get bored.  If it is too fast, those kids never grasp and master the concepts and will always have difficulty with math and will end up hating it.  Because I am working one on one with each of my kids, I can design the lessons to be at their own pace.

On-Site Classes

•Students who homeschool through the Haines Borough School District can take classes not offered in the school, such as AP classes or more advanced classes or classes in topics that they are especially interested in.

Socialization

•Homeschooling still offers many positive social interactions.  There are many school activities that the children can still take part in.